Asher's Futa Chronicles

Knight Commander Koda must deal with a rather disturbing report brought to him by his subordinates.

Asher must come to terms with the rumors her actions have created...or does she?

Later, a returning guest star walks in on something she really needs.

This is a rather long one, strap in!

Enjoy!

***

Chapter 23

KNIGHT COMMANDER KODA

I stared down at the blank piece of paper, the same paper I'd been staring at for 10 minutes. How was I to write a report on what happened yesterday without making the prince look like a jackass? In the past, I'd been able to cite extenuating circumstances, but I'd be hard-pressed to come up with anything to excuse yesterday's performance.

For the past several years, the protection of the prince had been entrusted to me. Prince Putner's attitude rarely made my job any easier. But you didn't turn down an assignment from the king, you just didn't. Especially when that appointment was backed by the church. You could turn down assignments from the church, but those who did tended to disappear not long after.

I returned to the blank report. Was there any way to excuse what happened yesterday? Well, we had been on the road for three weeks...I could blame some of it on fatigue, perhaps? The innkeepers had been more than civil, but they were just commoners.

Then there was the supposed "Guardian." She had been disrespectful enough to warrant Putner's ire...but she was just a child. There was no way she was much older than my own daughter.

I couldn't imagine Eliza being thrust into a position like being a guardian. Not at her age.

But then again, this "Asher" seemed confident enough in her abilities. She was ready to go toe to toe with my men without armor and only a knife for a weapon. She didn't show signs of hysteria, but a calmness that an experienced fighter wielded. And that was before the Daemon arrived.

The Daemon.

The church was going to have a stroke when they found out about that one. But there was no denying what she was. She matched the description to the letter.

Sighing, I rubbed my tired eyes and looked at the small timepiece. It had been a gift when I was made Knight Commander. As I examined its face now, the memory of every nick and scratch the precious device had picked up over the years came to me.

Then I realized someone was knocking on my door. I wasn't sure how long I'd been staring at those tiny hands, but there was light leaking in from the window, marking the coming dawn.

"Yes?" I said as I opened the door.

Two of my men stood nervously in the hallway outside. They were both covered in cuts, scratches, and what looked like streaks of blood. Inwardly, I groaned.

Most of the men I'd been assigned to bring with me were new to this detail, and I didn't know them. Being so far out on the frontier, away from civilization, raw soldiers tended to get bored and find their way into trouble. I'd have to remind my lieutenants to keep the men occupied and out of trouble.

"Knight Commander," the taller of the two started.

I sniffed, expecting to find signs of drink wafting off the two men. Instead, all I got was the arid stench of fear.

"We're sorry to disturb you, Knight Commander," the shorter one cut in.

"But it's very important," the first one continued.

I glanced out into the hallway, looking for one of my lieutenants, but neither was at their post. I frowned and turned back to the bloody men.

"What is it?" I said gruffly.

"It's about Corporal Alana, sir," the tall man said.

My stomach twisted. Alana had been on a tear lately, trying to prove herself. While not a newcomer to the corps, she had often been overlooked for promotion. When I investigated her record, there was no reason for the passovers. This left me to conclude her previous commanders weren't keen on having women in their ranks.

I was under no such preconception. But in my experience, having an overly eager corporal bucking for promotion, regardless of sex, often led to bigger problems.

"What about her?" I asked, keeping my voice level and dreading the answer.

"She's dead, sir," the taller man said.

I stared at him.

"Really, sir, she's dead!" the man repeated.

I grabbed the man and pulled him into the room.

"You," I said, addressing the other man. "Go find the watch commander and both of you report to me on the double."

"Sir!" the man said, starting to turn.

"And soldier, not a word about this to anyone else," I said evenly.

"Yes, sir!" he replied and moved off.

The late hour and my lack of sleep were weighing heavily on me as I turned and closed the door.

"Your name?" I asked the man standing at rough attention in my room.

"H...Hobbes, sir," he said.

"Your companion?" I asked.

"Stewart, sir."

I didn't recognize either name. So, they were part of the new contingent assigned to me. Great.

"How did Corporal Alana die, Hobbes?" I asked calmly. Getting upset in this kind of situation led to missing things. Right now, I needed to focus on what Hobbes said to determine if it was the truth or a lie to cover the truth.

"A creature...a monster, out in the woods, sir," Hobbes said.

This caused me to pause. The prince hadn't trusted the guild's patrol guards, not after they refused to let him send a message to the capital. So, he'd ordered us to post our own patrol to keep an eye on The Roadhouse. I think he was worried the Guardians were going to call in reinforcements before he could call in his own.

"Start at the beginning," I said.

"Yes, sir," Hobbes began. "The three of us: me, Stewart, and Alana, were making the rounds outside The Roadhouse. We'd been out there a couple of hours when Stewart saw something in the woods. A big shadow or something."

"A big shadow?" I asked.

"That's what he said, sir," Hobbes said. "Well, me and Alana looked, but didn't see anything. But Stewart swore to the high three that he'd seen something. So, we moved off the trail and into the woods to investigate."

"What sort of light did you have, torches?" I asked.

"Oh, no sir. We had lanterns, me and Stewart did," Hobbes said.

"Oil or glowstone?" I asked. It made a big difference in what you could see. A glowstone cast a bright, solid light, while oil flickered, creating shadows.

"Uh, we're only issued oil lanterns, sir," Hobbes said.

"Continue," I said, nodding.

"Well, we were moving through the trees and bushes, occasionally stopping to listen, but didn't hear anything," Hobbes said.

"Is that how you got all the scratches?" I asked, pointing at the various cuts on his exposed skin.

"Yes, sir," Hobbes said. "There's a lot of sharps out there."

I nodded. I'd noticed some of the more aggressive foliage when I made a personal inspection of the perimeter. They're probably been planted as a means of defense.

There was a new knock at the door.

"Come in!" I barked.

The door opened, and Lieutenant Draxle entered, followed by Stewart.

"Close the door," I said. I considered asking Draxle why he hadn't been at his post, but now wasn't the time with these two around.

"Continue, Hobbes," I said once the door was closed.

Stewart stood beside Hobbes without being told.

"We'd probably gone, what, 100 feet into the woods?" Hobbes turned and asked Stewart.

"When it attacked?" Stewart asked and continued when Hobbes nodded. "That sounds about right."

"Corporal Alana didn't stand a chance," Hobbes said.

"She was in the lead?" I asked.

"Yes, sir," Stewart said, stepping in. "Hobbes and I were holding up the lamps to provide light while Alana had her sword drawn and was beating the bushes."

"So, she had her weapon in hand?" I asked.

Both men nodded.

"But it didn't matter," Hobbes said. "The next thing we knew, blood was flying everywhere, and the corporal was screaming her head off in pain."

"It bit her arm off, sir," Stewart said.

"It?" I asked.

"Yes, sir," Stewart said. "Never seen anything like it. Moved like lightning it did, black as night."

"But the teeth glowed!" Hobbes said.

"The teeth glowed?" I asked, glancing at Draxle, who simply stared back at me silently.

"Yes, sir," Hobbes said. "Saw em just as they hit the corporal."

"And you saw it bite off her arm?" I asked.

"Stewart did, sir," Hobbes nodded.

"That I did sir, bit it clean off," Stewart said.

"I did see the arm on the ground," Hobbes said proudly.

"Then what happened?" I asked.

"Well, sir, me and Stewart both dropped our lanterns and drew our swords," Hobbes said.

"And we advanced on the thing," Stewart said.

"Was Alana already dead by this point?" I asked.

"Oh, no, sir,' Stewart said. "She was swinging like a madwoman," he paused, realizing what he said. "Beggin' your pardon, Knight Commander. She was still fighting with her other arm, hacking and flailing at the beast."

"Damndest thing I ever saw," Hobbes said in awe.

"That's when the second one hit her from the side," Stewart continued.

"A second one?" I asked.

"Yes, sir," Stewart nodded. "It tore her throat out with the first lunge."

"Never stood a chance," Hobbes said, shaking his head sorrowfully.

"What was it?" I asked again.

"Well," Hobbes glanced at Stewart. "It was like a really big wolf, with huge teeth!"

"They weren't teeth, they were tusks," Stewart corrected. "But Hobbes is right about it looking like a big wolf."

"But it had the tail of a lizard!" Stewart added.

"A wolf with tusks and a lizard tail?" I asked, trying to keep the doubt from my voice.

"Don't forget the stinger!" Hobbes said. The two men seemed to be getting more excited the longer they talked about the encounter.

"Yeah, it nearly had me! See?" Stewart said, turning to show his shoulder armor. A jagged hole had been ripped into the protective metal.

"What happened after Alana went down?" I asked, trying to get the men to focus more on the incident rather than the mysterious beast.

"Well," Hobbes started, "when they saw me and Stewart coming at them with swords, they started to back away. I guess they didn't want a fair fight."

If this creature did all the things they said, it wasn't anywhere near a fair fight. Somehow, I only had one fatality instead of three.

"But at the last second, the second one grabbed the corporal's body and dragged it deeper into the forest," Stewart said.

"And the first one got in the way, like it was trying to cover the other's retreat," Hobbes said. "Animals can't be that smart, can they, sir?"

I held my tongue. I wanted to say that these animals were more intelligent than the two men in front of me, but that wouldn't do.

"As soon as the second one was gone, the first one made a feint at us and then leaped into the darkness after the other one," Stewart said.

"We tried to follow, Knight Commander, really we did," Hobbes said.

"But we'd dropped our lanterns behind us and the forest was dark as a hole without them," Stewart said.

"We figured it was best to report in," Hobbes said.

"To make sure and warn everyone," Stewart added.

So far, this last part was the only part of their story that sounded false. More than likely, with the loss of the corporal and the beasts gone, they ran while they could. I couldn't blame them. If they'd chosen to chase the animals down, I'd be wondering what happened to three of my men right now. But, at the same time, I couldn't let it stand either.

"And you're sure Corporal Alana was dead before her body was drug off?" I asked. I knew the answer, but had to hear it from them.

Both men looked down at the gore staining their armor and nodded.

"She wasn't moving after she hit the ground, Knight Commander," Stewart said somberly, all excitement now gone from his voice.

"Very well, wait outside," I said, dismissing the two men. Once they filed out, I turned to Draxle. "Well?"

"Sounds like they believe it," Draxle said.

"Yes, it does," I agreed.

"All except the end. The end was complete, CYA," Draxle said.

"Agreed," I said.

"The question is, why was Corporal Alana out there in the first place?" he said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"She wasn't on duty last night," Draxle said, rubbing his jaw. "I'll have to double-check, but Corporal Gibbons should have been leading those two on patrol last night."

"So, Hobbes and Stewart were on duty then?" I asked.

"Yes," he glanced at me and turned to the door. "Stewart," he said as he opened the door.

"Sir?" Stewart squeaked.

"Fetch me Corporal Gibbons," Draxle said.

"Yes, sir," Stewart said and took off.

Draxle closed the door.

"What about these creatures?" I asked.

"Never heard of them," he said. "If it weren't for the fear in their eyes while telling the story, I wouldn't believe it."

"Look into it," I said. "I've heard rumors from the locals that monsters have been sighted in the area recently. Nothing specific, mind you. It might just be the drunken ramblings of a work hand for all I know."

"I'll look into it, sir," Draxle said.

"And just where were you when these two came looking for me this morning? I didn't see you at your post," I asked.

"Apologies, sir," Draxle started, his face going red. "The food here didn't agree with me. There wasn't time to get LT Williams."

"Understood," I said, knowing how bad "bubble gut" could get at a new duty location. It could take months for your body to adjust to the local cuisine, if it ever did. "Next time, grab anyone to hold your place. It doesn't have to be your relief if it'll just be for a few minutes."

"Yes, sir," Draxle said.

There was another knock at the door, and Draxle opened it, revealing a half-awake Corporal Gibbons.

"Come in, Corporal Gibbons," Draxle said and closed the door behind him.

"Sir, reporting as ordered," Gibbons said, stifling a yawn.

"Corporal Gibbons," Draxle started. "You were assigned patrol duty last night, were you not?"

"Oh," Gibbons said, startled. "Yes, sir, I was."

"Was?" I asked.

Gibbons turned back to me.

"Yes, sir. I was supposed to go on patrol with Hobbes and Stewart," Gibbons said.

"Then why didn't you?" I asked.

"Well, sir, you see," Gibbons started, looking embarrassed. "Corporal Alana took my duty shift for me, sir."

"And why would she do that?" Draxle asked. "Spit it out, Corporal," Draxle said when Gibbons started hemming and hawing.

"Well, she lost, sir," Gibbons said finally, "at poker."

"Explain," I said, but had a good idea of what he was going to say.

"Well, the guys and I...well...there was a poker game. Things went back and forth for a while, and one hand came down to Alan...Corporal Alana and I, and we ended up betting a duty shift. You know, if I win, you cover my shift. If you win, I cover yours?"

"I get it, Corporal," I said.

"Well, she had two pair, and I had--" Gibbons trailed off when he looked up into my eyes. "I ended up winning, and Corporal Alana covered for me last night."

"And this is something that happens frequently?" I asked, glancing at Draxle.

"You know how it goes, sir--" Gibbons once again stopped. "Yes, sir, occasionally. She complained about it, but ended up owning up to it in the end."

"Her owning up to this bet cost her her life," Draxle said.

"Her life?" Gibbons said, turning away from me to face Draxle. "How do you mean, sir?"

"While on patrol this morning," I started, making Gibbons spin to face me.

"Your patrol," Draxle added.

"Corporal Alana was killed by a wild beast while on patrol this morning," I said, watching Gibbons's eyes.

The surprised shock was clear as day.

"Alana's dead?" Gibbons asked quietly, his eyes dropping to the floor.

"Seems your luck at cards saved your life," Draxle said.

"My...luck..." Gibbons said. "Then it's my fault," he said, looking back up at me. "Sir, I--"

"That'll be all, Corporal," I said, cutting him off.

"But, sir--" Gibbons tried again, but this time Draxle cut him off.

"You heard the Knight Commander, wait out in the hall, Gibbons," Draxle said.

Gibbons straightened, nodded once, and went outside.

"This is looking like a legitimate accident," I said, frowning.

"Problem, sir?" Draxle asked.

"Probably just my paranoia, but I want you to go out and examine the scene. Then come back and let me know what you find," I said.

"You got it, sir," Draxle said and turned to go.

"Keep an eye on that trio, especially Gibbons, for a while. This sort of thing can make a soldier do stupid things," I said.

"Of course, sir," Draxle said.

"And Draxle? See to it there's no more shift swapping," I said.

"Way ahead of you, sir," Draxle said with a nod. "Besides, I think once this gets out, it'll curtail itself. Need anything else, sir?"

"No," I said with a sigh. "Now I need to go let the prince know."

"Good luck with that one, sir," Draxle said and made his escape before I could respond.

It was common knowledge to the leadership how difficult the prince could be. We never let it show in front of the men, but in private, we were honest with one another.

I pulled on my armor and took one last look at the blank report sitting on the desk.

*Looks like I'll have more than enough to write about now,* I thought as I went for the door.

***Ω***

ALANA

I jerked awake, slamming my elbow painfully into the stone slab I was lying on.

Looking around, I was alone in a room lit by dim red light. Several stone chairs like the one I was lying in were spread about the room in a circle.

I rubbed my elbow from where I'd hit it.

"I just grew that arm back, please don't break it already," a voice said from the darkness.

"Who are you?" I asked, scanning the room for the speaker, but finding no one. "Where are you?"

"Stay calm," the voice said soothingly. "She'll be with you momentarily."

I didn't have long to wonder who the voice was talking to when a door opened and Asher walked in.

"How are you feeling?" Asher asked, a tiny smile on her face.

"You know," I started. "When I agreed to this stupid plan, I didn't know you were going to rip my arm off and kill me!" I complained, rubbing phantom pain in a perfectly good arm.

After Asher left me in the chapel with Carfen, he and I talked for a long while about my situation and my possible future.

When Asher returned, I was ready to take sanctuary in the chapel and hide out for the rest of my life. Instead, I'd listened to the pretty, blonde-haired Guardian and let myself be ripped limb from limb.

"My plan wasn't stupid!" Asher said in her defense. "Besides, now everyone thinks you're dead, and you're free to do as you please."

I frowned.

"Did you manage to get the message off?" I asked.

"Sure did," Asher replied. "You wouldn't believe what I had to do for it, though."

"Try me," I said. In the short time I'd known Asher, she tended to speak in riddles. If I didn't confront her directly, I'd never figure out what she meant.

"Oh, I'd love to," Asher said as her eyes ran across my body.

"Where are my clothes?!?" I yelped, realizing I was naked and quickly tried to cover myself.

Asher chuckled and handed me a robe from beside my chair before politely turning away from me.

I quickly covered myself, restoring some of my dignity. I'd only been at The Roadhouse two days, but even in that short time, I'd heard about Asher's appetites. She seemed to have one person after another falling over themselves for her favor. If the rumors were true, Asher enjoyed doling out that favor when it fancied her.

When her eyes rolled over my body, I wasn't sure what I felt. I'd never been interested in women, aside from some silly games when I was younger. They were nothing serious, mind you.

But Asher's desire was unmistakable. She was far from subtle.

"I'm told by this time tomorrow, your grandfather will be made aware of your situation, and no one else will know he's been told. As long as he acts appropriately when he's told of your death, he should remain safe."