Sword and Claw

Book Two: Chapter 22

Sora's mind cleared as she opened her eyes and yawned. When she rose to stretch her arms, she felt something warm and soft laying next to her.

She glanced to the left, spotting Maxor laying under a red quilt without clothes.

"Huh?" Sora looked under the covers on the bed, realizing she was naked too.

Oh, my god..... a deep chill shifted through her while her heart pumped fast, waking her up.

Maxor rose and stretched his arms up, yawning louder than Sora. He glanced at Sora and slept. "Good morning, beautiful. Did you sleep well?"

Sora shook while holding the bed quilt over her chest. "Did..... we had..... sex..... last night?"

Maxor sat up straight and rubbed his left eye. He glanced at the cabin walls and the carpet floor. "Ooooooooooh..... I think so."

Sora widened her eyes. "You think so?"

Maxor rubbed his head. "My mind is groggy right now, but I remember waking up like this..... Every time I meet a woman in a tavern."

Sora felt a frog crawled up her throat. "Oh god..... I'm a homo!"

Maxor laughed and slapped Sora's back. "Oh, get over yourself. You enjoyed it."

Sora glared at Maxor. "How can you be calm? You know I am a man inside a woman's body!"

Maxor glanced up and down at Sora. "But your body is a woman. I felt no difference."

Sora placed her hands on her face. How could she make out with a male wolf when she was a straight guy?

Maybe she got drunk so much, she couldn't control herself. Now she knows how a teen girl felt when she realized she got laid at a house party after drinking a lot. I lost my virginity to a man!

"You need not feel ashamed about it," said Maxor. "Everybody does foolish things when they get drunk. On the bright side, now you know how women feel when they mate."

Sora doesn't remember the experience, nor she wanted to know. Some players liked to do weird stuff like that, but Sora doesn't want to be one of them. "But how could you do that to me?"

"It wasn't my fault," said Maxor, "you got horny on me."

Sora gazed at Maxor with her mouth wide opened. "Me?"

Maxor rubbed his temple. "Yes, I remembered. After we danced, I carried you into this small cabin. You took off your clothes and jumped on me. I tried to make you stop but..... Damn, you were wild. So I let you have your way with me until you passed out. I never knew you were good at sex."

Sora felt like vomiting on the floor. Her body only shivered while she kept the naughty thoughts from invading her mind.

Maxor turned his body a bit toward Sora. "Do you want the specific details-"

"No!" Sora held up her hand. "It is only a mistake! Don't speak about this to anyone!"

"Okay."

Sora pointed his finger at Maxor. "If you do, I'll send you back to the slave cart. Understand?"

Maxor shrugged. "Whatever you say."

Sora rubbed her head. Maybe morning breakfast will help her forget about her rude awakening moment. I'm not gay! I'm not gay!

*****

Later in the morning, Sora placed a saddler on a Satger outside the thief village. The breakfast was decent; a plate of eggs, toast, and cheese with a cup of coffee to cure a hangover. But it didn't help Sora forget about her accidental intimacy with Maxor.

However, it didn't take long for Sora to realize Maxor was only an NPC. A character made out of digital data.

Basically, he wasn't real. If a player made out with someone who wasn't real, that meant the player didn't truly have intercourse.

If Sora could keep that in mind, she could get over it.

Sora climbed onto the Satger and watched her companions approached her on their mounts. Garan's Satger was thicker, able to carry the mammoth's massive weight.

Maxor's Satger was black and skinny. Probably built to run quick if danger approaches its path.

"Are you ready to go?" Sora asked.

Before Maxor opened his mouth, Nancy and Batista approached them.

"Nancy would like to join you," the badger explained. "I tried to persuade her to stay, but she is a tough bugger to control. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Nancy glared at Batista and smiled at Sora. "Can I? Please! Please! Please! I will be a good thief for your party!"

"Why do you want to join us?" Sora asked.

Nancy jumped up and down. "Because I'm tired of staying here! I want want want an adventure! Please take me!"

Sora shrugged. "Okay, but don't get in our way. Our quest is very dangerous."

Nancy laughed. "I live through danger! And I won't be a pain in your ass!"

Sora giggled. "Sure, you can join us. I think having another girl in our party is a good refreshment."

Nancy jumped up and cheered. "Yes! Oh, thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

She climbed up onto Sora's mount and sat behind Sora, hugging her. "I will never let you down!"

"Please take care of her," said Batista, "or she will jump out of the grave to haunt you."

"Thank you for letting us stay for a bit," said Sora.

Batista laughed. "I should thank you for slaying the blasted dragon. You don't need to thank me for anything. And Maxor....."

The wolf glanced at the badger.

"I was wrong about you," Batista replied. "You are a good thief who repaid his debt to us."

"But Sora is the one who paid you," said Maxor.

"Yes, but you came back and faced us. Helping her was enough to repay your debt."

Maxor smiled. "Thank you, Batista."

The badger sniffed and rubbed a tear off his face. "Okay! You're making me bloody cry now. Farewell!"

Sora and her friends waved and strolled through the woods on their Satgers.

"Where are we going?" Nancy asked.

Sora grinned. "We're going straight to straight Northon."

"Why? That place is cold cold cold!"

"Because there is a great evil there who needs to be stopped. And he has my body."