A Monster Life Ch. 13-15

Ulric lay on his back a short while later with Iphigenia and Elzbieta breathing hard and alternating kissing him while they lay on top. He caressed their behinds and stroked his fingers between their buns and thighs while they each used a hand to stroke his erection.

'We'll have to stop now.' he whispered after ending a kiss with Iphigenia. 'I have a feeling they'll be on their way soon.'

The girls reluctantly agreed and Elzbieta ran and jumped around first to celebrate her healing and to get used to her new mobility again. She gripped her sword and whipped out a few attacking swings with both right and left and grinned wide as she panted from the effort. 'I feel like I can take on a whole army of demons!'

Iphigenia chuckled. 'Don't waste all your heightened tallies now.'

Elzbieta looked at Ulric. 'Then someone will just have to replenish me.' she said and Ulric let out an embarrassed chuckle.

Iphigenia noticed his tail wagging and grinned at him. 'I think someone's looking forward to that as well. Especially after such a naked display.'

Elzbieta looked down on her naked body and blushed. 'Whoops.'

Iphigenia chuckled. 'You know, I suspect his healing did its work completely now because you fully accepted him. There was nothing to block it.'

Elzbieta looked at Ulric and smiled softly. 'Yeah, that might just be why.'

***

The carts were on the dirt road leading up to the village and it was in sight when a group of cloaked bandits yelled and rushed out from behind nearby bushes and from the cover of a ditch. The drivers pulled their swords as passengers froze in fear at the rabble storming towards them until clouds exploded between them and the carts.

Kaui threw the last of her cloud jars and pulled at the sleeve of the surprised driver in front of her. 'Quick! Run away!'

The older orc stood up. 'And just leave everything to the bandits!?'

Kaui looked desperately at the other passengers. 'They'll kill you! Believe me!'

He grunted but although confused, the bandits were heard coming closer. 'Fine!' he said and gestured at the mostly clear road behind them. 'Go everyone! Run and hide!'

He waited until the last of his passengers had left with the driver of the second cart, and looked at Kaui searching through her bag. 'What are you waiting for!?'

'Go!' she said and pulled out more thin walled round clay jars. 'I'll be safe!'

He opened his mouth to ask what she meant but a quick snarl from a shadow rushing through the cloud cover chilled him to the bones. 'Have it your way then!' he said and ran after the rest while the cover thickened.

She jerked when one bandit jumped onto the back of the cart but was still fast enough to throw the jar in her hand at him. It broke into tiny pieces and a yellow powder cloud covered his body. He yelled out from his nose and eyes burning and stumbled from the cart.

She squealed when another bandit jumped up behind her and grabbed her hair. He only held it for a moment before a slash at his arm from Iphigenia made him let go. She grinned at Kaui. 'So we meet again. We'll have to talk later.' she said and disappeared into the cloud again.

Kaui heard the bandits grunt and the clash of steel and wood around her and huddled in between barrels and sacks, ready for the next bandit with her jars in hand.

Ulric blocked a sword blow with his armoured arm and punched a bandit to the ground when he heard more shouts heading their way. 'More bandits coming!?'

Elzbieta caught a glimpse of the road ahead through the dissipating clouds. 'It's the villagers! They're armed to fight!'

'Then we're just about done here!'

Iphigenia jumped up and twirled around to avoid a swift sword hit and slashed the front of a bandit's cloak. 'Canine!?' she said when she saw the bandit's fierce face as the cloak fell apart. He snarled at her and bolted away.

'What do you mean!?' asked Elzbieta when she instantly blocked a hit from behind with her glove without thinking. She grinned deviously at the surprised bandit. 'Didn't expect that, did you?' she said and smashed his wooden shield with one mighty hew of her sword and threw him back.

'They're not human!'

Ulric growled. 'I knew they smelled not right and it felt off when I punched their faces! They're imposters wearing human clothing and weapons!'

Elzbieta heard more bandits running away and saw the excited villagers getting close. 'We'd better get out of here. I don't think we'll be welcomed just yet.'

She and Ulric retreated to the trees while Iphigenia quickly headed over to Kaui. 'This cloud was a great idea. But it weren't humans but canine beastfolk that attacked you.' she said and glanced at the villagers and the cart drivers approaching. 'We'll try to contact you later.'

Kaui watched her run towards the forest and a short while later the carts were surrounded by armed villagers. One wearing a round medal with writing around a crossed sword and sickle to indicate he was the village chief, stepped towards the older cart driver. 'What happened?'

'Bandit attack.' the driver said and gestured to Kaui. 'She created a cover for us to run away.'

'They were humans!' said one of the passengers, a hunched male clutching his bag. 'Humans attacked us!'

The crowd murmured their unbelief at humans this far into orc territory.

'No, wait!' said Kaui. 'They were beastfolk!'

'Nonsense!' said the hunched male. 'They are friendly towards us.' He squinted at her. 'But didn't we see a human talking to you before it ran away?'

The driver and village chief looked at her. 'Is that true?'

'Ah.' she said and clutched her bag. 'That's.'

'Are you part of the bandit rabble?' the hunched male said. 'That cloud would have made it easy to get away.'

Her heart pounded. 'No! I meant to protect you!'

'I saw her talking to the human too!' said another passenger. 'And it looked very friendly too!'

'She also kept looking around the whole trip as if expecting someone!' said another.

A villager held up a sword he had found. 'This is a human sword! Not beastfolk!'

The driver folded his thick arms. 'I think we need some very good explanations here.'

Kaui watched the crowd murmur and frown at her and caught the flash of a smirk on the hunched male's face. 'They aren't-' she said but the chief grabbed her arm. 'You're coming with us to answer some questions.'

She gasped and tried to pull free but another strong hand grabbed her other arm and she whimpered as she was dragged away. She looked back at the crowd for help but the crowd just talked amongst themselves while glaring at her and the hunched man stepped back while making a few gestures in front of him.

A loud growl halted the chief and his man and they quickly let go of her when a fierce bloodwolf bolted towards them. Kaui sank on her knees as the two orcs stepped back and drew their swords. They stood firm to defend themselves but watched in confusion as the bloodwolf pulled Kaui on its back and ran off again. 'What the..' the chief said.

Kaui held on tight while Ulric ran through the trees and joined with Iphigenia and Elzbieta running away from the scene. 'Are you all right!?' asked Iphigenia. 'Why did they drag you away!?'

Kaui nodded. 'I'm good! They thought I was helping the bandits and they didn't believe they were beastfolk! I think someone tried to set me up, and it looked like he was tatting!'

Ulric growled. 'They must have sent someone along to enforce the lie!'

'Great!' said Elzbieta. 'The situation didn't get better then!'

***

They ran until they were far enough to be safe and rested against a fallen tree trunk. Iphigenia took out her water flask. 'Doesn't look we can do anything more here.' she said and drank. 'Might as well continue to the next demon country.'

Elzbieta nodded. 'Yeah, but what of Kaui? It's dangerous.'

Kaui looked down. 'I don't know where to go. I went without telling the master.'

Ulric looked up at the cloudy sky through the foliage. 'Let's take a rest first, then we can think of what to do next.'

The other agreed and made themselves comfortable, Iphigenia and Elzbieta snuggled tight with Ulric and were soon asleep but Kaui stared up while her worries kept her awake.

***

Ulric blinked as he awoke and watched Kaui's face pull back from his. 'Kaui?'

She held up a beetle wriggling its legs. 'I saw this crawling on your head.'

He chuckled softly. 'Thanks.' he said and looked up. 'How much time has passed?'

She placed the beetle close to the tree trunk. 'About an eighth of the day.'

'Did you get any rest?'

She shook her head. 'But I didn't need much anyway.'

Elzbieta yawned and stretched, and grumbled as she sat up. 'I do dislike sleeping in my armour.'

Ulric chuckled. 'I have to admit I dislike you sleeping in your armour too.'

She grinned a little and poked his side. 'Don't get cocky now that I gave into you.'

'It's hard not to when a man has such an elf at his side.'

She blushed. 'Only because I don't really have a choice!' she said and poked his side again. 'At least you give a good boost.' She gestured in front of her. 'How much do I still have?' She smiled. 'Oh! Still above what I had, nice.' She gestured again. 'Did anything change on yours?' She hummed. 'Still strangely set to zero.' Her eyes went wide and shot towards Kaui who fiddled with a twig as she looked down. Kaui! What did you do!?'

Iphigenia startled awake and sat up. 'What!? What's going on!?'

'Kaui made a familiar bond with Ulric!' Elzbieta said and suddenly Ulric realised they had been speaking together after he woke up.

Kaui looked up. 'I'm sorry! But I was afraid you'd decide to leave me behind and I need his protection until I find a safe place! I don't mean to steal him away from you!'

Elzbieta sighed and shook her head. 'You haven't seen what happened, did you?'

Kaui's face turned red. 'He woke up right after the chant.'

'Take a look.'

She checked the bond. 'How..?'

'That's what we thought after we bonded too.' Iphigenia said while she read Kaui's name in the familiar list of Ulric's tallies. 'You're stuck with it because the bond can't be broken.'

Kaui stared at her. 'It can't!?'

Elzbieta cleared her throat and glanced at Ulric. 'Not to mention there's another unexpected effect the bond has.'

Kaui looked at her. 'Which is?'

Elzbieta coughed. 'It's rather, overwhelming, at first.' she said and glanced at Ulric again.

Kaui looked puzzled at her, then at Ulric who scratched the back of his head. Iphigenia sat back. 'I guess you'll find out sooner or later anyway when you see his abilities. He has a strong healing power through one method.'

Kaui gazed at her.

'Sex.'

Kaui's eyes went wide and shot from one embarrassed face to the other. 'You have sex!? So what you said wasn't a joke!?'

Iphigenia shook her head. 'And here comes the fun part, we all share in the experience. Like, completely share.'

Kaui's heart beat fast. 'Share, how?'

Elzbieta sighed. 'What Iphigenia feels while doing it with Ulric, I feel, and the other way around.'

Kaui stared at them in silence for a while before swallowing her dry throat. 'You mean that when either of you are going to do it with him, I'll, feel the same?'

Iphigenia nodded and chuckled. 'Welcome to the harem.'

15 - Master and Slaves

'Shark?' Iphigenia scratched her nose. 'I've never seen one but they're supposed to be dangerous fish, right?'

Ulric stared at his new ability. 'Big, dangerous fish.

'Maybe you can swim really well now?' Elzbieta said.

'Maybe.' he said and tried to turn his tail into one of a fish. 'Doesn't seem to be a shifting thing. Which I'm not sure I'd enjoy anyway.'

Iphigenia looked at Kaui. 'He received it through your bond, any idea?'

Kaui glanced once at Ulric and shook her head. 'I don't know.'

Ulric hummed and rubbed his nose. A too familiar scent prickled his nose. 'Crap, there's Sweetweed around here.'

Kaui sniffed the air. 'Are you sure? I don't smell it.'

'I'll never forget that stench even when I want to.'

She stood up. 'Where?'

He pointed. 'That direction.'

'But it's all forest in that direction. Sweetweed only grows in the open field.'

'Maybe it's lost?' he said. 'Although I do smell other flowers too.' He sat up. 'Oh shit!'

Iphigenia looked at him. 'What's wrong?'

'I smell the forest!'

She frowned. 'Don't we all?'

He covered his nose. 'No, I mean I really smell it! Every little thing!'

Kaui knelt in front of him. 'Do you smell the different trees? And the ferns and nettles and every plant? And the animals?'

He nodded. 'Ah! I know!

'What!?' asked Iphigenia.

He looked at her. 'In my world we found out sharks have an excellent sense of smell.' he said and looked at Kaui. 'So do pigs.' He groaned. 'I mean, I'm not saying you're one, but.'

She shook her head. 'We know we have a better nose than most other species.'

'So you can smell the tiniest thing now?' asked Elzbieta.

He rubbed his nose trying to tone down the barrage of information it sent to his brain. 'I don't know how tiny, but I can smell you girls even clearer through your clothes.'

She blinked. 'Even clearer?'

'Ah.' he said and flattened his ears. 'I didn't say anything before because I didn't want to cause any embarrassment.'

She blushed. 'Well now.'

Iphigenia laughed. 'Will you even be able to keep cool with us three around you?'

He cleared his throat. 'I already trained myself into ignoring certain scents for precisely that.'

She grinned. 'Oh, this will be a challenge I'll gladly take up.'

'Wait wait wait!' Elzbieta said as she blushed even more. 'Let's go back to the beginning. Ulric's new ability has been identified and hopefully has more use than smelling, ehm, everything. We need to discuss what we're going to do from here on out.' She looked at Kaui. 'You could have just told us what you feared.'

Kaui fiddled with her dress. 'I didn't know any better.'

Iphigenia looked at Ulric. 'Well, for better or worse, she's part of us now.'

Kaui looked up. 'I can put my alchemy knowledge to good use, create potions for attack, defence, enhancements. And I can cook very well.'

Ulric chuckled. 'I'm always interested in that last thing.'

'You realise we can face danger at any time?' Elzbieta said.

Kaui nodded. 'I'd rather do that than live in oppression every day with a chance of a repeat of what Ulric saved me from, or getting a husband I don't even like to escape being a slave. My heart told me you were my chance to get away when we met, and I finally had the courage to leave with the merchant's carts.'

'Then it's settled.' Iphigenia said. 'If you can handle the bond effect as well.'

Kaui blushed hard and Ulric cleared his throat. 'Let's not force the situation on her. I'd feel no better than those disgusting orcs.'

Iphigenia nodded. 'So, where are we going to go next then? And although we had great help from Kaui I doubt we'll be as lucky next time. Unless you plan on waiting every time to save a damsel in distress?'

Ulric chuckled. 'I don't. But I don't know anything of this world. All I can think of now is the start of a joke. A human adventurer, an elf knight, an orc alchemist, and a possessed bloodwolf walk into a guild.'

'Oh, that's it!' said Kaui.

Ulric looked at her. 'There's a joke like that for real?'

She chuckled and shook her head, and looked at Iphigenia and Elzbieta. 'You have groups of people that go around doing work for hire, right?' she said and they nodded. 'It's the same here. With me joining you we can pose as a group, although we'd have to claim you two as tare fighter slaves.'

Iphigenia looked at Elzbieta. 'That could work, and we're sort of enslaved to Wolfie anyway.'

'If by chance we encounter humans or elves we can tell them the opposite.' Kaui said. 'But like this we can move around more freely in demon territory.'

Elzbieta nodded. 'I can agree with that. We need to earn some money as well eventually and just maybe by doing some quests we get more insight on where to find the demon lord.'

Kaui looked at Ulric. 'I'll be your translator whenever we deal with demons, keeping Iphigenia's ability secret. They might reveal things in conversation when I'm not around and they think you won't understand.'

Iphigenia grinned. 'Looks like we found ourselves the brains of this outfit.' she said and Kaui blushed.

***

The decision to head into the canine beastfolk territory was made easily as they were near the border, and the four kept close to a road they came across later. Iphigenia noticed Kaui kept glancing at Ulric and smiled mischievously as she ran her fingers through his neck fur. 'You want to feel his soft fur?'

Kaui blushed. 'I was thinking he needs something to wear. For in public.'

'Ah, you're right.'

'Indeed.' said Ulric and walked straight up. 'It's easier to walk on all fours but I'll have to walk like this when we're not alone, and I can't go around naked.'

Iphigenia smiled up at him. 'And frighten the women into arousal with your big pair of balls.'

He coughed and cleared his throat while Elzbieta and Kaui glanced at him and blushed. 'I don't think that would actually happen.'

'We need to find you clothing without us being seen first.' Kaui said. 'We might have to steal some.'

'Rather not if possible.' said Ulric. 'We could be recognised as thieves.' He mentally adjusted his nose and sniffed the air. 'I think I smell a home of sorts. Not sure though since I smell nothing fresh.'

'Let's have a look then.' said Iphigenia. 'We might find what you need.'

Ulric led the way towards an abandoned and overgrown cottage hidden partially in the edge of the forest. He pushed against the front door and it swung inwards before it broke loose from the bottom hinge it hung on and fell onto the floor. 'I doubt there's anything useful here.'

Elzbieta discovered a closet in the back with some clothes still in it. She held up a plain dark blue skirt. 'Although it would cover you and won't obstruct your tail, I don't think this is you.'

He shook his head quickly. 'Not my colour.'

A thick folded black fabric lay at the bottom and she picked it up and unfolded it into a large cloak. 'This is better.'

'And it's definitely your colour, Wolfie.' said Iphigenia. 'You'd make a real impression in this.'

Ulric took the cloak, tried it on and pulled the hood over his head, revealing only the tip of his muzzle. 'I've joined the dark side now.' he said and Elzbieta raised an eyebrow. 'A saying in my world, never mind.'

Kaui found a bag to replace the one she'd lost after the attack and took some rags with her after they found nothing more useful.

'I think we'd better travel on the road now.' said Kaui. 'It'll be less suspicious when we reach a city and we can see how others will react when we encounter them on the way.'

The first ones they encountered were a bunch of bandits. The leader, a brown furred canine wearing an ornamental hat with long colourful feathers, grinned wickedly wide as they stepped out onto the road in front of the four. 'Good day, folks. Might I persuade you to hand over your valuables.' he said and eyed the girls. 'Or otherwise do me and my men some valuable service? We don't discriminate against women of other species.'

His men chuckled until Elzbieta and Iphigenia drew their swords and their leader's feet no longer reached the ground due to him hanging by his neck from the paw that gripped it. A pair of glowing red eyes growled low at him from the shadow of the hood. 'I guess not.' he barely wheezed.

Ulric looked at Elzbieta. 'You said we needed money, right?'

The four watched the bandits scramble back into hiding after they had emptied their pockets. 'So, we won't have to worry about those kinds of people.' Kaui said while she separated the coins from buttons, small pebbles, and lint. 'I hope regular folk won't react in the same way though.'