Wishful Thinking, Chapter 12.
#11 of Wishful Thinking
Wishful Thinking, Chapter 12
By Mitch Kenzo.
Contains:
Furries. Oh, and other stuff too.
Chapter 12: Friendly Wishes.
Avereth and Perry quickly left the others behind, putting a good deal of distance between the group of furs and themselves. The sun was setting in the sky when they finally came to a stop, the shadows of trees and rocks in the midst of the savannah lengthening by the minute. The pair stood and watched the globe for fire descend beyond the horizon, the colors of the sky changing with the coming of darkness, until a blanket of stars replaced the burning light of day. They continued walking in the darkness, passing the destroyed meerkat mound, and moving until the light of the moon washed over them, illuminating the featureless expanse of grass. Perry grabbed Avereth's paw and sat in the grass, the hyena taking the cue to sit with him. They sat and stared at one another for a while, the silence almost a tangible substance. Avereth moved like he was going to speak, but then settled back into silence. It looked like it was going to be up to Perry to say something.
"So... Welcome to present day, I guess. Thirty thousand years is an awful long time to be cooped up in a genetic sequence, isn't it?"
Avereth managed a half smile. "I guess you're right, but it worked out, didn't it? Things seem to be going pretty smoothly. Lila mentioned that you seemed to have an uncanny ability to find us."
Perry chuckled at that. "I'm not so sure it's anything I'm doing... Avereth. It feels weird to have a name to call you now."
That got a look of surprise from the hyena. "Well, I guess that makes sense. Boy, we sure had some good times, didn't we? Though, I'm sorry about nearly laying you open like that." His ears drooped some in apology. "I didn't really know what I was doing at the time. Feral memory isn't generally the best from night to night."
Perry shook his head. "Oi... You are different now. I know what you said about your merging of personalities and stuff, but you still don't seem like the same hyena I knew earlier today." A sigh escaped his lips. "I'm sorry, it's just... Well, I really enjoyed all that we went through."
More surprise. Why had the human enjoyed such uncivilized torment? "Why... Why did you enjoy that? I could have killed you!"
"And I could have come back yet again. What can't you understand? Surely Lila told you that... Well... I love bellybuttons to put it bluntly." Perry blushed deeply. That was the first time he'd actually said that out loud to anyone.
"I guess I don't know how you could take pleasure from having your skin torn up by my teeth. You're right, I am different now. Back then I was driven by hunger and instinct, with a very minimal ability to process emotions like friendship. Now though, it's different, I understand how I can harm those I, er... care about... Er, as a friend!" Erk, he hoped that he hadn't come across like some creep to Perry. Though they'd only been friends for a short time, Avereth had taken a shine to the human, especially for releasing him.
Perry thought for a moment. "Well... If you don't like hurting people, then how did you eat back on your world?"
"Swallowing others whole when I needed to." His stomach growled. "Heh... This was kind of like my internal clock, I'd grab someone walking through the library and ask them for a quick meal. Of course it was seldom to get a no, unless there was important research to be done, but even then most were there to read and learn. I didn't want to deprive anyone of their time, so my eating process was quick and painless. Down the hatch, and bring 'em back." Though, that hadn't always been the case. For, all work an no play made a dull Avereth. However, that's what he liked the others to think...
"So you never experimented or had fun eating like the others?" It was Perry's turn to be shocked now. Every one of the furs he'd met so far had loved eating him in new and fun ways. Heck, some of the ways he'd never pictured himself doing... Actually, he'd never pictured himself getting eaten for real in the first place!
"Well..." Should he tell the truth? Hmm... Maybe in a little while. "Not exactly, but I'm not comfortable going there right now."
"Oh, okay. I won't press you on it." Perry smiled and held up his hands. "Though, I would be interested in finding out if there were some way that I could show you just how much I enjoyed our time together when you were a feral. I mean, you and the others know tons of magic. There's gotta be some way!" He thought deeply for a moment. There WAS some way... He'd forgotten it in the past days, but it was there, sure enough. Hmm... Oh, it was coming! That's right! "Oh! I know, you could do that thing Lila did to me when she was released. She scanned my mind or something while I was sleeping. Maybe you could-"
"Perry! Come on, she only did that because she needed to. I'd feel terrible in doing that, that'd be like every secret you'd ever known opening up to me... Well, I doubt it'd be anything I could hold against you anyway, but surely there's some personal stuff you want kept to yourself!" Avereth crossed his arms and shook his head, his ridge of mane fur shaking back and forth on his neck.
"Look, I think by now you all probably know all my secrets from whatever Lila beamed over to you when you looked at her or whatever you two did. However, you still don't know what was going through my head when I met you, and walked with you. I felt more alive then than I have in years, and that's even after coming back from the dead! Besides, you seem to be the most level-headed of everyone here, and information seems to be your forte. Don't you want to know... To understand?" Oh, that would be good. He could tell he'd struck a nerve on Avereth with that one!
"Understand... Huh." Darn it, he'd been outfoxed by the human! Well, what he'd said was true. He did know Perry's "dirty" little secrets. Pah, nothing in comparison to what he'd seen in some parts of his world. "All right, you convinced me." Damn his submissive side! He hadn't even wanted to give in so quickly anyway. "Just look into my eyes."
Perry did as commanded and looked straight at Avereth's face. The spotted pelt seemed like it was looking at him as well as the two real eyes in the hyena's furred face. His friend's mouth opened slightly so he could breathe easier, a few sharp teeth glinting in the moonlight as he concentrated. The world around him seemed to be slowing to a crawl, becoming more lifeless, and stopping. Memories began to play through his mind. There were ones he couldn't believe he still remembered, things he never should have remembered. Falling down and scraping his knee when he was two years old, dropping a spoon on the floor at seven, the grade on his third grade summer book report; these were all memories he didn't even know were stored in his mind! He wanted to look away, but realized he could no longer see Avereth, just different memories flooding through his head. The more recent ones began to play... He saw himself and Terrence, then his savior Lila, what they'd done to Terrence, the first time Lila had eaten him, meeting Emerald, meeting Morton, the trip... And now, the time in the savannah.
Avereth watched carefully. He didn't want to miss anything... He could see things through Perry's eyes, though he couldn't control them. In fact, it felt like he was Perry... Perry was controlling him. He met himself as a feral, felt Perry's heart humping, but gathered up the courage to approach himself as he hadn't attacked Perry. He showed Perry to the water, and the meerkats, and realized what the human had meant. He felt the rush of ideas coming to Perry as he filled holes on the meerkat mound, the feel of fur on skin as he rubbed Avereth's belly (a personal memory the hyena enjoyed as well!), and then the attack on Perry as he dreamed... Avereth mentally shivered, Perry really had enjoyed his bites! The human had grown so accustomed to being eaten and dying that he was more used to it than some furs ever had been. The pain of being bitten had taken on a new meaning for Perry, one of wanting to help and feed life. Not only that, but he definitely knew Perry had a navel fetish, and being gnawed there didn't bother him in the least. He'd seen Perry's wishes for furry companions in the human's past, and could understand how the feeling he was experiencing firsthand could have shaped his perception of things. Avereth closed his eyes and broke the connection as he saw his feral body fall and felt Perry's mind cry out in a ball of tangled feelings. The hyena shook his head and looked back at Perry's face, and frowned. Tears were flowing down the human's cheeks. He'd forgotten that doing this his way would also replay the memories for Perry, and that painful moment would also be replayed for him.
"I-I'm sorry Avereth, I know you're alive now, but that..." A sob shook Perry's body, cutting him off. He sniffed, and wiped his eyes, looking down. He was a total wreck right now, and all because of a simple memory. A cloud seemed like it passed in front of the moon, which was all right, because it darkened things even more, and hopefully the hyena couldn't see him crying like this. A paw on his shoulder made him look up, and realize it wasn't a cloud in front of the moon after all.
"Perry... I understand now. I'm sorry too." A tear had formed in the corner of his eye as well. That had truly been an overpowering memory for both human and hyena. Avereth couldn't believe how much Perry had cared for him, and how he'd acted like he was still on his world, like nothing had changed. There were no books here, no spells to practice on, no more knowledge to be gained. He sat next to Perry and hesitated, before putting his arm around the human's shoulders. Perry hugged into the large hyena's side like a small child, finishing his crying.
It wasn't long before his breathing returned to normal, his eyes a bit sore, but no more than what a good cry usually did to them. He continued to hug onto Avereth though, not wanting to let go. He felt the strong heartbeat in his friend's chest, and the slow breaths he was taking. If Avereth was going to be different now, this would probably be the last time he'd be so close to him and able to cuddle up close. After the transformation, he'd seemed so distant and cold... Avereth had been nothing like the friend he'd gained as he'd tried to survive out here. His hands slowly uncurled, letting the clumps of fur he'd been grabbing loose, his hands running down chest and back to fall to his sides. He looked down again, he didn't want to see Avereth look at him. He closed his eyes... He knew he had to look him in the face sometime. He opened them and looked up. Better to get it over quick. But, he just stared. Avereth's muzzle was open in a smile, and one of his paws reached over and ruffled Perry's hair. Was this the same Avereth?
"Don't look at me like that... I know now. I realize what that feels like to you. There's no words to describe how or why you like it, you just do. There's... No logic to it, but I guess there's some things that can't be described, whether by physical means, or by magic." He sighed and gave Perry a squeeze into his side. "I... I guess I could give being a ravenous predator another try."
"Ave... Thanks." Perry hugged his side again, this time feeling warm and comforted. His hyena friend was back! "One thing though, what do you mean another try? I thought you were already a predator."
"The key word there is ravenous, Perry. I guess I can open up to you... Heck I know more or less everything about you now! All right, so you know the act I put on for everyone now, that I don't like eating or being eaten. But realistically, how well do you think that would really have worked back then? I couldn't do nothing but read all the time, because all work and no play makes Avereth a dull hyena." The big fur blushed a bit before continuing. "I did try a number of different eating styles, and I was open to a lot of them. I only tore into someone once though, but that was because they begged me for it. I never did tell them how much I enjoyed it, really."
"Huh, the way you acted, you never would have known, really. Though, it was kind of obvious you liked being eaten." Perry chuckled and patted Avereth on the back, feeling the long tail start to wag.
"Well, I could get the predator part down, but I guess it was hard not to enjoy being prey. Though, there's nothing like filling your belly with something warm and comfortable. I wouldn't tell anyone else this though..."
"Your secret's safe with me, Ave." Perry smiled as Avereth's ears perked and the tail wagged harder.
"So... I'm kind of new to this being a truly open thing. What do you want to do?" Avereth's paw clenched around Perry's side as the hyena started to scratch at him, and at the same time, a hungry gurgle sounded from his stomach, making Perry giggle and rub over the spotted pelt there.
"Sounds pretty obvious, but I think you're going to ask me how to do it next, aren't you? Well, you saw how much I enjoyed your hungry attentions on my navel... Maybe I can return the favor, only you still get the meal." He got up and walked to the front of Avereth's belly, sitting on the hyena's lap and nudging up against his stomach.
"Hmm... Oh, you mean how Emerald does it sometimes? That... That does kind of sound fun. Okay, I'll try." Avereth brushed the fur around the opening of his bellybutton out of the way, letting Perry look at the plush-like interior. The hyena gave a soft grin as the human seemed to be transfixed upon the opening, his tail wagging a bit as he imagined having something nice and warm squirming about inside the hole.
Perry hesitated, looking up as Avereth brushed his fur away and smiled. His hand began a slow belly rub again, working his fingers along the flesh carefully, pressing deep on the growling stomach until Avereth closed his eyes. The human could have sworn he heard a peeping moan from the hyena's windpipe, and he knew that Avereth wasn't going to try and hide his enjoyment of this at all. He closed his eyes and remembered the few hours before Avereth's transformation, where their positions had been switched. The hyena had been laying on top of the human, and now it was almost the other way around! One thing was for certain, Avereth had retained his spicy hyena scent, and it apparently had the same properties as Lila's, one that was just there rather than one of oils seeping from one's skin like his own body put out.
The big predator's tail continued to wag; it had definitely been a while since he'd had any real contact, but this time it was from an alien species... Amazing how different these humans were from himself, yet at the same time so similar, in both form and mindset. He had fur all over his body, Perry had it in only a few places, yet both he and Perry loved the touch of paws or fingers (or even teeth!) on the other's body. Speaking of touching, the furless digits were doing a good job of relaxing Avereth as they were apparently doing to the human they belonged to, Perry's eyes closed as his fingers crept through the soft bellyfur of his friend.
Perry took a long, deep sniff of the hyena-scented air before laying his palms down on Avereth's stomach and rubbing about on the broad surface. He could feel the fine strands of fur sweeping by underneath them as he moved up, down, diagonally and in circles upon the tense (but softening) belly. His index fingers and thumbs came to meet around the deep, dark hole in front of him. It was much larger than any human's bellybutton, but still way to small to even think about fitting more than a few fingers through. However, he'd learned to look past appearances by now, and took the initiative to let a finger drift around the fuzzy navel rim, visible shivers running up his friend's sides, making his pelt shake only slightly. Still, it was enough to let him know that he'd made another belly buddy. His finger circled a little more inside, just passing the rim and feeling the warmth of the soft walls and the thinning fur where it moved away to healthy skin. Deeper and deeper his finger felt inside, until it was up to his hand without touching bottom, though it was noticeably tight about it, surrounded by bellybutton flesh... just like he was going to be soon enough! He gave it a nice twist, smirking as Avereth jumped a bit, trying to resist a laugh. His hand withdrew just enough to let two more fingers in, which Perry promptly pushed into the soft-lined abyss. They were past his knuckles now, about to the hand again-"OUCH!"
Perry literally jumped a foot into the air, yanking his fingers out. Avereth was about dying from laughter, clutching his widened bellybutton in one paw, while grabbing Perry's hand and putting the fingers back where they were, subsiding into giggles, and then a low rumbling of enjoyment. If there was one thing he'd learned from all those books back then, it was a million and one ways to prank someone! There were hundreds of thousands of infamous furs who had devised jokes to pull on their fellows, ranging from the harmless dipping of one's paw in warm water while they napped to the "Waking up and realizing you can see your skeletal structure because someone ate your body while you slept." type. Well, technically that was equally harmless back then, just in a kind of morbid way. A wonderful stretching sensation in his navel brought him back to the present, Perry having wiggled his hand all the way through his taut navel rim, grabbing the bottom of the button tightly between as many digits as he could in triumph, and squeezing with all his might to boot. It wasn't quite jaw pressure, but it provided a nice prelude to the things to come! He bent down and gave Perry's hair a slow, wet lick, smacking his lips afterward to help him get a flavor for the human. Odd, he couldn't quite place it... But it was actually quite tasty! He was almost sorry he wasn't eating Perry orally.
Not to be outdone, the human leaned down to the fuzzy belly and rested his chin by his wrist. A sly smile crossed his lips, and then they parted, his thick tongue pushing through to press on Avereth's bellybutton rim, licking around it on each side of his hand, letting his saliva soak into the fur and flesh, before slurping the hyena-tasting remainder off. Mmm... It was also kind of a spicy flavor, one that complimented Lila's. He'd have to try them together sometime, perhaps in the same fashion he'd eaten the lioness. There was more though! He pulled on his clenched handful of navel flesh, pulling it out from the interior of Avereth's bellybutton, turning it temporarily inside out, prompting another tongue-coating of saliva, but this time ending up with a much stronger flavor. As a bonus, he got to watch Avereth squirm about on the ground in obvious pleasure, a doofy smile upon his face as his mouth hung halfway open in a silent yelp. Patting the big belly with his free hand, he then gripped about his fist and let the bellybutton pull itself back inside, complete with both of his hands! He waited for something to pull on him, to bring his arms closer into the belly. He waited, and then waited some more, massaging the navel interior and exploring the nooks and crannies of the lines and valleys created by where pieces of flesh had melded together during the healing process after birth running down inside of it. Finally, Perry looked up, and realized that Avereth was still squirming about quite happily. Apparently this was a fairly new experience for him...
It may or may not have been, but the hyena couldn't seem to remember. All the sensations he was experiencing brought back some memories, but none so navel oriented as this... Well, maybe with Emerald, but he'd never taken any time to enjoy the attention. Perry had obviously been practicing with his licking trick, it was such a relaxing feeling to feel his tongue gliding over his fur in that area, and something else entirely to have his bellybutton pulled out of its natural shape for easier licking access. It was electrifying and unreal, so stimulating! How could he have missed such a sensitive area on his body in all those books? He wanted to shout out this newfound liking, but couldn't force any air out of his lungs... His gut was too clenched up in pleasure! Even when Perry pushed his other hand back inside and released his death grip on the base of his bellybutton the sensations didn't stop, every touch and massage of that interior only heightened the fun he was having and increased that tickling, wonderful feeling! Gradually, Perry stilled, causing him to rest, finally catching his breath, looking up. "Erk..." Perry had been waiting for a while for him to regain cognitive functions, it seemed. Well, this wasn't going to be the day to disappoint his new friend. The human suffered a sudden jolt forward as his arms were pulled down like long noodles, forcing his face into the soft hyena belly in front of the navel, making him sputter and wiggle about as he tried to look up, eventually giving up and laying his head on the comfortable fur bed. The interior of his bellybutton was now stretching inside of him quite nicely, the predator having moved his internals out of the way somewhat to make room. If all else failed, he could make them disappear until he needed them again, that is, if he even digested Perry!
The human felt like he could stay like this forever, face down on his friend's belly. He was surrounded by comfortable warmth, nice smells, and the love that only friendship can give. All the could do now was wiggle his face into the fuzzy expanse of stomach fur, groaning as he felt his head making a small divot towards the navel rim, finally slipping between his arms. A blast of warm air from inside the hole before him greeted his nostrils, laden with Avereth's tasty smell. Without thinking, Perry began to push his head down into the circle of navel, sliding it between the two pillars of his arms which he tried to push to the sides to make way. A loud thumping outside told him that the hyena's tail was wagging away, just as the wiggling of Avereth's legs told him just how much he was enjoying having something forced down his bellybutton. A soft paw rested itself on his back, rubbing him and helping to get his head through the small opening, stretching it wider and wider, feeling one ear slip through the rubbery hole, then the other. A sigh escaped from the human as his face smooshed farther into the middle of the fleshy hyena navel, feeling the bellybutton force back at him, pushing into his face, letting him slip into its depths as he was caressed by this hyena he trusted so much. Unable to contain himself anymore, Perry opened his lips and snaked his tongue over the navel flesh right in front of his mouth, poking it wetly into a crevice running in front of him. "Mmmmmmh..." What a flavor, what a taste! That spicy deliciousness was lodged in Avereth for sure, and deep in his bellybutton was where most of the flavor resided!
The hyena's paws clenched at his belly as he felt the human delving deeper into his middle, pressing in with his hands and face, and even tasting him... He even seemed to be enjoying it! A rumble of enjoyment coursed through him as Perry wiggled further in, his shoulders widening the already large navel considerably, but enough to get the rest of his body in. The rim cradled Perry's torso within it, clenching about his friend as it moved on its own inside, massaging the human's flesh and relaxing him more yet. It was now less of Perry pressing into the bellybutton and more of the navel pulling him in, his torso being drawn deeper within the hyena, who was panting from both enjoyment and exertion. The fuzzy handpaws slowly moved off of his midsection and under Perry's, rubbing the soft, malleable stomach and pressing a few of his dull claws into the human's own navel. It was much softer and more supple than Avereth's own was, and he pressed the points of his claws deep inside, pushing the flesh down and making a deeply concave dimple in Perry's belly.
Perry let out murmurs of enjoyment, sighing and resting his face on the walls of hyena flesh surrounding him, taking in the scent, the feeling, the friendly love, and the underlying understanding between predator and prey which had long since vanished from his world. As Avereth prodded and rubbed into his bellybutton, he massaged the lumps and lines of the hyena's, grabbing and squishing them as best he could between his fingers, even biting onto a few and letting his teeth serve to do what his hands couldn't.
He drifted back toward thinking about how the furred and human worlds differed... The furs had advanced magically, peacefully... However, the humans had gone the way of physical and technological advancement, shutting down their minds as they let tools and machines manipulate the world for them. Wars frequently broke out through the ages here because one group of people had more of something than another did, and even now so many people hade control over nuclear weaponry that if one country launched one, the others would follow suit and the entire world would be destroyed. However, the magic in the fur world was communal, spread to all species and races... And they were even more diverse than the humans were! They didn't even have to worry about world hunger, as both carnivore and herbivore alike had food from what it sounded like. No resources to manage, no hatred over long forgotten feuds... It sounded like such a nice place, and the human closed his eyes to think about what it would be like there, just to leave all the worries of Earth behind.
Avereth meanwhile let Perry's navel slip reluctantly from his grip, and sat back to watch the human sink slowly into his gut. Perry's abdomen slid through, and then his hips, only a pair of legs sticking out now. They were curiously still, and Avereth sent out a mental probe to Perry, only to find that he had fallen asleep from the comfortable position he was in. The hyena gave a toothy smile and grabbed the human's legs to push them farther down into himself, quickly finishing up his unresponsive meal as he pressed down on Perry's feet, his navel rim slipping silently over them as the human curled up in a peaceful slumber. Avereth decided to do the same, but first sent another probe into Perry's dreams to see what his mind was projecting for him, and let out a small giggle. It was trying to come up with what life would have been like on his world. Avereth slipped into slumber, still linked to Perry's mind to show him the truth in his dreams.
Perry experienced only blackness as he slumbered, but then something began to form out of it. Two planets side by side, coexisting in a tight orbit. One was dull and lifeless, but rich in untapped resources. The other one was lush and green, with splotches of blue upon its surface for small seas and oceans, though there was much more visible landmass than Earth had. The sphere quickly grew, and Perry marveled at how things seemed so... uncivilized, and yet advanced millennia beyond the standards of his own people. His form - it wasn't quite real, but it was there - touched down onto some cool grass that leaked dew underneath his bare feet. Aha, that's why there was so much less water on the planet... He treaded forward, feeling the damp ground squish under his footfalls, and watched a variety of herbivorous creatures feed on the plants as predator species lounged around, having conversations with them as they ate. Others were busy being eaten by the predators, and even the predators eating other predators. He saw quite a few bloated felines and canines, as well as many different reptile species laying about, sated from their feasts. Some had left splashes of blood from a gory feast, while others had kept it simple by swallowing their meals whole. Perry was most interested in the fact that after the prey had been devoured, after a few minutes had passed they quite often reappeared near their predators, laying down and snuggling up next to them happily. His attention turned to the skies where many avians flew about during the day, most in groups to chat or feed on one another. Something else caught his attention too, tall spires of what looked like buildings sparsely placed in the distance. He knew they were libraries or learning centers. He didn't know how he knew, he just did. He felt something scurry past his foot and looked down to see miniature versions of the various furs he'd seen playing about, or chasing each other down. There were no screams of pain, just pleasure as a prey item was taken down or captured to be licked and loved into submission. The human's eyes were wide, trying to take everything in as he moved about, the diversity of EVERYTHING was astounding! Even the forms of vore the furs were practicing differed, and nobody seemed to mind. There were even a few forms that he knew he'd never even thought about or cared to think about, but they didn't get so much as a glance from others unless the others were watching with smiles upon their furred, feathered, or scaled faces. Perry turned around to see Avereth had been standing right behind him, smiling the entire time. A paw was placed on each shoulder, and Perry suddenly felt woozy, like he was disappearing. The scene faded about him as his vision did as well, the last thing he saw before more blackness being Avereth hugging the human to himself tenderly.
He woke with a start, and looked about. No lush greenery, no furs eating others... No bellybutton walls to think of it, but a pair of strong spotted arms were wrapped around him as Avereth snored lightly, a few fangs poking through his lips as he did so. He smiled, reaching up to stroke the muzzle, and then the coarse mane along the hyena's neck, running his fingers through the fur. He always felt so at peace around every fur he'd met... Perhaps another way to help identify them?
Avereth's eyes gradually opened, and his lips parted in a wide smile. "Morning, Perry. Have any good dreams?"
"You should know, you were there too! So... That's what it's really like?"
"Yeah, it used to be, I don't know how it is now though... I'm kind of scared to see if anything's changed. Lots of furs I used to know are going to be long gone by now, though I can always see them in the afterlife anyway... Problem is tracking them down! Anyway, I bet there were enough magic workers strong enough to help make things right." Avereth smiled again.
"Probably..." Perry thought again. They would be going back... He'd be alone again in this craptastic world. The thought scared him deeply, that he might lose his amazing, wonderful new friends after only having known them for a few days. An involuntary shudder coursed through him, prompting a tighter hug from Avereth.
"Everything all right there Perry?"
"Yeah... Don't worry about it." He shook his head and slipped out of the hyena's grip, forcing a smile and giving the best imitation of a nuzzle he could, his face ending up rather wet from the contact with the hyena's nose. Wiping it on his shirt, he stood and stretched, yawning as the early morning sun's rays hit him. "I bet Lila and the others are getting antsy, we better get back to them." He held out a hand to his friend, trying to help him up but ending up pulled down onto the hyena again, and laughed as they got up together, walking towards the others.
Hmm, it's been a while since I wrote one of these, but I just had to finish up Avereth's private segment. Heheh, if I'd started writing this a year later, he would have ended up in Lila's place honestly. Well, actually, if that were the case this would be another of those epic story collabs between us that we seem to love so well. Heheh, have fun reading this all and be on the lookout for the next chapter whenever I feel like writing it!