Mors Funebris Ch. 2 P 1 (Arawn Cycle 21/Helvetia Cycle 11)

 Cafe Press

Mors Funebris Chapter 2 Part 1 

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In the mid-morning hours of a fairly clear day, Annwyfn Arawn rapidly walked down a path that lay between a pair of limestone-block buildings. As hints of a grimace began to tease itself across his face, he carefully began to slow his pace. Finally, he came to a stop and raised a hand to cover an unconquerable mighty yawn. After he’d finished, he looked blearily around him to regain his bearings.

Dimly, he perceived that he was standing astride one of the gravel paths that constituted an alleyway trail. The very kind of trail that could be found behind every set of the gloomy looking Mamono barracks located with the confines of Fort Eequor.

‘Alleyway, yes.’ He thought to himself, blinking tightly, while raising both arms above his head to stretch out some of the tightness that his overly long slumber had created.

‘How long were we asleep, again Quintus? (1)’ he inquired lazily, stamping one foot upon the ground to help dissipate the pins and needles in that leg. That action produced a combination of crunching and squelching sounds beneath him.

‘Approximately fifty-two hours,…I think. (5)’ Quintus replied lazily.

‘You think? (1)’ Arawn asked discomfited, while rubbing at an eye with the heel of one hand.

‘Keep in mind that the rest of us were also catching up on our ‘beauty sleep’.’ Quintus informed him, barely managing to suppress his own yawn. ‘Attached as we are, what affects one affects all. (5)’ he instructed from rote memory. Arawn chose to not answer, instead he resumed his walk down the gravel path.

‘To the Mess Hall, and to break our fast!’ Arawn smiled hopefully, eager to rid himself of his stomach’s nagging emptiness.

Quietly, he ambled along for several more blocks, his many years of experience in matters of stealth allowed him to silently walk upon those crunching surfaces. The kind of surfaces that even a Kunoichi, would’ve found difficult to traverse in a manner appropriate to her profession if not specie.

‘My ears just popped.’ Arawn thought with a blink, ‘Why? (1)’ he asked.

‘The current barometric pressure gradient indicates a high probability of a monsoon before the day’s end. (5)’ Quintus informed Arawn helpfully. Arawn didn’t reply.

Stopping momentarily at an unusual sound from somewhere far behind, he drew himself up to his full height and stood stock still, listening intently. Carefully, he caught ahold of his cloak that was billowing about, due to the unnaturally cool wind that carried in strongly from the east.

To any casual observer, Arawn would’ve appeared to be a man in his mid-twenties. One who sported a long black warrior’s braid that hung down one side of his head, and then ended at a spot between his shoulder blades. He was dressed in an unadorned brown tunic and kilt, along with a pair of leather-like boots that reached up to just below his knees. His shoulders were covered with a drab cloak that itself was made of materials from a world far different from the one in which he currently stood.
His only sign of ornamentation was on the surface of his Duty-Gorget, and then only out of necessity. That small, single purple gem being the ‘Periapt of Concealment’, that protected him from the unwelcome attentions of the Maou’s Army.

Well, most of them that is.

Physically, he was blessed with no particular noteworthy identifying characteristics. None that would’ve made him stand out from a crowd of humans at least. Which is exactly what his kind, the Annwyfn, had been designed to do.

He stood as stiffly as he could manage in that ever increasing ocean breeze that blew through that alleyway. Slowly, he then began to look around himself with a seemingly bored expression on his face. An expression, that gave no hint of the inner turmoil that had begun to arise within him.

In truth, he was studying intensely both the alleyway, and the buildings along either side it. He was actively searching for the source of that unusual noise that had caught his attention. Long ago he had painfully learned the importance of paying heed to out of place details.

Glancing behind him along the gravel path he noted that there lay a series of small puddles in the gravel, each of which marked his footsteps. Looking down at the one nearest him, he noticed that his last footstep’s indentation was still filling in with the muddy rainwater from the previous day’s monsoonal deluge.

‘What is that smell that is coming in with the wind?’ he asked no one suddenly with a frown marking his face.

‘I believe that it is something called: Barnacle Goose. (5)’ Quintus answered with an unprompted telepathic thought.

‘What is a Barnacle Goose? (1)’ Primus/Arawn shot back, while sniffing the air strongly enough to make his nostrils flare.

‘It, apparently is a creature that is both animal and plant. This being the end of its spawning season, means that most of its kind are now either dead or dying along the eastern shores of Cynosure. (3)’ Tertius answered then.

‘We are at least two kilometers from that shore, are they normally this pungent? (1)’ Arawn asked with a grimace that made his eyes scrunch.

‘Negative. Undoubtedly, we are smelling what the locals are collecting, in their haste to acquire before the local fauna does. Fermented Barnacle-Goose is considered to be a local delicacy, apparently. (3)’

‘Ugh! I do not care for the scent of it at all! It is smelly enough to overpower other more pleasing scents! (2)’ Secundus interjected.

‘Agreed!’ said the normally laconic Quartus. ‘I feel that there is something off in the local Aether today. I suspect that the Hunt may have already begun. (4)’

‘The ‘Hunt’ is not due to commence until mid-morning tomorrow. (1)’ Primus reminded himself firmly.

‘So, you say.’ Quartus shot back. ‘But then, remember that we are dealing with Mamono, who mostly are creatures of Chaos. General Scathach gave us no oaths concerning the three days of rest that she allowed us. She has clearly stated that she is uncomfortable with our prolonged bachelor status. (4)’ Quartus’ words stirred ancient unpleasant memories from the depths of Arawn’s soul.

‘A valid point. (1)’ Arawn/Primus replied as his mind began to fill with an archaic distress. This caused him to involuntarily extend his Psi-tendrils in response, then a shiver. But such wasn’t due to the wind flowing under his cloak and nipping at his skin. No, this was a shiver every animal makes when it realizes that it has become prey!

“No!” Arawn whispered aloud tightening his jaw enough to make his teeth ache. “I will not allow myself to be captured thru deceit!” he decided, breathing in hard in preparation for the task that had surely arrived.

‘Quintus! Yellow Alert! (1)’ he decided then.

‘Yellow Alert! All hands on standby! (5)’ Quintus decreed. Silently, the rest of Arawn’s Not-brothers, his alternate personalities given physical form, went into action. They all prepared for the inevitable fight that was to arrive sooner than expected.

Once more he began walking towards his intended destination, this time his feet were crunching along the gravel path slightly faster. Around corners and down limestone block stairways, he half-jogged at a double-time pace. That pace being set by a sense of fate closing in.

 ‘You… you can do this… (1)’ Arawn fruitlessly tried to console himself as he marched on.

Trying to shift his focus away from his detrimental thoughts, Arawn listened intently to the playful cries of nearby Seagull Harpies, along with the simple crunching of gravel from below. A thick grey cloud, almost black, covered the sun for a moment. The darkness that came with it, felt suffocating.

“All I desire is to be alone now!” Arawn spoke aloud with an emotional venom.

Suddenly, it all halted. The cries of the Harpies ended as they suddenly scattered. Even the wind that whistled between the nearby buildings ceased. The sound of stone being crunched underfoot echoed through the alleyway and hit his eardrums.

Unnerved, Arawn stopped and turned. He wasn’t moving, but the crunching of gravel didn’t stop. Something was rapidly approaching from behind in a staccato rhythm of four steps, the shifting of aggregate and water splashing accompanied each of them.

‘Quintus! Identify! (1)’ Arawn ordered.

‘Already on it! A Canid of some kind! It is far heavier than a Kitsune or a Were-wolf! Cross checking the Encyclopedia now! (5)’

‘Roger that! (1)’ Arawn commented, as he began to summon up a Force-shield in his left hand.

Turning around fully to meet his attacker, he spotted an ebony blur speeding around the bend in the path from whence he came. It came barreling straight towards him. He had but a moment’s grace to catch a glimpse, but it seemed to be a mess of dark fur with eyes an even deeper shade, two crimson dots glowered like two fiery stars in a black miasma.

‘Got it!’ Quintus cried triumphantly, ‘A Hell-h,…! (5)’ he began, but was interrupted when the wind was knocked out of Arawn’s chest as the creature tackled him. Arawn was hit with such force he flew through the air for a good two meters before falling back to the limestone bedrock and skidded to a halt. His nascent Force-shield sputtered out before it had fully formed.

Hissing in pain and prying his eyes open, Arawn found nothing but a beautiful girl staring down at him. Long ebony hair ran past her shoulders, two fuzzy dog ears extended from the top of her head, and her razor-sharp canines were displayed in a happy grin that lightly held one of those thrice-accursed ‘Chocolate-Dildos’. Her immaculately smooth skin was colored the same deep ebony as her hair and fur. Her features were fierce and sharp, but distinctly feminine.

Those two fiery pupils, burning before with the ferocity of a raging inferno, now simply flickered with a soft warmth, like a soothing campfire. She wasn’t a mindless beast, but she was far from human.  Arawn would’ve likened her body heat to a furnace, and he could already feel a few beads of sweat run down his skin as she sat atop of him. With an unusual gentleness, she opened her mouth just enough for that chocolate dildo to fall onto Arawn’s chest with a small ‘thud’.

‘Excellent timing Quintus. (1)’ Arawn mentally stated dryly. Quintus remained silent.

“You,” Arawn stated aloud, “are… a Hellhound.” He finished with a frown.

“Yeah, I am! Hi.” the beast cooed after what seemed like an eternity, barely stifling a giggle as she did so.  

“Hi.” Arawn grunted, finding breathing and speaking rather difficult with the dark beast seated upon his diaphragm.

“Well, that was easy!” she stated cheerfully as she leaned over, to the point where the very tips of their noses touched while holding his arms down with two fuzzy paws. Shifting uncomfortably, Arawn chose to do nothing but stare back up at her, his annoyed brown eyes locking with her blazing-red ones.

“I only got the Dildo a half hour ago. Yet, despite its delicious smell, I decided that I’d rather have you instead!’ she grinned down at him. Then she frowned.

“Uhm… you’re not going to fight back?” the Hell-hound asked, sounding disappointed.

“What, pray tell, would be the point in that?” he asked resignedly.

“Well, you have a sword. And not just the one in your pants,err…kilt~” she giggled, wriggling her inner thigh against the oblong object that hung at his side.

“You are mistaken. That is not a sword!” he indicated with a nod of his head towards the object in question. “It is a wand. A magic wand to be precise.” The Hellhound smirked at him then.

“So it is!” she exclaimed cheerfully, after taking a longer glance. “Well. Even with that dinky little wan’, if you managed to stab it through my brain or heart, you’d kill me.” She replied in a tone that implied that that action would not easily be accomplished.

“Such, would be a rather droll use of its capabilities.” Arawn stated. “But I doubt you would simply sit still and allow me to do so. Not to mention…” Arawn pretended to struggle in vain against the hellhound’s iron grip, “That is assuming I could overpower you.”

“Mm… so, you see how pointless struggling is, huh?” she replied smugly.

“No, I would not say that.” Arawn replied, settling himself against the gravel underneath his body, and the puddle water that was starting to soak into his back, “I still have something that needs to be done before I am ready to just give up on a single life.”

“Then why aren’t you fighting back~?”

“I just told you. You are way too much for me to handle physically. There is no point in wasting my physical strength flopping around in the dirt… but do not worry. I am not just going to sit back and resign myself to be your little sex slave. I WILL find a way, to get away from you long enough to invalidate your courting. It is under a time limit after all.” Arawn finished, hiding a smile.

Tail wagging back and forth, the hellhound rubbed one of her smooth cheeks against his never shaven one, “Mmhm… is that right~?”

“Oh most decidedly so. Though just as an aside, I will try to not hurt you. General Scathach’s rules concerning the Hunt, were rather clear concerning that.”

“Oh, don’t worry about me, babe. I know I look pretty scary already, but I’m even tougher than I look~”

“That is good to hear. Thus, I will not feel bad about my doing this.”

The hellhound cocked an eyebrow, “Oh yeah? Bad about what-“

Not letting her finish, Arawn mentally commanded a spell.

‘URGEO!’ he silently commanded. His breathing was suddenly made much easier when the Hellhound that had pinned him down, was suddenly forced backwards into a flying arc, up and away from him.

A soft whine escaped her lips, when her back met the rigid wall of a building, before she fell a good ten meters to the ground, landing upon all four paws. She was far from injured, but it stung enough to make her hesitate, then sit down to shake out the intense tingling in each of her paw pads.

Arawn’s cloak flapped behind him as he took off, gravel flying out from under his boots with each step. Standing back up with an annoyed expression, the Hellwan watched the end of Arawn’s cloak whip around a corner, disappearing behind a barracks building.

The hellhound set her feet in preparation to pursue, snickering all the while. Both her pride and her paws still stung, but she was neither injured or angry.

‘Oh… I haven’t felt this worked up in a while.’ Her eyes blazing like an uncontrollable wildfire, her tail wagging back and forth.

Her nose twitched, attempting to cement his odd scent into her mind. She wanted him then. A fire burned in her core, aching for the man’s touch and semen. Settling down on all four paws, she couldn’t help but start breaking out into laughter. In spite of her intentions, it was a playful, joyous sound. 

“The fun is just getting started, babe~”

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“Filius Canis…” Arawn complained as he panted, while he continued to speed down the gravel alley-path.

‘I do not understand this! The General’s word should have been her bond!’ he complained, as he bound through the alleyway exit and onto a paved street, as he barely avoided knocking over a number of startled passerby.

“Are mite yo!” Shouted a nearby Mamono, a double horned Red Oni in Arawn’s quick estimation. “He’s not captured yet! Ten Gold says she makes him hers in the next five minutes!” she shouted.

“Done!” said a nearby single-horned Red Oni.

‘What are they babbling about?’ Arawn demanded, as he deftly slid underneath an intervening food cart. Already, he could hear the Hellhounds claws clacking ominously further down the cobblestone street, coming ever closer to him in her relentless pursuit.

‘I believe they are referencing the act known as ‘Dating Proactively. (5)’ Quintus informed him then.

‘What?! (1)’ Arawn demanded in an agitated tone, still running.

‘Rape! (5)’ Quintus explained succinctly with no small amount of trepidation in his mental voice.

‘I have no idea where she came from! (2)’ Secundus injected tremulously. Arawn expelled a breath born of anger and frustration by way of reply.

‘Alright, calm down everyone! (1)’ Arawn began as he continued in his flight for matrimonial freedom. ‘Where she came is irrelevant! Getting away from her is! Remember, that her Hunt is invalidated come sundown! (5)’ Quintus replied, as Arawn deftly slid close around a corner building. This action gained him several seconds in chase time.

Sparing a quick glance over his shoulder, Arawn noted that the streets full of Mamono and humans, had parted to either side upon the sight of the raging Hellhound behind him. She herself then skidded around that corner, off to ‘bang’ into the intersection’s far building corner. Unfortunately, she was delayed by only a second and continued her lust-filled pursuit of him!

‘Sundown is hours away!’ Secundus yelled, mentally loud enough to make Arawn wince visibly. ‘Our determined bride is mere seconds behind us! Try an alleyway! (2)’

‘I can’t try to cut through anymore alleyways,..oof!’ Arawn replied, as he ducked and rolled underneath a horse-drawn carriage looming over the cobblestone street, but he didn’t let it slow his pace in the slightest. ‘It would be easy for her to continue tracking us, and the tight confines would hinder me more than it would her! (1)’ he replied, panting slightly.

‘Is there an aqueduct nearby? I don’t know if hellhounds can swim, but it should at least throw her off my trail and mask my scent. (1)’

 ‘Negative!’ Quintus began, ‘Hellhounds are capable trackers, they are legendary in their ability to scent out human souls even across planes of reality! They can be frustrated, but seldom stymied! (5)’

 ‘Time! I need time! (1)’ Arawn complained, ‘Wait! (1)’ he mentally shouted as he came to a skidding halt in a sudden realization. His sudden stop gained him the amused attentions of the various street-goers. He ignored their jibes and cat-calls and listened attentively.

‘What are you doing? Are you just giving up?! (5)’ Quintus demanded shrilly then.

‘Negative! (1)’ he replied. ‘I do not hear the sound of her claws against the cobblestones anymore! Has she,…? (1)’ Arawn asked hopefully, as he panted slightly.

Looking about, he quickly noticed that he’d stopped alongside a food vendor cart that was selling something called: ‘Scorched Ananas!’. The scent of that fare made his mouth water. He did his best to ignore it as he continued looking about for any sign of his pursuer. He felt a momentary pang of hope as he did.

“I believe that she has,…’ he began.

His faint hope was rapidly dashed, when the Hellhound appeared in front of him after having jumped from the nearest building’s top, landing on her hind paws.

“-given up.” Arawn grunted out in frustration, taking a step back and perusing her. All manner of rooftop detritus was caught up in her fur; laundry twine, Harpy feathers, someone’s drying panties, etc,

But, that mad glint in her blazing eyes told him that she couldn’t care less about any of that. Slamming one fuzzy paw forward, her tongue poked out from her mouth and licked her plump lips.

“Not bad, babe. I won’t underestimate you again, though.” She replied.

“Stand down!” Arawn roared, raising both of his hands to shoulder level, palms out. “I have no desire to harm you! But! I will not allow myself to be taken easily!” he yelled forcefully enough to expel some foamy spittle.

‘Options! I need options! (1)’ he demanded inwardly.

“What are you going to do, babe? Spank me?” the Hellhound grinned lusciously, as she took another step forward towards him. Arawn noted that her eye-flames had taken on a pinkish tinge. Dimly, he became aware that the entire street had emptied of passerby. They’d taken refuge behind doors, archways, and street refuse, all eager to see this showdown.

“I might even allow you to do so, eventually. I do rather like the kinky stuff!” she smiled, as she took another step towards him. Arawn, in his pride forced himself to not retreat in response.

‘Uuuhhhh, she is getting uncomfortably close! (3)’ Tertius said in a high pitched telepathic tone.

‘I am well aware of such! (1)’ Arawn hissed, as he summoned force some Mana from his now replenished supplies. Both of his hands began to glow with Eldritch energies in response. The Hellhounds reaction was immediate. Instead of being cowed by the sight, she crouched herself down in preparation to spring.

‘Primus! Stand down! (5)’ Quintus ordered him in a flash.

‘Wha,..? (1)’ Arawn/Primus began with consternation, the lights appearing in front of his hands fluctuated momentarily when he did.

‘Just do it! (5)’ Quintus ordered. Reluctantly, Arawn obeyed, and allowed his magicks to dissipate naturally. His outspread hands lost their light, as he began to lower his hands to his sides. All the while he kept a firm eye on his opponent, as he set his lips into an even firmer line.

What he saw then, astounded him. The Hellhound stopped tensing herself in response. She then stood up, with her a perplexed look on her face. She then cocked her head off to one side and squinted her black eyes at him.

“What are you doing, babe?” she asked in bewilderment. “Have you reconsidered?” she asked hopefully.

“No.” Arawn replied stiffly, aloud.

‘What happened? (1)’ he asked himself silently.

‘She was matching your actions.’ Quintus explained. ‘She is an apex Predator after all. Her kind have hunted human souls for countless centuries! By standing down, you confused her instincts. (5)’ Quintus pointed out helpfully.

“So, what are you doing then?” the Hellhound demanded of Arawn warily, lifting her nose and sniffing at him from several meters away.

‘Recommendations? (1)’

‘Time enough for love! (5)’ Quintus answered cryptically.

‘What?!’ Arawn began indignantly, then he smiled with the realization. ‘Oh yes, that is an excellent notion! Though what you suggest, will take a degree of finesse! (1)’

“What I am doing,” Arawn began aloud, “is defying you. Surely you cannot expect me to simply lie back and accept your blandishments unchallenged? I am a Majin after all! I have survived countless encounters with other fell beasts before.”

“Fell beasts?” she giggled with the corners of her mouth twitching upwards, her black hair flowing freely in the eastern breeze, “Flattery will get you anywhere! When you get down to it, I’d rather enjoy a good fight from my prey.” The Hellhound grinned then, as she took a menacing step towards him.

“It does make for a much more enjoyable triumph in the end!” she growled, as she lowered her head. What Arawn did next, surprised her. He took a step towards her.

The Hellhound was taken aback by his change in behavior. Her head drew back as her chin lowered to her chest, and she began blinking in consternation.

“Wha,…wha,…what?!” she demanded then, befuddled.

“I, am no mere hedge-wizard, Hellhound!” Arawn began, as he took another step closer to her. “Filled with card tricks and squeaky balloons!” Arawn spat. “I have fought GODS!” he yelled at her then.

“And I have lived to tell the tale! I have battled your kind in ages past, long before the current Great Maou took the reins of power!” He continued in a commanding voice. The Hellhound found herself almost mesmerized with it.

“Do you TRULY desire me for a husband?!” Arawn demanded as he finally approached the Hellhound close enough to touch her. “If so! Then be prepared to taste of my power!” he yelled into her face. The Hellhound found herself spellbound by his display, enough to reward him with an open mouthed grin.

“Do it then!” she yelled back. “Give me a taste of you! Because I’ll be tasting plenty more of you later!” she promised, with her eye flames jumping to full extent with her glee.

Arawn then smiled and held up a single finger, the index from his right hand and reached out towards the Hellhound’s nose tip. The Hellhound drew back momentarily when she saw what he was about. Then, she caught herself with a momentary annoyance in her eyes. Her pride made her lean forward towards his fingertip. Just before it touched her nose, she spoke.

“Please do!” she almost purred in her challenge. “You’ll be touching a lot more than my nose soon, I promise you that!” Arawn’s only reaction to that taunt, was a momentary smirk.

“TUNC CESSAT” he intoned aloud expectantly, as he finally made physical contact with her. He could feel the Hellhound tense herself up in expectation of a reaction. A second passed, then two, then three, until the Hellwan finally momentarily focused her eyes upon the finger that was touching her nose. Looking at her, Arawn noticed that her eyes then uncrossed and looked back at him.

What she saw there on his face amused her enough to make her grin. Arawn collapsed into himself, seemingly confused as he withdrew his finger back towards himself.

“Well?” she demanded sarcastically. “I was expecting a bit more ‘flash and bang’.” She replied with a giggle.

“Oh, my!” Arawn replied in a wilted tone. “That did not happen the last time I used that spell.” He continued as he fixed his attention upon his finger tip, flipping his hand at the wrist, to and fro.

“Sounds like you’ve got yourself some performance issues, babe. Maybe you should have yourself checked out by a Chirurgeon.” She snarked back at him, clearly enjoying the moment. She couldn’t repress another giggle as she reached out a paw to take ahold of him.

“WAIT!” he barked, batting that paw away from him insolently. The Hellhound ground her teeth together in response, and then smiled indulgently. “I demand a do-over!” he cried. The Hellhound began to growl menacingly at him in response. Arawn looked sharply at her when he noticed her hackles rising up.

“Excuse me.” He coughed, “I request,…” he tried again, “a do-over!” he continued in a more diplomatic tone. She stopped her low growling, while she allowed her hackles to settle back down.

“Much better, my Groom.” She replied, shifting herself back down. “Since you ask so nicely, I’ll allow it. This time.” She glowered at him.

“Why thank you.” Arawn replied in such a sarcastic tone, that it almost caused her to take back her permission.

“Oh I will most certainly enjoy your subduing!” she promised evilly. “You’ll be walking funny for days after I get done with you! At least, during the first few weeks.”

“I guess I will have to wait and find out, then.” Arawn replied, raising his arms dramatically over his head, his hands tilted forward as if he were about to pluck apples off of a tree.

“WALLA! WALLA! WASHINGTON!” he intoned with a flamboyant flare, as he jutted his hands forward at her in synch with every syllable. This time the Hellhound didn’t even flinch when he did, keeping her gaze locked with his. Several more seconds passed by uneventfully, the eastern breeze being the only indication that time was passing.

As the Hellhounds mouth lifted up at the corners, so did the corners of Arawn’s mouth drop down in equal measure.

“Oh my Goddess!” He replied finally, seemingly utterly mortified with his face paling. “I have absolutely no explanation for my sudden inability to perform any kind of magic. My apologies Madam.” Arawn replied, trying not to stammer as he slumped forward, forcing himself to quiver ever so slightly as if in shame.

“Oh there, there.” The Hellhound replied in soothing tones, patting him on the back gently as a shit eating grin began to split her face apart. “Everyone has their off day. I don’t mind your inability to perform right now; so long as it doesn’t interfere with any other of your performances.” She chuckled indulgently.

‘Quintus! How much longer? (1)’ Primus demanded then.

‘Thirty two more seconds. Continue to stall. (5)’

“Well, it certainly does my heart good to know that you are so understanding.” Arawn replied, lifting his head and giving his looming determined-bride-to-be a hopeful smile. The Hellhound noticed that he was sweating at his temples and assumed correctly that he was nervous; but not for the reason she thought.

“My, you are looking a bit piqued.” She observed as she reached out another paw and placed it possessively upon his shoulder. Arawn then knocked it aside as he drew himself away from her. She frowned at him as she took a step closer. Arawn’s eyes flared in realization of his error.

“Hey!” she began, but was interrupted.

“Wait! Wait! Wait!” Arawn replied, sticking his hand into her face, unbalancing her. She then took a step back to regain it.

‘Time? (1)’ he demanded again.

‘Fifteen seconds. (5)’

“We should at least observe the strictures of the Hunt.” He began, “If I may point out, you have not yet officially presented to me the Dildo!” Arawn replied, looking at her with one eye. Grimacing at him in frustration, she then reached behind her back, and produced it again from,….somewhere.

‘Seven seconds. (5)’

“Here ya go, babe!” she stated with a grin, holding it up before her. “I take it that you’re giving in to the inevitable?” she demanded.

‘Three seconds. (5)’

“Not exactly.” Arawn replied, as he reached out and deftly removed that Dildo from her grasp. “I refuse your suit.” He continued slowly, then grinned back at her while stepping back a pace.

“You’re just delaying the,…uh!” she started moving towards him, then stopped with a grunt. Looking down, she saw that her feet wouldn’t move themselves from the spot upon which she stood.

“What!? She demanded in surprise, as she noticed then that not only her feet wouldn’t move from that spot, but now her knees began to slow down. After another moment they too stopped.

“WHAT YOU HAVE YOU DONE TO ME!?” she shouted angrily, her ivory teeth flashing in the morning light.

“It is called a Stasis Spell.” Arawn informed her smugly, as he leaned forward towards her. Seeing him do so, she lashed out with a paw, determined to grab ahold of him in one last futile effort.

She missed him, barely. She howled fiercely in anger as that one arm and its twin, began to freeze themselves in position, all the while that creeping paralysis continued implacably up towards her head.

“SIT!” Arawn shouted spontaneously then, pointing a finger at her, “STAY!” he continued angrily pointing down. In her last response she snarled defiantly back at him with all of her might, powerfully enough to cause her eye flames to billow out a good third of a meter from her head. And then, the flames vanished as the rest of the stasis spell took full effect, turning the Hellhound into a statue.

Arawn then took a step or two back and slumped, letting out a relieved sigh.

Looking around, he noted that the crowd of people that had vanished upon his and the hellhounds appearance, now slowly reappeared. Casually, he then noticed that he was standing near an outdoor café. Wearily he approached the owner and requested a seat, then shortly made an order for food. Once he had sat down, he allowed himself the opportunity to close his eyes and allow his adrenaline surge the opportunity to peter itself out in his system.

“Well?” demanded a voice near him. Arawn opened his eyes and saw a pair of attractive Red Oni standing next to his table. They looked familiar to him for some reason.

“Well?” the Oni with two horns started again, glancing over at the now-frozen Hellhound and back over to Arawn, “Did I win my bet?” she asked gruffly. Arawn craned his neck over to her and glared.

“You lose.” He replied with a smile of satisfaction. A smile that was soon matched by the other one-horned Red Oni as she received her payoff from her companion. Arawn allowed himself to sink back into the table’s chairback and refused to reply to any further snipings from the Oni pair before they departed. Instead, he closed his eyes so as to relax and enjoy his momentary triumph.

His rest was soon disturbed, by the sound of a pair of hands clapping nearby. Opening his eyes with a jerk and a curse on his lips, Arawn was ready to do a different battle then. But, upon seeing the clapper, all thought of combat rapidly left him.
The clapper was none other than Dread Sergeant Fergus MacRoich, General Scathach’s co-leader and Incubus! He was a human seeming male, dressed in the casual clothes of the Cynosure populace: An off-white peasant shirt and pantaloons, which were matched with a pair of sandals adorning his feet.

“Well done, Arawn!” he replied, putting his hands together one last time. Then he reached out a hand to one of the two unoccupied seats at Arawn’s table. He looked at Arawn with a raised eyebrow. Arawn noticed it.

“Please. Sit.” Arawn invited, lifting an arm to indicate his welcome. Fergus did, and then sat back, lifting a leg over the other at the knee.

“Dread Serg,..” Arawn began, but was interrupted.

“I am not here in any official capacity Arawn.” He smiled, making a shushing motion, “So please, refer to me as Fergus this time.”

“As you wish,…Fergus.” Arawn replied stiffly, baring his teeth.

“Is something the matter Arawn?” Fergus asked after noticing. Arawn sighed.

“I was under the impression, that the ‘Hunt” was not due to begin until mid-morning tomorrow.” Arawn coughed, attempting to keep the anger out of his voice. “Why was it moved forward?” he demanded. Fergus’ response was one of surprise as his eyebrows arched over his eyes.

“Arawn, it has not been moved forward. This is the allotted day for it to begin. I would imagine that you’ve managed to sleep longer than you thought.” Fergus smiled indulgently.

“What?!” Arawn demanded with disbelief coloring his voice. “Are you telling me that I slept for three and a half days?!” he asked, his jaw dropping.

“Indeed I am.” Fergus smiled. “It’s a good thing that you woke when you did. Because if you hadn’t, then I would imagine that we’d be having a different conversation right now. Well, not exactly right now that is.” Fergus stopped and then added.

“As I would imagine that you’d be engaged,..ahem,” Fergus cleared his throat, “with other, more vigorous activities instead.” Fergus ended his speech with a glance to the now frozen Hellhound, standing several meters away from them both.

As he continued to look at the Hellhound with an admiring stare, a flock of small birds landed all over the unmoving Mamono. They then commenced doing what birds do best with statues throughout the Multiverse.

“Though I am not here in an official capacity, Arawn.” Fergus began, looking worriedly at the Hellhound, and then back to Arawn. Who then caught his drift and replied before Fergus could continue.

“She is frozen.” Arawn informed him. Fergus frowned and raised a skeptical eyebrow. Arawn sighed. “Let me explain. She is under what is called: A Stasis Spell. You might say that she is frozen in time. It is a spell normally used for dreadfully injured personnel, usually in combat situations. It is a way to keep them alive till more appropriate medical attention can be gained.” Fergus glanced admiringly at the Hellhound once more, before returning his attention to Arawn.

“For how long will she be frozen?” Fergus asked, with just a hint of menace in his voice. “The strictures were quite clear Arawn. You are to do no major harm to any of your suitors.”

“She is unharmed, and will continue in that state until, I gauge, oh,…..” Arawn pretended to cast his eyes about, as if he were thinking intensely. Instead, he consulted Quintus silently.
“Well after sundown.” He finished sharply. “After which, she will think that she has done nothing more than blink.”

“She could very well decide, that that limitation will not deter her suit.” Fergus pointed out to him.

“If I recall from your wife’s strictures, as told to me by my Mentor, I will then be afforded the opportunity to repel her with far less limitations staying my hand.” Arawn replied with a cold hard stare. Fergus nodded then, acknowledging the agreement that the Hellhound had sworn to. Even the most Chaotic of a creature, always held to the terms of an oath. Sometimes, even their very existence was beholden to same.

“That hellhound, and her fellow comrades from her division, may decide to take issue with your last few insulting words.” Fergus mentioned. “Commanding a Hellhound like she was a dog? What were you thinking?” he reproached. Arawn leaned back and thought about it for a second.

“I would have to agree that that last part was a bit ‘over-the-top,’ so to speak.” Arawn nodded. “If she chooses to make an issue of it, then I will ‘Annwyfn-up’ and make an appropriate apology.” Arawn replied, as his face froze, then slowly it transformed into a barely contained rage.

“But I will be Damned-again, if I turn and run away like a coward!” he replied, grimacing his teeth. “I ALWAYS face my problems head on! Regardless of whether I caused them, or not!” Arawn then drew in several breaths in which to calm himself. “So, I might anger a few potential friends over the matter? So what!? I have weathered such storms before, and I will weather them again.” He finished.

“But still, considering the ones you wish to work with; you could very well end up damaging…” Fergus continued, attempting to make his point. Arawn cut him off.

“Fergus!” Arawn snapped, standing up. “Yes! I wish to continue on in the company of the Great Maou’s Army. Surely you understand that?” Arawn demanded. Fergus nodded.

“This is not the first time that I have served with an Army full of Demons and Monsters.” Arawn replied quietly.

“What?” Fergus demanded. “There are no records nor legends of anyone, anywhere even remotely resembling someone such as you.”

“I would be surprised if there were.” Arawn replied dryly, sitting back down. Just then the café’s owner arrived with his order and strangely enough, an unasked for extra plate of food for Fergus as well. Arawn paid for both, without once complaining nor demanding an explanation for its addition. In silence he ate and drank several mouthfuls before continuing.

“Ah, quite good.” Arawn sighed gratefully. “It feels as If I have not eaten in days.” Arawn smiled then at his inadvertent joke. “Of which, it appears that I have.” Arawn stated, as he drained his mug dry.

“Now, as to the time I have served before.” He began, “I have served with the military forces of not only Demon Lords, but also the Ancient Chaos Lords from this world, and others!” Arawn smiled ferally then, remembering well those times. Fergus shuddered involuntarily at the sight of that smile and what it witnessed.

“During those times, my ‘teammates’ would often need to be forcefully reminded that neither my blood nor my soul, was on the menu for the day. The Maou’s Army and their desire for matters sexual, will be relatively easy to deal with in comparison.”

“I promise that I will work to atone for any perfidy that I commit, and eventually the wheel of fortune will roll along. Their anger at my insults will pass, and in time they will see that even someone as old as I am, can be forgiven a mistake or two.”

“So you say, Arawn. Though if I may offer an unofficial word of advice.” Fergus replied with a satisfied smile, getting to his feet and leaving his food untouched.

“Yes?” Arawn replied with a turn of his head.

“If I may ask, do you still have the Hellhound’s chocolate dildo that she presented to you?” Fergus inquired. Arawn nodded. “Do you plan on destroying it?” Arawn frowned at him as if he were asking a silly question, and nodded again.

“My word is this: do not do so. Study it instead.” Fergus stated, looking squarely into Arawn’s eye. “I think you will discover that there is more to it than meets the eyes of a mere Incubus. But probably not to a Majin.” Fergus advised Arawn cryptically. Puzzled, Arawn didn’t say anything by way of reply.

“Good day, Majin Arawn.” Fergus said as he stood up and began walking off. “I wish all of the best in your quest to marry the one you desire!” he cheerfully called back over his shoulder, as he paused at the frozen in place hellhound. Within a few seconds Fergus had ceased his perusal and sauntered off, shaking his head with an amused look. Arawn soon lost sight of him in the crowds that now filled the street.

Lifting the undesired Dildo to his face, Arawn began to examine the candy with more than just his eyes.

‘I wonder what the Dread Sergeant meant? (1)’ he asked himself silently.

‘I am not sure, Primus. But I do believe that Secundus and I have already detected an unusual form of energy emanating from it. One that a confectionary should not contain! (5)’

‘I concur! I would request that that dildo be transported into the Sanctuary quickly. I wish to give it more than a once over. (2)’

‘Why is that? (1)’

‘I have a potential idea that might benefit you, and by extension us.’ Secundus replied mysteriously. ‘But I will not know more until I have had time to examine the dildo more fully. (2)’

‘Very well then!’ Arawn replied mentally, making some surreptitious teleportation preparations. ‘Standby to receive! (1)’

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> 

Later, after he had carefully made his way over to his assigned duty station: the Magical Research Division, he bumped into his mentor, Corporal Helvetia. She, was a Jumping Spider Girl Mamono dressed mostly in her fur. That fur held a zebra like pattern of black and white stripes that was covered with a single bandolier of pockets strapped across one shoulder, and over her duty gorget of course. She gave him a most dour look upon his arrival.

“Well, it certainly is nice of you to rejoin the land of the living!” she greeted him cheekily. Arawn’s face reddened in embarrassment.

“Well I have to admit that I was rather exhausted by the time I made it to my own bed; thankfully unaccompanied by any Stockade-Guards.” He admitted with a grimace that caused his eyes to squint.

“Well the fact that you’re here, now, indicates to me that you’ve either not realized that the General’s ‘Hunt’ has begun, or you’ve already headed off your first suitor.” Tia replied sarcastically, as she began walking down the hallway, and motioned for him to follow her. He did. She continued to speak.

 “Which I highly doubt.” Arawn merely smiled at first, and nodded his head agreeably.

“Oh yes, I have in fact met her.” He replied after several steps down the hallway. “She was not as hellish as most make her kind out to be.” Tia stopped, and snapped her head around to give him a stern stare.

“Is something the matter?” he asked when he noticed a wave of distaste wash over her face.

“You bet against me in the pool, did you not?” he asked. She wouldn’t meet his gaze then. Arawn sighed.

“Do you still have so little faith in my abilities, Mentor? I think you have yet to discover just what I am truly capable of.” He replied with a wide grin.

“Wipe that smile off of your face.” Tia replied sourly, as she walked towards a particular door. One that read: “Research & Recovery”. 
“This is your duty assignment for the week. Inside, you will be assisting Lieutenant JInks in her task of cataloging and categorizing the Automaton parts that you produced.” Arawn’s face dropped in consternation. Tia smiled at the sight of it. “I, will be present to assist and to monitor your interactions with her.”

“Be nice.” She advised with a sly grin. “As I recall, you still need to keep your promise to her concerning dinner and some drinks.”

“Oh yes, I had quite forgotten about that.” Arawn swallowed, looking discomfited with the memory of her, and her attempted seduction of him.

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Later, after the early evening’s meal-rush had passed, Annwyfn Arawn, Jumping Spider-Girl Helvetia, and Gremlin Jinks were sitting around one of the out of the way tables in the Fort’s Mess Hall, finishing their evening meal. They were discussing their findings of the day.

“Jinks,” Arawn began, as he looked at her over his bowl of steaming hagfish stew.
“You have not touched your food, surely your work can wait long enough for you to see to your own sustenance.” He spoke, looking meaningfully at her and her almost waifish thinness.  She spared him a smiling glance at his concern, then returned her attention back down to the day’s notes on her notepad. Tia, still in the process of messily ripping apart her isopod, tried her best to ignore them both.

“I can’t eat right now!” JInks chirped by way of reply. “I’m just so excited by this development!” she replied.

“By what development?” Arawn and Helvetia spoke in unison. They glanced embarrassedly at each other then.

“I think that we’ve got enough Automaton parts, to reassemble one in its entirety!” Winnie squealed gleefully, as she continued to flip through her notes. “And then,…” she began breathlessly, but didn’t elaborate.

“And then what?” Helvetia asked, beating Arawn to it.

“And then turn it on!” Winnie replied in exasperation, as she stared at each of them in turn. “I mean c’mon,…duh!” she stated as if such a conclusion was foregone and made perfect sense.

“Would such a course of action be wise?” Arawn asked dubiously, “What say,…” he began, then stopped when he felt Helvetia poking at him with one of her furry fingers. He turned to look at his mentor and noticed that her entire attention was focused on something else behind him. Turning, Arawn looked over and beheld a most chilling sight.

There, on the far side of the Mess Hall near the entrance doors, stood a large sodden black-furred figure. This fairly large canid stood dripping what seemed to be an endless amount of water onto the floor. She held her head high, sniffing the air around her with determination.

Arawn’s blood went even colder, when he recognized the sniffer. It was that Hellhound that he’d stymied earlier that day, the very one he had humiliated by ordering her to ‘stay’ in the spot that he had bespelled her onto.

Soon, it became obvious that that Hellhound was ‘looking’ for him, for she abruptly stopped her sniffing, then turned and started walking directly towards his table. In that quiet moment, Arawn then noticed the sounds of the predicted Monsoon raging outside the Hall.

Arawn swallowed deeply, once that figure had stepped close enough for him to smell her sodden hound fur.

‘Oh Great Maker!’ he silently intoned in consternation in that moment. Both Helvetia and Winnie looked alarmed as that Hellhound made a beeline for Arawn, with both her stance and her look indicating that she hadn’t come to exchange pleasantries.

She continued her careful plodding towards him, as the entirety of the Mess Hall quieted. Arawn soon noticed both the sound her paw pads softly impacting the tiles of the floor, along with the sound of water dripping from her completely soaked fur and clothing.

Finally, she stopped, well within his comfort zone and stood there staring coldly down at him, breathing deeply with a barely contained fury blazing in her reddened eyes, her Hellfire flames flaring outward in time with every breath.

Both Helvetia and Winnie looked over at him questioningly, asking silently if he desired help of any kind. Glancing back at them both, he quickly and quietly answered them with the tiniest shake of his head.

The Hellhound continued for a moment more, glaring down at Arawn and him alone. After another few seconds, she began to bare her teeth at him. He couldn’t but help notice just how many of them looked especially sharp.

‘Hell hath no fury, like a woman scorned. (2)’ Secundus quoted unhelpfully.

She then tensed herself, as if she were about to fight. Arawn picked up at that tension and prepared himself to do battle. But, what she did then surprised him to his core.

For instead of going on the offensive and attacking, she instead tightened her entire body, and firmly SHOOK herself in place!

Arawn had only a half-second warning of her true intention. Both Helvetia and Winnie cowered with their arms raised defensively, in the faint hope to shield themselves from that Hell-beastly deluge.

Arawn felt himself pummeled furiously by a seemingly endless supply of warmed water droplets that smelled strongly of wet hound. He remained stoic for the entire while, as he felt the water seep into every nook and cranny of his body soaking him completely from head to toe.

Suddenly, it ended. He then opened his eyes and slowly looked up. Standing there in front of him, behind the chair that held his now utterly drenched cloak, Arawn took in the sight of the now completely dry Hellhound.

That Hellhound then loomed at him silently, grinning triumphantly all the while. Leaning over, she held her face mere centimeters from his and gave him one final indignant snort through her nose. Which caused Arawn to jerk back in response.

Silently, he watched as she turned and stepped lightly towards the Mess Hall exit, her tail held stiffly behind her as she padded away with an air of dignity. Spontaneously, every other remaining Mamono in that hall began clapping enthusiastically.

Glancing up, he turned to his table mates to apologize for their undoubted fellow soakings. Instead, Arawn found himself shocked at what he beheld before him.
As he watched in mute surprise, both Helvetia and Winnie lowered their arms from their defensive position. They were both rather happy to discover that every last drop of rainwater had somehow transferred itself from that Hellhound directly onto Arawn, and to him alone.

“If I may be excused.” He asked not quite dryly, rising and collecting his cloak, water streaming in rivulets down his hair and clothing. Suppressing their mirth behind their hands, both Corporal Helvetia and Lieutenant Winnie quietly nodded their acquiescence to his request.

“I will see you both tomorrow.” He stated as he began to walk away, squelching noisily with every step. His appearance caused a round of laughter from everyone else present in the Fort’s main Mess Hall. He paused momentarily when he heard Helvetia speak.

“Catch you tomorrow morning!” she called out. “Assuming someone doesn’t catch you first!” she waved goodbye gleefully. Arawn’s only response was to give her an annoyed glare, before turning away and stepping carefully around the surrounding tables, so as to avoid dripping on anyone else there.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> 

After a rain-soaked walk home, Arawn was standing in his apartment stripped naked, toweling himself off from the evening’s monsoonal torrent.

“I would think that even with all of the magic at my command, I would have had at least ONE rain deflecting spell available!” he grumbled to himself with his lips pursed in annoyance. Muttering silently, he then began to hang up most of his wrung-out clothing to dry above the kitchen’s space heater.

“Well!” he demanded of no one, as he flopped himself down onto the living area’s couch-equivalent. Idly, he began to weigh the pros and cons of either lighting a fire to warm the room, or simply conjuring up a fire elemental instead.

His thoughts were soon interrupted by the sound of someone knocking at his apartment door. Standing up, he searched around the room rapidly, before finding a moth eaten bathrobe that he swirled around his naked form. Finally, he pulled open the door after disabling the wards.

“Yes,…?” he began, but found he was staring at open air. He then lowered his head and took in the sight of Lt. Jinks standing before him dressed in her usual off-color multi-pocketed catsuit, her slightly damp greenish hair barely coming up to chest level. She remained silent, as she glanced down at his lack of dress, taking in the sight of him. Then, she slowly raised her eyes back up to his. Arawn noted that she lifted up a speculative eyebrow as she neared the apex of her head tilt.

“Hello Arawn.” She began at the last, smiling slightly with her eyes looking up at him admiringly. Arawn waited for her to continue speaking for several seconds. But when she didn’t, he had to force himself to not fidget.

“Is there anything I can help you with?” he demanded finally, tired of waiting.

“Mmmmmm,” she began, “Maybe.” She finished softly, as she began looking behind Arawn through half-lidded eyes. Suddenly, her eyes sprang widely open and she jerked physically at something behind him.

“Wha,…Wha,..What!” she began again, “What are those!” she yelped excitedly while pointing a finger. Arawn followed the direction of her finger, and noticed that it was pointed at one of his work benches that held a small pile of electronic instruments. Turning back to her, he tried to explain.

“They,” he began, then stopped when he noticed that Jinks was now panting heavily, with her tongue beginning to loll its way out of her mouth. Swiftly, he changed tactics.

“Pardon me, where are my manners?” he stated aloud with a roll of his eyes. “Would you care to come in,…” he began, but ceased when he realized that he was then addressing empty air.

Turning around, he noted that Jinks had already entered as soon as she’d realized she’d had his permission. She was pressing herself firmly up against the edge of the workbench, reaching out towards but not quite touching at, every last one of the two dozen electronic gadgets that lay before her. He noted that she was stamping her feet with a frustrated desire.

‘She reminds me of our adopted children during their first visit to a candy store. (4)’ Quartus remarked then. Arawn silently agreed as he closed his door, then made his way to stand alongside her.

“What’s this!?” Jinks demanded, pointing at one oblong object.

“That,” Arawn began, “is a Netheric-Beam Locator.” He stated. Jinks turned her head and looked at him with a confused expression. Arawn sighed.

“It is useful in detecting charged ion emissions.” He finished. Jinks’ expression rapidly changed into an ‘Oh’ of delight when he did.

“What’s that?” she asked again, and again, and again. Arawn patiently explained, one by one, what each item was. When he finished with the last one, she asked him one final question.

“How do they all work?!” she demanded, forcing herself to not reach out and nab one of them. Despite a Gremlin Mamono’s lust for all things mechanical and electrical, even they held an instinctual respect for the inherent dangers casual handling of same might result in.

“Unfortunately, they do not.” Arawn replied with a sad shake of his head.

“What?!” Jinks replied, aghast. “Why not!?”

“Because, the rules of this reality do not allow them to.” He replied.

“Huh?” Jinks replied, not understanding. Arawn raised a hand to her so that he could explain. He then gestured to the nearby couch equivalent.

“You may as well take a seat, Jinks. This will take a while to explain properly.” Jinks did as he asked, and sat down at one end of the couch. After she’d done so, Arawn sat himself at the other. Barely had he settled in, before Jinks had sat herself alongside him there, pressing her body into his.

“Um, excuse me,…” he began nervously, suddenly uncomfortable with her proximity.

“It’s cold in here, and you’re warm.” She smiled by way of reply, as she leaned her head onto his shoulder. Arawn frowned, started to speak then stopped with a thoughtful look on his face. Slowly, he lifted up an arm toward his bed that sat across the apartment, and spoke a single word aloud.

“VELLO.” He intoned, and in response a single blanket shot from his bed and flew across the intervening distance, to attach itself to his outreached hand.

“Oh! Nice trick!” Jinks happily complimented him. Arawn grimaced momentarily by way of reply, annoyed at her mistaken impression. He answered instead, by spreading that blanket across them both and tucked in the edges. When he had done, he noticed that Jinks’s smile had widened by at least a degree of magnitude.

“Better?” he asked, seeing that only her head was peeking up beyond the edge of his blanket.

“Yes!” she nodded gleefully. “It smells just like you!” she squealed. Arawn’s face froze in response, which made Jinks giggle.

“Now, about your explanation.” She prompted him then, letting him off of the hook. Arawn then went on at length and explained about: Planes of Existence, Realities versus Dimensions, the interaction of what constituted the Multiverse and the Nodes therein. Step by step, Jinks followed along as best she could. When he had finished, she spoke.

“I’m not sure what everything you’ve referred to is, actually. But, I think I caught the gist of it all. So what you’re telling me,” she began, sticking her tongue out of the side of her mouth in deep thought, “is that in this world, the one we’re living in now, it’s ‘Set of Laws’ actively do not allow,…what do you call it again? Elect Raunicks?” she asked.

“Electronics.” He repeated.

“Electronics.” She repeated correctly. Arawn nodded, Jinks continued. “do not allow Electronics to operate.” She finished, and remained quiet as she concentrated on mentally running through his entire speech once more.

“Why?” she asked, turning her eyes to look up at him. “Why do you even have them out, if you know ahead of time that they won’t work?” she asked him suspiciously.

“Because, it has been part of my experience in such worlds as this, that I have been able to engineer a work around.” She sat straight up then, listening eagerly.

“You think you might be able to get them to work?” she asked, intrigued by the notion.

“Yes. Though how long it might take to research it, I have no idea.” He admitted.

“How do you intend to do that? Make them work?” she demanded.

“With Magic.” He smiled smugly. JInks found herself matching that smile, as she sat back against that couch, and settled her head against his shoulder once more. “Magic has a tendency to work just about everywhere in the Multiverse, to one degree or another.” He continued, not noticing her moving her arms.

“Where doesn’t it work?” she asked innocently, slowly moving herself about some more underneath that blanket.

“Usually in realities that lie close to the Node known as Law. Its proximity often causes a deadening eff,…” he said, then stopped as he felt Jinks’ hand wander its way into the depths of his bathrobe.

“Jinks.” Arawn said stiffly, as he returned his concentration back to her. “What do you think you are doing?” he asked as attempted to intercept that wayward hand of hers. There, underneath that blanket occurred a short wrestling that Jinks couldn’t help but lose, ungracefully. All during which, her normally smiling countenance was replaced with something more akin to a leer.

“It should be obvious, Arawn.” She replied sultrily, and waited. When Arawn didn’t answer she began once more.

“All right, fine! I’m attempting to seduce you!” she huffed, as she flipped back the blanket that covered her. What Arawn saw then, left him gaping. For when that blanket had come to a rest, he saw that Jinks was now completely unclothed!

“What?!” he demanded. “How in the Seven Hells did you manage that?!” he asked, incredulous. “I would have detected some use of magic!” She giggled.

“It’s not magic!” she grinned triumphantly as she shifted herself around in the low light of the room, now uncomfortably close to Arawn.
Who, found his blood starting to pump hard when he saw what she had to offer physically. Where before, he had assumed that her standard Gremlin body shape, was akin to the form of a near pre-pubescent human girl. He now beheld that Jinks was more of a miniature adult in a set of pleasing proportions.

‘Zoinks! (2)’ Secundus yelped gleefully, in the back of Arawn’s mind at the sight sitting before him.

“Jinks,” Arawn began to scold, as she reached out to him. “I am not interested in Matri,..” he started, but was interrupted when she laid a finger onto his lips.

“Sssshhh!” she went, holding another finger across her pursed mouth. Arawn stopped attempting to speak, and instead chose to listen.

“I’m not interested in marriage, Arawn.” She smiled, “I’m more interested in what, hmmmm what do they call it again?” she leaned back and thought about it. “Oh yes!” she exclaimed suddenly with a smile. “Friends with benefits!”

“Lovers?” Arawn demanded, holding his breath.

“Something like that. But instead of the option of us becoming something more than mere lovers eventually. I want us to be casual lovers and nothing more.”

“You say that now,…” he began, and left the sentence hanging.

“Look!” she frowned for the first time. “It’ll be at least another fifty years before I even begin to start thinking about making a nest!” she instructed. “By that time, we’ll probably have long gone our separate ways. I’m only interested in sex, with you, in the here and now!”

“Just,…Sex?” he demanded. She nodded her agreement, smiling once more.

“Fair enough.” Arawn answered agreeably. “But why do this, here, now?” A somber look crossed her face as she drew away.

“Because, even with your mighty protestations as you recounted your encounter with the Hellhound, Arawn. I could tell,…I could tell that a small part of you,…” she sighed, and licked her lips in preparation to wade into dangerous waters.
 “A part of you WANTED her to succeed.” She replied with a challenge in her eye. A challenge for him to contradict her.

“That notion is absolutely,…!” he began indignantly, then stopped and thought about it.
“Absolutely,…he tried again more quietly, then ultimately failed as he closed his mouth. He sat back away from her into the couch and wouldn’t meet her eyes.

“You’re lonely Arawn. So am I.” Jinks whispered as she slowly reached down past the folds of his bathrobe. This time he didn’t resist her. A second or two later, her hand encountered his stiffening manhood. When she did, her nascent smile blazed into full glory, as she stared up at him.

“To the first of many such joinings.” Jinks toasted, as she bent her head down to take him into her mouth.

When she finally did make contact, she lovingly kissed the crown of his penis’ head that peeked out of his robes. She then tilted her head so as to make eye contact with him momentarily. Arawn could do nothing more than stare placidly back at her, happy to let someone else take charge for once.

After that, his breath caught in his throat, as she slowly engulfed his glans into her mouth. Simultaneously small electrical charges of pleasure began to shoot from where her oral cavity contacted him, up to his brain.

“Aaaaahhhh!” he gasped breathlessly, tilting first his head, then his whole body back, surrendering himself to her tender touch. Distantly, off in a corner of his mind, he could feel her spreading his bathrobe apart so as to gain a greater degree of access. Still further, he heard the sound of the Monsoonal rain increasing in volume and ferocity.

‘Such decibels will cover the sound of our love-making.’ He idly thought in that moment. But even that thought began to fade, until it dissolved the further Jinks suckled more of his manhood within her. Centimeter by centimeter she slid him past her teeth, her tongue, then still further,…deeper, much deeper,…until finally, he could feel her lips reach the base of his member. There, she tightened her lips into a near perfect ellipse; grasping him almost greedily in her oral embrace. He allowed himself to experience the nirvana of having his manhood encased in that warm and accepting interior of hers.

Spontaneously, she began to wave her tongue to and fro alongside his length, never once releasing him from her languidly warm mouth. Arawn’s breathing intensified, until he started breathing in short gasping breaths.

‘Great Maker, it has been too long since Takana!’ he thought with a momentary guilt. Then he cast that guilt aside, once he remembered what he thought he’d done to her.

‘Wait! How can she even breathe?’ he hesitated then in confusion, looking down at her. He noticed that she held herself just above his pelvis, her arms bent at a ninety-degree angle, looking as if she were prepared to do pushups. She tilted her head up to make eye-contact with him momentarily, almost as if she’d heard his thought. When they did make contact, she somehow smirked, and gave him a wink by way of reply.

‘Nevermind!’ he thought suddenly. ‘I will inquire to such ability, later!’ he decided firmly, as he allowed himself to bask in the warmth of her exquisite deep-throating skills.

Somehow, she continued to hold him in his entirety, as she started to bob her head up and down, rhythmically constricting her throat in an unexpected way.
Once more Arawn cast away his doubts and his concerns and simply allowed himself to bask in the glory of the moment. Urgently, he dimly became aware of a rising Tsunami-like tide that built up within his loins!

“Jinks,..” he gasped by way of warning, but he couldn’t manage anything more than that. Such would’ve required more brain power than he cared to distribute. She looked back at him and nodded her head, signaling her eager readiness to finish what she’d begun. It didn’t take long.

‘AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!! (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)’ Arawn and his not-brothers silently screamed in their collective orgasmic joy, sending out wave after wave of seemingly boundless telepathic pleasures that resounded throughout their collective consciousness.

For her part, Jinks was astounded at what Arawn shudderingly gifted within her throat, almost to the point of being overwhelmed!
Not overwhelmed by the amount of his semen that began to flow down her eagerly accepting esophagus! Oh no, she certainly had plenty of experience of other men before him, to be able to handle the emissions of a horse if ever need be.

‘But this!’ She thought, ‘This store of Spirit Energy, is akin to an avalanche!’ she realized in near-horror.
For a moment or two she felt herself beginning to black out from that raging Essence-wave the threatened to overcome her in its entirety.

Determinedly, she forced herself to hold on and continue to guzzle every last drop he gave her, for as long as she dared to manage. Only at the last, just before she began to feel as if she were drowning, did he finally expel his last. Even then, she reluctantly let go of his penis as she withdrew her head, greedily sucking at his seed as if it were gold-solder.

Both were left panting after that splendid moment. She, rested her head on his thigh, content to bask in the deluge of Spirit Energy that seemingly filled every part of her being.
She grinned contentedly up at him, patiently waiting for him to come down from the ‘little-death’ that occurs to every man after his orgasm. Finally, he slowly opened his eyes and allowed himself to gaze happily back at her. They stayed that way for several long moments, content to simply enjoy the presence of the other.

Finally, she spoke.

“Ready for round two?” she asked him breathlessly.

“But, of course!” he replied with a leer, as he leaned forward and reached out to her.

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