by Len Gilbert
He teased her with his hand: Rubbing the nape of her neck, middle back, her flank, and slowly up the underside of Jan’s tail until her body was hot with need. She came to him, thrusting her body against him.
Their sudden passion and curiosity for one another quivered all through the mowed meadow. Jan straddled atop him and licked desperately into his mouth. To her, Hans’ touch felt so different from anyone else’s. He wasn’t just touching, he was petting too; a strange feeling the cat had grown to enjoy with surprising quickness.
Jan began undressing him, undoing his shirt and biting down at his nipple. He winced through his dazed smile, and curved the palm of his hand up her thigh.
The orchards and meadows grew cool and the moon climbed higher into the sky. Jan and her human lay on their haystack bed, preoccupied with one another. After a cat nap she roused Hans and they embraced yet again. The two lay exhausted afterwards. Jan curled into the hay, her waistcoat draped over her. Hans lay silent on his back, staring up and watching the moon rise to its peak. A gut sensation told him this wouldn’t last, a nagging sadness which he could only escape in sleep.
He awoke to a rustle in the hay. Jan was up already, brushing straw off her coat as she put it on.
“You’re awake?” He said finally.
Jan flinched and turned around.
“I’ve got to go now,” she said, ears flattened. “I just wanted to let you sleep.”
“Oh…” Hans sat up. A strand of hay fell from his collar. “Where would you like to go?”
“We can’t be together,” she said, sulking.
“My husband is waiting for me. I’ll tell him that I got lost. I-I don’t know this was a big mistake.”
“Your husband? What?” Hans looked at her with his mouth agape.
“He… Never makes love to me, OK?!”
Hans got up and held her paw.
“Jan,” he said, “I can do this all the time. Wouldn’t you rather stay with me than be with a man who doesn’t care to please you?”
“N… N-No!” Jan shouted with a broken voice, pulling her paw away from Hans. He stood by as she covered her face and ran away, preferring, for whatever reason, the man that didn’t touch her. He felt bad for Jan, and sad because he knew for sure that he’d never see her again. He sat back down in the hay, shocked and dejected, but more drained than anything else.
Hans walked up the near by creek and splashed his face with water, feelings and memories of last night stirring in his mind. Images of Jan’s enraptured face; an expression that almost seemed like pain.
His memories pursued him through the forest as he retraced his steps back to the strawberry field and around the town. No, he’d never show his face there again. In fact, it really was time to move on, time to get back to his tent, collect his things and just go.
In ‘his’ woods the tent was waiting for him as if nothing had happened the night before. Hans felt lethargic all over, but there was time to be unhappy later.
Statecraft
“Emperor Jiroft!” It was Clement. Human servants rarely approached the emperor’s chamber, and so there had to be some urgency today. The yellow-beaked emperor slid apart the drapes of his bed chamber, his black eyes blinking up at Clement.
“What is it?”
“You have a guest! He’s come a long way to see you.”
“Is this another one of the agents from the Monster Khanate? If so you know what to—”
“No, no sir! He’s from a friendly land and I think he may have some answers for you.”
“Very well, I’ll see him in the reception.”
“Sir, he’s not a diplomat; he’s waiting in the throne hall for you,” the bald-headed Human humbly retorted.
“Ah, that changes things, doesn’t it.”
Emperor Jiroft put on his white, domed hat and made his way to the mosaic tiled throne hall. A familiar fox was waiting for him there.
“Is that you, Hex?” Jiroft’s voice echoed through the pillars of the throne hall. “No one at the ports informed me of your arrival.”
Yet there Hex was, looking dapper and rested as always.
“I came by land,” the Kitsune prince replied.
“By land?”
That was a curiosity. A trip like that would be perilous given the state of the world, even for nobility.
“It’s good to see you again Hex. Last I saw you were a wee boy with just two tails. Though I see you’ve since added another.”
“I’d love to chat about days gone by, Jiroft, but but I must tell you that they’re coming. The Greenskins, that is.”
“We’re aware and we’re ready for them. Ahuran will give those savages the worst defeat of their lives when they come charging.”
The Kitsune pursed his lips and stared at the floor.
“I hope so, Jiroft.”
“They’ll have to penetrate a dozen fortresses before getting into the hinterland!”
Hex frowned.
“You must understand, dear emperor; the Khanate beat our machines and the elves’ magic, and have only gotten stronger. The felines of the central plains were one of the first Greenskin conquests. From what I know, a feline kingdom discovered an explosive powder, and now I fear that formula has fallen into the monsters’ hands. I tell you this only so that you have time to prepare for what is coming.”
“Friend Hex, Ahura the god of gods has watched over us for thousands of years and he will continue to if such is his will. I thank you for the warning and I will do what I can, though I do have some good news for you.”
“Oh?” Hex queried.
“We have reason to believe your younger brother sunk the entire Grimeskin fleet.”
“Pardon me?”
“Ha ha ha, you see, while you were traveling, the Grimeskins massed a wooden fleet to take the island kingdom off Kitsune Peninsula.”
Jiroft was referring to the Wamoyakes, an insular island kingdom of kitsunes who shied away from the strange technologies of their peninsular brethren.
“I assumed that the monsters had already conquered those islands by now,” Hex sighed.
“But they didn’t. The whole fleet now rests on the bottom, and our sources believe it was the human’s doing. Your people call him ‘The Midshipman,’ don’t they? We do know your parents handed your brother to that human in the chaos of the Grimeskin invasion,” Jiroft smirked to Hex and continued.
“We believe the Midshipman sunk the entire Grimeskin fleet. Impressive. Especially for a lowly human. Perhaps your brother was aboard his ship at—”
“Enough about my brother!” Hex growled, “I’ll be continuing westward if you don’t mind.”
“Oh? That’s a pity. I was hoping you’d stay and join with us now that you’re a man without a nation. Unless, of course, you still believe your brother is out there somewhere?”
Hex bit his lip. The fox knew he was in no position to lash out at Jiroft, a man who still had an army behind him.
“No, I’m unable to stay. I must continue westward, sadly. How do you recommend I reach the borders of Nebukkez?”
“I’ll arrange to get you there. Where will you go afterword? The North Continent or Deltia?”
“I’ll… be continuing to a refuge my family set up, dear Jiroft. I hope you understand,” Hex replied, avoiding Jiroft’s question.
“Of course. I recommend avoiding the North Continent if you can. Scouts have spotted Grimeskin vanguards as far west as the Cottonwine Lands, and I suspect that after we repel the monster invasion down here, the Ogres will join the Grimeskins and pour into the whole North Continent. We both know those squirrels, rabbits and what not won’t be able to stop the monsters. I suggest you plan accordingly.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, dear Jiroft. In fact, I just need to reach Tyraeus or Jasra Port.”
“Ah, well that shouldn’t be much trouble as long as you get there and out quickly. As you know, my guarantee of safety ends at our border, and those destinations are well beyond, but I can
at least have a coach out of Xusa in two days, my dear Hex.”
“Thank you Jiroft. The world rests on you now.”
Hex turned and walked out of the tiled throne room and disappeared into its dark halls.
“I wonder where he’s really going,” Jiroft mused aloud, “and I wonder what else he knows.”
“Shall I have someone follow him past the border, sir?” The human servant piped up.
“Follow Hex? No, no. He’s not our enemy, and he’s surely no threat to anyone anymore. We’ve other things to concentrate on.”
Wolfie Problems
Hans woke only when the sun rose above his camp and the air was hot all around. He was rested and ready for – he wasn’t sure what, but now was time to leave. As he packed up, memories from last night shot up to the surface. He sat up and looked around. Everything around him looked new again. His thoughts evoked gentle feelings within him, and made him despondent that Jan wasn’t ever coming back. Yet, the encounter that night relieved him, too, because he no longer felt the fear that he would die a virgin.
Although Hans lost his virginity soon after arriving in this world, the things he’d been through numbed his senses and feelings and prevented a normal existence. This time, his emotions roused back to life like a yellow blade of grass sprouting over the rubble.
Fields and open roads lay before him. Today there was no place he needed to be. No post to report to. It was just him and the unknown world around him. In reality, Hans had been ‘free’ the moment Kairah and Amalija revived him in the desert, but now it was somehow easier to let go. He was just a speck of dust in this blue-green world that contained him, and from now on he’d go wherever the wind blew.
His stomach growled again. The town, Jan’s town, had been gracious enough to give him another loaf of oat bread and a bowl of milk. After half a day of walking, he passed stony mills, a village and fallow stretches of land. The memories of last night chased him even when he walked briskly.
Hours ahead, woods appeared and invited him back into the cover of darkness. He slid into its comforting obscurity and found blueberries growing in wild abundance. He filled his empty trouser pockets with blueberries and hazelnuts from the forest, and silently thanked whatever spirit that dwelled here and had beckoned him in.
The forest was comfortable for him. From the forest he could decide when and where to interact with the inhabitants of this world. It would not be impossible to live off nuts and berries, although the thought of living in the forest forever was depressing. No more human contact. Well, no more furry contact, either, and no more girls and their fun games. That was unthinkable.
There was no need for a tent this evening, so he made a bed of moss and lay on it. He listened to the night sounds of the forest for a few moments, but soon fell asleep and began dreaming of animals and people. He dreamed of Amalija perched and spread atop him, staring down at him in curious shock. He dreamed of the god damn Messerschmitt dropping incendiaries onto straw huts and burning furres alive as they fled. A human emerged from the rubble. He was tall, blonde and dressed in a black SS uniform with the skull and crossbones on his officer cap. His thin face was illuminated by the blazes.
“You deserting piece of shit,” the unknown man said as he looked down at Hans.
“No!!!”
That woke him up. He’d forgotten where he was, and so the morning sounds of the forest were confusing, but there was nothing to fear from this place.
Just a bad dream. With a sigh of relief he continued his trek eastward, letting the sun be his compass. Naturally he had no idea how far this forest stretched. It could be days before he saw anything.
Hans met many animals on his quest to the other side. As he moved on, there was quite a number of wild hares. On his approach they’d scamper out of their thickets, ears folded down, and run off.
It took three more nights to reach the forest’s end. Hans smiled and sighed in relief when he laid eyes upon cultivated land, strips of field, meadows and a trodden footpath. He pulled out a stalk of oats and chewed on it. Everything looked warm, welcoming and human. Well, maybe not quite human, but someone would be there for him.
After a short hour on the footpath Hans came face to face with a well atop a hill. A wooden pipe carried water from the well into a wooden trough down at Hans’ level. Delighted, he drank the cold water and heard the mooing of a cow nearby. He ran up the hill to scan the area. Straw huts, just a few, peeked up over elderberry trees.
He approached one of the straw huts, glancing from side-to-side for any sign someone was watching him. There was a rabbit boy at the front of the house playing in the mud. Unlike the forest lapines he saw hours ago, this boy was dressed. With a clink-clank of his gear Hans came up to the boy.
“Hello, Kamerad. Are your parents home?”
The rabbit boy puffed up his cheeks and ran screaming into the hut, dragging some of the mud with him. Hans followed him and peeked into the dark hut.
“…HALLO?”
“What is it you want?”
A creaking voice answered back in suspicion.
That was a tough question. What did he want? Food? A place to settle down for good? A way back home? Affections of another curious furred woman? That was always nice.
“Ah, just to say hello. But if you offer any bread I certainly wouldn’t refuse. I haven’t seen anyone in four days. Just came out of the forest.”
An elderly woman, probably the boy’s grandmother, emerged from some basement cavern into the hut.
“A human? Where did you escape from?”
“Um, Ostia.”
“Ostia? Any news from there?”
“Well, ah, the Foxen tried to enslave me and I had to blow a hole in the city wall to escape. Other than that, no news.”
“Hmpf. Make yourself useful and help me cut these sticks so I can finish making this soup.”
“Umm, alright…”
He pulled out a pocket knife and began cutting away at the twigs on the table. The boy occasionally peeked out from the basement cavern, but as Hans turned around the boy would always scamper away. While he was working, the woman tossed Hans some spare scraps of bread.
The door soon opened and a grown couple walked in, maybe a husband and a wife. Like the others, they were also clothed, not to mention taken aback by the sudden presence of a heavily-armed human.
“Hallo I am just vis—”
The male pulled Hans into the light to get a better look at him, but then laughed and gave Hans a friendly tap on the shoulder.
“He’s a warrior of some kind,” the grandma said, “But I really don’t know what.”
“Maybe he’s one of those travelers from the other world,” the young wife said after looking Hans over.
“The other world?”
Well, he was from another world, after all.
“Yeah,” the husband said, “up by Balaton Springs some strange beings appear out of nowhere sometimes. It’s probably magic. We don’t understand it at all.”
“Give the human some milk, he’s the only reason dinner’s ready so soon.” The grandma interjected.
The potato and carrot soup was modest but satisfying; the best meal he’d had in awhile. The milk made it even more filling. The boy joined them for the meal too, staring at Hans but saying nothing.
When Hans asked to stay overnight he was denied; there wasn’t enough space, but they did show him where the hay was outside. Then he asked the wife again about ‘Balaton Spring.’
“Oh, hehe. You might find someone there but I don’t recommend it. Nobody goes there these days because of the wolfie problems.”
“’Wolfie problems?’”
“Yes,” the husband said. “They’ve been coming down from the north more and more lately. They’re hunting game and hares in Balaton. Not good.”
“Is that the same place the other-worlders come to?”
“Yes.”
“Uh, would you mind if I went up there myself?”
“
Just follow the footpath further and it will take you there. We won’t give you to any slavers, but please don’t stay around long. You’ll just attract too much outside attention.”
So that was how it was. Maybe if Hans took care of their “wolfie problem,” he could carve out a spot to live next to the rabbits without bothering them. These rabbits seemed friendly enough, and they’d likely make nice neighbors.
Hakenkreuz
It looked like rain was coming. Hans stared up at the dark blue clouds as they glided over the cultivated swath of land he stood upon. He’d been clanking his way up the lonely footpath for less than an hour, but already the forest encroached upon the oat and barley fields. Soon it would swallow them whole.
Lighting cracked out from the sky and sent Hans dashing for the dark cover of the woods. A wind-bent sign told him Balaton Springs lay ahead.
The scent of alkaline and hot water greeted Hans when he stepped into this particular forest. That must have been the ground-fed springs. Despite the rain, he followed his nose and wound up facing a pond. Heat radiating from the water enveloped him. Steam rose from the clear surface. He set up his bivouac not far from the spring. When he was done, he stripped naked and sat in the hot water while the storm made its way over him.
He could definitely get used to bathing here every day, at least until he got to the bottom of “the travelers” that apparently showed up here. The idea lingered in his mind that the ‘the travelers’ might be people like him who wound up here. Or maybe they wouldn’t even appear. As long as there was food around to eat, Hans was no longer in a rush to go anywhere.
He stared off into the treeline at the other end of the pond. No ‘wolfie problems’ came out at him yet, and Hans hoped things would stay that way.
His stomach growling again, Hans got out, dressed, ate the last of his hazelnuts and set out to forage before the sun set. Feeding one man on the move was easier than feeding hundreds. His eyes scanned the ground for berries or nuts. Hans followed the lake until he heard churning rapids ahead of him. A river fed water into the lake.