Thief of Roads (Patreon)

Author's Note: So, here we are! I said I had something big coming, and here it is. This is the story I wrote for the recent fu/fu contest on HF, and while it did not place (booo), hopefully you guys will get some enjoyment out of it. I considered posting it in three segments but, eh, fuck it, I'm putting the whole thing here.

[fu/fu] [story] [action/combat] [more tags below]

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‭‭CHAPTER ONE

‭The Wilds

‭“Whatcha got for me, Slim Grim?” I recline as best as I can in the uncomfortable metal chair provided at the opposite end of Deryo’s desk.

His response is a sigh,‭ ‬clicking off his electronic cigarette and setting it on the desk beside his one-sided holofeed.‭ “‬You know I hate it when you call me that,‭” ‬he grumbles in a raspy voice.‭ ‬Not my fault he fits the description so well‭ ‬--‭ ‬Deryo’s a drylak,‭ ‬known for their short statures,‭ ‬lean builds,‭ ‬and dour demeanors,‭ ‬and Deryo might just be the leanest and most dour of them all.‭ ‬Pale,‭ ‬piercing eyes set deep into the taut,‭ ‬milky skin of his gaunt face bore into me,‭ ‬making me struggle not to squirm under them.‭ “‬Not a lot of great jobs for thieves right now,‭ ‬I’m afraid.‭ ‬Shame you refuse to work in enforcement.‭”

“Hey,‭ ‬I’m not crazy about the word thief,‭” ‬I frown,‭ ‬knitting my brows and lacing my fingers together across my belly.‭ “‬I prefer...‭ ‬procurer of goods.‭ ‬Treasure hunter.‭ ‬Maybe‭ ‘‬handsy adventurer,‭’ ‬or....‭”

“You take shit that isn’t yours,‭ ‬you’re a thief,‭” ‬Deryo growls,‭ “‬no honor in pretending to be anything else.‭”

“Is that why this place called the Finders‭’ ‬Guild‭?” ‬I arch a brow.‭ ‬His eyes narrow.

‭“Alright, smartass, you’re a treasure hunter. But the jobs I have are for thieves... if I had any clients lined up that wanna work with you.”

“I take it they’re intimidated by my dazzling reputation,‭” ‬I nod,‭ “‬afraid I’ll find a way to do the job‭ ‬too well.‭”

“It’s because you’re half eva--‭”

“I‭ ‬know it’s because I’m half evari‭!” ‬I huff,‭ ‬sitting forward for a second before leaning back again,‭ ‬exhaling through my nostrils.‭ “‬Sorry.‭ ‬So,‭ ‬yeah...‭ ‬it’s really gotten to the point where you’ve exhausted every client willing to work with me,‭ ‬huh‭?”

“If it makes you feel any better,‭ ‬all the same clients don’t accept low elves,‭ ‬either.‭”

“At least low elves can hide their ears and pretend to be human,‭” ‬I sigh,‭ ‬closing my eyes for a moment.‭ ‬Being a half-breed is never easy,‭ ‬especially in the underworld where there are no pretenses of anti-discrimination protocols.‭ ‬All those various undesirables with no other option than crime still run into bullshit like this,‭ ‬and they don’t have to deal with being evari‭ ‬--‭ ‬one of the only intelligent species not allowed into Walled areas.‭ ‬It’s only through a legal technicality that I wasn’t deported as a kid,‭ ‬and even still I get yahoos trying to force me out into the Overgrowth.

‭“Listen, Addy, I’m a middle-man, I don’t make the jobs, I just find the workers,” Deryo sighs, “but... you serious about that ‘treasure hunter’ bit?”

I blink,‭ ‬focusing back in on the gloomy drylak.‭ “‬Yeah‭?”

“I do have one job you can take.‭ ‬Not fun,‭ ‬not safe,‭” ‬he scans his watch across the holographic screen in front of him,‭ ‬picking up a code and promptly sending it to my own ether device.‭ “‬Sent you the information.‭ ‬Pay’s solid,‭ ‬I’d say the‭ ‬80k’ll be worth the hassle.‭”

“80k‭? ‬What’s the catch‭?”

“It’s outside the city.‭ ‬As in,‭ ‬outside,‭ ‬in the Overgrowth.‭ ‬Some pre-war cultural bullshit I could care less about,‭ ‬but all you have to do is grab it and get back to Nazik in one piece.‭ ‬Your...‭ ‬appearance...‭ ‬may even end up being an advantage.‭” ‬By appearance,‭ ‬of course,‭ ‬he means all the things that mark me as part evari,‭ ‬however much those traits are‭ ‘‬watered down‭’ ‬by my human half.‭ ‬The teal undertones to light skin,‭ ‬the pronounced canines on my upper and lower jaw.‭ ‬The dark,‭ ‬fine hair,‭ ‬the short points on my ears,‭ ‬the catlike violet eyes,‭ ‬and the shortage of fingers.

‭“Not sure about that. To humans, I’m obviously evari. Won’t I be obviously human to them?” I furrow my brow, but shrug. There’s no refusing this job, not really, not if I wanna have enough cred to keep my closet apartment downtown. “I’ll take the contract, though. Not many other options, at this point... and hey! This’ll make the whole treasure hunter thing sound way more legit!”

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

It’s strange to think that was a week ago.‭ ‬I’d left the guildhall and gathered what little equipment I decided to bring with me:‭ ‬an antisilicon recurve short sword,‭ ‬a VX Sekurity‭ ‬430‭ ‬pistol,‭ ‬survival kukri,‭ ‬holocloak,‭ ‬peri-cable rope,‭ ‬condensed rations,‭ ‬water purifier,‭ ‬lockpicks,‭ ‬and various other gadgets and trade-tools that I will,‭ ‬or could,‭ ‬end up needing for this job.‭ ‬I don’t know much about exactly what I’ll have to go through to get what I need to get,‭ ‬but I know this won’t be easy‭ ‬--‭ ‬and that typical security hackjobs won’t work on the kind of forgotten tech and rustic remodels I’m likely to find in the Overgrowth.‭ ‬Not to mention other threats....

The thing I’m actually looking for won’t,‭ ‬at least,‭ ‬be hard to carry.‭ ‬It’s an ancient high elven cultural relic,‭ ‬or so the dossier tells me,‭ ‬some sort of engraved red disc.‭ ‬All that matters to me is that it’s worth‭ ‬80,000‭ ‬fex,‭ ‬and that it’s located deep in the wild jungles where nature‭ ‬--‭ ‬and those more comfortable within it‭ ‬--‭ ‬has reclaimed civilizations all but forgotten,‭ ‬along with the technology those civilizations used to contain.‭ ‬According to the map sent to my ether account,‭ ‬it’s also smack dab in the middle of evari territory.‭ ‬Splendid.

Now,‭ ‬with Nazik a week behind me,‭ ‬I find myself in the sprawl of the ancient,‭ ‬reclaimed megacity that is this province of the Overgrowth.‭ ‬Dense,‭ ‬lush jungle stretch over the skeleton of what once was‭ ‬--‭ ‬massive trees nearly indistinguishable from the vine-tangled skyscrapers that remain,‭ ‬too durable to decay but too old to discern.‭ ‬The map I was given shows that I’m close to the target,‭ ‬maybe a day away,‭ ‬but things grow more dangerous the deeper I explore into these wildlands.‭ ‬Several times now I’ve seen signs of life,‭ ‬intricately-detailed fetishes dangling from vines or elaborate clan runes graffitied onto trees,‭ ‬buildings,‭ ‬or ancient roadsigns.‭ ‬and once I’ve even had to avoid a patrol with my holocloak.‭ ‬I am among the evari now.

Actually seeing them,‭ ‬though,‭ ‬is strange.‭ ‬Though few of the people in Nazik ever let me forget that I was a hybrid,‭ ‬I’ve never actually met or seen another evari in real life,‭ ‬until now.‭ ‬Even here,‭ ‬though,‭ ‬I see little‭ ‬--‭ ‬heavy multicolored cloaks or ponchos detailed with wild symbols adorned each of the patrollers I saw,‭ ‬and their faces were largely obscured by a combination of facepaint and dark,‭ ‬elegant headdresses,‭ ‬likely cobbled together from scavenged carbonites from the Second Age.

The good thing about the nearly intraversible density of the Overgrowth is its equivalent abundance of shelter.‭ ‬While some old structures are difficult to get into,‭ ‬slashing through the brush with my short blade has allowed me to crawl into one,‭ ‬covering my tracks as I go and winding up in a decently spacious buildiing,‭ ‬one that looks to have at some point been a storefront of some kind.‭ ‬Light that comes through the window has allowed vines and rich blue flowers to bloom just inside,‭ ‬sprouting up through the sediment beneath the decaying floors.‭ ‬The whole interior now largely resembles a garden,‭ ‬with soft bluish grass coating every available free inch and strange,‭ ‬dark mushrooms dotting the areas the suns don’t touch.

I sit with my back against the wall,‭ ‬letting my eyes drift shut for a moment.‭ ‬Relaxing.‭ ‬Should be safe here‭ ‬--‭ ‬while I’ve had a few unfortunate run-ins with wild beasts,‭ ‬I can’t imagine anything managing to get into the building without me being able to tell.‭ ‬After a moment of just letting my feet rest,‭ ‬I open my pack and dig through it,‭ ‬grabbing my purifier and a ration bar.‭ ‬The purifier’s been working through some nasty-ass pond water I snagged about half a day back,‭ ‬and the liquid in the bottle it’s been filtering into seems perfectly clear.‭ ‬I take a long swig of it,‭ ‬then unwrap the ration,‭ ‬drizzling a little more water onto it and setting it down to reconstitute.‭ ‬Can’t describe how tired I already am of ration bars,‭ ‬but it’s safer than taking my chances with wild fruits or fungi I don’t know anything about.‭ ‬For all I know,‭ ‬every single thing in the Overgrowth could be poisonous.

I strip off my boots and short black jacket,‭ ‬using the latter along with my backpack to make a sort of pillow for me to lay back against.‭ ‬Adventuring may be more dramatic than straight-up burglary,‭ ‬but man is it more long and tiresome,‭ ‬too.‭ ‬I lay back,‭ ‬chasing bites of the ration bar with sips of water to ensure it goes down,‭ ‬and think about my next moves.‭ ‬While my holocloak is rechargable,‭ ‬it only lasts so long at any one time,‭ ‬so I can’t rely on it alone to sneak past any evari patrols‭ ‬--‭ ‬or even guards‭ ‬--‭ ‬as I get deeper into the jungle.‭ ‬I’m going to have to use everything I can,‭ ‬from distractions to good old-fashioned stealth...‭ ‬and hope it doesn’t come to combat.‭ ‬Sure,‭ ‬I brought a gun,‭ ‬but that doesn’t mean I wanna use it.‭ ‬I’m a thief,‭ ‬not a...‭ ‬kill-person.

I sigh,‭ ‬trying to shake the thoughts from my mind.‭ ‬I know what I have to do,‭ ‬I’ve been obsessing over it for the last week almost non-stop.‭ ‬What I‭ ‬need is to empty my head a little bit,‭ ‬and...‭ ‬I think I might know exactly how to do that.

Scooting up a little onto my backpack-pillow,‭ ‬I stuff the last bite of the ration bar into my mouth and unfasten my belt,‭ ‬sliding down the ziptie in the fly of my pants.‭ ‬One hand slides down into them,‭ ‬then,‭ ‬beneath a pair of underwear that,‭ ‬unfortunately,‭ ‬are designed more for travel than cuteness,‭ ‬but...‭ ‬they’ll have to do for now.‭ ‬As my hand wraps gently around my unsuspecting member,‭ ‬my other slips up and under my navy-blue duramesh tank top,‭ ‬quickly finding the tender swell of one of my own modest breasts.‭ ‬I slowly let a breath out,‭ ‬biting my lower lip as I fondle my stiffening nipple between thumb and forefinger,‭ ‬then circle one digit tenderly around it in slow circles.

My body’s reacting quickly,‭ ‬like it missed this,‭ ‬needed this,‭ ‬not just pleasure but any sensation that wasn’t simply perseverance.‭ ‬My grip tightens around the rising length of my girldick,‭ ‬and I draw it forth from my pants,‭ ‬taking a moment to admire it as my palm slides up and down the stiffening shaft.‭ ‬That same teal tinge as the rest of my skin,‭ ‬if a tiny bit darker,‭ ‬reaching just over seven inches in length,‭ ‬last I measured.‭ ‬What excites me‭ (‬and several past lovers‭) ‬is how it stands out from the members the humans or elves sported‭ ‬--‭ ‬smooth,‭ ‬subtle ridges run across its underside like a ladder,‭ ‬up until just beneath the tip.‭ ‬Not pronounced enough to provide unwanted speedbumps,‭ ‬but absolutely sufficient to have a few old flings and girlfriends screaming with delirium after a night‭ ‘‬enjoying‭’ ‬it.

I close my eyes,‭ ‬steadying my breathing as I play with myself,‭ ‬continuing to tease my breast and squirming as the soft skin becomes more and more sensitive,‭ ‬my nipples beading and tightening as I relentlessly tease and caress them.‭ ‬My other hand,‭ ‬however,‭ ‬is doing the lion’s share of the effort,‭ ‬stroking up and down along my cock‭ ‬--‭ ‬slowly at first,‭ ‬in rhythm with my breathing,‭ ‬but soon growing faster.‭ ‬I don’t want it to be over too quickly.‭ ‬I want to enjoy it.‭ ‬Need to clear my thoughts.‭ ‬I just wish I’d had the foresight to bring a few toys from home...‭ ‬then this would be a very different endeavor altogether.

For now it’s just me and myself,‭ ‬my hands giving me the pleasure I need.‭ ‬My thighs squeeze together into each other,‭ ‬only making my member surge and swell with excitement even more as I stroke my hand across its length.‭ ‬I trace my thumb around my glistening cockhead,‭ ‬drawing a wave of pleasure that makes my entire body shudder,‭ ‬and my other hand moves to the breast opposite of the one it had been teasing.‭ ‬This time I don’t merely fondle,‭ ‬but fully grope,‭ ‬giving the soft orb an eager squeeze and massage as I stroke myself faster and faster.‭ “‬NNnhhh...‭” ‬I groan under my breath,‭ ‬biting my lip to hold back the sounds of my pleasure.‭ ‬Safe place or not,‭ ‬I don’t want to be discovered and caught...‭ ‬especially not like this.

‭“Fuuuhckk,” I mouth silently, going faster now, my fingers gripped tightly around my throbbing length. Precum drips from the end of my deep cyan rod, creating a more slick sheen on my head as my efforts spread the thin, creamy moisture along it. My thighs unclench and spread, giving me more free access for longer, fuller pumps of my wrist. With how easy porn is to get on the ether, it’s been a long time -- maybe too long -- since I’ve just gone raw like this. Not watching anything, not thinking of anyone. No fantasies. Just me, and the feeling of my hand on my cock, groping my breast, stroking me off. The sensation of my balls popping up to gently whack the side of my hand.

I suck my breath in sharply as I feel pleasure mounting inside of me,‭ ‬uncontrollable and waiting to burst forth.‭ ‬My arm’s starting to burn from the extended effort,‭ ‬and I only now really realize how long I’ve been at it,‭ ‬eagerly violating myself until I’m ready to explode.‭ ‬I want to cry out,‭ ‬but once again my moans are bitten back,‭ ‬breathing hard and fast through my nose as my hand glides rapidly across my cock.

All at once,‭ ‬that building pleasure and pressure reaches its zenith,‭ ‬and I gasp,‭ ‬holding back a scream‭ ‬--‭ ‬only for a bolt of my own cum to shoot upward and into my mouth,‭ ‬a salting coating on my tongue that’s quickly followed by a second.‭ ‬The next shot hits my chin and neck,‭ ‬but the fourth and final is weaker,‭ ‬lacing across my bare belly.

I collapse backward,‭ ‬eyes closing again,‭ ‬and just pant,‭ ‬getting my bearings.‭ ‬Fuck,‭ ‬I needed that.‭ ‬If nothing else,‭ ‬a little...‭ ‬release,‭ ‬will help me fall asleep so I can get moving again by morning.‭ ‬I still need that disc.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Two Days Later

Got it‭! ‬Using the gizmos at my disposal to get past the evari was...‭ ‬well,‭ ‬not‭ ‬easy,‭ ‬but easier than I’d anticipated.‭ ‬No actual guards were posted in or near the building where the disc was being kept‭ ‬--‭ ‬otherwise,‭ ‬its defenses had been primarily passive.‭ ‬Nothing I could meaningfully hack through,‭ ‬with all electronic failsafes seemingly either dead or non-existent,‭ ‬but multiple mechanical locks and barriers,‭ ‬ending in an actual,‭ ‬literal safe that had been an absolute bitch.‭ ‬Fortunately,‭ ‬even in Nazik there are plenty of rich Second Age nerds who used heavy metal safes like this to keep people away from their stuff...‭ ‬so it was only a matter of time before I had to learn how to handle these ancient lockboxes.

The disc itself isn’t quite what I expected.‭ ‬In my mind I’d imagined something heavy,‭ ‬maybe jewel-encrusted,‭ ‬some sort of metallic puzzle-disc made of engraved,‭ ‬interlocking parts.‭ ‬What I got is very,‭ ‬very different.‭ ‬It’s light‭ ‬--‭ ‬barely heavier than a feather‭ ‬--‭ ‬and almost looks fragile,‭ ‬being enclosed and protected in a square,‭ ‬crystalline case.‭ ‬The front of it is red,‭ ‬as mentioned,‭ ‬and sports some strange black markings in a writing I can’t understand,‭ ‬but the bottom is a sort of iridescent silver,‭ ‬flickering through a rainbow of colors when held to the light.‭ ‬Such a strange thing for someone to want,‭ ‬but I mean...‭ ‬who knows what the elves might want it for,‭ ‬I guess.‭ ‬Who knows what it does,‭ ‬or if it even‭ ‬does anything at all.‭ ‬Kinda the kicker with cultural relics:‭ ‬sometimes they’re just junk that the right people attributed significance to.‭ ‬Junk or not,‭ ‬though,‭ ‬that significance is worth‭ ‬80k,‭ ‬so I’m getting this bitch back to Nazik no matter what.

That is,‭ ‬if it weren’t for the little...‭ ‬problem,‭ ‬of my escape attempt.‭ ‬While actually getting the disc had been a smooth,‭ ‬if tedious process,‭ ‬getting‭ ‬out had not,‭ ‬ah,‭ ‬gone well.‭ ‬Activating my holocloak to skulk past a patrol had been business as usual,‭ ‬until one of the evari paused and backpedaled to pick a flower,‭ ‬shortening the window of time I had to get out of sight.‭ ‬A perfect time,‭ ‬of course,‭ ‬for the holocloak to run out of juice,‭ ‬a translucent liquid shimmer rippling around me before fading completely,‭ ‬revealing a slim half-breed in a place she very,‭ ‬very much should not have been.

So‭ ‬--‭ ‬this catches us up to now,‭ ‬and me running for my life,‭ ‬the disc in my pack,‭ ‬cloak uncharged,‭ ‬sword in hand as I hack through vines and underbrush in a desperate attempt to clear my path.‭ ‬I can hear the evari around me,‭ ‬some sort of hunting or scouting party now dividing itself to catch me with unexpected precision.‭ ‬I can hear them‭ (‬along with the bizarre hounds they keep,‭ ‬vaguely catlike and grafted with patchworks of what I can only guess are pseudo-organic cybernetics‭) ‬splitting up to move ahead and beside me,‭ ‬one hunter still chasing me from behind to ensure I move the way they want me to.‭ ‬A sense of dread floods the pit of my stomach,‭ ‬the knowledge that,‭ ‬while I was able to traverse this forgotten cityscape with sufficient time and difficulty,‭ ‬my pursuers live within it.‭ ‬They understand it well enough to shepherd me along routes and paths of their choosing,‭ ‬towards a fate that I can’t predict.

The only way I’m going to get out of this is by doing something they don’t expect.‭ ‬A crumbling overpass to my right provides a cascading overgrowth of vines,‭ ‬likely intraversible,‭ ‬but an option.‭ ‬To my left is the main road the patrol had been traveling,‭ ‬open and spacious,‭ ‬a perfect place to get caught.‭ ‬Ahead is the obvious choice,‭ ‬something the evari also clearly know‭ ‬--‭ ‬dense enough to hide,‭ ‬but decently easy to jump and climb my way around and between buildings,‭ ‬especially with the help of the tools in my pack.‭ ‬That’s where they’ll ambush me.

Then...‭ ‬there’s back.‭ ‬It’ll bring me directly to one of the hunters and their hound,‭ ‬almost certain death,‭ ‬but I’d rather bring myself into a crazy confrontation than let myself fall into a trap.‭ ‬Fuck.‭ ‬Fuck‭! ‬I’m about to do something really,‭ ‬really stupid.

Sword out,‭ ‬I whirl on my heel and dash back the way I’d been coming.‭ ‬It’s a matter of seconds before I see the evari who’d been tracking me‭ ‬--‭ ‬male,‭ ‬by the approximate size and shape,‭ ‬though the ragged leather mantle,‭ ‬mismatched armor plates,‭ ‬and darkly-plumed crown and mask make it difficult to say exactly.‭ ‬There’s the beast by his side,‭ ‬red-furred,‭ ‬electric blue stripes criss-crossing its agile figure wherever there weren’t those fleshy mechanical enhancements.‭ ‬I leave my gun at my side.‭ ‬If I have any hope of getting out of this,‭ ‬I have to do it without making noise.

Like an absolute idiot,‭ ‬I rush forward blade first,‭ ‬grunting with exertion as I lash sideways at the lunging hound,‭ ‬narrowly avoiding its too-wide,‭ ‬too-flat,‭ ‬too-toothy maw and raking the sweet spot of my antisilicon blade across its side,‭ ‬drawing both sparks and a gout of vivid green blood.‭ ‬It lets out a warbling roar of pain,‭ ‬overreaching and lunging past,‭ ‬letting me duck forward‭ ‬--‭ ‬head-first into the evari hunter.‭ ‬A massive,‭ ‬three-fingered hand grips tight around my upper arm,‭ ‬and I hear a wild snarl that may or may not have been intelligible speech as he lifts his other hand,‭ ‬holding a wicked weapon somewhere between dagger and axe,‭ ‬a polished whitewood handle sprouting every which way into a maze of interlocking blades.‭ ‬Every angle of the thing is an outward-facing edge,‭ ‬and time seems to slow down as I look up at it,‭ ‬waiting for him to bring the thing down onto me.

I stomp down,‭ ‬hard,‭ ‬on the hunter’s instep,‭ ‬using my smaller size to whatever advantage I can make of it‭ ‬--‭ ‬I thrust my short blade forward,‭ ‬missing any critical organs but slashing across the lower side of his abdomen,‭ ‬drawing a howl of rage and pain.‭ ‬Planting my free hand on the evari’s facemask,‭ ‬I shove my opposite foot into his gut and kick off,‭ ‬tumbling backwards and yanking the headdress off in the process.‭ ‬It’s the first time I’ve seen one of them,‭ ‬their faces.‭ ‬He definitely is male,‭ ‬now,‭ ‬that’s clear‭; ‬a coarse jawline and long,‭ ‬strong nose uncomplemented by his jagged canines and staring,‭ ‬lizardlike eyes.‭ ‬Dark makeup still coats parts of his face the mask hadn’t covered,‭ ‬but...‭ ‬it’s so strange to see one this close.‭ ‬A part of me I’ve never laid eyes on,‭ ‬like meeting one of your parents for the first time as an adult.

I have absolutely no time to reflect,‭ ‬though,‭ ‬not if I want to survive.‭ ‬Any sense of curiosity seems entirely lost on the hunter,‭ ‬but I can use his pain and rage for just a moment to escape.‭ ‬I dart sidelong and break back into a sprint,‭ ‬heart racing as both master and hound recover from their minor injuries,‭ ‬whirling around to see where I’ve gone.‭ ‬I have one chance to make this work‭ ‬--‭ ‬I reach to my belt,‭ ‬sliding the switch that will activate my holocloak.‭ ‬I don’t know how long it’s charged for,‭ ‬but I only need a few seconds.‭ ‬Any time at all.‭ ‬Any time at all.

I let out a gasp of relief as the air around me wobbles and blurs,‭ ‬and I run deeper into the jungle,‭ ‬back the way I’d come,‭ ‬towards the cluster of buildings where I’d found the disc.‭ ‬By the time the holocloak gives out again,‭ ‬the sounds of pursuit have grown quiet and confused,‭ ‬and I dash into an overgrown alleyway,‭ ‬crouching down into a patch of yellow-flowered bushes deeply enough that they’ll hopefully obscure me completely.‭ ‬For the first time since I got the disc,‭ ‬I let my breathing slow back down to a regular pace,‭ ‬exhaustion creeping into my body after what felt like an hour of non-stop sprinting.‭ ‬I know I’m not safe,‭ ‬not‭ ‬really,‭ ‬but after a few more minutes I can no longer hear the sound of the patrols searching for me,‭ ‬no longer barking out indecipherable words in their deep,‭ ‬snarling language.‭ ‬So much for being a hybrid scoring me any points with the evari native to the Overgrowth‭ ‬--‭ ‬maybe if I had the mask and facepaint and whatnot I could make it work,‭ ‬but as I am,‭ ‬I’m no safer here than any other human,‭ ‬elf,‭ ‬drylak,‭ ‬or anyone else who tried to take on this insane job.

My eyes drift shut,‭ ‬and I just wait for a while,‭ ‬waiting for the shock of my appearance to pass and for those who saw me to go about their business.‭ ‬Nor,‭ ‬though,‭ ‬do I want to wait‭ ‬too long,‭ ‬for fear that they tell others and some kind of mass search party is sent out.‭ ‬Through the hum of exhaustion in my body I almost don’t hear the sound of clawed feet,‭ ‬half-slithering,‭ ‬half-stalking,‭ ‬a very different type of predator seeking me out with something other than eyes.

I reach cautiously for my pack,‭ ‬hoping I have enough purified water left to rehydrate a bit after my rather extreme stint of exercise.‭ ‬The moment I move,‭ ‬though,‭ ‬I hiss with abrupt pain as a thin,‭ ‬scaley tendril lashes out at me from within the bushes I’m hidden in.‭ ‬Needle-like,‭ ‬whether fangs or stingers I’m uncertain,‭ ‬launch into my wrist,‭ ‬and white-hot pain shoots throughout my exhausted body,‭ ‬so intense that I can just barely resist the urge to scream out.‭ ‬From the tendril,‭ ‬a greater creature emerges‭ ‬--‭ ‬speckled with green and blue scales in a pattern not unlike that of a jaguar,‭ ‬the creature is lean and low to the ground,‭ ‬resembling a cross between a great serpent and a hunting cat.‭ ‬More thin tendrils unspool from beneath its body,‭ ‬zipping forward and into my flesh as the beast’s leering,‭ ‬narrow snout looms closer and closer to mine.‭ ‬Fanged jaws glisten with saliva,‭ ‬and already I feel stiffened,‭ ‬paralysis taking over,‭ ‬my muscles locking up from whatever its injected with.

I try to move for my sword,‭ ‬but my movements are so sluggish that I doubt I could swing the thing with enough force to bring this creature low.‭ ‬I scoot back up against the mossy wall behind me,‭ ‬wincing in agony,‭ ‬my thoughts clouding,‭ ‬and I consider the gun.‭ ‬Firing off a shot could end this...‭ ‬but even a silenced round will attract nearby evari.‭ ‬Do I choose certain,‭ ‬snarling death...‭ ‬or the possibility of a fate far worse‭? ‬The animal’s upon me,‭ ‬now,‭ ‬several stingers anchored into my flesh as its sharp paws clutch tight into my shoulder,‭ ‬its beady,‭ ‬dark orange eyes staring into mine as it waits for me to die.

My hand moves to the Sekurity V30.‭ ‬I clench my teeth,‭ ‬using what last bit of willpower I can muster to aim upward.‭ ‬I squeeze the trigger twice,‭ ‬the sound of the suppressed blast ringing loudly out through the Overgrowth.‭ ‬Sparks and spots of blackness swim in front of my eyes and my mind as the venom takes hold,‭ ‬leaving me entirely paralyzed and,‭ ‬in moments,‭ ‬as helpless as a child.‭ ‬All I can hope for is that I wake up.

The last thing I hear before unconscious takes me is a husky,‭ ‬feminine chuckle,‭ ‬and deeply-accented words in a broken version of the Universal tongue.‭ “‬Heh.‭ ‬Find you.‭”

‭CHAPTER TWO

‭The Huntress

The sensation of pain sinking back into my consciousness is what finally awakens me.‭ ‬My eyes flutter,‭ ‬then flick open fully,‭ ‬taking in the vast expanse of darkness and green above and around me.‭ ‬I’m still in the Overgrowth,‭ ‬which...‭ ‬I suppose I’m just glad isn’t the afterlife.‭ ‬The pain in my body has faded from sharp,‭ ‬racing pulses of agony to a dull throb,‭ ‬though a brief attempt to move my hand shows that the paralysis is still taking its toll on me.‭ ‬I feel my fingers twitch,‭ ‬flex slightly inward,‭ ‬then relax against my will.‭ ‬I’m helpless.

At least I can see,‭ ‬though.‭ ‬I blink the blur of sleep from my eyes and look around to the best of my ability,‭ ‬expecting to see an evari settlement,‭ ‬or something worse.‭ ‬What I do find is something more akin to a camp,‭ ‬one set in the expanse of the jungle rather than the interior of a dilapidated structure.‭ ‬A campfire flickers and crackles,‭ ‬casting wild,‭ ‬licking shadows on the trees and shrubs surrounding this untamed place,‭ ‬lurid figures dancing the fire’s light,‭ ‬though never emerging from the dark.‭ ‬I see my backpack and jacket,‭ ‬what appear to be some metal cooking implements,‭ ‬and most noticeably,‭ ‬a woman,‭ ‬tending to the fire in front of her.

She’s evari,‭ ‬though looks a little different from the ones I’d seen earlier.‭ ‬She’s a bit shorter,‭ ‬a bit slimmer,‭ ‬the hue of her pale teal skin closer to my own than the vivid shades of the others.‭ ‬Long black hair has been formed into a mess of tight,‭ ‬slender braids,‭ ‬and war-paint in dark shades of ochre and wine lash across her face in jagged,‭ ‬but distinct patterns.‭ ‬Whatever mask or headdress she might have worn is absent,‭ ‬letting me take in her pointed ears and angular features.‭ ‬It’s weird to think,‭ ‬but in some feral,‭ ‬untamed way,‭ ‬she’s...‭ ‬very beautiful.‭ ‬Her athletic figure is clad in dark,‭ ‬leathery wrappings,‭ ‬between the loops of which are various small decorations such as leaves,‭ ‬feathers,‭ ‬quills,‭ ‬or hand-crafted fetishes dangling from short lengths of twine or chain.‭ ‬Her bare feet show off only three toes,‭ ‬like mine,‭ ‬with her hands sporting only a thumb in excess of that number of fingers.

‭“Nnh...” I grunt quietly through clenched teeth, almost unaware I’m making the sound. I try to move my hand again, try to reach for my pants pocket -- for the hidden false pocket containing a thin steel-saw, exactly for situations like this. My fingers still cease to work, though, and the woman notices the sound I make, her fierce violet eyes shooting my way and meeting my gaze.

‭“Mh. Awake,” she murmurs, finally standing and showing off her impressive height, despite being decidedly short for one of her kind. Taking a few steps forward, she looks over me, then reaches down to yank sharply on a small lever at the side of the sparsely-padded litter I’ve been laid upon. It lurches and folds, springing me forward into a sitting position. “Alive, surprised. Thought väsiré kill you. Would have, not for me.”

“Vauseer...‭ ‬what‭?” ‬I stammer,‭ ‬slurring a little as I will my lips to function properly.

‭“Väsiré. Bushtoad. Venomous tails. Heh.” A thin, dark smile touches her lips, showing off small fangs.

‭“So, you... wait, you saved me?”

“Looks like,‭” ‬she nods,‭ ‬returning to her perch by the fire,‭ ‬consisting of a hollow log covered in thick pink lichen.‭ “‬Old medicine heal you before your heart went gray.‭ ‬Can you move‭?”

I try to flex my hand again.‭ ‬My fingers spasm clumsily,‭ ‬but manage nothing further.‭ “‬Not really.‭”

“Longer to heal,‭ ‬then,‭” ‬she says.‭ “‬Make camp,‭ ‬give time to rest.‭”

“Why,‭ ‬um...‭” ‬I begin,‭ ‬pausing to furrow my brow.‭ ‬Even having this conversation is bizarre,‭ ‬and I’m unsure whether to ask the questions firing off in my head.‭ ‬Eventually,‭ ‬curiosity gets the better of me.‭ “‬Why are we in the jungle‭? ‬Your settlement was so close to where you found me‭ ‬--‭ ‬why didn’t you just bring me back there‭?”

“Not my settlement,‭” ‬she shrugs,‭ ‬and again lets out that low,‭ ‬barking chuckle.‭ “‬All evari,‭ ‬not same.‭ ‬Not same people,‭ ‬not same‭ ‬káir’h.‭ ‬Thought you know.‭”

“Keyre‭? ‬I’m sorry,‭ ‬I’m...‭ ‬I’m not from the Overgrowth.‭”

“Káir’h is like...‭ ‬team.‭ ‬Tribe.‭” ‬She pauses,‭ ‬regarding me more closely,‭ ‬her eyes narrowing a little,‭ ‬as if trying to figure me out.‭ “‬You know nothing of evari,‭ ‬but wear our face,‭ ‬now here in our lands.‭ ‬Know nothing of our animals,‭ ‬our words.‭ ‬Who...‭” ‬she pauses,‭ ‬as if looking for the right words.‭ ‬I can tell she’s struggling with the Universal tongue,‭ ‬but surprisingly little for someone who’s doubtlessly way out of practice.‭ “‬Who are you‭?”

I breathe in deeply,‭ ‬as deeply as my lungs will allow,‭ ‬and consider my answer.‭ ‬Eventually I go with the obvious.‭ “‬Addy.‭ ‬My name’s Addy.‭”

“Did not ask name.‭ ‬Did ask person.‭ ‬Erm,‭” ‬she chuckles again,‭ ‬then lays one three-fingered hand on her chest.‭ “‬I,‭ ‬Kahara.‭”

“Pleasure to meet you,‭” ‬I lie.‭ ‬I’m still absolutely terrified by this whole thing.‭ ‬She’s acting civil enough,‭ ‬but she was still‭ ‬hunting me nevertheless,‭ ‬and I have no clue where she’s taking me.‭ “‬I’m,‭ ‬um...‭ ‬my mom was evari.‭”

“Mahm‭?”

“Mother.‭”

“Ah.‭ ‬Father,‭ ‬no‭?”

“My father was human.‭ ‬He brought me from the Overgrowth to one of the Walled cities,‭ ‬and I was raised there.‭ ‬That’s why I...‭ ‬you know.‭ ‬Why I don’t know anything about you guys,‭ ‬beyond what people tell me.‭”

She’s quiet a moment,‭ ‬her gaze finally turning from me and back to the fire,‭ ‬poking at it with a salvaged metal rod,‭ ‬scorched and blackened from long dedication to the task.‭ “‬And what they tell you‭?”

I’m unable to hold her gaze,‭ ‬looking back down to my idly spasming hand.‭ “‬That you’re scavengers,‭ ‬lost to society.‭ ‬Predators,‭ ‬cannibals,‭ ‬no better than the beasts you live among in the Overgrowth.‭ ‬I’ve heard every criticism of the evari under the suns,‭ ‬because of...‭ ‬you know,‭ ‬how I look.‭”

“Surprise you not leave,‭” ‬she shrugs,‭ “‬if they dislike so.‭”

“Almost did a few times.‭ ‬I was...‭ ‬afraid,‭ ‬I guess.‭ ‬If it was all true,‭ ‬and I’d end up here and,‭ ‬uh,‭ ‬well I mean I‭ ‬did end up getting attacked and captured.‭”

She lets out a short giggle in a surprising window of vulnerability,‭ ‬less stoic than her usual chuckles.‭ “‬Very true.‭ ‬You did.‭”

“This is probably an inappropriate question,‭ ‬but it’s been really nagging me,‭” ‬I finally say,‭ ‬licking my lips anxiously.‭ “‬Where are we going‭?”

“To my people.‭ ‬You can get places we cannot,‭ ‬take things we are not able.‭ ‬Like you take this,‭” ‬she reaches down into a small pack of her own,‭ ‬withdrawing the crystalline case holding the disc I’d‭ ‘‬procured.‭’ ‬Nodding to me,‭ ‬she puts it back.‭ “‬Had been waiting for someone like you to come here,‭ ‬someone with tools of the‭ ‬to’när to come to our lands,‭ ‬take what is long hidden.‭”

Another word I don’t understand.‭ ‬I’m going to assume‭ ‬to’när alludes to people in Walled settlements.‭ “‬So you want...‭ ‬what,‭ ‬tutorials‭? ‬Safecracking‭ ‬101‭? ‬That isn’t so bad,‭ ‬not worth kidnapping me or anything like that.‭ ‬You could have just asked.‭”

Kahara’s eyes darken,‭ ‬her expression growing far more grim than it had been before.‭ “‬Have to be sure other‭ ‬káir’h do not use you.‭ ‬You will be care for,‭ ‬teach what you know...‭ ‬and become sacrifice.‭”

“...Oh,‭” ‬I say softly.‭ ‬Well,‭ ‬so much for making new friends and going home safe,‭ ‬I guess.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

I’m bound with ropes when Kahara finally goes to sleep,‭ ‬ensuring that the paralysis doesn’t wear off and leave me able to escape.‭ ‬I simply sit and watch for most of the night,‭ ‬awake and aware,‭ ‬as the evari girl sleeps,‭ ‬the fire slowly fading to embers,‭ ‬then vanishing completely,‭ ‬leaving the two of us alone in the deep darkness of the jungle night.‭ ‬The poison,‭ ‬after enough time and with whatever strange potions my kidnapper administered,‭ ‬has finally faded,‭ ‬leaving me able to easily breathe and move things like my hands and feet...‭ ‬though the ropes keep me fairly placid.‭ ‬I still feel far to weak to try to make an escape,‭ ‬and can only hope I’ll have more time to make an attempt.

The next day,‭ ‬Kahara is less chatty,‭ ‬dragging me behind her on the elevated litter I’ve been laid on.‭ ‬Its squat,‭ ‬round wheels seem explicitly designed to roll over the jungle floor,‭ ‬a surprisingly adroit bit of engineering for the evari,‭ ‬but progress is still slow.‭ ‬We make it several hours eastward,‭ ‬with Kahara largely grunting or chuckling in response to any questions or comments I make,‭ ‬before we finally stop again.‭ “‬Hungry,‭” ‬she grunts,‭ ‬glancing back at me.‭ “‬Guess you too.‭”

“Unbelievably,‭” ‬I whisper.‭ ‬Thirsty,‭ ‬too,‭ ‬but I’ll take what I can get.‭ ‬If she really is interested in keeping me alive,‭ ‬maybe I can finally get a bit of basic care before we continue onward to my inevitable exploitation and doom at the hands of my own people.‭ “‬I can help make a fire if you--‭”

“You’ll stay there,‭” ‬she growls.‭ ‬I shut up,‭ ‬and she leaves me in the center of a clearing,‭ ‬sunlight shining down through the canopy in broken rays,‭ ‬dappling the grass and moss beneath me.‭ ‬This place would be so lovely,‭ ‬were it not so wicked.‭ ‬Kahara gathers wood and builds a fire,‭ ‬as she had last night,‭ ‬and eventually returns with the makings of an expectedly rustic meal.‭ ‬I see clusters of the wild berries I hadn’t dared pick on my own journey,‭ ‬along with a large,‭ ‬yellow-spined lizard and an armful of large,‭ ‬dark red shoots resembling onions.

I just watch her quietly for a long time,‭ ‬experiencing equal parts dread and strange admiration.‭ ‬As I acclimate to her presence I’ve come,‭ ‬more and more,‭ ‬to accept how strangely beautiful she is,‭ ‬and how very similar in appearance she is to me.‭ ‬Her build is a bit different,‭ ‬of course,‭ ‬more distinctly athletic,‭ ‬the life she’s lived leading to muscles lending themselves more to explosive power than nimble patience.‭ ‬Still,‭ ‬she looks more similar to me than to the other evari I’d seen.‭ ‬Maybe I’m not the only half-breed,‭ ‬after all....

When she’s done‭ ‘‬undressing‭’ ‬the lizard and getting out her pan and utensils to actually make her harvest edible,‭ ‬I figure this is the best chance I’ll get to talk to her...‭ ‬even if what’s on my mind has been quite grim.‭ “‬Is there anything I can do to earn a chance to leave‭? ‬If I...‭ ‬cooperate,‭ ‬or whatever‭?”

“Koh Ahperaite‭?” ‬she growls,‭ ‬laying the onion-like grass stalks in her pan alongside strips of lizard meat.

‭“Cooperate. If I... work with you guys, don’t complain. Maybe then, when I’ve taught you guys what I know, I can go?”

She looks at me for a long moment.‭ ‬She seems hesitant to answer,‭ ‬and when she does,‭ ‬her words feel hollow,‭ ‬more a recital than a response.‭ “‬The elders will not want you spreading your secrets to others,‭” ‬she says,‭ ‬setting the pan over the flame and approaching me with a bottle of smooth green wood,‭ ‬uncorking it and holding it to my lips.‭ “‬Drink.‭”

I do,‭ ‬eagerly.‭ ‬It’s just water,‭ ‬though perhaps uncharacteristically sweet,‭ ‬and I drink as much of it as I’m able before she pulls the bottle away,‭ ‬taking a swig herself.‭ “‬What if I just stayed with your people‭? ‬Didn’t wander off,‭ ‬but didn’t get...‭ ‬um,‭ ‬sacrificed,‭ ‬you said‭? ‬That’s really,‭ ‬really the part I’m concerned about.‭ ‬I can go native,‭ ‬I don’t look any different from you.‭”

“Too soft,‭” ‬she grunts,‭ ‬then pauses,‭ ‬thinking.‭ “‬I ask those whose choice it is to make.‭ ‬Can do no more.‭”

That’s something.‭ ‬Not much,‭ ‬but something.‭ ‬I stay silent for a moment,‭ ‬thinking,‭ ‬watching her occasionally eat one of the berries she harvested as she prepares the larger meal.‭ ‬This situation is so bleak,‭ ‬so totally and utterly fucked.‭ ‬No escape,‭ ‬no hope for the future,‭ ‬all I can do is talk...‭ ‬and the only person I have to talk to is the person bringing me to my death.

Time passes as I watch her cook,‭ ‬and eventually Kahara’s weird little stir-fry’s finished.‭ ‬It smells...‭ ‬unexpectedly good,‭ ‬and I hear my stomach warble profanely within me,‭ ‬yearning to be filled.‭ ‬Since traveling with Kahara,‭ ‬I’ve gotten a few sips of water but no food,‭ ‬not even my own shitty little dehydrated rations,‭ ‬and my body’s beginning to audibly protest‭ ‬--‭ ‬audibly enough that she notices,‭ ‬too.

‭“Don’t worry, soft one, I make enough for you,” she grunts, tearing a few pieces of the lizard meat into strips with her fingers and sprinkling the entire fried mess with some kind of green seasoning from her pack.

‭“You plan to untie me?” I arch an eyebrow, “because it’s gonna be really hard to eat without my hands. Sticks I can go without, but hands is gonna be tricky.”

She narrows her eyes at me for a long time,‭ ‬her expression as dire as ever,‭ ‬before finally drawing a jagged knife from her belt,‭ ‬odd symbols tooled into the tarnished metal of the weapon’s blade.‭ ‬Approaching me,‭ ‬she hooks the knife into the top band of ropes securing me and slashes across them,‭ ‬freeing my top half but leaving my legs bound.‭ ‬Fair compromise,‭ ‬I guess.

Without speaking,‭ ‬she hands me a‭ ‘‬plate‭’ ‬that looks more or less like a polished piece of tree bark,‭ ‬complete with a modest helping of the meal she’s made.‭ “‬Eat,‭” ‬she grumbles,‭ ‬sitting back down at the log she’s been using as a chair and using her hands to shove a mouthful of the stuff past her own dark lips.

In any other situation I might have been a little more trepidatious.‭ ‬This stuff smells‭ ‬weird,‭ ‬if not necessarily bad,‭ ‬and I think this experience has taught me a lesson about being too adventurous.‭ ‬But...‭ ‬I’m also fucking starving,‭ ‬so in it goes.‭ ‬I pick through the onion-like shoots and strips of lizard meat,‭ ‬trying them separately,‭ ‬then together,‭ ‬and...‭ ‬it’s not bad,‭ ‬admittedly.‭ ‬Whatever seasoning she used is completely foreign to me,‭ ‬but not unpleasant,‭ ‬living a curious tingle on the lips and tongue and bringing a hint of tangy spice to the otherwise dense,‭ ‬smokey camp-meal.‭ “‬It’s pretty good,‭” ‬I say after a few moments,‭ ‬shooting a weak smile towards Kahara.

‭“Ha’savo, dreamspines. Leave just enough venom to burn the mouth,” she gestures to the little pile of yellow spines she’d plucked from the creature, “keep the quills as blowdarts, heh.”

I pause,‭ ‬another piece of meat an inch from my lips.‭ ‬She left the venom in‭? ‬I look down at the little grilled strip of lizard and,‭ ‬after a moment,‭ ‬sigh and eat it.‭ ‬I’m doomed anyway,‭ ‬may as well enjoy dinner.‭ “‬Wish I was back home right now.‭ ‬There’s this noodle place not far away from my closet apartment that’s crazy good.‭ ‬Super spicy,‭ ‬but I can’t get enough of it.‭”

“Noo-del‭?” ‬Kahara glowers.

‭“Like these long squiggly things, like, um... snakes made of bread.”

“Huh.‭”

I smile bleakly,‭ ‬letting memories carry me back.‭ ‬I know she doesn’t care,‭ ‬but this isn’t for her,‭ ‬it’s for me.‭ ‬I need to remember something pleasant before whatever happens...‭ ‬happens.‭ “‬My dad‭ ‬--‭ ‬err,‭ ‬father‭ ‬--‭ ‬always used to take me there,‭ ‬before he passed.‭ ‬Fazm’s Noodles and then skyfish.‭”

“The sky does not have fish to catch,‭” ‬Kahara retorts,‭ ‬her expression equal parts suspicious and matter-of-fact.‭ “‬They are found in rivers and lakes.‭ ‬Doubt you catch many.‭”

I let out a little laugh,‭ ‬my first in quite a while.‭ “‬Not fishing for actual fish.‭ ‬We’d fly kites in the city to see what they caught from the upper apartments.‭ ‬Usually it was nothing,‭ ‬just dirt or whatever,‭ ‬but once someone tied a pouch of coins to it.‭ ‬We were so excited when it came back down.‭” ‬I smile,‭ ‬but it turns sour again after a moment as the vast dark verdance of the Overgrowth sinks in around me.

‭“Your father sounds... good,” Kahara says hesitantly, visibly uncomfortable with the notion of chatting with me, considering my fate. I’ll be damned if I’ll have a meal without some conversation, though, and if she’s gonna keep me tied up, she’s gonna have to deal with me.

‭“He was great. I miss him a lot. He always stuck up for me when people would talk shit. About, y’know, the way I look.”

“That you look evari‭?”

“Well,‭ ‬am evari,‭ ‬but yeah,‭ ‬that they could tell.‭” ‬I shrug,‭ ‬eating another bite of lizard and scraping away a bit of the onion-like vegetable with my teeth.

‭“That is very strange,” Kahara furrows her brow, her eyes not leaving me. “Evari strong, proud, powerful. It is the city-people who are mocked. They are small, squat, frail.”

“Have you ever actually met a human,‭ ‬Kahara‭?”

“Do not need.‭ ‬My people see their softness in me.‭”

I blink.‭ ‬Suddenly it makes sense‭ ‬--‭ ‬why Kahara can speak the Universal tongue,‭ ‬why she’s so much shorter and slimmer than the others.‭ ‬Why she looks so much like me.‭ “‬You’re half-human,‭ ‬too,‭” ‬I whisper,‭ ‬more to myself than to her,‭ ‬the revelation escaping my lips fully-formed as it dawns upon my thoughts.

Her response is just a grunt,‭ ‬at first,‭ ‬but one of clear affirmation.‭ ‬She looks away from me for a moment,‭ ‬then back,‭ ‬her eyes meeting mine.‭ “‬I am evari in my heart,‭ ‬that is what matters.‭”

“But you said your people made fun of you,‭ ‬too‭? ‬They call you soft‭?”

Her face screws up into a half-snarl,‭ ‬then relaxes,‭ ‬though a certain reflective grumpiness remains.‭ “‬Yes.‭ ‬Small and ugly,‭ ‬like human.‭ ‬Weak in trials,‭ ‬slow in hunts.‭”

“Wait,‭ ‬ugly‭?” ‬I blink.‭ ‬Maybe she’s weak for an evari,‭ ‬but I can’t imagine anyone calling her ugly.‭ “‬No way they called you ugly,‭ ‬you’re beautiful‭!”

“I--‭” ‬Kahara freezes,‭ ‬as if caught off-guard completely.‭ “‬I...‭ ‬no,‭ ‬I am not.‭ ‬Reason I am sent into the wild to wait for someone who would not come.‭ ‬Blood of your kind leaves me small and sickly.‭”

“My kind‭? ‬You mean humans‭? ‬But we’re the same,‭” ‬I think a moment,‭ ‬and decide to push it.‭ ‬She‭ ‬is stunning,‭ ‬almost distractingly so,‭ ‬and if I’m going to do one decent thing before the evari kill me,‭ ‬I want to let her know that.‭ “‬Your people see what you aren’t,‭ ‬instead of what you are.‭ ‬I’m like you‭ ‬--‭ ‬maybe the only other person like you‭ ‬--‭ ‬so trust me when I say you’re beautiful.‭ ‬Don’t trust the people who would send you to go get lost in the jungle and never come back.‭ ‬Are those really the kind of people you want to listen to‭?”

Kahara glares at me for a long moment,‭ ‬lips pursed together in a grimace of uncertainty.‭ ‬An uncomfortable amount of time passes,‭ ‬and she shoves the last handful of lizard into her mouth,‭ ‬slipping the empty plate back into her pack of seemingly random items.‭ “‬We talk enough,‭” ‬she growls,‭ ‬grabbing my plate from me and going about the process of stomping out the fire she’s made.‭ “‬Time to go.‭”

I get one more sip of water before we go.‭ ‬She never ends up binding my arms again,‭ ‬likely not seeing me as much of a threat‭ (‬and honestly,‭ ‬to her,‭ ‬I’m probably not‭)‬,‭ ‬and I’m back on the litter,‭ ‬sitting slightly up as she drags me along behind her.‭ ‬I don’t try to make any more conversation for a while‭ ‬--‭ ‬the way Kahara refuses to look at me makes it very clear that she isn’t interested in talking anymore.

Our‭ ‘‬lunchtime‭’ ‬chat has me thinking,‭ ‬though.‭ ‬I never thought I’d meet another evari,‭ ‬much less another half-breed like me,‭ ‬and much less someone so strange,‭ ‬so vulnerable beneath her sulky exterior.‭ ‬I still need to find a way out of this situation,‭ ‬but...‭ ‬more and more,‭ ‬I find that I want to get Kahara on my side just as bad.‭ ‬As long as she’s taking me to get enslaved and killed,‭ ‬though,‭ ‬she won’t let herself open up to me.‭ ‬Why would she.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Night falls once again,‭ ‬on the Overgrowth,‭ ‬and the two of us are safely out of the territory of the evari I’d stolen the disc out from under.‭ ‬The strange totems and markings I’d seen before faded completely,‭ ‬but are now being replaced with different ones,‭ ‬odd fetishes I still don’t understand,‭ ‬but can recognize as being different than those I’d seen before.‭ ‬Stars twinkle through the dense canopy of trees above us,‭ ‬the deep green fronds and leaves distilling a vibrant twilight down onto the bed of moss and grass we travel along.‭ ‬As we go,‭ ‬Kahara starts to look more and more uneasy,‭ ‬her steps lacking their normal confidence,‭ ‬though I’m uncertain why.‭ ‬Predictably,‭ ‬we stop before it gets too dark,‭ ‬finding a clearing of flat land without too many bumps or plants to clutter a campsite.

Less predictably is that she pulls out her knife again the moment we stop,‭ ‬turning to me.‭ ‬My heart leaps,‭ ‬racing in an abrupt flash of panic as she approaches,‭ ‬and I start to awkwardly shove one hand in between us,‭ ‬only for her to grab my wrist and pull it away.‭ ‬The knife moves low,‭ ‬to my legs‭ ‬--‭ ‬and slashes the rope binding them in a sharp yanking motion.

‭“...What...?” I finally say, blinking, nonplussed as she turns away from me, tearing a limb from a dead tree and starting to break it into chunks, presumably to build a fire. “Why?”

“Won’t take you to them,‭” ‬she grunts as she starts to make the campfire,‭ ‬the speed and efficiency with which she does so genuinely astonishing.‭ “‬Not going back.‭ ‬You...‭” ‬she pauses,‭ ‬looking almost pained,‭ “‬are right.‭”

“Kahara,‭” ‬I say,‭ ‬searching for words,‭ ‬finding very few.‭ ‬I stand up and stretch my legs,‭ ‬watching her build the fire for a long moment,‭ ‬until it’s finally ablaze.‭ ‬Finally,‭ ‬I continue with the only sentiment that makes sense.‭ “‬Thank you.‭”

“You are soft,‭ ‬too soft for my people,‭” ‬she says quietly,‭ ‬walking back to me as the flame crackles and spits alive behind her,‭ ‬the dancing orange light leaving her a graceful,‭ ‬feral silhouette in front of me.‭ “‬Soft like me.‭ ‬You call me beautiful.‭”

“You‭ ‬are beautiful,‭” ‬I say quietly,‭ ‬looking into her fierce purple eyes.‭ “‬I’ve thought so from the moment I saw you.‭”

She lays a three-fingered hand on the side of my face,‭ ‬cradling it,‭ ‬inhaling through her nose‭ ‬--‭ ‬then closing the distance between us,‭ ‬placing her dark,‭ ‬painted lips on my own in a long kiss,‭ ‬assertive yet uninsistent.‭ ‬I can feel the warmth of her body close to mine as her lips steal my breath,‭ ‬and I feel my eyes drift shut.‭ ‬After a moment,‭ ‬the kiss breaks,‭ ‬but she doesn’t withdraw from me,‭ ‬and doesn’t remove her hand from my face.‭ “‬You are...‭” she whispers, searching for words, a visible cauldron of clashing and conflicting emotions. Her face contorts into a grimace, and she lunges in again, her lips finding mine once more.

‭CHAPTER THREE

‭The Stars

I melt into our embrace,‭ ‬bringing a hand shyly to Kahara’s hip.‭ ‬It’s my first time really touching her,‭ ‬and despite my growing attraction to her,‭ ‬I can’t stop my hand from shaking like the leaves around us.‭ ‬I catch her lip between mine,‭ ‬sucking softly for a moment before redoubling the kiss,‭ ‬my other hand starting to caress up and along her back.‭ ‬Part of me can’t believe this is happening‭ ‬--‭ ‬it feels sudden,‭ ‬yet natural,‭ ‬my heart pouring itself into the intense kiss even as my mind searches fruitlessly for answers to its many questions.‭ ‬Has she felt the same way as I’ve been feeling about her‭? ‬This...‭ ‬connection that’s so hard to shake,‭ ‬this attraction‭? ‬How long has she been holding back that kiss while she told herself she had to bring me back‭?

I don’t have the answers,‭ ‬and now isn’t the time to ask.‭ ‬She’s telling me in her own way,‭ ‬using actions rather than chit-chat,‭ ‬and even if she’s leaving me confused and breathless,‭ ‬I can’t deny the way her body feels against mine.‭ ‬Her slim,‭ ‬toned figure pressing into me,‭ ‬only her tight wrappings and my tank-top between us.‭ ‬I can feel the smooth ripples of her muscles,‭ ‬the firm swells of her breasts squishing into my own as her tongue slips into my mouth,‭ ‬dancing,‭ ‬entangling with mine.‭ ‬A big part of me still can’t believe this is happening,‭ ‬but the longer I spend pressed into her perfect figure the less I’d rather be anywhere else.

My hands lower a bit,‭ ‬and I cradle both her hips,‭ ‬her own hands caressing hungrily up my sides‭ ‬--‭ ‬first just caressing me,‭ ‬then dipping again to grip the bottom hem of my top,‭ ‬beginning to pull it upward.‭ ‬I let out a little gasp as our kiss breaks,‭ ‬just long enough a moment for her to tug my shirt up above my head,‭ ‬freeing my modestly pert breasts, and then her lips steal mine. Once more, her hands firmly stroke up my ribs,‭ ‬to then eagerly massage up along the sides of my tits,‭ ‬her thumbs brushing gently across my nipples,‭ ‬sending a shock of pleasure through me.‭ ‬I can feel my own heart pounding in my chest,‭ ‬my eyes closing as I pour myself into our kiss...‭ ‬though my blood is now very much starting to pound somewhere else,‭ ‬too.

I stretch my fingers out and downward,‭ ‬then take two beautiful handfuls of her firm butt,‭ ‬giving it a squeeze through the wrappings.‭ ‬I’ve had plenty of time to stare at it while being dragged behind Kahara,‭ ‬entranced for literal hours by the swivels of those high,‭ ‬smooth cheeks,‭ ‬and they feel just as good as they look.‭ ‬Her breath grows hot against my lips,‭ ‬and I feel what might almost be a moan,‭ ‬though I think she’s doing her best to bite it back.‭ ‬Still as confused about what’s happening as I am,‭ ‬like we were...‭ ‬drawn together,‭ ‬iron and a magnet that couldn’t bear such close proximity without forcibly connecting.‭ ‬Kahara’s breath isn’t the only thing that’s warm,‭ ‬either‭ ‬--‭ ‬as she hooks one leg around my hip,‭ ‬I feel a pulsating heat between her strong,‭ ‬slender thighs,‭ ‬grinding absently against my own front,‭ ‬bumping and colliding with the growing erection that’s straining against my own form-fitting trousers.‭ “‬Fuhhh...‭ ‬oh fuck,‭ ‬fhh....‭”

She bites my lower lip softly,‭ ‬and I can’t help but let out a soft whimper of excitement,‭ ‬stumbling a step back‭ ‬--‭ ‬then abruptly losing my balance,‭ ‬my grip on Kahara tightening as the two of us tumble downwards to the ground,‭ ‬half-draped across the padded litter I’d been bound to and with the other half-breed‭ ‬straddling me.‭ ‬She looks unperturbed,‭ ‬and for a moment I wonder whether she realizes the fall was accidental,‭ ‬as she seems to take well to the new position.‭ ‬Sitting up fully in my lap,‭ ‬she unclasps a beetle-shaped brooch of time-etched metal at her left shoulder,‭ ‬sliding it away and loosening her wrappings,‭ ‬allowing her to unwind them.‭ ‬I swallow hard as,‭ ‬for the first time,‭ ‬I see her astonishing breasts,‭ ‬of similar size to mine but slightly more compact on account of her muscle mass,‭ ‬smaller and firmer.‭ ‬I lunge up to meet her,‭ ‬kissing between the soft swells before planting my lips on one nipple,‭ ‬the color of a murky sea under starlight.‭ ‬I kiss it,‭ ‬twirl my tongue around it,‭ ‬and finally slip it into my mouth to suckle gently,‭ ‬drawing a husky groan of pleasure from her.‭ ‬Kahara clings to my back with one arm as she continues to unwrap herself,‭ ‬like the birthday present I never knew I needed so badly.‭ ‬I can still feel her throbbing against me,‭ ‬and after only a moment more she shuffles out from the last of her dark leather straps,‭ ‬and I feel the tip of her hot,‭ ‬glistening girlcock prod against my lower belly,‭ ‬hard and gorgeous,‭ ‬bearing the same rigid waves along its underside that mine does.‭ ‬An unexpectedly exhilarating opportunity to feel what it’s like on the opposite side of a dick like mine.

Kissing her stomach,‭ ‬then leaning up to find her lips once more,‭ ‬I reach down between us to unfasten my own pants,‭ ‬squirming free of them and my bottoms in an urgent shimmying motion,‭ ‬letting my own member bounce free and bump lightly into Kahara’s.‭ ‬Both nude but for the occasional accessory,‭ ‬I bring one hand between us to gently squeeze both of our cocks against each other,‭ ‬feeling her heat and moisture against me as I rock my hips forward into hers,‭ ‬my mouth boldly seizing hers in a lustful,‭ ‬adoring embrace.‭ ‬It’s so strange to feel so attracted to someone who resembles me so closely,‭ ‬but her exotic differences‭ ‬--‭ ‬the warpaint,‭ ‬her predatory build,‭ ‬her scars and markings‭ ‬--‭ ‬are intoxicating in their detail,‭ ‬and I find myself nipping and kissing obsessively at her sweet,‭ ‬dark lips,‭ ‬my free hand firmly groping her succulent‭ ‬butt while the other keeps our members clenched tight against one another.

‭“Unnh...” Kahara lets out a groan of approval, violet eyes fluttering slightly, her back arching as I stroke both of us together, my hand pumping up and down along both our stiff shafts. As she flexes back, I kiss along her breasts again, finding the other nipple with my lips and messily worshiping it with my mouth, letting my tongue flick it back and forth, scraping my teeth tenderly along the firm bud. My own desire’s growing more and more, like a burning maelstrom inside me that eats away at my inhibitions instant by instant, clouding other thoughts and replacing them only with this crackling passion. I squeeze her tight butt, letting my nails drag eagerly along her taut teal skin, and my hand shuffles faster and faster along both of our throbbing dicks, spreading the glistening arousal dripping from both our tips along our joined shafts in a warm, creamy glaze.

She pulls back down,‭ ‬folding her fingers behind my head and pulling me back up into another thirsty mashing of our lips,‭ ‬and I pump us against each other faster than ever in a frantic barrage of strokes‭ ‬--‭ ‬then stop,‭ ‬breathless,‭ ‬returning the kiss but releasing her member from my grip.‭ ‬There’s somewhere else I need it to be.‭ “‬Fuck me,‭” ‬I whisper against her mouth,‭ ‬dragging my nails up from her knee along her thigh,‭ ‬folding one of my one legs around her waist and pushing my hips up into her.‭ ‬Kahara pauses,‭ ‬nipping at my lip with sharp little teeth,‭ ‬and puts her forehead against mine.‭ ‬She doesn’t respond out loud,‭ ‬but I feel her little nod,‭ ‬my own head moving with it.‭ ‬I scoot back a little,‭ ‬lifting one leg to plant my foot at her side,‭ ‬and move my hand to my smooth,‭ ‬tightened sack,‭ ‬holding it and my cock out of the way to give her effortless access to my backdoor.‭ ‬Suddenly,‭ ‬in this moment,‭ ‬there’s nothing I’ve ever wanted more than to feel Kahara inside me,‭ ‬and as she shifts her weight,‭ ‬settling onto one knee and mirroring my planted foot with hers,‭ ‬I know I’m about to get what I want.

Propping my elbows beneath me to steady myself,‭ ‬I draw in a sharp breath through my teeth,‭ ‬letting my eyes drift shut for a long moment as Kahara aligns her slick shaft with my back entrance,‭ ‬prodding at first,‭ ‬then insisting.‭ ‬I slowly exhale and relax,‭ ‬and feel her ease inside‭ ‬--‭ ‬then the‭ ‬bump,‭ ‬bump,‭ ‬bump of that ladder of hardened flesh along the underside of her cock,‭ ‬sliding along my insides as she fills me up.‭ “‬Oh fuck oh fuck...‭” ‬I whisper,‭ ‬clenching my eyes shut more tightly as I adjust to the feeling of her inside me,‭ ‬my ass twitching and clenching down around her hot,‭ sleek ‬girldick.

My hands scramble wildly along her figure,‭ ‬touching,‭ ‬caressing,‭ ‬occasionally scratching or groping when she thrusts into me,‭ ‬vibrant pangs of pleasure coursing through me.‭ ‬I arch and twitch,‭ ‬biting my lip and holding her close against my chest as she fucks me.‭ ‬I gaze out over her shoulder,‭ ‬up into the canopy of trees and the twinkling summer starlight beyond it.‭ ‬The way she throbs inside of me is so intense on its own,‭ ‬and all I can do is hold on tight as she draws back,‭ ‬then thrusts in again,‭ ‬her lips and teeth finding the soft flesh of my throat, hips‭ ‬finding a smooth,‭ ‬slow rhythm.‭ ‬It’s almost torturous at first,‭ ‬the way she slides in and out of me,‭ ‬forcing me to digest the sensation of each bump along her cock sinking into my ass,‭ ‬then popping free.‭ ‬I have to adjust to her each and every time,‭ ‬with every new thrust,‭ ‬my backdoor desperately cavorting around the stiff length of her shaft.

I drag my nails up along her back,‭ ‬tilting down to nip and kiss at her pointed ear as Kahara keeps her face buried in my throat,‭ ‬fucking me deeper now,‭ ‬harder,‭ ‬a little faster.‭ ‬A hot flush overtakes me the first time I feel the tip of her cock bump hard into the secret place within me,‭ ‬a bliss-button that sends electric waves of delight pulsing through every inch of my body.‭ “‬AaAaaihh...‭!‬” rings out my accompanied moan,‭ ‬and she pauses only a moment before deciding it was exactly the sound she wanted to hear.‭ ‬The yelp is followed by a gasp as she starts to move faster inside of me,‭ ‬steadying her awkward stance as she drills her shaft deeper into my ass,‭ ‬keeping the rhythm and aim but increasing the tempo,‭ ‬now pummeling my sensitive hole with a fevered certainty.‭ ‬Squished between both of our stomachs,‭ ‬my own members leaks thin traces of its juice, smearing a slick warmth along our skin and throbbing wildly with a strange mix of both need and satisfaction.

Faster,‭ ‬faster,‭ ‬and I can sense inevitability‭ ‬--‭ ‬a growing burn in my lower abdomen,‭ ‬a tension,‭ ‬like a dam strained by a hurricane,‭ ‬and I know I can only last a moment more.‭ ‬An unearthly howl escapes my lips,‭ ‬eyes clenching shut as my fingertips dig into Kahara’s skin.‭ ‬Faster,‭ ‬harder,‭ ‬she takes me,‭ ‬smothering me in her body heat,‭ ‬both of us shimmering in the starlight slick with sweat soon kissed away by the cool night air.‭ ‬The howl rises to a scream,‭ ‬and while I want to hold on for her,‭ ‬I no longer can.

I tense and spasm as several long bolts of spunk shoot out of me,‭ ‬pump after pump of it making a creamy mess between both of our breasts as Kahara drives me to orgasm.‭ ‬Her thrusts slow,‭ ‬the relentless sewing-machine rhythm of her hot dick up my ass winding down to a stop,‭ ‬though I can still feel her throbbing needily inside of me.‭ ‬She plants her hands beside my shoulders and pulls up,‭ ‬kissing the grimace of pleasure from my lips.‭ ‬I look up into her eyes,‭ ‬blinking stars away,‭ ‬and steal a soft kiss of my own.‭ “‬That...‭ ‬holy shit,‭” ‬I whisper,‭ ‬bumping my nose against her own.

‭“Mmn,” she grunts, then continues, “you, are beautiful.”

“I...‭?” ‬I breathe.‭ ‬It clicks,‭ ‬then,‭ ‬what she didn’t finish saying before she kissed me.‭ ‬I swallow,‭ ‬hard,‭ ‬and kiss her again,‭ ‬trailing my fingertips tenderly up and down along her back.‭ “‬Sit up,‭ ‬okay‭?”

She kisses me again,‭ ‬then nods,‭ ‬dislodging from me.‭ ‬I let out a little groan of excitement as I feel her slip out of my ass,‭ ‬the tight hole weakly winking back shut after the deep,‭ ‬thorough fucking it received.‭ ‬I pursue her as she moves,‭ ‬kissing along her upper arm to her shoulder,‭ ‬one hand caressing along her glistening cock as I guide her onto all fours.‭ ‬It’ll take a minute or two to for Little Addy to get back into the heat of the moment,‭ ‬but I know exactly what to do until then.

‭“What you...?” Kahara murmurs, but quickly gets the idea when I move behind her, planting a soft smooch on one perky buttcheek, then the other, still letting my fingers tease and play across her cock, then up to her smooth sack, cradling it gently as my tongue flicks across the creamy, bluish pucker of her back entrance. Just teasing at first, gauging her reaction, a light coating of saliva mixing with the sweat of our lovemaking. She shudders, letting out a staggered moan of conflicted approval, and I feel her little hole flex and quiver under my tongue. Exactly the reaction I want. “AauU-uah-hh....”

I close my eyes and lick her again,‭ ‬stroking the flat of my tongue in a long,‭ ‬adoring lap across her teal star,‭ ‬kissing it gently,‭ ‬then delivering a more hungry smooch to the inner slope of her asscheek,‭ ‬letting my saliva coat her little hole.‭ ‬By the way she quivers and moans,‭ ‬I’m not sure she’s used to being on this side of things,‭ ‬definitely not as much as I am,‭ ‬and I’m glad I took the time to tease her a little first.‭ ‬Before...‭ ‬well,‭ ‬I’m excited to find out.‭ ‬I let my tongue swirl around and around her entrance,‭ ‬feeling it reflexively tense and tighten,‭ ‬keeping my attentions slow and gentle until I feel her asshole finally start to relax.‭ ‬I kiss it again,‭ ‬then let the tip of my tongue prod her,‭ ‬pushing inside ever so slightly until Kahara lets out a warbled yowl not exactly unlike that of a cat in heat.

‭“Mmmphh...” I moan into her, getting more bold as she melts beneath me, burying my face between those firm cheeks and letting my tongue explore her, one hand eagerly kneading the flesh of her butt while the other strokes and plays along her cock, fondling it casually -- enough to keep her nice and stiff. I don’t want her cumming yet, though; not until I’m finally inside her. I want to give her what she gave me, sans the days of captivity. Finally I pull back with a gasp, catching my breath and admiring the slick, wet entrance I’ve so thoroughly primed for what’s next, giving her butt a single playful spank. “Are you ready, Kahara?”

She looks over her shoulder back at me with narrowed eyes,‭ ‬a deep blush rising onto her cheeks.‭ ‬It’s obvious that she realizes the irony of her situation,‭ ‬how the tables have turned since we first‭ ‘‬met‭’ ‬in that overgrown alleyway,‭ ‬but I’ve warmed her up to the point where she can’t refuse.‭ “‬Vis,‭” ‬she murmurs in her own language,‭ ‬and while I don’t understand the word,‭ ‬I understand its tone.

Pulling up into a half-kneel,‭ ‬I line up the tip of my cock with Kahara’s well-lubricated rear entrance.‭ ‬I’ve had enough time to get back into‭ ‘‬the zone,‭’ ‬and I’m hard and ready to go.‭ ‬I prod her gently,‭ ‬then a little harder,‭ ‬until I hear her release a growl of anticipation‭ ‬--‭ ‬and feel her relax a little,‭ ‬just enough for me to push the tip of my member into her.‭ ‬Her growl fades to an uneasy purr of pleasure as my head pops inside,‭ ‬the rest gradually following along behind,‭ ‬the fleshy ribs along my underside providing helpful speedbumps to help me know how deep I’ve gotten and how much farther I have left to go.‭ “‬Hhaaahh...‭” ‬I gasp,‭ ‬and swallow.‭ ‬She’s tighter,‭ ‬tighter than I’d imagined,‭ ‬even after all my wet teasing,‭ ‬but still I can feel her stretch and adapt,‭ ‬her asshole swallowing me as I work my way deeper inside.‭ “‬You feel so good....‭”

She quivers,‭ ‬looking back over her shoulder at me,‭ ‬and our eyes lock.‭ ‬I drink in her gaze,‭ ‬that deep,‭ ‬smoky violet,‭ ‬her eyes like pools of dark,‭ ‬hazy liquid drowning in building pleasure,‭ ‬sinking into blissful oblivion with no offered hand to pull her free.‭ ‬I lean forward,‭ ‬across her back,‭ ‬and nestle my nose into the back of her neck,‭ ‬one hand reaching around and beneath her to cup one firm breast.‭ ‬I massage the perky swell,‭ ‬nuzzling her adoringly as I roll my hips back and forth,‭ ‬back and forth,‭ ‬finding an easy rhythm as she adjusts to my modest size.‭ ‬More and more I feel like the two of us are moving in slow motion,‭ ‬even as I take her faster and faster,‭ ‬like the two of us are blending together and fading into the gloom of the Overgrowth.

‭“Yes... y-yesss...” Kahara whispers, and I steal her words with a tender kiss on the side of her lips. I grope her breast, my other hand moving to the tight flesh of her hip, squeezing tenderly, holding her tight, holding her close while I fuck her. I feel her contort around me, her body twitching with pleasure even as her ass clenches and spasms, her internal muscles rolling along my length as her ass struggles with the decision to push me out or pull me deeper in.

I tilt my weight,‭ ‬ushering her downward to lay on her side,‭ ‬and move behind her,‭ ‬the large spoon to her small one despite our equal size.‭ ‬I kiss her throat again,‭ ‬letting my short fangs graze along her skin,‭ ‬taking in the spicy sweetness of her scent,‭ ‬of her taste,‭ ‬still thrusting deep inside of her.‭ ‬I relish every moment I feel my hips hit her backside,‭ ‬feel the firm,‭ ‬springy flesh of Kahara’s butt bounce me backwards,‭ ‬only for me to storm forward once more.‭ ‬I tease her nipple between my fingertips,‭ ‬my other hand finally descending between her thighs to find what I’d been neglecting.

She’s as hard as she was when she’d been inside of me,‭ ‬if not harder,‭ ‬and I let my fingers wrap and squeeze hard around her member.‭ ‬My thumb arcs upward to massage her tip in slow circles while my palm strokes her,‭ ‬always half the tempo of the thumping beat of my own cock driving into her tight ass.‭ ‬I hiss at the gentle,‭ ‬repeated sting of my balls colliding with Kahara’s,‭ ‬but still cling tight,‭ ‬burying myself to the hilt inside of her again and again,‭ ‬angling my thrusts to jab nonstop at the most forbidden places inside of her.

Finally,‭ ‬I feel it,‭ ‬I feel her shake,‭ ‬spasm,‭ ‬her fingers clawing fiercely at the grass beneath her as I bring her to her zenith,‭ ‬to a moonlit mountain of pleasure‭ ‬--‭ ‬a summit from which she cannot return until she’s reached its very tip.‭ ‬She screams out like a wild beast,‭ ‬her toes curling tightly against the balls of her feet as she reaches her climax,‭ ‬my hand still stroking swiftly up and down her length.‭ ‬Like the great fireworks of the Sanctuary Festival,‭ ‬beams of her hot spunk shoot up and past her chest,‭ ‬lacing her gorgeous,‭ ‬war-painted face before secondary bolts of her ropey seed form a gooey stream in the aqueduct between her perfect tits.‭ ‬Her scream fades to a husky cry...‭ ‬before rising into another sharp gasp as I unload inside of her,‭ ‬releasing a repeated fusillade of my sticky seed into her back passage.

A moment later I find myself panting,‭ ‬my head lolling sideways to rest against the grass beneath us,‭ ‬and Kahara’s body too has gone slack in my arms,‭ ‬still but for the little shivers that still tremble through her.‭ ‬I let my eyes drift shut for a moment,‭ ‬my member still within her,‭ ‬my fingertips caressing up and down along her softening girldick‭; ‬light,‭ ‬teasing pleasure to pull her down from the high of her explosive release.

‭“Kahara,” I whisper softly, not calling to her, merely exploring the sound of her name in my mouth. After a moment, she summons the strength to turn, facing me and pulling close, one hand cradling my face while one lean leg drapes across my hip. I bite back a quiet cry of delight as our members touch each other once more, and I lean in to kiss her, then nuzzle into the crook between her neck and shoulder.

‭“What a foolish girl you make me,” she coos, kissing back, her eyes shut for a long moment, fingers tracing along my side, teasing the slopes of my breast with tender touches. “I steal you from the jungle, and you steal my roads in return.”

“Your roads‭?” ‬I say softly,‭ ‬kissing her shoulder,‭ ‬looking at her,‭ ‬still trying to catch my breath and cool off from what happened between us.

‭“Cannot return home with you, nor to your Walled lands,” she murmurs thoughtfully. Her eyes open again, meeting mine, and she plants another kiss at the corner of my lips. “I capture you, and you capture me in return. Where will you bring me, soft one?”

It’s an interesting question,‭ ‬one I hadn’t considered in favor of trying to think of ways to escape the evari.‭ ‬Should I bring Kahara with me,‭ ‬where would we go together‭? ‬What place would take two half-breeds,‭ ‬a huntress and a thief‭? ‬What lies outside the walls,‭ ‬and beyond the Overgrowth‭?

“We don’t have to think about that right now,‭” ‬I whisper back to her,‭ ‬squeezing gently around her middle and pressing my forehead to hers.‭ “‬We have time.‭ ‬We’ll figure something out.‭ ‬Just...‭” ‬I swallow hard,‭ ‬unable to quite find my next words.‭ ‬Something gnaws in my gut,‭ ‬wondering if I’ve properly gauged Kahara’s feelings for me.‭ ‬Does she see me as a fling,‭ ‬a plaything,‭ ‬a pet‭? ‬Or....

‭“Speak,” she says gently.

‭“Just promise we’ll do it together.”

I see,‭ ‬I think,‭ ‬the first true smile Kahara’s shown me,‭ ‬not a derisive chuckle but a true smile,‭ ‬one that lights her eyes more than the starlight above us.‭ ‬She kisses me,‭ ‬then kisses me again,‭ ‬her hand caressing soothingly down to the small of my back as she cuddles with me.‭ “‬Where you go,‭ ‬roadthief,‭ ‬I will follow you.‭”

No more words are exchanged as night envelops us,‭ ‬naked and warm in one another’s arms,‭ ‬the darkness of the Overgrowth closing this chapter of our meeting.‭ ‬I don’t know where we’ll go after this,‭ ‬what we’ll find,‭ ‬how long we’ll survive.‭ ‬Something tells me,‭ ‬though,‭ ‬that with the two of us against the world...‭ ‬the world will be at quite a disadvantage.

 _______________________________ 

[kissing/groping] [frotting] [anal] [rimming]