IA: Gabby Gets a Pet?

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Author's Note:

Dear Readers,

You are the driving force behind my writing journey. Your comments not only encourage me to improve but also inspire me to forge ahead and craft the next chapters of this story.

Recap:

Gabby continues with her tale. Gabby's journey continues the new planet where she has already met pony girls, Goblin Slavers and a friend?

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Ari pulled on my nipple ring. "Owwiiee" I cried.

"Don't leave me hanging. Tell me what happened next!" Ari exclaimed eagerly, stopped pulling on the ring. Instead she started toying with them.

I grinned, appreciating her enthusiasm. "Alright, alright, patience, Ari. If there's one thing I've learned here as a pony, it's patience." Pointing to her fondling of my nipple ring I said in a whisper "what you are doing here, is not helping. I should discuss the plan now and then continue with my story."

Releasing the ring, Ari let out a sigh. "You're absolutely right, Gabby, but I'm so eager to hear the rest of your incredible journey. I mean, how did my brilliant friend, who was one of the youngest to earn a doctorate at just seventeen, end up in these bizarre circumstances, running around practically naked in this place? We haven't had much time together...

only an hour or so. How about we set an alarm for two hours from now? You can keep sharing your story a bit longer, and then we'll shift our focus to getting our mission back on track."

I mustered a weak smile, reflecting on how proud I had been when I earned that doctorate - the first in our family to do so. It felt like a distant memory now.

Ari had been clutching the quilt, and she suddenly pushed it aside, her face reddening. I couldn't resist a teasing remark. "Is the story hitting a nerve, Ari? You seem a little flustered."

Ari retaliated by hitting me with the pillow once more. "Never mind me, please continue with the story."

And so, I resumed my tale...

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Before I could respond, Isabella chimed in "Oh Chosen One - I can carry him. I do not want to put you through this".

I shook my head smiling. I got up and asked Gorsk to stand. Waking towards him, I lifted the goblin into crook of my right arm and held him on my hip like a mother would hold her child. The position felt strange and uncomfortable, due to the fact that he was much bigger than an actual child would be. It was difficult to hold up a full grown goblin because of his weight, but thanks to my nanobots, that was not a problem.

I also checked the neural array to ensure that the power levels of the nanobots were within acceptable range. I could see that Isabella and Anj had a curious look on their face as they saw me lift up Gorsk into my arms with ease. I could understand their curiosity. It must have been a pretty unusual sight to see.

"Why have you picked him up like this?" Anj asked.

I waved my free hand to them "Let's go. I'm going to carry him a bit to make things easier, since we're going to be walking for a while." Gorsk did not complain, though I could sense a grin on his face.

It was a hot day and the heat of the sun was beating down on our bodies and the land. The air felt muggy and humid, and the ground was steaming from how warm the temperature had become. It was an uncomfortable walk through the woods but seeing the green leaves of the majestic plants at least helped to offset the heat slightly and provide some relief from the harsh sun.

The path was getting narrower as we climbed the incline. And so we walked single file. Me, carrying Gorsk in the front, followed by Isabella as Anj brought up the rear.

As we walked along the trail, I could see small critters scurrying around through the leaves and underbrush. They seemed to keep their distance, but every now and then I would catch a glance of a rabbit or a mouse sneaking around. The forest was filled with wildlife, and we saw the birds flying all around us. Once in a while I saw slightly larger animals some kind of wolf and raccoon running past the trail.

As we trudged along, I was nibbling on the fruit intermittently. I found myself inexplicably longing for it, more like a craving than a normal hunger, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. I tasked my neural array to analyze the fruit and its effect on me.

There wasn't much conversation going on, but I did learn somethings about this world and the wider society here that I found interesting. Most humans seemed to be very wary of the "Goblin Menace". The goblins often raided and stole from species in the area - although they only used either humans or elves as their beast of burden. They also informed me that the Goblins tamed some wolf like creatures known as wargs which they used as we would domesticate dogs.

Somewhere in the second hour of our journey, Gorsk broke his silence to speak up and share with the rest of the group some of his thoughts and observations about the goblin land. He explained that the forest was their ancestral land. This is where the goblins had built their kingdom. He continued to tell us that on all sides of the goblin forest land were neighboring kingdoms and villages, all with their own unique and distinct cultures.

The human Kingdom of Ashel lay south and east of the goblin forest land, and another human Kingdom of Sibar was to the east. The kingdoms had long ago made agreements not to intrude on each other's land or attempt to conquer each other. Anj chimed in that both she and her aunt were from the north Empire of Groth which was ruled by a just king. It was a vast Empire which extended way up to the frozen tundra. Nomadic human tribes roamed the unclaimed frigid northern regions in it's northern regions.

The elven kingdom of Eldamar was to south west of Groth. The jungle made up Eldamar's southern eastern boundaries. Kingdom of Ashel, it seemed, was a peculiar place ruled by huge women - their descriptions reminded me of Amazonian women from earth folklore. They were on friendly terms with Kingdom of the Orcs called Drendor to their south.

They used to have friendly relations with Sibar, which was to their North. However, with Sibar getting a new king and new misogyny based culture, there was an ongoing conflict between Ashel and Sibar - which made sense. I was almost certain that the Musly agent was now ruling Sibar.

After couple of hours of walking through the forest, I decided to stop for a small break. I could hear Gorsk's stomach growling. I guessed he must be hungry. I stumbled as that stupid but unmistakable tingling in my loins returned with a vengeance. A strange feeling of arousal that seemed to rise up from deep inside me was causing me to stagger a bit. The feelings were getting more intense with each step, and I was starting to feel a little concerned.

Gorsk cleared his throat as he was cradled in crook of my hand, his butt on my right hip "Gabby, you are stumbling. I can sense you are in heat again. Do you want to quench your needs? Should we stop? I can help you. I know how to do that as I use it as a reward for my fillies"

I was mortified at Gorsk's words. My cheeks reddened. I saw my human companions blushing as well. I stammered a bit "Ummm.. yes there might be some truth to that. Are you always that blunt?". Gorsk chuckled "I can never understand why you humans get all coy when talking about this. How is it different than eating or sleeping. It's a natural thing. For example, can you hear my tummy growl? I am hungry - so I will eat. How is this different?"

Isabella, I noticed was shocked too and Anj was just looking down at her feet without any outward reaction. I was at a loss of words to Gorsk question so I did what had always worked so far. I changed the subject. "You are right. We need to eat. I am sure even Isabella and Anj must be hungry". So saying I put Gorsk down on the ground.

Then I frantically queried my neural array for help. Nothing! It could not be! Something must be causing this for my body to react in such a wanton way. My groins had gone from mere moistening to soaking wet. In a desperate attempt to stop this madness, I asked my neural array to release the progesterone hormones. Although the array complied there was a warning flashing telling me that the power levels were depleting quicker than expected. At this rate, the nanobots would go into hibernation within a couple hours. I shunted the warning away - I decided to run a full diagnostic once we called it a day.

Within minutes, the hormones did their job and I was feeling much better. I looked at my fellow travelers and blushed as I saw that they were just standing there watching me intently. Before I could address them, I heard a faint noise in the distance. A soft growl, like that of a dog. Anj was instantly alert. I noticed that Isabella was shivering, perhaps in fear? Gorsk was sniffing trying to figure out what might be making that noise.

He spoke up "It's a warg. It can be dangerous even though it's four of us.". Anj added "Wargs usually travel in packs. They are vicious creatures and we have never been able to tame them." Gorsk smirked. "Goblins have tamed them for ages. However, I don't think I can take on a single warg let alone a pack - especially since you have taken away my mount." he threw me an accusatory glance.

I raised an eyebrow and was going to chastise him but I had more pressing matters at hand.

I turned on auto tracking function in my neural array. It was able to provide me with telemetry data about the potential location of the Warg. I looked around for potential weapons and asked no one in particular "Do you have any suggestions?"

Without waiting for an answer, I stepped lightly through the dense undergrowth. The scent of sulfur was strong on the breeze. I knew from local lore that I was deep in Warg territory. My senses were heightened. Suddenly, I heard a slow, raspy growl echo menacingly through the forest. My heart pounded as I turned. I found myself facing a muscular creature, larger than any Earth wolf, its fangs glistening. It had eyes that glowed yellow, and locked onto me in cold assessment.

Trying to show no fear, I raised my chin and kept eye contact, telling the beast without words that I wouldn't be its next meal. The Warg let out another growl. Was it confused, or excited? It was a blur. I knew I had to establish dominance. I dared not to use my implants and nanobots, even though the threat was immediate and real. I had to defy the beast with my wit and will.

Slowly, purposely, I took a step forward, hands open. I projected the dominance I had seen in old earth documentaries about in wolf pack leaders, translating that experience to this world. The Warg looked briefly startled by my directness. Its eyes narrowed, its muscles bunched, and it lunged.

I held my ground, throwing back an instinctive, primal growl of my own. This was all a gamble now. I saw its eyes dilate and for a heart-stopping moment, the Warg studied me. It blinked, looked away, then sat back on its haunches and emitted a strange, gruff noise - I took it as a nod of acceptance to my supremacy.

The Warg eventually retreated. And I, against all odds, had successfully subdued a Warg using nothing more than my force of will and a dash of bravado. My heart pounding I walked over to my companions. I noticed that the Warg was following me. Perhaps it was hungry?

Anj and Isabella ran towards me but stopped when they saw the Warg walking behind me. I looked at Isabella and saw her mouth fall open in absolute disbelief. "Wha...how...," she stuttered, her words trailing off. It was clear that the sight of me, returning with a subdued Warg, was beyond anything she had ever imagined.

Anj, who was bolder of the two, took a step forward, as she registered my peculiar company. I saw her hand instinctively go to her heart, startled. Anj was known for her tough exterior, but the sight of a Warg up close touched a primal fear. Looking reverently at me she blurted "Oh..", her eyes wide. I just shrugged at her, trying to suppress my smile. I was pleased with myself.

As I turned to Gorsk, his beady eyes narrowed, glancing between me and the Warg. His lower jaw twitched, exposing his sharp, tainted teeth -- a sure sign of intense surprise in his Goblin ways. "I never thought..." He started, his gravelly voice dropping suddenly. Intrigue replaced his initial shock as he studied the Warg, now docile and calm under my control. "Red.. urr.. sorry Gabby, you continue to astonish" he finally stated, the wary respect in his voice palpable.

It was interesting to see how the Warg treated my companions. Although Isabella and Anj stayed clear of the Warg, any sudden movement on their part or if they came within a certain limit, the warg emitted a low growl to warn them off. With Gorsk, the warg seemed to be indifferent. I wondered what caused those reactions. However, recalling that everyone was hungry, I decided to find something to eat.

I was excited with the idea of a hunt as I stealthily tread through the forest undergrowth. The faint rustling of leaves signaled our prey -- a hulking wild boar, its tusks shimmering under the alien sun. I was mindful of the warg at my side, its focussed gaze fixed on the boar, reading my silent signals as if we had done this a million times before. Silently, I gestured for our coordinated attack.

With a burst of speed and agility belying its size, the Warg launched itself at the boar. A growl of exertion and a cacophony of squeals and roars filled the air. Emboldened, I darted forward, spear in hand, aiming for the distracted boar. The hunt ended swiftly, my spear sinking deep into the boar's side. Much like a finely choreographed dance, the Warg and I had managed to overpower the boar together.

The thrill of the hunt still lingered as I lead the Warg back to camp, the wild boar slung over my shoulders. As we emerged into the clearing, I could almost see the awe and relief battling on Anj and Isabella's faces.

Anj came forward to help and stopped as the Warg growled at her with its fangs out. I soothed it and then Anj helped me. Her strength apparent as she took one side of the boar. "By the gods," Anj muttered, crossing herself as her gaze took in the sight. Her words held a note of reverence. To Isabella, I was no less of a miracle. "Chosen one?" she questioned, her voice hushed, as if saying it louder might shatter the moment. I couldn't help the small smile that tugged at my lips.

Gorsk seemed less convinced. His beady eyes flickered as I surreptitiously used the lighter covered by my other hand igniting the fire effortlessly. I knew he would be awed by this. I was wise enough to keep him guessing, the ember's reflection dancing in his eyes.

Before we busied ourselves with prepping our meal, the fire's warmth on my face, I gave the warg a portion of the boar. Then I discreetly activated my neural interface to scan the boar. Advanced sensors in my fingertips, tiny and unnoticeable, tested for potential pathogens or harmful substances. Enhanced vision guided my hands as I expertly butchered it with precise movements. The mouthwatering scent of roasting meat soon filled the air.

As we all gathered, feasting under the hot sun, I found a moment to reflect. Side-glancing at the Warg, I had to admit - having advanced tech did provide an edge on this primitive world. I still had to finish my mission.

We continued on our way, Gorsk begrudgingly acknowledged my success in taming the Warg. He spent a great deal of time observing the warg, looking for any signs of deception on my part. As the hours passed and the warg continued to behave obediently and loyally, Gorsk slowly came to accept my dominance over the him. I found it odd that the warg seemed to only acknowledge me and Gorsk as it's superiors. I wondered if it could sense that two women were afraid of him.

During our walk I decided to call him "Shadow" for the way he had hunted the boar and color of his fur. I noticed that Anj was more enthusiastic about it than Isabella.

Gorsk made a remark that surprised me. "So you're naming the warg Shadow now?" he asked, with a mischievous grin on his face.

I noticed Isabella fidgeting. "Ok, I will bite - what is the going on - is that the name that you do not like?" I asked Gorsk. "Oh I like it very much" he replied. "So why the sneering?" I asked raising my eyebrow.

"Well we have a pony girl named Shadow. It's going to be fun when we call out Shadow and both the warg and the pony responds" he smirked. Anj dutifully smacked Gorsk.

I looked at Isabella with sympathy and saw a flash of anger and humiliation. She mistook my look as a question and responded "The name Shadow" she said "well she told me how she was captured, broken and humiliated much the same way as me." I squeezed Isabella's shoulder lightly trying to comfort her and then continued our walk.

The jungle grew darker as we ventured deeper into the tangled trails, the dense vegetation closing in around us. It was a place where shadows seemed to have a life of their own, and the feeling of being watched crept over me like a phantom's caress. It was the kind of unsettling sensation that sent shivers down one's spine, but years of training had honed my ability to remain calm and focused even in the most disquieting of circumstances.

My senses were on high alert as I scanned the surrounding tree line for any hint of impending danger, every nerve poised for action.

Suddenly, Gorsk's attention was drawn to something, and he signaled for us to halt. My irritation flared at the delay; the next hill, where we intended to establish our camp for the night, seemed tantalizingly close, no more than an hour's journey away. "What is it?" I asked him impatiently, my eyes fixed on the dark silhouette of the hill against the fading light.

Before he could respond, my neural implant blinked with a proximity alert, instantly drawing my attention. With a swift mental command, I engaged the implant's infrared sensors, and the forest before me revealed its secrets. Three figures materialized in the thermal landscape, their sizes and stances betraying their presence. Two of them were human-sized, while the third matched the stature of a Goblin. Their posture suggested they were just as alert to our presence as we were to theirs.

I whispered softly to my companions, "There seem to be three individuals up ahead." Gorsk, however, relied on a different sense. "I can smell someone there, a mix of human and Goblin scent. How do you know there are three of them?" he inquired.

Shadow, our loyal companion, emitted a low growl, instinctively sensing the presence of strangers. I murmured calming words into his pointed ears while gently petting him to pacify his unease.

"I can sense their presence," I replied, turning my attention to Gorsk, "There are indeed three, but we should remain cautious."

Gorsk appeared somewhat taken aback by my ability, but he accepted my counsel, acknowledging the need for vigilance. I gestured toward a dense thicket of small plants to our left and instructed, "Isabella and Anj, you should conceal yourselves there. Let Gorsk and me investigate." Anj, however, rejected the idea, asserting, "I'll come with you. Aunt Bella can stay here."

Gorsk, in his usual blunt manner, couldn't resist a quip, "Must be a pony girl with her Goblin rider. The third one must be another human he's captured, right? All of them females?" His speculative tone hung in the air, and I released an exasperated sigh, lowering Gorsk to the ground. "Yes, the humans are females. I cannot determine the Goblin's gender. And you're mistaken; the Goblin isn't riding the females." Gorsk, baffled by this revelation, stammered, "Oh, but.."