A Dog And Her Lamb

32 years and 4 months after /K/-day
The Free City of Rizanth, 30 miles northwest of the edge of the Packlands

“Mister Sloan, I’d like to thank you again for agreeing to this confession. I don’t know if they’ve told you, but your account will go a long way into letting the world know what kind of pure evil rules in the Packlands. I’ve heard you’ve gone through quite an ordeal. But before having a real opinion, I wanna hear it straight from you.”

“T-thank you. Dinah said there’d be voice-recording machines in the room. Is that true?”

“Yes, that round black thing that’s clipped to your shirt? That’s called a listening wire. I’ve got one too, under my suit collar. Another great invention from Earth artificers. These were originally invented for police spies, helps with infiltrating criminal groups. Wear it under your shirt, and no one will know that everything they say will be used against them by the court. Yes, my boss, and some of my coworkers, are listening to everything that you and I are saying.”

“Seems a bit much. Equipment like this has got to be very valuable. Did you really go through all this trouble for me?”

“Kind of. For a while, we used these things called microphones. But they intimidated a lot of you rural folks, no offense, so we upgraded to something more subtle. You’re our test subject, to see if they work right. Sorry if it makes you nervous, it wasn’t up to me to decide.”

“I-I see. I’m sorry if I’m being a burden, I’ll try to talk as quickly as I can.”

“Stop! Stop right there. I’ve overheard a few of your and Dinah’s conversations. You are NOT a burden. And you are NOT wasting my time. I want to hear everything, and my superiors will be disappointed if you rush things.”

“Okay. I-If you s-say so. I’ll start now.”

“My name is Sloan. 17 years old. My family didn’t use last names. I am a sheepman. About 5 moon-cycles ago, I was living happily with my birth family. We lived in a cottage, within the Reardin forest, about 11 miles east of the logging town of Fildin. The forest was in the Packlands, but as you already know, we thought the wolves were still recovering from the Planif scourging, 252 years ago. I still don’t know how they got to us so quickly. We were 72 miles from the nearest mountain wolf-tribe.”

“I can answer that. We found out, using infiltrators that wore the same listening technology we’re using right now. It’s a sad story that’s been repeated dozens, maybe hundreds, of times all over Fankasia. To put it simply, Earth people happened. Earth-human individuals and organizations, who saw kindred souls in the wolfpacks, supplied them with their advanced weapons, along with speedy supply lines and stable communication systems from sympathetic Dwarven caravans. Everyone but the Order of Linsel, didn’t take them seriously. As it turns out, automobiles and other kinds of armored carriages, when partnered with large automatic guns, will greatly make up for a lack of manpower. They overran most major towns and small cities within a week, the Earth-assholes taught them a strategy called Lightning-War. Not to mention that there’s a large amount of humans and dwarves who volunteered to stay behind and defend their homes, so the wolfmen could rampage freely.”

“W-What kind of monsters would think those wolves deserved help? They slaughtered and enslaved everyone before, why would they help them do it again?”

“Because there’s quite a few cultures on Earth that tried and failed at doing that too, you’ll find out when you open one of their history books. Nothing is more scarier than when two evil people figure out they have mutual goals and similar lifestyles. Not to mention that some of them aren’t even in it for the ideals. Our ancestors made a terrible mistake in cornering the Packs to the Welpif Mountains. They found generous amounts of rare minerals, enough to play the long game, and hire a decent amount of mercenaries, when the time was right. Along with even more volunteers who came for the offers of easy loot and slaves. The Council of Alphas was smart. They threw most of the looting volunteers as expendable targets against the Order, made them lower their guard for a time. When Alpha Jonsen’s pack bypassed the moat and walls, by jumping onto the rooks from airplanes disguised as cargo-carriers, the Order’s troops were too panicked to make a good defense.”

“A-Are we winning?”

“Do you want the truth? You might not like it.”

“Yes.”

“They’ve taken all the Packlands back. All except the Gonam Swamp, there’s been a balrog infestation that neither side has the will to deal with, for now. The good news is that they’ve been contained to their old lands. No more incursions, like you saw in Delna.”

“I see. I guess I’ll never go home now. But it’s okay. I already gave up a while ago. But let me continue, please. My father was a berry farmer, also blending and selling fruits, to the loggers in Fildin. It was profitable. He was able to hire loggers to build him a home, and he met my mother when she was a travelling cook. She stayed with him, and they had my two older sisters and me. My sisters never found a man who was willing to stay with us, and lived up to their standards. I was nearly killed when I was 2, by a bear that was stealing a pie from our window. I wanted it too, and it almost clawed me in half. My father ran to save me, but had the bear been a few inches closer, he would have been too late. So, he went to Fildin, and bought a gun, from an Earth trader. Father said it was called an M1 Carbine. But it said “U.S. Carbine Cal. 30 M1.”

“It was an abbreviation.”

“I thought so too. He bought bullets for it, every now and then. As much as I can remember, he only used it on animals that were stealing our berries and fruits. He showed me how to use it, but I only ever got to use it on a wild dog. I didn’t even kill it, it ran away in pain. This was all until the wolf invasion.”

“They call it ‘reclamation.’ But people like your family were more entitled to that land then them, if you ask me.” 

“Thank you. And I think you’re right. So, while I was out one day, picking flowers to make crowns for my sisters, I heard gunshots and screaming. I ran back home, and saw my two sisters. The hinges to our front door were shot off, and my sisters were screaming for help. I also heard my mother yell at someone, to stay away. My sisters were chained to the well, small chains, called handcuffs. I tried to sneak up to the window to see the commotion, but right as I approached it, a hand grabbed me, and put a rag in my mouth. It knocked me out in a few seconds.”

“It was probably chloroform, it’s used often for kidnappings. And no offense, but by screaming, you also mean ‘baaaaaaa-ing?’ Due to being a sheepman?”

“Yes, we ‘baaaaaaa’ a bit when we scream. But not always. Chloroform. Hmm. Interesting. So when I woke up, I was leaning against the well. My father was also knocked out, and my mother was still screaming for help, while my sisters had given up, and were just crying. I wouldn’t have thought they were wolves at first. All of them, except the leader, were wearing these metal helmets, round at the top, but curved out at the forehead and the bottom sides. There were extra metal plates on the front, attached to horns.”

“Sorry to interrupt again, but those are called M1916 Stahlhelms. They were first made by an Earth empire called Germany. They invented those helmets during Earth’s first worldwide war. Extremely successful and popular, and ever since then, nations and people all over both worlds, have made imitations or superior models of that helmet. A lot of the Council’s marauders and their allied mercenaries wear them, practically standard-issue.”

“Thank you. And you don’t need to apologize for the interruptions. I’m learning quite a lot from them. As I woke up from mommy’s screaming, my father came from the front door. The wolf leader was behind him, a pistol pointed at his back. Two wolves came out with a trunk, the look on daddy’s face made me guess that all our expensive possessions were in there. Daddy looked at us, and said he was so s-sorry, that he was such a fool for making us live here, and that he s-s-should have joined Mom on her old caravan. The leader then pulled up his gun, and s-s-shot Daddy right in the back of the head. My sisters were closing their eyes, crying even harder. And so wa-was Mommy. Oh gods, can I have a break?”

“Yes. You can. Do you need a drink? Something to help you relax?”

“Yeah. I want some liquor. Something middleweight, not too strong, but enough to make me lose my fear, fast.”

15 minutes later

“You okay? We can continue this tomorrow.”

“I’m fine. Just fine. When I’m not snuggling with Dinah, I keep having nightmares, coming back to that moment. Maybe if I tell enough people, I’ll move past it. I’ll continue now. So while my father was lying dead on the ground, the leader said something about not needing him. One of the wolves said that I would make a good house-twink for his sister. Another made a claim on my mom. What even is a house-twink?”

“A slang term for a live-in sex slave. Typically refers to males with slender, yet unathletic bodies. No offense, like yourself.”

“Gross. Moving on, the leader said that someone in their supply unit had “fucked up big time,” in his exact words. They only had the two handcuffs that were keeping my sisters in place. For obvious reasons, the wolves decided to take them. Which made me and my mother dead weight. Literally. Too much effort for them to drag or carry us the 11 miles to Fildin. The one who wanted my mom, said that the leader had better compensate him with two slaves, at the next pillage. And then he shot her in the back with his rifle. The one that chloroformed me grabbed me roughly by the left horn. He told the leader he’d take me out into the deep forest and “have some fun,” before “getting rid” of me. The wolves all made some loud whistling noises, and their leader jokingly told him that he wouldn’t need to worry about protection. Before you say anything, I’m not as naive as you think I am. They were planning to rape me in the hind, then shoot me. It didn’t happen. The wolf soldier grabbed my father’s gun, pointed it at me, and told me to move on out, and to take a shovel. I did. After about 10 minutes of walking, the two of us stopped at a clearing. He told me to start digging, or else he’d really “take my virginity.” I knew he meant a grave. So I did. If I was going to die, I’d want it quick. After finishing it, he told me to fill it up again. I was confused, but I did it anyway. When I was done, he racked the bolt of the gun, took the magazine out, handed me the other ones, and told me that if I wanted a chance to live, I’d best keep walking, and never ever come back. He pointed the gun into the fake grave, fired the chambered bullet. Said it was nothing personal, they would have done this to anyone. We were trespassers in their forest.

“This isn’t a war to them. They see it as pest control. Like, removing squatters that took over your house when you were on vacation.”

“I guessed right, then. He apologized that my father had to die, but they knew he’d be too stubborn to get the message that he was a trespasser. They’d killed enough people with homes to know that they’d always fight back. He said that he’d try to make up for it. That, he’d buy my sisters and take good care of them. I didn’t believe him, but I had no choice. So I took my gun and ran away. Away from the forest. Away from home. Away from everything I’ve known. No food, but there were enough streams with water around. I ran and ran and ran until I got sleepy. It was quite late at night, so I laid my head on a mossy rock and tried to cry myself to sleep. That morning, I woke up to the sound of a feral bear roaring. It was only a few feet away. I screamed, it roared back. And right when it stood up to make a slash, I shot it in the chest, 8 times. It fell over, dead before it hit the ground, I think. I then thought that I might have alerted more wolfmen to where I was, so I started running again. I didn’t know exactly where I was going, but if I went in one direction long enough, I’d escape the forest. For meals, I picked whatever berries I could find. Father had taught me about which ones were safe and which were poisonous. Sorry to slow down, but I need another whiskey break.”

Another 15 minutes later

“Late in the afternoon, 2 days later, I reached the end. I came out of the treeline, and was greeted with a dirt plain, some yellow wheat, but not much. I had saved as many berries as I could in my pockets, as well as some apples and celery that I picked. Now that I was safe, I counted my bullets. If every magazine had 20 bullets, and I had 5 magazines, then I had 99 bullets. I walked through the plain for the rest of the day, until I found a road. I began to have some hope. Hope, that I can find someone to take me far, far away from here. But I was also struggling in my head, with the idea that I should go back and save my sisters. But I’m a coward! I didn’t even t-try.”

“Don’t beat yourself up like that. We’ve identified the unit that destroyed your family. They were reassigned, 3 days after they filed a loot claim on your family’s possessions, and your sisters. They were rotated back to their homes. The Council had overestimated how much resistance they’d get in Reardin, so they could afford to send some troops back to their homes, with their rewards. That unit came from Mount Raylee, 232 miles from here, 143 miles from Fildin. I am 100% certain that you’d have been enslaved or killed before finding your remaining family.”

“I understand. I-I… That’s a very great load off of my back. It’s one thing to hate yourself for not even trying. But now, I can let that go. Now, I know that I would have accomplished nothing. So, after I walked another day down the road. I came to a tent that night. I thought it was empty at first, but there was an elf in the tent. Traded me a canteen for all the fruit and berries I had. I was getting thirsty, and I thought I could find food once I left these plains. After finishing the last of my rationed vegetables, another 2 days later, I started panicking again. But later that day, I came across the town of Finley.”

“We know what happened after that. But, I want to hear it from you.”

“I thought so. I saw fires coming from a store, so I walked slowly. They were those human mercenaries you mentioned before, at least 10 of them, that I could see. There was a wolfman in charge. They weren’t taking prisoners this time. Just... killing everyone. Even looting the bodies of people they had shot less than a minute ago. I lost my nerve, pointed my rifle at what looked like the person in charge, and I just kept pulling the trigger, over and over until I ran out of bullets.”

“So you’re saying your safety was off the entire time?”

“Yes.”

“Madness. Please, continue.”

“I dropped a magazine out, put another one in. Then I ducked behind a barrel and kept firing more. I kept this up until I ran out of bullets. I then ran to a human whom I shot in both his kneecaps. I s-started hitting him with the backend of the carbine, over and over. Screaming for Mom, Dad, my sisters, screaming about my home, screaming about all these people they killed. His head was a splattered mess when I was done. I walked a few steps away, got on my knees, and started crying again. Another looter tackled me, and I found out there were still 6 left. They smacked my face twice with a rifle, dragged me into an open field behind the bank, and told me I had huge guts for a sheep, but it was time to die. Another soldier took a pistol from the dead wolf’s jacket, pointed it right at my head. He thanked me for the promotion. And right before he pulled the trigger, I was saved.”


“Excuse me, I need another drink.”

“Okay, so the wolf holding me down looked at the sky, said ‘What in Cerberus is that?’ They all turned around to see what it was. It was a flying machine, uh, an ‘airplane’, you said earlier. I was later told they call it a Tucano. It came in low, firing its fast cannons at us. The first pass killed 2 of them, and then it passed again, fired again, and killed another, barely missing me. I saw more soldiers pop out of the bushes, about 500 feet to the east. I thought they were wolf reinforcements, so I took the dropped pistol and ran into the bank from the backdoor. I closed myself in the vault, and hoped for the best. I heard more screams and gunshots outside, but the plane went away. I kept the pistol pointed at the vault door. After another 15 minutes, there was a knock. A girl’s voice, asking if anyone was inside. My voice cracked, yelling for her to please go away. She said she wasn’t going to hurt me, but I didn’t believe her. What if she was like the sister of the wolf who killed my Dad? What if she was going to enslave me? But she said ‘Too bad, I’m coming in! You’re getting rescued whether you like it or not!’ That made me breakdown, scream and cry even harder, shooting all the bullets at the vault door. One bounced off and hit my left thigh. Then I was REALLY screaming and crying, from the pain. I could hear her yell at someone to find the vault lock combination. They found it fast, and opened the door.”

“This is where you met Sergeant Doej.”

“Yes! When the door opened, there she was. The afternoon sun shone behind her, she looked like one of those winged harpies, the ones with human arms, but also wings. You know, the ones in the Earth paintings? With the white robes?”

“You mean angels?”

“That’s it! Like an angel, she was standing there, her pointy ears twitched a few times, her tail started to wag really fast. She yelled for a medic, and then she ran to wrap me in her arms, telling me that it was over. The bad canines were gone, she said. I was safe now. I was still thinking it was a wolf trap, so I tried to punch and kick her away, but she squeezed me even more, running her fingers through my hair, yelling that she wasn’t a wolf, telling me to calm down. I didn’t calm down, but it didn’t matter, the medic stabbed me with a needle that made me fall asleep.”

“It’s not the needle itself that does it. The needle penetrates your skin, to help inject you with something they call a ‘tranquilizer.’ Doctors use them for extremely painful surgeries that need the patient to be completely asleep, no fidgeting.”

“Thank you. That makes a lot more sense, now that I think about it. I woke up that night, inside a big tent, my arms and legs were strapped to a folding bed. I thought I was enslaved, and my throat hurt too much to scream any more. Just more crying. Then that girl from before, walked into the tent with a huge frown. Not like, an angry frown, more like a disappointed frown. Not directed at me. I teared up a bit more, I was scared, so very, very scared. She knew it, so she offered me a glass of water. She ran her fingers through my hair again, softly telling me that everything will be okay, that I was safe, again. I wasn’t going to be a slave. After a few minutes of that, I was calming down. She told me that she was going to take the restraints off, but she put a finger on my mouth and told me to please, please, please not run away.”

“You were at FOB Winslow, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Then it was wise of her to say that. The fields to the east were filled with explosive traps. You might have ran into them had you tried to run away.”

“Thank goodness I didn’t. I-I gave up, to be honest. I still didn’t believe her, but I knew there was no escape anymore. I set myself up on the side of the bed, bandaged head and leg and all. Drank the water, then I hugged Dinah as hard as I could, begging her to please be gentle, and that I would make a good slave for farming. Dinah gave me a sad glare, and said she was going to prove that I was free and safe. She held me in her arms and took us out of the tent. No wolves, people of nearly every face, race, and color. There were about 12 wolfmen in a small fenced cage, with barbed wire on the metal. My dad had considered buying some to keep the carrots safe from rabbits. She was telling the truth. I cried yet again, this time with joy.”

“I would have done the same thing, in your shoes.”

“Hm, I guess so. Dinah let me down. I immediately hugged her even harder, kissing her arms and hands over and over, thanking her for saving me. She reciprocated, telling me she was sorry that I couldn’t believe her sooner. Started doing that weird canine noise they all make when they’re happy.”

“You mean the ‘Awoooooo’?”

“That’s it! I always felt too embarrassed to ask her that, thanks! So after that, we sat down and had real introductions. Her name is Dinah Doej, she’s 20. Volunteered to join the New Hanseatic League Army to get easy money to support her single father and younger siblings, just about to finish a 3-year frontline service to get the minimum pension. She’d seen some bloody and brutal action, arrived 2 months from the western campaign against the Golden Apophis insurgency. Her words, not mine.

“I was there for some time. My duty was to interrogate prisoners. Took us months to figure out that it was an Earth-human cult whose objective was to help a coalition of lamia tribes in their ‘holy quest’ to conquer everything from their desert to the nearest coast. Half the NHL was in their path. Fucking Earthers, causing just as much shit, becuase they’ll simp for any royalty who open their legs or pop a hard-on for them, be they Pharoahs or Alphas. If it were up to me, I’d have them detained the second they stepped out of a portal. Make sure they aren’t shit-stirring. By Jenix, I hate hypocrisy. You know, for all the talk the Council of Alphas make about keeping their bloodlines pure, not siring heirs with weakling dogmen, elves, so on, so forth? Our last intelligence report showed that 43% of the councilors have more than one human concubine, their half-breed children will be considered ‘pure.’ Another 12% have at least one tiefling wife, the mandate is that hellhounds are the pinnacle of ‘canine bloodline power’. We’re still running the numbers on dwarves.”

“They still do harems? Disgusting. I only want Dinah. She deserves all the love that I can throw out, she’s done so much for me, I could never truly repay her with anything else. Well, that is, all she asked was that I gave her a chance, and I’m very glad I didn’t pass it up.”

“Good kid. Lots of people these days would disagree, but you seem a better man than them, if you ask me. So, you were a stranger in a strange land, you must have clung to Sergeant Doej like amber to an insect.”

“I did, yes. I stayed around the base as long as she did, which was until 2 days ago. I stayed in her tent when she went on patrol. I’m a little ashamed, but not afraid, to admit that I’m quite shy. I only left to get food and to use the restroom. She’d come back from her patrols, sometimes she was very happy to see me. And sometimes, she was very sad, and needed me to cheer her up. Sometimes she would tell me the horrible things she saw in battle. I’d break down the berries that came in our rationed meals, crush them into various juices, recipes that my mother taught me. Dinah was always happy to have some. We both had nightmares, on most nights. But we’d wake each other up to remind the other that it was just a dream, cuddling even harder. We’d swap stories about our families. About the good times I had before they died. She told me stories about her adventures with her school-friends, neighbors, and her little brother.”

“Did she tell you about her hellhound neighbors? I assure you, that’ll be important”

“Not much, sorry. We…. quickly fell in love. About a month into my stay in her care, she came back from a battle. This time, instead of just being sad, she was also crying. I gave her some juice, asked her what was wrong. She buried her face in my lap, answered with a question of her own. Asked me how it felt to be truly alone. Said that she met 3 people in just one day, who all killed themselves after losing everything they had to the Packs. Right in front of her. I told her that I would never do that. I knew from the bottom of my heart, that my family would want me to live, to find someone to love and care for me, and the other way around. She then said, “Someone like me? Even a mutt? A canine, not too different from the ones who took everything away from you? Could you fall in love with a dirty, dirty dog who’s done terrible things to protect others?’ I knew what she was saying. I saw past her ears, her tail. I saw her heart, that she was a kind and beautiful girl who just wanted to help the weak and small, the ones who couldn’t save themselves. I started tearing up too, said a flat ‘Yes’ to her question.”

“Xerze, kid, you’re about to make me tear up too. Keep going, this is beautiful.”

“She gave me the happiest smile I ever saw her do, then she picked my up by the shoulders, pinned me to a trunk, and we did a lot of sloppy kissing for a while. She was tired, I brought dinner, we then cuddled harder than ever, told each other the best thing I’d heard since that wolf in the forest, let me live. ‘I love you.’ We woke up the next morning, kissing each other good morning. I remembered some advice my sisters gave me when the time came for me to have a lover. We held hands almost every time we were outside of her tent. I gave her a big hug and kisses when she’d come back every evening. We’d cuddle in the public eating area, feed each other spoonfuls sometimes, she’d kiss me on the forehead, and I on her cheek. We’ve been so very happy ever since. So before you ask, yes, I’m over my fear of dogs now. I know my family would love her too, even if she’s not a sheep. She tells her fellow soldiers that I’m her ‘emotional support lamb.’ Which sounds really funny, I like it.”

“I’d say I don’t mean to pry, but I do. Have you two, uhhhh, c-consummated yet?”

“U-u-uh um…. N-n-no? T-there was the one time she r-rubbed me down, uh, there, until I shot out my sperm, while sloppy-kissing at the same time, b-but that’s it. Honest.”

“Ugh. That sounded a LOT less cringe-inducing in my head. Sorry. Also, that rubbing she did, it’s called a handjob. Just to let you know. *ahem* MOVING ON. So, after that, you guys have just been doing your young lovey-dovey thing until her service contract expired? Nothing else unusual or dangerous happened?”

“Yes. Nothing dangerous or wierd happened since. I obviously had nowhere else to go, and my ‘emotional support’ status let me stay with Dinah, instead of being taken to a safer zone made just for refugees. Now that her service is over, I’m going to live with her and we’ll be married once I find a big city job, and I can afford a ring that an angel like her deserves. In fact, I was going to meet her family right before you asked me to come here.”

“Well, let me be the first to welcome you to Rizanth. I like this place. It’s so quick of a jump, between the mechanical industry of the city, to the more traditional forest and grasslands. Truly the best of both worlds. It’s been a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Sloan. Your account will help in showing the world that the Packs are actual monsters, and they should be blockaded and invaded, put down like vermin. Of course, we’ll take out everything specifically about you and Dinah. I understand if you don’t want two whole worlds to know about your recent personal life.”

“Thank you very much. I was hoping to find employment as a chef. Of course, I’ll stick to what I know, fruit pastries, health drinks, and salads. Maybe make some money by shearing and selling my body wool. I’ve heard in Fildin that dwarves and mountaineers will pay a high price for real sheepman wool. But if you weren’t going to tell anyone about how I and Dinah fell in love, why ask?”

“Because I’ll be seeing you quite often. I heard about you from Dinah, and I thought I’d use this as a perfect reason to have a one-on-one get-to-know-you session with my new neighbor. My bosses wanted another personal account to use as factual propaganda, so I arranged our meeting like this. Everybody wins. You’re free to leave now, but I’ve got two pieces of advice for you. Give Dinah headpats when she’s feeling down, or when she does something really helpful for you. Secondly, if you two sleep with your heads level to each other, nibble on the tips of her ears, and stroke your hand through her fluffy tail, gently.”

“How do you know this? Is there a manual on dealing with canine-women?”

“Simple. My wife is a hellhound. Welcome to the neighborhood.”

3 hours later

“Did we really have to walk 2 miles after getting off that transport? We could have asked Mr.Doe to give us a ride.”

“No way, little lamb, I needed to show you all the fun places I hung around when I was a puppy! Also my dad got delayed, and I want our lunch to be nice and fresh for when you meet him and my little bro! Oh. Oh shit, keep walking, do NOT look at that shirtless dark dog. Don’ttalktohim! 

“H-HEY! If it isn’t my old buddy Dinah! Back from the Army, back from busting caps! And I see you’ve brought your emotional support shota with you! Hey there, little dude! I’m Henry, I’d shake your hand, but I need to pop a few more sets! The Pump waits for no one!”

“And this is my neighbor, Henry. We dated for like, 4 days. Figured out REALLY FAST that he’d pump and dump, even if the lady gave HIM a ring!”

“Come on, baby! We didn’t even get to 2nd base! I didn’t get a real chance! You hear a few rumors that I have the sickest pull-out game in the city, and you splash me with Sprite the second ya saw me again!”

“You KNOW I wanted a good boy to pamper and cuddle and not play stupid games with! That’s 4 days of my life that I’m never getting back! I kept telling you that all that book-porn you keep buying off that Kabosu guy was rotting your brain, but noooooooo, they’re ‘perfectly healthy fantasies.’ But, whatever! It’s over, we’re over, I’m past that. How’s your bodybuilding business? That ever work out?”

“Not yet. But have faith! I’ve got a plan. Me and Murphy K have a plan to rig that free yacht sweepstakes. We sell the yacht, split the auction money, half-and-half. I’ll use that money to buy that abandoned warehouse next to police headquarters. Some Earth company called Textron used to own it, until they all got arrested for selling attack buggies to the Golden Apophis. NHL military didn’t want them, it was dead weight. But their loss is gonna be MY gain. I’m gonna turn it into an exercise emporium! Rule one, no married women allowed! Rule two, no married men allowed! Rule 3, rule one & two don’t apply if you’re a polygamist. Rule four! Anything goes! Do anything you want with the equipment, just clean it afterwards. Rule five, the locker rooms and restrooms are co-ed! I expect to hear at least TWO cases of people banging in the showers, everyday! Rule six! Anyone who makes a noise or harassment complaint gets kicked out for the rest of the day!”

“B-but, uhh, Mr. Henry, what if YOU get married?”

“Then I put my equipment in the break room and work out in there! I’ll stick to the main office, and the security camera room, so I can yell over the loudspeakers if I catch anyone being cringe!”

“Nice dream, Henry, very nice. I’ll believe it when you win. I’ll be honest though, I kind of missed you. I don’t like your aversion to monogamy, but you’re still my friend. But if I find out you’re dating a girl that doesn’t want an open relationship, I’m kicking your ass.”

“Deal. Hey, little buddy, uhhh, Sloan, yeah. You got a little pudge on the cheeks and love handles, you’re welcome to use my treadmill when I’m not on it. Catch you two later, I got a date with a spicy tiefling from Gwarm in about 20 minutes, gotta run.”

“Well, Mister Doe was right. I really did need to see Henry to believe it.”

“Jack’s a nice guy. A bit nosy sometimes, but he means well. Harriet was so happy to find a guy who wasn’t afraid of her body heat. She was always so insecure about that, after that yeti rejected her in front of the whole baseball team, 7 years back. But enough about them. How do you like the house? I hope it’s as good as your old one.”

“It’s a little bigger. I like the light green. It really stands out.”

“Hahaha, yeah, my dad had that done on a bet. Something about losing a bet about fitting enough tennis balls in his mouth. Dumb Earth pet joke.”

“DAD! It’s me! You here?”

“Right here sweetie! Come over to the kitchen, you too, son! Leave the shoes by the door! Sorry to tell you, but Davey went on a camping trip with his buddies, they left last night! Won’t be back for another 4 days. In the meantime, Sloan, you’re free to use his room until then. ”

Two hours later

“Well, Mister Doej, I can’t thank you enough for letting me live here. I’ll do my best to repay you, once I get some money in. A-and thank you for being so supportive about me and you daughter. I’ve seen quite a few angry fathers end some relationships back in Fildin. I was honestly a bit afraid of meeting you, that you’d expect a powerful rich man to court your little girl, or something like that.”

“Son, you’ve got nothing to fear from me. My little Dinah, well, used to be little, she was always a sweet little helper. Wasn’t surprised she was interested in a guy like you. She protected a lot of the younger kids her age from getting bullied, back in school. They called her a sheepdog. You know, a pet that protects the flock. That’s why she joined the military, and why she’s been volunteering for patrols and rescue missions. And from hearing your story, I couldn’t be more happy that she chose to be with you. Again, I’m so sorry that you went through that horrible thing. And don’t call me sir, I work for a living. Call me Dillon, or Dad, I guess. D-do you want a hug?”

“Y-yeah! Thank you, sir. I won’t disappoint you or Dinah. But there’s one thing I have to ask, while Dinah’s at the store. W-what happened to your wife? Dinah and Davey’s mother?”

“We need to sit down. Thank you. It was a tragedy, really. A complete accident. Dinah was 10, Davey was 4. I’ll make it short. She was poisoned, accidentally drank a wine glass full of antifreeze coolant, at a neighborhood block party. About 10 years now. Oh, yeah, you’re a forest farmer, you don’t know what that is. It’s a liquid that they use to keep the inside of automobiles from freezing and cracking when it gets too cold. The killer turned himself in out of guilt, 2 days later. It was supposed to go to a merchant who cheated him out of his inheritance. Somehow, he put the poison in the wrong glass.”

“So what happened after that.”

“They sentenced him to death. I shoved his own poison down his throat. Simple as that. It’s been hard, raising a zippy little puppy like Davey, but at least Dinah’s always been so well-behaved. I think it was one of the last things my wife asked her to do. I’ve read about that sort of thing happening, but I’ve never worked up the courage to ask Dinah. So now you know.”

“I’m at a complete loss for words, but I know what it’s like to have your family ripped from you in a minute. I hope that wolf wasn’t lying about looking after my sisters.”

“I know you do, son. Tell you what, I’ve got a treat for you. You remember Dinah taking your measurements last week? That box by the oven has a bunch of fresh new clothes in your size. It’ll be a nice change of pace from your old outfit, and those surplus mechanic jumpsuits a size too large for you.”

“T-thank you! I promise, I’ll do everything I can to be there for Dinah when she wants help!”

“I’m putting my trust in you, Sloan. I don’t think you’ll break it, but I’m warning you anyways. One more thing. I’m going on a fishing trip in about two weeks. I’ll be gone for about 4 days, and I’ll need you and Henry to help keep Davey out of trouble, and Dinah, from doing something really stupid to get Davey out of trouble.”

Two weeks later

“Well now, lover-boy. Dad’s gone, and Davey’s at the beach ‘till tomorrow afternoon. The house is all ours. Just…. you and me. Finally some real alone time.”


“I-I know what you’re trying to say, dear, but, I-I don’t know i-if I’m ready for that yet! I’m still 17, I d-don’t think I’m ready to be a father! I love you, and if that’s what you want, t-then I can l-learn how to be a great dad, but are you REALLY sure?”

“I’m sure. I KNOW you’ll be a kind, and gentle, and loving father. And you still have two other men here to help you, don’t be ashamed to ask. And relax, I will NEVER EVER go too far and hurt you. It’d break my heart to know I broke a pure, soft little angel like you. But, there’s one thing you have to know. It’s okay if you’re upset, but there’s nothing we can do about it. It’s….. not you, specifically, it’s…. our genes. We don’t have the hybrid-carrier gene like humans and tieflings. I’m sorry, but our babies will all be puppies. I can’t give birth to lambs. But they’ll still have some part of you. Your soft white hair, your hazel eyes, small body size. And even if I could have a lamb, I wouldn’t care. Because I love you, and I accept you for everything you are.”

“I do too. I don’t care that you’re a caninegirl. I’m not scared of you, and I won’t ever be scared of our kids. Okay, Henry scares me a little, but that’s different and you know it! It’s fine. It’s not about what they look like on the outside. It’s how we raise them on the inside that matters. I just hope I’ll be able to be the kind of man my dad would be proud of.”

“You’re safe, alive, with a loving family, and you manned up and killed a few Pack troops, avenged those poor folks in Finley. From what you’ve said about him, I think he’d be proud. Now hurry up to my room. The clock’s ticking.”

>be me
>doogygril
>brown floof, pointy ears
>very puffy tail
>meet the cutest, softest, huggable, sweet, loving, little sheepboi you’d ever find
>he’s 9/10, a little pudge on the cheeks, but it’s okay
>nice smol ram horns, too bad he can’t sleep on his sides for that
>very soft wool on his chest, legs, and some of his lower back
>feels like a pillow when we snuggle at night
>yes, if I squeeze too hard he goes ‘baaaaaaa,’ like a snore
>so cute
>it’s… very very sad, what happened to him and his family
>sometimes I think, that if we had fought a little harder, pushed forward a bit more
>or at least mobilized faster
>we might have saved his parents and sisters
>I could never say to him, that their loss is my gain
>never ever
>deep down inside, I’d trade us ever meeting, if it meant letting him stay a perpetually-happy, innocent little lamb 
>but there was nothing I could really do
>at least he wound up with people to love and care for him, anyways
>but we’re at a dilemma
>I promised my mom, that I would be a great helper and protector
>and that once I found a good man, one that I knew would never willingly hurt me, I’d have puppies as soon as I can
>but, Sloan has a point, he’s barely an adult
>he only stopped being a overgrown child less than half a year now
>I don’t know if he’s ready to deal with crying infants at 2:00 AM, changing diapers, all those stressful things that pup-rearing involves
>or worst case, miscarriages and fatal disease
>I know from the bottom of my heart, he’ll be the most gentle and loving father I’ll ever meet
>but I don’t think he believes that
>and we have to meet halfway on this
>I will NEVER force a baby on him, that he’s not ready for
>I have to convince him
>I can’t lure him in with how good sex feels, though
>that’s evil and horrible
>that’s just asking for something bad to happen
>I-I just don’t know what to do
>I don’t

>be me
>Sloan the sheep
>went through a crazy misadventure
>bad stuff happened
>but there was a light at the end of the treeline
>I was rescued by the love of my live and soon-to-be wife
>took me in, gave me a home, and so many other things I could never repay
>Dad always taught me that kindness deserves a reward
>maybe that was it, all along
>maybe I should reward her with a lam-I mean, a pup, for all she’s done for me
>I’ll be honest
>I’m pretty scared
>I’m a virgin, and I have no experience with raising kids
>but… I can learn
>I’ll have at least 9 months to learn
>and I think Dinah can show me how to, uh,’do it’
>at least, in a way that she’ll enjoy
>it has to be that way
>it’s settled
>I’ll do my best
>she deserves my best

“Dinah. I’m ready.”

“R-really?”

“Yeah, I-I can do this. I want this. I want you to do whatever you want with my body. This night is all about you. You’ve done so much for me, even if I couldn’t fully repay you. I’m sorry, but I tried my best, and that’s all I can give you.”

“You silly little lamb. Your best, is all I’m asking for. It’s okay to fail. I know you’re hiding that you didn’t get the job, but it’s okay. My pension is enough for 4 of us. And Davey’s going to start having to pull his own weight any day now, no more excuses that I’m bringing in the utility money. Haven’t you heard of a house-husband? You’ll pull your weight all right, by growing fruits and veggies in the backyard. We’ll take turns with part-time jobs, take turns looking after our kids. Now get in the bed. You’re going to breed me. NOW.”

>oh gosh
>I’m wagging like a flag in a storm
>this is it
>I’m deflowering this pure cherub
>I’ve played with my hands enough to know how I want it
>prop ourselves up on the side of the bed
>take off his shirt
>feel up his wooly chest, flicking his nipples and gently licking them
>move my hands to his lower-backside wool, now I’m spelunking his mouth with my tongue
>exit his mouth
>move his hands to take off my shirt
>see his eyes pop at my sloshy milk cartons
>oh, he’ll be seeing a lot more of that once I get pregnant, that excess milk’s going to have to go SOMEWHERE
>lower him onto the bed, me on top
>See his bulge, tell him to relax
>pull his shorts off
>he’s already leaking his boxers
>I need to show him how to really masturbate, sometime around
>I might want him to edge a while, before erupting on my face and chest
>but not tonight
>stroke him slowly, through his boxers
>he’s already baaaa-ing and moaning
>he’s a little hung, for his height
>oh well, more for me
>already rock-hard, his face was getting red like an apple
>I let go, he whimpers and begs me to keep going
>strip off the rest of my clothes, brush my flower with my left hand for a little bit, just to feel how much I’m leaking
>back up on the bed, until my face is level with his sword
>give him one long lick through his boxers, taste a little of his pre-cum
>mmmmm, a little sweet, but mostly flavorless
>lift him up under his butt
>pull his boxers off with my mouth
>lift his legs into a spread-eagle thing

>okay, so I’ve taken sneak peeks through Henry’s window when he forgets to close it
>rub myself, insert a cucumber sometimes, when he strokes his shaft and fingers his nipples to those theatrical sex disc-films
>I know part of his exercise-obsession is for overcompensating, comes from when that horrid Harpy bitch Susan spread lies that he has a painful knot, back in middle school
>he doesn’t, it’s just a normal cock that happens to be completely red
>his poor self-esteem was destroyed when a kinky substitute teacher tried to breed him in a broom closet >walked out and blue-balled him, when she got 3000% disappointed to find out that he has no knot
>he’s cried and moaned about this out loud, heard him plenty of times from out the window
>still not interested in him, but he has good taste in raunchy romances, I’ll give him that
>seen and learned more from them, then I ever learned in the female-only sessions of home economics class
>I’m going to show Sloan a thing they call “Amazon” style
>keep his legs spread out, using my arms
>squat just right above his mushroom cap
>then slowly lower myself on it
>ohhhhhh, he’s so warm
>I feel so hot down there
>make it all the way to the start of his shaft
>he’s completely inside me
>almost at my end, but it’s close enough
>gyrate my hips around
>yeeeessssss, he’s at his hardness limit, I think
>pull out, almost to the end of his summit peak
>then thrust myself all the way down
>whoa
>i-it felt good
>they said I’d be bleeding at this part
>oh yeah, I forgot
>the cucumbers did the hymen-breaking already
>it’s fine, Sloan would probably panic and go flaccid if he saw blood coming from my womanhood
>such a sweet boy
>a sweet lover
>and soon, oh very soon, a sweet husband and father
>take him to ‘The Doggy Pound,’ as Harriet calls it
>they need a taller fence, I saw her do this with Jack in their backyard, one hot afternoon
>she made him cum TWICE, I have to know what she feeds him!
>I’ll find out tomorrow, I’ll need a after-virginity girl talk anyways
>lift up my arms, pin him head down by the horns
>my height is perfect for another fantasy of mine to fulfill
>my chest lines up perfectly with his mouth
>stroke his hair with my fingers, tell him to open his mouth
>insert my right nipple in, he knows what to do
>he starts sucking, making circles around it with his tongue
>uses his right hand to pinch and squeeze my left one
>oh baby, how is he so good at this?
>oh yeah, he WAS pretty sheltered, probably stopped breastfeeding from his mother when he was old enough to still remember how this works
>all the better for me
>I pick up the pace
>our mutual moaning sounds are the only sound in the room
>besides the plap-plap-plap-plap of my pelvis meeting his
>he moves on to grinding my milkers with his teeth
>oh my….
>I can feel it
>it’s coming out
>he’s drinking my milk!
>i-is this what it feels like when sperm comes out?
>it feels so weird, but, very nice
>I better get used to it, my mother told me that me and Davey used to suck her boobs almost dry
>puppies are insatiable, after all
>I wonder if I’ll have to share between Sloan and our pups
>he looks like he’s drinking liquid candy, so happy!
>we keep this up for a few more minutes
>I took my hands off his horns
>he takes his lips off my breast, with a loud POP
>he’s moaning harder than ever
>then he yells that he can’t hold it anymore, he’s going to let it all out
>gonna breed me, gonna be a daddy, gonna be a man
>oh, that’s so hot, he’s finally talking dirty
>I’m at my limit too
>I yell at him to keep talking
>he keeps it up, his mind is leaving the room
>he’s spouting near-gibberish about how good he feels, how he hopes I’m satisfied
>how he wants to stay like this forever, how he wants to be my ram, my very own stud
>that last part got me
>my legs shriveled, I collapsed on him, my Skene gland sputtered all over his baby-making rod
>I awooooooo’d, stroking his thighs fast and furiously
>and that, got HIM
>he screamed, eyes rolled to the back of his head, blasted me with cum, filling me up so fast
>he came so much, his baby juice spilled all around the edges
>leaving a mess on his pubes and balls, dripping and streaming
>making rivers of white that ended at the bedsheets
>all the while, I’m yelling over and over, “I love you, I love you, love you, love you!”
>he was trying to say it too, but his orgasm was so strong, that his brain turned off
>all he could do was bleat and baaaaaaa, with some heavy panting in between
>eventually, he ran dry
>slowly shriveled up, slid out of my pinkness
>well, now it was all white
>mmmmmm, he really IS a rutting ram
>all he needed was… the right PUSH from a good woman

>that was it, really
>I basked in the afterglow, wrapping myself in the blankets, laid myself out, in a way that ensures the least leakage of Sloan’s love
>He got up, his wobbling and stumbling made me realize something 
>that Amazon style must have taken all the blood-flow out of his legs
>guessed he went to the toilet
>they told us in home-econ that men needed to take a leak after cumming
>in case we'd wonder why they don’t want to snuggle immediately after an orgasm
>hear the sound of a flush, then felt Sloan crawl under the covers
>to have our first naked cuddle
>this time, he showed some initiative
>gave me soft headpats, nibbled the tips of my ears
>Jack must have put him up to this
>I’d go for round two, if I couldn’t already feel that he was going to stay flaccid for a while
>then I had a very good idea
>but we needed a good night’s sleep first
>had sweet dreams of frolicking through a meadow with Sloan
>animal-sheep all around us, bleating and chewing their grass
>held Sloan up to the sun
>and over a hill, came 10 young pups
>they all looked like me and Davey, but their floof was colored white, like Sloan’s wool
>we were dogpiled
>and then my mind drifted away

>be me, sheepman Sloan
>just lost virginity to the most beautiful girl in my world
>it felt so good
>I hadn’t felt anything quite like that, closest thing I could think of was that rush of adrenaline you get when you run really fast for too long
>I wanted to do it again
>but I didn’t expect it so soon
>because I woke up to a strange feeling on my nethers
>opened my eyes
>whoa
>Dinah’s….. sucking on my penis
>this early? It’s barely sunrise
>oh well, here we go again
>start giving her more headpats and ear-fiddling
>she’s loving it, whoaaaaa, now she’s licking my shaft-tip INSIDE her mouth
>whoa, this is the life
>I don’t want this to end
>the two of us, just making love over and over
>it’s a little intimidating, her larger and taller body towers over me
>big enough to cover me from the daybreak sun
>I’m completely in her shadow
>s-so warm!
>her arm fluff wraps around my legs this time, instead of prying them apart
>this time it’s my legs lightly wrapping around her head
>it takes me a bit longer to cum than before
>she drained me almost-dry last night
>she just keeps bobbing up and down and up and down
>all the way to my pubic wool, her nose keeps booping and sniffing into it
>I lost track of time, I was in so much pleasure
>but after a while, she let go of my legs
>immediately moved to play with her vagina, with one hand
>the other hand had my testes, rubbing, scratching, gentle squeezing and pulling
>this felt even better than what she did with my thighs
>at last, my man-syrup started coming out again
>I was close to the limit
>and this time, she went all in
>Dinah gave me a funny look
>pulled her hand off of her own leaking hole
>still covered in her own slippery fluids, she started making circles around my butthole, with her middle finger
>Jack Doe gave me a talk, 3 days back
>warning me about what kinds of sneaky tricks a woman will do to make you ejaculate really hard
>he told me about how a man can get “milked”
>his wife Harriet loves doing it to him
>says it’ll ensure that only the strongest and fastest of his sperm will get to be pups
>I don’t believe it
>but what if Dinah does
>oh no
>my own hole now wet, she slipped her middle finger in, and slipped out, fast
>it felt weird, but good
>I felt my own penis get even harder, like a rock turning into iron
>she did this a few more times, her head still sucking me like a tornado
>I started bleating again, I couldn’t control it, I sounded more sensual that ever
>and then she went in for the grand finale, her finger went in, curled up inside
>pressed down on my sperm-button, making circles on it
>same way she did it to her clitoris a few minutes ago
>at the same time, flicking the tip of her tongue against the lower part of my tip
>I couldn’t hold it, it felt so good
>gushed again, I screamed a bit, squeezing the bed sheets as hard as I could
>couldn’t stop pumping down her mouth, ropes turned into a seemingly-endless stream of my seeds
>she pulled her finger out, and her mouth off, at the same time
>I still leaked and dribbled a little more
>and Dinah licked it all off


>she went back to sleep, but I was ready for the day
>kissed her forehead, told her I loved her
>went downstairs to get breakfast ready
>did what Mr. Doej-I mean-Dillon, does for breakfast
>open the food freezer machine
>pull out the pre-grilled fish
>put it in the heating machine
>set it to 2 minutes
>too much, it wasn’t burnt, but it was waaaaaayyy too hot
>decide to go out for the mail
>wearing one of Davey’s old bathrobes, a size too large
>almost trip twice on the concrete walkway
>open the mailbox, look inside
>nothing
>get my head out
>bump right into Henry
>he starts sniffing
>his face went really red, took about 3 steps back
>oh no, he’s smelling me and Dinah’s fluids all over my body
>tell him I’m so sorry
>he can’t look me in the eyes, says he kinda already knew
>but thought I’d have at least showered before going outside
>oops
>he then said it was okay, he didn’t either
>what did that even mean?
>it was too awkward, I just told him to have a nice day, he weakly said it too
>went back inside to have a big grass-protein smoothie
>by far the best thing I’ve eaten since I came to this city
>those health magazines that catered to herbivore-people at the military camp weren’t lying
>a bit of an exaggeration, I’ve met a few Earth-humans in Fildin who thought I couldn’t eat meat
>I can, but it’s more of a dessert than a real meal

>as the blending machine did it’s electric magic, Dinah used the loud noise to sneak up and cuddle me from behind
>turn around and hug her back
>we didn’t need to use words at this point to say how we felt right now
>the machine finished, we took our food to the couch-room
>Dinah put on a tape-film about a brave team of dog-soldiers, like her
>who rescue a flock of herbivore folks like me, from an army of evil foxs and demons
>called Tears Of The Moon, or something like that
>I get sleepy again, about a half-hour in
>suddenly, it hit me
>I realized what Henry meant by “so did I”
>ew
>disgusting
>if Dinah can watch what’s happening in his room, from her window
>then that means Henry can do the same thing in reverse
>oh my gods
>we had a peeper the whole time
>and he was having quite a night with himself
>try very hard to forget that happened
>make a note to buy some very, very thick curtains 
>put my hand on Dinah’s stomach
>ask her how soon until I can feel our baby
>she giggled and said it would be a few months
>I guess we still have a lot to learn before then