I feel like I did a bad job of editing this one... if you find any mistakes I may have missed, left me know please!

Sighing, Andrew gave up on thinking of the politics of the matter and instead decided to follow his stomach. After hours of harsh battles and trekking through the forest he was positively famished.

Nodding to the little girl, he walked up to both the overhung pelt on the tree branch and the wolf’s corpse in turn, depositing them in his inventory only to receive a notification when he attempted to deal with the corpse.

You have reached maximum capacity in your inventory. You will not be able to place another object until something is removed.

Grumbling, he dropped the small pebbles, goblins clubs, and wore both the quiver on his back and the novice dagger at his hip to make room. Finally, as the light faded and they were in a relatively clear area, just pools of blood located here and there.

Making their way after the retreating figure of the girl, the trio was being corralled by the remaining wolf alphas who seemed oddly happy over the misfortunes of their brothers. One in the front and two in the rear, but at relatively respectful distances so even Lisia wasn’t anything more than a little nervous.

Entering the small opening in the natural, wooded fort, the trio noticed something rather strange. Inside the walled area area was serene meadow with only a few trees popping up here and there. Each wolf was paying their respects towards the young girl by laying down with their heads on the ground. As she walked past, they, too, rose from their subservient position sending inquisitive glances towards the human, goblin, and elf.

While the pack wasn’t overly hostile, they weren’t welcoming either. But such treatment is expected towards outsiders. Within the elevated meadow, each rolling hill seemed to serve as a dugout or den for the massive wolves. In total, as far as the eye could see, Andrew counted over 80 of the creatures in the open.

‘Ten or so in each of the original packs… I wonder how the three remaining ones will split the families from here on,’ mused Andrew with a wry smile, finally realising the alphas treatment of him after Sheylin came around.

In some sense, it was a blessing for Andrew to come along and quell some of the building tension between the families. Though it could be done in various ways, the result would have been essentially the same for the mutated wolf packs.

With the surrounding crowds wolves growing thinner and thinner, they approached a massive willow, within the branches stood the small parasitic dogwood trees in full bloom. Giving an interesting scene to behold. Birds soared through the air, critters danced and played throughout the branches. The setting sun peered through the canopy and gave the impression of anything but the den of the leader of the vicious, hostile grey wolves Andrew encountered all day.

Near the base of the nearly 40 metre tall tree was an entrance that seemed beyond what mere wolves were capable of building.

With a near perfect arch made of two small trees intertwining themselves at around 4 metres above the ground, bended and curling over one another before extending slightly to the sky just in front of the cavernous, hollowed out willow. A perfectly circular tunnel was dug and polished to a smooth finish where even the trees knots themselves were not visible.

‘Clearly this was the work of that Den Mother. Magic, slave labour, anime abuse, whatever it is, it doesn’t really have anything to do with me for the time being,’ mulled over Andrew as he stepped up towards the entrance of the Den Mother’s lair.

As he went a few more feet inwards, he and the others were pushed back with a sudden gust of air, knocking out everyone except for the three wolves - who stood on guard at the entryway. Even little Sheylin was pushed onto her rear with the other three.

“Mother! Why are you treating your gues-” started Sheylin before she began to shriek like a banshee, “AH, COLD! COLD! COLD! WHY?! YOU KNOW I HATE BATHS?!”

As Sheylin began to sob quietly Andrew looked over at her genuine doubt before saying, “That was cold? At most it was lukewarm and even then it would be pushing it…?” Eyeing the other two, he noticed that they were both shivering uncontrollably, teeth chattering, and their faces turned slightly blue.

“Ahaha, as expected of my new man ~ you are rather surprising you know!” a melodious voice echoed through the space, each syllabol more enticing than the last for the two man of the group. Even Lisia was blushing a bit, seemingly forgetting about the rude awakening she experienced a few second prior.

With long ebony hair and flawless porcelain skin, Sheylin’s mother strided up to Andrew in all her natural glory. Twin peaks that would easily cause the careless to topple over and an rear and hips that seemed to balance out her excessive upper body. Even the thin waist only served to emphasis the those two features. Looking up he saw two bewitching violet coloured eyes, with a vertical slits for pupils. Though he was physically attracted to her, she seemed to rub him the wrong way for a number of reason.

“Did you warm the water up for me specifically or are those three just complaining needlessly?”

“Nope ~” She began as she eyed up his now spotless body, though the blood stains still remained on his clothes, it was dyed a uniform colour of red so it wasn’t anything that would set him apart from the crowd all that much. Even the blood that matted his own hair seemed to disappear.

“You simply took it like a man, even those supposed alpha wolves still yelp and shiver for some peculiar reason. My daughter on the other hand… Well, although she still has her uses, it isn’t like I’d entrust anything too major for someone who can’t even take a bath without complaining,” launching a scathing look at her daughter, whom was still shivering violently, before softening her gaze somewhat.

“Lisia, I never know you swung that way?” joked Andrew as he stripped off his water logged shirt. Putting the already distant Lisia further in a daze.

“My name is Lisia! Damn it, get it right!” She replied automatically, as if she has come to expect Andrew to use it at every opening, but refusing to have it stick to her forever.

“As I said before, ‘Lisia’, Lisia,” sighed Andrew before spanning his gaze around the room. “Lisia, looks like you and me are the other clothed people here, huh? How about it, I’m game if you are,” quipped Andrew with a teasing voice only to see her blush deepen greatly, embarrassed and annoyed at the suggestion.

“ “What’s the point of clothes. It’s too much work.” “

Taryk and Sheylin looked at each other in surprise. Every syllable was in sync and neither realised the other was speaking until they finished.

“You really know what’s up, shapeshifting slut.” praised Taryk with his usual brazen attitude leaking out once more. Even going so much as to pace over to her, checking out her body with major scrutiny before sighing slightly and muttering, “if only you were closer to my age…”

“Same to you, green, crossed muscle head.” As with Taryk, she too advanced and circled around the entirely naked goblin lightly dragging a finger on top of the scar Andrew inflicted before commenting, “Ah, I’m 18, close enough?”

“Woah, really?” No matter where Taryk looked he couldn’t find a trace of the age on her. “... You are actually older than me… you huma- ahem, weird shapeshifting reptilian snake human type species, truly are a inscrutable race. 17.”

“Great, shall we?” Spoke Sheylin before Andrew decided to step in between the two.

“What happened to, ‘trap’ something or another, actually I don’t even care.” Shaking his head, and lowering the loaded pebble he picked up for emergencies, ”Mama Reptilian shapeshifting snake-human, or so says the wise fellow over there, I’d like you know why you care about me. Your, ‘shapeshifting slut’ daughter, spoke warmly about you and some goal or another. I’d like to know about it before I associate myself too much with you guys, because, well, I can?” Addressed Andrew clearly as he shook his long hair slight in a vain hope to rid himself of some of the water.

“Hmm, I probably can’t trust you whatsoever, but it wouldn’t affect you in the slightest. And you don’t seem to be the type to meddle without a valid reason. Fine, fine, fine. One condition, however ~ …”

“No, I will not have sex with a woman who slept with and birthed dozens of wolves. Humans, elves, some other fairy tale non-sense, maybe. Just not mangy wolves or any other animals really,” spoke Andrew with a irritated expression as he glanced over her body for the second time.

“Ah, I see... it was worth a shot anyways. If you are not into women that’s fine. I can turn into a man too? Temporarily, of course,” smiled the Den Mother with a provoking smirk.

The smirk, however, was turned upside down just moments later. A small pebble pegged her square on the forehead. As the temperature of the room began to drop, the expressions of everyone present - besides Andrew, began to pale. Even the mischievous Sheylin pleaded her mother to at least save her new, ‘toy.’

“Okay, for one; fuck you. Not literally, that’d be kind of dangerous in a couple of different ways: diseases, fleas, mites, so on and so forth really. Secondly, I’m straight, I just would rather not sleep someone no better than prostitute. Thirdly, you and I both know it, you may kill them, but in the meantime I can kill your daughter. Now, no more lollygagging and order one of your furry harem bastards to get us some food. And quit looking at me like that. Fucking masochistic mongrel.” Immediately after the initial surprise from the throw faded, the woman unleashed a breathtaking smile that awed everyone except for the irritated man.

Whistling quietly, Taryk nudged Sheylin before whispering, “It seems like the Boss has tamed your mother, what will you do now, Shey?”

Sheylin whispered back, “it’s the other way around, she always get like that when she found a toy that she’d go to the end of the world to captu- ahem, obtain.”

Laughing far too loudly for their hushed discussion, Taryk spoke arrogantly, “you haven’t seen boss yet when he’s really angry, hell, even that mutilated and tortured wolf was because he was annoyed at the wolf’s approach and had the power to deal with him. Now, I’m not saying I have, but when he does finally explode it’d be a sight to see… On the sidelines, at least.”

Reflecting slightly Sheylin spoke casually now that everyone was already listening to the two of them, “Interesting, interesting. Seems like I picked the right mate, Mother always said, ‘Don’t bite off more than you can chew,’ surely I wouldn’t be able to handle him… yet. You on the other hand…” With a passionate look in her eyes she approached the young goblin.

“OUCH, What was that for?!” Cried out Sheylin as her kiss was interrupted by a light whack of a spear shaft.

“Trap or something. Boss is usually right. But, regardless, maybe when we are out of your territory. The furred devotees would probably rip my body to shreds just because you are some new princess-in-training? Ah, are you housebroken though, we really can’t get you to meet my parents if - AH, WHY?!”

With a coy expression on her face, the fireball disappeared from her hands and she ran up to Taryk who was wildly rolling around trying to smother out the magical flames. “My Love! Oh, how could the world be so cruel as to do such a thing to an innocent, kind, brazen fool. It’s such a shame that the Heavens themselves designed these flames to last hours on end! How can we save such a - AHHRGH”

With a double blow of retaliatory flames from her mother and pebble impacting her forehead, she promptly passed out. Sizing each other up, Andrew and the Den Mother both laughed lightly at the same time, “interesting, interesting, if you are so inclined, you can ‘discipline’ me and my daughter at the size time ~” flirted the Den Mother as she held her daughter in one arm and Taryk in the other, sending some spell that stopped the flames and healed most of the damage.

“You left them some ‘parting gifts,’ so to speak, as a reminder for tomorrow, hey?” smirked Andrew, when he received a sly nod in confirmation a small smile crept up on his face. “Now we are even for him throwing one, or two - how do you count your children - anyways, of your son’s heads at my face. I owe you my thanks,” Andrew bent over forty five degrees and gave as formal as a bow as he could without breaking out in laughter at the ridiculousness of it all.

“Anyways, can I please have food? Lisia, I forgot to ask, do you care if we eat meat… Lisia? Ah, don’t bark now, you don’t want to be influenced by the scary, unconscious midget over there.”

“Y-yeah, but… what in the hell happened, I saw it all, but I just don’t understand,” began Lisia before sighing and signaling Andrew to explain with her perplexed eyes.

“Okay, Taryk and Sheylin, ie scary midget slut, or whatever derogatory word you’d like to use at any given moment, are a thing. She’s crazy; he’s a blunt idiot, but hey, it’s entertaining right Mama Wolf?”

Looking lost for a moment, the Den Mothers violet eyes lit up suddenly, “Oh, my name! How irresponsible of me, Sharlin, nice to met you two. That green one will obviously be dealt with later,” meeting a sudden glare from Andrew, she sighed, “Not in that manner. Just ‘educated’ and ‘screened’ as any parent should test when they are looking for their child’s first mate.”

“First?” Replied Andrew in puzzlement, “I thought she would have been a - ahem, ‘free spirit’ like her shameless mother. Especially considering her being 18 years old. Damn, you really are a bad influence, ah where was I… Taryk and Sheylin, check. Me and Sharlin, check - ”

“Wait what, you are planning on sleeping with that wolf now?!” Cried Lisia in alarm.

“Nah, she want’s me, I want food. That’s all our relationship is. That sounds bad; no sex whatsoever with furry vixens. And hey, storytime. Goals,” commanded Andrew with a harsher than usual tone of voice.

Seeing the irritated human, Sharlin sighed lightly before beginning her story… A long arduous story about persecution and something else before Andrew began to fall asleep.

-----------------------

Seeing the Sun rays nearly blind him as he opened up his eyes, indicating he was asleep for far longer than he would have thought, he felt uncomfortable. Not physically, but a sense of emotion turmoil though he know nothing about what could have cause it.

Lazily stretching on the ground he felt he elbow touch something peculiar, not the soft grass underneath his back, nor the countless flowers blooming around him. Sleepily gazing towards the object he sighed before going back to sleep.

-------------------------

Waking up once more, he shoved the sleeping beauty off of him. Dressing in his boxes, leg guards, and crimson undershirt, he prepared himself for the day even finding his weapons tossed haphazardly off to the side. Sharlin was still restlessly moving towards him in an attempt to grab him once more so he shook her slightly. With no response, he flicked her on the forehead. Neither did calling her; nothing seemed to work. So he grabbed a trusty pebble from the ground beside his resting spot and lobbed it at her.

Walking towards the tree home, he asked a series of questions to her: “You actually did what I think you did last night,” nod, “You thought it would be a good idea since I was unconscious,” nod. “Did you at least use some healing spell on it afterwards?” Nod, “You realise I will have no part in this shit later,“ nod. “Taryk?”

Yawning cutely, Sharlin spoke indifferently, “I tied the two up at separate corners of the room with a few guard dogs just in case either one of them gets cheeky. Probably loose now though.”

“Honestly, I really don’t care much about what to me… at least while I’m asleep. Don’t get any ideas about this later,” stifling a yawn as well, Andrew continued on, “just don’t let Taryk get eaten by the pack before he even has a chance to lose his virginity, okay? It’d be inconvenient to train another goblin with your pets - or rather children, ya know?”

As they entered the willow tree’s interior, Andrew was met with a marvelous smell. Small piles of meat were skewered on tree branches before being roasted over a small fire. In a pot nearby there was a small stew brewing with strange vegetables floating to surface once more.

Now that the trio essentially had free reign over the wilderness nearby, Lisia took it upon herself to gather the freshest ingredients and prepare a sizable breakfast. Likewise, the now freed Sheylin, sat by the fire and spit roasted various birds and critters - which looked rather crispy to begin with.

“We have an announcement to make,” began Sharlin, momentarily confusing the entire group, “myself and.. this human - “

“Andrew,” cut in Taryk, in between bites from his raw fox corpse.

“Myself and Andrew… Are expecting!” Everyone either spat out their food or fell to the floor. Lisia, especially, was quivering and stuttered, “Is this true…” in a voice few could hear, if not of course, for the silence that just into being.

“Taryk watch yourself,” cautioned Andrew as her glanced the smaller shapeshifter, “Sharlin, took advantage of me when I was asleep, speaking of which, Lisia can you use your magic just in case she lied about purifying whichever canine STD she has come into contact with - because we all know that you have,” glared Andrew now at Sheylin’s mother, Sharlin.

“I’m kind of at that point where nothing should really surprise me anymore, cooperating with goblins, wolves, and some other creature that literally just raped Andrew… whom doesn’t seem all that affected,” sighed Lisia before a small green glow encased her hands before leading up towards Andrew’s lower body.

After a few moments of awkward silence Taryk spoke up, “Congratulations, now will it be another monster like that one over there,” pointing at Sheylin with an entire fox femur in his mouth, “or maybe, a cross breed? Wolf-human slut? Wait, is that how the beastmen came to be?”

Exhaling lightly, Sharlin replied with a slightly saddened face, “Yes, my species was responsible for the majority of the diversification of this continent. Over the boundless seas, exists a land where hailed from - “

“Northern Africa, or whatever the hell it would be called now?” cut in Andrew, curious to see if his conjecture was correct.

“Afrikah… Where is that?”

Attempting to draw a crude map of the world on the wooden floor with a burnt stick was difficult, but eventually after some ‘do-overs’ he finished it to a barely adequate level.

Pointing towards the first landmass he drew, “Assuming it hasn't changed much, we are here in the northern portions of this continent. It’s name was called North America and down here is call South American - sometimes referred to as Central America, or at least I do. Anyways, over here is Europe, And below it is Africa. Where I’m thinking it’d be located would be on the Northern reaches of the African continent or perhaps somewhere in between the landmasses.

“Wait, stop getting me distracted, oh right, your goal: I imagine you want a permanent home, correct?”

“Yes, but to do that we need territory, power, influ- “ started Sheylin before being cut off.

Scratching his head, “Why? What’s the point of all that, basically just bring your pack to some wooded area, build a cabin and be done with it all. If you’re really keen on it all, go up to the Goblins, Treehuggers, or Beast-man and be like, ‘hey, I like to hang out with these guys, I’ll tell them to not kill you, so please avoid starting a war,’ kind of sounds arrogant, but it is the best I can come up with on the spot.”

“It isn’t that easy! What if -”

“- They find out? So what, who cares if you can turn into whatever in the fuck you want. Hell, if you want to agree to my original proposition then you should be good. Team up with the Cleaver clan of goblins, let them expand and conquer the other tribes around here with some help of your pack and then you’ll have pretty much all three of your previous requirements,” unintentionally half-ordered Andrew towards Sharlin and her daughter, Sheylin, before gorging himself on a two foot long branch covered in spit roasted meat. Though no clear response came from Sharlin, one could tell from her silence that the matter was being passed around in her mind.

“Hey, don’t just fill up on meat!” Reprimanded Lisia wearing a nervous expression, before shoving a bowl filled to the brim with her homemade soup.

As the breakfast went on the group chatted and bickered, each grew more comfortable of the other. Not even paying attention to the three nude people and the other two greatly under dressed individuals.

As soon as they finished breakfast Andrew asked for a secluded space in the meadow, so the that the other wolves wouldn’t see the process of skinning or the mere process of butchering their brethren. Sharlin, still glowing from the morning, happily obliged his request and led him as well as Taryk to a small desolate area where even the grass could barely manage to survive.

“Why is this place like this?” spoke Andrew as he eyed the barren soil in a ten meter radius, with dry soil and powdered rock fragments.

“War,” Sharlin responded, speaking quietly, but with a clenched jaw and the venomous way she spat out the word, it clearly had impacted her more than he would have thought for the usual carefree woman. “Our enemy, the horned wind serpents, moved further into our territory causing many of these children to die needlessly. This is where we buried them afterwards.”

“That poisonous?” Replied Andrew indifferently, eyeing the dying ground, receiving a solemn nod shortly afterwards, “So gargantuan, poisonous flying snakes decided to move in on your space, huh. Clearly you fought them off well enough, but why do you look so distraught right now, they should have been sent with their tails between their legs at this point, hey?”

“Ah, well I personally killed their leader and most of their group, but many of my children died because of the ambushes they launch when the pups go out on patrol.”

“Guerilla warfare, not bad for animals. Though that’s where we got it from anyways, oh Taryk get started already.” Selecting the ten corpses which stayed suspended in the air until each was placed floating above the ground. Eventually the first fell, following that each dropped in turn, which sent the earth flying. Andrew side stepped the bigger dust clouds while holding his breath to avoid potential contamination from the soil.

Taryk, on the other, wasn’t quite as prepared as Andrew, as he was staring at the suspended bodies. When the dust rose Taryk started choking and wheezing after it entered his lungs sending him to his knees. .

“Bas- *cough* *cough sta-”

“Sharlin?”

“Yes~”

With a bright blue flash, Taryk was encased in a ball of water, which started glowing before a small hole punctured the hole giving him a breathing passage in the mystically water.

“Ah, even though I was suffocating a second ago… it felt really good? What the hell is up with your magic, woman? Also, aren't you closer to those snakes than wolves?” asked Taryk inquisitively as his breathing passage cleared - just before it closed back up again.

Watching the drowning goblin and the coy look on Sharlin’s face, Andrew sighed loudly. ‘Like mother, like daughter; I suppose.’ Drawing his short sword, he placed the tip directly on Sharlin’s throat. “Stop. Heal him first then we’ll talk about potential punishment. His death means your daughter’s, or at the very least yours as well, ya know?” Following his declaration the sphere of water disappeared into nothingness, leaving a sopping wet goblin gasping for breath and woman with a bead of blood dripping down her throat.

“Feisty, I like that ~”

“Shut up, Taryk you alright?” Asked Andrew as the goblin was heaving on the ground. “Why, in the actually fuck, did you you need to surround him with water anyways?”

“His lungs would have been poisoned, however, to no fault of my own, if I may add,” coquettishly responded Sharlin, wagging her finger provocatively.

“Yeah, yeah. You picked the most hazardous location in your territory. So you sure as hell have some blame, you twit. Now, Taryk, I know you’re fine now so let’s get to work. Although I’d love to send you on your way, please stay here for a bit to make sure your children don’t come over or if we get poisoned again.”

“Ah, so it’s like that ~” Sharlin spoke as if in sudden realization, “Now, now, your wife here won’t ever leave you. I love you too ~”

“Shut your mouth, close your legs, and stop touching yourself. It’s disgusting. Go behind a tree, or something. Don’t act like one of your mangy mutts when you’re clearly human - ish, anyways.”

With no small amount of sexual harassment and toxic dust that refused to settle, the trio finally left the burial ground with an extra ten pelts and twenty individual heads. Finally ridding himself of the dagger he had to wear on his person for the entire morning and restocking his supply of pebbles.

Inventory:

Bag Slot: Novice Dagger

Bag Slot: Copper Short Sword x3

Bag Slot: Goblin Longbow

Bag Slot: Goblin Arrow x7

Bag Slot: Small Pebbles x4 (Uncommon)

Bag Slot: Small Pebbles x12

Bag Slot: Mutated Grey Wolf Pelt x2

Bag Slot: Mutated Grey Wolf Head x4

Bag Slot: Mutated Grey Wolf Pelt x 10 (Uncommon)

Bag Slot: Mutated Grey Wolf Head x 20 (Uncommon)

Bag Slot: [empty]

...

Though he had an inkling of what the reasoning behind the uncommon materials he received he decided to check it anyways:

Small Pebbles (Uncommon)

These rocks were subjected to environment with an excess of animal venom allowing the poreous rock to absorb some of the venom. Causing minor poison damage when it breaks skin and the rock has a chance to touch the blood stream.

Mutated Grey Wolf Pelt (Uncommon)

Due to the caustic environment in which the wolf was processed its properties are changed as some of the poisonous dust has permeated through the materials. Though it’s durability will decrease, either in the raw form or as a finished product, it grants the user a minor affinity to poison so long as it is worn. Additionally poison resistance increases based on the craftsmen’s skill.

Mutated Grey Wolf Head (Uncommon)

Quest Item: Due to the volatile relationship between the wind serpents and the wolves, an individual seen carrying this object will cause their relationship with the wolves to deteriorate while increasing familiarity with the wind serpents.

Does not affect Grok’s evaluation of the object. Advertisement Support "Ephemeral Cycle" PayPal Patreon Previous

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Chapter RSS About the author 3 Fictions 65 Posts 2 Threads Ambush Follow Author Monday, December 28, 2015 8:34:28 AM Canada Shy Penguin

Bio: Chronic Inability to Finish Stories; CIFS for short. A major affliction that has gripped me in its steely maw for weeks, months, and (shivers) shows no sign of stopping.

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