<span style="font-weight: bold">&gt;&gt; Before the caravan sets off</span><br/><br/><blockquote class="uncited"><div>“If only you had given into your passions earlier…this would have been a common occurrence.”</div></blockquote><br/><br/>Alexei let out a knowing little chuckle as he tousled her hair playfully. Haven experienced the lust with which Rela had entertained him, he had very little doubt she would’ve jumped on every opportunity she could to draw him out of his inhibitions. How he had let that knowledge go undiscovered for the entire trip, especially with all of Rela’s advances, he for one would never know, but at least he had found the capacity within himself to feel it at least once. Even now, he still felt it…<br/><br/><blockquote class="uncited"><div>“I hate to eat and run sweetie, but I have to tend to my wagon and ensure the goods are in order” Reaching down she gave him a light flicker upon his exposed cock “Put him away…don’t want to scare anyone off now.”</div></blockquote><br/><br/>The wolf’s laugh brightened at the catgirl’s comment. “Perhaps he would be more cooperative if you didn’t do such a good job Miss Rela,” he joked, crossing his arms as the feline made her leave. Watching the catgirl’s curves rock from side to side as she trotted away to attend to her own business helped the situation little, and he found his shaft straining painfully again even as the rush of the moment died down. Damn, she was good… Pity he didn’t call for her services more than he did…<br/><br/>Despite his current aroused thoughts, he found the realist in his mind starting to take over once again. He had made a career of being able to vanish without a trace, to find out everything he could about a subject only to leave it behind moments later. It was a lifestyle that kept him safe and fed, yet there were moments such as now when its unsatisfying nature became painfully apparent. Nonetheless, Alexei remained philosophical. He couldn’t let himself be tied down with such pleasures, not with the goals he had established for himself. He needed to make sure his demons had no relationships to track him with. And he was sure Rela, being the fiery little catgirl she was, would soon forget their escapades and find a better person elsewhere…<br/><br/>Letting a dejected huff to escape his lips, he gritted his teeth as he stared down at his leggings. Even now, his member remained painfully stiff, straining out of his gray sheath. Grabbing the straps to his pants, he began to work his mind through his toughest puzzle to date. Now how was he going to do this…?<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">&gt;&gt; After the caravan sets off</span><br/><br/><blockquote class="uncited"><div>Even now Alexei and Xali could feel the bodies of their helpless victims squirming through their intestines and feeding them the nutrients that would no doubt fuel their bodies for the next few days to come.</div></blockquote><br/><br/>The last leg of the caravan’s trip seemed to flow by in a heartbeat, no doubt in part from Drir’s never-ending strength, but also from the wolf’s own introspections. He had again staked out his seat on the whiskey crate overlooking the group, yet he had spent the remainder of the ride gazing out of the back at the passing landscapes rather than eagle-eyeing his compatriots. A light gurgle from below drew his attention to his gut, eliciting a small grin from his face. Already, he could hardly feel the archer’s tender little body pushing out against his armor, any evidence of his prior meal haven already been lost to the workings of his digestive process. Even so, he could feel her within him, in his intestines and his blood, filling his form with the nutrion he needed to power through the rest of his day. If only his other bulges could feel this good… damn leggings…<br/><br/><blockquote class="uncited"><div>"Oh, I simply must thank Drir again for providing us with conveyance... it simply doesn't do to digest the bones while walking. You really need to squeeze, a ha haa..."</div></blockquote><br/><br/>The lupine’s ears perked upon hearing the leopardess’s remark, tearing his eyes from the scenery for the first time during the long ride. Despite the vagueness of her remark, the wolf could easily tell she was trying to play with the human tag-along’s nerves, yet little expression came across his blank face. In all honesty, Alexei had never found himself in a circumstance where he had to sit alongside a known enemy without the threat of hostilities. Usually, he avoided the possibility by completing any confrontation he may have started, ensuring for good that his opponents would no longer be threats. However, now that the kitsune had forced the situation upon him he found Vendra’s fear and obedience rather contradictory to his logic, even when he factored in the “bonding time” they had shared a few hours earlier. If nothing else, though, he knew he was harsh, not heartless, and he wouldn’t relish terrifying the poor girl as much as Xali did now. He knew it would be foolhardy of Vendra to try anything between the three of them, and so he allowed his caution to slip and watched the skyline pensively until Lakehaven came into view.<br/><br/><div style="padding: 3px; background-color: #FFFFFF; border: 1px solid #d8d8d8; font-size: 1em;"><div style="text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px solid #CCCCCC; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 0.8em; font-weight: bold; display: block;"><span onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') {  this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = ''; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;hide&lt;/a&gt;'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;show&lt;/a&gt;'; }"><b>Spoiler: </b><a href="#" onclick="return false;">show</a></span></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;">Knowledge (local) check: 1d20(10) + 16 = 26; Pass</div></div></div><br/>The instant the gates of the city came into view, it was clear that the wolf’s interest was piqued. From the first glimmer of the lupine symbol, Alexei could tell that all he had heard of the fort had not been exaggerated, a thought that caused him to give an impressed nod. As he listened to Xali’s own thoughts on the city, he found the details he knew matching up to her own statements, indicating to him that his knowledge was correct as well. Upon hearing her finish up, a pensive grin spread over his, glad that she had an eye for art to go along with her sophisticated air.<br/><br/>“It really is quite a marvel,” the wolf noted almost philosophically, seeking to add to the leopardess’s own dissertation. “We anthros are known for our ability to hunt and destroy, yet when we put our minds to it even we can create artistry out of destruction. I suppose an eye for what is beautiful transcends all natures… especially that in round curved shapes,” he added, his tail flicking playfully beneath him as he stood up, pulling his large two-headed doum from behind the cases of ale along with his backpack.<br/><br/><blockquote class="uncited"><div>"Let us hope he manages a war as deftly as the reconstruction of his home. That will be a greater challenge, I think, for soldiers are not as easily replaced as smithies and storehouses."</div></blockquote><br/><br/>As he put his possessions together, he turned to give Xali a quick nod in agreement. “Indeed, let us hope. Much good talent has been lost here in the battles that had razed the city, and in times such as these there is not a lot of skill to go around.” Even as he spoke a noticeable pall fell over his composed demeanor, a remnant of his disappointment from his previous battle. Was he one of the soldiers he talked about so freely? He could only hope…