Chapter 4 - Yona & Umeno

Umeno breathes out softly, stooping down low as he smelled blood. He felt like he was getting closer now - The blood was starting to smell fresher, at least. He wasn't sure that was such a good sign, but he presses on anyway, creeping up to the edge of the clearing to peer out into it, tapping on his horn for good luck. The tips were missing - It was just a month ago that he had had the ends of his horns carved into dice, in the hopes that it might bring him more fortune and fewer snake eyes, another night in Yala's bed. Given how well that went, his horns probably weren't that lucky... And yet still, he tapped. Still, he hoped that somewhere, sometime, he might get a lucky break. He'd need one, now - Hunting a tigress by the corpses of the headhunters that had come before him trying to off her. She was renowned for being nigh untouchable in combat. Nary a blade could even shave a single strand of her fur, it was said. He wasn't hunting her because he thought he had a better shot than the hundreds that had come before him, seeking the staggering bounty hanging above her head - No, he was hunting her because he had no other options left. He was hunting her because this was the last time he was rolling the dice - And the dice were out to get him this time.

He stands as he realizes the clearing was empty. Well, mostly empty - The corpses were largely stripped bare. He approaches slowly, scratching his chin and stooping beside one to see if there was anything worth salvaging, beyond bones.

Besides the stripped corpses, there was little more than the embers of a once powerful fire, and a spit covered with the remaining burnt on gristle of these poor bastards. The smell of roasting flesh still hung in the air. It was hideous.

He’s not aware of her presence until it’s too late. He can feel his fur bristle and his spine tingle as the woods cracked behind him. Too close behind him. He doesn’t have time to swing around, to draw his sword, to even scream— she has a paw around his dulled horn and a arm like a braided cord of steel around his middle in an instant. He can feel five tips like stiletto blades poking into his stomach— her hand had slipped up under his breastplate.

He can hear her in his ear, smell the flesh on her hot breath. It snarled naturally as she drew in air to whisper, “Do you have a death wish?”

He freezes for a moment, skin crawling and stomach churning a little. His eyes feel like they're going to fall out of their sockets.

"Y-Yes? No. I meant no." His mind is racing, trying to think of something to say, anything to get him out of this. His hand flinches a little, longing for his word, but it wouldn't help here. "I don't want to die, I... This is the last chance I had." He swallows - He felt like a fool, but then where else was he to turn? He was abandoned by his companions for money, he would never get to see the woman he loved again because he couldn't afford her anymore, and every town he went to pushed him out. Even if by some enormous stroke of luck he had captured this monster, he likely wouldn't see a penny of the reward - His debtors or the collectors they sent after him would likely take it all for themselves. But it was better than living off the land and running from his pursuers for the rest of his life.

"Last chance?" She chuckles. "Shall I end your life quickly, then?"

May as well, He thinks to himself. But...

"By all means, I would appreciate it, but there's... Something I feel is more important," He says. "I have one last request, if you care to hear me out."

She pauses, thinking about his words, before retracting her claws and chuckling.

“I will hear your request." She purrs, lifting him by his horn and tossing him into clearing further. “You are a very lucky cow to have caught me in such a good mood.”

Umeno was anything but feeble, but in comparison to this absolute monster that stood before him, he might as well have been. The tigress must have been 8 feet tall, with shoulders and hips twice as wide as he was, easily. Her ass and each of her tits were the size of his barrel-chested torso, her thighs as wide around as his entire pelvis. Her body seemed to be composed of braided steel muscles... and a surprising amount of fat. She had a bit of a tummy over her... what was that, a 16 pack?! Arms like tree trunks, a thick and burly neck to match... but the distinct difference between the coil of fat and muscle that was her waist and the giant, heaving, rippling behemoth of an ass and hips was... disturbingly feminine.

A tigress born of the God of War. Claimed to have leapt screaming, fully formed from his loins. An unceasing, unmerciful, unforgiving hunger known only as the Ravenous.

And she was in a "good mood."

He goes a little pale, staring at her - She was attractive for a murderous carnivore, but his lease on life was about to expire, and the termination clause was him being eaten. He swallows, closing his eyes to keep the horror of the situation at bay long enough to make his request.

"There's a bear, by the name of Norlis," He says, stretching his neck a bit - Being thrown like that had hurt. "He's a good man. When my other companions had me tied up and ready to be handed over to my debtors, he helped me escape. He may come after you, or stumble into you - If he does, I would ask that you give him one last chance on life, and tell him that Umeno sends his thanks. If that's not too much to ask, it would help me rest easy knowing that I was able to repay at least one debt."

The tigress stares at him, considering his words. Her eyes were a fierce gold, and they studied him up and down, staring him through. Like she was inspecting his naked soul.

"Can you fight?" She finally asks, drawing a huge battle axe off her back.

"I wasn't even an above average fighter when I was fighting mortal men and women." The admission taste a little bitter - It had been the first time he had really said it himself, but he couldn't deny it was true. "I don't have a chance against a demigoddess." Even still, he draws his sword and takes a stance, looking her in her terrifying eyes. She can tell he's overly stiff - Probably frozen from fear.

The tigress hefts the axe, before planting it in the ground.

"I am full, and so my movements will be sluggish. I will also give you the benefit of fighting me barehanded." She cracks her knuckles. "Prepare yourself."

He nods, advancing slowly - It was evident he was still held back by fear, he was telegraphing every movement far too much.

He blinks, and all of a sudden she's in his face– she's closed the gap in seconds.

He cries out, and lashes out in a big, wild swing that was painfully easy to see coming.

A blistering fast, painful chop to his inside elbow stuns his arm, and she knees him in the stomach, cracking his ribs and throwing him backwards ten feet.

He grunts in pain, getting up slowly and taking up his sword in his one functional hand - It was a longsword, and wielding it in a single hand would just make him even more sluggish. He was clearly tough, but that was about it. He staggers forward, forcing himself to breathe despite clearly being winded from her attack.

She darts forward again, grabbing his wrist as he swung toward her and twisting it just enough so he couldn't hold on anymore. The sword drops to the ground, and she kicks it away, chuckling.

"You were speaking the truth. You don't have a chance." She purrs, using the arm to toss him to the ground.

He groans, still attempting to get up. He isn't halfway to his feet before he collapses to the ground against, however - Whether the pain had overcome his determination or his determination has just disappeared, wasn't clear. He lies there, trying to catch his breath. He looks up at her, waiting for death to come.

She looks down at him, smirking– he could see lust in her eyes. Of all things, lust...?

She walks over his body, standing on either rounded horn, effectively pinning him to the ground.

"Last meal." She purrs, smirking widely, reaching between her thighs. Slowly, she pulls her loincloth aside, exposing the juiciest, fattest, bushiest pussy he'd seen in his life. Her clit stuck between her fat lips, throbbing, and as she moved the loincloth aside, her pussy dripped lady cum onto his face.

He flinches as the first dribble splashes down, but closes his eyes and opens his mouth gently. He felt himself getting hard - This was quite a way to go. Through the pain, he focuses on the taste of her juice, dripping into his mouth messily... If this was his last meal, then he ought to enjoy it. It tasted, and smelled wonderful enough for him to forget for a moment that she'd be bathing in his blood soon.

She squats down and places her pussy square on his mouth, grinning– he couldn't see her past her massive ass and thighs, however.

He moos a little, lapping at her fat clit and nuzzling up through her bush to eat her out properly. So much delicious juice... What a generous last meal, He thinks to himself jokingly, letting the pain sit in the back of his mind as he enjoys eating her out. This might just have been the best outcome he could have hoped for... He wasn't likely to see Yala again, even with the money from bringing Yona in. As he realizes he'll likely die within minutes, he slurps at the plentiful pussy juices even more eagerly, trying to make the most of his last few minutes.

She moans softly, grinning lustily and purring. "You are good with your tongue, cow~ Not many can say that~"

He moans something inaudible through her pussy, which just adds to the pleasure of his continued efforts to clean out her perpetually messy pussy. His tongue digging deep into her, lashing her clit skillfully - There was no mistaking that this wasn't an amateur's luck. He had had a lot of practice, somewhere.

She goes crosseyed, making a slutty, gleeful face as he pushed her to the edge of an orgasm.

He grabs her clit gently between his teeth, rubbing her thighs as he lashes her love button with his tongue and tugs it this way and that way, stimulating the hell out of her. He moans again, this time just because he was enjoying himself so much.

The tigress yowls loudly as she cums, spurting cream down his throat and all over his mouth as she trembled for a moment in pleasure.

"Aooouuughh~" She moans, low and loud. "That was very good, cow~"

She grinds her pussy into his lips, chuckling.

"Enjoy your last meal~?"

He moos softly, still lapping up her residual cum. He did, but with his face covered by her fat ass and thighs, he couldn't express that. He wondered when his life would be drained from his body. Had she already begun, and he hadn't noticed?

"Good, good. Goodbye." She suddenly shifts forward, smothering his nose and mouth with her wet, fat pussy and enormous ass.

He grunts in surprise - This was certainly a hell of a way to go. While it was painful to feel his lungs burning and his vision fading, he takes some comfort that his death wasn't bloody or agonizing...

He's surprised when he wakes up. At first he just lays there for a while, wondering if he was still alive. He wipes the dried lady cum from his eyes, and looks around - Yes, he was still in that clearing. After a minute, his confusion fades - Clearly, he hadn't died. And she hadn't eaten him, or made sure he was dead. She had just left him there, intentionally or otherwise. She did say that she was full; it made sense that she hadn't butchered him, even as shocked as he was to discover it.

More importantly, what should he do now? He still had a debt hanging over his head. Surviving the ordeal hadn't given him any more options. All he was left with now was a story no one would believe. He continues to sit there and stew over his options.

... Go after her again? He laughs at himself as he considers it, but... Going after her was really all he had left. And maybe this time... Maybe he would get lucky. Likely not, but...

"Time to roll the dice again," He mutters, looking around more seriously. It isn't long before he picks up on her trail - It was almost as if she made it very easy to follow her. Which... Considering she ate nearly everyone that came after her, that made a lot of sense. It was like baiting a trap. He shudders at the thought, but presses onward. He wondered how long he had been out for. Hours? Days? She might be lurking in the trees now, laughing to herself. He huffs, wiping his face - He was still going to give it another shot.

He comes across her campsite while she's eating. He can see her sitting in another small clearing, smaller than the last one, by a fire, chewing on the spit roasted thigh of an unfortunate deer that had crossed her path. Her back is to him.

Her ears swivel back as he comes into the clearing, and she swallows, and then speaks.

"Twice."

She can hear him sigh softly. Damnit, of course she heard me coming... I was so close, too. "Well, you... Forgot to kill me the first time," He says, smirking humorlessly.

She turns to give him an amused smirk. "I forgot nothing. You did me a favor, I did you one back."

She turns back to her food.

"No one has followed me twice before." She states. It sounded impossible, but then, most everyone who faced her died. She had let very few people live before.

He considers her words for a moment. It made sense that no one had followed her twice, when he thought about it. Her other words stuck in his mind more, though.

"I appreciate the sentiment," He says, heading towards her and setting a hand on the pommel of his sword. He didn't so much intend to try and kill her again, but he didn't want to die without a sword in his hand, at least. "But unfortunately, the only thing surviving that encounter has done for me is given me another chance at your head. And even that is fairly pointless, now." He pauses, frowning. "Wait... what favor did I do for you?"

She grins filthily and sticks her tongue between her index and middle fingers– the gesture for eating pussy.

He turns red, chuckling. "What, that? Well, I'm glad you liked it," He says, feeling just slightly bashful and rather aroused. He was no stranger to sex, but it was another thing to get a compliment from a carnivore woman who looked the part of a demigoddess. Especially in such a crude way...

"You are in debt, aren't you?" She asks, taking another bite of meat.

"Yes, I am," He sighs. He felt a bit silly just standing there behind her, so he tentatively takes a seat beside her. They were talking, after all. "Why?"

She chews thoughtfully and swallows. "Come with me."

He nods, standing. He had no real reason not to do as she says - It felt odd, just obeying a carnivore like this. Like he had let himself become a slave with no effort on her part. Exactly the fate he had been fearing his debtors would sell him off to. But then, this felt different, somehow. He couldn't put a finger on it, exactly...

She pauses and looks at him. "You have nothing to say to this?"

"What else is there to do at this point?" He says with a shrug. "I can't defeat you like this, and running is fairly pointless. Even if you keep me alive, I would likely suffer a worse fate by leaving. And I expect you just want to find a good stump to set my neck against."

She bursts out laughing– loud, riotous laughter that seemed to shake the trees.

"You think I want to keep you around to eat you." She laughs. "No, no, cow. I have no shortage of food. Men will come after me, men will be killed, men will be eaten, for the rest of my life."

She waves the thigh bone, now stripped clean, to emphasize her point, before tossing it.

"No, I want you to come with me because you interest me. I can keep you safe from your debtors, and in return, you will warm my bed."

His mouth opens, and closes, and opens again - He had clearly misunderstood her meaning. She wanted him to travel with her? Safe from his debtors... And warming a woman's bed. She was a terrifying woman, and he would be leaving his old hopes and dreams behind, but something about this arrangement felt like she had turned every one of his worries upside-down. Even if she changed her mind tomorrow, he was still grateful.

"I... Thank you," He says, tears welling in his eyes. "Thank you. You... I know this is a fairly simple thing for you, but it means a great deal to me. I will come with you. Gladly."

"What's your name, cow?" She asks, patting the ground next to her for him to sit.

He sits back down, grunting and holding his ribs. "Umeno is my name," He says gently, thinking in amusement about how she kept calling him 'cow'. "And if you try to milk me, I will laugh. What's yours?"

"I am known as the Ravenous... but that's not my name. It's Yona." She says softly. He's surprised– it's a very feminine name.

He blushes. "Yona? That's a beautiful name," He says, smiling. "Almost as beautiful as the woman who goes by it~" He chuckles a little - It felt odd, complimenting a carnivore like this, but he saw no reason not to. She was a genuinely gorgeous woman, even if her breath stank of death.

She snorts a little and goes to spit another piece of the deer.

"How are your ribs?"

"Mmm... They hurt, still," He says gently, shuddering as she tore apart the feral person. "But I'll manage."

She chuckles, setting the spit on the fire and then descending on him. She kneels in front of him, and then crawls over him, effectively pinning him to the ground, face to face.

"Show me your cock." She growls.

He gasps a little, staring into her eyes. "O-oh! Right, yes, just let me..." He reaches down, fumbling with his belt awkwardly. That had been a little sudden, and having her on top of him while he was still kitted out was just slightly awkward. Still, he's excited about the prospect of showing her his member - Yala had always said he was above average, but then she might have just been saying that to stroke his pride.

She purrs, eyes glittering with intensity as she waited for him to pull it out. He can smell her pussy starting to drool through her loin cloth– she wanted it.

He turns red, shedding his leggings in a hurry. She can feel his fat head smack against her as it stands up - He wasn't terribly long, but long enough. He felt very thick, though. The bull gently takes in the smell of her pussy in anticipation, shuddering a little as his dick throbs gently. He wanted it too.

"Mmf. Good." She pulls her loincloth aside and sinks his cock into her intensely hot, wet depths. Her insides were as powerful and muscular as she was– the feeling was very lewd.

"Oh my gods~" He moans, stirring her up tentatively as he savored the sensation of being inside her. "Ohhh, that feels good~ Yona~"

She takes his throat in her hand, huffing softly as she felt him fill her up. The look on her face was pure, muted bliss– eyes rolled back and mouth just slightly agape.

She can feel him swallow, his mouth growing wet at the idea that she liked his cock that much. He starts bucking his hips, gently at first, feeling her pussy grip his cock as it slid in and out... He moos softly. This was wonderful... He reaches up and tugs at her breastplate gently, wanting to see more of her.

Feeling him take the initiative, she flips them around, rolling over so that he was on top between her colossal thighs. For as huge and muscular as she was, she was damn flexible. She reaches behind her and takes off her breastplate, letting her gigantic tits loll out– they were heavy, and parted like the red sea to either side of her muscular chest.

"Oooohhh~ Let me feel them~" He coos, sinking his hands into them and filling his fingers with as much of her flesh as he could manage. He was eager to feel them, and he was hardly disappointed; they were soft and flowed around his hands with their sizeable mass. He tugs gently once he has anything resembling a grip, driving his cock into her rhythmically. "Gods be damned, but these are wonderful~"

She growls in pleasure, sheathing and resheathing her claws over and over into the ground. Her pussy was wonderfully wet, and he slid around in her massive cunt pleasurably. He can feel her steel-hard muscles contracting and softening underneath him as he fucked her– it was a near religious experience.

He goes a little crosseyed, wrapping his arms around her as best as he could and burying his face in her breasts, letting his horns sink into her massive mammaries. They rub against her wonderfully, and his hands knead her sides reverently. One slips down to rub her massive clit and soft, pliable mound, as he starts devoutly plowing it with all the strength he can muster from his hips.

It's not long before the giantess cums, body shuddering harshly as she yowled loudly, spurting lady cum onto the ground. She pants and huffs, face going dark red as she grinned filthily– her expression was the lewdest thing he'd ever seen in his life. Her sheer joy for sex was exhilarating.

He groans and shudders as he sees her filthy grin, and as his orgasm start to take hold, he pulls his cock out of her, already spurting his seed. He pours out his hot, thick spunk all over her belly, and a bit of it dribbles from her yawning, throbbing pussy - He hadn't quite pulled out as fast as he intended.

"Fuck~ Yona, that was incredible~" He moos, sitting up slowly and blushing. "Although I think I've put some calf milk in you..."

"I only get pregnant when I am in heat." She comments, running a finger through the mess on her belly. "You could have cum inside me."

"Oh~ Fair enough, then," He says, smiling dirtily. He was positively glowing with satisfaction. "Would you have preferred that~?"

She blushes a little looking at him, silent.

He blushes back at her - Seeing her acting shy like this was strange, but it turned him on... Especially as he had just gotten done being on top of her. His dick twitches eagerly, and he slides his cock back into her for a second round, leaning back a little and rubbing her clit with his thumb. "Maybe I should just try it and see how much you like it then~" He teases, mooing softly.

"MMfff." She moans softly. "You know, Umeno... I was thinking that you were quite cute when you are happy."

She chuckles a little.

He turns red, slowing down. "Am I?" He asks, a little embarrassed. Still, he can't help but smile - He was glad she approved of him. "I think you're quite lewd when you cum~"

"Am I?" She echoes his question, chuckling.

He laughs, pinching one of her fat nipples and giving it a tug. "I asked you first~" He teases, rolling her love button around in his fingers.

She chuckles, rolling them over again to pin him down and fuck him into the night.

Umeno wakes up the next morning spent and a little sore, but utterly satisfied. He yawns, blinking and not quite remembering exactly what had happened the previous night - But remembering how much he had enjoyed it. He's a little surprised to see open sky above him.

He's snuggled heavily against Yona's side– she had bathed before they slept that night, so she was clean and warm. She had a beefy arm around his waist, pulling him close as she slept. As soon as he stirs, however, she blinks awake. Light sleeper.

"Umeno." She purrs, lapping his face with her rough tongue.

He smiles a little. "Yona~ I hope you slept well," He says gently. "It's odd, not sleeping in a tent... But then I guess you're used to that."

"Tents are dead weight. If I need shelter, I will find shelter, not build it." She snorts a little.

He chuckles. "You must not cross the savannah much," He notes. "How far do you roam, anyway?"

"I stay in the woods. I go as far north as Hindjber, and as far south as the plains." She says. Hindjber was the northernmost town on the continent– it was snowy year round, and only the hardiest dared to travel there.

Gods be damned, that's some range, He thinks to himself. "You mention Hindjber - Do you ever go into any towns?" He asks. He couldn't imagine her setting foot in any kind of settlement, but he was still curious.

"No." She chuckles dryly. "I am too... conspicuous."

"I would imagine," He mutters, shaking his head and laughing. "So just the woods then. Do you enjoy it out here?" He sits up, looking around at the trees - It was quite beautiful, actually.

"I do." She laughs. "I miss alcohol, though."

He cocks his head. "Do you choose not to drink, or can you just not get your hands on any?" He asks. "I imagine being drunk would make you slightly vulnerable..." He became curious about when she was able to drink - She must have started out somewhere, not being hunted down. What was her past like? It didn't feel right to ask when he had just met her, but the question stuck in his mind.

"Both, both." She chuckles. "Being drunk dulls my senses, so I try not to indulge."

"That's too bad," He muses. "You must sacrifice a lot, being on the run constantly."

“I would not have it any other way.” She smirks at him.

He laughs a little. "I see. I suppose there are upsides, travelling every day. So when are we moving on?" He gets to his feet, nursing his injuries a little.

She notices his nursing and laps at his face gently. “You need to have those bones set.”

He nods. "Do you know how to do it?"

“Mmhmm. Much practice.” She motions to her scar ridden body. “Here, sit in my lap.”

He nods softly, sitting in her lap gently. It comforted him to see that she would care for him like this - It reminded him of some of his better days as a mercenary, when he felt he could rely on those around him. That had, unfortunately, changed - But despite only knowing her for a short while, Yona's attentions felt different. He still wondered how she got that practice, those scars - To see her now, he was surprised she had a single mark on her body she didn't intend to have.

Her hands run across his lower ribs gently, pressing and prodding to feel where the cracks were, and how serious they were. She finds only one that needed setting, the rest were fractures.

“Relax your belly.” She commands softly in his ear.

He does as she asks, breathing lightly and relaxing his abdominal muscles. "Like that?" He whispers, closing his eyes.

Her fingers suddenly push into his bone, one on either side of the fracture, pushing them back at the same time and letting them come together one one quick motion.

He stifles a grunt - Hard to do while keeping his belly relaxed, but he manages. He sighs softly. "Thank you, Yona," He says gently. "Do you have something to keep it in place?"

“We will have to find you a bandage.” She sets him off her lap gently and goes over to the corpse, ripping it’s shirt into ribbons.

He snorts. "I suppose it's better than my rib sticking out of my chest," He says with mild distaste, regarding the bloody bandages she had crudely created. "Not that I'm not grateful, of course," He adds quickly.

“You will have to deal with the sight of meat.” She says gruffly, starting to bind him up.

"I've seen death enough, just having someone else's blood on my fur..." He shudders a little. "You know, it's funny... I was a mercenary, but I never fought much, myself."

“I can tell.” She chuckles. “I should teach you to fight when your bones have healed.”

He frowns, nodding. "I should certainly learn. I imagine you're not used to having someone to protect?"

Her eyes darken a moment, as if remembering something painful. She finishes tying his bandages and turns away. “We have to start moving.”

He could immediately tell something was wrong, and he felt compelled to speak... But he didn't want to hurt her any further. "I'm sorry if I said something I shouldn't have," He says softly.

"You didn't." She says gruffly.

"Of course," He says quickly. Clearly, it was a touchy subject for her... He resolved to bring up her past that night. He wanted to learn more, if she would tell him, but he felt pressing the issue now would be too painful. As much as she seemed to care for him, he didn't know her very well - He didn't know if she would lash out if he was too nosy; she could likely kill him in a single blow without even meaning to. If she had lost someone in her past, he certainly didn't want to make her go through that again - If she really did care for him, even just a little, already... He owed her that much. Letting him live had been a simple thing, but giving him a new life was completely another thing.

She unsheathes her claws and starts randomly clawing trees as she passes them– similar to the trail he had followed to find her the second time. She really was baiting a trap. It was a little sinister.

He watches in silence, mulling over how he might bring up her history. Should he do it tonight? While they were walking today? In a week, so she might forget his mentioning protecting someone? He sighs softly, and decides he would probably know when the time was right.

They walk until dusk, when Yona stops and her ears flick around.

"They're coming."

He nods. "Right - I'm ready." He gets out his sword, thinking for a moment. "I'll let you deal with them, and just hold them off if they come after me. Does that work?"

"They will not get the chance. Stay back." She growls, lip curling.

"Mm." He notes where she's looking, and looks in the other direction - He would catch anyone attempting to flank them, respect her wishes, and avert his eyes from the violence she would unleash, all at the same time.

Just then, a rabbit wearing tiger fur and wielding a spear comes screaming out of the foliage, in a very literal sense - He was screaming at the top of his lungs and charging right at Yona. He thrusts his spear forward, and -

She catches it with one hand, and snaps it like a toothpick. In his shock, she takes the tip she snapped off and sinks it easily into his heart.

He collapses - His death so sudden and swift, he didn't even twitch once he hit the ground. Umeno blinks, unaware of what had occurred, and unable to hear or see any other attackers.

"Is that it?" He asks, just slightly in disbelief.

She listens for a moment. "Yes, that seems to be it." She picks up the tiger skin from the rabbit.

"He killed a tiger."

Umeno turns around, and goes a little pale seeing the poor young bastard. "Ah... Seems he did," He mutters. "He must be one of those carnivore hunters... Gods, he can't be much older than twenty."

"WAS twenty." She pulls the spearhead out of his chest and lets the blood spurt out.

"He's still twenty, he's just dead now, too," Umeno jokes. "I don't fault you for what you did, not in the slightest. I just find it... Sobering, that this is your livelihood. But then that's true of any carnivore." He sighs, stooping next to the rabbit. "I wonder if he has any coin on him..."

She tosses the spearhead away. "He probably does. I usually just leave it, but it makes sense for you to take it."

He nods, finding a pouch with a few silver coins in it. "Not much, but I'll take it," He mutters. "He certainly doesn't need it, and, well... Having money again makes me feel like a freer man." He chuckles. "It's not rightfully mine, but it's something, I suppose."

"How did you fall into debt, anyway?" She asks, looking around.

"Mmm... Well, I came into a windfall, and went and bought myself a night with a woman to celebrate," He says softly, standing and tucking the pouch away. "She was expensive, but I loved her - The night wasn't even through before I decided I wanted more of her. I fell in love, and I kept spending money on her until I was nearly broke... Even still, I was desperate to see her again. So I started gambling, to try and win enough money to buy her again." He shakes his head. "My luck was good at first, but then it got very, very bad." He crosses his arms over his chest, letting his head hang a little with his eyes closed, looking rather pensive. There was clearly more to the story that he wasn't eager to share, but she figured it ended with his friend Norlis saving him from what would have been the end of his life as a free man.

She nods a little, beginning to gather firewood. "You still love her?"

He blinks at the question. "I... It doesn't matter, now. I don't have much chance of paying off my debt, now do I?" He laughs weakly. "And even so, I couldn't afford to spend every night with her... I should have realized that from the start, but I was a damned fool." He pauses, and thinks for a moment, before smiling at her. "And, well... This isn't a bad alternative, at all."

She nods again, turning away. "Get firewood."

Umeno frowns, thinking again that he may have upset her. Still, he feels saying more isn't the right choice.

"Of course," He says, going out and committing to the task with aplomb. He comes back soon with a heap of dry wood, setting it down next to the deceased rabbit. "There we go... Plenty of wood," He says, trying to sound cheery. He was still thinking about how to talk to her more, however - He felt it was high time to at least make small talk that didn't push the wrong buttons.

“You seem tense.” She comments, setting wood in the fire pit she dug out. “Like you think I will eat you.”

"Hm? Oh, no, no," He laughs."That's not quite it. I've just had something on my mind, and I was trying to think of how to ask you about it."

"Ask me." She asks, flicking her claws together and setting sparks all over the firewood.

He stares in awe at the casual display of power, feeling just a little cowed. "Well... I wanted to ask you about your past," He says gently, approaching the fire. "I can't imagine how you received those scars, and I don't really know why you have such an enormous bounty on your head."

"Ah." She nods. "I do not know what stories have been told about me."

She looks at him, expecting him to tell her.

He laughs a little. "I guess you don't have many people to tell you... Well, I've heard a few tall tales. Storytellers always insist that you leaped out of the loins of the God of War fully formed, fully armed, and screaming with raging bloodlust. People say you hang bodies in trees to shower yourself in their dripping blood, or that you eat people alive while they're still over the fire."

Yona bursts out in loud, riotous laughter again. "Don't tell them otherwise. Is great." She laughs, doubling over.

He laughs as well. "If I ever have the chance to speak to any of them again, I might make up a few of my own tall tales about you, if you enjoy them so much" He teases.

She chuckles and smiles. "The God of War part is at least half true. War is my father. My mother was the general of the Stridus army."

He raises her eyebrow. "You were... Raised by your mother, then?"

"Raised as a solider with my litter." Her eyes darken a bit. "There is a reason War chose my mother."

He frowns. "I see... A soldier? Did you serve under Stridus?"

"I did, for a time. I got these scars serving." She laughs.

He nods, pondering for a moment. "What happened? When you... Stopped serving." He examines her expression carefully - He didn't want to bring her more pain than he needed to. She was a strong woman, but this was clearly one of her soft spots, if her reactions to his prior comments were anything to go by.

She immediately clams up, poking at the fire with a stick. Her shoulders were tense, her jaw was clenched. She didn't want to talk about it any further.

"I'll be silent," He mutters, standing. "I think I'll go find something to eat." He turns to leave her to her thoughts, heading for the trees. He had seen some flowers he liked as they were coming into the campsite.

"Keep close." She calls as he leaves.

"Oh!" He pauses - That might be related to what happened, he thought - Perhaps her siblings were separated from her, and slain. He kept the musing to himself, however. "I'm not going far, don't worry. But I'll make sure to stay close."

"Good." She goes to the rabbit and starts butchering him.

He hurries away - The flowers he had seen were just outside the campsite, really. He sits down cross-legged and starts picking and eating them, trying to savor the taste and ignore the smell and sound of Yona doing her work.

She takes about an hour to roast and eat the entire rabbit, and at that point the sky has gone dark.

————————————————

It's a week later, and Umeno has started getting worried. Yona was killing and feeding every day, until a few days ago - Suddenly, aggressors stopped coming up the trail Yona was blazing for them. No sign of anything - Yona had thought she had heard one at one point, but no attack came. The bull was getting tense for two reasons - One, Yona agreed this was abnormal. Two, it seemed like Yona was just a little more irritable the past day - Umeno feared she was getting hungry. If this drought of combatants continued... What would she do? He was afraid to ask. He felt sad, oddly - Sad that he had only just met her, and hadn't really had much time to know her. He was mentally preparing to become a meal for Yona, but his fear of death was hardly the first thing on his mind. He had, after all, decided to stay with her mainly because he really had no other choice. It's not that he wasn't terrified, but he knew Yona would make his death quick.

He's mulling, like this, when Yona hears footsteps.

Her pupils dilate and she whips in that direction, salivating.

"They're coming. Several. Keep your wits about you." She snarls.

Umeno is almost relieved - Yona would surely defeat these men handily. But... Several? After a drought like that? Something didn't feel right. He gets out his sword, just in case, and faces away from Yona.

Seven men and women in total came out of the brush, encircling Yona and Umeno. These were no ordinary mercenaries - They were clearly knights, powerful men coated from head to toe in steel, and then some. The armor was well made, like a thick second skin, and the shields and weapons they bore were equal in quality. Their surcoats were emblazoned with an insignia Yona recognized, and they were all herbivores - An elephant wielded two tower shields, with a halberd gripped in his trunk. Three rabbits and a zebra hid behind shields with long, forked spears, designed to cut instead of stab - And discourage leaping attacks, too. A rhinoceros bore a huge axe with a long, thin head, and a badger wielded a pair of rapiers. Just as they begin to close in, a flurry of arrows - Yona counted five - Rain down from in the trees.

Her eyes flick about from knight to knight, and she whips the short blade she used for butchering from her thigh, cutting down the arrows easily. She draws her axe, and Umeno can hear her chuckle.

"Oh, this will be fun. I haven't had a good fight in weeks." Her taunt is directed to the elephant, who seemed to be the leader. "Umeno, make yourself scarce. You will be in the way."

"There's no room to leave," He says with concern. "I'll just crouch down..."

The elephant snorts. "You haven't had a good meal in days, either, have you tiger? We've been hunting you and persuading others to not come after you, to make sure you were weak. But when my scouts reported you were keeping a hostage, I decided to move in sooner. Bull, you draw your sword for this ravenous bitch, but you are welcome to make your leave in peace. We will not hurt you."

Umeno pauses for a brief moment, before sprinting away, making two of the rabbits stumble a little to make room for him. Just then, the elephant trumpets, and they all descend on Yona.

She ducks under the swing of the axe from the rhino, swings around and sinks her heel into the breastplate of the badger, knocking him back 15 feet into a tree. The sheer force of the throw slams his head into the back of his helmet and knocks him out. The impressive dent left in his breastplate constricts his breathing, as well– he'd suffocate with no one to help him.

"Genli! Back in position!" The elephant roars. Another rain of arrows falls down, and a rabbit rushes off to help the badger as five blades try to cleave into Yona from all sides.

A swing of her axe powerful enough to kick up wind keeps them all at bay, and rips through one of the Elephant's tower shields as he's too slow to pull it out of the way, leaving a foot-long cleave across the face.

There's a cry from the trees, making the elephant falter. Yona can hear men falling from the branches, and some struggling.

"What's going on?" The elephant cries.

"It's the bull! Someone take him out!" A voice calls from the trees. Yona can see iguanas descend, chasing after Umeno. She isn't able to go help him, however - The elephant charges her, screaming in rage.

Her face goes from wild to cold in an instant, and her icy stare makes the elephant hesitate, if only for half a second. Artfully, she takes advantage, ducks underneath the elephant and darts around the group. As she passes one of the rabbits, her short blade finds it's way under his helmet, in between his neck guard, and across his throat, sending blood spurting out from between the cracks.

Before he's even hit the ground, she whirls around and permanently dispatches the rabbit helping the badger and the badger himself with a swing that severs the rabbit in half and sinks deep into the badger's side.

The knights whirl on a dime, surprisingly agile despite the steel hides they wore, and another flurry of weapons comes her way. No arrows join them - The archers seem to be busy with Umeno, still, wherever they went.

She does a mental tally of the enemies left– a rabbit, a zebra, a rhino, and the elephant.

She continues her tactic of taking out the smaller, more agile foes out first, darting up close to the zebra where his polearm wouldn't reach. She drives her short blade up through the bottom of his muzzle, sprouting it through the top and letting him and the weapon drop to the ground. Without turning, her hand whips back and catches the rabbit's spear right below the spearhead and snaps it off, leaving him weaponless.

He cries out and bolts, but he's clotheslined by the elephant. "Damnit! Stand your ground, all of you!" The elephant charges again, bringing down his halberd in a fearsome overhead strike.

Her axe comes up and with a loud metallic clang, the two blades catch and lock together.

She grins coldly at him– he was straining and puffing to overwhelm her, and she wasn't breaking a sweat.

"I do not usually enjoy elephant. You are too gamy." She comments. "I suppose I will let your corpse rot."

"I'd like to see you try," He grunts. The rhino takes advantage of her distraction, aiming a savage cleave right at the small of her back.

Her ear flicks around, and she drops her axe entirely, darting out of the way. The elephant's halberd sinks down into the Rhino's shoulder, nearly taking it off.

The rhino cries out, dropping to the ground in agony as the elephant rips his halberd out of the poor man's shoulder. The rabbit on the ground crawls away, before breaking into a desperate sprint. Meanwhile, the elephant trumpets, charging again at Yona.

She rolls across the ground, grabbing her axe and swinging it through the back of the elephant's knee, taking it off completely.

The elephant cries out, falling onto the injured rhino - And crushing him under his weight. Yona can hear the armor crumple under the mountain of muscle. Getting to the rhino's meat would be like trying to open a tin can.

Now there were just the iguanas chasing Umeno - She could hear them, in the distance - And the rabbit, who had a good head start, but was trying to catch her breath.

She yanks her short sword out of the zebra's snout and aims at the rabbit, before flinging it and burying it precisely in her spine.

The rabbit drops to the ground dead, blood pouring out where her spine had been severed. Umeno runs in just then, four iguana archers wielding short swords running after him. When they see their dead companions, they blanch and go for their bows.

Yona darts toward them, ripping them apart with her claws and bare hands.

Umeno collapses to the ground, exhausted and bleeding a little from a few gashes he had received. The iguanas fall like blades of wheat being reaped, despite being fully armored like their fellow knights. THe campsite has been turned into a bloody graveyard - A feast, for Yona.

She surveys the damage, before grabbing one half of the rabbit that had been cleaved in two.

"I am hungry." She whispers to Umeno. "You can leave now."

He turns pale. "Yona... If this is about me running, I never intended to leave you," He says with firm emotion. "I just knew that you needed space, and I thought maybe I could help if they didn't suspect me of attacking them from behind."

She pauses, looking at him. "Umeno. You are disgusted by my eating of COOKED meat. I am about to eat them raw. YOU CAN LEAVE."

"Oh! Oh, you meant..." He turns red, hurrying to the tree line. "I won't be far!" He promises as he disappears into the trees.

He can hear her first, meaty chomp into flesh as he leaves.

He shudders a little, but pauses, turning to watch her, just for a moment.

Her eyes are closed, and she has a bit of a grimace on her face as she bites into the muscle on the rabbit's leg– she didn't like eating them raw too much, but she was too hungry to wait to cook them.

He feels a little dizzy from watching her, but he felt bad for her. "Yona... Do you want me to cook some of them while you eat?" He asks. "It can't be that hard, right?"

She pauses, and then swallows hard. "You will have to skin them, drain their blood, start the fire, spit them, and then wait for them to be done roasting. Are you sure you can do that?"

He laughs weakly. "Probably not very well, but... If I give it a try, I'll at least get them halfway there, right?"

"Alright, try." She nods.

He takes a deep breath, steeling himself from the stench of death he's inhaling - He nearly faints, but manages to stay on his feet, and approach one of the corpses. One of the other rabbits, more whole than the one she was eating. He starts stripping off the armor, collecting the heavy purse of the rabbit to keep himself distracted, until it was time to start skinning. Not quite sure how, exactly, to do it, he gets out a knife and starts trying to peel the poor dead man like a potato.

Yona watches, chuckling as she chewed through the meat, raw.

Umeno groans. "Ugh... He's bleeding everywhere," He mutters as his hands are painted red with his clumsy knife work. "Though I guess that's a good thing? I'm supposed to bleed him, too, yes?"

"Yes." She nods. "Bloody meat is not pleasant to eat."

"It's not?" He asks, trying to distract himself as he shaves all the fur and skin off the rabbit's arm. "I've heard a few omnivores talk about meat being cooked... Isn't it supposed to be, um... Juicy?" He shudders at the word, peeling off another strip of skin.

"The juice does not come from the blood." She snorts a little.

Umeno frowns. "Really? Where does it come from?" He asks, looking at the bloody arm in disbelief. "Also, should I... Cut this off?"

"Yes, cut it off." She starts making a fire, chomping on the leg in between carrying wood.

He starts hacking through the shoulder with his knife, trying to find an easy path between the bones. It wasn't easy - The fire is already going by the time he's removed the whole arm, and he's panting a little.

She comes over to get the arm and rips it apart at the elbow, going to spit them both.

He bursts out laughing - His head had been so stuck in the gristly effort of his task that he was surprised at how Yona did it with such ease. "Good gods, Yona, you're mad," He teases, nearly doubled over laughing.

She looks at him in surprise, and then chuckles.

"I would kiss you, but you probably would not want my breath on you."

He blushes a little, smiling and giggling. "Well... Perhaps if you clean out your mouth after you're sated~?"

"Perhaps." She chuckles.

He smiles, turning back to the rabbit - And immediately grimacing. "I'll just... Keep carving," He says, shuddering a little. "Or did you want me to turn the spit?"

"You can man the spit. You are bad at butchery." She teases.

He laughs. "That's true enough. It's hard to cut something when you're trying to keep your face ten feet away from it," He says, shaking his head and grabbing the spit handle.

——————————————

Umeno can feel Yona's appetite subsiding as she ate, feeling some relief at turning chunks of flesh instead of shearing people's skin off. He had gotten a little numb to the smell of blood by the time the ground had become soaked with it, and he was feeling a vague sense of comfort again. There was something as arousing as there was terrifying, watching Yona tear into the flesh he had roasted for her...

She quickly tears through all 3 rabbits and half of the zebra before she's sated, collapsing back and purring heavily in bliss.

"Mmmm..." Umeno moos softly, standing and sitting down next to her. He rubs her shoulder and arm, looking at her in a mix of awe and adoration. "You can really put away a meal, can't you?" He teases, feeling her soft fur and firm muscle.

Her eyes flick open, and she takes in his form. Now full of food and no longer irritable, she realizes she has another kind of hunger that had to be sated.

"I can." She reaches over and pulls him close next to her.

He laughs. "What, you're going to eat me now~? You haven't even cleaned out your mouth yet~" He teases, kissing her cheek and rubbing her side gently.

She grins at him. "Do you want me to~? Or would you rather fuck me until morning~?"

He chuckles. "Mmm~ It's possible that sex is better than being eaten alive~ Let's find out, shall we~?" He unbuckles her leather bra, letting her breasts fall out to either side. He grabs them and gently kneads them, humping her with the bulge in his leggings as he kisses her nipples.

She spreads her legs and runs her hands along his chest, stripping him naked within seconds. Her nipples harden and stand up at the feeling of being kissed, and she gives a soft little moan of pleasure.

He giggles. "Your hands are ferocious and greedy~" He teases. He takes off her loincloth, and takes the opportunity to hump her clit with the base of his cock, pinching her nipples dirtily. "Mmmff~"

Yona reaches up to bring him close, nuzzling and nibbling his neck gently, lovingly.

"I thought you said you weren't going to eat me~?" He teases, kissing her neck. He reaches down, pinching her clit and shoving his cock deep into her in one smooth motion. "That's very rude, you know~"

She growls teasingly and flips them over, fully intending to ride him into the wee hours of the morning.

A FEW WEEKS LATER

The clang of metal against metal rings through the air, followed by the squish of flesh, and the snapping of wood.

As a rhino drops to the ground with an axe head buried deep into his shoulder, cutting down across his ribcage, Yona inspects her broken handle with distaste. “Not good. Was expecting this, but this is not good.”

Umeno looks over at her, and then the rhino, and then understand the problem. "Oh... Yes, I think most axes aren't meant to cut through a ribcage like that." He pauses. "Do you... Make your axes, or buy them? Or just scavenge them?"

“Buy. I have a particular seller.” She sighs, tossing the stick on the ground. “Have had this axe for years. Too bad.”

Umeno leans in to examine the wound in the rhino, and the axe head, and makes a face of distaste. "Mm. This was certainly a good axe - You broke the languets, actually." He laughs.

She huffs a bit and picks up the rhino’s corpse, ripping off his cloak and donning it. It had a huge bloody gash in the shoulder, but it covered her well enough from head to about mid calf. She pulls up the hood. “We are lucky this is where it broke. My seller’s town is nearby. About a day’s walk.”

"Ah, I see. Yes, that seems pretty lucky. What kind?" His meaning was obvious; he wanted to know the predominant diet of the citizens and how much they did or didn't care for people of differing diets.

“Carnivore.” She glances at him, looking him up and down. “Not friendly.”

"That... Isn't so lucky," He says nervously. "I imagine you'll keep me safe, but..." He trails off, thinking.

“You will have to be my slave for a day or two.” She says. “You know how slaves act?”

He thinks for a moment. "I... Think I can do a decent approximation. I've seen slaves before, and, well... Let's not get into that, but I think I can manage."

“I will not be able to be gentle with you.” She looks through the rhino’s purse for gold— he had a little, but not enough for an axe. “How much gold have you picked up?”

"Gold, not much, but a bit... I've got quite a bit of silver, though," Umeno says. "A few gold pieces worth, I think." He looks at her appraisingly, thinking about what she meant by that bit about not being gentle.

She growls in annoyance. “Then we will hunt for gold.”

He nods. "We could maybe try to, um... Find someone with some amount of wealth, and rob them. That seems like it would be easy enough, especially if we're heading into town. The only issue with that is the authorities might not be - "

She gives a sharp and haughty bark of a laugh. “Authorities. Useless layabouts. I will eat them if they try and stop us.” She turns and heads north— Umeno had noticed she had an eerily acute sense of direction.

He spends a good chunk of time after that in silence checking his hunch every way he knew how, before saying something. "This whole time I thought we were just wandering around... I never imagined you were such a good orienteer."

“Don’t ask me to explain.” She chuffs— apparently she thought it was funny. “These woods are my home. You know where your bathroom is, yes? I know where I am.”

He chuckles. "I suppose that makes sense. Just a big home, is all." He shrugs - He knew she wasn't much for conversation most of the time, and he felt like she had said enough for him to ponder on.

They walk for a while, and before long, Yona brings them to a large, well worn dirt road. She stops and climbs into a tree just off the clearing, and reaches down to help Umeno up the tree after her.

"We're going to jump down on them?" Umeno asks softly as he gets settled up in the tree. It made him feel a bit uneasy; his hooves weren't built for the trees, and neither was his brain.

She pulls him into her lap, cuddling her cheek against him as she held him tight in the tree. “We sleep here. If we camp on the ground they may see us.” She says.

He nods. "Very well then." Despite how high they were off the ground, her holding him like a little teddy bear made him feel much safer. He smiles a little, and settles in to rest.

Yona starts to purr, the deep rumbling in her chest vibrating into his pleasantly. She only purred when they cuddled.

He giggles a little, reaching up and gingerly scratching at her neck.

Her eyes flick open and she looks down at him, chuckling. “Chin scritches? For the demigoddess of war?”

"I'm afraid to move too much, but I'm open to suggestions," He says, laughing.

She chuckles again, more heartily this time, and starts licking his face with her rough tongue.

He shudders a little, but giggles, too. "Alright, let's sleep," He says gently. "I think being in the trees won't help conceal us if we're up here giggling."

She nods and settles back, passing out immediately. She had told him it was a skill she had acquired during her time in the military— falling asleep instantly, anywhere.

He thinks on what she's told him about her life story in silence, soon falling asleep with her.

LATER THAT MORNING

Yona’s ear flicks as she hears the sound of wood on dirt, and she sits up, getting out her knife. “Someone’s coming.” She whispers in Umeno’s ear.

He starts awake, sitting up, realizing he was still in a tree, and grabbing a branch to keep himself steady. "Someone... Right, someone's coming," He parrots quietly, blinking and rubbing his eyes.

She moves him out of her lap and creeps along the tree, peeking to see who it was. It looked like a carriage, which was good— very few poor people rode in carriages.

She takes a leap from the tree and lands quietly on top of the carriage— it was amazing how lightfooted she was for being so damn big.

Umeno, now suddenly without his agile lover and uncertain what he was expected to do, attempts to follow her. However, he loses his footing, tumbles forward, and ends up burying his horns in the roof of the carriage. The rest of his body follows just as clumsily, and the whole affair is very, very loud.

Yona grimaces. The carriage pulls to a hault as the driver whips around, crying out in alarm. She whips her hunting knife out and slits his throat.

“Are you alright?” She asks, helping Umeno up.

"Oh, I'm fine, my horns took the brunt of the impact. My neck is a bit twisted, though," He says, cracking it. "Sorry about that..."

She snorts in laughter as the occupants of the carriage exit into the light— a rich looking family of a man, woman, and two children.

The woman screams and holds her children tighter as she sees the driver dead, bleeding out on the seat.

Yona squats. “Give us your money and we will not kill or eat you.” She says simply.

"I would do as she says," Umeno suggests. "No hard feelings. And, um... I'm sorry about what happened to your driver. That may be partially my fault."

The man reaches for his coin purse, handing it shakily to her. She looks inside— plenty of gold. She nods and grabs Umeno around the waist, hopping down from the carriage.

“Let’s go.”

Umeno sighs a little in relief - Not only was the robbery over, but he wasn't on top of the carriage anymore. He didn't seem to have a head for heights.

"If you've just come from town, I suggest heading back," Umeno calls to the family as they leave. "Get a new driver, and all that."

As they leave towards town, Yona looks through the gold they procured. “I would have killed them. But they had children.”

"I see." He was a little shocked at the declaration, but it made sense, in a gruesome way. She killed everyone else, didn't she? Well... Almost everyone else.

"You didn't want to create orphans," He suggests.

“My father creates orphans.” She says gruffly. “And sometimes, without knowing it, I do too. But when I have that choice? I will not be my father.”

He nods softly, wrapping an arm around her waist. "I like that about you. You're very kind, in your own, carnivorous way."

She snorts a little and gives his face a little lick.

He giggles a little, nuzzling her arm.

It’s about a day’s walk before they reach the town, and it’s dark out by then. She pulls the hood up over her face as they enter the town, hunching to keep her height around 6 feet.

Umeno also hunches over, and starts trudging a little, trying his best to look downtrodden and quietly miserable. The smells hit them first - Cooking meat, tanning leather. The smells of carnivores.

Yona looks through the money again. “I might get some new armor, too. There’s a lot of gold here.”

He raises his eyebrows. "New armor? Hmm..." He looks down at his own armor and weapon - They were getting a little battered, but they were still serviceable. They didn't go through the kind of abuse Yona put hers through.

They come up to a large blacksmith’s shop, and enter. Inside, a bear looks up from his work.(edited)

The bear frowns at the two of them, and then laughs. "Oh! Ello, sunshine. What poor bastard didja nick tha' off of~?" He grins from ear to ear, and Umeno realizes the bear is her seller.

"Rhino." She chuckles. "His ribcage broke my axe."

"A'course it did, y'don't come ta me for a good time," He says with a chuckle. "Lemme see what's left of it?"

"She broke both the languets and snapped the haft," Umeno offers. He couldn't remember if Yona had kept the axe handle, but she didn't often keep unnecessary things like that.

"Bloody fuck, you're a crazy bitch, Yona," The bear exclaims, cackling. "But that axe lasted ya good'n long, dinnit?"

"It did. You only supply the best, Markus." She chuckles. "Will you make me a new one? I have gold."

Markus nods, drumming his belly as he thought. He pauses and looks at Umeno. "Say... When'd'ja get a slave, Yona? Ya di'n't strike me as the type ta keep 'em."

"He is not my slave. He is my lover." She snorts in laughter. "Here, though, he is my slave."

"Oh, a'getcha," The bear says with a chuckle. "A cow, eh?"

"Bull," Umeno corrects him with a bemused expression.

Markus snorts. "Same thing." He shakes his head. "Why him? Ahm curious now."

Yona grins filthily and does the pussy eating gesture again, before grabbing Umeno’s horn and giving his forehead a kiss.

Umeno turns bright red as Markus bursts out laughimg, leaning on a work table to steady himself. "Whoo, tha's too funeh, Yona~ Aight, good ta know, agm glad ye finalleh'ave a proper partner ou'there'n all." He shakes his head. "Anywheh, where's ah... Oh yeah, ah were wonderin' if yer more interested in the same axe ah med ye last time, 'r'a be'er, more expensive one. Ah'c'n do ya a steel handle, is me meanin, see."

“Steel, hm? That sounds much stronger... why didn’t you do that before?” She chuckles.

"Because it's a damn lot more metal, an i's expensive as all hell, ya big puss," He says, crossing his arms. "Not ta mention i'teks longer."

“True.” She chuckles. “How much?”

"Twen'y five gold pieces, thir'y if'n ya want a rush job," He says. "An'ah'll need 'bou'a week ta do i'right if ahm pushin' it."

Umeno gawks at the price. "That's a lot of money for an axe," He mutters. "Ten gold would cover a top-notch functional piece where I come from, maybe fifteen for an elephant or rhino."

"An'all their weapons ought t'ave woo'n 'afts, ah expect," The bear says. "Y'e'er ev'n 'EARD'f'a steel 'afted axe? Much less a good one?"

Umeno pauses. "I suppose not. Most people don't need an axe that strong."

"Aye. Yona's a different sor'a creature, she is."

Yona dumps the entire pouch on the counter. "I give you all of this, you throw in new greaves, bracers, and leather brassier. I will find a new loincloth somewhere else."

Markus raises his eyebrows. "Ah'll see wha'ah c'n do." He chuckles. "Bein' hunted t'tha ends'a th'world seems pre'y profi'able." The bear turns his attention to items around his shop, apparently going through materials for Yona's new equipment.(edited)

Yona nods a little, taking one gold coin off the table– she needed it to feed them and house them for the night. "How long will this take?"

"Tha's a good 'eap'a gold, s'ah'cn ge'i all done in a lil'o'er a week, ah think," He says, tugging a piece of leather between his hands. "Give i' ten days, ah say."

".... will need three gold." She reaches back and takes two more coins. "Cannot eat people in town. It is rude."

"Go ahead, ya overpayed a touch any'ow," The bears says distractedly.

"Rude?" Umeno mutters, chuckling. "I won't argue, it just strikes me as funny."

"Townspeople tend to complain and light torches and brandish weapons when I eat people inside city limits." She says casually. "Is rude."

Umeno laughs. "Yes, I would expect as much. People generally don't like to be eaten, and they don't like the idea that they might be eaten next."

She chuckles and leads them out of the shop, heading for a nearby tavern.

Umeno resumes trying to ack like a downtrodden slave, and he can't help but notice people looking as they come into the tavern. He avoids eye contact, but he has a feeling Yona's attempts at keeping a low profile were maybe not as effective as she'd like.

Yona settles down at the bar.

"The largest meal you have. Double it. Something for my slave, too." She says gruffly, keeping her hood down.

"A drink, too?" The barkeep asks.

"... Yes, a beer." She chuffs, slapping a gold coin on the table.

A lion with a mane cut short around his neck eyes her from a couple seats down, trying to look under her hood. Umeno could tell his gaze was different from most everyone else's - He had gathered that Yona had some feminine qualities, probably, and was interested.

She glances over his way, and he sees her face for a split second before the bartender sets a big tankard of beer in front of her.

He blinks a little, before moving over next to her hulking form.

"You're quite the woman, aren't you?" He says coyly, sipping his drink as well. "Is that slave of yours good?"

"Better than you." She takes a sip of her own– she wasn't looking for a fuck with anyone but Umeno tonight.

He chuffs. "You really think so, eh? I'd be willing to put money down that says you're wrong." He grins at her and waggles his eyebrows.

Umeno tries not to roll his eyes, but scoots towards Yona a bit. He's given half an old, raw potato, and tries not to look too disappointed.

"I have no money." Yona comments in a deadpan, scraping her change off the table into her purse.

He blinks, looks at her purse, and thinks for a moment. "You know... You ought to be careful you're not mistaken for someone else. Someone in a very precarious position in a town like this. Especially going around telling lies like that."

Umeno's blood runs hot - He knew what the lion was doing. He felt powerless to do, or say anything, though. There were certain laws about slave ownership depending on where you were, and he had no idea what the ones here were like. He could be breaking the law just speaking.

She chuckles loudly, bordering on a guffaw. "And who, pray tell, do you think I am, lion?"

Her teeth and claws gleam in the low tavern light. "Who might I be mistaken for?"

He scowls at her, but says nothing, turning back to his drink. "Ah... No one in particular. Just a friendly warning," He says with a shrug, taking a long pull.

Umeno sighs gently. At least Yona knew how to take care of herself.

The barkeep places a large meal of meat in front of her, heaped on her plate. Yona grabs his arm.

"You will give my slave a better meal or I will have this arm for breakfast." She growls. The barkeep yelps and nods a bit, quickly retreating as Yona released him.

The lion moves back to his old seat, and Umeno nuzzles her appreciatively.

After Yona and Umeno have been properly fed, Yona pays in advance for meals and stays for the next 10 days and heads to their room, leaving Umeno to follow.

As Umeno follows her up, the lion she handily rejected starts speaking to some of the other tavern patrons, whispering about what he saw, and what he thought. Some didn't believe him, some took his word for it and made their way out for their own safety, and one group in particular started making plans.

She shuts and locks the door behind them, thinking to herself that that wouldn't keep them out for long. Quietly, she starts disrobing, shedding the cloak and her worn out gear and clothes.

Umeno blushes a little, and starts taking off his own armor and clothes as well. He wonders for a moment if he should say something - 'I wish I could have helped you back there,' or maybe 'I appreciate you not having sex with that ass'.

Maybe 'I love you'. Hmm.

Once he's naked, she turns and takes his jaw in her hands with a tenderness he could never replicate, like she was afraid she'd break him.

She looks into his eyes intensely– he would never grow tired of looking into those molten gold eyes. He's so distracted by them that her kiss almost surprises him. It was just as tender as her touch.

He moos a little, and then closes his eyes, wrapping his arms around her. Gods, but her could kiss her forever. Her mouth tasted like roasted flesh, and even a little blood, but he didn't care. He loved her, and he made that clear in how deeply he kissed her, and how he clung to her fur.

She holds him close to her, kissing him hotly. Her lips were soft against his, and her body was warm. She gently guides him to the bed, pushing him down onto the sheets and climbing over him.

He moos long and low, rubbing her sides and kissing her neck. "Mmm~ Yona~ You're amazing~" He presses his face into her fur, smelling her. Blood, again. It was starting to become a strangely familiar smell to him.

She purrs softly. "We will have sex, and then I will bathe. It has been too long since I have had a warm bath."

He nods. "That sounds good~ I might join you~" He moos, kissing her again and grabbing her huge breasts. He clamps them in his fingers - He had a fairly strong grip, and relatively big hands for not being a behemoth like her.

She kisses him hotly, before rolling them over so he was on top, between her massive thighs. Her pussy was drooling, he could smell it– she always had this musk about her when she was horny.

The smell got him very hard very quickly, and he moos as he rubs the head of his cock up and down her slick slit, treating her clit to a skillful rhythm of sensation. He goes from firm to throbbing rock hard, and she can feel the difference.

She moans loudly. "Mmmf, Umeno~"

"Yona~ You're such a beautiful woman~" He moos, reaching down to suck on her fat nipples. They were at the perfect distance, since he was so much shorter than her. "I don't think anyone could compare to you~"

She purrs loudly at the comment– she liked hearing that, apparently.

He smiles, popping his fat head into her pussy and stirring it around. "The God of Lust couldn't turn me on like you~ Couldn't satisfy me like you~"

“She would not be happy to hear that.” She chuckles, stroking his face.

Umeno laughs. "She probably knows already~" He teases, sinking deep into her and mooing at the feeling of her hot, wet depths.

Yona moans softly, wrapping her legs around him. “Fuck me, Umeno~” She breathes, holding him close.

He nods, burying his face in her breasts and pounding her rhythmically, his cock throbbing as he took in her gorgeous, Lust-blessed body in every way he could. For how insignificant his skills in combat and his strength were next to hers, he was a very strong bull, and she could feel all of his muscles as he gripped her ass and thrusted himself into her using his entire body.

She tosses her head back and moans her loud pleasure— for all his faults, he was VERY good at sex. She might have him eat her pussy after this.

LATER

Yona retires to the bed after their bath, which she had enjoyed immensely. She had purred from the moment she stepped into the water, and was still purring, naked, in the sheets.

Umeno is cuddling her, dick still throbbing a little against her ass. His hands wander over the front of her body, gently teasing her nipples and dipping between her legs naughtily. He had spent himself hard during their sex earlier, but it seems he was still a bit horny.

Yona turns over and kisses his forehead. “You sleep on this side of the bed.” She says, lifting him and placing him on the side of the bed furthest from the door.

He nods, yawning a little. "Fair enough," He says, not quite registering what made that side of the bed special. He didn't much care; he was tired, and he could use a good night's sleep.

“Go to sleep.” She kisses him sweetly.

He nods, kissing her back gently before settling in and passing out.

—

That night, while Yona and Umeno were sleeping, a group gathers outside their door. Two komodo dragons, a snake, and a spider. One of the komodos kneels down and starts picking the lock. The door swings open silently, and all four of them peer into the room.

Yona was lying with her face to the door, asleep. Umeno was snoring next to her.

The spider advances in first, gathering silk into a net as she creeps into the room and edges around the bed. The snake follows in after her, and the two komodos get knives out of cloth belts and lick them.

These were professionals. They weren't hunting Yona in particular, but when word had gotten around that she was in town, they had closed in and payed off the tavern's owner to learn more. They hadn't been disappointed.

Yona's still as they come into the room, and come up close to her.

One of the komodo dragons hangs back, and reaches out where everyone could see her hand. She counts down - Three, two, one.

The spider throws her silk over Yona, and the snake and closer komodo both lunge.

Yona's eyes snap open and she catches the net in one hand, kicking the snake into the komodo dragon in one move, and then hopping out of bed with the next.

The komodo in reserve lunges, throwing one of her knives, and the spider tugs on the net - Now stuck to Yona's hand. Umeno starts awake, slipping off of the other side of the bed - And thumping onto the floor.

Yona's claws come out, and she rips through the net with ease, using the strength of the arm movement to whip the net out of the spider's hands and into the Komodo's path.

She scrunches up her face and tries to rip the net off, and has some difficulty. The other komodo gets off the ground, while the snake crawls around Yona and lunges at a leg, fangs bared. The spider does the same, but aimed at her neck from the other side.

Umeno grabs two of the spider's legs, and her lunge is thrown off, sending her barreling into Yona shoulder first instead.

Yona catches the snake by the throat and crushes her slender neck in one hand before throwing her onto the spider, cracking their head together and knocking the spider unconscious.

The spider and the snake drop, and the male komodo grabs the female, dragging her out of the room in a panic while she fights him, unaware of what's going on around her. The patrons of the tavern wake up to her screaming, and a few poke their heads out into the hallway.

Yona tackles them both, gutting the male komodo with a swipe of her claws before grabbing the female’s head in both hands and crushing it like a melon.

Umeno goes a little pale. "They were trying to run," He says softly. The patrons that were poking their heads out decide to go back into their rooms.

Yona turns to the spider, who was still alive, but unconscious. She extends a single claw, with the intention of slitting her throat.

"Why not leave her alive?" Umeno interjects, grabbing Yona's hand gently. "They tried to kill us, but surely they've seen the error of their decision. The komodos did."

Yona pauses and looks at him. “They tried to kill me. More importantly, they might have tried to kill you. And if we leave them alive, more will come in the night. They will get reinforcements.” She says firmly.

"And will it be different if they die?" He asks softly, letting go of her hand. "I won't stop you, you... You've been through this more than I have. You know what you're doing, I'm sure. It just seems... So unnecessary, to me." Tears well in his eyes as he looks at her.(edited)

“It is a message.” She says darkly. “I did not become the Ravenous by letting people live.”

He nods softly. "And yet they still come. More than enough for you to gorge yourself on them, most days. Why?"(edited)

She doesn’t answer. She’s never had someone ask her not to kill someone other than themself before. “They sealed their fate by coming after me, Umeno. People come to their deaths. It has always been this way.”

He sighs, nodding. She can tell he's still conflicted, still uncertain. He turns away and sits on the bed, wiping at his eyes where he thinks she can't see.

“... Do not think lowly of me for this, Umeno. This is who I am. This is who I have been for a very long time.” She says as she slits the spider’s throat.

The spider chokes on her own blood noisily, and Umeno shudders. "I don't think lowly of you for it, Yona, just... I wish there was a different way."

Quietly, Yona picks up all four bodies— two over each shoulder— and carries them outside in front of the inn, where she leaves them with a big, bloody pawprint on the door.

Umeno is already back in bed when she returns, turned away from the door.

Yona washes her hands in the sink and then climbs back in bed. He can feel her shifting unsurely— she wanted to comfort him, but wasn’t sure how to.

He sighs. He was troubled, he couldn't deny it, but he would rather not make her suffer his pain. "I will live," He says softly. "Don't lose sleep over it. Please."

She wraps both arms around him.

“You WILL live. I make sure of that.” She whispers in his ear. He knew her meaning. For the first time in a long time, she was fighting to protect someone.

He smiles a little, reaching up and scratching her neck. "Well... As overzealous as I may think you are, I appreciate it. Thank you, Yona."

She kisses his cheek. “Back to bed.”

He nods, and settles in to sleep, comforted enough to find it quickly.