Lying along with the fur of the Desert Claimer, they looked at the outpost. Despite wanting to get back to the village as quickly as possible, the Chiefess had insisted on staying. Her tail happily wagged, slapping itself against Charlie’s leg as he tried to concentrate. He was about to ask her to move her tail but stopped as he saw the women begin to waggle their tails as well. Looking back to the outpost, he saw the gates swing open.

Next, a large convoy of carriages, caravans, and wagons burst forth and into the desert. Immediately. They began to move in the direction Charlie assumed to be that of where the Region Lord’s home was. The only reason he assumed this was because he saw the Region Lord leaving (known due to one of the wagons being vastly lower to the ground than the others), but it was towards the village, nor towards the capital, so he had to be going to his home to try and fortify and protect his land.

Five or so minutes later, the convoy had disappeared into the desert. Cheering, the Chiefess leapt up. Following her lead, the warriors and vultures began to whoop and cheer as they mounted their war beasts. Ourupadia held Charlie tightly against her chest as she also leapt onto the beast. Charging forward, they stampeded towards the open gates of the outpost.

Bracing against Ourupadia, waiting for gunfire to erupt. Yet it didn’t. The gunfire never came, as did no resistance as they broke into the outpost. Scanning around, Charlie noticed the empty tents and scattered clothes and abandoned drinks as well as food. The soldiers were gone. Seeing the women leap from the beasts, he watched as they sprinted towards pile gigantic pile of wooden crates.

Using their spears and knives, they pried the boxes open. Peeking from the sheltering arms of Ourupadia, he saw the piles of bread, meat, grapes, fruits, vegetables, and all different kinds of seasoning and spices. Closing the boxes and binding the close with vine, they then bound the boxes to the Desert Claimers.

Within only a few minutes, the boxes of food were bound, and the warriors set about pillaging anything they could from the settlement. Nolkonoe and several other vultures wasted no time in pillaging the house of the Region Lord. Smirking a little, he assumed that was where they were going to headfirst if given the chance. When they investable pillaged his main estate as well, he assumed they would like nothing more than to take their fair pickings of that as well.

As he predicted, to protect him Ourupadia didn’t move from his side. Now that the women were giving in to their anger and breaking down the buildings, he felt her hold him even tighter. Looking to the head of the creature, he saw that the Chiefess didn’t move either. While everyone else in their wolf forms wagged their tails, barked and howled with enjoyment, her tail stood stiff as her eyes were fixed on him.

Shit, her eyes moved, startling Charlie.

It wasn’t a big movement or a sudden one, but having such a feeling of dread be lifted from his shoulders felt refreshing. Now though her sights had a new target. Locking her eyes with Ourupadia’s, he noticed that both had the same look of them daring to challenge one another. Considering both kept glancing from him, then back to each other, he assumed himself to be the prize.

“Charlie! Come here!” Phukomeia yelled, waving a hand in the air to signal him over.

For a second Ourupadia loosened her grip. Charlie took the second of confusion from her to leap forward and off the war beast. Seeing him begin to run, Ourupadia and the Chiefess leapt after him. Despite wanting to follow him, to avoid looking weird to him, they followed at a slight distance. But having two large, eight-foot-tall women with large wolf ears and a tail about as long as his arm wasn’t exactly subtle.

Charlie knew they didn’t care whether or not they came off as weird, they were simply just trying to show off to each other who was better through this stupid little game. Keeping his eyes forward to not give one of the two the satisfaction of gloating that the other got noticed, he followed Phukomeia through the small group of tents and cabins.

Arriving at the house of the Region Lord, Charlie saw Nolkonoe waiting by the door. Smiling, she waved him inside.

“I found something that you may like,” she said as he walked into the house with the Chiefess and Ourupadia in tow. Grabbing their arms, Phukomeia dragged the overly in heat Wolvanticai out of the room.

“Sorry about them. All this fighting and excitement has probably gotten them in heat. Watch out for that when we return, they will probably try to… play with you,” Nolkonoe said before gesturing him to the table. Along the table lay a small arsenal of documents.

Assuming that this was what she had brought him here to look at, he moved to the table.

“Do these papers mean anything?” Nolkonoe said, moving behind him as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

Charlie tried to shrug her off.

“Look at the papers,” she whispered. Charlie did what she said and began to examine the papers.

“These are…” Charlie looked the papers over, trying to decipher what they were. Some talked about the union, others about the natives, some about a reservoir and nature preserve.

“It’s a little,” Charlie shook his head.

“I think I need some more time to look through these,” Charlie said, breaking from her arms as he began to pull the papers towards him. Pulling and piling them, he noticed an open draw.

“Did I do good?” She said, cuddling him from behind again. Her tail swooped around to his front and began to smack against his leg. Running his hand along with the fur of her tail, he smiled at her.

“You have done very well. I’ll go through these and see if there is anything of use,” Charlie said, ruffling her tail a little before letting go. A small sigh of annoyance from her

An angry native voice yelled from the door. Glancing over his shoulder, he looked to see Nolkonoe turn and move to see the source of the sound. Knowing it was probably just the Chiefess and Ourupadia causing some commotion, he decided to go through the draw to see if it was anything she had missed.

Pulling out several large booklets, he began to flick through the pages of the first, then the second, then the third. There were simply names of men and some women alongside short bios which gave their names, ages and a basic description of their appearances. Along the top of the pages were dates and next to them sat the ugly words ‘sales’.

“Nolkonoe,” Charlie said raising the book. Seeing the book, her eyes widened for a second before she relaxed and hurried to his side.

“Don’t worry, I looked at those, they aren’t important,” she said, snatching the booklet from his hand and gathering the others. Shoving them back into the draws, she turned to the papers.

“I think I found a map amongst the documents earlier, how about we look at that?” She said, quickly moving his attention.

Charlie was confused by her sudden change in attitude but chose to ignore it for the time being as he followed her around the table to look at the map. Seeing another drawer open, he casually moved around the table and glanced inside. A small pocket gun sat in the drawer. Most likely there in the situation that he needed to subtly shoot someone with a concealed weapon. Its single barrel was long yet capable.

Knocking a piece of paper off the table, he leaned down to collect it, as well as subtly collect the gun and several rounds of ammunition. Tucking it into his beltline, he concealed the gun with his shirt.

“Nolkonoe?” Charlie said, running to her side as she began to take the papers to the war beast.

“Yes?” she said, turning to him, her eyes narrowed and her usual smile unseen.

“Those booklets in the drawers, are you sure they aren’t anything?” Charlie said, moving to the drawer to try and see her reaction.

“Charlie, there are some things about our relationship with the Region Lord that are best left unknown,”

“Nolkonoe,”

“Leave it, Charlie,”

“Nolkonoe, what is it?” Charlie said, placing his hand onto the handle of the drawer.

“Charlie, we very rarely give birth to males, so every now and then we buy them,”

“Like me?”

“No, they are criminals. Criminals we mate then sacrifice,”

“I thought you weren’t going to hide things from me,”

“I’m not, all you have to do is ask,” Nolkonoe said, walking back to the table. Placing the papers down, she moved to his side.

“When we get home, feel free to ask me anything,”

“What do you buying criminals have to do with the Region Lord?” Charlie said, his patients for her games wearing thin. Nolkonoe was quiet for a moment.

“Do you think Phukomeia is my sister?” Nolkonoe’s question took him back for a few seconds as he didn’t see how it was relevant.

“I never really thought about it, I just assumed you were,”

“Phukomeia is my daughter. One of them that is. I have had twelve, and each one of their fathers was criminals who I slept with then sacrificed. One of the men was the son of the Region Lord. I wasn’t aware at the time; all I knew was that he was a murder. But I slept with him, then I killed him,” Nolkonoe explained opening the drawer.

“Look at them if you want, but I don’t want you to start being sympathetic towards murderers. You’re a soft-hearted, loving boy, I don’t want you putting that love towards someone who doesn’t deserve it,” Nolkonoe said, placing a kiss onto his lips before taking the papers and walking to the door. Watching as she walked to the doorway, Charlie said nothing.

“So, you are coming?” Nolkonoe called as she moved to the doorway.

“Yeah,” Charlie said, placing the booklet back into the draw. Nolkonoe gave a sigh of relief as she saw him leaving it.

“Good boy now comes on,” she said, leading him out of the house and back through the village.

Two battered and bruised women sat on the back of the Desert Claimer. Quickly, Charlie realised it was the Chiefess and Ourupadia. Both had their cheeks puffing out as they pouted. Over them, stook Phukomeia, glaring down on the two women to make sure they didn’t fight again. Seeing Charlie, their faces lit up into grins.

“Ignore them, they are in heat and need to learn to control their instincts,” Nolkonoe said, moving the papers into the cradle of one arm, freeing the other. Using her free arm, she grabbed his and started to drag him towards the head of the Desert Claimer.

Sitting by the reins of the creature was the Lead warrior and her daughter. Seeing them, she smiled and patted the seat behind her. Both returned the smiles as they moved over to them. Being in her wolf form, Nolkonoe very easily got onto the back of the creature. Rummaging through the fur, Charlie tried to find the steps she used on the saddle to get up. A hand wrapped around the scruff of his neck.

Like a mother wolf with her pup, the Lead Warrior lifted him onto the war beast, and then onto her lap.

“I saw that little trick you pulled on the Region Lord. The money will be very much appreciated,” the Lead Warrior whispered into his ear before placing a kiss onto the side of his head, then another onto his neck.

“Cluupyte! Don’t tease the boy, look how flushed he is!” Nolkonoe scolded, seeing she was no better than the Chiefess or Ourupadia.

“Lier! You know you like to see him just as much as any of us!” the Lead Warrior responded.

“And don’t tell him my name, I like him calling me Lead Warrior, it makes me feel good,” she said, looking a little pouty.

“Cluupyte,” Charlie muttered quietly.

“Hey!” Cluupyte yelled down at him before burying her face into his hair. Growling she gently nibbled her teeth against his head.

“Idiot, go, we are leaving,” Nolkonoe said, seeing the warriors and vultures had pulled the last of the bounty onto the Desert Claimers. Straightening her back, regaining her posture and ‘noble’ attitude, Cluupyte wiped the reins. With the simple movement, the creature bucked and began to wander into the Desert.