[Hours Later]

It had been some time now since Lyca and I found the Red Rooster Inn. We did exactly as the old man had instructed us to and of course she and I both kept to the shadows the whole time, our hoods up and double checking to make sure that we weren't followed. We never saw anyone at all but I was still freaking out the whole time. When we both found it, a stone and wooden building with a brown tiled roof we both entered. The place was packed and thankfully nobody payed us any attention. Everyone was talking with one another, eating and drinking. I came up to the counter and the woman behind it, a woman with red hair in a single braid gave us a funny look before I placed the coins down. She nodded and told us to sit anywhere.

We chose a table in the corner as far away from the door, the counter and the fire place as we could find. The area was a little darker than the rest which suited us and so she and I sat together with Lyca taking her seat first and then I sitting next to her. I figured it was the best to have her sit in the corner of the room just in case. If anyone at all did look in our direction they must've just thought we were an odd pair hooded and cloaked. And that was just fine with me. I'd rather be taken as a common traveler instead of a guy who's on the run from the Inquisition. It didn't take long at all before one of the maids came and placed a couple of bowls of hot stew. A mix of meat and vegetables. Some bread, cheese and a couple of ales with it.

Like always, Lyca practically inhaled in her food in a matter of minutes and after a couple of bites of my stew I decided to let her have the rest. She was worried about that at first but I told her it was okay and that I wasn't all that hungry anyway. I did however drink. And I wish the old guy have me some more money because I sure could use several ales. After watching a man be put to death I desperately wanted to forget all about that. I could still hear him screaming in agony through the roar of the flames and I could still remember the smell of his flesh burning as he was set ablaze. After all the things I've seen and experienced before coming here I would've thought I had seen the worst but I guess that was just stupidity on my part.

Lord only knows how much things were going to get before my journey ends. So there we were, sitting in the far corner of the inn and waiting for that guy to show up. I have no idea how long she and I were sitting there. I hated the fact that we had no watches or anything. Just sitting on my ass and doing nothing at all made me extremely nervous. It didn't take long at all before I started wondering if I was tricked. Did this guy just lure me here so that the Inquisitor could find and arrest me later? The other advantage of the seats that we chose was that we could look to our left and see the door clearly. If anyone entered she and I would be the first to see them. The only downside was we were in the corner and I couldn't see another door.

Just as I was beginning to drive myself nuts I heard the door swing open. But this time everyone in the whole inn turned to look and see. There he stood, the old Executioner dressed in dark grey clothes with a black cloak draped over his shoulders and his hood up. The room was so quiet that you could've heard a pin drop. He stood there for a moment and I could barely make out his eyes from under his hood. He was looking at me for a brief moment before entering the room. When he did everyone ignored him and resumed their talks with one another. The old man spoke with the woman behind the counter briefly and then made his way towards us with his eyes to the ground. However he didn't sit at the same table as the both of us.

He actually took a lone table next to us and sat with his back to me. I was about to turn to face him but he spoke up. "Don't face me." he said in a low gravely voice. "It will look suspicious if anyone sees us talking. Face your pretty little wife and pretend you're talking with her instead. I can hear everything you say just fine but keep your voices low. There are unfriendly ears here." he told me cautiously.

I did as he told me and faced Liyca who looked at me but nodded, knowing I wasn't really talking to her. "So who are you?" I asked him.

"My name is Eadred. I'd tell you what it is I do but I'm sure you already know by now." he answered.

"You're the local Executioner here." I replied almost hissing it.

"Not my first choice in a job. Not even my second or third choice. It's a long story but I was desperate for a job and an opportunity opened up." he grumbled. "Now, who are you and your wife?" he asked back.

"My name is Theo and this is Lyca." I answered.

"Now I have to ask you Son, how did you survive the Holy Water?" he asked just loud enough for me to hear.

"You're probably going to think I'm either lying or crazy." I replied.

"After seeing you survive direct contact with Holy Water I may be more open minded today than I've ever been." he retorted.

"You seriously think that water can and should've killed me?" I asked him.

"I've seen it before." he answered. "Holy Water blessed by a Priest or Priestess is used to destroy demonic corruption and when it comes into contact with the skin of Monsters, Demons and Incubi they are ingulfed in unquenchable flames which reduce them to nothing but a smoldering pile of ashes. They die in agony as they burn alive and the flames eat away at their flesh and bone. The Church claims that it also destroys your soul too so that you can never enter Heaven or the Underworld. Now I don't know if the last part is true but dying by the Holy Flames is something I've seen more than enough times to know that you shouldn't have survived when the Inquisitor through the Holy Water on you. So how did you survive?" he asked me again.

I only continued looking at Lyca while I paused and she looked at me like she was wondering how I was going to answer that. "I'm not from this world." I said shrugging my shoulders and saying just loud enough for him to hear. "I know it sounds crazy but it's true. I was ripped through time and space from my world into a completely different realm of existence I had no idea was even real. I don't know how, I don't know why and that's what I'm trying to figure out. I don't even know if..." I stopped myself for a moment thinking on this. I felt Lyca take hold of my hand in her paw and gently squeeze it. "I don't even know how or if I ever will get back home. But I have to at least try. That's why I'm trying to find the mages and ask for their help." I finished explaining.

He was quiet for a nearly a minute. Can't say I blame him. He's probably still trying to process all of that and decide for himself he thinks I'm nuts. "I'm not entirely convinced that's true but I'll accept it." he finally said. "You survived the power of the Holy Water so I suppose it's possible." he told me.

"So just give it straight to me, how much trouble are we in exactly?" I asked him.

"You embarrassed an Inquisitor and not just any, Ricfried." he answered.

"I take it that guy has quite the reputation here?" I asked still not looking behind me.

"I don't know him personally but I've heard enough about him." he replied. "Ricfried is a sadist. He used to work as a torturer for one of the northern lord of Trevaria before he fell out of favor. The Church however thought he could be of use and made him an Inquisitor. From the stories I've heard, he loves torturing Mamono. Both the women and their children. And now, you've made him look foolish in front of the whole town." he explained.

"So big trouble is what you're saying." I replied.

"If he captures you both, he's going to force you to watch as your pretty little wife is flayed alive before being downed in a tub of her own blood." he began. "He'll then blind you so it'll be the last thing you'll ever see in your life. Your ankles will be tied to the saddles of horses and you'll be dragged naked through the streets for everyone to see. You'll be hanged at the neck and then dropped before you die. He'll have you castrated, your belly cut open with your entrails pulled out and while you're still barely alive they'll toss your entrails and genitals thrown into a fire. Each of your libs will be tied to a pair of bulls who will tear to pieces in four different directions. In the end your head will decorate the wall of the town atop a spear." he explained.

There was a pause when he finished and Lyca looked at me with a worried expression. "Theo are you okay? You're turning white." she remarked.

I wasn't going to lie. I was scared out of my mind. Hearing what was in store for me if the Inquisitors caught me made my blood turn to ice just now. Once I swallowed and took a deep breath I finally responded.

"Alright, you've made your point I'm in big trouble." I replied still not looking behind me. "But I still don't understand, why do you want to help me?" I asked him.

"I'll show you soon enough." he answered. "Now, the both of you need to leave the inn. Do not make eye contact with me or anyone else. Walk calmly but quickly and when you leave, head to the back of the inn and wait for me. Make sure nobody sees you and don't leave until I come around for you. Then we'll go from there." he answered.

So the both of did as he instructed. I stood up first and let Lyca stand up from her seat before we made our way quickly to the front door. Once outside I saw how it was getting late. The sun was turning orange as it was setting in the west. The both of us turned right and looked both ways as we made our way to the corner of the building. So far so good, nobody else really around. Once at the end she and I snuck around and quickly moved down the alleyway and turned the corner again. The very back was cleared except for a few barrels and crates here and there. Without anything to do she and I picked a spot between two crates that had room for us both and sat down on the ground. Now was the part where we would simply play the waiting game.

And wait we did. Eadred kept us waiting outside until the sun had finally disappeared behind the hills in the distance and until the last rays of sun began to vanish. Honestly, what was this guy doing? taking a nap? Just as I was beginning to get frustrated that was when we heard footsteps and looked to see him turn the corner.

"Good, you're both here." he said under his hood as we both stood to his feet.

"What took you so long?" I asked crossing my arms.

"Had to finish my drink. And we had to wait until the sun went down." he answered.

"Why this late?" I asked.

"Everyone has gone home now so it's easier for us to move without crowds of people slowing us down. And it's night so it's easier for us to move about unseen. Now follow me." he said turning.

"Where are we going?" I asked him.

"We have a few things I need to get now come on." he urged.

Lyca and I did as we were told and followed close behind him. We kept to the side of the houses and in the shadows. At one point we heard footsteps and other voices so he had us duck behind the shadows again on the side of a building and waited as two guards were walking and talking. I overheard them speaking about what the Inquisitors and I wasn't at all happy to hear that Ricfried was already speaking to the Ealdorman about recruiting some of the local militia and hunting for the "Heretic" which obviously means me. At this point our situation was only growing all the more desperate. It was obvious at this point that Merseax was too dangerous now for Lyca and me. We needed to leave this place and get out of reach of the Inquisition.

We followed Eadred a little while longer until he led us both to what looked like a dirty, isolated and rundown old house. "What a dump." I said looking at the leaky roof and filthy building.

"Yes I know my house obviously isn't a very charming place." he grumbled.

I wanted to kick myself for being so rude just now. I should've known that the local executioner lived in a place like this. "Uh, sorry." I told him rubbing the back of my neck.

"Heh, don't be." he replied opening the door. "I hate this place just as much as anyone would. Now get in." he said with a nod.

Both of us entered the dark room and before we could say anything about how we couldn't see anything he lit a candle and now we had light. I watched as he walked over to another room and could only make out the light coming through just barely. He then came back out with a stack of folded clothes in his arms before handing them to me.

"Get changed." he ordered.

"What?" I asked looking at stack in my arms.

"Do you want people to recognize you?" he asked. "Now get in there and change." he ordered.

I walked into the dark room and did as he asked me too. The dim light he lit for me allowed me to see just enough what I was putting on. I took off my blue Vinterheim trousers and put on a pair of dark tan breaches. I also took off my red Vinterheim tunic and put on a light tan one and there was a dark brown jerkin over it. He also gave me a brown hooded cloak to replace my green Elvish one. There was also a pair of yellow brown boots that were a little too small but not terribly uncomfortable and a black leather ring belt which I fashioned on around my waist. He then instructed me to fold my clothes and pack them in this large brown satchel along with my weapons which I did. I emerged from the room and showed him.

"Very good." he said with a nod before taking the satchel. "Now here's the plan, you're going to follow me out the gate and keep quiet. You young lady." he said turning to Lyca. "Can you climb the walls?" he asked her.

"I-I think so." she answered.

"Then you need to scale the walls and get outside the town." he replied. "Make sure nobody sees you and work your way around to the front gate. I'll exit with Theo through the front gate and we'll meet back up with you at the edges of the woods. Take this satchel and keep it close." he instructed.

"Wait a minute, why can't we just all go out the front gate?" I asked him.

"Can't take that chance." he said turning to me. "The Inquisitors are looking for a human man and a Werewolf. If we all go to the front gates that are guarded they'll catch us. We can't take this chance. Now I can get you through the gates but not her. But if she can scale the walls that won't be a problem." he explained.

I thought about that for a moment and nodded before stepping forward to speak with her. "It's going to be alright Lyca. Go ahead and scale the walls, make sure you're not seen, head to the front of the gate along the edges of the woods and we'll meet back up again." I told her.

"But Theo, I..." she said trying to form the right words. I don't blame her. She and I were torn apart once and she really doesn't like splitting up.

"Lyca." I said placing my hands on her shoulders. "I promise you, we will meet back up with you again soon." I told her sincerely.

She looked down unsure at first but then back up and smiled before nodding. "Now let's go." said Eadred as he opened the door again.

All three of us stepped outside and I watched as Lyca crouched down before jumping up high with those powerful legs of hers and grab hold of the roof of one of the houses. She pulled herself up effortlessly and then turned to look at the wall itself. We watched as she jumped from rooftop to rooftop with great speed and agility. Eventually she was out of sight and Eadred instructed me to follow him. I put my hood up and followed just behind him as we walked the stone streets. He wasn't too worried about clinging to the sides of houses and hiding in the shadows this time. I guess he has confidence in my new disguise. As we walked I thought about Lyca. I believed in her but I was still worried. One mistake and we're all in grave danger.

After about twenty minutes of walking I saw the gate up ahead with a pair of guards posted there. Both of them were casually talking. I was relieved to see that they weren't the same men I encountered earlier so I didn't have to worry about them recognizing me. As we approached one of them noticed and he got his fellow guard's attention. They both grabbed torches and I did my best to keep my cool and not let them see me shaking.

"Let me do the talking." Eadred said in a low voice.

"Good evening Eadred, how are you tonight?" asked the first guard. A man with brown hair and a mustache.

"Evening Holbert, Eadwulf." he replied.

"Going out for some night time work are you? And who's this?" the other guard, a man with a full brown beard and a shaved head.

"This is my new apprentice, Algar." he said turning so they could see me.

"Um, good evening Guardsmen." I said from under my hood.

"Apprentice huh? Well good on you Eadred, we were beginning to wonder when you would ever find someone." said the bald man with a smile.

"Taking the lad out for evening lessons on executions then are you?" asked the first guard.

"That we are Holbert. I've got to take the boy out and uh, show him the ropes if you will." he said with a chuckle.

They laughed as well at the bad joke and I faked a chuckle as well to play along. "Well alright then, you're both good to go. Be careful though, word is it that Orc and Werewolf attacks have been on the rise lately." he said as they opened the gates for us.

"And good evening to you Gentlemen." said the bald guard.

I felt a sensation of relief wash over me as we both walked past the guards who closed the gates behind us. Eadred led up the road at first but then we walked off the dirt path and onto the grass. From there we made our way probably a hundred yards or so across the open field and up a sloping hill till we reached to the edges of the woods. After entering he and I stopped and waited.

"Alright, now all that's left is for us to wait for your little wife to show up." he said leaning against a tree.

"Oh she'll be here." I replied. "When she's set her mind on finding me nothing will slow her down." I said remembering fondly how loyal and determined she was in the past.

"You don't have to tell me that Son." he said with his lips curling into a small smile. "When a Mamono loves a man her loyalty and devotion to him is second to none." he told me.

"You sound like you know a lot about Mamono." I said when I heard him say that.

"Yes, yes I suppose you could say that I do." he replied with a nod.

That was when I felt a tackle from behind which surprised me and I looked behind me to see Lyca smiling and hugging me. "I found you Theo." she said with her tail wagging behind her.

"I knew you would." I said smiling at her.

"If you two are ready to go?" Eadred said standing up straight again.

Lyca handed me the satchel which had all my things in it which I slung over my shoulder. "Lead the way." I replied.

The two of us followed Eadred a narrow dirty path that sloped downward. We were traveling down a hill that had roots and stones every step so we had to watch each step carefully considering how dark it was. I also noticed that his pattern of walking wasn't straight but more like walking to the nearest tree so he could lean on it. Feeling sympathetic I walked up next to him and extended an elbow.

"Oh thank you." he said gripping my arm and leaning into me. "I really appreciate that Son. I hate getting old and while it's easier going downhill then it is for me going uphill it's still a challenge for me none the less." he grumbled at his frustration.

"I don't understand how you could be this old and still do your job. Why keep doing it if it gets so hard?" I asked him.

"It's not like I can just quit whenever I feel like it. By law, you have to do your job as the local Executioner until you find someone able and willing to be your apprentice to take over. Every town and city must have someone willing to do the job." he explained.

I remembered something he told me earlier and figured now was a good time to bring it up. "You said you didn't want to the job in the first place. So how come you took the job anyway?" I asked.

"It's a long story but here's how it begins. I'm both a bastard and a whoreson." he said before having to take another careful step. "And before you make any smart remarks or jokes about it I mean literally. My mother as I was told was a prostitute who spent her days and nights shaking her tits and ass in one of the whore houses here and opening her legs for any man willing to pay her for a tumble under the sheets. I haven't the slightest idea at all who my father was. Obviously one of her paying customers she serviced to pay the rent. You know how it is with soldiers and travelers. They just come and go." he said before chuckling. "Heh, you see what I did there right? They come and go?" he chuckled again.

"Tee hee." I replied rolling my eyes.

"Anyway, it was only a matter of time before one of her customers would squirt me up into her belly." he continued which put images in my head that I really didn't want to think about. "Naturally I never knew who my mother was either. She died giving birth to me. My first victim and I suppose a foreshadowing of what I was meant to do. When I was born I was placed in the care of one of our local orphanages. It was happy enough. Bit crowded at times but the beds were warm and I never went to bed hungry. The sisters there were kind and did their best to care for us. But as I got older, nobody wanted to take me in and soon I got too old to stay and had to leave." he explained.

"Had to leave? Are you saying they just gave up on you?" I asked him.

"We can't stay there forever. All of us are expected to leave when we're old enough if we haven't been adopted. However it's not like they just toss you out." he replied. "There are options made available. All of us are offered a chance if we want to join the Church and receive a career in the Clergy. If none of us want that then boys are prepared to look for a job when they turn thirteen while girls can ask the Church to find them a husband when they turn sixteen. When I was twelve I was taught enough to apply for a multitude of jobs here in the town. When I turned thirteen I was taken to an inn and the Church paid a week's rent for a room which gave me plenty of time to find a job here that could help me earn a living. At least that's what we hoped." he told me.

"You couldn't find one could you?" I guessed to which he shook his head.

"One week of trying and I couldn't find anyone able or willing to hire on a young lad." he grumbled. I could see a hint of frustration and resentment in his features as he remembered those times. "None of the merchants were looking for an apprentice, none of the stable masters were looking for someone to work with the horses, none of the farmers were looking for someone to tend livestock or plow the fields, hell not even the army or militia were looking for a chore boy to so much as polish the weapons or scrub the privies." he said with a sigh. "At the end of the week I had to leave the inn and next thing you know I was on the streets begging for coppers. For the first time ever I slept on an empty stomach." he told me with a sad look.

"I'm starting to see now. You became the Executioner because you felt like you really had no other other choice." I said to which he nodded.

"The very first time I saw the local Executioner, he was having some poor bastard hanged for a crime I can't even remember what he was charged with." he continued. "All I remember was once the guy stopped shitting his breaches and dancing in mid air by his neck, the crowd had left and the Executioner cut his body down to look for anything of value on him. You see one of the privileges of being an Executioner is you get to loot the bodies of the dead and pawn them later. So I approached him and asked him for a job. And without a moments hesitation the old man immediately made me his Apprentice. And so he would begin training e to take over so he could finally retire." he explained.

"I guess he must have wanted out of the job just as badly as you wanted a job." I remarked.

"That is definitely one way of putting it." he replied. "Like I said, being an Executioner of all things wasn't my first or even my last choice but when you've slept on the streets for a week and just want something to eat, you'll probably do anything. Hungry and hungry at the end of the day." he told me. "Of course, even I wasn't fully prepared for the job when it was time." he added.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"An Executioner by law has to train his Apprentice for at least one year before he may finally leave the job behind him. However, Osric was already well into his seventies when he took me under his wing. One week later and...he just didn't wake up. Died of natural causes." he answered. I couldn't help but feel terrible hearing that. That poor old man must've had his first real glimmer of hope that he can finally retire only to die before even finishing his apprentice's training. "So, the Ealdorman decided to go ahead and declare me the local Executioner right there and then. Two week later and I was called upon to take a life in my new line of work. Since I had the right to choose his method of execution I decided to hang him." he told me.

"Of course I couldn't stand seeing him suffer as he bounced up and down under the gallows." he continued. "So I walked underneath and out of mercy I grabbed hold of his legs and pulled as hard as I could until I heard the inevitable crack and it was all over. And there you have it. At thirteen, I became the town's executioner and killed my first man all in one week. And here I am today fifty five years later still doing it the same shit to the point where I feel numb to the thought of killing people." he finished.

I actually really started to feel sorry for the guy. This sounded like a man who was set up to fail from the very beginning of his life and is now trapped in this lifestyle he hates but just can never escape. And as we walked together to wherever it was he was leading us, I found myself wondering did I really want his help or did I want to try and help him? I didn't have to think on it for very long though. We eventually reached a clearing and when I looked I saw a mound of earth that really stood out. It reminded me all too much of Bag End from Tolkien's books in that it was a very large hill with a very large tree growing on the top of it. There was also a door and windows with light coming from them and then I saw someone out front.

"Ah, now comes the light and joy of my life." he said as he let me go as he could now walk on his own again. "Stand by Son, you may be overwhelmed in a minute." he warned.

"Wait what?" I asked.

Upon first glance the person out front looked like a regular little girl. Probably no older than six. However on closer inspection I realized she was actually a Mamono. She had floppy bunny years sticking up through her brown hair, little tuffs of fur around her wrists, big rabbit feet at the end of her legs sticking out from under her skirt and a fluffy bunny tail sticking out from behind. She was sitting down in the grass and playing with a doll. However she looked up and when she saw Eadred she immediately smiled, revealing some prominent buck teeth in her wide grin.

"Daddy!" she cried as she shot up.

The first thing that surprised me was hearing her call the old man daddy. But the thing that caused both Lyca and I to drop our jaws was out of nowhere, dozens more little rabbit girls started popping up out of little holes in the ground, out of bushes and with the front door crashing open with even more all pouring out. Suddenly there came a stampede of little bunnies with white, tan or brown rabbit fur and with a wide variety of hair color such as blondes, brunettes and redheads. All of them cheering daddy over and over again as they charged towards us. He smiled brightly and dropped to his knees as he embraced as many as he could in a warm and fatherly hug while they surrounded him and tried to show him the love and affection children did.

"Oh my beautiful daughters." he said as he picked up several giggling girls and hugged them. "Nothing makes me happier than coming back to you, all of you." he told them as he tried giving as many hugs and kisses as he could to them.

One of them started tugging at his pants to get his attention. "Daddy, who are the funny looking man and lady?" she asked him.

"Girls this is Theo and Lyca. They are our guests." he answered.

Behind them I saw how several other girls poked their heads out. But these ones were much older. From mid teens to early twenties with developing and fully developed bodies. They looked happy to see their father as well but one of them noticed me and her eyes lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Guys! Father brought home a boy!" she cried which got her sisters to squeal gleefully.

They all charged out by the dozens and soon I was surrounded by rabbit girls who were all competing for attention. And next to me I could see a shadow forming over Lyca's eyes and I could hear a low growl as her teeth started peeking out from under her lips. I was afraid she was going to tear them to shreds when I heard Eadred call out to them.

"Now now now girls, give him some room to breathe." he said as he still held several smaller ones in his arms.

That was when the last one came out of the house. I could tell immediately she was the matriarch of the household given she had a more mature look to her. A very lovely woman with golden blonde curly hair and blue eyes. Fair human skin that looked as soft as silk. A pair of white bunny ears sticking up through her hair and rabbit feet poking out from under her dress as well as a fluffy tail behind her. She looked a little older too. Like early thirties and had that hot and sexy mother look to her. But the dead give away was the large belly she had which I can only guess was yet another litter of bunnies just waiting to enter the world. She smiled and walked up to embrace her husband before giving him a quick yet loving kiss on the lips.

"So wonderful that you've come back again my love. And so soon too, this is such a surprise." she said in a cheerful voice. "Oh, I see we have guests. Greetings, my name is Fiona. Allow me to introduce our daughters. This is Freya, Franny, Francesca..." she started listing them all off and pointing to each one and I couldn't believe that she managed to pick a name for each and every one of them that started with the letter F.

"So many daughters." I said in disbelief.

"Oh yes dear, forty seven as a matter of fact. And as you can see, I have several more on the way." she said rubbing her belly.

"You're all, rabbits?" I asked.

"Wererabbits yes." she nodded. "And I don't believe I've had the pleasure." she said extending her hand.

"My name is Theodore. This is my wife Lyca. She's a Werewolf." I told her to which Lyca pulled down her hood to show her ears.

Lyca then forcefully pulled me out of the group of girls surrounding me and she did so with such force she nearly pulled my arm out of it's socket. "Yes, I'm his mate and we're on our honeymoon." she hissed at the other girls just daring them to try something.

"Very nice to meet you both. I must say, this is the first time my husband has brought guests over. Please come inside and warm up. I'll prepare something for you both to eat and drink." she said turning around to lead us in the house.

We followed the massive crowd of Wererabbits back to the house and Lyca and I had to duck down a little bit so we wouldn't hit our heads against the door frame. We then walked down a short set of stairs into a comfy and warm feeling house. The house didn't feel at all like it was underground. Instead it had neatly carved and cut wood for the walls which were painted a soft cream color. There were beams that were painted a dark brown and even the roots of the tree above were cleaned and neatly polished with several candles arranged along it giving us light. The floor was neatly arranged bricks which were also washed and cleaned to a shine. There was very nice and well carved furniture in the various rooms such as tables and chairs with soft cushions to sit on.

Eadred then handed the little rabbit girls he was holding over to two of his older daughters before turning to me. "Eh now, Theo why don't you come with me to one of our living rooms. I'd like to speak with you while dinner is being prepared." he told me.

"Well I think that sounds like good idea. Lyca my dear, why don't you come with me to the kitchen. There's some things I wished to talk to you about." she suggested.

"What kind of things?" she asked tilting her head slightly.

Fiona leaned in with a sly smile before shooting me a quick glance. "Oh just a few tips and tricks marriage." she answered which got all her older daughters giggling.

My eye twitched at that as Lyca walked away and followed the older Mamono woman. 'Oh God, what on earth does she mean by "tips" and "tricks"?' I asked myself inwardly as I followed Eadred into the other room.

The old man walked over to his chair where he smiled and looked down at the little girl smiling up and giggling up at him. "Now what are you doing in Daddy's chair you silly little cotton tail?" he asked picking her up before turning around and sitting down with her resting on her lap.

I took my seat too and when I did I saw one very little girl, one with chestnut brown chin length hair, light brown floppy rabbit ears and matching feet and tail walk up to me holding a little push bunny in her arms. She looked up at me and smiled, and it looks like she only had two teeth in her mouth, buck teeth coming in and she lifted up her arms signaling that she wanted me to pick her up. So I did so and let her sit in my lap. She proceeded to start sucking her thumb while leaning into my chest. Honestly this child just melted my heart within seconds. I'm starting to understand why Lyca wants kids so badly. Kids are adorable. I can only imagine what it will feel like when I have cute and adorable wolf pups of our own. And I'm confident it will be soon.

"So, I'm willing to imagine that you weren't expecting this at all were you?" he asked leaning back in his chair comfortably.

"I admit, I figured there was a reason you brought me out here and knew you were hiding something but I never guessed it was anything like this." I replied. "But now that raises a very obvious question, why would you do what you did to another man for the same thing?" I asked him.

"Before the Inquisition came to the North I never would've had to." he answered. "You may not know this but the Northern Realms are a little more monster friendly. The Church never had as much influence on the Kingdoms here as they do further south. Many species of Mamono were free to come and go for the most part so long as they paid their taxes to the Church. The Protection Tax if you will." he told me.

"So an extortion racket is what you're saying?" I asked.

"It was considered a fair compromise to ensure peace in the North between the Aristocrats, the Church and our Mamono population." he answered. "Rates were reasonable enough. But then Ricfried came and brought the Inquisition with him. Now all our Mamono and their families, my family as well have gone into hiding. And we're doing everything we can to avoid being captured until we can escape. But the Inquisition is very thorough in their hunt for Mamono, Heretics and Heathens." he explained.

The way he brought this all together clued me in on where he was going with this. "That's why you brought me here. You're not just offering to help me, you're asking me to help you and your family aren't you?" I asked him.

"I'm asking you to help lots of other people as well." he replied. "There's an underground of men married to Mamono and fathering daughters with them. If the Inquisition finds them they'll all be tortured to death before a crowd and all for Ricfried's entertainment. I want to stop it." he told me.

"Very interesting choice of words for an Executioner." I remarked.

"I've been forced to take lives for fifty five years." he said with a tired sigh. "I'm not going to last much longer. I'd like to do one good thing in my life before I die and I think saving as many people as I can seems like a worthwhile goal." he told me.

"And what are your plans?" I asked.

"There's a hidden village in the north further west from here. My wife was born there and can guide us but I need someone to help me make contact with the underground so we can help them escape as well. Once we reach the hidden village, we should be out of their sight and safe at last." he said before standing up from his seat. "But we'll get into the details later. Come, let's have some dinner." he smiled as he carried one of his many daughters in his arms.

Within minutes we were all seated in the largest room in the house which was basically the dining room. There were several candles on the massive table and a the fire going in the fireplace to light the room up. Everyone sat wherever they wanted with Lyca sitting to my right and to my left, much to the werewolf's annoyance sat one of Eadred's many many daughters. In fact a lot of his older daughters were either sitting as close to me as they could or across from me so they could shoot me glances the whole time. Gee I wonder why? And of course treys and treys of foods were brought out, mostly salads and vegetable soups and stews. I figured as much considering they were rabbits after all. Fiona told me that they grew these in their own gardens personally.

I had no problem with this at all truth be told and in fact could use the extra fiber in my diet. However Lyca did lean in and look at me with a disappointed look. "Theo, there's no meat." she whisper whined.

I felt really sorry for her at that point. I figured that in a house of vegetarians she wouldn't have anything her she could actually eat. "Don't worry about. Just be polite and before we go to bed I'll let you have the rest of the pheasant we have in our packs for dinner okay?' I whispered. She smiled and nodded while we resumed.

Eadred tasted his soup and smiled before turning to his wife seated next to him. "Why my love you've outdone yourself yet again." he said graciously to her.

"Oh you." she said leaning into his arm.

"How long have you two been together and when did you meet?" I asked them.

Eadred only laughed again. "You may not believe me, but there was a time I wasn't a saggy, wrinkly and ugly old man. There was a time long ago when I was younger and could be considered reasonably handsome." he told me.

"Oh my love don't sell yourself short. You were very handsome and in my eyes you're still the same man who captured my heart the moment I first laid eyes on you." she said with a caring and loving smile.

"Thanks love." he smiled again. "But years ago I was already well established as the local Executioner of the town. By that time, everyone was already avoiding me like I was carrying the plague. However..." he said before taking his wife by the hand. "Fiona was the first and only person in all the town to show me any genuine kindness when she willingly offered me some of her home grown vegetables. And she even told me that I had beautiful eyes." he said looking into hers.

"And you still do Eadred." she replied.

"For the first time in my life, I had butterflies in my stomach." he continued. "I had to see her again and again. Over time, she and I fell in love and even wedded in secret. And here we are thirty years later and never happier." he finished.

'And obviously, both Mr. and Mrs. Rabbit have gotten really good at their multiplications tables.' I thought to myself as I looked around at all their daughters.

"So how about it Son?" he asked me.

"How about what?" I asked back.

"Will you help us?" he asked me in reference for what we were talking about earlier. "Will you help both my family and the others living in fear back in the town escape from the wrath of the Inquisition?" he asked me.

The whole room fell silent and all eyes, including Lyca's were on me. I really had to rack my brain on this one. The reasons were simple really. If I were to aid them in escaping the Church that will most certainly end with me being labeled a criminal by the Order for defying them. However I am already in trouble for humiliating Ricfried so I guess anything else at this point will be pissing in the wind. But the biggest issue was of course the fact he said this hidden village was further west of here. That's literally the exact opposite direction I wanted to go in. I needed to get to Ulfrinth to speak with the mages. But then again, if the Inquisition is here in Merseax then maybe it's for the best. Maybe going to the capital is a bad idea for now.

I weighed my options and after a few moments I looked up and met the old man in the eyes to deliver my answer. "I will help you." I promised.

Later that evening it was time for everyone to start getting ready for bed. Several of Eadred and Fiona's older daughters were "generously" offering for me to stay with them in their rooms tonight. For obvious reasons which only served to stoke Lyca's jealousy even more. Thankfully the two parents led the both of us outside to where they kept all the hay in what seemed like a shed dug out of a smaller hill.

"I'm terribly sorry Theo but I'm afraid that we just don't have any guest rooms for the two of you to stay in tonight." Fiona said hoping we were okay with sleeping on hay.

"Oh no it's fine, thank you very much Fiona." I replied with a genuine smile.

"You'll both find that it's fairly warm and dry so you shouldn't have to worry too much about that. And it'll give you both some privacy." Eadred said looking at his wife and chuckling.

"Thanks." I said knowing why he would bring "privacy" up and what he was implying.

"Good night you two, see you in the morning." Fiona wished us before closing the doors and leaving us alone inside with nothing but a lantern for light.

[Outside]

Husband and wife were walking back to their house arm and arm before the Wererabbit took a quick glance back. "That was a very good idea. Did you see the way some of our older girls were looking at him? Lord only knows what they'd be up to." she remarked.

Eadred chuckled at that. "Well my love what did you expect? He's a handsome young man and they're young, beautiful and horny young ladies. Who knows, maybe we'll get lucky and he'll take a dozen or two with him when we part ways." he told her.

"Eadred!" she said in shock.

"Oh come on now my love you know as well as I do that they're all old enough to leave the nest, they clearly have their sights on the boy and frankly, we could let a few of them go off on their own because as you can see by the number of girls we house the kids are really piling up." he retorted. The two of them would walk back hand in hand smiling and chatting before sending all their children off to bed.

[My POV]

It was very late now and truth be told I was exhausted. I did the best I could to arrange our cloaks over the hay so she and I could sleep on something mildly soft without getting any of this itchy hay in our clothes. While Lyca was wolfing down the last of the pheasant, bones and all I was laying back in our makeshift bed deep in thought. The only thing I was currently wearing was my under layer of clothes. So basically my lighter tunic and trousers. I was staring into the void before Lyca called out to me.

"Theo?" she asked after swallowing a large mouthful of meat.

"Hm?' I asked back.

"Did you want some?" she offered.

"Oh no Lyca you can have the rest I've eaten plenty thank you." I answered.

"Well you haven't said anything. Are you alright?" she asked before chowing down on the last scrap of meat we had.

"Just thinking." I replied with my arms behind my head while I rested.

She then finished chewing and swallowed the last of her food before coming over and laying down with me. "What are you thinking about?" she asked.

I was quiet for a moment before looking over to her who looked at me waiting for an answer. I let ut a tired sigh before sitting back up. "It's about what I've just agreed to do. Helping Eadred and all the other people here." I told her.

"Yeah, that sounds really nice of you Theo. I knew would be willing to help them. You're a very nice person." she said sincerely while shifting so that her chin rested in both her paws, propped up by her elbows and her tail wagging behind her.

"That's nice of you to say Lyca and I know I'm doing something nice for others here but..." I said before stopping myself.

"But what?" she asked with her smile dropping and her tilting her head like she always did. God was that cute.

I sighed again. "Lyca by agreeing to do this I have to yet again put my own plans on hold. And worse by going further west I'm literally moving further from my goals to speak with the mages and get help." I said before breaking eye contact and looking down. "And the longer this goes on, the more confidence I lose in that I'll ever find the mages or for that matter that I'll ever be able to-" I said before I was cut off.

Lyca had quickly closed the distance between us and caught my lips in a loving kiss. Like she had done so many times before. When we broke it she smiled. "I'm still here for you Theo. Always and whenever you need me." she told me lovingly.

Those words worked wonders. I was already feeling much better. It was these small things that she'd do that reminded me how I wasn't alone in my journey. "I know you are Lyca. And I love you for it." I told her and really meaning it.

"I love you too." she said smiling with half lidded eyes and her tail wagging.

She would close the space between us again and we'd share another passionate kiss. However this time as it deepened I felt her tongue against my teeth signaling that she was waiting for permission to enter. I granted it and as our tongues explored one another's mouths she shifted over top so that she was directly above me with her legs on either side. I then groaned into the kiss when I felt her paw grab me in between my legs firmly and gently by my now quickly hardening erection. It was that moment I realized it wasn't just a simple kiss goodnight she wanted. We parted for a moment to catch our breaths with a small trail of saliva still clinging to our tongues. Our breathes became heavier and I soon could smell the sweet scent of pine hit my nostrils.

And that is how I knew she was in heat again. I moaned when I felt her rubbing me through my pants and licking my neck. "Lyca wait." I said in between gasps.

"Theo, I love you and I need you." she replied before she continued peppering my neck with small kisses or giving me quick licks.

"Lyca they're right next door." I told her. Worried about us making too much noise. She did get really loud when she came.

"Please Theo. I want you tonight, I need you. I want to mate. I want your puppies." she said as leaned in and captured my lips again in another kiss.

And as I felt her pulling my trousers down I knew there would be no talking her out of it. We broke the kiss just long enough for me to reply. "Okay but let's not make too much noise." I told her.

I let her pull my pants down to my knees and she shifted up over top so that our lower regions were in place. I knew she didn't wear underwear under her skirt so that wouldn't be a problem for us. I let her take hold of my manhood in her paw again and groaned as she stroked me off and when I felt her lining me up with her entrance I could tell she was good and ready because she was soaking wet down below. Both of us let out a pleasured moan as she sat back down, impaling herself onto my shaft and I was once again blown back by the warmth, the wetness and how tight her vaginal muscles her. She leaned in to kiss me one last time before sitting back up. She had her paws on my shoulders and I had my hands on her hips before s=we started moving.

We started out slow with Lyca rolling her hips over mine while I started thrusting upward into her body. Eventually she and I were able to get a steady rhythm going and soon we started picking up speed. Both of us were breathing heavier breathes and soon I could hear the sound of our wet flesh slapping against each other. Our pre cum had completely soaked our crotches at this point and the both of us were lost as wave after wave of pleasure washed over us. Sending shockwaves up our spines. The feeling was incredible and I loved every second of it. Lyca looked down at me with love and an animalistic lust in her eyes as she rode me and a deep red blush covered her face from one side of her face to the other. Eventually I could feel the build up in my loins.

I doubled my efforts to try and get her to climax too and I could tell she was getting close as well from how much of her fluids were gushing out and from how she was coiling around my cock like a boa constrictor. I know I told her to try and keep it down but she did let out one long shrill as we both climaxed at the same time at last. I groaned loudly as I shot out several large spurts of my sperm directly up into her body and she was milking me for every last drop as she came hard too. Her chest was heaving as she trying to catch her breath with her eyes rolled back and her tongue hanging out. Finally we were able to calm down once the both of us had finished cumming and I felt Lyca clench around my limp member while I was still inside her as she lifted herself up.

Obviously trying to get as much of it out of me as she could and by tightening the muscles in her groin, she was making sure that my sperm had nowhere to go except up into her womb where we had hoped that one of my crotch critters would start life within her. I then pulled my pants back up and she lay down next to me while we were both still panting from the quick yet intense round of sex. Lyca leaned in for one last long and loving kiss before she laid her head down in my arms as I held her close and soon, she and I were out for the night. Both of us were going to need this rest because the journey forward from here wasn't going to get any easier. But in this moment, she and I weren't worried about that. We just enjoyed one another's warmth.

Forever a reminder of how much we loved one another.

[Author's Notes] So funny thing right? This is another super long chapter. Much longer than the first two I've done for the beginning of this arc. And yet this one was much easier for me to write up and upload and took less time to do. Really weird huh? But I'm glad I did and I gotta say, after how dark and hopeless the last two were I thought I'd do one that not only moved the plot along but ended on a more positive note. Btw, how many of you could've guessed that the Executioner was secretly married to a Mamono? I'd like to hear your thoughts on that. And how do you think Theo is going to aid in saving so many from the Inquisitors? With so many looking for Mamono and the men they sleep with it's going to be a difficult task. Do you think Theo is up to it?

As always thank you all so much for reading my stories. Please leave me a Review, letting me know what you thought of this chapter and if you have any thoughts or ideas please PM me. I try to respond to all my PMs if I can and personally I love talking with my readers.

This is Dragon1990 signing out :-)