Asher's Futa Chronicles

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Asher's still trying to come to terms with her tryst with Celeste and the possible consequences.

Meanwhile, they enter the Fierce village, which they were searching for, only to have the door slam behind them once inside.

Enjoy!

PS: Fair warning, this chapter is smutless. So, I'll submit the next chapter as soon as this one is published to make sure you get your weekly fill from me.

PSS: Chapter 29 is still looking to be smutless as well. You'll understand when you read it, so I'll see about doubling up there as well.

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Chapter 27

ASHER

"Wait, I can't have kids," I said as I kicked a rock out of my path. I didn't need to; I could have just as easily stepped over it. But I was still trying to come to terms with what had happened and needed to vent my frustration.

When Angela first approached Alistair about Rachel's disappearance, he sent out "feelers" through his "grapevine" searching for her. While I'd been passed out at his and Brooke's home after my day-and-a-half romp with his granddaughter, he'd received an update.

There was a Fierce community living up in the hills further out East. So, when I'd finally managed to regain my strength yesterday, we'd headed out. With a little luck, we hoped to reach it by tomorrow. But knowing my luck, we might get there next month.

Needless to say, I was in a bit of a sour mood.

"How so?" Brooke asked.

"One of my...abilities is to choose when I want to try and get someone pregnant," I said, remembering what I'd been initially told about my futa transformation. So far, it had been true. I'd been going off like a sprinkler all over the place and hadn't knocked up anyone yet...that I knew of. It was that part that had me so worried now.

"Unfortunately, spirits tend to find ways around pesky things such as rules," Alistair said apologetically. "Even though a spirit is part of nature, it is a force able to reach outside of itself when needed."

"Life finds a way, huh?" I said with a frown.

"Yes!" Alistair said. "That is a great expression."

I glanced at Brooke just in time to see her eye roll.

"I still don't understand why you're so put off by this turn of events," Alistair said. "I mean, yes, Celeste was rather...rude in how she approached you--"

"Rude?" I scoffed.

"But," Alistair continued. "You did enjoy it, did you not?"

"Yes," I finally admitted. "But it would have been nice to have a choice in the matter."

"Wait," Alistair held his hand up. "Did she do this against your will? Did she ignore you when you denied her?" The thought of his granddaughter forcing herself on me appeared to really upset Alistair.

"I..." I started, thinking back on the whirlwind of sex Celester and I had. At no point did I deny her. To tell the truth, the thought never crossed my mind. I guess it wasn't the actual sex part that had upset me. Was it the possibility of kids then? Or was it that someone else had beaten me at my own sex kitten games?

"It's not like you'll ever see Celeste again," Alistair continued. "Well, you may, but not the children."

"What do you mean?" I asked, looking at him. "You apparently see Celeste all the time."

"The spirits are very protective of their children while they are young," Alistair started. "They shield them from the world until they are of age to go out and explore on their own." He chuckled then. "I seriously doubt you'd live long enough to see the children."

Brooke took pity on me and jumped in.

"It takes quite a while for spirit children to be born," Brooke said. "Even then, they are 'asleep' for a good hundred years or so as they gather energy to stabilize their physical form."

"Huh," I said, trying to picture the whole process.

"Spirits rarely ever introduce their children to their non-spirit parent, even if they do live long enough," Alistair said. "They don't like outside influence until the child is old enough to make their own choices."

"Talk about the ultimate one-night stand," I said. "If I were an asshole, this would be the perfect situation. Amazing sex with zero responsibilities." I sighed. "But I'm not an asshole."

I wasn't sure what I was feeling. I mean, I wasn't in a hurry to have a kid or anything. The thought hadn't even crossed my mind. When I decided I wanted kids, I wanted to be prepared. I wanted to know what I was doing. And I wanted a proper hospital with modern drugs and such. I loved Patty to pieces, but I didn't want to have to rely on her "medicines" for something so serious.

"I take it they can't repro...they can't have kids themselves? Spirit to spirit, I mean," I asked as the thought occurred to me.

"No," Alistair shook his head. "A spirit needs a fresh infusion of life energy. If they tried to do it with another spirit or by themselves, they would have to use their own life energy, effectively killing themselves in the process."

"Well, that's depressing," I said.

"Yes," Alistair agreed. "It's said the first spirits were created by the Administrator, who gave them the life force they needed but made them reliant on others to carry on."

"Wait, does that mean she used my...life force?" A sudden, terrible thought hit me. "Did she shorten my life?"

"No," Alistair said quickly. "Humans constantly create life force, like how you create blood. You have an unlimited supply. The only difference lies in the amount you produce. Apparently, you have a lot, which is why Celeste latched onto you the way she did."

"I really didn't know what was happening at the time," I said honestly. "It was completely dark, and I was overcome with lust and--"

Alistair held up his hand to stop me.

"I don't really need the details," he said.

"Right. She's your granddaughter. Sorry," I cringed.

"It's alright," Alistair said. "A spirit has the ability to use your own instincts against you...as it were."

"And don't forget the succubus thing," Brooke added, patting him on the shoulder. "Let's not forget how you're just soooo helpless against their power."

"You still haven't let that go?" Alistair asked, looking at his wife. "I told you, it just happened. It's not like I planned it or anything."

"Right..." Brooke said slowly before giving me a sly wink when Alistair wasn't looking.

It seemed Brooke liked riling up her husband.

I held back a chuckle.

"If it matters so much to you," Alistair started, I think, attempting to evade his wife's ire. "I can try to speak with Celeste and--"

Then the wind shifted, and we all flinched.

"What is that smell?" I asked, covering my nose out of instinct. Not that it helped.

Baby talk forgotten, we soon found out what the putrid smell was. A pair of some kind of animals had been ripped to shreds at a spot just over the next hill. I guessed it was a pair from the sheer number of pieces, but I couldn't be too sure.

"What did this?" I asked.

"Nothing natural, that's for sure," Alistair said as he knelt to examine the remains.

Brooke was looking around, scanning the area for threats before returning to the scene.

"I don't smell anything nearby," Brooke said.

"I don't see any tracks either," Alistair said as he moved around the scene. "It's like whatever it was ate the juicy bits but left the rest."

I nudged what looked like the remains of a paw with my boot, rolling it over. It was wearing some sort of leather armor.

"These aren't animals," I said as I knelt to get a closer look. I tried not to breathe through my nose as my eyes were already watering.

"They're Fierce," Brooke said shortly. "Looks like a pair of wolf types."

"I don't know what could overcome a pair of wolves like this," Alistair said as he picked up a dagger soaked in blood. "They were armed as well."

"And armored," I added, pointing out the leather bracer I'd found.

"I don't like this," Brooke said, looking around nervously.

"Me neither," I added.

"Let's press on, but stay alert," Alistair said. He wrapped the dagger in a small piece of leather and tucked it away.

For once, we kept watch that night, each of us taking a turn until morning. It was nerve-wracking. Even with my night-vision helmet, I jumped at every sound. By morning, my nerves were completely shot, and I was eager to get moving.

To show how upset Alistair and Brooke were, they didn't so much as kiss the night before, let alone sneak off into the bushes.

We'd been moving through a lightly forested area amongst the hills when we reached a break in the trees. We could see several houses in the distance.

Our pace only increased at the sign of civilization, eager to get among the safety of others. We'd been looking over our collected shoulders for the last 24 hours, and my neck was getting tired.

This, combined with my lack of sleep, is probably why I saw what I did.

"What's that?" I asked, pointing off towards a distant treeline even as we continued towards the village.

"What's what?" Brooke asked, looking in the direction I was pointing.

"There, just inside the trees. I can't make out what it is, only that it seems to be moving." That was the truth. The shadow of movement seemed to float among the trees, staying just inside the treeline.

"I don't see anything, Al?" Brook said, shielding her eyes from the bright sun.

"There's nothing nearby to borrow," Alistair said, referring to his ability to borrow the senses of the creatures nearby. "There haven't been for a while, which is disturbing enough as it is," he said and squinted towards the trees. "I don't see anything."

I'd been wearing my helmet since we discovered the bodies yesterday. If we were going to get into a fight, I wanted to be prepared this time. I touched my helmet and lifted my visor to use my bare eyes. When I did, the shadow vanished.

I quickly lowered my visor, but the shadow remained absent.

"Huh," I said, frowning.

"Wait! Stop!" A pair of voices drew our attention back to the houses where two Fierce were running towards us, waving their hands.

"Welcoming party?" I asked as we closed on the pair of what looked like some kind of raccoon-type Fierce.

"I don't know," Brooke said.

"They're upset about something," Alistair said, taking a quick glance back towards the woods where I'd seen the shadow.

"Hello!" Brooke called out with a friendly wave.

The pair that had been running towards us suddenly stopped, their shoulders slumping.

"Too late," the larger of the pair said.

We all looked at one another.

"Too late for what?" Brooke asked.

"You crossed into the barrier," the other said with a sigh. I guessed she was female because she was built smaller, but I couldn't be sure, as I was grossly underinformed about Fierce biology.

"What barrier?" I asked, looking around for some sort of fortification or demarcation line, but found nothing.

"I'd say welcome, but it's not a good time to be here," the woman said. "I'm Melinda, this is my younger brother Sig."

"Hey, at least they made it here, sis! It could have been worse," Sig said.

"I'm Brooke," she started. "This is my bonded, Alistair, and that's the Guardian Asher. What's going on here?"

"You're a Guardian?" Sig asked in an awestruck tone as he stared wide-eyed at my armor.

I had no idea how old Sig was, as I'd never seen his type of Fierce before. But from the tone he used, he had to be young.

"No Sig, those Guardians died out a long time ago," Melinda said. "Sorry for my brother, he gets a bit excited."

"It's alright--" Alistair started, but I cut him off.

"I am a Guardian," I said to the boy, before looking to Melinda. "We're coming back. I'm one of the first."

Melinda stared at me for a long moment.

"Truly?" Melinda asked cautiously.

"It's true," Brooke filled in. "The Wright's Temple has reopened, and the Guardians have begun to reform."

Melinda made a small, quiet prayer that I recognized from my studies. It was a prayer to the Gray Benefactor, the patron of the Protectorate Moons. It was also something I'd heard Carfen say more than once.

"You worship the Gray Benefactor?" I asked.

"Of course," Melinda said. "We always have."

Carfen was going to flip when he heard about this.

"But..." Melinda shook her head. "I must bring you to the Reeve. He'll want to speak with you."

The three of us looked at one another again as Melinda motioned for us to follow her.

"This way, please," Melinda said.

"What is going on here?" Brooke asked again as we were led deeper into what was turning into a small village. The further we went, the more houses appeared.

My eyes couldn't help but be drawn to defenses strewn about the town. Remnants of hastily built barricades were on the outskirts of the village, along with rough spears and other farm implements turned weapons.

We came to a make-shift wall as we neared the center of town. It was made up of rocks, broken furniture, and whatever else wasn't nailed down. It didn't look very sturdy. It looked more like it was for peace of mind than for defense.

"It's best I let the Reeve explain," Melinda said.

We began to see more Fierce the further we went. Beyond the wall, there were even more Fierce milling about the town. Any type of animal you could imagine, and some I hadn't seen before, went about their daily lives. I continued to stare until Brooke elbowed me sharply.

"We're looking for my friend," I started quickly, rubbing my side from where Brooke elbowed me. "She's a Vixen and goes by Rachel. We were told--" But I was interrupted before I could finish.

"And where do the two of you think you're going?" a guard at the wall asked. He wore rough, patchwork leather armor over his scaly green body. He was some sort of gecko, but I'd never seen a fat gecko before. The armor he wore was obviously not his, given how ill-fitting it was. I couldn't tell from his expression, but by his demeanor, he seemed to be having a bad day.

"We're taking them to the Reeve," Melinda said. "They've just arrived."

"And that one's a Guardian!" Sig added helpfully, making sure to point at me for emphasis.

I tried to stand a bit taller, trying to make a good impression. It didn't seem to help.

"Right," the guard said doubtfully. "Try pulling the other one."

"If they're newcomers, Vern," the other guard said. He wore the same mismatched armor but was so skinny he kept having to pull it up to keep it in place. I wasn't sure what type of animal he was. He had short black and white fur on his body and a pinched face. He kinda reminded me of a ferret crossed with a hedgehog. "That's procedure."

Vern gave his companion a sour look.

"Fine," Vern said. "Since you're such a stickler for procedure, Ned, why don't you go and escort them the rest of the way?"

"Righto," Ned said and turned to us. "This way."

"Just keep any weapons you have stowed while you're in town," Vern said as we passed by.

"Don't mind Vern," Ned said once we were a way beyond the wall. "He means well, he's just getting a bit stir crazy. We all are."

"I can still hear you!" Vern shouted.

"Doesn't make it not true!" Ned shouted back.

All the shouting, on top of the three of us newbies, drew a lot of attention. Soon, people started lining the streets as we passed. I felt like we were in a make-shift parade.

This village, or town, or whatever, was larger than it initially appeared. It wasn't as big as Laghold, but it seemed close as it sprawled over a few hills.

The houses and buildings weren't standardized either. It seemed each one was a different building style and/or material from those around it. It gave the town a ramshackled look.

Ned stopped in front of a small building constructed from what looked like rocks and mud. But the mud seemed hard as concrete.

"Here we are then," Ned said as he stepped up and rapped on the door.

It was several moments before a voice called out, "Enter!"

Ned didn't hesitate and opened the door, leading us inside.

It was a small room with two doors leading off it. An old, beat-up desk and stool sat in one corner while several more stools were in the middle of the room around what looked like an unlit campfire.

Standing over the desk was a Fierce with rough gray skin and a short, stubby tail. His snout was buried in a book atop the desk, and he appeared to be studying it intently. If I had to guess, I'd say he was some sort of armadillo, only without the outer shell.

"Reeve, these newcomers--" Ned started, but the Reeve held up a hand, bringing Ned up short.

The reeve finished scanning the page he was reading before nodding and looking up at us for the first time.

"Now, what's all this then?" The Reeve asked.

"These newcomers," Ned started and hesitated, waiting to see if he would be cut off again. When he wasn't, he continued. "They just arrived."

"Yes," Melinda added. "They crossed the barrier before we could stop them."

"It's procedure to bring newcomers straight to--" Ned started, but the Reeve once again cut him off.

"I know the procedure, Ned," the Reeve said, giving us the once over. "Head back to the wall and take these two with you." He indicated Melinda and Sig.

"But--" Melinda started.

"She's a Guardian," Sig repeated.

This caused the Reeve to pause and look at me a moment before turning back to Ned.

"Thank you, Ned, that's all," the Reeve said as a dismissal.

Ned nodded once and ushered Melinda and Sig outside, then closed the door.

"So now," the Reeve started once we were alone. "What's your story?"

Before I could begin, Brooke spoke up.

"I'm Brooke," she started, making a small bow before indicating her husband. "This is my bonded, Alistair the Druid."

Alistair also made a small bow to which the Reeve nodded.

"And this is the Guardian Asher," Brooke gestured towards me.

Not knowing how to bow, I nodded.

The Reeve eyed me once more before returning to Brooke.

"Fine," the Reeve said. "And what are you doing here?"

I got the sense non-Fierce weren't exactly welcome here, so I kept my mouth shut and let Brooke take the lead.

"We were told a friend of ours was seen heading towards this village. She's a Vixen who goes by Rachel."

"And who told you this?" the Reeve asked.

"Those who dwell of the land, sky, and forest spoke to me," Alistair said quietly.

This drew an unreadable look from the Reeve. He watched Alistair for a long moment.

"While we have no quarrel with Druids," the Reeve began. "These dwellers you speak of are but simple creatures and are often fooled or mistaken."

"Do you have so many Vixen in these parts that it would cause such confusion?" Alistair asked. "To be honest, we saw no one, Fierce or otherwise, on our journey here. The land itself seems abandoned, even by its dwellers."

The Reeve seemed to be gathering himself to reply when Brooke spoke.

"Reeve," Brooke started. "This is how you'd like to be addressed, I take it, since you offered no other introduction." When he didn't reply, Brooke continued. "Reeve, we do not come here in malice or subterfuge. We are simply looking for our friend. If you tell us she's not here, we will depart in peace and speak no more of it."

I started to speak up, but something made me hold my tongue.

The Reeve's face looked troubled as he thought this over. He sat on the stool by the desk and spoke again.

"It's too late for that now," the Reeve said.

"How so?" Brooke asked.

The hair on the back of my neck started to raise and I glanced around wearily.

"You're inside the barrier now, you can't leave," the Reeve said.

"And why is that?" I asked, speaking for the first time as a slight tremor ran through my body. I didn't know what was going on, but my body seemed to know something was up.

"Because the wards are up and they won't let you," the Reeve said without looking at me. He sighed and motioned to the stools in the middle of the room. "You're stuck here with the rest of us now, so I might as well explain."