World of Ranicke Bk. 03 Ch. 08

The two of them eventually walked into the side room and Zephara spoke. "What do you want? I am being blunt since I don't have a great deal of time." They had talked to some other Augars about Theik and the bonds and hadn't had much luck with it.

She carefully stood and looked at the King. "Your highness some being contacted me. You will have to eventually let Theik-Lekal leave your service. He has a destiny to serve which he can't hear." Suddenly she burst into flames and when they vanished she had as well.

Both of them were horrified when that had happened since they hadn't expected anything like this. Zephara was not happy with this turn but he couldn't deny what they had seen. "What I am supposed to do? You have been such a pillar of my support for so many years? He had long since come to the conclusion that Theik was to keep him from doing anything stupid. Hell he had found the woman of his dreams and he and Z'nala had wedded several years ago. She was carrying their first child at the moment.

Theik turned to Zephara and sighed. "I have had a feeling I have needed to start considering moving on Milord. I can't say why but I have been dreaming of going to the nearest hill and seeing what is on the other side. I don't know when I am going to be called to move but I am going to. I..." Theik looked away as he kept speaking. "I have fulfilled what I have been brought her to do Zephara. I am going to miss you and Z'nala so very much when I am called to move on. I don't want to but I have to. I will not take chances with not moving and something happening." His voice was thick with emotions since he had grown to care for a number of people here.

~~~

Thankfully it had been several years before he had finally been forced to move on. That had been a tearful exit since he had come to love the two and their children. When he had been forced to move on Z'nala had delivered her and Zephara's second child. Even more important she had named their second child after him. That had ended up with his crying his eyes out as he left the city.

For how many years he had traveled he wasn't sure till he had ended up in the port town which serviced the other continent. When the ship he had finally ended up on left he was standing on the bow and looking at the ocean. He missed his friends a great deal but he had been forced to keep going. He might have settled down for a while at times but he had been forced to keep going. It didn't matter what he felt or who he was with but he had been forced to keep going.

~~~

Lak-Non had been traveling for a number of years since he had arrived on this continent. He was currently relaxing in a hot springs of a Kitsune clan he had been with for several months. Over the last four or so years he had spent at most six months with whatever clan or tribe he had asked to travel with. That confused him somewhat since over the time he had been in Cerule before coming to this continent he had spent a number of years in any one location but currently it felt like he was almost being driven to move. Back in Cerule it was more of a gentle nudge. So far he had spent time with Inu's, Kitsune's, Dargoth's, Neko's and even human's.

At each pack, pride, tribe or other name for the group he had done much the same. He had acted as a warrior, a teacher of warriors, songsmith, and whatever else was needed. As he had spent time traveling around once in a rare blue moon he would come across some music which was familiar. When he did for some reason he always seemed to get a bloody headache as some spot of memory came back. What he found so frustrating was the flashes of memory in many cases didn't make any sense to them. There were flashes of strange metal caravan's, huge structures, brief scenes of places he had never seen before.

If he hadn't known what the augers had said about him he would have been seriously questioning his sanity. They hadn't been able to say much when he and Zephara had gone to them other than there was years of travel in front of him. They had indicated that his past would come back to him but it would be a long slow process. Over the years and bits and pieces of memories came back to him he had cursed the gods and spirits. So very little of it made any sense to him other than frustratingly short glimpse of what might be a family. There were brief glimpses of kids, tents, and caravans similar to the ones he had gotten familiar with.

At the moment he was relaxing against a low chair slowly strumming the Corwith he still had. Over the last few years he had created a number of songs and written them down. For some reason he simply couldn't let them go and didn't approve them for general use. Now he did teach his style of music to others and told them they could create their own but not pass his around. It just felt right for some reason though why he couldn't say.

Sitting next to him was a rather attractive lady similar to the species Zephara and Z'nala came from. The feathers on her head were brown and golden compared to the other two. Theirs had been primarily white with black spots and stripes. Even her groin had some very soft feathers gracing it though those feathers were incredibly soft and flexible. She had traces of feathers up her back and along the back of her legs and arms. Lak-Non had to admit she had been a very interesting lover and had kept him busy at night. Neither was ready to settle down and both knew it. She was past her majority but as she put it 'had many years before she settled down'.

The night was dark and the clouds were low though he knew there wasn't going to be any rain yet. In front of the tent were a number of this flock he had gotten to know and they were listening to him play. What he found amusing was they actually sounded like birds at times with slight chirps and clicks. At the next stop he was going to be moving on and that was only a few weeks away. From what he understood it was going to be some traveling by himself for a number of days since the flock didn't get along with the next group. He had asked about it but nobody would really say much about it. It was just they weren't likely to ever get along very well.

He smiled at C'lacka as she leaned against him as he played. He knew they only had a few more weeks but he had been enjoying their time together. "So you looking forward to an enjoyable evening tonight? I do know that I have been greatly enjoying our time together." At the moment Lak-Non was simply doing some instrumental work. It wasn't something he did that often unless he just didn't feeling like singing. This Flock actually preferred it unlike many of the other groups. It allowed them to croon and sing with the music.

She leaned against him and preened for a few moments. "Darn straight Yames, I am so looking forward to enjoying the next few weeks." Since their race tended towards the smaller size of most of the races he was nicely larger than most of the males and damn but he rocked her body. When he left it was going to be annoying but she would get used to it.

Eventually he packed his instrument up and stood. "Well I am done for the evening. I feel the urge to go to bed and have a bit of fun." He grinned at the bird calls as C'lacka leaned against him. Lak-Non gave them a sly grin as he walked away from the others. "Goodness they seemed jealous for some reason. Not sure why unless you have been telling bird tails. Or tails of birds being satisfied..."

She bumped him and clacked at him as they walked into the tent he was sharing with C'lacka. "I am going to miss you when I move on. I don't know why I am forced to keep moving but I am going to look back with my time with you and many other people. I am going to miss so many people I have met but..." He looked up at the very rare clear sky and raised a hand as if to touch the sky. "Something is driving me on. I don't know what it is but I know I am going to find a place I can settle down and be at peace with. I need that peace and I am so tired of traveling. I want... I am not sure what I want but I need something."

She turned to him and wrapped her arms around his tall frame. C'lacka gave him a gentle hug and rubbed her face against him. "Lak-Non I have greatly enjoyed our time together and almost wish you could stay. I knew when I met you that you wouldn't stay around. There is just something about you which calls for you to keep moving. I understand and accepted this from the beginning. Now you had better show me some of the best next few weeks or else." She turned and wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a slow fluttery kiss. She licked, sucked, and nibbled his lips.

He leaned over as she wrapped her arms around his neck. As he let her slowly nibble and try to draw him into her bed he returned the favor. Lak-Non's hands slipped around her back and started at her shoulders and slowly traced the feathers down her spine. At her waist there was a small flared tail of feathers as well. He lightly traced his fingers down the edges of her tail and cupped her tight bottom.

She didn't squeak, click, grumble, or do anything other than press her body closer to him. "I am going to drag you to bed and let you bang me into sleep." She pushed on his chest to move away from him. Keeping his eyes on his she slowly stripped her clothing off and had to smile at his reaction. As she was slowly stripping her clothing off she watched Lak-Non's eyes starting to travel down her body. She was most definitely bird like with angular facial features, the traces of feathers, and delicate body structure.

Lak-Non had honestly been rather worried about hurting her the first few times they had made love. She had to seduce him into her bed the first time which was when he discovered her strength. Yes she was delicate and light but she had very strong muscles. His eyes traveled up and down her body as she was slowly working her clothes off. She, for her species had larger breasts but they were similar to some of the feline species. Her waist and hips were narrow and as he had previously contemplated she had some very soft looking feathers coating her groin. Unlike a human it was only in the front and didn't extend down the groin. From experience she had the feathers down her back as well as a short tail of feathers which covered part of her bottom.

He grinned at her and slowly started stripping down as well. Lak-Non watched her eyes do much the same as his had been doing. As he stripped his shirt off her eyes wandered over his shoulders and chest before slowly moving lower. He knew that he was teasing her yet he also knew she enjoyed the teasing. By the time he was done stripping she was most definitely interested in him. Then again he had a decent erection himself. "Come here you lovely woman. I am going to do my best to please you this evening."

She came over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck and jumped up and wrapped her legs around his waist. C'lacka didn't bother saying anything and settled for pressing her lips against his and gave him a passionate kiss. She knew the rest of the night was going to be very enjoyable.

~~~

Eventually he left the Flock and started heading for the next group. He had been on this continent long enough to know the rainy season was coming up soon. From what he had both seen and experienced many of the groups moved to a more central highland area to wait out the rain. That first rainy season he had been there had been almost horrifying. It had rained for almost three months straight. Lak-Non had never seen anything like that much rain before. Yes he had seen some heavy rains but not for several months in a row.

He really hoped he was able to make it to the next location and meet up with the tribe and Pride. He was able to finally get some information out of the leaders of the Flock. One group was a tribe of mixed species and the other was a Pride of felines. Being that Felines and the Zetheron, they didn't use that term, were radically different he could understand it. Rarely had he traveled between the groups by himself but he honestly wasn't worried.

Lak-Non knew what he was doing and had a good idea of the path between the two groups. He had been given some very detailed instructions on how to get from the one group to the next. Before he had left he had very carefully gone through all of his belongings since he had collected a fair amount. Much of it he gave to C'lacka to do with as she wished. The majority was clothing, small gifts and small things he had collected. All of his important items such as his jewelry imperial emblems, travel needs were neatly packed in his bag.

It was still a fair amount since he had the two axes, bag, and Corwith. Lak-Non still wished he didn't have to travel but such was life. If you knew what you were doing traveling alone wasn't that dangerous but that didn't mean it was safe. It could be something as simply as a broken bone or a cut that could keep you from getting to the next location.

With a stretch he stood and after giving C'lacka one last good kiss he grabbed his items and headed out of the camp. The trip to the next meeting sight was supposed to be three or so days. If he pushed it he should arrive the evening of the third day. With a rather cheerful step he left the Flock gathering. For some reason he was in a very good mood and was looking forward to meeting this new group.

By the end of the day he was more than ready to crash after getting some food. Thankfully at way points there were small buildings constructed. It was for travelers such as traveling diplomats, travelers such as himself, and traveling news bringers. There wasn't much to them other than a small heavily constructed stone and wood building for protection. Before he walked in Lak-Non checked for any animals which might have taken it over.

Once it was cleared out he tossed his bag down and pulled off his battle axe and the Corwith. "Whoever was here last time was a turd and didn't resupply the wood. Dick!" He pulled his regular axe and walked out to get some wood. Since the previous user hadn't refilled the wood pile he collected some extra. There were a few chores expected to be done as well to keep the small buildings in good condition. That didn't take that long and eventually he bared the door and crashed for the night.

The next two days were much the same and as he had expected he arrived towards evening. At the edge of the open area he was met by two guards. One was a Puma Warrior and the other an Inu. "I am simply traveling through and mean no harm. My name is Lak-Non and I am a warrior and songsmith. I wish to speak to either chief for permission to stay and possibly travel with you."

The two guards gave him a good look and he obviously looked dangerous but he wasn't acting anything other than relaxed. He looked like almost any other human other than what they could see of one axe. The handle was intricately carved and was skinned with a leather they didn't recognize. He did have a case for some sort of musical instrument. Something seemed familiar but neither one could bring it to the front of their mind. The Puma warrior called out. "We need two reliefs. We have a wanderer asking to see the Chief's."

Two warriors came trotting up and gave the man a good look. "Go take him to the chief's. We will be here till you are done." As they took up guarding the other two gestured for Lak-Non to follow them. As they walked through the crowd they did get some interest. "Just so you know you arrived at a good time stranger. One of our Chief's relatives just introduced her new kitten to the Pride. The celebration tonight is in honor of the kitten."

Lak-Non gave him a pleased smile. "Congratulations, any new pup or kitten is a blessing. Maybe I can sing something for them. I would be honored to do that." He might be a warrior but singing was far more what he wanted to do anymore.

"When you are introduced make the offer." He was pleased that a traveler would value a child as well. Most of the wanderers were loners and other than to travel occasionally with the various tribes. Eventually they made it to the center of the two groups and the warriors led the wanderer to the chief's. The presentation ceremony was just finished and the group was stepping down from the stage.

As they were wandering through the tribes, he started getting tired of defining them, he was definitely interested. One of the tribes was obviously feline but the other was a major mixed bag of races. This was not a group he had ever encountered before. Most groups had a few of other races but the second group was almost exclusively mixed. When they finally reached the center of the two tribes he froze when he saw the people just coming down. A burning pain slammed through his temples.

Behind him a form appeared and let out a stunning roar. It clapped a massive paw over Lak-Non's head. "Wake my warrior, wake!" With another shattering roar the figure vanished.

~~~ Soran Tribe

The next person to go into labor was Nang. In her case it was in the middle of moving from one location to another. She already knew she was having a son which would please Dan to no end. He loved his girls but all men wanted a son. Nang also knew Dan didn't care if he had girls or boys as long as they were healthy. It was just who he was. Thankfully in this case it was early in the night and she would probably deliver before the tribe needed to move. She nudged Dan. "Wake up old man, I am in labor." There was definite amusement in her voice.

Dan rolled over and gave her a good kiss. "I know you young and sexy woman. The more pregnant you are the sexier you are to me and you know it." His voice was soft as he spoke since it was the truth. As far as he was concerned she was beautiful all the time but it was especially true when she was pregnant. He slipped out of bed and pulled on a loin cloth and some pants and boots.

Nang gave him a kiss before he moved since she knew how he viewed her body. It did show signs of having had two children but it just made him want her in his life even more. "Damn it Dan don't talk like that right now. You know that makes me want you and now is not a good time to be horny." She curled around her stomach as the next contraction hit. "Most definitely not now." She swung her legs over the side though it took a few moments. Anymore she did wear her loincloth to bed. In this case it was thicker and designed for capturing excess fluids. Her water hadn't broken as of yet and she hope it would wait till they were outside.

Dan grabbed a long shirt for her and helped her pull it on. As he helped her outside he called across the street. "Nang is in labor and I am taking her to the medic's tents." Well caravans but they would understand. The walk was much as it had been with him and Sheeha. When they arrived at the medical caravan they were quickly shown in and to a room.

Back at Jim's caravan, they still considered it his, one of the older kids had heard Dan call out and he hurried to the adult section and called out. "Warrior Dan indicated the Mystic is in labor and wanted you to know. I am going to go and wake Allie and Ana." He turned and hurried to the girls section and called out before walking in. "Allie, Ana the Mystic is in labor." He opened the curtain over the opening and made sure they were awake.

Allie sat up and stretched and yawned. "Oh, um give us a few minutes and we will be out." By now she was used to the rather casual attitude about nudity though she still wore a short shirt to bed. When she stretched it showed her upper half off.

The boy blushed and ducked back out. "They went to the medical section." Yes nudity was common in the baths and such but that didn't mean he couldn't notice cute girls and she was definitely cute. "I have informed the momma's as well." He settled back on the couch in the central section and was quickly asleep again.