Horns and Heretics

The floating and seemingly humming islands along with the glowing stone towers made the city of Shadon unmistakable. It was also known as "The City of Heretics", and "Godless Land", despite being the capital. The well-kept stone road Tanu rode on fell away at a steep cliff on the side, where Lake Irina supported bold ships going to and from ports. Small stone houses holding fishermen lined the banks on the opposite side.

Tanu signaled her steed to slow down as she neared the gates. Two guards stood diligently at their posts, spears in hand, but Tanu could tell they were awfully bored and almost at the end of their shift.

"Show any weapons and other items, please." One of them demanded. Tanu sighed and unclipped her staff from the side of her horse, waving it around a bit before returning it, and then shook her satchels a bit before mounting again.

The guards, satisfied, let her pass through the gates. Shadon had the most diversity one could see across the entire nation, with one person covered in jutting scales, another shedding feathers, and one breathing through their skin. Anything other than human was considered magical, and the capital was saturated with it, due to the Dust of Athuna radiating energy at the top of a tower that jutted out over the lake.

As Tanu hitched her horse to the nearby stables, she overheard the fanatic yelling of someone at the marketplace.

"Beware, heretics, with your blasphemous ways and doomed city of stone; your betrayal against Athuna and all of the gods will lead to your misery, and you'll wish your abominable mutations could have protected you from your fate. Return Her dust before you are swallowed whole! Walk into-"

The man was interrupted by an individual clad in steel and an engraving indicating their officer position. They had fleshy tendrils sprouting from their head and reaching down their hips.

"Sir, you are causing a scene. I am asking that you peacefully go on with your business or leave the city." The indignant man, standing on a box and wearing gray robes, looked furious. He was human.

"I am trying to save you from certain destruction! Heed my words and you might yet be spared," he declared. The officer gave a weary sigh and outstretched their tendrils to grasp the worshipper's hands, restraining him. The man screamed and flailed as he was dragged out of the city.

Occasionally, worshippers attempted to convince the people of Shadon to "repent" and stop taking advantage of magic. Long before the city was built, a devotee to the Goddess Athuna was gifted highly magical dust as a reward for his devotion. However, the worshipper, called Saint Lomac, decided that if such a thing existed, the mortal races didn't require the gods assistance, and built Shadon around the dust in the hopes of raising a magical empire to gain godhood.

Magic was traditionally seen as a form of worship for humans and elves to become closer to the deities, and the manipulation of it was attained through meditation and mental focus. Many were outraged at the use of the dust to make life how mortals wanted it instead of for worship, so conflict ensued. Now the Dust of Athuna sat guarded in a specially enhanced metal basin at the top of Athuna's tower, untouched for centuries.

Tanu thought that kind of thing awfully funny. She didn't know why the man thought he could influence so many people when it was just him. She finished brushing and feeding her horse before making her way to the alchemy store, Mira's Elixirs.

A strong smell like no other greeted her as she entered, and various plants hung drying from the ceiling. An eerie green emanated from a mushroom on the counter. Tanu sneezed. She was allergic to something in here.

"You need something, lass?" The alchemist asked. They had a thin layer of fur on their skin, tall ears, and subtle claws as nails. A vial with a gem hung around their neck, and their amber eyes bore into Tanu's soul.

"Uh, yeah, do you have any wolf bones?" Tanu asked, looking around the room nonchalantly.

"What are you, a ritual worker? We got wolf bones, but that'll be two gold coins." The storekeeper snorted, their voice raspy.

Tanu laughed, "Are you kidding me? I could go outside and murder a wolf right now for free. Stop ripping me off."

The alchemist replied, "Then go ahead and do it, there's no haggling in here. If you're messing with summoning, you can handle the materials yourself."

With that, Tanu left the store feeling agitated. A drink at the tavern would do her good.

The two moons were crawling across the sky by now, but weren't full yet, luckily. Chatter came from the tavern as patrons entered for a night of talking and games, and Tanu went to join them. The Lonely Dragon seemed like an awfully sad name for a tavern, in her opinion.

The stuffy building smelled of alcohol and sweat, just how she liked it. Tables had dice, cards, figurines, and idiots ready to be drunk. The bartender tried to fulfill orders, but her tail had a habit of knocking over glasses sometimes.

Tanu sat at the bar and ordered an ale, wondering how much the bartender would take to sleep with Tanu that night. The shapely woman had gorgeous hands and soft scales.

Tanu was only one drink in when a stranger sat down next to her. The stranger had large horns sprouting from her head, a slightly reddish skin tone, a long viper's tongue, pointed teeth, an admirable chest, a slithering tail, and digitigrade legs. A tattoo of a snake, one specific to the Tlinoch marshes, Tanu noted, covered one of her arms. An impressive individual.

"What's someone like you sitting around alone for? Don't tell me someone broke your damn heart," she joked to Tanu. She continued, "Name's Chiko, can I get yours?"

Tanu took a sip of her ale and rested her head on her hands, not sure where this was going. "Call me Tanu. No one broke my damn heart, just my regular heart. The alchemist here is a useless piece of manticore shit."

Chiko chuckled, "I gotcha, trying to do ritual work? They're a bit upset by all the deity worshippers around lately, not to mention you don't look as crazy as most people around here. You're not from here, are you?"

Tanu nodded. She was a half elf, but not a natural elf. Elves, also called Dris, were originally pure magical beings who could use magic like no one else, those favored by the gods. Once mortals got a hold of body manipulation through magic, a different variant of elf emerged, called Dris-Thar, who were slightly less magical and not nearly as culturally religious. Tanu's mom was an energetic human who fell in love with a Dris-Thar, producing Tanu and her seven siblings. Her mom also didn't know what birth control was.

"I'm not from anywhere in particular, I get around. My hometown is Awen, north of Bernad, but I didn't stay there long. I'm a practicing druid, but I don't worship any particular god, I'm just trying to have some fun."

Chiko belched and slapped the table, "Just tryna have some fun? Have a good time? Oh, I like you. Maybe you do belong in Shadon. Say, you wanna play a game of Runes?" Tanu agreed, starting to enjoy the muscular woman's company.

They took a small table in the back near a window and Chiko emptied a bag of wooden runes. The goal was to create magical phrases out of the runes, and whoever made the most words and the longest words won. Chiko chortled and almost fell out of her chair as fire erupted from the runes, and Tanu quickly put it out with a simple gesture as her friend enjoyed her victory.

Chiko was obviously a fan of the game and practiced magic often, prompting Tanu to ask, "What do you specialize in? You seem to be adept at the Craft."

The horned woman gave a small smile, seemingly amused by the question. "I was raised by outlaws, all of them trained in magical manipulation. They were the kind of gang that you have to join through a near death experience or being chosen at a young age. I was the latter."

She drew circles on the table, her long fingers tracing the lines on the wood. "They thought I looked interesting and scary, so they taught me all I know. They're not around anymore." She folded her arms, signaling she was finished with her story.

Tanu averted her eyes, wondering if it was too personal to ask what happened to them. She decided it was and changed the subject, "How about we get a room? It's getting a bit late."

Chiko gave her a confused look, "You're tired already?"

Tanu shook her head and grinned. "No, I could use some help with that."

With that, she stood up and left the tavern, breathing in the fresh night air. She crossed the street to the inn, where she bought a room for a few silver and crashed in. She was only laying down for a minute when a knock came on the door, as expected.

"You decided to join me?" Tanu said smugly, leaning against the doorway.

Chiko rested one large arm above Tanu's head, "Well, I have to help a friend sleep, don't I?" No more words were needed at that point as their lips crashed, both women stumbling into the room and shutting the door behind them.

Chiko pushed Tanu against the wall, holding her up as the smaller elf wrapped her legs around Chiko's waist. Tanu pushed her tongue against her lover's lips and she responded, locking their mouths together in a heated struggle as they strained to press closer.

Tanu's hands reached up Chiko's back under her shirt and felt along her spine, eventually grasping her bra and unhooking it. Chiko lowered Tanu and pulled off her shirt and bra, revealing beautiful and full breasts with her nipples already hard and pointed.

Tanu admired her body for a moment and then reached up to kiss Chiko's neck, down her collarbone and near her breast but not quite. They moved to the bed and Tanu took off her shirt before moving over Chiko. She continued kissing down and around her areola before carefully licking circles around the nipple.

Chiko squirmed slightly and ran her fingers through the half-elf's dirty blonde hair, struggling against the teasing. Finally, Tanu wrapped her lips around the nipple and sucked, continuing to run her tongue against it and massaging the other breast with her free hand.

Chiko gave a low groan and instinctively arched her back, pushing her chest against her mouth further. Tanu gave a quick nip and Chiko whined, moving her legs over Tanu and pushing her head into the mattress.

Tanu moved to the other breast and did the same, performing acrobatics over the sensitive skin with her mouth. After she was done, Chiko unclasped Tanu's bra and took it off to admire her small, cute chest. They kissed and then took off each other's pants, leaving them topless in their underwear. Chiko wore a thong.

Tanu lay back as Chiko kissed her hard, grinding against her crotch and making her emit small moans of pleasure and wanting. She played with Tanu's breasts and kissed down her stomach, eventually reaching to kiss the outside of her panties. She was soaking wet and pubic hair the same color as the hair on her head poked out from the sides.

Chiko carefully removed the panties and breathed in the earthy smell before moving in, kissing into the folds and giving small licks. Tanu spread her legs further and grasped Chiko's elegant horns, already giving small thrusts as Chiko wrapped her lips around her vulva and made out with it.

Eventually, she slipped her long, thin tongue into Tanu, moving along her walls and rubbing against the g-spot. Tanu was moaning loudly now, desperately humping Chiko's face and biting her lip. Chiko's tongue was long compared to Tanu's, enabling it to plunge deep and enter all the right crevices.

It only took a few more strokes before Tanu was convulsing in release, curling her toes and giving a final deep groan.

Chiko licked her clean, enjoying the sweet and sour taste before laying her head on her lover's stomach. It wasn't long before they were kissing again, however, as Tanu loved the taste of herself in the other woman's mouth.

Soon Tanu was touching all over Chiko again, sliding her hand down her ass and playing with the thong. She soon slid her hand between her thighs, which Chiko responded to by spreading her legs. Tanu lightly rubbed her clit from outside her underwear, causing Chiko's breathing to slowly become heavier.

Soon, Tanu moved the thin cloth aside and pressed a finger in her wetness, moving in circles and gently pressing into her mound. Chiko wrapped her arms around Tanu's shoulders, giving quiet moans into her ear. Encouraged by her response, Tanu slipped a finger inside, pushing it deep. Chiko clenched around her finger, giving a pleased sigh.

Tanu added another finger and continued thrusting, eventually adding a third and establishing a steady, pleasant rhythm. Chiko was soon out of breath, gasping and saying Tanu's name; she hoped no one was bothered by the noise, but also didn't care if they were. Tanu curled her fingers and mimicked a vibration motion, furthering the stimulation.

Additionally, the base of her palm brushed against Chiko's clit, engaging all her senses. Tanu soon felt the sleek walls tighten around her fingers as Chiko orgasmed, falling limp in Tanu's arms. The couple fell onto the bed and faced each other, giving light kisses and cuddling.

A slight wind outside rustled a branch near the window, and occasional bursts of laughter could be heard downstairs. Tanu lazily dragged her hand through Chiko's hair, feeling a love for her new friend. Chiko gave her a shy smile and snuggled up closer as Tanu covered them both in the blanket they shared.

Soon, they both fell into a deep and content sleep, warmed by each other's bodies.