According to Kat and Bren, their going had been progressing fairly well. By the ti they made camp, they were within another day’s walk to the outpost. Thankfully, it had just been the one pack of Twinwolves that day. However, Annita had heard several others in the woods. They were mostly steering clear for now.
Deep in the night, Annita woke herself and wandered away to handle her rising Libido. It was nice that it was almost a full day between having to release the pent up tension, but still inconvenient no matter how much she enjoyed the maintenance. There was sothing primal in her that just loved being outdoors, in these dark woods, and reveling in her own pleasure. Gods above, she would love to share that experience with soone.
Kat was interested, she had little doubt, but was holding off for so sense of propriety. Annita thought she got a more relaxed feeling from the woman, especially around her sexuality, but she guessed there was more than she could sense.
Closing her eyes and sitting against a tree, she lost herself to the pleasures of the flesh. It was still as strong as it had been that first morning in the mansion, but she could control herself a little better and, with so effort, drew out the experience.
After what felt like a few minutes, the inevitable conclusion to Annita’s nightly ministrations concluded with a shower of pearly cum jetting across the snow in front of her pulsing cock. She was panting, and slightly sweaty, but felt incredibly relaxed. She took a few minutes to recover, feeling her hearing coming back from the roar of blood that usually filled them while she was masturbating.
Despite the darkness, the woods were alive and filled with sounds. Small rodents shuffling through the snow, nocturnal birds flapping here and there. It was a comforting feeling to be so relaxed in nature. Annita wasn’t quite sure if this feeling was from her new Lupine nature, or just sothing she hadn’t had a chance to feel in her past life. Either way, she loved it.
Sighing, Annita retrieved her discarded skirt, buckled the belt, and returned to camp. Kat and Bren were where she left them, though Kat seed to have shifted in her sleep while she was gone.
Annita smiled to herself. She was lucky it was these two who had found her. They were both good people, willing to help her, even if it was to help themselves as well. She’d made more of a connection with Kat after sparring with her and sharing her Path, but Bren was becoming endearing as well. He ca off a bit awkward, but after a couple of days, and seeing how Kat interacted with him, she was fairly sure that was just him getting used to a new person. She could understand that. He was an incredible source of information and did not mince words with magical knowledge.
Annita settled back onto her blanket, the cold that froze the other two a pleasant chill to her, and drifted back to sleep.
They broke camp early and headed out, just like the previous day. Kat seed more tired than the day before. Annita worried she was stressing over keeping her safe. She really needed to get stronger for that reason alone.
Setting out it was a fairly quiet morning. Nothing hostile showed itself, though Kat showed her tracks of the elk/bear hybrid she’d told her about.
It was almost midday when Annita heard the clanking of tal and human footsteps that weren’t their own. Two voices spoke back and forth, one gruff and baritone, while the other was a feminine voice, though similarly rough.
“People up ahead,” Annita said as she kept walking.
Stopping for a mont, Kat listened as well. Annita still loved watching her long ears twitch when she paid attention to them. They weren’t quite as agile as her wolf ears, but you could tell when she was listening intently.
“I don’t hear ‘em yet. Must be at the limit o’ yer hearin. What do they sound like?” She looked at Annita with an unusually intense stare, her icy eyes fixing the Lupine in place.
“Uh, rough? One man, one woman. I think I can hear boots? So kind of tal, too. They’re not trying to be quiet, but I can’t hear what they’re saying yet.”
Annita watched Kat visibly relax. “Oh, tha’s good then. Prolly a patrol from the outpost. Let’s go et up with ‘em. Which way?”
Annita pointed the way and followed as Kat and Bren led. About five minutes later, they ca upon the pair patrolling the area. They had arrived behind the pair, so the initial impressions were from their backs.
One was a shorter humanoid covered in hair more than skin. They carried a double-headed axe over one shoulder and wore a leather studded set of armor. The other was much taller, maybe on a level with Kat, and carried a longsword sheathed across their back. Their equipnt was heavier, with a chain main doublet and what looked like a reinforced kilt.
“Greetings!” Bren called out.
The two turned imdiately, weapons in hand and ready for a fight. Annita instinctively braced for an attack, but the patrol made no further moves.
“Identify yourselves,” the feminine voice she’d heard earlier called out. Turns out she was the shorter of the two. What Annita would probably be wrong in calling a Dwarf.
“I hail you as Bren Hedera. Scout of the King’s legions. My compatriot Katlyn is of the sa designation. We are escorting our third who we found in the no-man’s-land. Kat and I have our badges to prove our claims.”
As he spoke, both Kat and Bren took badges from their clothing. They were simple tal discs, each emblazoned with a dead tree, its many branches spreading in an arc over a mountain below it.
“Emblem o’ the Kingdom,” Kat explained quietly as she held hers aloft.
After taking a mont to view the presented credentials, the two soldiers lowered their weapons and approached. The taller man removed his helt and Annita was surprised to see blue skin over a bald head. He was a handso guy, but a grisly scar that ran diagonally across his face slightly marred it, along with the missing chunk of his nose from the sa wound.
“Guards Alvaro and Hazel, patrolling these parts. Guessin’ you three are headed back to the outpost, yeah?” Alvaro greeted them gruffly.
“Aye, we were a sledge team, three o’ us. Ran into a right nasty Warped what saw fit to relieve us o’ the transportation an’ the life of our mate.”
At the news, the Alvaro’s eyes fell. “Sorry to hear that. We’ve been getting so reports here and there of more dangerous monsters, but not from credible enough sources to lead a hunt. You finish the thing off?”
“Nae. At least not that I can confirm. Fucker went off a cliff with the sledge wrapped ‘round it. Heard it hit rocks, but it got leg on the way past. Ol’ Bren patched up, though.” She patted Bren’s shoulder appreciatively, which he shrugged off.
Not one for praise, Annita observed.
“Well, we’ll keep our eyes out,” Hazel said. “Any specific tracks to look for on it?”
“A variety. It had several legs, so of which were human hands, others paws, others hooves. If you find what appears to be a herd of different animals moving too close together, that is likely it.” Bren reported.
“Gotcha. Well, you all best be getting to the outpost. It’s not far. ‘Bout an hour more west of here. Should make it in ti for lunch if you keep a good pace.” Hazel said as she stood back. “Captain Gwidon’s in charge of this location. You’ll all be in good hands. Oh, and welco to the Kingdom, newcor.” With a wave to Annita, Hazel and Alvaro turned and continued their patrol.
They apparently made excellent ti. In about three quarters of an hour, as best Annita could guess, the wooden walls of the outpost ca into view.
“All right. There she is.” Kat huffed. “Yer new to everythin’ so let us do the talkin’ for this first bit. Once we’ve got ye at least informally registered as a citizen, ye’ll be more free to move around.”
“You don’t think there’ll be any problems, right?” Annita asked nervously. “You’ve seen what my race is listed as.”
“Eh, it’ll raise so eyebrows fer sure. I think we can smooth it over though. Yer clearly of sound mind, ye’ve fought the monsters alongside us. We’ll vouch fer ye.” Kat squeezed her shoulder reassuringly.
“Yes, it would not sit right with for you to be cast out after seeing you in action. I still do have questions as well.” Bren offered. It was a colder response, but Annita figured he ant well.
As they neared the gate, Bren and Kat went through a similar exchange they’d had with the patrol. They offered their badges and identification, exchanged words, and the patrol shortly ushered them through the gate. Annita kept her head on a swivel as they walked into the encampnt. It seed to be able to house a good amount of people, and there were soldiers everywhere she looked, going about their tasks. Up on the walls, bown stood, keeping an eye on the fields and forest around them. She thought she spotted what might have been a mage as well. The woman had long robes and no visible weapon.
Their group was escorted to the Captain’s quarters directly. It was a small, square building with a sloping roof and two small windows on the front. It bore no embellishnt besides the Kingdom’s emblem above the door.
Knocking, the guard escorting them announced himself and entered. Annita heard a muffled exchange through the door before they were bade enter by a deep voice.
The inside of the room was as bare as the exterior. Wood paneling the walls, floor, and ceiling. In the center of the room was a large table with a map of what Annita assud was the Kingdom placed upon it. Towards the back a large desk stood, covered in papers and books. To their left and right were several cabinets of more papers and items Annita could only guess at.
Captain Gwindon was a grizzled man in his later years. Human from the looks of it, with short grey hair and a ss of stubble covering his face. He looked every bit the old war veteran Annita had seen in a dozen movies. He wore what she thought might be a dress uniform. It was black with silver trimming and buttons down the front. On the shoulders were epaulets with several patterns she had no idea the aning of.
“Welco back, soldiers,” he greeted them. “Report.”
Annita stood awkwardly as Kat went through the events of the past few days. She learned a bit more about their fallen comrade, Artyom, and the chase they’d gone through before eting her.
No wonder they were so touchy in the mansion, Annita thought. That was literally an hour before.
Kat rcifully omitted the lewder portion of their eting, but kept enough that the Captain understood that she was a relatively unknown entity.
“Understood. Thank you Katlyn, Bren,” the old man grunted as he stood. He turned and rummaged through a cabinet and pulled out a tal rod. Turning, he approached Annita.
“You, Annita, are an unknown. I don’t like unknowns in my fort. You will submit to an identification or you will be removed from this location.” There was no room for disagreent in his voice.
“Ann, it’s fine. He’s just gonna take a look tae make sure yer not so beastie in disguise, or so foreign saboteur. Just hold still.”
Annita looked from Kat to the rod in Gwindon’s hand. Bracing herself, she stood to her full height, and nodded down to the man to continue. “Go ahead.”
Raising his arm, he flicked a section of the rod into movent. It spun with a blue glow that spread up its length.
“Oh, and there’ll be another flash.” Kat warned her too late, as Annita’s vision went white for a split second before returning.
“Please, please, let know if that’s going to happen again,” Annita whined as she rubbed her eyes.
“Huh.” Gwindon lowered the identification rod, but did not relax at all. “Annita, you will explain your situation to here and now. Warped being appended to your Race could an several things, but I want to hear it from you first.”
Annita looked to Kat, then Bren nervously, her ears lowering and tail drooping with nerves. “Uh, ok. The unfortunate thing is I don’t know much about my situation. First thing I rember was waking up in the snowdrift as Katlyn explained. Everything since has been a new discovery for . No mories of where I ca from, who I was, or how I got there.”
“Strange, very strange,” the Captain grunted. He turned and re-took his seat at the desk. “A few more questions before I dismiss you three. First of all, you two vouch for her, I assu?” He leaned forward on an elbow, gesturing to Kat and Bren with a quill.
“Aye, we do.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good, a point in her favor. Now you,” Gwindon turned the feather on Annita, “any feelings of unexplained anger? Urge to commit violence? Dark thoughts you can’t explain?”
“Not that I can think of? Only thing that ca close was adrenaline after fighting the Twinwolves. It was a rush, uh, sir.” Annita moved to stand between Kat and Bren as the interrogation continued.
“Good, usually the first sign of soone turning. Any noticeable unexplained pain in any of your limbs or body?”
“No sir. I feel normal as I can be,” Annita declared.
“Understood. I’ll still need you to visit the dical building for an examination to rule out anything you three may have missed. Once that is complete, you will be provided a citizen’s badge, allowing you free movent within the Kingdom. This will not grant you access to restricted areas or any military facilities. If you wish to be granted access, you will either need to sign up as a conscript or as an affiliated rcenary.” Gwindon leaned back in his chair, a tired look falling over him. “My recomndation would be to enlist, however I am a military man, and your path is yours to choose. Katlyn, you and your team are dismissed. See the quartermaster for your paynt on the Twinwolf kills.”
Katlyn perford a surprisingly proper salute and led them from the building.
“Well, that went well. Feelin’ all right Ann?”
“Yeah, as I can be. He seems all right, just cautious,” Ann said with a long sigh of relief.
“Most n in his position will be of the sa attitude. Shall we? The dical facilities will be this way.” Bren gestured to a larger square building.
Taking a wider, less hurried look around, Annita realized all the buildings were made like this. Function over form ruled the small place.
“You two head out an’ get that handled. I’ll go collect our pay,” Kat said, turning to head in another direction. She stopped and turned after a couple of steps. “Oh, yeah, Ann. Pants or kilt?” Latest content published on nοvelfire
“Wha’?”
A wide grin spread over Kat’s face as she watched Annita fumble her words. “Clothes, ya dafty. Unless yer good with shoddy craftsmanship?”
“Oh! Right! Um,” Annita scratched behind her ear, thinking for a mont. “I guess the kilt feels fine for now, and a shirt, please. Sothing a little more covering.”
“Aye, I can work with that. I’ll see you two at the ss hall?”
“That sounds appropriate.” Bren responded, waving as he ushered Annita over to the dic.
The process took longer than she’d have liked and was a bit more invasive than she expected. It was what she’d call a full physical back in her ti. The female dic blushed furiously when Annita dropped her skirt and the poor woman ca eye to eye with the flaccid five inches of girlcock. She had to give the woman credit, Annita supposed, for despite the rose red cheeks and fluster, she maintained her professionalism and completed the examination without comnt.
“All right hon, you’re good to go. Captain sent over a citizen’s badge to give ya once the exam was done. You’re free to go and et your friends. Stay safe out there.” She handed a polished wooden dallion like Kat and Bren’s. Carved into one side were the sa tree and mountain, but the other side was blank. “If you ever go about making yourself a family crest, that’s what goes there. Take good care of it. Until the registration paperwork gets back to the capital, it’s the only thing declaring you a citizen.”
“Thanks. I definitely will.” Annita awkwardly dressed herself again and walked out to et up with Bren. She found him talking to another healer, but he broke off the conversation as she approached.
“So, lunch?” Annita asked, as her stomach growled loudly.
Much to her surprise, Bren chuckled at the sound. “Yes, I do believe that is overdue. This way.”
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