Author's Note: Though six months late, I finally finished the final chapter in this series! Thank you for all those that followed the series, it has been a journey. Thank you Neuroparenthetical for editing my story and making it ten times better. As always, I would love to hear what you think in the comments!
Disclaimer: Rape and non consent/reluctance sex are one of the themes in this series. It is also exclusively either anthro or feral furry male on a humanoid female protagonist. That said, everything written is strictly fantasy and I do not condone any sexual violence.
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It had taken several days before I was able to stop waddling and start walking properly. Surviving the Yuan-ti had only strengthened my resolve to leave the island. While I had rested and recovered, Dusk had found a middleman who knew where we could get what we needed -- two sets of soldiers' armours -- who'd arranged a trade with its owner. With those, we would infiltrate the ranks of our captors and make our escape.
"The brothers we are trading with are not to be taken lightly," Dusk warned. "They are Hog Folk, a race of pig people. More specifically, they're Boar Hog Folks, which are the largest amongst their kind. These two are known to be unpredictable and greedy, so in case they don't want to honour the deal despite the middleman's presence, I need you to stay hidden and intervene if things go sideways."
"If they are as dangerous as you said," I asked, "why even take the risk?"
"It's better than attempting to steal two sets of heavy, clinking armour from them," he answered. "Besides, middlemen are under the protection of gangs, which usually guarantees that trade goes smoothly. "
After we made all the preparations, we headed to where the trade would take place: a meadow far from prying eyes. Having arrived well before the meeting time, I surveyed our surroundings. Without too many options, I climbed onto a tree that was just close enough to give Dusk a hand if need be.
When the sun was high in the sky, a human arrived: the middleman named Byron. Shortly after that, the Boar brothers appeared with a heavy sack. They were almost seven feet tall, broad-shouldered, and muscular, wearing pieces of what must have been soldier's armours that looked too small on them. Tusks jutted out from their hairy faces, and both were covered in scars that made them look even more intimidating.
Dusk was not phased, however. He walked up to Byron and handed him a pouch of gold. The brothers did the same with their sack.
Just as Byron was about to motion for the exchange, however, the Boar with dark brown fur spoke. "Hold on." He looked at Dusk. "We changed our mind. We want that elf you were seen with as well."
Byron furrowed his brows. "The deal was already agreed upon."
The brown Boar smirked. "It was, but we changed our mind. Remember the money you owe the Marauders, Byron? We can triple your cut if you just keep your mouth shut for this deal."
"Think carefully, Byron," Dusk snarled. "Your reputation as a middleman will cease to exist, along with your gang's."
"I..." Byron stammered, then almost jumped when the other Boar -- the one with black fur -- did a flourish with his battleaxe.
"I imagine you don't want to lose a hand for your debt, do you?" the brown one asked.
Byron opened his mouth a few times, his fist closing hard on Dusk's pouch of gold. Finally, he hung his head and avoided the jaguar's fiery gaze."I'm sorry, Dusk. I'm in a lot of debt."
The dark brown Boar turned to Dusk with a triumphant smile. "So what say you, jaguar? Give us the elf and you'll have what you came for."
A breath was caught in my throat. For a moment, I wondered just how far Dusk was willing to go to escape, and how much our alliance meant to him.
"No," Dusk said, settling my nerves. "She's not up for trade."
"Then I'm afraid the trade is off," the brown one said. "And to make up for the time we wasted, we'll be taking your gold, too." He motioned for Byron to hand him the pouch and sack.
In the blink of an eye, Dusk evaporated, and my eyes only caught up when Byron yelped and stumbled back, his hands empty. Just as quickly, the brothers moved, charging towards the jaguar with their weapons raised.
Nearly falling out of the tree, I quickly notched an arrow on Dusk's bow and fired, but, novice that I was, I only grazed the brown Boar's unprotected shin. I'd been aiming for his neck. It nevertheless caught their attention, and the brothers slowed to search for the hidden attacker.
I just need to help Dusk get to the trees, I thought as I fired a few more arrows, all of which either missed or were blocked by the shield in the black Boar's hand. With the sack slung over his shoulder, Dusk was getting closer, but the weight of the armour was slowing him down significantly.
The Boars quickly determined that I was no big threat and continued to pursue Dusk. They were faster than one would assume, and as my accomplice got closer, I heard the clanking of metal.
There's no way we can get away with that. It's too loud and they're too fast. Swallowing, an idea formed. Dusk had to get away or the plan would fall apart. Fear gripped my heart at the thought of deliberately jumping into danger, but I could not think of anything better.
Shouting, I jumped off the tree. "Hey! Dimwits! You wanted me? Come and get me!"
All three running figures halted to look, and I saw the jaguar's eyes widen in surprise. In a heartbeat, he understood, and tossed the pouch of gold far to his left. Our eyes met, and he nodded, before disappearing into the dense forest. A part of me was relieved, for I saw a promise in his eyes.
The brothers shared a look and decided chasing the jaguar wasn't worth it. The brown one turned to get the pouch of gold, and the black one charged towards me.
I turned and bolted towards the trees as well. Wind tossed my short raven hair, and I urged my legs to move ever faster. So close was the shadowy forest, and yet when I was almost there, something slammed into my back and sent me flying forward.
Whatever it was knocked the wind out of me, and I struggled to get back up, but pain lanced through my spine. The heavy footsteps were getting ever closer, so I just collapsed, only half acting, and pulled out my daggers.
"Sacrificing yourself for that cat? How noble." The gruff voice was close. He picked up what he'd thrown at me and walked closer.