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First: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/51044827/
Next: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/51057962/
(Several hours later)
The slightest movement seemed to set all of Graham’s muscles alight at once as he made his way down the winding, dimly lit streets of the capital. The warm night air offered little comfort as the memories of his humiliation replayed themselves in his head another time. Granted, the sparring session with the massive female Leonid was not the bloodbath he had imagined it to be. Still, she had easily bested him at every turn, no matter what he tried, all in plain view of his many detractors in the Xolan army. It was like watching an ant try to topple an oak tree, and Graham wondered how the others could possibly have focused on their own training with the time they had all spent laughing at his expense.
He grimly realized that his pairing with the female tank had not been an accident or coincidence, but rather a schoolyard prank designed to keep the young soldier in his place by pitting him against someone who was impossibly out of his league physically. How deep did their depravity go? What was the point of fighting alongside them when it seemed that they would not even dream of putting their lives in his hands on the battlefield, nor could he rely on them to put his life in theirs?
It was all too much to process and at the end of the day he had decided to make a bee-line for the nearest pub, The Harlot’s Bottle, to numb his senses for a time. He had decided to pre-empt his fellow soldiers and get there before they did. They would undoubtedly get the better of him whether he was drunk or sober, at least this way he could get plastered before they got there, so there was at least a chance he wouldn’t remember whatever they did to him.
The miasma of physical and mental exhaustion seemed to dull Graham’s awareness of his surroundings as he reached the door. Before he knew it, he felt the musty air of ale, cheap wine and the sweat of the day assault his nostrils as he plopped himself down in front of the sparsely-occupied bar and ordered a pint of bitters. The lighter, easier drinking ales would not do, not after the day he had had. He needed something with flavor.
Soon, the influence of the beverage began to seep into his consciousness and the pain of the day seemed to fade as more and more patrons made their way through the door. Yet, much to his surprise, his comrades were absent from the revelry that night, and many of the occupants of the bar were Leonids.
Graham could not help but stare at them in wonder and intrigue. Just as before, the anthro-lions were suprisingly diverse in shape, size and desription, but also, interestingly in behavior as well. Some of them seemed as if they were out of their depth, struggling to understand how this strange human establishment worked, while others seemed like they were right at home among the humans in the bar; laughing, carrying on and enjoying their ale…by the keg-full, as it turned out.
Graham thought he might have missed it before, but suddenly a keg had appeared in the middle of a group of them, and the brawny leonid warriors proceeded to guzzle down its contents as if it were their last day on earth.
They were so different, yet so much like his own people. It fascinated him to no end.
“Um…hello…” came a deep, husky voice from behind.
Startled, Graham whipped around nearly spilling his drink in the process, and for the second time today, his jaw hit the floor as he beheld the sight of his Leonid sparring partner, the source of his pain and humiliation. Yet, any feelings of animosity or resentment were quickly forgotten as his eyes soaked in the sight of her brawny, feline form. She was just as muscular and imposing as before, but she had traded her armor for a flowing, loose-fitting cloth wrap that covered her ample chest, yet left the brick wall that was her abdominals on display for all to see. A blue loincloth covered her nether regions, leaving her muscular legs exposed, and an aquamarine pendant hung from a golden chain around her neck.
Graham was utterly mesmerized and his brain scrambled to find a response to her greeting as he drank her body in. Despite her stature and build, everything about her was inherently feminine, elegant, exotic, and, dare he think it…inviting?
More than that, he could not help but feel utterly disarmed by the awkward smile she threw his way. She seemed unsure of how to approach him, as if he were actually intimidating to her as well.
“H-hello…” He replied in a small voice, his eyes still wide as saucers at the sight of her.
“I am Bakari…I apologize for earlier…”
“Uh, what do you mean?” Graham asked, his awe replaced by confusion.
What did she have to apologize for?
More than that, why was her thick, smooth, sultry Leonid accent so appealing?
“For…for your commanders to make you face me in battle was…unfair, yes? The laughter on their faces, it made me angry. They have a mighty army, yet they value their warriors so little.”
Warriors? Was she talking about him? Surely not. Even he knew in the grand scheme of things, he was still a whelp. Graham’s heart seemed to lift all on its own as a warm, friendly smile blossomed on her face as she continued.
“You are courageous for someone of your years. You do not yet have the body of a warrior, yet you have a warrior’s heart. Your tenacity in battle proved that.”
“Uhh…thank you…” was all Graham could think to say as his cheeks turned crimson red. Ever since he had moved to the capital, compliments had come few and far between, and none nearly as flattering as what she had just said. It was so overwhelming that his eyes roamed aimlessly around looking desperately for a means of continuing the conversation. Until finally, his eyes landed on the two overflowing mugs of ale in her right hand and the massive keg she carried under her left arm.
“If you don’t mind my asking, are all those drinks for you?”
“Heh, no I do not mind,” She chuckled with a hint of exasperation and weariness in her tone.
“The keg is for my people over there. I am…bigger than most Leonids, yes? The gods blessed me with great strength…but is also my curse, I suppose. I like Xolan pubs, Xolan ale, very good places to celebrate after battle. But…I am the strongest. So everywhere we go, I carry heavy things. We go to battle, I carry heavy weapons. We go to drink, I carry kegs. It is…tiring…” She added, before a hint of playfulness entered her tone as she changed subjects.
“But, these drinks are for you and me. It is…what do you say…a…’peace offering’, yes? I wish to make up for earlier…and…get to know the young Xolan man with the heart of a Leonid. Will you drink with me…er…?” She asked huskily, before remembering with embarrasment that she had not asked for his name.
Fortunately, the haze of wonderment clouding Graham’s judgment had lifted. She was no longer a wild animal or a force of nature. She was a woman, a living, breathing person and a damn interesting one at that. He was so certain he wanted to get to know her better that his answer came with no hesitation or pause.
“Graham. Graham Horne. And yes…yes I will.”
Bakari’s smile widened from one ear to the other as Graham finished his drink, set it down on the bar counter and accepted one of the mugs of ale from his new drinking companion. His eyes remained fixed on hers as he began to wonder what other welcome turns the night might take…
***(To Be Continued)***
Part 2 of my little mini-series using Heroforge. Things seem to be looking up for our boy Graham. But what other unexpected turns will this night out at the pub take? Stay tuned!
Graham and Bakari:
Sunstreak091
Rendering: www.heroforge.com
Next: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/51057962/
(Several hours later)
The slightest movement seemed to set all of Graham’s muscles alight at once as he made his way down the winding, dimly lit streets of the capital. The warm night air offered little comfort as the memories of his humiliation replayed themselves in his head another time. Granted, the sparring session with the massive female Leonid was not the bloodbath he had imagined it to be. Still, she had easily bested him at every turn, no matter what he tried, all in plain view of his many detractors in the Xolan army. It was like watching an ant try to topple an oak tree, and Graham wondered how the others could possibly have focused on their own training with the time they had all spent laughing at his expense.
He grimly realized that his pairing with the female tank had not been an accident or coincidence, but rather a schoolyard prank designed to keep the young soldier in his place by pitting him against someone who was impossibly out of his league physically. How deep did their depravity go? What was the point of fighting alongside them when it seemed that they would not even dream of putting their lives in his hands on the battlefield, nor could he rely on them to put his life in theirs?
It was all too much to process and at the end of the day he had decided to make a bee-line for the nearest pub, The Harlot’s Bottle, to numb his senses for a time. He had decided to pre-empt his fellow soldiers and get there before they did. They would undoubtedly get the better of him whether he was drunk or sober, at least this way he could get plastered before they got there, so there was at least a chance he wouldn’t remember whatever they did to him.
The miasma of physical and mental exhaustion seemed to dull Graham’s awareness of his surroundings as he reached the door. Before he knew it, he felt the musty air of ale, cheap wine and the sweat of the day assault his nostrils as he plopped himself down in front of the sparsely-occupied bar and ordered a pint of bitters. The lighter, easier drinking ales would not do, not after the day he had had. He needed something with flavor.
Soon, the influence of the beverage began to seep into his consciousness and the pain of the day seemed to fade as more and more patrons made their way through the door. Yet, much to his surprise, his comrades were absent from the revelry that night, and many of the occupants of the bar were Leonids.
Graham could not help but stare at them in wonder and intrigue. Just as before, the anthro-lions were suprisingly diverse in shape, size and desription, but also, interestingly in behavior as well. Some of them seemed as if they were out of their depth, struggling to understand how this strange human establishment worked, while others seemed like they were right at home among the humans in the bar; laughing, carrying on and enjoying their ale…by the keg-full, as it turned out.
Graham thought he might have missed it before, but suddenly a keg had appeared in the middle of a group of them, and the brawny leonid warriors proceeded to guzzle down its contents as if it were their last day on earth.
They were so different, yet so much like his own people. It fascinated him to no end.
“Um…hello…” came a deep, husky voice from behind.
Startled, Graham whipped around nearly spilling his drink in the process, and for the second time today, his jaw hit the floor as he beheld the sight of his Leonid sparring partner, the source of his pain and humiliation. Yet, any feelings of animosity or resentment were quickly forgotten as his eyes soaked in the sight of her brawny, feline form. She was just as muscular and imposing as before, but she had traded her armor for a flowing, loose-fitting cloth wrap that covered her ample chest, yet left the brick wall that was her abdominals on display for all to see. A blue loincloth covered her nether regions, leaving her muscular legs exposed, and an aquamarine pendant hung from a golden chain around her neck.
Graham was utterly mesmerized and his brain scrambled to find a response to her greeting as he drank her body in. Despite her stature and build, everything about her was inherently feminine, elegant, exotic, and, dare he think it…inviting?
More than that, he could not help but feel utterly disarmed by the awkward smile she threw his way. She seemed unsure of how to approach him, as if he were actually intimidating to her as well.
“H-hello…” He replied in a small voice, his eyes still wide as saucers at the sight of her.
“I am Bakari…I apologize for earlier…”
“Uh, what do you mean?” Graham asked, his awe replaced by confusion.
What did she have to apologize for?
More than that, why was her thick, smooth, sultry Leonid accent so appealing?
“For…for your commanders to make you face me in battle was…unfair, yes? The laughter on their faces, it made me angry. They have a mighty army, yet they value their warriors so little.”
Warriors? Was she talking about him? Surely not. Even he knew in the grand scheme of things, he was still a whelp. Graham’s heart seemed to lift all on its own as a warm, friendly smile blossomed on her face as she continued.
“You are courageous for someone of your years. You do not yet have the body of a warrior, yet you have a warrior’s heart. Your tenacity in battle proved that.”
“Uhh…thank you…” was all Graham could think to say as his cheeks turned crimson red. Ever since he had moved to the capital, compliments had come few and far between, and none nearly as flattering as what she had just said. It was so overwhelming that his eyes roamed aimlessly around looking desperately for a means of continuing the conversation. Until finally, his eyes landed on the two overflowing mugs of ale in her right hand and the massive keg she carried under her left arm.
“If you don’t mind my asking, are all those drinks for you?”
“Heh, no I do not mind,” She chuckled with a hint of exasperation and weariness in her tone.
“The keg is for my people over there. I am…bigger than most Leonids, yes? The gods blessed me with great strength…but is also my curse, I suppose. I like Xolan pubs, Xolan ale, very good places to celebrate after battle. But…I am the strongest. So everywhere we go, I carry heavy things. We go to battle, I carry heavy weapons. We go to drink, I carry kegs. It is…tiring…” She added, before a hint of playfulness entered her tone as she changed subjects.
“But, these drinks are for you and me. It is…what do you say…a…’peace offering’, yes? I wish to make up for earlier…and…get to know the young Xolan man with the heart of a Leonid. Will you drink with me…er…?” She asked huskily, before remembering with embarrasment that she had not asked for his name.
Fortunately, the haze of wonderment clouding Graham’s judgment had lifted. She was no longer a wild animal or a force of nature. She was a woman, a living, breathing person and a damn interesting one at that. He was so certain he wanted to get to know her better that his answer came with no hesitation or pause.
“Graham. Graham Horne. And yes…yes I will.”
Bakari’s smile widened from one ear to the other as Graham finished his drink, set it down on the bar counter and accepted one of the mugs of ale from his new drinking companion. His eyes remained fixed on hers as he began to wonder what other welcome turns the night might take…
***(To Be Continued)***
Part 2 of my little mini-series using Heroforge. Things seem to be looking up for our boy Graham. But what other unexpected turns will this night out at the pub take? Stay tuned!
Graham and Bakari:
Sunstreak091Rendering: www.heroforge.com
Category Artwork (Digital) / All
Species Feline (Other)
Gender Multiple characters
Size 1024 x 1024px
File Size 1.28 MB
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