Chapter 2
#2 of Journey's End
As the sun gradually crested over the mountains to the east, the residents of Journey's End began to rouse from their beds. However, the day had begun hours earlier for the town guard. Made up of two dozen able-bodied young men, it was hardly an army. But they trained hard, were reasonably well equipped, and had even managed to acquire a makeshift garrison, in the form of an old farmhouse. It worked out well.
The thud of metal sinking into wood caused Kythan's ears to twitch, as he lunged forward and jabbed his spear tip into his adversary's shield. His opponent, a gray-pelted wolf named Linn, staggered back from the force of the blow but recovered quickly. Kythan saw a toothy smile on the other wolf's face. Both lupines faced off, crouched low and with weapons and shields clutched tightly.
For the last half hour, they'd been sparring in what had once been a horse pasture. These days, it had been set up with combat dummies, weapon racks, and fighting rings. Kythan has been working with the Journey's End guard for the last two years, ever since he'd come of age. As of yesterday, he'd been promoted and earned the right to the surname Guardsman. The work suited him well.
"Kythan Guardsman," Linn remarked, as the two wolves circled each other. "Guardsman. Your father must be proud, now that you've earned a name."
Kythan's smile grew. Linn was trying to distract him with praise. He wouldn't let it work.
"As proud as yours was," he replied, deliberately shifting his shield further from his body to provide his friend with a good opening. Linn fell for it, aiming a thrust of his spear towards Kythan's stomach. Kythan pivoted to one side, avoided the attack, and slammed his shield against the back of Linn's head. The other wolf ended up sprawling face first in the dirt, kicking up an impressive cloud of dust. Good-natured laughing drifted over from where some of the other guards had been watching. Linn dropped his equipment, rolled onto his back, and sat back up.
"You're a damned fool, falling for that," he muttered to himself, rubbing a paw over the back of his head.
Kythan leaned down, offering Linn a hand up. Linn squinted up at his opponent, clasped paws, and rose to his feet.
"It was a fine fight," Kythan rumbled. Despite himself, he could hear a note of pride creeping into his voice. "But I won't say that you'll fare any better next time."
Linn laughed, while leaning over to pick up his shield and spear. "Don't think that one lucky strike means that you're suddenly my better."
Kythan clapped a paw onto Linn's shoulder in response, and the two of them began walking towards the farmhouse. Linn occasionally rubbed at the sore spot where Kythan's shield had hit him. He'd have an impressive bump there in a few minutes. The two wolves walked up onto the old farmhouse's back porch, and pushed open the heavy oak door that lead into the kitchen. They left their practice gear on one of the racks, Linn sat at the table while Kythan walked over to the hearth, where one of the other Guardsmen had left a pot of hot water and tea leaves. He mixed up two cups of tea, brought them to the table, and sat next to Linn, who nodded gratefully.
"So. The harvest is richer than ever, this year. At least in our lifetimes," Linn rumbled. "I've heard that Hyone plans on taking a caravan back through the swamps, since we have such a surplus. If he does, will you have him bring back anything?"
Kythan took a sip from his cup, and smiled. "Have you ever seen a real sword, Linn? One made from steel? I'm going to ask him for one."
Linn looked surprised. On most good years, each villager's share of the harvest was enough for a few luxuries that couldn't be produced in Journey's End itself. Swords, however, were rare and particularly expensive. He responded with a wry sort of grin on his gray muzzle.
"Well, I'll believe that when I see it. Do you really think Violet will let you get away with spending so much on something that has nothing to do with your house?"
Kythan winced. Linn would bring up that irritating little responsibility of his. "I was . . . planning on bringing it up this morning. After breakfast. Which I assume you're still coming to. Yes?"
Linn's eyes glittered.
"I wouldn't miss it."
Kythan and Violet Fieldsman, his fiance, had moved in together a month ago, and informed their families of their imminent marriage three weeks later. They'd built a small house together near the property of Violet's family. It was only a single room at the moment, but Kythan had plans to construct several new rooms once Violet was with child. Thus, though it was small, Kythan was proud, for it was his.
Linn and Kythan walked along the dusty dirt road that lead from the Guardsmen's garrison at the edge of town, back towards the cluster of farmland and houses where most of the villagers lived. They'd both changed from the armored tunics and leggings that they used for practice back into the breechcloths that most men wore about town. With the weather as warm as it was, there was rarely any need for something more insulated.
The woman who was crouched in the garden beside Kythan's hut was his as well. She was busily tending to the small variety of herbs that she used to keep meals interesting. Kythan aimed a grin over towards his companion.
"May you one day know domestic bliss the way that I do, Linn."
The other wolf laughed. "I will leave you to the married life for now, Kythan. I have what I want. For the moment."
Her senses as sharp as her mate's, Violet's ears twitched as she picked up the sound of footsteps and voices, and stood up to see who was coming. A smile tugged at her lips, and she lifted a paw to greet the men. The muscles beneath her snow-white pelt were lean and strong from years of work, and yet she still managed to maintain her femininity. She stepped forward and embraced her man. Linn stood back, tail wagging lazily.
"You are late, as always," Violet murmured against Kythan's neck. The two of them pressed their cheeks together before Violet took a step back. "You're lucky that Kishi didn't show up, or he would have gotten your meal."
Kythan smiled. "I wasn't afraid to be late, dear. Kishi probably isn't even awake yet. And, in any case, I informed him that you had extra chores for me to do."
As Kythan spoke, Linn stepped forward, settled his calloused paws upon Violet's shoulders, and nuzzled against her in the same sort of affectionate greeting that Kythan had offered his fiance.
"Good morning, Violet. And thank you again," Linn growled, with a playful smile on his dark lips. Violet squeezed his hips, then slid her hands up to his chest and pushed him away. She was, however, smiling just as broadly.
"Please. You may thank me by coming indoors, so that no one sees what you're doing. I don't think either of you want to wait any longer."
Kythan opened up the door to his hut, and gestured for the other two to step inside. He closed and barred the door behind him, after following Linn and Violet.
Violet made her way around the small house's single room, closing curtains to keep both the sun and curious eyes out of her business. She'd set a small table with three chairs near the bed that she and Kythan shared. She pulled one of those chairs out, and sat down in it. She felt an intoxicating mix of anticipation and nervousness fluttering in her stomach, and her eyes drifted back over towards her husband.
Kythan had stepped up behind Linn. A faint growl had built in his throat as he buried his muzzle into the thick fur on Linn's neck, and his muscular arms had wrapped around the slightly smaller wolf's waist, where he was pulling the breechcloth out of its accompanying belt. The fabric fluttered down to the ground, and Kythan wrapped one of his hands around the bulging base of Linn's light gray sheath. Several inches of veiny red cock had already shown itself, and drops of clear fluid were running down to dampen the packed dirt floor.
"Kythan . . ." Linn rumbled, closing his eyes and pressing his naked body back firmly up against his comrade's chest. His bushy tail had already lifted, exposing his muscular backside, and he reached back to pull Kythan's own breech cloth out of the way in a motion that they'd practiced many times before. He felt the taller wolf press his hips forward, and several wet splashes of liquid firing off over his buttocks and the cleft in the center of them. Moments later, the heat of Kythan's tapered dick pressed against the tight hole just under his tail, and he let out a hissed breath through clenched teeth as Kythan smeared his flesh up and down, spreading the ample lubrication jetting from his swelling maleness over Linn's hole.
Violet's eyes widened, and she leaned forward in her chair. No matter how many times she had seen this, it always put her on edge. Sex had never particularly excited her. Not normal sex, at least, even considering how attractive Kythan was. There was something about two men making love, though, that had always sent shivers up her spine, and down between her legs. She dipped a hand down into the front of her clothing.
With a sudden sharp growl, Kythan pushed Linn up to the table where his fiance was seated, and reached around the other male wolf's body to shove the wooden utensils onto the ground. It had been nearly two weeks since he'd last been with Linn, and he wasn't in the mood to be gentle or patient. The clatter made Violet jump, but he knew she wasn't bothered. In his experience, the rougher he and his friend got, the more she enjoyed watching. He shoved the smaller wolf down onto the table, chest and stomach pressed against the wood, feet still on the ground. His hands slid down to caress the athletic backside that he'd known since he and Linn were pups, and he spread it apart with his firm grip. With a shove forward and a deep grunt, he sank the first half of his lupine cock up into Linn's slippery ass. The reaction of the wolf under him was more than satisfying. Tension that Linn tried desperately to relax, squirming, and of course, Violet's priceless expression.
Once he was pushed down onto the newly cleared table, Linn's face was only a few feet away from Violet's. Their eyes met, just as Kythan was sliding up into his rear. Linn's head thrashed back and forth, and he let out a loud bark that faded into a whine. "He's big," he growled unsteadily to Violet, who shivered in response. Linn closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and started to pant as Kythan began to breed him roughly from behind.
Violet's eyes flicked between Linn's, Kythan's, and the sight of her fiance's large cock disappearing again and again between their friend's ass cheeks. The scent was simply intoxicating. They both smelled strong from their workout this morning. Having them making love; having them fucking in front of her made the atmosphere inside the hut grow rich, musky, and delicious. Violet's fingers worked more urgently between her thighs. She was panting as well, right along with Linn.
Kythan stared with narrowed eyes down at his friend's tightly stretched ass as he plunged inside, over and over again. They'd been having sex in every way imaginable since they were boys, and today, Linn was his bitch. His bitch, the way that Violet preferred not to be. He couldn't believe how much he was dripping. Every thrust let out a wet squelch, and there was a stream of clear fluid dripping down each of Linn's legs. He shifted one of his hands up to grip the base of the other male's tail, tugging it upwards firmly enough to make his bitch yelp. He reached down with his other arm to grasp the base of Linn's cock, which he found fully knotted and probably dripping just as much as he was. Holding the smaller wolf just behind his bulbs, he began to jerk the other wolf off.
Linn pounded a fist against the table as Kythan's knot began to pound against his ass with more and more force. The larger male was going to tie him. It didn't happen every time, and Linn didn't always like it, but he'd just take it out on Kythan's ass next time. He couldn't see straight. He could feel a strange buzz ringing between his ears. His cock throbbed thickly as the other male grasped it from behind. Then, with one clawed hand squeezing white-knuckled at the edge of the table, the other paw reached out, grasped the back of Violet's head, and pulled the female wolf closer to him until he could lock her mouth in a kiss.
Violet was strong. She could easily hold her own against most of the men in the village. But when Linn's impudent hand seized her and pulled her in close, she couldn't react in any way other than to eagerly deepen the kiss. Her wide eyes met with Linn's narrowed ones as their canine tongues lashed together and drool dampened each other's muzzles. Her gaze shifted up to Kythan's, next.
Kythan looked up from the sight of his cock spreading Linn's asshole open as his fiance and his best friend locked muzzles. He felt a terrifying blend of anger and irresistible arousal flooding through his body. With a snarl that left flecks of saliva stringing out over Linn's back, he tightened his grasp on both tail and knot, and ground himself forward as hard as he can. The other wolf's already strained ass was forced to stretch further and further, until Kythan's entire bulky cock slid up inside Linn's body with a wet pop. Kythan let his head hang down low as the rush of pleasure in his head became unbearable. As the sensation of Linn's bottom squeezing around his knot overwhelmed him, he felt the hole he was buried in become surrounded by hot slime.
Linn let out a pained cry into Violet's mouth as Kythan's knot locked itself inside him, quickly enough to really hurt. He bit at her lips; she bit back, snarling into his muzzle. But he refused to whimper, not any more. Kythan's cock was throbbing against a particular spot inside him that always drove him crazy, and it was enough to send him into a climax a few seconds later. He could feel his own load gushing down against the legs of the table and onto the ground itself. He became dimly aware that he could smell the scent of Violet's heat as well. He pulled his mouth back from Violet's with a wet click of lips and tongues, and let his head drop down.
Once the two men had slumped across the table and each other, tongues hanging out and breath coming fast and hard, Violet leaned back in her chair and drew her paw back out of her breech cloth. Her eyes were closed, and her tongue hung loosely from the side of her white-furred muzzle.
"Thank you for taking care of my fiance, Linn," she panted.
"Rrrm. No problem," was all that was uttered in response.
Kythan stayed locked inside Linn for nearly twenty minutes. After the first five or so, Violet got up and began preparing breakfast. By the time Kythan felt his swelling start to go down, everything was ready. The three of them had been doing this for long enough that they had it down to a science. They ate ravenously, spent half an hour cleaning up, and then Kythan retrieved Winterrowd from his stall in the town stables, so that he could ride across town to pick up his brother.
Kishi scampered out of their father's workshop as soon as he heard the sound of hooves clopping in the dirt of the road, and Kythan helped him up into the saddle. It wasn't the first time, Kythan thought, nor would it be the last, that he saw the remarkable resemblance between his effeminate brother and his fiance. Kishi ought to have been born a bitch.
The ride was mostly uneventful, other than a few quiet words spoken between the brothers. As they grew closer to the fairgrounds, more and more canines and more bright colors were visible. Kythan could feel his younger brother almost vibrating with excitement up against him. He pulled up on Winterrowd's reins, and the stallion came to a stop.
"Kishi, your friends are over there, yes?" Kythan rumbled, nodding over towards a group of teenagers that were close to his brother's age.
"Um, yeah," Kishi replied, in that pretty tenor voice of his. "You can just let me off here, if you want."
Kythan reached into the money pouch that hung from his belt, and drew out a few coins.
"I know Dad gave you your allowance. But here. Get something fun."
Kishi smiled brightly up at Kythan, and held out his paw.
"You know I will. I'll even try to be, ah, what's that word." His brow furrowed, and then he cracked a grin. "Responsible!"
Kythan laughed, and clapped his brother on the shoulder. Kishi leapt off of Winterrowd's back, and hurried over to join his friends. The elder wolf steered Winterrowd through the gates to where a temporary stable had been set up. He climbed off of the stallion's back, handed the reins to the stable-boy, and turned his eyes toward a crowd that had gathered near a farmhouse. Harold Shepherd's, if he wasn't mistaken. The attitude certainly didn't look festive. Kythan made his way over.
Kythan's eyes widened as he made his way through the crowd. They were gathered around part of a heavy wooden fence that appeared to be . . . shattered. Something very strong had simply splintered a section of it into pieces. Laying on the ground was Harold himself. Lynette, one of the town's healers, was crouched next to him. The old German Shepherd's left leg was severed at the knee.
"Lynette! What happened?" Kythan asked. He could hear the strain in his own voice as he dropped to a crouch next to them. He'd never seen anything like this in his time in the Guard. In his time on the planet, in fact!
Lynette was about to answer, but Kythan felt a surprisingly strong hand reach up to grasp him by the scruff. Harold was awake. He spoked through gritted teeth to help him bear the pain.
"Guardsman . . . it was not a wolf. It was a werewolf! Huge. Black. It h-had k-killed . . ."
Harold's voice weakened for a moment, and Lynette closed her eyes. Kythan heard the mystic tongue of the healers flow from her muzzle, words he could never quite understand. Harold shuddered, and Lynette looked up at Kythan.
"Soon, I shall make him sleep. Please, get what you need." Kythan nodded, and Harold growled what he could.
"It k-killed one of my herd, Guardsman, a cow, and was crouched over the carcass. W-when it saw me, it did . . . it did this."
Lynette placed her paw over Harold's forehead, and the old dog passed into a deep slumper. Kythan squeezed one of the healer's shoulders, then stood up to address the crowd.
"The festival will have to be put on hold. There is a beast on the loose, and we must track it down."