by Atlas Kane
Cade’s face hurt from smiling so much, so instead of answering, he just nodded. He made to rise, to kiss her and begin this contest of lust that had so eagerly sprung up between them, but she shoved him down again. Before he could say a word, she moved forward, crawling over him like a lioness on hands and feet.
She grazed his member with the silken velvet of her fur, her body powerful yet yielding. Her small tits hung below her frame and her fierce eyes stared at him. Minda bit his lip, and he felt her teeth were pointed at the tips, and blood sprouted in his mouth. This girl is mad! he thought, not dismayed by her attention in the slightest. He ran his hands over her body. Her fur was so short and fine it felt like a thin layer of fuzz, her skin hot to the touch.
“Now you will remember me when we are done,” she said and pressed her hand on his chest. Then, straddling his body, both feet planted to either side of his hips, Minda lowered herself onto him.
Cade gasped, her sex feverish and wet. She smiled down at him, dropping lower an inch at time, as patient as she should have been with this most delicious moment. When she’d taken him all, he felt her clench his dick inside her, gripping it expertly, and just as slowly, began to rock her body front to back.
“I know we just met, but fucking A, I’m crazy about you,” Cade said through gritted teeth.
Minda laughed, a resonant and joyous sound coming up from her belly. “Yes, yes. Every man loves every woman while his dick is inside her. Now, please. Shut up already.” Her tone was playful, and she continued to tease him with the painfully slow movements, every second a chorus of pleasure exploding through his body.
He reached up a hand and held one of her breasts, feeling the hard point of her nipple press into his palm. With his other hand, he touched her thigh, ran his hand up high until he felt the bulge of her hip. She smiled, and said in a whisper, “Do all men from your world screw so politely?”
Again, Cade laughed. Dear gods, I may just fall in love with this girl. She’s amazing, he thought.
What he said though was, “It depends on what you consider to be good manners.” When he finished, Cade grabbed her nipple between his fingers and pinched, rolling it slightly as he did so.
Minda gasped, her eyes growing heavy. He gripped her ass in his other hand, crushing her buttocks and pushing down, thrusting up with his hips at the same time.
His dick scored deeper than ever inside her.
Minda gasped again, then a new sound he hadn’t heard yet began to thrum from her chest. She’d already hissed and growled in front of him, her beastkin nature so close to the surface, but this was the first time he’d heard the woman purr.
Somewhere between a cat’s purr and a Terran’s moan, Minda thrummed above him, the pitch of her movements increasing.
“Still so well mannered. I wouldn’t want to think little of the Terran people, but I also do not want to offend your sensibilities,” Minda said, her voice breathy, a thread of tension building in every word.
Okay, Cade thought. Shorty needs a lesson in Earth’s grand and ancient tradition of balling. Well, fine by me.
Cade gripped her wrist, tugging her down on one side, then rolled her over onto her back. For a second, she struggled against him, but he overpowered her and pressed her down into the furs. Her eyes were wild with arousal, and when he looked down, he saw her legs open, eager for more of what she’d taken.
He gave her two of his fingers instead, biting her neck and pulling the white braids of her hair. She moaned, her nails digging into his forearm, encouraging him to please her.
He didn’t need a formal invitation.
Cade massaged her with his fingers, curling them ever upwards against the soft pocket of pleasure he was so grateful existed on beastkin women as well as humans. Her purring got louder, and he increased his pace.
Moving lower, he kissed her breasts and bit her nipple, pinching it between his front teeth and grinding his tongue against the bit of flesh he held in his mouth. Minda’s fur ended a few inches shy of the apex of each breast, and he exulted in the tenderness of her flesh.
“Terrans aren’t so bad, then,” she panted, and her hand crushed his arm as her hips tensed. Cade stared into her eyes as her legs curled up, her belly tensing. They watched each other, witnessed the silent flutter of life within one another’s eyes, and all the while, she rose.
Minda opened her mouth, and he noted the pointed tips of each tooth. He saw the bright pink of her tongue, and he wanted her with everything he had. Cade kissed her, pressing his face to hers and holding it there. Her breath mixed with his and she bit his lip once more.
Then she shattered.
Minda’s hips churned slowly, her stomach moving in waves as she came. Cade slowed his hand, making the moment stretch out. Her thighs shook, the corded muscles in her legs begging for release. And then she grinned up at the ceiling of the tent with eyes closed.
The woman stilled at last. “What would you like now, Cade? Is there anything else the Terrans know how to do?”
Her eyes were heavy, but the hint of a challenge remained. If she wants more, the girl is in luck, he thought.
Cade took his hand and pushed it up her mound, covered in a sheen of gold velvet, then up her belly, between her tits, and finally her throat. He gripped her there and buried his cock inside her. She was scalding as he pressed into her. He clenched her neck slightly, and her eyes went wide. Yes, girl. This is just starting, Cade thought as he sped up, grinding against her with each movement.
Her purring started again, and he allowed himself the luxury of moaning as well, soft at first, but then his voice grew stronger. The villagers were not far away, so he knew they must have heard everything so far. Yet in a community so small, this was surely not the first of such occasions.
“More. I want all of you,” Minda said, her hands pulling at his hips, encouraging his every movement. Then he released his grip on her neck and held two of his fingers to her mouth. He wanted to curl up inside the woman, to join with her heart and soul. He pressed his fingers against her bottom lip, as if to ask permission.
In answer, she opened her mouth.
Minda took his fingers into her mouth and sucked them gently. Her hot tongue rasped against them. The woman’s eyes glowed up at him, as open and honest as a field of wheat. Cade bit his lip and groaned.
He felt the pressure and urge to finish, and she smiled. Placing his hand back on her breast, she coaxed him. “Now, Cade. Finish inside me.”
His face showed just a bit of concern, then she added, “Not on Last World. No children here. Just some screwing and some dying. Now choose which one you want, Cade.”
Redoubling his efforts, Cade moved his hands to Minda’s hips. He lifted her off the ground and fucked her, feeling his cock stiffen within. She sensed it too and clenched down on him, making each motion more intense.
Then everything shattered, Cade growled, a lupine sound he’d never heard from his throat before, and fell on top of Minda, gasping for breath and grinning like a fool.
“It was a good job, Cade. Now get off of me. We have to get to sleep. There will be a hunt in the morning, and I want to see if you are as good with your axe as you are with your dick.”
Minda pushed him off and rolled over, pulling a fur with her. Cade laughed, still short of breath, and pulled her hip towards him, close enough that he could smell her hair. Then he fell asleep, thinking of what they’d just done together.
Not a single dream or nightmare disturbed his sleep.
13
(Bugg)bear Baiting
A few threads of gray light fell onto Cade’s face the following morning, and he woke to feel the cool damp of dew-heavy air settling on his face.
Staring up at the tent, the smell of wood smoke and soil brought back memories of camping. Then he heard the faint exhalation of the woman still sleeping beside him.
He rolled to his side and observed her. Nothing more unguarded than a sleeping face, he mused. Minda was as cute as she was beautifu
l. The kind of hot girl that can wear pink if she wants to and still look old enough to buy liquor. Cade could imagine taking this girl home with him, meeting his family and friends, enjoying every minute of it.
Hell, I could take this one fishing with me, and she would probably catch the biggest one.
The thought made him chuckle, and the sound was enough to disturb the quiet moment. Minda snorted then yawned, tossing her arms above her head in a luxurious stretch.
Cade did what any sane man would. He watched the indefatigable beauty of her breasts lifting over her ribs.
She caught him and threw out a weak slap. “You’ll be wanting breakfast, I’m sure. You can’t eat my tits, Cade, so you’d better get dressed.”
Rather than put on her clothes within the tent, she opened the flap and emerged, her nakedness revealed to all. Turning back, Minda winked at him, then snatched up her clothes.
With a great deal more modesty, Cade shimmied into his pants and shirt, watching Minda do the same in the full view of the village. I am guessing that nudity was not such a big deal on her world, he thought with wry amusement. Or else living in Antinium will end up changing me a lot more than I realize.
When Cade emerged, his companion was gone. He looked around and saw most of the villagers were up and busy. The fire was being coaxed with extreme care by a man with hair as disheveled as his own. If the guy didn’t need help, Cade could at least offer him company and get to know someone else in this world, someone he didn’t find irresistibly sexy. It might do his addled brain a favor.
Before he made it halfway to the fire, Satemi strode up behind him and clapped him on the back. “Cade! Good to see you up. I wasn’t sure you’d be around after such an… adventurous night.”
He didn’t want to blush, but he did. Clearing his throat and hoping to switch the subject, Cade responded with a new topic. “So what do you guys eat for breakfast around here? Anyone ever find eggs? I make a mean omelet!”
She grinned, enjoying his discomfort far too much for his liking. “Omelet? Strange word from a strange man. Each world has its own languages, its own customs, its own creatures. You know, on my world, there is a certain monkey who makes a most amusing noise when copulating. Here, I’ll try to capture it for you.”
Satemi screwed up her face and cupped her hands around her mouth. Drawing in an absurd amount of air, eyes bulging dramatically, she tensed as if ready to announce an epic primate orgasm.
“Okay, Satemi! You’re hilarious. Please, just let me get some chow first,” Cade said, shaking her shoulders and half smiling, half begging the woman to stop.
She held the breath a moment, then released it, smacking him on the shoulder. “At least you weren’t lousy,” she said and strode away.
Cade waited till his blush subsided then continued to the fire. The man’s work finished, he sat back on a log, slowly adding new fuel. He looked up and held out a hand. “Hey there. Name’s Grissen. Sorry I didn’t get a chance to speak with you last night. You make quite the entrance, don’t ya?”
Shaking his head, Cade stored a fact deep in his brain. Sex was a public event in a village. There was no way around that.
“I suppose so,” Cade said, sitting opposite the man. “What do you guys eat for breakfast? I have some food if you need me to share.”
Grissen looked at him approvingly. “An attitude like that will earn you a place here quickly. But for today, I don’t think you’ll be needing to. Imenda is making porridge, which tastes like glue but fills your belly for hours.”
The man spoke with a thick accent. He sounded almost Scottish but his words were more clipped and lilting. It was a charming voice to hear, one that would sound amazing narrating a book or soothing a sick child.
“Sounds good to me. Too bad there isn’t any honey around. Would make for a nice touch.”
“A few of the girls should be adding some berries. Went off with that Minda of yours to fetch them. Good on you, by the way. She is sweet and lovely, and can kill a lion with her bare teeth. I’ll say it once and leave it though. You treat her bad, and I’ll skin you alive.”
Grissen delivered his threat with a smile, something that made his words seem more authentic somehow.
Cade only nodded, running a hand through his hair. “To be fair, Grissen, the woman kinda claimed me. I mean, she even used those words. I won’t hurt anyone around here though, I promise.”
In the manner of a good conversationalist, the man urged their discussion forward. “May I see your axe?” He gestured to the weapon Cade held, still sheathed, in his lap.
“Oh, sure. I don’t mind. It isn’t much, but I am in love with it.” Unfastening the leather strap of the sheath, Cade drew out the axe and handed it over.
“Foolish enough to name her?”
Cade laughed. “Him actually. Mr. McGregor. It’s a dumb name, but the man that inspired it was a badass in my world. Could kick my ass twice over, though not as quickly now that I’ve changed so much. No such thing as leveling up in my world.”
Grissen took the weapon as gingerly as if it were eight pounds and still growing teeth. “It is lovely. And no. I don’t think there’s anywhere quite like Last World.”
By studying the man’s expression, an even mix of admiration and pain, Cade knew Grissen must have been among those who lost their soul weapons. Cade was prepared to allow the man plenty of time, yet after a few mournful moments, Grissen handed the axe back.
“Lovely, but not my Essa. Was a long bow, sleek and elegant as the lady Minda. Though not half so chatty. Strange to feel the loss of an object so keenly, but the weapon saved my life a dozen times. Anyway, I’m sorry. I don’t want to throw salt in your tea.”
Cade smiled, guessing what the man’s strange idiom meant. “Not at all. In fact, just gives me more context. I wish I knew more about what things were like before Vormer came. I mean, if I’m not mistaken, it seems as if Tanrial was meant to shelter those who came here. Would have made living in Antinium much easier.”
“And that is what the gods intended. There is plenty to test one’s meddle in Antinium. To be forced to live either under Vormer’s strict rule or survive in the jungle, though, isn’t what was intended,” Imenda said as she took a seat beside Cade. Another woman sat across from her and set a large pot over the fire. “If you ask Pablo, he will tell you that Last World, though not a paradise, was also not meant to be a punishment. Tanrial provided protection from the beasts of the wild, a home to return to after venturing.”
It made infinite sense to Cade’s mind. Recalling the huge hanging gardens, all but unused in Tanrial, he realized the city could probably support a population of hundreds if not more. “Such a waste,” he added. “Wait, did you live there? Before Vormer arrived?”
Imenda nodded, her eyes filled with sadness. Cade pressed her despite the silent response. “I don’t want to dig around and cause you pain, but it all seems pretty weird. I just want to know how it all happened. What was it like living there? When did Vormer arrive, and how did he manage to take over a whole city?”
The old woman folded her hands, lips pursing. It was an attempt to bolster her strength for the tale. Cade almost said never mind, that his curiosity wasn’t justified as it wasn’t truly his loss, but she glanced at him and nodded.
“Very well. You lost your inheritance as well. That is what Tanrial was, an inheritance. It was designed by the gods to allow us to advance far beyond what you see here. Though our village is sufficient, without a town interface, we can never truly be safe. Vormer maintains his power by commanding the city interface in Tanrial. That is what powers the barrier, purifies the water, fuels the ever-burning lights in the buildings. Control of the interface is how Vormer maintains his position, but it is not how he won it.”
A few other villagers stopped to listen, all waiting for the porridge that was just beginning to ping and pop with a low boil. Cade leaned in, enthralled by the story as well as the woman’s melodic voice.
“I came to T
anrial over thirty years ago. I was young and vibrant like most of you, but came later in life than most travelers to Antinium. I chose my class and soul weapon and walked through the portal like everyone else. Back then, a guard stood watch to ensure that all who entered were welcomed and guided. I was luckier than most. I happened to fall in love with the man who greeted me.
“The city had over three hundred citizens back then, yet I was told that was less than half the number of its former glory. Fewer travelers were coming through, and the dangers of the wilds remained ever-present. A few never left the city, but for some reason, those people aged faster, and of course, they never gained in power or wisdom.
“So of course, I chose to be among those who explored and attempted to tame the shifting landscape. Each ether storm brought a new set of dangers. People died in countless ways, and by the time Vormer came, no more than a hundred of us remained. The guilds were weak, the powerful amongst us often away for long stretches of time. And then he came through, a man of gold with a silver tongue.”
She paused and took a sip of water offered to her by Satemi. The tall woman growled something under her breath, but remained otherwise silent.
Imenda took a deep breath, and Cade knew the heart-wrenching part of the story was coming. She stared at the dancing flames before her and continued.
“At first he only sought a position of safety, but that soon turned to power and influence. Nobody knew how, but Vormer was gaining levels without having to leave the city and risk himself on adventure. Some suspected the gods, and everyone else thought the idea absurd. Yet when he was strong enough, he revealed his source of power. He made those closest to him vow service to the Burned God, and gifted them with weapons and armor. The source of the equipment was as mysterious as his power.
“The inevitable reaction against his rise came soon after. Those loyal to community and cooperation resisted him, and battle broke out in the streets. Many were killed on both sides, and though the outcome remained unclear, Vormer himself stopped the fighting, pleaded for the violence to stop. This won him more followers, and when all were buried or burned according to their customs, he had tipped the scale in his favor.