FSE

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01 - New World

Something shiny flashed through the grey fog in Ulric's mind. He was vaguely aware that he moved around, although it seemed he wasn't consciously doing it. He suspected he fell asleep while reading on the couch but it didn't explain the sensation of using his arms and legs. It made even less sense than his usual dreams and it worried him.

Willing himself to wake up, the fog lifted slowly while another flash went through it and he jerked backwards. His vision became a little more clear and vague shapes appeared with one moving in front of him while swinging a long shiny object at him. His mind registered danger and he jumped back in a reflex.

'Oy!' he said but heard a snarl.

His vision cleared up more and he recognised the shiny object as a straight sword. And the hooded person in a cloak wielding it thrust it at him again.

'Hey! Stop that!' he shouted but once more he only heard sharp snarls.

The person backed off quickly and he took the opportunity to glance around in the medieval style large room. The sight of an open doorway made him think of escaping and he rushed towards it but a large black and red canine monster rushing at him startled him into jumping back and crashing into a couple of small tables with books, jars, candles, and assorted magical props. He grabbed the large and heavy candlestick that fell on the floor beside him and swung it at the monster.

Except there was no monster.

Panting hard he crawled away from the doorway while aiming the candlestick at it and hit a wall with his back. He glanced left and right for a sign of the monster but all he saw was that cloaked person standing on the other side of the room. 'Where'd it go!?' he said, heard a growl and whine this time and looked quickly in all directions to see where it came from. There was still only that one person present, who pulled back the hood of the cloak.

Ulric stared with open mouth at a young woman with short brown hair looking as wild as if it had never been touched by comb or brush. She frowned at him as if he was something she'd never seen before. He surely didn't feel like he belonged wherever he was now and understood her expression.

'Where am I?' he said which turned into a half growl, half whine.

Another nagging sensation went up in the back of his mind. His whole body felt weird and his heart stopped when he noticed his hand holding the candle stick. He thrust it away from him and stared at the paw with longer digits and sharp claws in front of his eyes. He turned it around, looked at his other hand which was now a paw as well, then looked down to see the body he had occupied since birth was gone and had been replaced by a canine body.

A whine escaped him and he reached out to a polished silver tray, and whined more at the reflection of the monster that scared him. He looked at the woman. 'Why? What happened to me?' he whined.

Iphigenia watched the bloodwolf with greater puzzlement as he held out his paws to her, then pat all over his body whining like a lost puppy. She approached him carefully with her sword aimed at him. He held up his paws like a man would in surrender and recognised despair in his eyes. The demonic killing intent from before was gone without a trace.

She pondered killing him or not, knowing how deceitful demons could be, but she had never seen his kind reacting other than aggressive. The doubt made her groan in frustration but she had to be sure and the only way to do that was through a familiar bond so they'd understand each other. She didn't want to get close to such a dangerous creature or be linked to it's savage mind but she could always break the bond again.

He reeled back and stared at her sword as she took a step closer. She held up her hand, lowered her sword a little, gestured for him to stay put and shook her head while placing her hand on the blade. She gestured at him and growled, and pointed her sword upwards. He gazed at her for a moment and nodded once. She was glad he understood, lowered her sword far enough so that she could still stab him, went down on one knee at his side, touched her forehead, gestured at his, and leaned her head forwards. He understood again and carefully touched her forehead with his. She spoke the incantation and as she concentrated on him the mind link opened. His fear and anguish nearly overwhelmed her.

Ulric caught the young woman before she fell on the floor. 'Are you okay?' he asked as she blinked at him.

She nodded. 'It's nothing.'

'You understand me now!?'

She sat down on the floor. 'Yes. Through the mind link from the familiar bond that I made with you. We don't need to speak directly either if we focus on who we want to talk to.

He nodded. 'Where am I?'

'This is a dark wizard's lair. You don't know how you got here? Where did you come from?'

He sighed. 'Last thing I remember was reading an old fantasy book that I picked up at a used book shop.' he said and looked around. 'And it seems I'm stuck in this dream.'

She raised an eyebrow. 'You think you're dreaming?'

He held out his paws. 'How else would you explain this medieval environment and whatever this body is that I have now?'

She stared at him for a moment while his behaviour started to make sense to her. 'You're not really a bloodwolf from the demon realm?'

'I'm human for real! And where on Earth would a demon realm exist?'

She frowned slightly again. 'Ehmm, what is Earth?'

He gestured around him. 'The planet. This planet?'

She sat upright. 'This is Leandria.'

It was his turn to stare at her for a moment while a realisation nagged in the back of his mind. 'This isn't Earth? And I suppose it's not the twenty-first century either?'

'The common year is seven hundred and sixty-eight. More precisely, it's the forty-second day of the fourth month.'

His jaw dropped. 'This has to be a dream.'

She shook her head.

He grabbed a large book from the floor, weighed it in his paws, and hit his head as hard as he could with it.

She snatched the bent book away from him. 'What are you doing!?'

He shook his head and sighed. Although he was a lot stronger now, so was his skull. 'I wanted to wake myself up.'

She noticed the title of the book and skimmed through it. 'This explains it.' she said and showed him a page with a magic circle. 'The wizard tried to summon a demon but something must have gone wrong and you were summoned here at the same time.'

He groaned. 'So where is he? Make him send me back.'

She looked away. 'About that.' she said and cleared her throat. 'I don't think he'll be able to do that.'

His eyes went wide. 'What!? Why!? He must!'

She glanced at a corner and he looked. The blood soaked robe covering the body was enough of an answer. 'You killed him after he summoned me?'

'I'm sorry! I thought he hadn't completed the ritual! And I didn't expect something like this to happen!'

He put his face in his paws hanging on barely to his sanity and logic. 'Does it say in the book how to send me back?'

She skimmed through it one more time. 'Only to the demon realm.' she said and put the book away. 'I also never heard of any other realm used for summoning.'

He sighed and gave up his resistance to his nightmare. 'So I'm stuck here in this world and in this monster body.'

She looked down. 'Sorry.'

They sat for a while in silence when she quickly looked up. 'I know! Maybe the magic council can help!' she said and he looked at her from between his fingers. 'They are the wisest of wizards and they might know of a way.'

A spark of hope lit up in his chest and he sat up. 'Where can I find them?'

'At Winter City. But it's a long journey and in your present situation you'll be targeted as a demon.'

He shook his head. 'I've got no choice if I want to return to my life. I'll just have to risk it.'

She nodded. 'I'll come with you. If anyone sees me with you they might not attack. Besides, I feel somewhat responsible for what happened.'

He smiled a little. 'Thanks. I can use all the help I can get right now.'

She smiled back at him. The familiar sight of black fur with thick blood red stripes across the back and neck had always filled her with loathing but he made it look good. She was surprised at this thought, wondered if it was an influence he had, and realised she hadn't checked his capabilities yet. 'Mind if I see your tallies?'

He raised one of his large ears. 'Tallies?'

She nodded. 'You know, what you can do, how strong you are.'

'Oh, I have no idea what I can do or show you.'

'Can't you summon the list of your skills in your world?'

He shook his head. 'We don't have magic in my world. Or at least no public knowledge of it.'

She moved closer. 'But maybe you can do it here. Just imagine a list on a page.'

'I might as well try.' he said, closed his eyes and imagined a form with items like height, weight, academic results, and a few moments later one appeared before his eyes. 'I see it now.'

'Good. I can use the mind link to see yours now as well.' she said and focussed on his status. 'Hang on, your health, strength, dexterity, and magic power are all zero!'

He looked them up. 'Indeed. Did I imagine it wrong?'

'I don't think so because there are abilities listed. It's probably because you're not from this world and some things might not work.'

'Sounds logical. I'd like to have seen it though and compare it with others.'

'So did I.' she said and summoned her own tallies. 'You can see mine if you focus on it.'

He directed his mind to hers and her numbers appeared before his eyes. 'Oh, I see them!'

'My strength is at one hundred and twenty-eight as you can see. One hundred is the average for humans and the average for bloodwolves is one hundred and sixteen.' He nodded. 'Magic power is not high in my case at forty-eight. Just enough to heal myself from anything but really serious wounds.'

He chuckled. 'I doubt I have even a single point for that.'

'I don't understand your abilities though. Essence of healing, hedgehog? I've never heard of those.'

He reread them and pondered. 'I have no clue either. Maybe another thing that doesn't work right because it's me.'

'I'm afraid so, sorry.' she said. 'All that's left on the tallies are any familiar bonds that you made. You should see it as familiar to with my name.'

He checked. 'Iphigenia.' he said and smiled. 'That's a beautiful name.'

She blushed to her own surprise. 'Ah, ehm, thank you.' she said and cleared her throat. 'I see your name is Ulric. That sounds strong.'

He chuckled. 'With this body it fits that strength for once. I never was very athletic.'

She chuckled and read the entry in her list again. Then once more. 'Wait, why does it say familiar to you!?'

He looked up. 'Hmm?'

She checked his list. 'It should state that you're my familiar but it says I'm yours!'

He reread both entries. 'I see it. How's that possible?'

'That can't be! Only the initiator can be the master!' she said, drew her sword and glared at him as she aimed it at him. 'What did you do!? Are you trying to trap me with that whole other world story!?'

He leaned back and held up his paws. 'I didn't do anything! Why would I even want to!?'

'Because familiars can't harm their masters or anyone they say! And now you'll prevent me from killing your kind while they do evil!'

'No, honestly!'

'I can't undo the bond! You break it!'

'I don't know how!'

'Just think hard about it!'

'Okay, okay! I will!' he said and imagined pulling a chain apart.

She pointed the tip of her sword at his throat. 'Do it!

'I'm already trying!' he said and shut his eyes tight in deep concentration. He breathed deep after a while. 'I can't break the link.'

She glared at him. 'I don't believe you!'

He sighed. 'Look, whatever happened is probably for the same reason why the rest of my status thing doesn't work. I don't want to be a master over you, I just want to go home to my real and quiet life.'

Doubt crossed her mind about her accusation with his logical explanation but she wasn't ready to fully trust him. 'So you say.'

'Won't that magic counsel know how to break it? You were willing to take me there so let's have them take care of that as well.'

She groaned in frustration when she had to admit he was right. 'Fine! We stick together like this for now.' she said and backed off. 'But as soon as we're there we're breaking this thing!'

He nodded. 'It's a promise.'

When they both stepped outside the small tower that was the wizard's lair Ulric took a deep breath of the unpolluted air and stared at a planetary ring and two moons at either side of the horizon, the grey one smaller than the bright white one. 'This is definitely not my home.'

Iphigenia glanced at him while she picked up her pack that she had left near the door. 'Much different?'

He nodded. 'We only have one moon, and no rings around the planet. Are there more moons here besides these two?'

She watched the horizon. 'One more. It's light blue and almost as big as Zurine, the white one, and is called Zydre. The grey one is Ziadan. The ring we call Vahan.

He took in the sight for a little longer when she began walking. 'Come. We have quite a journey to make and I'd like to get out of this forest before we rest.'

He hurried forwards to catch up with her and walked on all fours next to her. 'Wait, didn't you threaten to kill me if I didn't break the familiar bond, while it prevented you from harming me in the first place?'

Iphigenia flinched. 'Ah!'

02 - New Experiences

Ulric woke up when the sun was still touching the horizon, stretched and yawned, stood up while his mind was muddled and wrapped in the fog of sleep, went to a nearby bush, and relieved himself.

Smacking his lips and running his tongue along his teeth he tried to remember what he had eaten for dinner to have a metallic taste in his mouth. The sight of a clear stream of water led him there to rinse the taste from his mouth and wash his face in an effort to wake up more.

He stepped into the cool water next to a large bush and froze at the sight of a naked young woman on her knees with her head under water. She lifted her head, wiped her hair to the back of her head and froze at the sight of his male anatomy in front of her eyes.

'AH! PERVERT!' Iphigenia shouted and covered her breasts.

Ulric swivelled around instantly and wide awake. 'I'm sorry!'

The situation dawned on him and memories of his sudden appearance in a strange world resurfaced and he groaned and slumped. 'Oh yeah.' he sighed. 'This is not a dream. I'm not at home and this is not my bathroom.'

'But I'm still trying to bathe here!' said Iphigenia. 'So I'd like some privacy!'

He glanced back. 'Right, sorry! I'll just freshen up after you.' he said and hurried out of the water.

He sat down underneath a large solitary tree in the wide grasslands where they made camp after leaving the forest. He had slept deeper than he had ever remembered and dreamt about hunting in a dark and damp forest. He wondered if it were memories of the original owner of his body and examined himself again.

His fur was ominous black with thick, darker blood red stripes across his back and in his neck, and some strands of it in his large, thick tail. The fur in his neck felt thick and touching his ears he sensed they were two or three times as large as he'd remembered from photos of wolves. Squinting at his muzzle he understood why this species was named bloodwolf.

His curiosity got the better hand of him and he pulled at the sheath in his crotch. At an unconscious level he knew how to emerge it and stared at the bright red rod of flesh at his abdomen. “No wonder she screamed when this thing suddenly appears before her eyes." he thought and his mind focused on her reaction. The image of her knelt in water and the glimpse he had of her cute breasts made him smile. She'd be a regular tomboy in his world and rather appealing to most men.

'Ah! What are you doing now, you pervert!'

He snapped back to reality and pulled up his knees cursing the erection he received from her image. She glared to his side, too embarrassed to look at him directly. He rolled sideways before standing up to hide his front. 'I was just examining this body because it's my first time using it.'

She huffed. 'Did you have to do it right here with me around!? I have no interest in seeing that part of you!'

He moved around her towards the stream. 'Sorry! I didn't mean for you to see that!' he said and hurried to take a dip in the cool water.

When he stepped out of the stream he walked on all fours before he noticed he did. It felt more natural and easy for him so he stuck to it, also, so he wouldn't have to hide his crotch constantly.

Iphigenia had packed her belongings and chewed on some tough bread and dried meat. Ulric sat a little away from her and she noticed him staring at her. 'What!?'

Before he could say something his stomach answered with a growl and he looked away with his ears flattened.

She frowned. 'Can't you go hunt or something?'

He sighed. 'I have no idea how, or even what I can. I haven't seen any prey here and I'm not exactly fond of the idea of eating like a predator.'

She couldn't really blame him for his predicament and sighed. 'Fine. I'll give you some of my provision, but you'll have to help me hunt later because I don't have enough to last for two.'

'I'll do my best!' he said as she handed him part of her food. He ate it eagerly and she had to suppress a chuckle when his tail wagged happily.

***

Ulric gazed across the grassland and scattered small clusters of bushes with one or two trees while Iphigenia and he headed towards another forest in the distance. 'So, what exactly do you usually do?'

She stared at a bird of prey drifting further away in the air. 'What do you mean?'

'Well, do you make a living killing wizards and travelling around with monsters possessed by strange people?'

She chuckled. 'I do odd jobs to earn some money while seeing more of the world, like my mother did before she met my father and had me.'

He hummed. 'They live around here or far away?' She kept silent and a glance at her solemn face made him regret the question. 'I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry.'

She looked up at the sky. 'They were killed about a year ago while defending the village from an attack.'

'Other men, or demons?'

'A large pack of bloodwolves.'

Ulric flattened his ears and lowered his head and tail. 'Sorry.'

Iphigenia watched the bird of prey dive down to the ground and pounce its prey. She took a deep breath and exhaled. 'It's not your fault. More lives were lost but many were saved thanks to them and the others fighting the pack. I'm proud of them.'

He thought of how he lost his parents in a senseless car accident because the city counsel didn't care about pedestrian and cyclist's safety when they renewed the main roads in his home city. At least her parents made a difference.

She glanced at him. 'When we reach the forest we'll need to find something to eat, so you'd better prepare to see what you can achieve in this body.'

He looked up at her. 'Yeah, with my luck I'll probably only catch some bugs. The slow kind.'

She chuckled. 'You only get to eat what you catch out here. Don't look at me for a share of my food.'

He sighed. 'Damn.'

At the edge of the forest Ulric halted and sniffed the air. There was a scent that stirred the natural bloodwolf in him. 'I think I smell prey.'

They moved silently further into the forest until they spotted a couple of deer. Iphigenia pulled out her bow. 'Your nose is fine.' she said and scanned the area. 'Let's see if your hunting ability matches it.'

Carefully they sneaked closer within firing range and Ulric waited for Iphigenia to shoot before giving chase to his own kill. She drew the bow slowly, concentrated while aiming, and released the arrow.

It brushed the side of the deer and they bolted away.

The thrill of the chase overwhelmed Ulric and he rushed off in pursuit.

Pleasantly surprised at the agility and speed with which he moved between the trees his enthusiasm increased. Catching up to the slowest deer didn't take long and despite its best efforts to sprint left and right to shake him off he slashed at its hind legs to bring it down and killed it quickly with a twist of its neck between his strong jaws.

“Wow." he thought as he examined his kill. “I really did this?" He figured the hunting instinct was ingrained into the bloodwolf's body and that's what guided him to success. He shrugged mentally. “I got it in the end eventually."

Iphigenia came running and looked at the deer. 'Well done. I must admit you're able to hunt for food.'

He grinned. 'Yeah. So what was it you said? You only get to eat what you catch?'

She pouted and fiddled with her bow as she looked away.

He chuckled. 'I doubt I can eat it all myself and I certainly can't cook it, so how about I hunt from now on and you cook?'

She grinned. 'Deal.'

After processing the deer's meat and eating the first meal, Ulric leaned back against a tree and looked up at the sky through the branches. 'I'm not sure but shouldn't it be dark by now?'

Iphigenia looked up. 'No, why should it?'

'Seems to me the day here is longer than on Earth. I feel like I should be asleep by now.'

'You only sleep during dark?'

He nodded. 'Most do anyway. Don't you?'

'We sleep when needed. Doesn't matter if the sun is out or not. Most people sleep four times from sunrise to sunrise.'

He yawned. 'Then I think I'll need some time to get used to that.'

She packed the last part of the meat and stored it in a special sack she carried for that purpose. 'I feel like resting as well so let's do that.' she said and they made themselves comfortable between two thick roots of the tree and dozed off.

***

Iphigenia woke up later first and nearly choked when she looked at Ulric sleeping on his back next to her. She had barely managed to stop thinking about the image of him surprising her during her bath and now she witnessed that thing ready for action. She looked away but her eyes were drawn to that exposed part of him. Although she had heard stories from other women about men and had seen some at community baths, she hadn't yet seen one that wasn't just hanging about.

The men she had met in her life were either insensitive jerks or just out to get into her breeches, and were nothing she wanted to get close to so she had no idea what sex was like. She gazed at the size of his erection and wondered what it would feel like inside her. If it would indeed feel as good as some of the other women claimed.

She screamed at herself in her mind. “What are you thinking!?" she thought. “If indeed he was a human as he claims, he's still a bloodwolf! And you don't even know his intentions!"

A groan and shuffle next to her startled her. He rolled on his side and blinked his eyes. 'Morning already?' he muttered.

She looked away. 'Almost end of the day. We should get going.' she said, stood up, moved away some distance behind a bush, and squirmed a little when she felt more sensitive while she relieved herself.

Ulric sat up straight, stretched, and shrank as soon as he felt the sensation below. “Oh shit." he thought. “If she'd seen this I would have gotten an earful from her again."

After a quick bite they went on their way again and Ulric carried the heavy sack of meat on his back. Iphigenia explained what she could about the various countries close by, often ruled by a queen, and everyday life for most people. He thought it was like most people imagined fantasy stories with low tech industry and good and evil races. “Some would give anything to be here." he thought and imagined a whole line waiting to be a hero and slay mighty demons. Or dragons.

He was about to ask her about it when a foul scent prickled his nose and he froze. She saw his scrunched up expression. 'Something wrong?'

He sniffed to see where it came from. 'I don't know. There's a smell I don't like at all.'

They laid down their packs on the ground and proceeded forwards to scout the way ahead. At a small clearing of uneven bare ground and a bulging patch of brown grass they halted. He searched left and right. 'The smell is stronger here.'

She stepped aside towards the grass when it suddenly rose up. A roar sounded and a giant bear with brown scraggly fur on its back turned around out of a deep hole in the ground, and lifted one clawed paw to strike her.

'Iphi!' growled Ulric, jumped in front of her, embraced her, and tensed his whole body to receive the hit from the bear.

A hard blow struck his back with a loud screech from the bear.

His feet were pushed deeper into the soft ground but he still stood firm. With some surprise he looked back at the bear who yowled and limped away in a hurry on three legs.

'Ulric?'

He looked back at Iphigenia in his embrace. 'Are you okay?'

She nodded. 'Thank you. Are you okay?'

He smiled gently. 'No worries. I'm glad I reacted fast enough.'

She nodded again but her heart didn't just pound from the sudden scare. The embrace in his strong arms against his warm body set off a thrill in her chest. She blushed and looked away. 'You can let go of me now.'

'Ah!' he said and released her while embarrassed. 'Of course.' He cleared his throat and looked back again to where the bear had fled to. 'I wonder what happened.'

'Your fur!' she said. 'That's what!'

He stared at the spines covering the backs of his arms, hands, and legs. 'What the..'

'Your back and tail too!' she said. 'You're completely covered!'

He carefully ran a hand over his head and into the back of his neck. 'Where did this come from!?'

She looked at him. 'That must be what your hedgehog ability is! You can transform your fur into defensive spines!'

He stroked the spines on his lower arm and touched the points on his paw. 'That's damned useful. These things are really sharp.'

She nodded and grinned. 'You're even more dangerous now.'

He chuckled. 'I hope it's not permanent though. I do prefer the soft fur and I don't want to accidentally hurt you.'

'Try imagining the spines turning back.'

He closed his eyes to do so and opened them when she said it worked. 'Wow.' he said as he stroked the familiar black fur. 'Does this happen more often?'

She pondered and shook her head. 'Not that I've heard before.'

He grinned. 'Well, I feel more confident about our journey now.'

She chuckled. 'Yeah, so do I.' she said and they went back to pick up their packs and continue their trek.

***

At a river they stopped for rest and Ulric went in to wash the remains of blood from his back. Iphigenia giggled when she watched him struggle to reach his back to rinse it. She undressed into her green, light undershirt reaching just below her behind and stepped into the water. 'Here, let me help.'

He sighed at the comfortable massage from her fingers running through his fur and sighed. 'Thanks.'

She chuckled and let her hands explore his broad back while she rinsed the blood and dirt from his fur. It reminded her a little of the times she bathed with her parents and washed their backs, and when she rode on her father's back during games at the village's festivals to celebrate the harvest. Her chest tightened and she closed her eyes to suppress her tears.

After a few moments of trying to ignore the soft bumps pressed against his back and her arms tight around his stomach he cleared his throat. 'Iphi? Are you okay?'

She opened her eyes and realised she had embraced him from behind. 'Ah!' she said and stepped back. 'I just got caught up in old memories, sorry.'

He turned to look back at her. 'No, it's-' he said and looked away.

She watched him sit down quickly into the water. 'What?'

He gestured with his head. 'I can see kind of everything.'

She looked down on herself and saw her wet undershirt stuck to her front revealing every line of her body from her breasts and nipples poking behind the fabric to her bellybutton and the V shape at her thighs. She cried out and plunged down into the water and covered her breasts. 'Don't look!'

He coughed. 'I'm not looking! So just go out.'

She hesitated for a moment, then hurried out to grab some dry clothes. He couldn't resist peeking at her smooth tiny behind as she moved away though, and needed to sit in the cool water a bit longer.

03 - Fatal Fight

The next day they travelled through low but steep rocky hills and Iphigenia took the lead during narrow paths so she wouldn't have to look at Ulric and be reminded of her embrace and her thoughts about him that had kept her awake half the time at the last rest.

They still distracted her though and she slipped on a loose stone during a shallow climb. With a yell she fell back but Ulric caught her. 'You okay?' he asked.

She nodded and blushed at his firm and safe hold. 'I'm okay. I just overlooked a bad step.'

He nodded and she moved on again. He hummed as he suspected she was uncomfortable around him after yesterday's incident and hoped they wouldn't have more until she could finally be free of him when the wizard council releases her.

They reached a level and wider part of the path between steep walls but as soon as they reached the middle goblins popped out from behind crags in the rock.

'Shit!' said Iphigenia, drew her sword, and looked around at the group of stone axes and battered old swords wielding creatures. 'They're not strong on their own but as a group they're tough.'

Ulric dropped his pack and transformed his fur into spikes like he had practised during their rest. 'Any advice?'

'Yeah, don't get overwhelmed.'

For a moment the goblins just stared menacingly at them while rocking on their feet, then cried out and rushed in for the kill.

Iphigenia parried and slashed the goblins coming at her while Ulric covered her back, catching the goblin's strikes with his spines and taking them out with massive punches from his spiked fists. Wounded goblins yammered and the ones that could still fight lost their confidence.

'They're getting unsure!' shouted Iphigenia while she stabbed a goblin in the throat. 'Let's push them!'

Ulric followed her lead and they concentrated their fight on one goblin at the time and took down their numbers at a steady pace.

'We're getting there!' she shouted when there were just a few goblins left. 'We'll-'

Ulric turned around in a flash at her cry.

She sank back against him with an arrow in her side and he looked up at the top of the rock wall where a goblin put another arrow to his bow. Without any hesitation he grabbed one of the goblin's swords at his feet and hurled it at the archer.

The creature sprung up backwards from the force of the steel piercing its chest and Ulric rushed with fury through the remaining goblins.

Covered in blood he returned to Iphigenia. She had ripped open her tunic to reveal the wound and remove the arrow, and cursed. 'They did something to that arrow. I can sense poison.' She put her hand on the wound and mumbled her healing incantation, then cursed again. 'I can heal the physical damage but not the poison. I don't know what it is.'

Ulric climbed up the wall and came back soon with a blooded satchel. 'Maybe this'll tell you.' he said and upended it.

She searched through the contents until she gasped at a bunch of blue-green leaves with a metallic shine.

'What is it!? Is it bad!?' he asked as he watched her pale face.

'Seasword.' she said, her eyes fixed on it while her hand trembled. 'It kills.'

He grabbed her shoulders. 'But there is a cure, right!? You can fix it, right!?'

Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked into his eyes. 'There is no cure. I'll die in a day.'

He trashed around the contents of the bag on the ground and ripped the bag apart to be sure nothing was left in it. 'There has to be! You can't use a poison without making sure you have an antidote!' He growled as he sniffed and examined every scrap of parchment and stone jar and herb.

'Ulric.' she said and put her hand on his arm. 'Ulric!' He glared at her. 'There is none. It's no use. They must have gotten their hands somehow on this rare plant. And they don't care about any possible danger to their own to find an antidote.'

His paws trembled and his head started to hurt. 'I can't let you die like this! I have to do something!'

Her heart beat faster at his worry for her. She thought she could have fallen for him if she had met him under normal circumstances and she smiled softly as she stroked his cheek. 'Then take me quickly beyond these hills. There's a beautiful shallow valley I'd at least would like to see.'

He wasted no time gathering their packs, hoisting them on his back with her, and hurried as fast as he could without making her uncomfortable.

***

The valley was bathed in a golden sheen by the time Ulric halted at a pond halfway down one side, overlooking the valley and surrounded by sweet smelling berry bushes. Trees were scattered around the grass covered valley with large patches of flowers in almost every colour of the rainbow.

'Told you it was beautiful.' Iphigenia said as she climbed off of his back and removed their packs.

He nodded. 'Yeah.'

She chuckled. 'You need a bath. You look horrible and stink.'

He looked at his rough fur covered in dry goblin blood and dirt and scrunched up his muzzle. 'Ugh, indeed.' He looked back at her. 'You go first though. I'll wait here.'

She smiled and shook her head. 'No, you go first. I need to do something first.'

'Ah.' he said as he thought he understood what she meant. 'I'll be quick then.'

He hurried towards the water and took a dive. After coming up he began rinsing his fur furiously at his arms. When he reached back to scrub his back he remembered the trouble with that. 'Oh, yeah.'

'Let me.' said Iphigenia and poured water over his back.

'Iphi!?' he said and looked back at her.

She smiled at him. 'You're no good at this.' she said and chuckled.

'True.' he said and chuckled while enjoying her massage.

She finished his back, bit her lip as she gazed at it, and embraced him tight from behind.

'Iphi?' he asked when he sensed her trembling against him.

She sniffed. 'Thank you.'

He held her arms. 'I didn't do anything.'

She squeezed him. 'You did. You climbed that wall and cut and scraped yourself to see if that goblin had anything with him.'

He looked down at his damaged paws. 'How could I not?'

'You genuinely care.'

He caressed her arms.

She took a deep breath. 'I have one last request.'

'Name it and I'll do it.'

She held on to him for a moment longer, then let go and to his surprise turned him around. The moment he saw her he looked away. 'Hold on! You're naked!'

She chuckled. 'Yes.'

He glanced at her when she took his paws in her hands. 'But what about you hating it when I see you?'

'I didn't know if I could really trust you then.' she said, moved against him and leaned her head against his shoulder. 'But now I know I can. And the sight of you didn't leave me unaffected either.'

He nuzzled her hair while he quickly grew erect. 'I don't know what to say or do, other than feeling happy upon hearing you say this.'

She cupped his cheeks and kissed him. 'I want to experience the pleasure of sex before I die.'

He embraced her. 'Are you sure with this body? Wouldn't a real man be better?'

She smiled at him. 'I want it to be you.'

He kissed her and their tongues found each other as they slipped between their lips. He enveloped hers with his length and she slid her mouth all the way across his to give her all while she pressed her lower abdomen against his hard and hot flesh.

They kissed until she needed to catch her breath, and she smiled wide at him before she took his paw and led him out of the water and back onto the soft grass where she sat down with him. She blushed as she looked at his erection, and carefully touched it. 'It's so hot.' she said as she caressed it with his fingertips.

'I believe this body has a higher temperature than a human body.' he said and caressed her cheek. 'Is it okay?'

She nodded and smiled at him. 'I think so.'

He kissed her again and caressed her side with one paw before caressing her breast. She pushed her chest against his paw while her nipple hardened between his fingers. He pulled back slowly from the kiss, pulling on and brushing against her lips with his, before moving down and kissing her neck and throat. She hummed in pleasure and a shiver went down her spine when he licked her and brushed his fangs against her throat.

Her firm small breasts were next as he licked his long tongue around and across them and paid attention to her sensitive nipples, and she embraced his wide neck and buried her fingers inside his thick fur. 'This feels good.' she breathed.

'I'd like to lick every part of your body.' he said and bit gently into her breasts and nipples. She squealed softly and pressed her chest more against his muzzle while his paw slid down her front and stroked her hot mound.

He moved further down with his tongue and she spread her legs wider when he licked along her mound and inhaled her scent. She gasped at the first lick across her clit and sending a shock through her hips, and breathed harder while he slipped his tongue through her slit and explored every fold.

'Mmm.. I never imagined it would feel this good.' she breathed and grabbed at the grass while her insides trembled at his touch.

'It'll be even better when I do this.' he said and slipped his tongue slowly as far as he could inside her.

Her whole body trembled hard at the sensation while she breathed fast and her heart raced. She pulled out grass with her tight fists at the wonderful torture she endured at his hot tongue moving inside her sensitive depths, and moaned long. The grazing of his front teeth against her clit twisted her insides even more and flashes of light appeared before her tightly shut eyes.

She uttered incomprehensible moans and groans while her whole body trembled uncontrollably from the inside until he licked her clit hard and fast. A surge of heat and tightness exploded between her legs and she tensed, pushing her mound against his muzzle while her mind blanked out.

She panted hard and smiled at him as he leaned on his paws over her. 'I believe you enjoyed that.'

She chuckled with difficulty between her breaths and stroked his chest. 'I really did.' she said. 'And I want more.'

He grinned. 'You shall have more.' he said and stroked her wet slit with his slick tip.

She breathed hard as her insides filled with his burning erection and let out a long and satisfied moan when he completely entered her and his furry balls pressed against her mound and furry abdomen against her clit. She embraced his neck and moaned softly at his slow and deliberate thrusts and her body tightened in reaction. 'I love this.' she breathed and kissed him again.

Their tongues connected and both panted harder with each thrust inside her. She wrapped her legs around him and pulled him tight against her to feel his fur all over her. She sensed the tension in his erection and his desire to be inside her and her heart raced knowing this man in beast form had taken her and gave her this fantastic sensation. He groaned and growled and she let her moaning run free.

Ulric's hips shook while he held back on thrusting fast and hard and come as soon as he could in her but it was hard. Every hit of his tip against her womb sent aching surges through him and pushed him onwards to empty his balls inside her. 'Oh Iphi.. This is the best sensation in my life.' he growled. 'I want to be so deep in you.'

She panted and licked his tongue. 'Go as deep as you can.' he breathed. 'I want you there as well.'

The pressure pushing against him reached his limit. 'I can't hold back!' he growled and pushed himself hard inside her. 'I'm coming!'

'Yes!' she moaned and her whole body quivered in ecstasy. 'Come in me!'

The deep growl as he shot his burning stream of demon beast seed inside her mixed with her loud moan at the surge of heat washing over her from inside, and she passed out for a moment. He panted and growled in her neck while she panted and stared up into nothing and both revelled into the hot throbbing sensation of their locked bodies.

When he caught his breath he rolled sideways with her on top and caressed her back and behind. She hummed in pleasure and squeezed his erection inside her while she moved her fingers through his fur and their chests heaved against each other. 'That was incredible.' she breathed. 'It was what I wished for.'

He held her a little tighter. 'I want to give you so much more. I want to save you no matter the cost. I-'

She smiled softly and hushed him with a finger against his muzzle. 'Thank you. For everything.' she said and snuggled as tight as she could against him. 'Don't say anything, just hold me as I go to sleep.'

He closed his eyes, listened to her soft breath and counted her heartbeats as they resonated against his chest, and swore to hold her until the very end while tears rolled down his cheeks.

***

When Ulric woke up he cursed himself for falling asleep at perhaps the most important time in his life. Iphigenia lay still on his chest in his embrace and he cried as he nuzzled her softly. 'Iphi..'

A stir of her body and a soft moan startled him.

His eyes went wide when she grabbed his fur and rubbed her cheek against his shoulder. 'Soft..' she mumbled.

He touched her cheek. 'Iphi?'

She squeezed her eyelids, yawned and stretched, and blinked her eyes up at him with a sleepy smile. 'Hello, sweet wolf.'

'Iphi!' he said and embraced her tightly. 'You're alive!'

She squirmed. 'Not for long if you keep doing this.'

He laughed and relaxed his grip. 'But you're alive!'

She pushed herself up. 'I? I am!' Checking her tallies she saw she was at full health. It was even higher than before. All the numbers were higher than before. 'How..? What happened?'

He smiled up at her and took her hands in his paws. 'I don't know but this is great!'

Something stirred against her sticky mound and she grinned. 'Seems something more is happy to see me alive.'

His ears lowered and he looked away in embarrassment. 'It's not my fault when there's a cute naked woman straddling me.'

She chuckled, leaned forward and pulled his face towards her. 'I'm glad to see you reacting like that to me.' she said and kissed him while rubbing her mound along his hot shaft. 'It means I get to enjoy what we did more often.'

He stroked her back and slid his tongue along hers. 'I'd love to touch and lick you all over and fill you deep inside.'

She hummed in pleasure as the memory stirred her body, then pulled back at once. 'That's it!'

He stared up at her. 'What's it?'

She grinned wide. 'Your essence of healing! That must be it! Your seed must have erased the poison in my body!'

His eyes went wide. 'Could it really!?'

She nodded frantically. 'Nothing else could have done it!'

He couldn't believe it yet. 'Wow.'

She chuckled and smiled softly as she stroked his cheek. 'You saved my life twice now.'

He blinked up at her. 'I don't feel like I really did anything.'

She leaned forward and kissed him again while rubbing her slit against his tip. 'Then this time I'll have to make you feel like you did.'