NTR Quest - Odyssey 13 - Time Apart (Patreon)

You pulled away from Fiona as the Aniyub that Djir was with on the balcony passed behind her with a tray held low. Very close behind her. It felt like he was looking to see what you did specifically and as you pulled away and stepped back towards Djir he diverted course and slipped around to Djir's side of things with a wide berth. You set that aside and stared at your Sister. Her shocked expression said it all.
“We need time apart.” The music was still playing but the crowd around you both was silent for the most part. It was a long silence before Fiona's face turned completely into a sneer.

“No!” She reached for you again but you pulled away, closer to the Gnoll.

“You can't do this! It's the WRONG choice!” She screamed. The music stopped and more began looking.
“You ALWAYS make the wrong choice, Fin and it always leads to-” she stopped herself and held her head as if she had a migraine.
“Listen to me.” She calmed her tone.
“This is not right, none of it is. You can't go with him, he's the villain. You're heading towards a-”

“A 'Bad End' Fiona?” You rolled your eyes and gazed at her in disbelief.
“Bad ends, main characters, stories... These aren't REAL. This is real life. A Hero is something people call you when you become strong enough. A choice is something we do without thinking every second of every day and a Bad End... Well those are just unfortunate events. There's no 'main characters' here.” You ranted at her in a low tone. It was the boiling up of so many issues you felt with her throughout your lives. She saw the two of you and to a lesser extent your mother as 'main characters' and should succeed but her actions had become self-fulfilling in nature. You motioned around to the various faces in the crowd. Jeane, Teuta... was missing, and Cyyani and even Djir.
“None of these people are 'side-characters' in our story. They're just people.”

“Fin...” She began to tear up and step towards you.
“I'm sorry, I can fix it. Haven't you felt them? The-”

“Enough.” You stepped back, bumping into Djir. The Gnoll did not seem to mind. He rested a comforting hand on your shoulder. He did not have to pull or hold tight because he felt he had you. You looked up.
“You wont wage war on Aniyub so long I am visiting with you, correct?”

Djir sighed. “It's to my disadvantage to slow down, but for as long as you are with me consider the truce extended.” He offered. It was to his benefit that he spoke in such reasonable tones that stoked empathy. For Fiona it was slightly too late for her soft, pleading words to reach you after how demanding and forceful she had been up until this point.

You looked to her. “See?”

“See what? He wants to use you.” She reasoned.

“If you believe that 'WE' are 'main characters' then why don't you trust MY ability to stay out of trouble.”

“You are saying that while getting yourself into trouble, Fin.”

“See? You don't respect me at all! You only agree when it lines up with what you want! What are you going to do if I don't come back with you, really?” You paused and considered whether you should say what you were about to.
“Are you going to kill me? Someone else?”

She frowned and glanced around at the many faces. “Don't say that... I would never hurt you.”

“Me.” You said to her knowingly.

She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. “Fine. You win. It seems you need to experience the effect that your choices have on yourself and others.” She opened her eyes.
“I am going to try and trust you here.” She opened her arms. You felt it was not a clawing gesture so you let yourself slip into the embrace and even hugged her back. She whispered into your ear. “Negotiate with our Kingdom and our Family in mind. Do not give more than is owed and do not let him suck you into his influence.”

“I wont.” You promised. She released you and turned. Looking back she added as she left towards the boat.
“Your entourage stays with you. Whatever comes of that is in your hands, not mine.” With that she was gone.

Djir rubbed your shoulders. “I'm so proud of you for standing up for yourself. You made the right choice, Fin.”

“Oh? I kind of feel like I alienated her a bit... And myself.”

“You've both been together for so long, haven't you?” Djir asked. You nodded.
“You need to trust yourself more. What you did was sound. Keeping my Nation at bay with such a simple move... It was correct. She was holding herself back from making such a decision because of her attachment to you.”

“It was right?” You searched for a fault in the logic and could not. Aniyub was at a slight disadvantage already and the will for the entire expedition to fight a hard fight versus the easy one they had with Aniyufar was going to be a difficult sell and if they were sold, their forces were not build for crossing the terrain. The expedition was not the immediate tie-breaker that they thought it could be. Not least because things were not a tie. Not even close.
“But... Why should I listen to our enemies advice.”

“Because I'm not your enemy. I am not Aniyufar's enemy, either. My civilization has brought standards to this continent. Freedom.”

“Freedom in conquest?” You uttered skeptically.

“Just ask my good friend.” Djir motioned towards the Aniyub you saw pass behind Fiona as you pulled away. He had done away with his serving tray. The Jackal was tall with short purple hair and colorful, loose robes that were almost see-through in spots. He bowed.

“My name is Amun... You actually know my Sister Cyyani, I believe.”

“You're her brother?”

He smiled and offered a short nod. “I was present when Djir conquered the better half of Aniyufar. I was young and quite a bit like you. I was tied to my Sister.” He furrowed his brow.
“Like a slave, almost. But it was not just her it was all of our society that had shackled me. When Djir conquered these cities he introduced the ability for men to come to equal footing with the women. I was skeptical but I saw the changes that the Gnoll Republic enacted and began to understand.”

“Understand what?”

Amun looked up warmly. “That he had our best interest at heart. I am not alone. Make no mistake, if you tried to 'liberate' these cities you would meet resistance not just from the Gnolls but from those Aniyub who enjoy being freed from our society.”

“So Gnolls didn't just replace woman at the top for you?” You questioned intuitively. Amun's long ears twitched and his brow lifted.

“We'll have plenty of time to talk politics, Fin.” Djir interjected.

“No, please, answer the question Brother.” Cyyani appeared in front of you. There was a good distance between she and Amun and it seemed intentional.
“Are you enjoying your new master? Does he feed you treats and cuddle with you at night?” She shrugged.
“I am so sorry that I could not endear your feminine urges.”

“If you must know...” Amun began slowly. You looked to him and waited for a deflection. Instead he nodded and proudly stated.
“I did trade Masters. I have joined with Djir and I've done it willingly.”

“So you think.” Cyyani teased.

“So. It. Is!” he insisted, narrowing his eyes at her, then turned to you.
“I have... Made pledges to Djir that mirror that which exist in Aniyufar between men and women but that was my choice and believe me, men and even girls are far better off under Djir than under an Aniyub Rule. I would even humor that they may be better under you or your sister before I would ever trust an Aniyub Queen again.”

“Well, at least he's honest.” She waved her hand flippantly.
“A word, Hero? Do you need to ask 'your' master?”

You looked up. Djir lifted his bushy brow. “You're free to go wherever you like. Don't look to me for permission.” He released his grip on your shoulder and let you go as he said that. He turned to Amun as you left with Cyyani to stand by the water.

“I don't understand.” You said in a low tone.
“He is reasonable and your brother doesn't seem to be lying.”

She smiled smugly. “Maybe they are both honest. If they were perfectly honest would it change the fact that my dear brother passed behind your dear sister with a dagger beneath a serving tray?”

“W-what?” You blinked.
“Why didn't you say anything? That would have changed things if it were true.” You wondered if she was lying to stir you up. You would not put it past her, but still it felt like she too was being honest. Did Amun plan to strike Fiona in the back if you responded differently?

She pulled you into a hug and caressed your head gently. She spoke soothingly into your ear. “Poor boy, in over your head... You stand to move from one manipulator to another. Machinations beyond your control and in the midst of it all I'm the one who gets everything I want.”

“What do you mean?” You whispered back fearfully.

“You and Fiona are separated. The unstoppable force that the two of you represented... Gone. For now.” She inhaled as if breathing in what she just said.
“To top it off, for as long as you are here our dear Djir is slowing his conquest. His armies are halted if he is being truthful and I believe he is. My Queen... She will be preparing her armies. My forces but more importantly, your forces. Eventually if a fight breaks out it will be your people dying with my people to rescue my cities and all I had to do was 'lose' gracefully.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

She pulled away so she could stare into your eyes. “It wouldn't be fun if Djir simply 'groomed' you into his service as he did my Amun. I had to give you something to think about.”

You gulped and looked down, stunned. “Di-did I make the wrong choice.”

“At some point.” She sat down and pulled you down next to her. Djir and Amun were in sight. You saw the Massive Gnoll bend down while the Aniyub leaned up and kissed him on the maw.
“Far... Far down the line when you refused me. If I'm to estimate it...” She stared at you.
“That is where it went wrong for you. You should have allowed me to make decisions for you, not her.” Cyyani shrugged. You thought it was quite a self-serving estimation, but maybe it was true? You were racked with doubt.
“In terms of minutes ago you possibly saved Fiona's life. Possibly yours... Your groups... You saved Aniyufar from an immediate march by Djir that could have ended us if handled poorly.”

You stared at Djir in confusing. “If he could win then why doesn't he?”

“I'm sure he will tell you this... The  self-indulgent bastard. His strategy... The rules that Djir lives by are not to chase opportunities to win. It is to remove all avenues of success for his opponents.”

“How does killing one or both of us do that...” You muttered.
“If that's true then it's outside his usual strategy.”

“His.” She smirked.
“But not his.” She eyed Amun pointedly.
“Poor boy... Watch.”

You gulped and observed. After Djir had finished allowing affection from the Aniyub male, he reached down while rising up to his full height. Amun looked up fearfully and bowed his head. Spoke a few words.
“'I'm so sorry.'” Cyyani said. Her words matched the way Amun's mouth moved.
“'I just thought... No, no of course you are right I was out of line to even attempt such a thing.'”

“'I did not think it would force your hand, I saw it as a-'” He knelt down.  Cyyani looked to you again and smirked.
“He was eager to prove himself if you did not follow Djir's design.”

“What's that? What's Djir's design?”

“It's right in front of you...” She shrugged.

You glanced back. The bent over, kneeling figure of Amun. So eager to please Djir. It was him. It did not feel coerced and it felt like Amun's beliefs aligned with Djir's so well. But perhaps that was it, you thought. It was that which was the result of the design.
“I'm not going to end up like that.” You insisted.
“I am going to look out for our interests and keep my head about me.”

“Of course you will.” She teased, leaning over to pinch your cheek.

“What are the odds of Djir, Amun and his people against Me, You, Jeane and Teuta?” You asked. It was an important question. From where you sat you saw the light of Fiona's boat just a speck on the horizon  .

“I can't beat Amun. You probably could tie Djir up in combat by yourself and the Priestess and Aurar? They would be overwhelmed in a battle.”

“So it sounds like all of us versus Djir means we could win.”

“Maybe?”

“Wait... Did you say you couldn't beat your Brother?”

“I couldn't. He's stronger than me. He is a man and has trained as a man his whole life. I am a Queen who trains her skills and her body second. I do still bear the responsibility of childbirth and all that comes with that. Our women are not commonly warriors or fighters.”

“What happened to female superiority? How can you keep control over a nation of male warriors if the woman are still simply mothers?” You asked quizzically.

“If the only thing that mattered was a contest of strength then who would be in charge of your society? You are stronger than your kings back home as Fiona described, so why are you not kings?”

“Well-” You paused.
“I-I don't know. I need to clear my head before we can have this discussion.”

She smirked triumphantly. “Fine. Take your time.”

You sighed. “I take it... You want to reiterate that you are my best chance of 'survival' here and that your offer still stands as my best choice?”

“It is, and I am, but I'm not giving it to you.” You looked to her in shock as she said that.
“W-what?”

“I'm afraid your only choice right now is to play along with what the Gnoll wants and not even I can step between you and him.”

You stared her down skeptically. “What do you call what you're doing now?”

“I call it pulling you away so he can discipline and dress down Amun out of earshot. Go ahead and try to get away from him when he WANTs you to be with him.” As she said that the Gnoll approached with Amun at his side. The Aniyub male looked a bit down, but had a measured pose and expression. He ignored Cyyani's prying gaze.

“Fin. I'd like to show you to where you'll be staying for now. We'll be staying here but in the future if you permit it I would love to show you Garm, our home city.”

You nodded slowly, staring up into the wide grinning maw of the Gnoll. It was so strange to have something so bestial also present such civilized airs.
“I'd love to, eventually. Will it be okay if I talk to my companions before we leave the party, though?”

“They'll be taken care of. The reason I'm asking is because I would like to spend more time with you talking. You have such interesting things to say so I'd like to 'probe' you a bit...” Djir offered. You glanced to the side subtly and saw Cyyani wink at you.