《Scruffy's Adventure》 Chapter 1: Awakening Scruffy¡¯s Adventure Written by Scruffy¨Chime Edited by Luciferia Chapter 1: Awakening ¡°What was that?¡± he jerked awake in response to the sound of blood curdling screams, ¡°Missing...something is missing¡­ Shit, I don¡¯t have time for this!¡± Scrambling out of bed and over to the door, he flung it open and rushed into the next room. When he entered, his stomach turned as an unbearable stench engulfed him. He looked on in horror at the pools and splashes of blood coating his house. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed someone walking out of the front door and slamming it behind them. He ran to after them to see who it was. Looking around while standing in the doorway, he discovered that they were gone. Walking back into the house, he looked around for any sign of what had transpired here. He combed every nook and cranny. There were limbs, strips of flesh, and bones strewn everywhere. Blood, entrails, voided bowels, and other bodily fluids created a sickening stench. Eventually, he felt compelled to check under the couch. Grimacing as he knelt in a pool of blood, he reached under the couch and began feeling around. When he withdrew his hand, he looked down at his find and felt his stomach drop in horror. It was a face. ¡°Oh god!¡± he said as he threw the mangled, eyeless clump of skin to the ground. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Once his stomach calmed and he drew up his courage, he crept over to where the face was discarded. Gulping, he crouched and picked up opposite edges of the skinned face, watching as it unraveled and drooped between his hands. Even without the presence of eyes or bone structure, he could tell by the rouge on her cheeks that it was a woman. Somehow, she looked familiar. Did he know her from somewhere? He couldn¡¯t remember. Another wave of nausea hit him and sent him running for the bathroom to empty the contents of his stomach. His hands shook as he gripped the rim of the toilet and retched, spitting bile and who knows what else into the bowl. After he was done, he groaned and returned to the blood stained room, ¡°Ugh¡­does that mean that all of this blood is hers as well?¡± He staggered outside and into a small town, attempting to escape the scent of death.. It was a dark day looking like it was about to rain. The air was humid and heavy. Faint mist tinged the air. He looked around the best he could, searching for signs of life in any direction. After a moment, he noticed a figure in the distance beckoning to him. Hesitantly, he started to walk over to the figure but when he got close it started to disappear. ¡°What the¨C¡± Something bashed into his head from behind. As he crumpled to the ground he twisted his body, attempting to determine who had hit him. When he reached out to grab at the figure behind him, his hands caught onto something soft and spongy. Before he could determine what it was, he fell unconscious. Chapter 2: A Shy Meeting Scruffy¡¯s Adventure Written by Scruffy¨Chime Edited by Luciferia Chapter 2: A Shy Meeting ¡°Ugh¡­my head.¡± he grumbled. After his eyes adjusted to the darkness he realized that he was laying on the floor of a large, dark room with no windows. It was so vast that he could not see the other side of the room. The room was damp and water occasionally dripped from the ceiling. He could not shake the feeling of something watching him and the after a moment he mumbled, ¡°What is this place?¡± ¡°Not sure but I don¡¯t like it.¡± a soft feminine voice answered from somewhere nearby. Startled, he got up and looked around the room again when he noticed her sitting not far from where he had woken on the ground, ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°My name is Airi.¡± she replied in a quiet tone, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°I¨Cuh¡­ I¡¯m¡­¡± after a moment he realized that he could not remember anything before he woke up this morning, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°You mean you lost your memory too?¡± He looked surprised for a moment before answering, ¡°Yea, how did you know?¡± ¡°Lost mine too. Can¡¯t remember anything since before I woke up this morning.¡± she paused before continuing, ¡°Well how about I give you a name?¡± ¡°Uhm¡­ I guess so.¡± ¡°Hmmmm¡­¡± she walked around him slowly with a serious look on her face, ¡°Let¡¯s call you Scruffy¡± ¡°Scruffy? Why Scruffy?¡± ¡°Because you have a beard and I¡¯m not good at naming things.¡± Airi replied in an amused tone, ¡°Not that I mind but, are you going to stand there looking like that all day?¡± Airi made no attempt to hide that she was looked at his nude body with an almost hungry look. Scruffy was around six feet, a bit thin, and had pale skin. He had black hair that was long enough to cover his ears and it hung in layers, giving it a soft fluffy look. His eyes were a light shade of hazel with more of a green tint to it with a thin ring of red at the edge of the irises. He had a small nose and a short beard just under his mouth. He did not have much muscle to his body but his legs had small traces of muscle to them. Scruffy looked down and realized that he was completely naked, ¡°Why am I naked? Where are my clothes?¡± Laughing, Airi handed him a pair of black pants from where she had been sitting when he woke up, ¡°Here. These look like they should fit you¡± Embarrassed, Scruffy quickly pulled on the pair of pants. The pants were a tight fit even for him. They were comfortable and easy to move in, but felt like they were cut for a woman. After he had finished and Airi was done laughing he asked, ¡°So where are we?¡± ¡°No idea, woke up not long before you did.¡± Airi said, before adding in a suggestive tone, ¡°And I was naked too.¡± Scruffy blushed furiously. Airi seemed highly amused by his reaction but made no more attempts at making him feel uncomfortable. Instead, the pair started to walk toward the side of the room they had not been able to see. After a few steps they found a door. They walked through some small puddles of slime, cringing at the way it felt on their bare feet and welled up between their toes. When they got close to the door they realized that the door was massive, and that Scruffy could only reach the door by standing on his tiptoes. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The light coming through the door when opened blinded the pair as they tried to see what was on the other side. After a moment of rubbing their eyes and adjusting to the light, they looked around at a massive forest filled with trees and plants of all different kinds. ¡°This place is beautiful!¡± Airi exclaimed as she looked around at the forest filled with all shades of blue, purple and red. Some of the smaller plants looked as though they were fighting to get any sort of sunlight underneath the massive canopy. ¡°What is this place?¡± Scruffy asked as he picked up one of the flowers nearby that caught his attention. Each flower petal was a dark shade of blue that faded into an almost translucent shade of light blue at the end. The part of the stalk that was closest to the petal was a dark shade of ocean blue that faded into a beautiful shade of violet. The whole stalk had large thorns running down it that were sharp enough to slice open one of Scruffy¡¯s fingers. The leaves were the same shade of violet but tipped with a light shade of crimson. Airi looked over to see what Scruffy was holding, and beamed with delight as she began examining the colorful flower, ¡°That flower is gorgeous!¡± ¡°Do you want it?¡± Scruffy asked. ¡°Sure!¡± she replied with a faint smile on her face. Scruffy began pulling off the few thorns that grew along the stem and then handed it to Airi. She tucked it behind one ear and then in a teasing tone asked, ¡°So how do I look?¡± ¡°Pretty.¡± Scruffy blushed as he looked at the woman. Airi was a beautiful woman who stood a little more than five feet tall with snowy skin. She had long wavy hair that reached halfway down her back. It was a light blue that faded into lavender about half way down. Scruffy could tell she wasn¡¯t human, because Airi had cat ears poking out from under her hair. The fluffy fur on the ears was the same blue as her hair and gradated into purple near the tips. Her eyes looked slightly larger than a human¡¯s eyes, with long eyelashes, silver irises and slit black pupils giving her more of a feline look. She had a tiny nose and rosy cheeks with full lips painted a light shade of red. Her body frame was small, but she had large breasts and a thin waist that lead down into her voluptuous butt, giving her an hourglass shape, then continued on to her long legs. Her fingers and toes had small claws, and she had a long fluffy tail that ended just before the ground. The fur on the tail was the same blue and purple as her ears. Airi¡¯s clothes seemed too small to fit her body, the small dark blue skirt she had on barely reached her mid¨Cthigh, and the shirt showed a copious amount of cleavage spilling over the edge of her tight purple V¨Cneck shirt. And finally she had a black bra that had small frills showing from under her shirt. ¡°Thanks¡± Airi laughed. The way she teased him and looked at him like he was food made Scruffy feel more uncomfortable by the minute. ¡°So where should we go?¡± Scruffy asked, ¡°There¡¯s no path or any sign of anyone around.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go this way.¡± she replied as she started walking. ¡°Why that way?¡± ¡°No idea, I just want to get away from that room, It gives me the chills.¡± Scruffy, clumsily tripping over a few roots that caught his foot, hurried after the woman who showed no sign of waiting around to see if he would follow. As they walked in silence deeper into the forest it got thicker and the trees got taller. Chapter 3: Admiring the Scenery Scruffy¡¯s Adventure Written by Scruffy¨Chime Edited by Luciferia Chapter 3: Admiring the Scenery As the pair wandered through the forest, they constantly had to duck under branches, move them out of their way, or climb over some of the larger roots that protruded from the ground. After a few hours of walking the sky grew darker, plunging the forest into deep shadows. ¡°Should we find somewhere to camp for the night?¡± Scruffy asked. ¡°Probably.¡± Airi replied. The pair began looking around for any sort of cover they could use as a makeshift shelter for the night. Looking at various trees and large bushes, they tried to decide if they could huddle under one or the other. They found a damp cave that looked to already be inhabited by strange sleeping creature. They decided that they would rather not intrude on the vicious beasts that might call the cave home. So, they began their search anew and wandered through the thick forest in hopes of finding safer shelter. After a while of searching Airi called out to Scruffy, ¡°Come look at this.¡± Airi had found large tree with a hole in it a several feet off the ground. The trunk was hollowed out by something, but no claw marks were apparent. Scruffy ran over, being careful to not trip on anything and then looked inside what she had found, ¡°It would be a bit cramped with both of us in there.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± Airi teased. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Scruffy asked in a concerned tone. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be alone¡­¡± Airi replied sadly, folding her ears down. Airi playfully climbed into the tree making her tail bounce back and forth in the process. Once she reached the hole, she turned and motioned for Scruffy to come and sit by her. Scruffy clumsily climbed into the tree, and when he managed to make it in the hole he tripped and fell, landing with his face in Airi¡¯s lap. Blushing furiously, Scruffy stammered, ¡°I¨CI¡¯m¨CI¡¯m sorry!¡± Airi laughed at him as he tried to rearrange himself out of her lap. ¡°Should probably get some rest.¡± Scruffy said after a moment of trying to calm himself. ¡°Oh? Already eager to sleep with me?¡± Airi teased. ¡°I¨C I¨C¡° Scruffy stammered. As he turned a dark shade of scarlet. Airi laughed and then proceeded to lay down and began gathering leaves under her head to function as a pillow. ¡°I wonder how cold it gets at night?¡± Scruffy asked to try and change the subject. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it After looking at him thoughtfully for a moment she then replied in a serious tone, ¡°If it gets too cold I¡¯ll just cuddle up with you to keep warm.¡± Scruffy blushed but didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°It¡¯s alright I promise I won¡¯t bite¡­ well not much anyway.¡± she said as she flashed a smile showing a small pair of fangs at him. ¡°I¡¯ll keep watch while you get some sleep.¡± Scruffy said changing the subject again. ¡°Wake me if something interesting happens¡± she replied and then rolled onto her side, tucked her tail close and shut her eyes. After a long moment of silence, he began to hear her breathing slow and get softer. ¡°She fell asleep already?¡± he said to himself quietly. After an hour of sitting quietly and listening to the wildlife outside their small shelter, Scruffy decided to go look around outside to see if there was anything they could eat or drink. ¡°How will I know if it is safe to eat anything though¡­¡± He climbed down from the tree and began wandering off in a random direction, making sure that he kept track of the tree Airi was sleeping in. Scruffy noticed some small wildlife running around under his feet from time to time. They were small quick creatures covered in long dark fur. ¡°These are really cute.¡± he said to himself as he caught one that darted between his legs. He picked it up and took a better look at it. It had large blue eyes with black pupils and a tiny pink nose. Its ears were large and pricked back and forth at all the sounds in the night, trembling in fear of the man holding it. Scruffy decided that he thought they were too cute and he did not want to harm the creature, so he placed it back on the ground and watched it scamper away. Scruffy began wandering around again, making sure that he remembered how to get back to where Airi was sleeping. He found a small river that had a lavender scent to it as he got close. When he reached the bank, he cupped his hands underwater and then lifted them to his face, taking a small sip. After he was satisfied that it was not going to kill him instantly he took a few more gulps and then began searching for any sort of food he and Airi could eat. He froze mid¨Cstep when he heard a low growling nearby. Pivoting to see if he could find what had made the noise, he spotted an emaciated creature that came up to his knees in height and almost resembled a canine , sitting under one of the nearby bushes. The creature had a jet black hide and razor sharp claws, each as long as Scruffy¡¯s foot, the creature¡¯s fangs were large and stuck out from under its lips. Large globs of drool dripped from its chin. Its eyes were a bright yellow with slit black pupils. The creature looked hungrily at Scruffy as they stared at each other. Chapter 4: Scruffys First Fight Scruffy¡¯s Adventure Written by Scruffy¨Chime Edited by Luciferia Chapter 4: Scruffy¡¯s First Fight The creature let out another growl while readjusting itself. Scruffy tried to think of what he could do to get away from it, but before he could act it pounced. Moving at an astounding speed it hit Scruffy, knocking him on his back a few feet away. Dizzy, he scrambled out from under the creature, hitting it as hard as he could, knocking it off him. He got to his feet and started running toward the river he had passed not long ago, not knowing what he would do when he got there. As he reached it the creature was right behind him. He had to dive out of the way as it tried to pin him. When he landed he noticed a rock nearby, grabbed it and swung at the creature, striking it on the head as it flew past him once again. He whirled around to face where the creature had landed, ready for it to attack again but noticed it was simply lying on the ground unmoving. Out of fear Scruffy hit the creature over the head a few more times, splattering blood everywhere on the ground and himself, until he heard a loud crack as the skull broke. Instinctively Scruffy licked the blood from one of his fingers before realizing what he was doing, ¡°Ugh why did I do that? And why was it delicious?¡± He placed the rock next to him as he knelt down in the river to wash the blood from his hands and where it had splattered on him. Deciding that he was rather hungry, and that he didn¡¯t know when he would be able to find food again, he began dragging the creature back to the tree. ¡°I don¡¯t know how long it will be until we can get food like this, although I don¡¯t even know if she will eat it. Maybe since the blood didn¡¯t kill me it¡¯s at least safe to eat?¡± After deciding that he could try cooking the creature, he began gathering firewood as he walked back. When he arrived at the tree he placed his wood and the creature on the ground then climbed up to peek inside the hole. Airi was still fast asleep, and she had moved toward the middle of the tree and was now sprawled out in every direction. When he noticed he could see directly up her skirt, and that she was not wearing any panties, he fell from the tree and turned a deep shade of scarlet. It would probably be best not to say anything about it. After calming himself down Scruffy began stacking the firewood and packing some of the dry blue and red grass he found. He began spinning one stick on top of another and after several minutes a small plume of smoke began to rise from the pile. Carefully putting down the stick, he leaned closer to softly blow into it until finally it caught fire. He began alternating between adding some more dry grass and twigs to the pile and lightly blowing until he was satisfied that the fire was going hot enough. He then he gathered some larger logs and some rocks that looked thick enough to hold the creature up over a fire. He began stacking the logs in a tent shape over the file and placing the larger rocks around the circumference. After he was done he began working to cook the creature. Taking one of the longer, pointy sticks that was about as thick as his wrist and he shoved it into the creature¡¯s throat. Scruffy continued to push it until it burst from the creature¡¯s lower back. He then lifted the skewered creature and buried the end sticking from the creature''s throat into the ground. Once the stick was about a foot deep, he placed some of the larger rocks around the base to brace it, and then went to prodding his fire and waiting for the creature to cook. After another hour passed he heard a small yawn from inside the tree, followed shortly by Airi climbing down from the hole. She pawed at her eyes groggily as she said, ¡°Smells good.¡± Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Scruffy laughed and asked ¡°Sleep well?¡± ¡°Not really, trees are uncomfortable.¡± Scruffy laughed again, ¡°Well I don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll be good, but this...thing...looks like it should be done.¡± ¡°It¡¯s meat, it¡¯ll be fine.¡± Airi replied in a livelier tone, and began showing more alertness in her eyes, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°No idea. It attacked me while you were sleeping and its blood tasted delicious so I thought it might make a good meal.¡± ¡°What do you mean attacked you?¡± Airi asked in a suspicious tone, her tail twitching behind her as she examined him closer and spotted the scratches and bruises from his battle. ¡°I went wandering around while you were asleep and I found a small river over in that direction.¡± Scruffy stopped to point in the direction of the river before continuing, ¡°And then it jumped out from under a bush and attacked me.¡± ¡°Are you alright?¡± she asked out of concern, ¡°I¡¯d be lonely without someone to tease.¡± Scruffy¡¯s cheeks grew slightly red as he said, ¡°No I¡¯m fine, thanks.¡± ¡°So you said you think it¡¯s done, huh?¡± ¡°Yea probably, been cooking it for about an hour now.¡± ¡°Well let¡¯s try it!¡± she said with a playful laugh. Scruffy pulled the creature from its stick and tore at one of its legs, attempting to break it., After a moment of tearing and jerking, the bone snapped from its socket, allowing Scruffy to pull the leg from the roasted body entirely. He handed the leg to Airi and then proceeded to break one off for himself. It was easier the second time around, now that he knew what angle to pull from. Airi took a large bite and then let out a moan as she turned and thanked Scruffy. Scruffy took his own bite and realized why she was delighted with the taste. The creature was delicious, the meat was soft, and it was easy to chew. It had a nostalgic flavor. They scarfed down the meat in silence until they had each stripped the meat from the bone. ¡°Want some more?¡± Scruffy asked as he began picking at the meat from one of the remaining two legs. ¡°No. That was delicious but I can¡¯t eat anymore. Thanks though.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re thirsty I can show you where the river I found is. I drank some of the water last night and it seemed safe enough.¡± ¡°That would be great!¡± Airi replied as she picked out some of the leaves and twigs that got caught in her hair and tail while she was sleeping. Scruffy began leading her to where the water was and after a moment Airi asked, ¡°You didn¡¯t peek while I was sleeping did you?¡± ¡°I¨C uh¡­¡± Scruffy blushed violently as he remembered what he saw, ¡°Yes¡­ I did¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡± ¡°Hmm, well I guess it¡¯s only fair that you got to see under my skirt since I got to see you naked.¡± Airi looked at him with a crooked smile as she turned to see his embarrassment. ¡°I¨C th¨C I¨C uh¡­¡° Scruffy stammered, but could not think of what to say. ¡°It¡¯s alright I¡¯m not mad.¡± she laughed again. Scruffy began leading Airi toward the river again. After stumbling over a few roots, he finally saw the river. ¡°Here we are.¡± he said in a triumphant tone. ¡°Thanks.¡± was all she said before kneeling down to scoop up water with her hands and into her mouth. After she was finished she asked in an amused tone, ¡°So any idea why it¡¯s still night? I love the dark but I don¡¯t care for unfamiliar places.¡± ¡°No, but from the look of some of the creature I¡¯ve seen it seems that the nights are long and potentially cold.¡± Scruffy replied in a serious tone, ¡°And now that we are away from the fire I can say that it has defiantly gotten colder since I was out here earlier.¡± ¡°Well then, let¡¯s get back and cuddle by the fire to keep warm.¡± Airi replied playfully. Scruffy just chuckled lightly this time at the cute woman before turning and starting to walk back toward the small glow of their fire. Chapter 5: Searching for Shelter Scruffy¡¯s Adventure Written by Scruffy¨Chime Edited by Luciferia Chapter 5: Searching for Shelter Scruffy managed to not trip or stumble on anything as they made the short walk back to the fire. But when they returned they both noticed that their camp was in disarray and a large bite had been taking out of the corpse. Scruffy turned and put his index finger over his lips signaling for Airi to remain quiet. He then proceeded to look around to see if he could find what had taken such a large chunk out of the creature. When he walked closer to the tree he caught the sound of low but heavy breathing coming from within it. He climbed up to peek inside and saw a massive creature curled up inside. The creature had large ears, massive paws, and a long coat of thick dark blue fur covering its body. The beast filled almost the entire area inside the tree. It had large fangs protruding from it giant maw, and dried splashes of blood along its face and body. Scruffy turned and was startled slightly by Airi, who he had not heard come up behind him. He motioned for her to look inside while remaining silent. She climbed up and took a quick peek as the beast made a deep growl and stirred in its sleep. She flinched and hopped down from the tree, landing silently with a terrified look on her face. She began motioning that she wanted to leave. Agreeing, Scruffy quickly kicked dirt over the fire and moved some rocks onto it as well, trying to put it out before following after Airi. After they walked a good distance away from the beast, the frightened woman let out a large sigh and drooped her ears, ¡°Well I guess we know whose home that was.¡± ¡°Yea¡­ Well, should we just look around some more?¡± ¡°May as well.¡± The pair began wandering through the forest again, Scruffy trying his best not to stumble over too many things, but ended up falling several times causing Airi to softly laugh at him. The night grew colder as the pair walked blindly through the dense forest. They eventually found themselves back at the river but much further upstream than where they had been camped. ¡°Should we just follow this and hope for the best?¡± Airi asked as she knelt down to take a sip. ¡°I guess so.¡± Scruffy replied after a moment of thought. After they both took a few more sips out of the river they began walking again. Listening carefully to the wildlife in fear of hearing any growling or other menacing noises. They walked in silence for another hour before seeing a dim glow far in the distance. ¡°Looks like there might be more people out here after all.¡± Scruffy commented in relief. ¡°Aw, tired of being alone with me already?¡± Airi teased causing Scruffy¡¯s face to grow hot with embarrassment. ¡°No I uh¡­ I just meant maybe there could be people who might help us.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Airi laughed again before continuing, ¡°You need to lighten up, being embarrassed all the time will make you less attractive eventually.¡± Scruffy blushed even harder after hearing that and chose to remain silent as they walked toward the distant glow again. It took the pair another half hour to reach where they were headed. When they closed in on what seemed to be a small town they noticed the borders were surrounded by a wall of large logs that tapered into vicious points at the top. They were stacked so close together that they couldn¡¯t see between the cracks. After a moment, they decided they would have to find the front gate if they were to get inside. Walking a few minutes while following the wall, they came to what appeared to be the gate surrounded by more of the large pointed logs placed at various angles and gave off a menacing feel. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. They stopped abruptly when an arrow was shot and landed between Scruffy¡¯s feet. ¡°Who are you?¡± a female voice demanded from atop the wall. Airi replied to the woman in a pleading tone, ¡°I¡¯m Airi and this is Scruffy, we¡¯ve been wandering through the forest for a long time and wanted to know if you could help us or at least tell us where we are.¡± ¡°This is Ensiry, and we call that forest Astal, but we don¡¯t allow strangers into our village, you should find somewhere else to go.¡± ¡°But we don¡¯t know where to go!¡± Airi huffed in frustration, ¡°We only found this place by chance, can you tell us anywhere nearby that we could go?¡± Sighing, the woman replied irritably and pointed off in the distance, ¡°There is a small tribe to the south of here, you could probably get there in a few hours if you go straight that way.¡± Airi let out a frustrated sigh, lowering her ears as the pair turned to leave, ¡°Alright, thanks.¡± After walking a good distance from the small village Airi stopped for a moment, ¡°I wish we could have at least rested there, I got to sleep for a few hours but you¡¯ve been awake this whole time.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, I feel fine.¡± Scruffy reassured her, ¡°But I won¡¯t deny that I would at least have liked something to eat. I¡¯m starting to get hungry already, what about you?¡± ¡°No I¡¯m fine. Well, should we try to find this tribe she mentioned?¡± ¡°Do we have any other option?¡± Scruffy countered dryly, ¡°I for one don¡¯t want to camp out in the forest again only to find more beasts to deal with.¡± ¡°Guess your right¡­¡± Airi replied, sounding depressed. The pair started walking again. The forest seemed thinner here, so Scruffy had an easier time not stumbling over everything as they made their way through. They remained silent for the most part so they wouldn¡¯t draw unwanted attention. After a couple hours, the pair found a small creek running in the direction they were heading and after pausing to get a small drink. They both froze in place when they heard a loud deep growl come from behind them, Airi¡¯s ears twitched back in reaction to the sound. They both simultaneously turned to face the owner of the noise and were faced with a massive beast, it looked similar to the one that they had seen curled up in the tree but it was larger and had scars running along its arms and legs. They both shot to their feet and Airi let out a small whimper as they tried to slowly back away. Almost as soon as they started moving the creature swung at an astounding speed with one paw, hitting Scruffy¡¯s side and sending him flying several feet away. Airi took the chance to grab a rock and tried to throw it at the beast but it seemed as though it didn¡¯t even notice her as it turned toward where Scruffy had landed and charge him. Dizzy, Scruffy scrambled to his feet and dove out of the way of the charging beast, rolling into the creek. The icy water stunned Scruffy and he paused for a moment to let out a small groan then quickly got to his feet and turned to face the beast again. Airi grabbed a larger rock and threw it at the beast, hitting him straight in the eye causing and the beast to shriek in pain, gaining its full attention. The beast charged Airi but she dove to the side. However, as she did that, the beast stopped, turned, and landed a hard blow to Airi¡¯s lower body. The loud thud caused Scruffy to worry if she was alright. Panicked, Scruffy grabbed a sharp rock out of the creek he had landed in and ran over to help her. Scruffy jumped onto the Beast''s back and clung to its long fur. Infuriated, the beast started thrashing around trying to shake him off. After a moment, he got a good enough grip to thrust the rock into the throat of the beast. The beast let out a disgusting, gurgling screech and then ran off back into the forest. Several moments later they heard a long, loud howl that stopped abruptly. Several small howls and shrieks followed, making Scruffy¡¯s stomach sink with dread. Chapter 6: One Disaster After Another Scruffy¡¯s Adventure Written by Scruffy¨Chime Edited by Luciferia Chapter 6: One Disaster After Another Scruffy ran over to where Airi had landed and crouched down, speaking in a panicked tone, ¡°We need to go!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t move, I think it broke something¡± Airi cried. ¡°Here grab onto me, I''ll carry you.¡± he leaned down further and lifted the small woman into his arms. ¡°Don¡¯t drop me!¡± Airi teased as she wrapped her arms around his neck. ¡°You''re too small to drop.¡± Scruffy teased back. ¡°Oh, so I have to be injured to not make you feel embarrassed?¡± Airi laughed. Scruffy chuckled at her and said, ¡°Maybe. Quiet now, we don¡¯t want to attract anything else to us.¡± Airi nodded against his chest as she cuddled closer to him. After tightening his grip on her, he began running at a careful pace so that he wouldn¡¯t cause further harm to her. However, when he heard what sounded like several things running up behind him he shifted his pace to full¨Con sprint. The chase continued for several minutes. Scruffy had to slow down every once in awhile to duck under a tree or climb over a large root. His pursuers closed the gap every time he slowed his pace. After ducking under yet another tree branch, the creatures behind him were close enough to start nipping at his heels. He fliched as a razor sharp claw sliced from his right shoulder and halfway down his back, startling him. Groaning, he tried to pick up his pace but it was growing slower by the second. Airi clawed at one that got within reach of her, causing the creature to yelp and slow down. Finally, they could see the end of the forest just a short distance ahead of them, and the small glow from what must have been the tribe they were told about. Airi began calling for help, hoping that someone would hear her plea. One of the closer beasts leapt up to bite into Scruffy¡¯s already wounded shoulder, jagged teeth sinking into his skin. An arrow pierced the beast¡¯s skull in nearly the same instant, causing the beast to release Scruffy¡¯s shoulder and fall to the ground. Scruffy burst out of the forest and almost ran straight into a group of women who were standing outside the village with weapons drawn. As soon as Scruffy got out of their way, the women greeted some of the remaining beasts with their spears, while others were stuck down by arrows. After the women checked to make sure the beasts were dead, they turned to the strangers that had brought the beasts. Most of the women were clad in little more than hide bras and panties that looked to have been taken from the creatures of the forest. It left little to Scruffy¡¯s already wild imagination. One of the women was dressed in fur like that of the large beast that had attacked Scruffy and Airi by the creek. The woman¡¯s clothing style was similar to the other villagers¡¯, but her demeanor said that she must be their leader. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. She said something to them in a language that neither understood, and after pausing for a moment she began shouting at them and pointed her spear at Scruffy¡¯s throat. ¡°I¨CI don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying!¡± Scruffy exclaimed. The tribal woman yelled something else at them and motioned for one of her companions to hand her something. The second woman drew a small knife and handed it to the leader. The leader planted the butt of her spear in the ground and then quickly sank the knife to its hilt in Scruffy¡¯s thigh, grinding the tip of it into his femur. He yelped in pain, sank to the ground, and placed Airi down as gently as possible. ¡°Why did you do that?¡± Airi yelled at the women as she attempted to raise to her feet, ¡°He¡¯s already losing a lot of blood!¡± Airi¡¯s leg was severely bruised and looked to be causing an excruciating amount of pain as she moved in front of Scruffy. She took a defensive stance but the leader paid her no heed. The tribal woman motioned toward her allies and they grabbed Airi and threw her to the ground face down. Straddling her, they began tying her hands together behind her back. ¡°What are you doing? Get off me!¡± Airi yelled, her tail twitched violently, but the woman showed no signs of letting up. After Airi¡¯s arms were fastened tight enough that she couldn¡¯t move them, the woman remained sitting on Airi¡¯s back to keep her pinned. The leader began talking in the unfamiliar language again. One of the women came over to Scruffy, who had not been able to move from where he was kneeling on the ground. After tying his wrists together as well, she tugged the knot into place causing Scruffy to yelp in pain once. He shot a glare at the woman behind him. Snorting with disdain, the woman hefted him to his feet and barked an order at him that he couldn¡¯t understand, and then proceeded to pull him by the arm into the small village. The village was surrounded by a wall made of branches that had been whittled into spears. The houses looked as though they were made from sticks and grass. The tribal women lead the pair deep into the village and to the only house made of stone. Scruffy let out a small groan as they threw him down on his butt, slamming his back into the stone wall. One woman grabbed him by the shoulder and forced him to lean forward to she could untie him. She then grabbed his left hand and lifted it out to the side, spreading his hand open and then poising a long nail over his palm. This time he screeched in torment as she dug the nail into his hand, and then struck the nail hard with a loose stone she had picked up from the floor. Scruffy wailed in agony as the nail pierced fully through his hand, glancing off bones and cracking through several tendons. She repeated the strikes until the entire length of the nail was buried into the wall. The pain caused Scruffy to fall unconscious in a puddle of his own blood. Chapter 7: The Breeding Pens Scruffy¡¯s Adventure Written by Scruffy¨Chime Edited by Luciferia Chapter 7: The Breeding Pens The leader barked off several orders and the group of women giggled as they stole a glance at Airi. They all left in turn to go back to their patrol leaving just one to deal with Airi. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± Airi pleaded with the remaining woman but could not understand the gibberish reply. The tribal woman led Airi to a nearby house that was taller than the stone one. This one was made from small sticks tied together in snug arrangements, and had a roof made from large leaves gathered from the nearby forest. The smell of lust protruding from the building caused her to scrunch her nose as they neared it. As they neared she could hear the moans of pleasure from the women inside. ¡°What is this place? Why are you taking me here?¡± Airi whimpered with suspicion. The woman only laughed in response as she unlocked the door and opened it to lead Airi inside. The sight shocked Airi. There were dozens of women, all bent over with their butts raised in the air as they were straddled and fucked by various beasts. The woman led Airi to a nearby pile of straw and began binding her arms to a post. Airi gagged at the pungent odor of piss and semen. The hay reeked of it. After the woman was satisfied with the knot she had tied was tight enough, she flipped Airi¡¯s skirt up and gave her butt a hard slap causing Airi to let out a sharp cry. ¡°Please!¡± Airi begged, ¡°Don¡¯t leave me here, I don¡¯t want this!¡± The woman laughed again and left Airi there. After the woman left, Airi tried to remain silent so she wouldn¡¯t attract the attention of the preoccupied beasts. She maneuvered her body so she could use the sharp claws on her feet to cut the rope that bound her hands, and after a few failed attempts and several gashes into her arms, she finally got one arm freed. Airi then used her free hand to cut the rope the rest of the way and release the other. Thinking of how she could escape, she scanned the one room for any window or hole she could climb out. She found a small hole in the roof that she didn¡¯t understand the purpose of. She didn¡¯t stop to think about it and began weaving her way through the cluster of beasts and women with a stealthy, feline gait. As she passed, one woman moaned loudly as the beast riding her finished inside. Quickening her pace she made it to the wall closest to the hole and began using her feline claws to climb the wall and then wiggle her way out of the hole. Lying flat on the roof, she quickly spotted where Scruffy hand been nailed down. She slid along her stomach to the edge closest to him and then scanned around for any sign of women around. After she was satisfied that the woman had left, she slowly lowered herself from the wall and then dropped the remaining few feet. The distance she fell was more than she initially thought. When she landed she had to stifle a cry as pain shot through her leg. She paused to search if there was anyone to catch her. Airi cringed and whimpered as her leg throbbed with pain, but bit her lip and resolved to make her way over to the stone building. After she reached the side of the building where Scruffy was she quickly began trying to wake him. It took several moments of shaking him slightly and calling his name before Airi was able to rouse him. Scruffy¡¯s eyes snapped open when the pain from his wounds sent a spike of adrenaline through his system. ¡°Hrrmmmmrrf¨C!¡± Scruffy¡¯s eyes went wide as Airi quickly placed her hand over his mouth to hush him. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Once she was satisfied he would not make any more noise. Leaving her hand over his mouth she grabbed the knife in Scruffy¡¯s leg and attempted to wriggle it out but the knife was too deep and she couldn¡¯t remove it. Airi¡¯s attempts only succeeded in pulling muffled screams from Scruffy as the blade grated against bone, chipping off pieces as she wiggled it. Deciding the knife would have to stay for now, she pointed to the hand that was nailed to the wall and out to the side of Scruffy. Airi made awkward signs with her hands, trying to say she was going to pull the nail out and that he needed to not make any noise when she did. He nodded his understanding and placed his free hand in his mouth. Airi used her claws to scrape at the nail head until she had a grip on it causing Scruffy to bite his hand hard enough to draw blood. After a small pause she pulled the nail hard, sending blood spurting down his skin anew as the nail scraped along Scruffy¡¯s bruised flesh. The nail had only come maybe a third of the way out but now Airi could grip it better. Blood poured into Scruffy¡¯s mouth as he bit down harder,stifling a cry. After readjusting her grip, she yanked the nail again. This time the nail came all the way out and blood spewed from the hole in his hand. Airi reached down, grabbed the hand he had been biting, and gently helped him to his feet. She pulled Scruffy¡¯s arm over her shoulder and then placed her other arm around his waist. Scruffy leaned heavily on her. The pain lancing through his thigh made it difficult for him to limp, let alone walk. ¡°Are you ready?¡± Airi kept her voice hushed, her ears twitching around as she listened for intruders. Scruffy nodded weakly in response. Even that simple motion made his head spin, thanks to the combination of pain and blood loss. The pair slowly make their way toward the back of the building. Airi practically had to drag him along as he tried to shuffle his feet fast enough to keep up with the panicking woman. There was a series of alleyways behind the stone building that seemed to lead directly to the fence on the border of the village. They began making their way through the labyrinth of alleyways, pausing occasionally when there were gaps between the buildings. Eventually, they reached the end of the alleyway but there was still a large distance from where they were hiding to the fence. They noticed a woman patrolling just outside the border of the fence. Airi moved out from under Scruffy as he learned on a nearby wall for support. She lowered herself into a crouch and proceeded to silently make her way up to the fence. She hopped the fence and landed without making a noise. With careful movements, she grabbed one of the rocks at the bottom of the fence. As Airi moved the rock, a section of fence shifted and threatened to fall. When the patrolling woman turned to see what had happened, Airi struck her in the back of the head with the rock, cracking her skull. Blood and bits of grey brain matter went flying, spraying Airi¡¯s clothes, skin, and some of her hair.. Airi moved back to the fence and began removing more rocks, even pulling a few sticks out. After she was satisfied she had made enough room for Scruffy to move through, she quickly moved back to where he was waiting. Strangely his bleeding had mostly stopped now but they were both already covered in it. She carefully moved under his arm again and supported him the same way she had before. Realizing that he would need to move faster this time Scruffy steeled himself for what was to come. The pair took off at a fast pace and toward the gap in the fence. They did their best to remain quiet as they shuffled through it. Airi paused for a moment to look at the dead woman on the ground before they set out into the forest again. Chapter 8: Deserving of Rest Scruffy¡¯s Adventure Written by Scruffy¨Chime Edited by Luciferia Chapter 8: Deserving of Rest The pair took one more look at the village they had escaped from before setting back out into the forest. ¡°Thanks.¡± Scruffy said softly after several minutes of walking. ¡°For what?¡± Airi asked, her ears twitching in response to wildlife scampering through the underbrush as she looked at him. ¡°For not leaving me back there¡­ I know it would have been easier for you to leave on your own.¡± ¡°Well I couldn¡¯t leave you there.¡± Airi replied in a playful manner while readjusting herself under his shoulder, ¡°If I was on my own then I wouldn¡¯t have anyone to tease!¡± Scruffy just chuckled in response. ¡°So, can we take the knife out of my leg yet?¡± Scruffy asked in a calm tone, feeling oddly accepting about what had just happened. ¡°Why did they leave it there in the first place?¡± ¡°Dunno¡­ But if we get it out we could use it.¡± Scruffy replied pointedly. ¡°Well how should we get it out?¡± Before Airi could think of anything, Scruffy grabbed the hilt of the knife and yanked it out. Blood flowed from the wound like a torrent down his leg as a few fragments of bone accompanied the blade, tearing the wound open wider. Yelping in pain, he threw the knife tip¨Cfirst into the ground and placed a hand over the gushing wound. ¡°That was stupid!¡± Airi yelled at him, ¡°Why did you do that?¡± ¡°It was bothering me.¡± Scruffy replied innocently, ¡°And now that it¡¯s out, it can start to heal. .¡± ¡°That was still reckless!¡± Airi reprimanded him before leaning over to take a closer look at his leg, ¡°Well, we need to find somewhere to rest.¡± Scruffy just nodded as he picked up the knife. The pair began moving again searching for anywhere they could use as a place to rest and try to keep warm in the freezing forest. They found several more hollowed trees occupied by the large furry beasts they had seen earlier. Now that they were desperate, they decided they could try sneaking into one of the trees and killing the beast with the knife. They found one that was close to one of the many small streams running throughout the forest. Airi volunteered to do it since Scruffy could hardly move at this point and deciding they couldn¡¯t wait any longer. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Scruffy offered Airi the knife with a whisper, ¡°Be careful.¡±. Airi simply smiled in response before climbing the tree. As if trying to further prove that she was part feline, she didn''t make even the slightest of sounds as she reached the hole in the tree and climbed in to stand next to the beast. Bracing herself for what she was about to do, she took a deep breath and rose the knife over her head. She paused briefly and then plunged the knife into the skull of the beast, driving it down to the hilt and killing the beast before it could make a sound. ¡°Well hopefully there aren¡¯t any more living here, I¡¯d hate to fight one of those again while they¡¯re awake.¡± Airi commented as she hopped down from the tree, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get you up there.¡± Barely awake anymore Scruffy, nodded and attempted to stand up. After he managed to get to his feet he started to stumble as Airi closed the distance between them and caught him by the chest and started to shift under his shoulder once again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Scruffy mumbled as he tried to take some more of his weight off the small woman. ¡°You¡¯re fine, just don¡¯t die on me.¡± Airi said trying to lighten the mood, ¡°I don¡¯t want to have to find someone else to embarrass.¡± Scruffy let out a soft giggle and began pulling himself up the tree. Airi had to climb up ahead of him and grab one of his arms to pull him the rest of the way up. After a moment of struggling they finally got him into the hole. ¡°Can you help me push this thing out?¡± Airi asked pointing at the large beast taking up most of the room. ¡°Can try¡­¡± Scruffy moved to the back of the tree and put a shoulder against the beast as Airi took of a similar position next to him. They both began to push the beast and, to their delight, found it to be easier than expected. After ridding the tree of the corpse Scruffy sat down against the wall of the tree. He hugged his uninjured knee to his chest, trying to get warm. ¡°Damn, just keeps getting colder out here.¡± Scruffy complained, ¡°Think I might have to take you up on your offer to cuddle.¡± Airi let out a soft laugh, curled up next to him, and then said teasingly, ¡°Well come here then!¡± Scruffy shifted down next to her leaving several inches in between them. ¡°No need to be shy.¡± Airi grinned as she rolled onto her side and placed her head on his chest, wrapping an arm around him, ¡°Much better!¡± She wiggled slightly to get more comfortable. Giving in to the cuddling woman Scruffy placed his uninjured arm under Airi and wrapped it around her shoulder. ¡°Get some sleep now.¡± Airi said, but Scruffy had already passed out. Chapter 9: Cold Shower Scruffy¡¯s Adventure Written by Scruffy¨Chime Edited by Luciferia Chapter 9: Cold Shower Several hours later, Airi awoke to find Scruffy had moved around in his sleep and was now positioned horizontal to her with his head faced down in her lap and one arm wrapped around her thigh. Airi let out a soft laugh and quietly whispered, ¡°Now how did you manage to do that?¡± She shook Scruffy gingerly and spoke his name a few times to see if he was awake. After several attempts she realized he was out cold and wouldn¡¯t wake any time soon. Airi attempted to slip herself out from under him. Even the slightest movement made his grip tighten and he nudge himself closer. Airi let out a small sigh before she decided to just lay back down and wait for him to wake up. When she had almost fallen back to sleep, she felt something sharp digging into her thigh. Startled, she sat up and saw Scruffy nibbling on her leg in his sleep. He had not drawn blood but she knew that there was going to be deep marks left. Deciding she did not mind, she laid back down, giggling as he bit down again. After napping for a couple more hours Airi decided that she couldn''t sleep anymore and that she was starting to get hungry. She wriggled her leg out from Scruffy¡¯s grip, trying not to wake him as he moaned in protest. Taking care to be quiet, she climbed down from the tree and landed next to the corpse of the giant beast they had pushed out earlier. Daylight was just starting to creep above the horizon but provided little light in such a thick forest. Airi pulled the knife out of the beast''s skull and walked over to the nearby stream. She stopped to scoop up a drink before moving downstream, hoping to find a larger body of water to clean all the dirt, blood, and gore from her body and clothing. Airi walked along following the current, using the knife to leave marks along the trees to remember the way back. After several more minutes of walking, Airi heard the sound of rushing water. She picked up her pace and soon came upon a river. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Deciding that the current was still slow enough for her to not be swept away, she planted the knife in a low¨Changing branch and took off her clothes. Airi dipped her skirt in the cold water, swirling it around several times and then scrubbed it with her hands. Satisfied all the grime and blood was off, she hung the skirt next to the knife and bent to clean her other clothing. The water was deep enough to come up to her waist and she yelped as the icy waters reached between her legs. Shivering, she quickly submerged herself under the water and then gasped for air when she stood again. The wind bit at her bare flesh causing chills to run down her spine, her nipples to stiffen, and goosebumps to prickle along her skin. She scrubbed the dirt and blood from her skin, hurrying so that she could flee the freezing water. Airi leaned her head forward and pulled her long hair over her shoulder, dipping it in the water again. She washed her matted hair and fur the best she could. Barely able to feel her fingers and toes anymore, she clambered out of the stream. Airi shivered again as the cool breeze drifted by. She shook the water from herself in a feline manner and then wrung the water from her hair. Airi grabbed her clothing and ventured back towards her and Scruffy¡¯s hide out. She walked naked deciding that she would rather her, and her clothing, be drier before she put it back on. She treaded quietly as she neared the tree, stabbed the knife into the ground, and then placed her clothing over a low branch was privy to a small amount of sunlight. She crept up to the hole and dug her claws into the rim, lifting herself up to peek inside. Scruffy had curled his arms and legs closer to him. Occasionally a small shiver ran through his body, giving the impression he was still cold even though it had warmed significantly. Airi lowered herself back to the ground. Then walked over to where her clothes were. She paused to stand in the small ray of sunlight before grabbing her still damp clothing and pulling them on. After she was dressed, she realized that they would need food soon. Airi walked over to the large beast sprawled on the ground and began sniffing it trying to determine if it could taste good. Airi decided she would rather hunt something potentially easier to eat and headed off into the forest. Chapter 10: A Brief Respite Scruffy¡¯s Adventure Written by Scruffy¨Chime Edited by Luciferia Chapter 10: A Brief Respite Airi stalked through the brush, pushing a few branches out of her view as she kept her eyes focused on her prey. Her ears flicked around to hone in on the sound of a bird pecking at whatever bugs currently had its attention. She kept close to the ground as she readjusted her body again. The small bird¡¯s feathers sparkled with a wide range of blues, with scarlet tipping the ends of each feather. The bird hopped a short distance. Airi¡¯s tail raised behind her as she shifted her weight onto her hind legs before launching herself. She pounced on the bird landing with both hands over the creature pinning it to the ground. The bird let out a sharp squeak as Airi crushed the life out of it. Lifting the bird by its talons, she sniffed at the creature, pondering how it might taste. Satisfied with her catch she hurried back to camp. Airi had been gone for only an hour, but she feared leaving Scruffy alone for any amount of time due to the state he was in. She hummed as she plucked feathers from the bird while walking. Luckily her hunt had not taken her far from where he slept and she made it back to him within a few minutes. When she arrived Scruffy was sitting at the base of the tree. Judging by the tracks all over the area Airi judged he must have been pacing. ¡°Hey.¡± Airi called to him when she got closer. Scruffy¡¯s head snapped up to look at the approaching woman. He rose to his feet as she neared and motioned to the now bald bird she was holding with a questioning look on his face. Opening his mouth to say something. ¡°Breakfast.¡± Airi answer before he could speak. ¡°I was worried when I didn¡¯t see you after I woke up, thought maybe you had left me for good.¡± ¡°Naah, I''m not one to leave a toy behind until I¡¯ve properly played with it.¡± Scruffy blushed as he replied, ¡°As long as you don''t break anything.¡± Airi smirked as she playfully skipped over and handed him the bird, ¡°Will you cook this for me? Please?¡± She batted her long eyelashes at him as her tail swayed. Scruffy took the bird from Airi, ¡°I can try, going to need some firewood though.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get some!¡± Scruffy dug a small pit in the ground with his good hand while waiting for Airi to return. After it was deep enough he gathered rocks of varied sized and placed them around the rim. By the time Airi returned, her arms were full of a wide range of sticks, twigs, and strips of bark. She plopped the pile down next to the small pit. Scruffy began stacking the sticks in a steeple shape and grabbed some dry grass from nearby, stuffing it into the pile. Scruffy sat back and crossed his legs before saying, ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to light it this time, hands still hurt too much.¡± Airi casually walked over, brushed her soft tail along his cheek and tucked her skirt underneath her as sat in his lap, ¡°So, teach me.¡± Startled, Scruffy¡¯s face turned bright red. He reached his arms around the woman''s waists and grabbed a long strip of bark and one of the straighter sticks. ¡°Here point the stick like this.¡± Scruffy paused as he adjusted Airi¡¯s grip, ¡°Then you need to roll it back and forth in your hands while keeping it pressed to the bark.¡± The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.Scruffy made motions with his hands in an attempt to demonstrate. ¡°Okay, I think I got it.¡± Airi said after watching his hands a few times. ¡°It will probably take a while but when you get a small plume of smoke let me know and I can show you how to do the rest.¡± When Scruffy tried to retract his arms Airi used one hand to grab his wrist and keep his arms around her waist. She shot him a mischievous grin over her shoulder before starting to turn the stick in between her palms. Scruffy¡¯s face turned a darker shade of scarlet but made no attempt to remove his arms. Several minutes passed as the pair sat in silence. Finally, Airi got a small plume of smoke to rise from her work, ¡°I did it!¡± ¡°Good now drop the cinder into the dry grass like this¡­¡± Scruffy paused to watch Airi dropped the hot cinder into the pile, ¡°And now gently blow on it.¡± Airi leaned forward in Scruffy¡¯s lap and began gently blowing. A short moment later, the dry grass caught fire. Scruffy added more dry grass and twigs to the pile until he was satisfied it would stay lit. ¡°That took longer than I expected.¡± Airi complained. ¡°Yea, I don''t even know why I can remember how to do this but at least it helps.¡± ¡°So, now what?¡± Airi asked after watching the small flame grow for a minute. ¡°Uhm¡­ Now we can cook the bird.¡± ¡°Good. I¡¯m starving.¡± Airi grabbed the bird from where it had been set down and after brushing some of the dirt off she held it over the fire. ¡°Like this?¡± She asked Scruffy laughed and grabbed it from her, ¡°Well you could cook it like that, but I think it would be better to it like this.¡± Scruffy moved Airi out of his lap. Grabbing the knife out of the ground he cut open the bird and pulled the innards out and threw them off into the forest, then replaced the knife in the ground. He got a long stick and impaled the bird through its stomach. Burying the other end near the fire. Scruffy scooted a couple feet back, leaning his back against the tree trunk and re-crossed his legs. Airi playfully sat down on him again. Scruffy couldn¡¯t help chuckling this time. ¡°Did you take a bath?¡± Scruffy asked as he sniffed the Airi¡¯s hair. ¡°Yep!¡± Airi said excitedly. ¡°Sorry I didn''t invite you, didn''t want to wake you.¡± Scruffy briefly tried to imagine Airi naked before turning a deep shade of crimson. Embarrassed now he started fidgeting causing Airi to turn and give him a confused look. Remembering how wounded he had been last night Airi thought the he was moving because of the pain, ¡°Leg still hurt?¡± ¡°Yeah, a bit.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Airi said in a dejected tone, ¡°I should get off you then.¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Scruffy said wrapping his arms around her waist as he nuzzled his head against her neck. For a brief moment he considered biting into her soft flesh, pushing down the impulse he continued. ¡°It''s fine.¡± Something about being this close to Airi made him feel better about their situation, ¡°I don''t want to get up yet.¡± They sat like that mostly in silence, occasionally Scruffy got up to poke at the fire and turn the bird. Airi¡¯s eyes darted all over as she watched sparks rise from the fire. When it was done Scruffy grabbed the knife and cut the meat from its breast and handed some to Airi. She thanked him and took a bite. After cutting off some for himself he returned to sit next to Airi who had taken a seat next to the fire. Having had nothing to eat for several hours the hungry duo ate in silence. After eating the breast and picking off most of the meat from the rest of the corpse, Scruffy tossed the carcass into the forest. Scruffy paced over to the stream and knelt down to take a drink. Airi froze when she heard rustling nearby. Chapter 11: Questionable Hospitality Scruffy¡¯s Adventure Written by Scruffy¨Chime Edited by Luciferia Chapter 11: Questionable Hospitality Airi froze, her eyes grew wide in fear, tail stopped swaying and ears flicked back trying listening to whatever noise had come from behind her. Scruffy turned to walk back to Airi when he noticed the look on her face. He spoke in a hushed voice, ¡°What''s wro¨C¡± ¡°Shhh.¡± Airi interrupted. The noise had been too soft for him to hear but he knew by the panicked look on her face that something was very wrong. Scruffy started walking back over to her when she quickly closed the distance between him and tackled him. Shoving a hand over his mouth she muffled the small cry that escaped him, pushed him further into the brush. A massive beast appeared from behind a cluster of trees. The creature was nearly ten times bigger than the beast they had murdered the night before. This one looked much more vicious. It had an ape like body, jagged teeth and massive tusks protruding from its open mouth. The creature¡¯s short fur was jet black at its roots and gradated into deep purple. Its large claws were covered in bluish¨Cblack blood. It walked with a limp as similar blood ran down one leg. The pair guessed it must have been relying almost entirely on sight due to its lack of a nose, and its small ears. Airi clung tighter to Scruffy, pressing her face to his chest. They could smell its foul breath as it leaned to take a large bite from the corpse of the murdered beast only a few feet from where they hid. Scruffy almost screamed as a branch scraped along his wounded back. A small amount of blood escaped the gash. The beast whirled toward them and roared loudly causing Airi to tremble. Her ears folded back against her head and tail puffed. A small creature screeched and jumped from somewhere nearby and they both held their breath as the beast uprooted a nearby tree, scooped up the unfortunate creature and swallowed it whole. Airi let out a small whimper as the beast roared again and turned to finish its larger meal. The beast ate every bit of the corpse, crunching bones as it chewed it apart. Once it had finished, it wandered off in search of more prey. ¡°What was that thing?¡± Scruffy asked as they climbed from out of the bush. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Scruffy stood stunned as Airi looked at him with her tail puffed and her ears folded back. The image would have been adorable if he was not scared out of his wits. Airi said in a pleading tone, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be here, this forest has too many things in it I don''t like.¡± Not knowing what to say, Scruffy gave her a gentle hug. Airi clung tightly to him and let out a small cry against his chest. ¡°Please, let¡¯s leave.¡± Airi said after they separated. ¡°I vaguely remember how to get to that town if you want to try there again?¡± ¡°Anywhere is better than this damn forest.¡± Scruffy put out the fire while Airi¡¯s kept watch, her ears pricking back and forth at every small noise. Scruffy grabbed their knife and set out again in the direction of Ensiry.They Decided not to speak more than needed to keep from alerting any other beast that may be lurking nearby. Scruffy¡¯s wounds made it hard for him avoid stumbling through the forest. Several times Airi had to help him over larger roots and rocks. He managed to not fall over anything before they reached Ensiry. Hoping to have better luck this time, they approached the front gate. Airi called out when they neared and a woman appeared at the top with a bow pointed at them. ¡°Go away.¡± the woman called down to them. ¡°Please, we don''t want to go back into that forest!¡± Airi tried to reason, ¡°That tribe we went to tried to kill us and now we need somewhere to rest while his injuries heal.¡± The woman gasped as she looked at Scruffy like he had just appeared. ¡°I¡¯m not promising anything but I¡¯ll ask.¡± Airi looked up at Scruffy hopefully. ¡°I get you don''t like the forest, trust me I don''t either, but I don''t want to be in a similar situation to when we found that tribe.¡± Scruffy whispered to her. ¡°I know...it wasn''t pleasant for me either¡­ But, I¡¯m tired and want something safer than a hole to sleep in.¡± Scruffy smiled faintly and nodded at her before turning his attention to the half dozen women who appeared at the top of the wall. One was a bit taller than the rest. She gazed down at them a moment before turning back to the others. The woman mumbled something Scruffy could not hear. Airi pricked her ears forward trying listen to what they were talking about. ¡°Can you hear what their saying?¡± Scruffy asked Airi in a hushed voice. ¡°Not really, I think something about you has them excited¡­¡± was all she replied. After a moment the women turned back to them. ¡°One day.¡± Chapter 12: Getting Comfortable Scruffy¡¯s Adventure Written by Scruffy¨Chime Edited by Luciferia Chapter 12: Getting Comfortable ¡°I want you both gone before tomorrow night.¡± the tall woman said, making a quick motion. The large gate cracked open and a young girl came rushing out. Grabbing them both by the hand she lead them inside. The small girl looked to still be in her early teens and shorter than Airi by a few inches. She was skinny and just starting to develop her womanhood. She had light blond hair and green eyes. Once they were inside the gate closed behind them. Something about all the women inside staring at Scruffy made him feel uncomfortable. He leaned close to Airi and whispered ¡°Why are they all looking at me like that?¡± ¡°Well, you are still covered in blood.¡± Realizing she was right he turned back and asked the teenager, ¡°So where are we going?¡± ¡°Somewhere we can keep an eye on you.¡± she replied. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Scruffy said in a questioning tone, deciding to change the subject he asked, ¡°So what''s your name?¡± ¡°Vera.¡± she replied in a seductive tone. Looking around he realized that there were no men anywhere he could see. Scruffy decided not to ask about it as they walked. Vera stopped outside a large building, the sign hanging from the front was written in a language neither Scruffy nor Airi could read. Vera lead them inside, upstairs and to a small room. It was just one room with no windows, only one bed pushed against a wall, and a small desk with one chair. ¡°This is the only room available...not like you two would get a choice anyways.¡± Vera said with a laugh. She turned to Scruffy and continued, ¡°I¡¯ll bring food up later...and I¡¯ll bring you a bucket of water and a rag so your pet can wash you.¡± ¡°What do you mean pet?¡± Airi asked angered by her statement. Her tail twitched violently and ears pricked forward. Vera continued as if she weren''t there. Only paying attention to Scruffy, who had walked over to the table and set the knife down, she asked, ¡°Is there anything else you''ll need? A map? Or maybe a leash for your feisty pet?¡± ¡°We...won''t be needing a leash, but a map would be great.¡± Scruffy replied as he walked over to Airi and put an arm around her trying to calm the livid woman. ¡°Okay, if you think she is trained enough I won''t make her wear a leash.¡± Vera smiled at Scruffy before she turned, shooting a quick glare at Airi, and then left the room. ¡°Why did she say that about me?¡± Airi whined in frustration a few moments after Vera had left, ¡°I don''t like being referred to as ¡®Pet¡¯.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, just try to ignore it until we leave.¡± Scruffy replied. Airi sighed, ¡°You''re right, I¡¯ll play nice...for now¡­¡± Airi laid on the bed, ¡°Much better than a tree.¡± Scruffy chuckled at her before sitting on the wooden chair backwards, folding his arms along the top of the back support, ¡°They said something about food too.¡± A loud knock on the door startled them. Scruffy stood and walked to see who it was. Vera walked in with a small bucket of water, looking disapprovingly at Airi she asked, ¡°You let her on the bed?¡± Airi let out a low growl as she sat up to glare at her. Vera set the bucket on the table before continuing, ¡°You sure you don''t want a leash? Or something to beat the bitch with? Doesn''t look like she was trained well.¡± ¡°No.¡± Scruffy said curtly. Airi positioned herself on the bed so she could pounce on Vera. Scruffy moved to stand between Airi and Vera before she could act. ¡°Oh, judging by the bruises on her leg i guess you just like to beat her with your fists?¡± before Scruffy could answer she walked out the door shutting it behind herself, ¡°Well... If you decide you need one I¡¯ll be downstairs.¡± Scruffy thanked her again as she left. ¡°That little brat. Can I kill her?¡± Airi said in a vicious tone, sitting on the edge of the bed. ¡°Please don¡¯t.¡± Scruffy said, ¡°I¡¯d rather not get attacked here too.¡± ¡°I wasn''t serious¡­¡± Airi replied with a pout. ¡°But she was right...I think I will need your help getting this blood off me¡­ At least the blood on my back.¡± Airi looked irritated for a second but her expression turned to concern once she looked at Scruffy¡¯s wounds again. She nodded and agreed to help him. Scruffy turned the chair to face the bed as he sat down in the same manner as before. Airi took a seat on the bed behind him and grabbed the cloth from the bucket. After wringing the excess water from the rag she dabbed around the long gash with caution, trying not to cause Scruffy any more pain. When Airi was done she plopped the rag back into the bucket. ¡°There you go, anywhere else you want me to clean?¡± Airi said, tickling him with a lick on his back causing him to jerk. Scruffy¡¯s face turned scarlet, ¡°Uh...no¡­ I think I got it from here.¡± Airi giggled as she flopped down on the bed again. Scruffy continued washing himself. Scrubbing his chest and arms. He paused for a moment and asked, ¡°Uh...can you not look while I take off my pants?¡± Airi laughed at him, nodded and rolled onto her side so that she was facing the wall. She listened to the sounds of him splashing the rag around in the bucket as he went about his task. Several minutes later, when he had finished, she turned back around and eyed him hungrily. ¡°You look better without the blood stains, maybe this time I¡¯ll nibble on you.¡± Airi stated seductively. Scruffy flushed with embarrassment as a confused expression appeared on his face, ¡°Wha¡­¡± Airi laughed, ¡°Oh? So you really were asleep?¡± Before Scruffy could ask what she meant there was another knock at the door and Airi sniffed the air, ¡°Smells like food.¡± Scruffy opened the door for Vera as she brought in two wooden plates of food. She handed a plate of meat and potatoes to Scruffy and tossed the second plate with bread and cheese on the floor and said, ¡°Here, this one''s for the bitch.¡± Airi hissed at Vera. Angered, Vera raised her hand to slap Airi, but before she could complete the motion Scruffy caught her with his free hand and shot the child a furious look. ¡°Please don¡¯t do that.¡± Scruffy said in a stern voice. ¡°That whore needs to learn respect.¡± Vera stated, obviously upset by Airi¡¯s presence. Vera walked outside the door and grabbed a mug of water from she had placed on the ground. She brought it over and placed it on the table before stalking out. Scruffy thanked her and shut the door behind her. ¡°I don¡¯t like her.¡± Airi stated after Scruffy walked over and sat next to her on the bed. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Scruffy picked up her plate from the floor and placed it on the table across from them. ¡°We can split mine if you¡¯d like?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Airi replied. Scruffy chuckled as he grabbed the potato and split in half. He placed one side on her plate along with a few slices of meat, stole a piece of bread and cheese from her plate and then started picking at his potatoes. Airi mumbled a thank you, grabbed a slice of meat in her claws and took a bite. They ate silently. Airi licked her claws after she was finished. Scruffy laughed as he placed his plate on the table and offered some of his water to her. She took a large sip, handed it back to him and flopped down on the bed. She asked, ¡°So what was it she said about a map?¡± ¡°I think she said she would bring it to us.¡± Scruffy said, licking his fingers before wiping them on his pants,¡°So what was that earlier about nibbling?¡± Airi giggled before replying, ¡°You were biting me in your sleep when I woke up.¡± Scruffy¡¯s face turned a dark red, ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, I don''t...¡± Airi laughed again as she sat up and whispered in his ear, ¡°I kinda liked it.¡± Scruffy¡¯s heart was beating so fast he thought it might burst from his chest. ¡°I-I-...¡± Airi laughed again and laid back down. A knock came at the door and Airi pouted with a huff and rolled to the side of the bed looking away from the door. Scruffy walked over to the door, took a deep breath to calm himself, and opened the door to let Vera in. She placed a map on the table and handed a collar to Scruffy, ¡°You need to at least put a collar on the bitch¡­bad enough she''s not on a leash.¡± Airi¡¯s tail jerked noticeably as Vera called her ¡®bitch¡¯. Vera sat in the chair making it apparent she wasn''t going to leave until Scruffy put it on her. He walked over to the bed, undid the clasp, and reached down. Scruffy gave her an apologetic look as she glared at him. Vera reached over, gave her rear a hard slap, then demanded, ¡°Sit up!¡± Airi let out a sharp screech, shot to her feet and hissed at Vera. Vera stood from the chair as Airi lunged at her. Scruffy quickly grabbed Airi and pinned her to the bed while he sat on her and held her wrists down. Kicking wildly, Airi screamed, ¡°Your little brat, I¡¯ll rip your damn throat out!¡± Vera grabbed the knife from the table and said irritably, ¡°There¡¯s no reason to keep this defiant bitch around.¡± Vera raised the knife over Airi. Scruffy pierced Vera with a ferocious glare, and said in a stern voice ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± Terror shot through the girl as she dropped the knife onto the floor. ¡°What..? I-... I was just doing what you would normally do in this situation.¡± ¡°I would be very upset if any harm were to come to her.¡± ¡°But¡­ She¡¯s just a Ythra.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± Scruffy said as he turned back to look at Airi. Airi had calmed down significantly but was still blatantly angry. ¡°Well¡­ She still needs a collar!¡± Vera said with a pout. ¡°And now I want her further restrained.¡± ¡°Isn''t the collar enough?¡± Scruffy replied hoping to get her to change her mind. ¡°No! The animal would probably kill you in your sleep.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure she wouldn¡¯t¡­¡± Scruffy said with a sigh, ¡°I¡¯ve spent the night with her before.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean anything! The bitch was likely just trying to get your guard down!¡± Airi hissed at her again, causing Vera to scowl down at her, ¡°See?¡± Scruffy released Airi¡¯s arms and she crossed them over her breast with an indignant huff. He didn''t look at Vera as he took the black leather collar she held out to him. Scruffy whispered an apology as he slipped the collar around her neck. As he finished, he lifted out a few strands of hair stuck under between the collar and her neck. Vera handed him a small lock to add to the collar. Vera turned to leave, stating she would return shortly as she shut the door. After she had gone Scruffy climbed off Airi, sat on the edge of the bed, and sarcastically remarked, ¡°That went well...¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Airi said as she adjusted the collar and moved to sit next to him. ¡°Thank you for stopping her...and for what you said¡­¡± ¡°Well I¡­¡± Scruffy said embarrassed. ¡°The idea of you¡­not being here¡­¡± Airi nudged herself under his arm and nuzzled her cheek up to his chest. The pair sat that way for a while before Vera returned with a loud bang at the door. As Scruffy walked over to the door he whispered, ¡°Please try your best to not make this worse?¡± Airi pouted and said she would try. Scruffy opened the door and Vera walked in with a variety of items. A couple pairs of shackles, one chain being much longer than the other and a chain leash. Scruffy cringed when she put the items on the table. ¡°I demand she be chained at all times within our borders, I¡¯ll be checking on you throughout the night to make sure they stay on.¡± Vera said as she motioned for him to restrain her. Airi¡¯s tail twitched violently and glared at Vera. Scruffy grabbed the shackles with the long chain and knelt down. Airi cringed as he clasped them around her ankles. He repeated the process with her wrists. In the corner of his eye Scruffy noticed Vera stick her tongue out at Airi, earning a growl from the furious woman. Scruffy ignored the exchange. Trying to hold back his own urge to rip Vera in two, he bent down and picked up the knife to place it back on the table, ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°She is not allowed to leave this room unless put on a leash.¡± Vera replied. ¡°If you need anything I''ll be in the room next door.¡± she added flirtatiously to Scruffy, stressing the word ¡®anything¡¯. Satisfied, Vera turned and walked triumphantly out of the room. She paused to add, ¡°Just so you know, the others would not have tolerated this kind of behavior from a Ythra, she would have been put down long ago.¡± Scruffy feigned a smile as she closed the door. Airi jingled her chains as she moved to the middle of the bed, sat with her feet under her and shot a pout at Scruffy. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± he said. ¡°Is there anything you need me to do?¡± Airi paused for a moment then said in a suspicious tone, ¡°Come lay down.¡± Confused, Scruffy sat on the edge of the bed. Airi grabbed his hand in both of hers and pulled him further onto the bed. She shifted closer to the wall to make room for him. Still suspicious, Scruffy laid down on the pillow. Airi laid her head on his chest and put her chained hands on his chest. She started drawing patterns along his collarbone with one claw, listening as his heartbeat grew faster. ¡°I just wanted to cuddle¡­¡± Airi said after a long silence. Scruffy chuckled and rolled his head to look at Airi. He shot her an unreadable expression, before saying, ¡°Goodnight.¡± It didn''t take long before they both fell asleep. Chapter 13: Late Night Chat Scruffy¡¯s Adventure Written by Scruffy¨Chime Edited by Luciferia Chapter 13: Late Night Chat Scruffy woke with a start as he heard a light tapping on the door. Airi had moved to lay across him in her sleep. She laid with her head face down above the shoulder opposite from when they had fallen asleep. Her breasts pressed against his chest and one leg wrapped around his. Scruffy blushed as he looked down into her overflowing cleavage. He moved Airi, doing his best to not wake her. Once he made it out from under her, she grumbled and rolled over, curling up into a loose ball. Scruffy headed for the door as the light tapping came again. He opened it to see Vera standing in the hall with a small candle. He took another look at Airi before walking into the hall and shutting the door behind him. He gave Vera a questioning look and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been sent to fetch you.¡± Vera said uncomfortably. ¡°Some of the town leaders would like to speak with you.¡± Scruffy nodded and followed her down the short hall. Before they reached the stairs he asked, ¡°Any idea what they want?¡± Vera stopped walking, ¡°They probably want to know how you survived half a night in that forest. What with that tribe living in there. Even in the state you two showed up in, being out there for that long is unusual. ¡°They may also want to ask about the Ythra girl, but I think it best if she¡¯s not there..¡± ¡°We were there longer than half a night. I don''t know how we got there but it seemed the sun was just rising as we arrived.¡± Scruffy paused in thought for a moment. ¡°Also Airi is sleeping i would hope to be back to her before she wakes.¡± ¡°Did you have sex with her?¡± Vera asked bluntly, ¡°If you had asked I would¡¯ve gladly offered myself so you didn''t¨C¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t have sex.¡± Scruffy said firmly. Before she could answer a woman impatiently called up to them, ¡°Vera? Where are you? Was he awake?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m coming.¡± Vera motioned for Scruffy to follow as she started her descent down the stairs. When they reached the bottom half a dozen women all sat at a large table. Scruffy recognized one as the woman who told them they could stay. Vera pulled Scruffy over to the table and pulled out a chair for him. After he sat she was dismissed and joined some other young girls at a far table giggling as she sat down. The tall woman who seemed to be the highest rank among them looked to be in her mid thirties. She had long blond hair tied into a single braid. Her eyes were blue and she had peach skin, similar to the rest of the women Scruffy had seen. ¡°So, you said your name was Scruffy?¡± She asked politely. ¡°Uh, yea.¡± Scruffy said trying to hide his nervousness. ¡°My name is Lirasi, I''m one of the village leaders, these women here are my¡­ advisors. has my daughter been treating you well?¡± She asked concerned. Something about the woman made Scruffy feel uneasy. Scruffy thought it best to lie, ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s a nice girl.¡± ¡°She likes you.¡± Lirasi giggled as she continued, ¡°She won¡¯t stop talking to her friends about you.¡± Scruffy¡¯s face turned a faint red. ¡°Vera mentioned something about Airi and I staying in the forest last night?¡± ¡°Ah. So we were right about you being the ones seeking entrance last night. It came as a surprise to all of us when we heard you might be the same people. ¡°Usually humans die within a couple hours of entering that forest. Something about us just draws the attention of all the monstrosities out there.¡± Scruffy listened to the woman ramble about random topics for a while. She asked how they ended up in the forest in the first place and what they did to survive. Scruffy explained to them what happened last night. When he finished the story the women all looked somewhere between shocked and confused. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. After thinking for a moment Lirasi asked, ¡°You put your life in danger for the whore?¡± Scruffy¡¯s eye twitched at the word ¡®whore¡¯. ¡°Yes, she¡¯s my friend and I did not want to leave her.¡± ¡°Well, I doubt the tribe women would have killed you, not even they would be so stupid as to do that.¡± ¡°Why? What¡¯s special about me?¡± All the women at the tabled laughed at the question, but when Lirasi noticed the confusion on Scruffy¡¯s face she hushed the other women and said, ¡°Surely you jest?¡± Scruffy nodded and then said, ¡°We both have no memory of anything before yesterday.¡± The women all looked surprised for a moment before Lirasi spoke again, ¡°So you really don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°The only thing I know is I woke up and Airi helped me.¡± ¡°Well there are some thing we must teach you then.¡± Lirasi said taking a serious tone, ¡°First, there are very few men in this world, about 90% of children are born female. Men are treated with high respect and protected above most things, and are usually shared among somewhere between 20 to 100 different women depending on the size of a town or how lucky they are.¡± ¡°Secondly Ythra.¡± she spat the word ¡®Ythra¡¯ like it tasted foul, ¡°Like your companion upstairs, are filthy creatures that cannot control their lust and would fuck any man they see. They are violent beast that lie and kill to get what they want and when they have had their fill only to go out searching for more. ¡°We would make more suitable companions for one such as yourself. I would recommend getting rid of the bitch an¨C¡± Scruffy shot to his feet, knocking the chair he had been sitting on several feet behind him and gave the woman a vicious glare, ¡°Would you kindly stop talking about her that way.¡± Lirasi and stood and as she did the other women at the table got to their feet. She looked apologetic for a moment before saying, ¡°I am very sorry. If there is anything i can do to make it up to you please let me know.¡± Her and the other women bowed deeply, awaiting his reply. Scruffy¡¯s rage quickly subsided and he asked, ¡°Is there anything else i should know about?¡± Lirasi straightened with a troubled look on her face before saying, ¡°There is one more thing I should tell you about your friend.¡± Scruffy¡¯s look turned murderous as he asked, ¡°What?¡± Lirasi paused for a moment as if trying to decide if she should continue or not, ¡°Ythra are not to be trusted. There is a reason my daughter had her chained while here. We believe she may try to consume you. ¡°We will not harm her if you wish, but I must insist that she remain shackled at all times. Once she has had a taste of you, she will not control it and will feast on every inch of you.¡± ¡°We are still guests here so I will abide by your rules.¡± Scruffy replied through clenched teeth. ¡°Can I at least have a key for her chains in case of an emergency?¡± ¡°That should be fine.¡± Lirasi replied with another bow before calling her daughter, ¡°Vera!¡± Vera came running in from the other room, ¡°Yes mother?¡± ¡°Get Scruffy a key for the shackles on Airi.¡± Panic crossed Vera¡¯s face for a brief moment when her mother spoke Airi¡¯s name. She dug a small key out of her pocket. ¡°Here this one will work for both the shackles.¡± ¡°Thank you Vera.¡± Scruffy said as he stuffed the key into his pocket. ¡°I¡¯d hate to ask for anything more, but¡­ Do you think Airi and I could get a change of clothing?¡± Scruffy asked hesitantly. Vera smiled at him, ¡°Of course!¡± When Scruffy was back in his room he flopped onto the bed next to Aihi and let out an exhausted sigh. He rolled onto his side and looked at her small figure and whispered, ¡°At least you didn¡¯t have to deal with that.¡± After he cuddled back up to Airi he quickly fell asleep again. Chapter 14: A Warm Meal Scruffy¡¯s Adventure Written by Scruffy¨Chime Edited by Luciferia Chapter 14: A Warm Meal When Airi woke Scruffy was sitting at the table looking over the map. She stretched in a feline manner as she yawned and asked, ¡°So, know where we are going next?¡± Scruffy sigh and lifted a shoulder saying he didn¡¯t know as he turned to look at Airi. His expression saddened when he saw the small drips of blood from where the chains had dug into her wrists and ankles. ¡°I wish you didn¡¯t have to wear those¡­¡± Scruffy commented as Airi shook them into more comfortable spots. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, as long as that brat doesn''t have any more ideas about ¡®restraining¡¯ me.¡± ¡°Yea¡­ Well they should be bringing us a change of clothing and some food soon.¡± Scruffy said changing the subject. ¡°Vera doesn¡¯t seem to want to leave me alone. She comes by the room claiming to check if your still chained and then sits around for a while talking.¡± Airi laughed before saying, ¡°Well that''s one thing we can agree on.¡± Scruffy gave her a confused look causing her to laugh again. Airi hopped off the bed and sat in Scruffy''s lap, ¡°We both don¡¯t want to give you up.¡± Scruffy blushed. Before he could reply Vera knocked at the door, ¡°I should probably answer that.¡± Airi threw her chained arms around his neck and stated, ¡°I have no intention of moving.¡± Scruffy rolled his eyes at her. He braced under her knees with one arm. Airi tightened her grip around his neck as he stood and lifted her. He walked over to the door and chuckled as Airi looked a little too happy about the situation. Scruffy opened the door with his free hand. Vera¡¯s expression changed from surprise, to jealousy and then finally anger. ¡°Why are you holding that...?¡± was all the confused girl could manage to say. Vera shot a vicious glare at Airi and then pretended like she was not even there. She looked up at Scruffy and said, ¡°I brought you the clothes you wanted.¡± Scruffy replied, ¡°Thank you, Vera.¡± Vera blushed and smiled at Scruffy, as he took the pile of clothes with his free hand. He placed them on the table behind them and turned back to Vera. Airi lifted herself closer to Scruffy¡¯s face, her tightened grip further pressing her breasts into Scruffy. She then started to purr and rub her cheek against Scruffy¡¯s neck. Vera¡¯s looked as though she was about to strangle Airi. ¡°Is there anything else you need?¡± Vera asked, her voice thick with anger. ¡°Uhm, no I think that''s all for now.¡± Scruffy replied. He gave her a warm smile in an attempt to ease the child''s jealous rage. Airi bit her cheek as she tried to hold back her giggling. Vera turned to leave the room, stopping to add, ¡°I¡¯ll bring you food in a bit.¡± Scruffy closed the door behind her as she left the room. ¡°I almost feel bad.¡± Airi said when her giggling had stopped. ¡°It was a bit amusing.¡± Scruffy replied. ¡°I hope you realize that she most likely hates you more now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± Airi replied, obviously satisfied. Scruffy sat back in the chair with Airi still hanging around his neck. He pointed to a few places on the map that looked close by. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°Each one would take a day or two to reach, where do you think looks good?¡± Scruffy questioned. ¡°You pick!¡± She replied gleefully. Scruffy chuckled again and suggested one of the closer towns. A knock came at the door. Airi pushed herself against him making obvious she didn''t want to get off him still. Scruffy walked over to the door while holding Airi. Another playful smile spreading across her face. Scruffy opened the door for Vera who was holding a single plate of food stacked with meat and sliced cheese in one hand. The other held two mugs one with water and the other had a strange smelling liquid. Scruffy motioned for her to place them on the table. Vera placed the plate and the mugs. As she set down the mug with the strange liquid she said, ¡°This one is for Airi. Mother said it was a special drink that allows Ythra to sleep better. I guess it''s only for Ythra so she told me not to let you have any.¡± Scruffy nodded his understanding and thanked Vera as she left. Scruffy and Airi chatted about what routes they could take to get to their next destination as they ate. After they had finished Airi took a sip of the strange drink, delighted by the taste she gulped it down all at once. Scruffy laughed as he watched. Scruffy talked a bit more about the map for a moment until he noticed Airi wasn¡¯t listening. ¡°Airi, what''s wrong?¡± He asked concerned Airi ran her claws down his chest in a light manner. Transfixed by the way it left marks on his skin. Scruffy flinched as she poked her claw into his bare chest. A small drop of blood started to well up around the shallow wound. Airi licked the droplet from him and let out a delighted moan. ¡°You taste good...¡± Airi licked him again. This time trailing her tongue over his nipple and up to the nape of his neck. She brushed her fangs against his skin. Scruffy started to tilt his head. But then stopped and gave her a slight push holding her away from him so he could look into her eyes. She had a blank expression on her face as if something had possessed her. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Scruffy asked confused. Airi¡¯s expression changed to irritated as she tried to push herself back against him. ¡°I want you¡­¡± Scruffy called Airi¡¯s name several times while holding her away while she tried to bite him. ¡°Airi? What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re acting strange.¡± Airi grabbed one of his arms and pressed it into her breast and let out a soft moan. Scruffy¡¯s face blushed as he tried to pull his hand away. Airi pushed herself into him knocking them both over in the chair. Scruffy¡¯s head hit the ground as she landed on top of him and kissed him hard. Scruffy¡¯s head spun as he tasted her soft lips. Head still dizzy, Scruffy hefted Airi off him. He stood up at a fast pace and almost lost his vision as the blood rushed from his head. Airi took the chance to leap onto him again and they crashed onto the bed. Scruffy couldn''t fathom how they had made little noise with their repeated falling. Airi wriggled out of her skirt kicking it from her chained feet and onto the floor. She sat up on Scruffy and ripped the rest of her clothing from herself before pressing her nude body to him. She gave him another ferocious kiss as her hands wandered down in between Scruffy¡¯s legs and grabbed his penis. Chapter 15: Thirsty Scruffy¡¯s Adventure Written by Scruffy¨Chime Edited by Luciferia Chapter 15: Thirsty Airi¡¯s tugged at Scruffy¡¯s pants trying to get them down far enough. Scruffy knew something was wrong and called out to Airi again, ¡°Airi? Airi please stop!¡± Airi responded with another tug at his pants. She moved down him after getting his pants off far enough to expose his penis. Before she could grab him again he slid back against the wall as he felt a warning scream through his head. He couldn¡¯t understand what it was or what it was trying to tell him. When Airi lunged for his exposed manhood again he grabbed her by the shoulders and held her back as best he could. Trying to listen to the warning once again he felt as though he should give himself over to his own instinct. Resolving himself to do so he let his instinct take over. He pulled Airi¡¯s head back close to his face and kissed her passionately. She moaned as he hugged her waist and pressed her nude body against him trapping her arms between them. He rolled over so that he was laying on her. He grabbed the chains on her arms and pinned them to the bed above her. Scruffy leaned forward and bit into her breast. Airi moaned and arched her back. Blood trickled into Scruffy¡¯s mouth. He drank a bit of her blood. It went down his throat like fire leaving a disgustingly sweet taste on his tongue. Scruffy yelped in pain and pulled back. His felt as though the taste should be different and his instincts screamed at him to keep drinking until she was back to normal. Ignoring the pain Scruffy bit into her again. After a few gulps the bloods taste had started to change. It no longer tasted as sweet but was now becoming delicious and somehow familiar. After another gulp Airi gasped. Her senses had started coming back to her. Airi pushed Scruffy¡¯s head from her breast and whispered, ¡°I feel alright now.¡± Scruffy looked at her for a moment and tasted the delicious blood left on his tongue. ¡°I think there is still some left.¡± Scruffy replied. ¡°Just a bit more and it should be out of your system.¡± Airi didn''t reply but instead raised her chest and looked away. Scruffy let go of the woman¡¯s arms before sinking his teeth into her again. He drank the blood slow this time not wanting to take more than what was needed. After Scruffy was satisfied her blood tasted the way he thought it should he licked the blood that had spilled from her breast. Airi let out a whimper as his tongue slid along her bloodied skin. Finding no more on her he climbed off Airi and pulled up his pants. Scruffy handed the change of clothing Vera had brought to Airi and then turned his back to wait for her to get dressed. He felt a light tap on his shoulder and turned to see Airi pointing at the chains on her. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°I can¡¯t do it by myself¡­¡± she whispered embarrassed. Vera had brought a pair of pants and a bra for Airi but not a shirt. There was no way to get the pants on over her chains so Scruffy retrieved her skirt from where she had kicked it across the room. He slid the skirt up Airi¡¯s soft legs causing her to flush again when he reached her waist. Scruffy grabbed the bra and slipped it around Airi. He helped her pull her large breasts into it and tightened the hooks at the back. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like she got you a shirt¡­¡± Scruffy said after Airi had finished adjusting her bra. ¡°Do you want to wear the one she got for me?¡± Still embarrassed, Airi shook her head and said, ¡°No it¡¯s fine¡­¡± After a moment Airi said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry...I don¡¯t know why I did that¡­¡± Scruffy gave her a soft look and stared into her eyes for a moment. He couldn¡¯t get enough of the beautiful silver color. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Scruffy said after a long pause. ¡°How do you feel? Dizzy or anything?¡± ¡°My head is killing me.¡± Airi said as she laid back on the bed. ¡°How did you know to do that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Scruffy replied after thinking about it. ¡°I just let my instincts take over and hoped for the best.¡± Airi let out a small laugh and sat back up. ¡°Are you okay? It seemed like it was hurting you to drink from me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. But I think it might be affecting me now.¡± A worried expression crossed Airi¡¯s face. ¡°If it comes to that I¡¯ll let you have s¨C¡± ¡°No.¡± Scruffy said cutting her off. ¡°You don¡¯t have to force yourself to do anything you don¡¯t want to for my sake. ¡°Besides, it seems to affect me differently.¡± ¡°Do you know why I acted like that?¡± Airi asked her curiosity taking over. ¡°I think it was that drink Vera¡¯s mother had sent up.¡± ¡°Why do you say that?¡± ¡°After I had a talk with Vera¡¯s mother earlier tonight while you were sleeping, it was apparent not only Vera thought of you or other Ythra poorly.¡± Scruffy paused as he felt a strong chill run up his spine, causing him to shiver violently. His body felt heavy, causing him to lay on the bed. He grew colder until he couldn¡¯t feel anything and began to slip into a deep sleep. Before Scruffy fully passed out he whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t... leave me¡­ need¡­ warm...¡± Airi was frightened as she looked at his shivering body. She pulled him the rest of the way onto the bed. Curling up to him was all she could think to do to keep him warm. She laid on top of him and lifted his head to put her chained arms around his neck. She tucked her tail between them and wrapped a leg around his as she pressed herself tightly to him. Chapter 16: Anger Scruffy¡¯s Adventure Written by Scruffy¨Chime Edited by Luciferia Chapter 16: Anger Scruffy had stopped shivering after an hour. But he had not woken up and his breathing was shallow. Airi had not stopped worrying since he passed out. She had tried to wake him, calling his name and shook him. But his only movement had been the slow breathing. Airi flinched when there was a knock at the door. When Airi opened the door Vera shot her a disgusted look. ¡°I just came to see if there was anything he might need.¡± She said with disdain. Vera¡¯s expression changed to confusion when she saw the terrified look on Airi¡¯s face. ¡°I¡­ I think he needs help.¡± Airi said causing Vera was now concerned and entered the room. She instantly walked over to Scruffy laying on the bed and then shot a foul look at Airi. ¡°What did you do!¡± Vera yelled. ¡°I started acting weird after I drank that drink. So Scruffy drank my blood until it was out of my system but now it''s affecting him. He has been asleep like that for a while now and i don''t know what to do.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll need to go get mom, she might be able to help him.¡± Vera darted from the room and ran down the stairs. Screaming for her mother to come help. Lirasi and Vera burst into the room. ¡°What happened?¡± Lirasi asked in a commanding tone. After Airi explained what happened Lirasi slapped her across the face sending her crashing into the table. ¡°You bitch!¡± Lirasi screamed. ¡°That drink is poisonous! You should have just died like a good whore!¡± ¡°Can you help him? Please? There has to be a way to save him?¡± Airi pleaded. ¡°There is no cure for Hallthir. Even diluted it is a deadly poison that will kill him within hours¡­ He¡¯s been dead since he drank it out of your system¡­¡± Tears poured from Airi¡¯s face. All she could manage to say was, ¡°No¡­¡± Airi felt numb to the pain as Lirasi kicked her, knocking her onto her back. She pinned Airi to the ground and pulled the knife from the table. Airi didn¡¯t attempt to stop her as she held the knife over her head. She didn¡¯t understand why she cared so much for him. Before she could ponder the thought for long Lirasi screamed out in pain. Scruffy was standing behind Lirasi. He had grabbed her by the wrist and snapped it effortlessly. He was still unconscious as he pulled the knife from her limp hand and tossed her out of the room. Airi looked up at him in fear. He had short black horns with red veins running through them. His skin had turned white, as if all the blood had gone from his body. All his wounds had healed up. He had a faint black aura around him and the floor underneath him started to freeze. He growled at Lirasi showing his dual sets of fangs. Vera screamed in horror as she ran from the room. Scruffy opened his eyes showing a deep violet color surrounded by black sclera. He looked into Airi¡¯s eye. His expression a mix of longing, and concern. She felt as though his gazed had pierced her core, causing shivers to run down her spine. Almost as soon as he had opened his eyes they shut again and he crumpled to the floor. His breathing slowed. Airi scrambled over to Scruffy as his body reverted back to human. She shook him and called his name trying to rouse him. Lirasi finally coming back to her senses walked back into the room. Her face covered with terror. ¡°He¡¯s a demon?¡± Lirasi asked timidly. Confused Airi looked at Lirasi and asked, ¡°What do you mean demon?¡± ¡°It¡¯s rare for a demon to be this far from Nolztay.¡± Lirasi said ignoring Airi¡¯s question. ¡°What are you talking about!¡± Airi yelled having no patience left. ¡°If he is able to be this far from there he must be a very high ranked demon. That poison may not kill him¡­ We will probably need to cut of his head and burn the corpse if we want make sure he dies.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t let you!¡± Airi yelled, and then let out a low hiss at Lirasi, ¡°Please¡­ Just let us leave and we won¡¯t come back.¡± Lirasi left and slammed the door behind her Airi could hear her calling guards and barking orders to not let them leave as she walked down the steps. Airi went back to shaking and calling out Scruffy¡¯s name begging him to wake up. After several minutes Scruffy started to stir and groan. ¡°Scruffy? Scruffy wake up!¡± Airi said frantically. ¡°We need to leave!¡± ¡°Huh¡­? What happened?¡± Scruffy asked still groggy. ¡°I''ll explain later. We need to leave now!¡± Still dizzy, Scruffy got to be feet, folded the map, stuck it in his pocket and then grabbed the knife. Scruffy put on the navy blue shirt Vera had brought for him earlier. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°We won''t make it far with you still in chains.¡± Scruffy said as he remembered getting the key earlier, ¡°Here.¡± Scruffy dug the key from his pocket and unlocked the shackles on her wrists and ankles. ¡°I don''t have the one for the collar but this should be good for now.¡± ¡°When did you get a key?¡± ¡°Earlier tonight they wanted to talk with me and I convinced them to give me one.¡± Airi wanted to ask why they had called him but decided against it as they readied themselves for what they might have to do. Airi cracked open the door and saw two guards posted outside. Scruffy was still recovering and could hardly stand. Airi took the knife from him. She flung the door open and plunged the knife into the first guard''s throat before she could react. Blood sprayed from her neck, covering Airi as she crumpled to the floor gasping for breath as her life faded. Before Airi could pull the knife from the corpse the second guard had drawn her sword and swung at Airi. She jumped back narrowly avoiding the tip. The guard swung at Airi again this time grazing her shoulder as she stumbled. Scruffy ran from the room and rammed his shoulder into the guard. They crashed into the wall causing the woman to drop her weapon. Airi scrambled forward and grabbed it. Before the guard could recover Airi stabbed it through her chest. As the guard died she let out a piercing scream. Scruffy and Airi heard the loud footsteps of guards running. Still dizzy, Scruffy took the weapon from the body as Airi pulled the knife from the other bleeding corpse. ¡°What now?¡± Scruffy asked, panicking. ¡°No idea.¡± Airi replied. The guards would be upon them soon and by the sounds of things there were far too many for them to handle. ¡°I''ll distract them. You take the map and I''ll meet you there.¡± Scruffy said in a rush as he gave Airi the map and pushed her back into the room. ¡°Wait a minute then run.¡± Before Airi could argue Scruffy had closed the door. She heard him yell something and then run down the hall. After waiting a minute Airi cracked open the door and peeked out. There were no guards in sight and from what she could hear they must not have caught Scruffy yet. Airi ran down the hall the other way and went down the stairs. No guards were waiting for her at the bottom. It seemed all the attention was going toward Scruffy as if they had forget she existed. Airi bit back a scream as something smashed into her bruised leg. She turned to see Vera standing behind her. She was holding a sword still in its sheath. Vera could hardly move the heavy weapon and it seemed as though she couldn¡¯t get it out. Vera attempted to take another slow swing at Airi who had fallen to the ground. With her good leg Airi kicked Vera¡¯s feet out from under her. As Vera fell Airi lunged at Vera and pinned her to the ground. Airi used her claws to ripped into Vera¡¯s throat before she even realized what she was doing. Blood spewed from the child. Vera¡¯s face filled with terror as she realized what had happened. She clamped her hands over her throat trying to stop the bleeding. Vera gurgled and coughed blood as she tried to breath. She suffered for mere moments before dying with the look of horror still on her face. Airi felt her panic rise again as she realized she did not even have time to think about killing Vera. Airi grabbed the knife from where it had tumbled to. Deciding she wanted the sword as well she quickly pried it from Vera¡¯s small dead hands. Luckily the sword had a strap on the sheath allowing Airi to sling it over her shoulder. She peered out the front door into the street they had arrived from. There was another two dozen guards outside. Airi ran back into the dining room and into the kitchen. There was a heavy door at the back that took her several tries to open. The door opened with a loud squeak alerting the three guards posted at the back. Airi lept out of the way as one shot an arrow aimed at her head. Landing on her feet she tossed the knife hitting one of the women in the shoulder causing her to scream in pain. Airi kicked another out of her way and then sprinted down the back alley as the guards recovered and started to chase her. Not knowing where she was going Airi ran down the alley turning at every opportunity. After making several more turns and ducking behind another building the guards lost track of her. ¡°You two go that way!¡± one yelled, sending two guards ran off in the wrong direction and one came right at Airi. Before the guard found her Airi drew the sword. Waiting till she was close enough Airi swung it at the guard. The guard did not have time to react as Airi cut her head clean from her neck. Blood and gore sprayed from the body as it crumpled to the ground. Airi sheathed the sword and crept into the shadows, thankful that it was still a dark night. Staying hidden was easy for her. Her feline grace let her move through the shadows without a sound. Chapter 17: Unwilling Fight Scruffy¡¯s Adventure Written by Scruffy¨Chime Edited by Luciferia Chapter 17: Unwilling Fight ¡°Don¡¯t let him escape!¡± one of the many guards chasing Scruffy yelled as he sprinted down another hallway. Scruffy ducked under another arrow as it whistled past his head. He rounded another corner, leading him to a narrow hallway that was a dead end. Not knowing what else to do, he readied himself to fight. The first of the dozen guards rounded the corner. Scruffy swung the sword and cleaved a large chunk out of the woman''s head. Blood, bone and grey brain matter splatter across him and the floor. Before the others could react Scruffy had plunged it into the breast of another. She screamed as she doubled over in pain and grabbed the blade making it so Scruffy could not pull it out. Scruffy kicked the dying woman into the other ten. In this narrow hall only one or two at a time could get to him. This was the only advantage Scruffy had. ¡°Please! I don¡¯t want to hurt anyone let alone kill again!¡± Scruffy yelled trying to get them to back down. The women ignored him. The next one in front lunged forward aiming her blade at Scruffy¡¯s chest. Scruffy dodged the attack grabbing the spare blade from the woman¡¯s waist. This one was thinner with a single edge. Now he was trapped in between two guards. He quickly deflected the swing from the one in front and moved out of the way as the guard behind him tried to cut into his shoulder. He kicked the one at the front of the line in the abdomen causing her to crumple to the floor wheezing. The one behind him wasted no time in making her next swing. Scruffy barely avoided the slash. He whirled to face her. Not waiting for her to make move again he impaled the sword through her throat. As he ripped the blade out blood was sent spewing. As he turned to face the remaining guards, he bashed the hilt of the sword into the woman who was still doubled over. There was a loud crack as her skull shattered and she was sent into the wall. The next one took a more defencive approach as she made a slow advance on Scruffy. The guard made a feint to the left. Scruffy fell for it and moved his weapon to block it. The guard made a fast strike and slashed down Scruffy¡¯s right forearm. Blood oozed from the wound as he backed a few paces. The guard attempted another feint but Scruffy did not fall for it this time. Instead took the opportunity to strike at the woman. He cleaved through bone as his sword went through the woman''s shoulder, severing her arm from her body. She shrieked in pain and tried to grab the wound as if she could stop the bleeding. Scruffy took no pause as he stabbed into the woman¡¯s skull causing the end of the blade to burst from the other side of her skull. The remained guards looked terrified as another one of their allies fell. A few closer to the back decided to run and hide or get reinforcements. Scruffy looked at the remaining three, ¡°Please¡­ just leave me alone¡­¡± Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.¡°I must admit I did not expect you to be this hard to take down.¡± the guard in the front replied. ¡°Tell you what. If you can best these remaining two I''ll show you how to get out myself. ¡°Captain?¡± the one behind her looked confused as she stepped past the captain and took her stance. ¡°Why would you do that?¡± Scruffy asked suspiciously. ¡°I have my reasons¡­¡± was the only answer he got before he had to deflect a strike from his opponent. Scruffy refocused on the fight. This woman was smaller and her strikes much faster. He backed as he deflected the onslaught of strikes from the guard. His back hit the wall as another slash came down on him. He narrowly dodged it watching as the blade cut into the wall. Scruffy took the opportunity to punch her in the face. There was a snap as the woman''s nose broke. Blood ran down her face as she screamed in rage and abandoned the weapon stuck in the wall. The guard started throwing punches at Scruffy. Her bare handed attacks were as fast as her sword. She landed several hit into Scruffy¡¯s stomach and wounded forearm. Scruffy dropped his sword after she landed another hit. As an act of desperation Scruffy tackled the woman. He hit her with his shoulder into her chest knocking her from her feet. Scruffy fell onto her. He quickly sat up on her chest. She struggled furiously as she tried to get out from under him. Giving her no chance to do so Scruffy punched her in the face again. She brought her arms up in defence but it provided no help as Scruffy changed his plan and grabbed her by the throat. He crushed his hands around her neck. The guard fought furiously punching and scratching at his face trying to make him let go. No matter what she tried Scruffy¡¯s grip never lessened. He listened to her pitiful choking as he broke her windpipe. Her eyes went wide as she tried gasping for breath. She kicked and clawed at him violently. After a short moment her thrashing stopped and Scruffy climbed off her. Before he could get to his feet the next woman was already on him. This woman was much bigger with larger muscles and a huge claymore. She swung the sword as Scruffy. He managed to back away just enough for the blade to miss and cleave the head of her strangled comrade in half. Blood, bone, sinew, and gore exploded from the corpse. As Scruffy scrambled backwards into the wall again he grabbed the sword he had dropped a moment ago. The large woman swung at him again. Knowing that he could not parry a swing of that strength he rolled forward through her legs. He turned as she launched a kick at him forcing him to duck under her leg. Acting fast, Scruffy drove his blade through her knee and then pulled it back out. The guard screamed in pain as blood oozed from the wound. Before the large woman could try to swing her weapon at him again Scruffy lunged forward and plunged his sword into her heart. As the woman fell back he pulled his sword from her lifeless body. He turned to face the remaining guard. Exhaustion caught up with him as the adrenaline wore off. ¡°Well done¡­¡± the captain remarked looking at her fallen comrades. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you could actually do it¡­¡± ¡°You said you¡¯d show me how to get out?¡± Scruffy asked catching his breath. ¡°Or do I have to fight you too now?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll get you out. My name¡¯s Ria by the way.¡± Chapter 18: Unfortunate Meeting Scruffy¡¯s Adventure Written by Scruffy¨Chime Edited by Luciferia Chapter 18: Unfortunate Meeting Airi ducked behind a low wall as she moved through the city. She had spotted a smaller gate than the one her and Scruffy had entered the town through. She tried to hide from dozens of guards searching for her as she made her way through the small alleyways. They seemed frantic in their search. Airi hoped that meant Scruffy had not been caught yet. A guard stopped a couple feet in front of her. Fear rose in Airi as she heard the guard breathing. After a moment the guard ran off. Airi looked around to see if any guards were nearby before she ran to the next alley. Progress was going slow but if she just stayed hidden she might be able to get out. She hid from several more guards before getting close enough to the small gate to make a run for it. There were only two guards standing guard. All the commotion must have drawn the others away. She was still carrying the sword she had taken from Vera. Airi pulled the sword from its sheath, being careful to not make any noise. She took a deep breath and ran for the gate. The first guard drew her weapon and lunged at Airi. Airi dodged out of the way and cut cut open the guards stomach. The large gash ripped her far enough open for her insides to spill out. The clutched at the wound trying to hold it close as she died. The second guard didn¡¯t even look at her dead ally as she pulled her own weapon and let out a war cry. The guard swung at Airi ferociously giving her no chance to counter. Airi took a kick to her side as she blocked a strike from above. The kick took Airi from her feet. Airi rolled onto her back and brought the sword up just in time to parry another swing. The guard pushed down on the crossed blades with all her strength. Airi could not hold her back any longer. Airi put her feet to the woman¡¯s stomach and kicked her as hard as she could. The guard was sent toppling over Airi and landed on her back. Before the guard could recover Airi stabbed into the woman''s head. Airi had no time to think about the guards as she got to her feet and continued her run for the gate. The gate looked to be made of two small wooden doors. When Airi tried to open one she found that it was locked. She tried smashing the lock with the hilt of her sword but it would not break. Finding no other way around Airi decided she would need to climb the wall. She sheathed her sword on her back and prepared herself. She took a short run at the walled and jumped. She dug into the wooden wall with her claws and started to climb. It was still a tall wall so the climb took Airi longer than she would have liked. When she reached the top she wiggled herself between two of the pointed tops and hung from the other side. Digging in with her claws again she began her descent on the other side. When Airi reached the ground she sprinted to the nearby woods. Hiding behind a tree she waited and listened if anyone might be following her. All she could hear were sounds in the forest and the chaos from inside Ensiry. Airi pulled the map from where she had tucked it between her breasts. The town Scruffy told her they were heading to was called Bel''tas on the map. Airi¡¯s mind raced as she thought about if he got caught. Pain lanced through her chest as the thought of them killing him came into her mind. Deciding she would trust him, she looked down at the map again and studied the path to the next town. Airi found the side of Ensiry she must have climbed down from and looked for the best route to take. Bel¡¯tas was far from the forest so all the trails looked to be out in the open. Airi let out a sad laugh as she thought Scruffy must have done that for her knowing she didn''t like the forest. After she decided on what path to take she began moving through the forest. After a while, Airi had to leave the forest to continue down another trail. She felt uncomfortable being out in the open. She walked at a brisk pace down the road. She had chosen this path because it seemed to be one of the smaller paths that may be less traveled. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. It was morning now and Airi had been walking the path for a long time. Airi saw a group of women walking down the road. She jumped into the tall grass of the field and waited for them to pass. As they got closer she could hear the shuffling of chains. The group took a sudden stop near Airi¡¯s hiding place. ¡°Get up!¡± a voice yelled from nearby. ¡°It looks like her leg is broken.¡± a soft voice replied. ¡°If you can¡¯t walk then you''re of no use to anyone!¡± the woman yelled again. Airi heard a metallic ring as someone drew their weapon. ¡°No please!¡± the voice sounded like a child. ¡°Please, I don''t want to die!¡± Airi heard a thud and several gasps. ¡°Move!¡± the same voice ordered. Airi waited until she could no longer hear the shuffling of chains before peering out from her hiding place. Choking as she caught the sight of a small girl, maybe eight years old, lying dead on the trail. The sight of the beheaded child was sickening. Airi gagged and held down her vomit as she moved out from the grass. Airi felt sorrow for the poor girl but left her there. She had no time to bury or otherwise dispose of the body. Airi turned to continue down the trail when an arrow pierced through her leg. She crumpled to the ground and looked at the sharp point jutting from her calf. Three women she had not noticed came running from a distance. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you pretty.¡± The first one commented as they neared Aiir. ¡°I think we could get a good price for her.¡± The second said. ¡°Her fur and tail look well taken care of. There¡¯ll be lots of people willing to buy her.¡± The third confirmed. ¡°Hell I''d love to have one looking like that.¡± the second said hungrily, ¡°A slave like that would make a good sex toy.¡± Airi drew her sword and pointed it at the women. She scooted herself backwards along the ground. The shortest woman ran around the side of Airi and stopped behind her, halting Airi¡¯s retreat. ¡°That''s a pretty sword, where did you steal that from?¡± the young woman asked from behind her. Airi hissed and swung the sword at her. The woman easily avoided it and laughed. Before Airi could turn to face the other women again. The third woman kicked Airi¡¯s chest, knocking the air from her lungs sending her sprawling backwards. Airi¡¯s grip on the sword loosened, making it easy for the other woman to kick it away from her. The other two laughed down at Airi as the third lifted Airi to her feet and threw the injured woman over her shoulder. The second pulled Airi¡¯s scabbard off her back and slung it over her own shoulder. ¡°So what''s a bitch like you doin¡¯ out here?¡± the third asked Airi after they began walking. Airi had to think of something fast. She decided she might be able to lie and get them to not sell her, or at least not kill her. ¡°I was running an errand for my master.¡± Airi said quickly. ¡°Damnit!¡± the second one exclaimed. ¡°You mean this one is owned already?¡± ¡°Maybe we can get a discounted price in one of the underground markets?¡± the first said. ¡°A pretty thing like this?¡± the third questioned. ¡°The black market would know something''s up, and if I owned a nice cunt like her I would wonder where it was. ¡°Hey bitch, who¡¯s your owner? We will return you and them give us a nice reward.¡± ¡°He,¡± Airi stressed the word before continuing, ¡°is in Bel¡¯tas!¡± ¡°Oooh she belongs to a man?¡± the first exclaimed. ¡°That makes sense.¡± The second laughed before saying, ¡°She probably gets fucked daily!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll take you back to Bel¡¯tas.¡± the third said, ¡°when we get there tell your master how nice we were and make sure we get rewarded and we promise not to rape you along the way!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not fair, Mira! I wanted to fuck the bitch!¡± ¡°No, Kira, it¡¯s rude to use someone else¡¯s property without their approval.¡± the first replied. ¡°But, Lira! She looks so good!¡± Kira complained. Mira roared with laughter, ¡°You¡¯d probably break her before we got back!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, Mira, Kira. I¡¯m sure she misses her master.¡± Lira said. Chapter 19: Close Call Scruffy¡¯s Adventure Written by Scruffy¨Chime Edited by Luciferia Chapter 19: Close Call ¡°You¡¯ll be safe here for a while.¡± Ria assured Scruffy as she closed the door behind herself. ¡°Where are we?¡± Scruffy asked suspiciously. ¡°This is my house.¡± Ria replied. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I live alone. We¡¯ll get some supplies then head out when it gets dark again.¡± Scruffy still didn¡¯t trust Ria but he had no other choice at the moment. He was exhausted after all the running and fighting he had to do. It had taken them hours to reach her house. It was a small building only three rooms total. Ria led him into the main room and motioned at cushion for him to sit on. ¡°Want some tea?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ sure?¡± Scruffy replied. ¡°You do know what tea is right?¡± ¡°No¡­ I lost my memories recently¡­ I don¡¯t really know much about anything.¡± Ria looked at him stunned for a moment before asking, ¡°Then¡­ How did you fight like that back there?¡± ¡°No idea, I was just acting on instinct.¡± Scruffy replied after a moment of thought. A surprised look crossed Ria¡¯s face, ¡°So what do you know?¡± ¡°Uhm¡­ I woke up yesterday, got hit on the head, met Airi, ran around the forest and almost died several times¡­then I came here and people tried to kill me again.¡± ¡°Lirasi said something about you being a demon?¡± Scruffy shot Ria a confused expression, ¡°What¡¯s a Demon?¡± ¡°Demons are magic. They keep to themselves up north. Humans have started wars with them many times but we have never win. They never retaliate either, they simply decimate our army then go back to their own cities. ¡°People are usually scared of them, but some have gotten friendly and learned what they could about them.¡± Ria walked into the kitchen and got some cups for the tea she was making. After she poured some she sat on a cushion across the short table from Scruffy. ¡°Careful, it¡¯s hot.¡± Ria cautioned. ¡°Thanks, but if i really am a demon then shouldn¡¯t you be scared of me?¡± ¡°I see no reason to be.¡± Ria said taking another sip, ¡°You don¡¯t strike me as the type to even want to drink the blood of someone, I watched how you fought earlier. You really didn''t want to hurt anyone did you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like violence¡­ Is there anything else you can tell me about them? Any physical things that might give me away as one? Still don¡¯t know if I believe I am one.¡± ¡°Well as far as physical goes, Demons can change their appearance to look human. But their true forms vary greatly, They can look like a monster or beast or they can be pretty similar to humans. ¡°From how Lirasi described your demon form it seems you were similar to human but had horns and a black aura surrounding you.¡± Ria paused to take another sip of her tea, ¡°But it¡¯s unlikely that you are a demon. Only high ranking demons can live outside their city. And even they need to feed to do it.¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®feed¡¯?¡± Scruffy asked. ¡°They feed off Humans or Ythra. I''ve heard several ways. Like eating the flesh from their bones or just drinking their blood or even just having sex.¡± Ria and Scruffy drank the rest of their tea in silence. When they were done Scruffy thanked her again. ¡°I need a bath after all this running. You should join me.¡± Ria said. Scruffy blushed violently, ¡°I think I¡¯ll wait.¡± ¡°If you insist.¡± Ria said as she went into the bathroom, ¡°Feel free to join me if you change your mind.¡± Scruffy sat on the cushion and thought about what happened since he woke up. He didn¡¯t think Ria was lying but he couldn¡¯t believe he was a demon. He considered how he craved meat and how he really enjoyed the taste of Airi¡¯s blood. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I guess it¡¯s possible¡­¡± Scruffy mumbled to himself. Scruffy thought for a while longer until Ria had finished her bath. Scruffy¡¯s looked away and his face went bright red when Ria walked out of the bathroom naked. Ria smirked and walked over to stand in front of him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ria teased, ¡°You don¡¯t think I''m pretty?¡± Ria was short, but still taller than Airi and had a slender body. Her bust was smaller than Airi¡¯s but she still had a nice figure with long legs and pale skin. Her dark auburn hair was short, only coming down to her shoulders and had several layers to it. She had light green eyes. ¡°No¡­ It¡¯s just¡­ you¡¯re naked¡­¡± Scruffy replied embarrassed. Ria grabbed Scruffy and yanked him to his feet when they heard people walking outside. Ria ran into the bathroom with him just before someone opened her front door. ¡°Ria?¡± a woman called, ¡°Ria, Lirasi ordered us to search every house. Ria?¡± ¡°Maybe she¡¯s in the bathroom?¡± a different woman called. ¡°Ria are you in here?¡± Ria pulled Scruffy into the bath with her. The water turned red as the blood covered Scruffy fell into the water. She whispered to Scruffy, ¡°Take a deep breath.¡± It was all the warning he got before she grabbed his head and shoved him underwater. Scruffy almost lost his breath when he opened his eyes and his face was between her legs. Ria pulled him a bit closer when the door opened and two women stepped in. ¡°Ria, we were ordered to search everywhere for them. You have not seen him have you?¡± ¡°No, after he killed my platoon he hit me over the head and made a run for it.¡± ¡°He¡­ he killed all of them?¡± ¡°He killed the ones that didn''t run away in fear.¡± Ria replied in a blunt manner. The woman walked closer. Ria¡¯s face turned a light shade of red as she pulled Scruffy closer, pressing his face to her bare skin. ¡°Are you okay? This looks like a lot of blood.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I got some light cuts but all of this isn¡¯t even my blood¡­¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Well¡­ Just let us know if you find him, we will be searching the area.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Ria held his head against her for a moment longer until she was sure they had left. Scruffy gasped for air as she let him up. Scruffy¡¯s shied away from her as she laughed at him. ¡°That wasn¡¯t so bad.¡± Ria laughed. Scruffy didn¡¯t reply as he turned a dark shade of red. ¡°Well now that you''re in here, we may as well get you cleaned up.¡± Ria said as she climbed out of the bath. ¡°I can probably do this by myself¡­¡± Scruffy replied. ¡°Where¡¯s the fun in that?¡± Ria laughed again. Ria held out a hand and helped Scruffy out of the bath. She knelt forward and pulled down his pants. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Scruffy yelped. ¡°Shh,¡± Ria replied as she tugged his pants the rest of the way off. ¡°We can¡¯t have you covered in blood and guts while we are trying to sneak out. ¡°And besides, you got a close look at me so it¡¯s only fair.¡± Scruffy sighed as he gave in and peeled off his soaked shirt. Ria teased him more as she helped wash the blood from him. Ria made Scruffy stay naked until his clothes had dried. Saying that she didn¡¯t want to stop ogling him yet. Too tired to argue, Scruffy asked if he had time to take a nap before they left. ¡°Thought you didn¡¯t trust me yet?¡± Ria teased as he laid on the floor. ¡°I don¡¯t, but I''m starting too.¡± Scruffy replied. ¡°I guess if you don¡¯t kill me in my sleep then I¡¯ll have to trust you. Besides, either way I¡¯m too tired to even try to run from anything right now.¡± Ria laughed, ¡°We should have a couple hours before I get all the things we need. I¡¯ll wake you when it¡¯s time. ¡°And I promise not to do anything too inappropriate to you in your sleep.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Scruffy replied as he passed out. Chapter 20: A Rare Encounter Scruffy¡¯s Adventure Written by Scruffy¨Chime Edited by Luciferia Chapter 20: A Rare Encounter ¡°Scruffy¡­ Scruffy wake up!¡± Ria nudged him again with her finger. ¡°It¡¯s time to leave.¡± ¡°Huh¡­what?¡± Scruffy rubbed his eyes as he sat up. Ria tossed Scruffy¡¯s cleaned clothes at him, ¡°Put some clothes on. We need to leave.¡± Scruffy blushed as he remembered what had happened earlier. Ria laughed as he tugged on his pants and shirt. Ria had put on tight blue pants and a light blue shirt. ¡°How are you getting me out of here?¡± ¡°Quietly.¡± Was the only answer Ria gave as she opened the door. Ria motioned for Scruffy to follow as she peeked out the door. Once she sure that no one was around she started walking at a fast pace. Ria and Scruffy began weaving through the shadows. After several close calls they had made it to a small gate. Ria paused in the alleyway as a concerned look crossed her face. ¡°Something''s wrong¡­ ¡°Stay here. I¡¯m going to go ask them what happened and see if there is any way we can sneak around them.¡± Ria left Scruffy alone in the dark and walked over to the dozen guards posted at the gate. After several minutes of talking she walked back. ¡°Seems your friend got out.¡± Ria whispered when she was hidden again. ¡°Really?¡± Scruffy asked with hope. ¡°Yea two bodies were found at the gate. It¡¯s good for her but it makes things much harder for us. We have two options¡­ kill them or make a run for it.¡± ¡°You know I don¡¯t like killing people¡­¡± ¡°So that leaves us with option two.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your plan then?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll distract them and get them to open the gates. Once they know I betrayed them, they won¡¯t hesitate to kill even me. ¡°I know most of these women pretty well, they will react fast once you''re seen. I trained most of them to fight so I know their habits¡­ I should be able to get past them.¡± ¡°Alright...don¡¯t die.¡± Ria smiled and then walked back over to the guards. Scruffy inched as close as he could without being detected and waited. It only took a moment for Ria to persuade them to open the gate for her. She waved her hands around and talked to them for a moment longer. It looked as though she was giving orders. A few of the guards left and Ria motioned to where Scruffy was hiding. He figured that was the sign and sprinted out of the shadows. The women were stunned for a moment. The gap from his hiding place to the gate was only a few feet. Ria rammed into one guard with her shoulder and kicked another one from her feet. Once the guards understood what was going on the drew their weapons and charged Scruffy and Ria. Ria had tackled another guard from her feet and kicked another guard sending her tumbling backwards into a couple others allowing Scruffy to catch up. Ria turned from the fallen guards and ran up behind Scruffy. The livid guards chased the pair for a long time. Some of them screamed at Ria asking her why or cursing her for helping Scruffy, others accused Scruffy of brainwashing her. The guards gave up when the pair entered the Astal forest. Ria explained that no one lasts long inside the forest and that they would need to hurry to get out. Ria and Scruffy walked inside the forest for a while until they came to a trail that lead them to a main road that Ria said would take them to Bel¡¯tas. Once they were out from under the thick canopy Scruffy looked around at the beautiful light blue grass that spanned as far as he could see. The night was lit by the light of the two moons and thousands of stars. One moon looked to had been shattered as pieces of it exploded out to one side and the other was larger and still whole. The pale blue glow radiating from the moons was dazzling. ¡°It¡¯s very unusual for a man to be walking outside a town without a lot of protection so if we run into anyone along the way just let me do the talking.¡± Ria warned. ¡°Will you tell me why you''re even helping me?¡± Scruffy asked. ¡°I really do appreciate it, but if I''m going to trust you I need to know.¡± Ria let out a long sigh, ¡°Yeah... I guess you''re right.¡± Ria paused for a while. Scruffy was starting to think she wasn¡¯t going to say anything else. ¡°I need your help¡­¡± Ria said in a soft voice. ¡°With what?¡± Scruffy replied curious. Ria sighed again, ¡°My sister was taken¡­¡± ¡°Taken? By who?¡± ¡°By a god.¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®god¡¯? Scruffy replied confused. ¡°I don''t know what that is.¡± Stolen story; please report. ¡°The gods or Fays are believed to be the most powerful beings in existence. There are sixteen of them, the main four are; Nalmos, the God of Storms, Vesah, the God of Nature, Est, God of Fertility, and Wuigh the Insane. We call them the High Gods. ¡°And then there are the twelve low gods. They keep their names and roles hidden from us.¡± Scruffy thought about the information for a moment before asking, ¡°So which one of the took your sister?¡± ¡°Nalmos,¡± Ria replied in a bitter tone. ¡°I don¡¯t know why he took her, but I want her back.¡± ¡°What makes you think I can help?¡± ¡°If you really are a demon then perhaps you or someone you know can take me to Elild, the gods¡¯ home.¡± ¡°After we find Airi I¡¯ll do what I can but¡­¡± ¡°I know It¡¯s a long shot...but it¡¯s my only chance.¡± Ria replied in a sad tone. Ria and Scruffy walked in silence for a while before she asked him, ¡°So why is this Ythra so important to you?¡± ¡°I¡­ don''t know honestly¡­¡± Scruffy said, ¡°She was there when I woke up and we helped each other since then. I doubt I would be alive if not for her.¡± ¡°So you feel you owe her?¡± Ria asked. ¡°Yeah¡­ but it¡¯s more than that¡­ I think I knew her before my memory was lost¡­ Since we got separated the thing I''ve wanted most it just to see her again and it hurts to be away from her.¡± ¡°I know the feeling.¡± Ria replied in a depressed voice. ¡°But as you may have noticed, Ythra are not well liked by most people. All Ythra are born into slavery and typically beaten or otherwise abused even as children. ¡°I never owned a Ythra, but I also never thought anything of it before. It¡¯s just the way things are.¡± ¡°Airi is¡­ important to me, when I saw Vera hit her i wanted to rip the little girl in half. Just the thought of anyone trying to hurt her¡­¡± Ria and Scruffy walked in silence for a long time after that. A few passing strangers gave the pair confused looks but didn¡¯t take the time to stop and ask. Ria slowed when she noticed a large coach parked on the side of the road. When she noticed the large amount of guards surrounding it she guess that it was a traveling male. ¡°This is rare... ¡° Ria said, ¡°That has to be a male¡­ but why?¡± Ria shot Scruffy a confused look but they decided not to stop. When they got closer to the caravan they could hear a lot of yelling. It sounded like the carriage had gotten stuck. ¡°Don''t speak when we get close. If you say anything weird they might not let us leave by ourselves.¡± Ria warned as they closed in on the carriage. Scruffy gave her a confused look but nodded that he understood. It was only a minute before one of the guards noticed them and yelled. ¡°Halt! Who are you?¡± ¡°I am Ria and this is my master.¡± Ria lied. ¡°You will stop and help us.¡± The large woman walked out in front of them and then jumped back when she noticed Scruffy. ¡°I¨CI¡¯m sorry, I didn''t realize you were a male.¡± Ria glared at the woman before saying, ¡°We are going to Bel¡¯tas, you will let us go through now.¡± ¡°O¨Cof course.¡± The woman stuttered. ¡°Did I hear that right? Another male is out there?¡± a deep voice called from inside the carriage. Ria¡¯s face went pale as the man exited and walked over to them. ¡°Hello I¡¯m Atai, I have not met another male in a long time.¡± Atai took a long look at Scruffy before asking, ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°This is¨C¡° ¡°I did not ask you, woman.¡± Atai said in a dangerous tone. Ria was about to answer but Scruffy spoke first. ¡°I¡¯m Scruffy, and I would like to be on my way.¡± Ria was surprised by Scruffy¡¯s threatening tone. ¡°Yes of course.¡± Atai replied. ¡°But if you don¡¯t mind my asking, why are you traveling on foot¡­ and with only traveling with one servant?¡± ¡°Ria was all that I needed for this trip. Also I prefer walking. Now if you are done I would like to leave.¡± Atai shot Scruffy a vicious gaze. Scruffy ignored it and started walking away motioning for Ria to follow. After a couple steps Scruffy wished him a safe trip then continued walking. Atai did not reply as he stormed back into his carriage. ¡°Well that was interesting.¡± Scruffy said with a sigh. Ria laughed, ¡°You probably pissed him off. Hope we never run into him again.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± Scruffy replied sighing again. ¡°I was surprised though.¡± Ria said after several minutes. ¡°I did not expect you to handle it like that.¡± ¡°Did I say something wrong?¡± ¡°No, it''s just this whole time you''ve acted completely different from any other man I''ve known. Something about seeing you acting like that was just weird.¡± Scruffy chuckled, ¡°I just acted like how I thought I should.¡± ¡°Well it worked.¡± Chapter 21: Scruffy¡¯s Adventure Written by Scruffy¨Chime Edited by Luciferia Chapter 21: Airi yelped as she was brought awake by the searing pain in her leg. ¡°Wake up bitch!¡± Mira yelled, digging her heel further into Airi¡¯s bruised leg. Kira had been sleeping with her face buried into Airi chest. Airi tried to move the sleeping girl off of her but she tightened her grip. ¡°Uh...can you¡­get her off me please?¡± Airi asked timidly. Mira grabbed the youngest sister by her shirt and lifted her off Airi. She threw Kira over her shoulder and motioned for Airi to get up and then follow her. Lira was waiting for them outside the tent. Lira ordered Airi to take down the tent and pack it before they left. The other two sisters packed the other supplies. Once everything was ready the four of them set out. Airi still did not like the sisters but they had kept their promise to not rape her and take her to Bel¡¯tas. She was still worried about what she was going to do when she got there. Hoping that Scruffy would be there already. Maybe he would be able to help her. After a while Airi spotted Bel¡¯tas in the distance. The city was much larger than Ensiry. The buildings along the outskirts were smaller and closer together. They were made from a variety of stone and bricks. The houses on the outskirt of the town were in poor shape. As Airi walked past she could see many of them destroyed by one manner or another. There were people living amongst the rubble. The state they were in was almost as bad as the buildings they huddled under. ¡°So, where does your master live?¡± Mira asked. Airi frantically tried to think of a lie she could tell them. ¡°Uh¡­ He¡­ he never stays in one part of town for long¡­it may take a while to actually find him so if you want to leave me here I can go find him on my own. That way you don''t need to tire yourself out.¡± Mira¡¯s booming laughter startled Airi, ¡°I don''t think so, not letting you out of my sight until we get you back to your master and we get rewarded.¡± ¡°What is your master''s name?¡± Lira asked. ¡°We can start asking around town. Eventually we will find him.¡± ¡°Scruffy.¡± Airi replied. Lira cringed at the name. ¡°That¡¯s¡­an odd name. But I suppose it would make finding him easier.¡± The four of the headed into town. Lira sent Kira and Mira away to go ask around on their own, leaving Airi alone with her. Airi and Lira walked around the town in silence for a while. ¡°I know you lied.¡± Lira said causing Airi¡¯s stomach to drop. ¡°My question is, why?¡± Airi tried to act dumb, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I know you lied about your master being in Bel¡¯tas, and that you were not on an errand.¡± Lira looked down at the shorter woman indignantly. ¡°My question is, why would you have us take you to Bel¡¯tas knowing no one here would help you?¡± Airi decided to tell her part of the truth, ¡°My ¡®master¡¯ is on his way here, I was going to wait until he got here.¡± ¡°So you''re not running away?¡± Lira asked in a suspicious tone. ¡°No¡­ I haven¡¯t known him for very long but he has been very kind to me. I am worried about him, he would be traveling by himself and with how clumsy he is i don¡¯t know if he will make it.¡± ¡°By himself?¡± Lira looked shocked. ¡°Why would a man ever travel by himself¡­not that it matters, as long as we get our reward. If he doesn''t show up we can always assume he died and just sell you.¡± ¡°So¡­are you going to tell the others?¡± Airi asked, fearing the response. ¡°No, not yet anyways. I¡¯ve got something in the bag you¡¯ve been holding that I need to¡­¡®get rid of.¡¯ Having you around would benefit that.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Well you see, Ythra are slaves as you know, so people who own slaves typically are from the higher society. ¡°So, since you are such a pretty little thing, I am willing to bet that people will treat me better if they think you belong to me. So be a good girl and play along.¡± Airi and Lira walked around town. Lira stopped at a shady looking place to haggle some items she was trying to sell. After going through a few items Airi caught the shop owner''s attention. ¡°That''s quite a pretty whore you got yourself.¡± the old woman commented. She was missing several teeth and smelled foul. ¡°Oh her? Yes she is quite nice to look at isn¡¯t she?¡± Lira replied in a nonchalant manner. ¡°Would you be willing to sell her to me?¡± The old woman asked. ¡°I¡¯d be willing to give you a good price.¡± Lira looked at the woman thoughtful for a moment, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I have a bidder already.¡± ¡°Well how much is she offering?¡± ¡°He.¡± Lira corrected earning a shocked look from the shop owner. ¡°And what I want from him is something I don¡¯t think you¡¯d be capable of giving.¡± ¡°Yes, you''re quite right.¡± The shop owner went back to rummaging through the bag of items Lira had brought. After asking about a few items she bought them and sent Lira and Airi on their way. Airi asked, ¡°Uhm¡­if you don¡¯t want money for me¡­what is it you want my master to give you in return for me?¡± Lira laughed. ¡°Obviously I want what all women want from men.¡± Lira did not seem like she was going to answer the question any further. After an hour of wandering, Lira decided they would need to find an inn to sleep at. Lira picked a shabby looking inn and went inside. She walked to the front desk and started asking about room prices. Airi didn¡¯t know anything about normal the normal price range but from the look on Lira¡¯s face she did not like them. ¡°That price is absurd, all I need is two beds and a place to keep the whore. I don¡¯t care if you toss her in the stables as long as you make sure she doesn¡¯t escape.¡± Lira argued. The innkeeper looked surprised as she looked over at Airi. ¡°Give me two silver cryl I¡¯ll give you a room and a place for your slave with the rest in the backroom.¡± Lira let out a long sigh as she dug out a handful of dem from her pocket. They were small round coins with a castle pressed into one side and were made from copper, silver or gold. The innkeepers eyes went wide when she noticed the gold one. After Lira handed the woman the money, the innkeeper handed her a key and told them where the room was and where the backroom for Airi was. Lira and Airi went and found the room and dropped of their things. After that, Lira led Airi to the backroom and opened the door. The room was small with hay spread on the floor and smelled like piss. There were several other Ythra chained to posts around the room. Lira followed Airi in and pushed her over to one of the empty posts with a chain. She locked the chain to Airi¡¯s collar and then left. Airi looked around at all the other Ythra in the room. Most looked heavily bruised and beaten. Airi thought she was lucky to not have to go through what they do. The post only came up to Airi¡¯s waist and the chain was only a couple feet long. Causing Airi to either bend over or sit next to it. Airi chose to sit and lean her back against the post. The other Ythra gave Airi vicious looks when they noticed she only had the one bruise. ¡°Look girls, this one must this she is special.¡± ¡°She¡¯s pretty I¡¯ll give her that.¡± ¡°She probably just fucks her way out of getting beaten.¡± The other Ythra women continued to insult Airi for a while longer. Airi moved around the post til she wasn¡¯t looking at them and more. She silently cried until she was tired and fell asleep wondering if Scruffy was doing alright.