Despite her burning curiosity, America left the strange wolf-monster kneeling with his arms around the other Dark-races and turned to where Lieutenant Hardin y. She had been busy with the mp, but the sound he had made when he struck the wall... Well, he had shaken the whole hut. To her surprise and relief, however, he was still alive, if unconscious, and with a little water from her canteen she was able to return him to his senses. Flint- Ser Brandis walked over to them as she raised the lieutenant's head onto her knee, though with his habitual caution he did not turn his back to the knot of Dark-races embracing at the far end of the room.
"How do you feel, Lieutenant? Anything broken?" she asked in a low tone.
"I'm going to be feeling tender for awhile, I can tell you that, but I don't think I broke any bones." With an effort, Hardin sat up. "Did the captain take care of that monster?"
"It's ...a bit more complicated than that. He's not a danger for the present though." Standing, America moved aside to allow Hardin to see the wolf-monster.
Hardin's eyebrows nearly disappeared into his hairline, but then he shrugged. "I'll take your word for it. If you say I don't need to worry, then I won't."
As Brandis stopped beside them America's eyes caught a fsh of red beneath his cloak. "You've been wounded," she burst out.
"Not badly. My armor stopped most of the hit, but whatever that thing's cws are made of, they got deep enough to scratch me a little."
Not satisfied with this, America forced Brandis to undo his breastpte to let her take a closer look. As he had said, his pte had taken the brunt of the blow and the extent of the damage to himself was four parallel scratches running diagonally across one side of his chest, about an inch deep.
"You see, Princess? Didn't even get deep enough to hit bone. I'll patch it up ter." He moved to put his now partially ruptured breastpte back on, America breathing a sigh of relief that he had not been badly hurt. Even from the little she had been able to see of the attack, the ferocity of the wolf-monster had seemed something far too terrible to stop or to defend against for long. She knew first-hand the prodigious skill of the veteran knight, but even so she was surprised he had been able to withstand so fierce an attack, and in the dark as well.
"What do you think he is?" she asked in a low tone.
"No idea. I've never seen or heard of anything like him before, but it seems you were right; your night-time visitor of a couple weeks ago is in fact the mysterious patron these girls referred to a couple times."
"I guess so. I-"
They were interrupted by one of the guards poking his head into the cabin. He had entered earlier upon hearing the initial disturbance but due to the rapidity with which events had transpired the fight had already been over, and Ser Brandis had motioned him to remain outside for the time being. America wondered at his disobeying orders, but not for long as a moment ter he dragged in the body of the second sentry. A chill shot through her as she saw the limp form and she hurried over. Seeing her concern on her face, the guard said, "Don't worry, he's still alive, just unconscious. When I saw him lying on the ground I feared the worst."
A moment's examination was enough to prove the guard's words true, and America shared a look with Ser Brandis. Neither of them would have expected their new guest to avoid killing a sentry considering the ferocity with which he had attacked Brandis once inside the cabin. Both were well aware he had been fighting to kill. America gnced again at the far end of the room, it suddenly striking her how unlike all the stories of Dark-races this open dispy of affection was. She might have expected it of a human family, but not of Dark-races.
Ser Brandis directed the guard to take up his post again and took over the task of reviving the second sentry, leaving America free to watch the Dark-races. The wolf-monster's fur seemed to drink in and absorb all light rather than reflecting it, but even so she could see the hints of deep emotion on his face as he held the girls close. It fshed through her mind that if this was their patron, the mysterious entity that had been directing their efforts, why this heartfelt reunion as though neither side had been sure they would ever see the other again? Something didn't add up.
As she looked, the wolf-monster, perhaps becoming aware of her eyes on him, raised his own eyes to meet her gaze. Involuntarily she shivered under the intensity of his gaze, the same eyes that had haunted her dreams ever since that first night now capturing and holding her spellbound. His eyes spoke of strength, not only of body but also of spirit, and also an effortless dominance, the gaze of a natural-born leader. It made her feel very small, but at the same time she thrilled in it.
He spoke in a low tone to his companions, and with varying degrees of reluctance they broke up the hug. Standing, the wolf-monster approached with his followers close behind, and despite the not inconsiderable size of the shack, he seemed to fill it as he advanced.
"Expnations are in order." His voice was deep as the mountains but nonetheless gentle, almost warm. "There is a lot to talk about, but first, I assume you were out here on more than just an idle fancy?"
Chellise spoke up at the wolf-monster's side. "We're here to rescue Safara, Daddy. The manor not far from here is where we tracked her to after she was kidnapped by the svers."
He looked down at the mint-green succubus. "You mean that trafficking ring we discovered in the capital."
"Yes." This time it was Kira who spoke. "The short version is that not long after you disappeared they took Safara, and we teamed up with the princess and Ser Brandis to take them down and get Safara back. We thought that that's what you would have wanted."
The wolf-monster evaluated the humans carefully, his gaze lingering on the princess and her bodyguard. America felt as though he was peering into her soul and suddenly had trouble meeting his gaze.
"I'll want details ter, but for now I'd say that yes, you did well."
As dubious as the praise was, all three women seemed to glow at it. America had a sudden and irrational desire to hear him praise her as well, but she cmped down on it quickly. 'What am I, some child discovering her first crush? You're a warrior, America, and you're here on a mission. Don't forget it.'
The wolf-monster was speaking again. "So then, what's the pn?"
"Hold on," Ser Brandis cut in. "We still don't know anything about you. Just who and what are you, and what assurance do we have that you're really on our side?"
Kira bristled, but the wolf-monster put a restraining hand on her shoulder. "A fair question. You may call me Fenrir. I do not have any proof of my loyalties besides the word of these three. You have worked with them for a little while now; do you trust them at all?"
Brandis did not answer immediately, and America gnced up at him. His face was impassive, but she knew him well enough to know that he was thinking hard.
The wolf-monster, Fenrir apparently, continued. "I will not lie, I do not particurly care about these svers. What I care about is rescuing Safara from their clutches. To that end I will tear this country apart if I must."
"Why?" America was surprised to hear her own voice ask the question.
"Because she is-" He checked himself. "Because it is I that has put her in reach of them. I did not do so deliberately, but the fault is mine nonetheless, and I will make it right."
The feeling and the obvious sincerity in his voice struck both humans. Ser Brandis seemed to come to a decision. "Very well, we will take your word for it for now as we are on a schedule, but afterwards I'll want some answers."
"As will I. Very well then, after this mission of yours we'll talk it all out. Sound good to everyone?" He gnced down at his followers as he said with a small smile, "I know you're all burning with curiosity to hear what I've been up to."
"You have no idea," Kira muttered, so low that America almost didn't catch it. Fenrir obviously did, as his smile widened, but only briefly. Ser Brandis was turning to business, and the strange wolf-monster immediately focused his attention on him, clearly as eager as any of them to start the rescue.
It hadn't taken them long to go over the pn and Fenrir had with equal celerity decided how best to fit himself into it. He had balked more than a little at the danger in which the pn pced his girls, but by dint of much coaxing, persuasion, and confronting him with the cold hard truth that no other pn was likely to work half so well they managed to convince him to allow them to try it. Misgivings remained, however, and he resolved not to let them out of his sight.
As they were finishing up a strange amazon entered the hut, and as she and Fenrir id eyes on each other both crouched slightly in readiness for a fight. Seeing this, the princess was quick to attempt to aly their misgivings. "Wait, hold on, we're all friends here. Myrina, this is Fenrir. He's the one the girls talked about; you know, their master. Fenrir, this is Myrina. She was being held by the svers when we assaulted their safehouses, and when we freed her she volunteered to help take them down."
Fenrir looked her over with God's Eye.
MyrinaFemale AmazonBarbarian Lvl 26Status: Suspicious, UncertainAbilities: Berserk, Spirit Attunement (Serpent, Shark), Ancestor’s SightKinks/Fetishes:unrealized submissive – is aroused by being forced regardless of her own wishesDisposition Towards User:struck by his obvious strength, but particurly by his size - suspicious of his intentions
'A fellow Barbarian,' he thought. 'My Barbarian level is higher than hers and she doesn't have access to the Jackal, it seems, though I have to wonder what Ancestor's Sight could be. She looks like someone that I wouldn't have to worry about breaking though, and she's the nearest to my size of any woman I've met yet.' Realizing his train of thought, he had to chuckle. 'Maybe Carnachias got me even more riled up than I thought.'
Myrina narrowed her eyes at his ugh. "What's so funny?"
"Ah, my apologies, I was only ughing at myself. It's a pleasure to meet you, and if you don't mind, after this mission I would love the opportunity to spar with you."
That got everyone's attention. Ser Brandis and Princess America looked intrigued, Kira's eyes almost bugged out of her skull and her attention riveted on Myrina, waiting for her response, while Katari's eyes darted between the two of them as though doing calcutions in her head. Chellise and the lieutenant only expressed muted surprise, but all showed interest in Myrina's response.
Myrina herself was clearly caught off guard by the request, her eyes widening and her mouth opening slightly in her surprise. "Uh, sure, I guess."
As excited gnces were exchanged between certain members of the company, Fenrir replied, "Excellent, thank you."
Myrina threw a confused gnce towards the princess, but America only mouthed 'I don't know,' shrugging as she did so.
Brandis cleared his throat in an attempt to attract everyone's attention. "So, what have you found? Anything out of the ordinary?"
Shaking off her confusion with an effort, Myrina stepped forward. "No, everything looks quiet. I say we go ahead."
"Excellent," Brandis replied. "Very well, Fenrir will be working with us for this, but the pn hasn't changed. Everyone ready?" He looked around at the party, and seeing them all nod, lifted the ntern off the table. "Then let's go. Remember, the one we need to catch is the owner of the estate. Unless there's risk of endangering his prisoners, we don't spring the trap until we can y hands on him."
Fenrir's arrival, the subsequent fight, and its aftermath had put them behind schedule, so without further dey they set off for the rendezvous. Fenrir peeled off towards the manor almost immediately, however; he wanted to do some reconnaissance before the pce was awoken by the news the infiltration party would bring. Before he did so he used Target Mark for the first time, marking Kira so he could know exactly when she began approaching the manor.
The manor turned out to be fairly unexceptional, rge and luxurious with gardens surrounding it on three sides. The fourth side had the outbuildings, stables, and such clumped in the hollow of the rise across which the main building sprawled. There were dense woods behind the estate in the direction away from the road, and Fenrir took note of it as a possible escape route. Woodwise indeed must be the man who could presume to keep pace with him through that maze of trees and bushes, especially in the dead of night.
The manor itself was a pleasure pace, not defensible in the least, and Fenrir reflected on the arrogance that led anyone to construct such a building so close to enemy territory, for he knew from his maps that the Barrens, the territory of most of the Dark-races on the continent, y only a hundred miles or so to the northwest. Still, it suited his purposes nicely since he could enter at almost any point he chose. He took care to watch for magical defenses but found none, and the ck of guards furrowed his brow as well. Manifestly the owner of this estate felt entirely safe here.
Picking a window which was almost fully occluded by the branches of a rge tree, the direwolf broke its tch with an almost imperceptible snick of his cws and raised the sash. An empty hallway greeted him, so activating Shroud, he started down the corridor in search of any clue which could lead to Safara. He knew he still had about fifteen minutes before he could expect the others, and he intended to make good use of that time.
He found several guards posted at intervals within the manor, easing some of his anxiety about the possibility of it all being a trap. His immediate goal being to find the owner's rooms but with nose constantly testing the air for the slightest whiff of Safara's scent, Fenrir investigated each door he came across. He had no idea where he could expect to find his objective however and eventually he was forced to give up his search temporarily as he could feel Kira was approaching the estate and would be there before long.
Stealing to the northeastern side of the house, Fenrir peered down at the darkened outbuildings. Sure enough, several nterns bobbed through the dark night, headed for a door which undoubtedly led into the basement. The huge lupine hurried to find its entrance before the approaching party reached it from the outside. Once they were inside the mansion, he did not want to lose sight of his girls for a moment.
He found it in plenty of time, choosing a position where he could see each person's face as they entered. For good measure he activated God's Eye as a key turned in the lock and the door opened, just to be sure he could identify each of the party.
First came a servant of the estate, clearly an important one by both his dress and the way he carried himself. He took note of the man's name, Sorvall, and his level, six, which was about average for humans which did not make fighting their vocation. Then two guards, both between level fifteen and twenty, Ser Brandis, Princess America, Lieutenant Hardin, the two succubi and the oni, once more chained in their faux shackles, and finally two more guards of a simir level to the ones in front.
Like a wraith Fenrir followed the party through the manor. There was no speaking, only quiet footfalls and the occasional squeak of hinges as the leading man opened a door. He led them towards the back of the estate, finally stopping before a floor length tapestry on one wall. With quick nervous movements Sorvall pushed the tapestry back to reveal a small door hidden behind it, and with another key he opened it before stepping through. Fenrir barely made it into the passage beyond along with the rest of the party, the st man in line pulling the door shut behind him and almost cutting him off. But fortunately he had anticipated this and was able to slip through when the st man turned his back for a moment.
He knew he was testing the limits of Shroud with his actions and was prepared to see it fail and the guard, whom he was now forced to walk ahead of due to the narrowness of the passage, detect him and call an arm. But to his amazement the man did not, and some feet ahead where stairs descended a level the ceiling did not immediately descend with them, allowing Fenrir to leap upwards and brace himself between the walls until the man passed beneath him.
Now safely in the rear the direwolf continued to follow the silent procession, but before long they came to another door which let out into a rge open room. There were muted gasps from each of the citadel group as their eyes fell on its interior and Fenrir had to stifle his own intake of breath when it was his turn to view the chamber. It was well lit and filled with equipment to make a bondage enthusiast jump for joy. Fenrir recognized numerous restraint furniture including an x-cross, a sybian complete with two highly polished dildos, a wooden horse, and several pillories. One wall was covered with all manner of gear from whips to gags to ropes and more. Chains hung from the ceiling, exposed rafters providing plenty of attachment points for restraining a captive in any manner one might wish. There was also a luxurious bed in one corner and beside it a sitting area with comfortable chairs and sofas.
All of this held little interest for Fenrir in the moment, however, for as his eyes had swept the room in a first quick evaluation he had seen a limp body dangling from its wrists by chains suspended from the ceiling in one corner. Stringy and disheveled white hair hung down over its face, but Fenrir would have known that form anywhere.
Safara.
With giant strides he covered the distance between them, noticing more details as he closed the distance. She was naked, her body scored with red lines which denoted the free use of a whip, special attention seeming to have been paid to her breasts and thighs. She had been hung low enough to be able to stand, but her feet dragged uselessly against the ground as if she had either not the strength or the will to support herself. There was obvious bruising along her ribs on one side, at her throat, and scattered elsewhere over her body, and blood dripped down her arms from chafed and torn wrists. As he came up to her, Fenrir noticed a strange symbol inscribed on her chest just above her breasts.
She hung there as though dead, sending an icy chill through Fenrir. But before he could reach her, there was a cry from behind him and then a yelp of pain. Almost involuntarily he turned his head. Chellise had seen Safara as well, and with a cry she had started for the elf, only to be forestalled by one of the guards who had grabbed her by the hair and dragged her back into line. The sight made his blood boil. This cur thought he could y hands on his woman? He was saved from rash action by Kira shooting Chellise a warning look and a terse whisper. He could not understand it from this distance, but the red-haired succubus' actions recalled to him the purpose of their mission and he restrained the urge to leap over and throttle the guard on the spot.
Turning his attention back to Safara, he crossed the remaining distance and to his immense relief, heard her take in a breath, low and rattling but definitely present. Now aware that there was likely to be eyes turned in Safara's direction, he resisted the urge to take her in his arms, instead hovering around her anxiously, a part of him expecting each breath he heard her take to be the st.
The man Sorvall led the party to where a row of heavy wooden doors lined the opposite wall and one by one the three 'prisoners' were shoved into them. Fenrir caught a glimpse of a bare room beyond before each door was smmed shut and a heavy bolt shot home. The prisoners now secured, Sorvall turned to the others. "Your prisoners will be safe enough here. Follow me, the master will wish to hear your news personally."
They left through a door on the opposite end of the chamber from which they had entered. Barely had the door closed when Fenrir was sweeping Safara into his arms, supporting her body to relieve the pressure on her wrists. At the movement her eyes fluttered, then opened. Her gaze was bleary, unfocused, and she murmured an incoherent plea through cracked lips. Tear tracks stained her soft cheeks and the lines of pain in her deathly pale face made her a pitiable sight.
Fenrir severed the chains above her wrists with a single ringing strike and carried her to one of the sofas he had seen earlier. He deposited her on it with infinite care, and seeing a pitcher of water on a low table nearby, poured some into a gss for her. He had to support her head, but she drank eagerly. Once the gss was drained, she fell back against the cushions and y still. Fenrir left her there for the moment and crossed the room to release his girls.
"Is she okay?" was the first thing out of Kira's mouth as he pulled open the door. He did not answer, but she read enough in his face to prompt her to duck around him and hurry towards the sofa where Safara y. Releasing the other two, he turned back to the sofa as well with both of them on his heels. When he got there Kira had found a cloth somewhere and was bathing the elf's forehead with water from the pitcher. Fenrir took over and after several moments, Safara's eyes opened again. This time she seemed a little more coherent, and her gaze wandered slowly up Fenrir's body until it found his face.
A hint of a frown touched her brow, as though she was having difficulty believing what she was seeing. "Master?" Her voice was weak and scratchy.
"I'm here, little one. I'm here." Fenrir's tone was thick with emotion.
"I knew -you'd... come... for me." She spoke with an effort.
"Shh, shh, just rest. You're safe now."
She was too weak to nod, but her eyes communicated her gratefulness. Fenrir took her in his arms again, sitting down on the sofa and cradling her against his body, and in that position her eyes fluttered closed again and she seemed to sleep.
The silence was broken by a long sigh from Kira, and as Fenrir raised his gaze from Safara's face the busty succubus dropped into a chair and passed a shaking hand over her eyes. "Fuuuck. The way she was hanging there, I was afraid she was dead."
"Me, too." Chellise took a seat as well, but Katari remained standing.
"Is she seriously hurt?" the oni asked.
Fenrir finally looked her over with God's Eye.
Safara CidrinFemale ElfIce Mage Lvl 12 - Sage Lvl 19Status: Unconscious (Sleeping)Abilities: NulledKinks/Fetishes:is aroused by the thought of being captured, raped, and otherwise degraded by monsters – wants to have multiple children, despite her nature as an elf making it extremely improbable, and nearly impossible under normal conditionsDisposition Towards User:has a very healthy respect for his strength and speed - thinks of herself as his - is grateful beyond expression that he came to rescue her
'Nulled? Is that what the mark on her chest is for?' He moved on to what God's Eye could tell him of her injuries. "No, she's not badly hurt. Exhausted, half starved, and in no small amount of pain, but her life isn't in any danger. The worst is these bruises along her side. It looks like she was kicked, and not gently." He ended almost in a growl.
Kira made a convulsive movement, and Katari's expression boded ill for Safara's assaint once the oni got her hands on them. There was silence for a long moment, then Chellise asked, "So what now? Do we get her out of here? Should we stick to the pn? What do you think, Daddy?"
"We stick to the pn for now. There's someone in this manor who needs to be taught a lesson." Fenrir could feel the snarl on his lips, and both succubi shivered in spite of themselves at the threat in his voice.
Katari nodded and moved to the door by which the others had exited, pulling one of her hidden knives from her armor and taking up a post where she was sure to hear any approaching steps. Her sword had of course been left behind in the shack. Chellise moved to the other door, taking a moment to grab a small knife from the wall of bondage gear. Doing the same, Kira investigated the rest of the room, opening each door along the fourth wall and examining the cells beyond. All were empty, and satisfied all entrances were covered and no surprises could arise from within the room to upset their pns, she returned to Fenrir where he sat cradling Safara.
"Wish I knew how to heal," she admitted in a low voice, her eyes lingering on the red welts crisscrossing Safara's body.
"You're not the only one," Fenrir replied. "Grab a bnket from the bed, will you?"
She did so and Fenrir wrapped it around Safara, taking extreme care to avoid causing her any more pain than necessary. In silence Kira took a seat across from Fenrir. She watched him with questions in her eyes but did not voice them, and he was too preoccupied with Safara to make any conversation.
TheBestofSome
