Deathtouched - Chapter 29
A/N: Sorry for the delay in posting. My new job isn't only a change in hours but much more labor intensive than my last one. I'm just now getting used to the new hours and activity. I will probably be posting less often, but I will be posting. I haven't abandoned any of my stories. Thank you for your patience.
Warning: There will be dark content in the last paragraph.
Zoe was spending a wonderful evening at home with her husband and wives, feeding and playing with their children. Gabriel was there as well and Zoe wished that they had been able to spend the morning by the lake, but the winds of Fate will out. They were all having fun anyway. After the children had fallen asleep, the adults sat on the couch resting and watching TV, some old documentary about the building of the high-speed train that looped all through Zootopia.
"So when do you leave?" Nick asked out of the blue.
"I'm not sure. I haven't had any nudges or anything to that effect. I don't want to leave at all honestly. I'd have to be apart from all of you and the kits. And we're moving this upcoming weekend. I'm just ready to enjoy life at the moment."
"Do you have any idea where you're going?" Abby asked.
"I know about where it's supposed to be, I'll have to the exact spot, so I'll have to do some exploring."
"Well, you're not going alone." Gabriel stated.
"Baby, we need you here to take care of the kits." Zoe objected.
"I agree with Gabriel. I'll take a leave of absence from work and the rest of us can share duties." Abby said. "I don't think any of us want you going alone."
Zoe looked at her husband and wives, all of them with intent expressions and surrendered.
"Okay, when it's time, I'll take Gabriel with me. Hopefully it won't be for a while yet. Say, until our kits are grown."
After the show was over, they all climbed into bed including Gabriel. The doors were open, but the kits seemed to be sleeping through the night now. Cuddles were the order of the day, Gabriel refusing to participate until he'd been asked to join their marriage. Zoe was trying to break away from her duties and find the right time to ask him, but every time she was about to suggest a date to a specific area, something came up. This was one of those times she hated being the gods errand girl.
oooOOOooo
Zoe greeted her friend Tanya and waved 'hi' to Zeke. Baron had met her at the door and kissed her paw, giving her a look like he knew a secret and it put Zoe on edge. She liked Baron, but the High Priest of Hades could be a little unnerving at times, such as this one.
"This council is now called into session to discuss the recent findings by Zoe, High Priestess of Melinoe, Oracle." Helen addressed the council.
"Priestess of Melinoe, inform the council as to the information you've uncovered." Eric said. He was barely polite now, but it was better than he had been before. At least his tone was more respectful. Zoe stood and felt all eyes upon her.
"I had just finished attending final rites for my sister, murdered by one of the Cannibal Killers, when I received a phone call from Chief Bogo informing me they'd managed to capture one of them alive. The tiger kept repeating the same thing the wolf that attacked me did, 'The master says kill, the master says eat'.
I examined him with my astral sight and was able to converse with his spirit. He was in a great deal of pain but was able to say that the master smelled like a bear, but that was all he knew."
Several mammals glanced toward Gordon, the High Priest of Dionysus, who happened to be a brown bear. Gordon seemed to get angry at that. Zoe saw and admonished them.
"Gentlemammals, please. Let's not jump to any conclusions. We must wait for facts. I want to thank the sons and daughters of Ares as well as the daughters of Artemis in helping to capture the tiger alive. While a lot of us are not as combat oriented as they, we can still be the eyes and ears to help the ZPD deal with this danger to Zootopia. Thank you."
Zoe sat down and nodded to Gordon, who nodded back, apparently mollified by her defense of him. Eric stood and addressed the council.
"At least it's more than we knew before. As usual, each order is free to do as they see fit as long as they fulfill the duties required from their deities. If there is no more to be brought before this council, we are dismissed." Then Eric turned and strode out of the council chamber.
"I wonder what's gotten his tail in a twist?" Tanya asked Zoe.
"What else? I don't think he has recovered from my first council session." Zoe said.
"Yeah, that was quite a kick to the groin he got."
"You mean to his ego?"
"Same thing."
Gabriel waited until after Zoe had left, escorted to her car by both Nick and Judy before sitting down and making out a list of things him and Zoe would need for their trip.
"What are you doing Gabriel?" Judy asked after she came back into the apartment. Every time she came back lately, it seemed so barren, everything but the necessities having been packed and shipped to the new house already. They'd even taken to sleeping on foam pallets on the floor.
"Making a list of things Zoe and I'll need for the trip. I figure we could rent a boat and take it upstream to this lake Zoe found on the map before we have to hike it to where we're going. Hopefully we'll be able to find transportation on the other side of those caves to get us to where we're going, but you know what they say about assuming."
"Yeah, I'm glad that you're going Gabriel. We all will feel better knowing that you're there to protect her just in case."
"With my life." Gabriel said in a determined tone.
"Hopefully it won't come to that Love." Nick said, kissing Gabriel on the neck, making Gabriel turn and capture Nick's mouth with his own in a very sensuous kiss.
"By the time you two get back, we should have the wedding all planned and ready to go, just as soon as Zoe proposes."
"I thought it was the more dominate one that proposed." Gabriel said, perplexed.
"No Love, the one that is closest to the other mammal proposes. So, in this case, that would be Zoe."
"Yeah, Judy proposed to me but I made them wait until I'd dated them all to make sure we were all compatible."
"That included sexually also just so you know." Judy added.
"Something that you won't have to do since Zoe had that dream of hers." Abby chimed in.
"Unless you want to." Judy said, giving Gabriel that kind of look.
Gabriel gave a rueful smile and shook his head at the perplexities of rabbit culture. "Say Judy? After I finish this list, would you like to go with me to Zootopia Outfitters? You can help me fill out what we'll need for Zoe since I'm not that familiar with all that she may need."
"Never heard of them." Judy said.
"They're a survivalist camping place off of Doe Street in Sahara Square." Nick informed her.
"They have things like concentrated high energy protein bars for carnivores and omnivores, dehydrated vegetable bars for herbivores, water filters, low weight tents and sleeping bags, so on and so forth."
"Oh, okay. Sure."
Zoe walked into the temple of Hades. It was one of the few that had no Acolytes posted outside the door, the very edifice itself daunting. It wasn't just the black marble the temple itself was made from, but the miasma that exuded from the temple itself. Other that those that adhered to the worship of Hades, very few mammals dared to venture within. Zoe was one of those.
Baron met her before she'd gotten more than halfway.
"My lady." He said simply, bowing.
"My lord." Zoe said, bowing back.
Both stood looking at each other, stone faced, for all of ten seconds before busting out laughing, a most unusual sound to hear within Hade's temple.
"What can I do for you Zoe?" The artic wolf asked.
"I will need to make a trip before too long. I don't like leaving the temple without a High Priestess. So, I wanted to ask a boon. Would you be my voice in council while I'm gone?"
"Zoe, don't you know that you may designate one of your own to act in your stead? It's a long-held tradition with precedents."
"I don't remember that." Zoe admitted.
"It hasn't been used in such a long time, that most don't. Though I'll be happy to give advice to your aide should you need it."
Zoe sighed in relief.
"Thank you Baron, your aid would be greatly appreciated. Now, about this information you seem to have regarding me."
"And what knowledge would that be Zoe?"
"You know what I mean, you gave me a very significant look the other day."
"I did? Well, remember my young friend, every hero needs a quest."
Zoe just gaped as Baron chuckled.
"Okay, so both of you are clear on everything?" Zoe asked.
"Yes Mother. Should anything arise we can't handle, speak to the High Priest of Hades."
"Good. Dan, since you're the most politically savvy one, I'm designating you as my voice in council when I leave. Watch out for Eric, I don't think he's going to ever forget what happened in my first council meeting. Wendy, I'll leave you to handle the ruffled fur that may cause."
"Do you have to go Mother?" Wendy asked her.
"Yes, unfortunately I do."
"What happened in the Council Chamber Mother? I only ask so that I may be aware of any undercurrents." Dan asked curiously. He wasn't really fooling anyone, but Zoe would give him what she could without getting into details.
"Let's just say he was chastised when he insulted our goddess."
Zoe walked into the apartment to see it the messiest it had been in days, and with everything getting packed, that was saying something.
"What's all this?" She asked them.
"The stuff we'll need for our trip." Gabriel let her know. "We'll be walking and we have no idea what the foraging will be like."
"And I contacted Chief Bogo. He's going to loan both of you a pistol with extra ammo and a rifle for hunting food for Gabriel."
"I shouldn't need a weapon Love. As long as Gabriel is armed, I should be okay."
Judy rose with an angry cast to her face, her eyes narrowed and her almost quivering. Walking stiff legged to Zoe who stood there wide eyed, Judy punched Zoe's chest with her finger.
"Now listen here wife. We have no idea how dangerous this journey of yours will be and every one of us needs you back healthy and whole! You will take whatever is needed to ensure your safety. We don't want to have to explain to our kits why their mother disappeared."
Zoe hung her head in shame, tears starting to fall. She didn't want to leave her family at all, but she knew that she would have to.
"I'm sorry Love. I will do whatever is needed to come back to you and our kits. If carrying a pistol will help insure that, then I'll carry one."
"Good, now kiss me and help me feel better."
Both doe's shared a steamy kiss in front of the others. Making Abby ready for some bedroom acrobatics and causing Nick's and Gabriel's pants to become a little uncomfortable. While they kissed, Judy's paw began to stroke Zoe's ears, making the ebony furred doe moan. Then Judy felt Zoe shudder, and not like when she would orgasm. Pulling away from Zoe she asked, "What is it Love?"
Zoe looked at her wife with a heartbroken expression. "Tomorrow, I have to leave tomorrow."
Gabriel looked at the other mammals that would be his future family. "Well, shit."
"Language!" Abby admonished him.
Zoe sat snuggling with Aaron, sleeping in her arms.
"You should get some sleep Baby, it's after two in the morning." Gabriel said quietly in that deep voice that always seemed to make Zoe's breathing difficult.
"I need more time with our kits."
Gabriel loved it when she included him in the family she already had. "You need sleep Z, or you'll be too tired to travel in the morning."
"I can sleep on the way to the burrow, and then in the truck to the mountains. I don't need that much sleep anymore."
"Really? How long have you stayed up at any one time before?" Gabriel asked his girlfriend, a little disbelievingly.
"Um, a little over 72 hours so far."
Gabriel's jaw dropped a little. "And you weren't dead on your feet?"
"Hah! I see what you did there, nice pun. And no. I just decided to get some sleep."
"Sorry, I didn't intend for it to be a pun. Is this a bunny thing or a High Priestess thing?"
"I think it's a 'Chosen' thing. Love me anyway?"
"Always and forever Beautiful."
"Then kiss me and don't wake Aaron up."
Gabriel gave her a kiss so full of love that Zoe wanted to cry. Dawn would be here all too soon.
oooOOOooo
Zoe slept in the car on the way to the Tri-Burrows Recreational Park after texting Dan with the code word Exodus. She'd set it up that way because she had a feeling that to announce her trip would be a bad thing to do. So, after Judy brought the weapons Bogo had promised, they had an excruciatingly somber departure. Zoe was heartbroken, especially at having to leave her kits behind.
Once they arrived, Gabriel rented a boat to take them upriver to Crystal Springs Lake where they would begin the overland portion of their journey. Zoe remained hidden; her face being too well known to the general populace. Gabriel kept a close eye on her during the trip and she seemed no worse for wear after being up for so long the night before.
Leaving the boat at the Crystal Lake Lodge, they followed the markings that Zoe had made on the map, heading for the cave system she knew would be there... somewhere. They foraged as much as possible, leaving their energy bars for emergencies, not knowing what to expect once they were on the other side of the mountains.
Gabriel was stunned whenever they would find berry bushes, wild carrots, and even fruit trees that Zoe could eat. Zoe told him that she could feel the will of Demeter influencing the plants to grow along their path and Zoe gave thanks to the goddess for her bounty. Gabriel had lots of luck with finding geese and turkey's as well. It was when Zoe told him it was the doing of Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt, that was herding game into his sights, that Gabriel also gave thanks. While a follower of Hebe, he'd never been that religious a coyote, but this trip was slowly changing his viewpoint.
It took a week and a half for them to find the cave entrance, partially buried under a rockslide. In that time, Gabriel had gotten used to Zoe crawling into his sleeping bag, usually naked unless she was sobbing at times for her kits, and it wrung his heart. But the comfort that they had in each other's arms helped them both.
It took some effort removing some of the rocks so that Gabriel could squeeze through, but it was doable. The faint light from the opening illuminated a very small area inside the cave. The air smelled musty to both of them, but breathable. Gabriel turned on his flashlight, shining it deeper into the gloom, the light exposing a rather flat floor that led further into the heart of the mountain. This was no cave; this was the tunnel entrance.
"Why'd you turn on your flashlight Baby?"
"So, we can see where we're going." Gabriel asked, confused at her question.
"Really? You can't see the path? I can see it just fine."
"What? I can only see the area where daylight is hitting and about five feet beyond that."
Zoe was quiet for a minute before saying, "Love, turn off your flashlight."
"Say what?"
"Just do it please."
Gabriel wasn't sure about that, but he'd seen several strange things happen while he was with Zoe. One thing was for sure, this marriage wouldn't be boring. He turned off the light and heard Zoe say, "Ah."
"You know, I'm going to get tired of asking 'what'." Gabriel snipped.
"I'm sorry Love. It seems that I've been given a gift by Lord Hades. I have no problem seeing deeper into the cave, at least as far as I'd be able to see in normal light. Do you trust me?"
"With my life my Love."
"Then we can save the batteries and I'll guide you through the caves."
Gabriel put his flashlight in his backpack and took Zoe's paw. She started walking deeper and Gabriel followed, placing his trust in his future wife. The one thing about being in the tunnel was that they didn't have to worry about the weather. While cool inside, they stayed warm enough while moving and at night, sharing a sleeping bag helped them both to stay warm. On the first morning after entering the cave, Gabriel joked that they could save weight if she were to get rid of her bag since she insisted on sleeping with him in his. He heard a zipper and then a thump before hearing the zipper again.
"What was that?" He asked.
"My sleeping bag, I haven't used it and as long as you don't mind me sharing yours, I won't need it."
"Well, I guess we saved some weight after all."
They had been living off of their energy bars since they entered the caves. They didn't taste all that great, but they kept them from going hungry. Gabriel had to sleep on his side facing away from Zoe to keep from bothering her with his morning issue. Since he couldn't see where either of them was, he couldn't relieve himself in case she was watching.
"Baby?" Zoe asked on their third morning. "Why do you face away from me? I'd like it if you held me instead."
"Z. Baby. I go to sleep with you next to me every night and your scent fills my nose. I can smell your excitement and it get me hard. I don't want to wake you by poking you with it, so I sleep facing away from you."
It was kind of weird hearing and smelling her but not being able to see her.
"Well, I wouldn't mind if you wanted to poke me Love." He heard her say in a flirty tone. He wanted to, her really wanted to but...
"I don't want to get you pregnant right now Beautiful."
"Hmmm. That's a pretty good point. I'm not sure either. It took Nick biting me and drawing blood for us to get pregnant with his kits, but it may or may not need to be repeated to make it happen again. But maybe there's another way I could help you with it? I didn't bring any lube, so I'd have to say anal is out right, at least for now. But what about oral? Would my handsome coyote like a blowjob?"
Gabriel's breath left him explosively. He had an instant vision of her mouth on him and him tugging on her ears forcing her muzzle into his crotch. He shuddered with desire but reined in his lust. "My Love Bunny, as much as I would like that, it might be best to wait until we get clear of this cave and find a stream to clean up in afterwards."
"Well, as long as you're sure, I'm eager to find out what my coyote tastes like."
Gods we need to get out of this cave Gabriel thought. Speaking of which. "I thought that it only took them 3 days to get through these caves?"
"That was with the smaller mammals riding on the larger ones. Not that I wouldn't mind riding a large mammal right now."
"Gods Zoe! If you keep this up, I will get you pregnant!"
"I'm sorry Baby, but rabbits have a very high sex drive and it's been days. Do you still want to marry me?"
"Are you proposing?"
"Not yet the time doesn't seem right."
"Damn, I was hoping... but yes, I still want to marry all of you."
"Can I watch when you knot Nick?" Zoe asked before giggling at the thought.
"You'd better be there!"
Time had no meaning for Gabriel while in the cave, but Zoe was able to tell roughly what time it was and was even able to guess the hour. It was because she could tell when and where Lord Apollo was in the sky. So, he knew it was in the afternoon of the fifth day when he smelled fresh air and vegetation.
Hours later, according to Zoe, he could see light ahead and Zoe told him that the front of the cave was thick with vegetation, probably obscuring that entrance from sight. Gabriel wasn't sure how much longer it was before he was able to discern the faint patch of light at the tunnel entrance.
"Let's camp at the entrance before leaving Z, give my eyes time to adjust from being in the caves for almost a week."
"That's not a bad Idea Love, we can eat lunch and then head out."
"So it's about noon?"
"Well, more like late afternoon. It might be better to camp just outside the entrance and make a fresh start of it in the morning."
"That's not a bad idea Babe."
It had been almost three weeks since Zoe and Gabriel had left Nick, Judy, Abby, and their kits behind. Abby had taken extended leave from her job although she was still going to her Acolyte training when Nick or Judy had a day off. They still had cadets, now probie's, as partners and they were eager to have this Cannibal Killers case over and done with so that they could be partners again.
They'd finally moved into their new house, and they loved it. There was so much more space and a yard to relax in, they even discussed the possibility of putting in a swimming pool. It was more difficult taking care of the kits with Gabriel gone, but they felt better knowing that Zoe was safer with him than without.
There had only been two more attacks since they'd had to separate, one had been driven off before he could attack, and the other after he'd already killed and partially eaten a camel. Mayor Lionheart would be on the TV weekly giving an update, but most of it wasn't good news. The fact that the different orders were out in force and helping safeguard the citizens of Zootopia generated a lot of good will, but the populace was very nervous.
The kits seemed to notice Zoe and Gabriel's absence, especially Faith. When she spoke her first word "Mama" they were all excited, but then they realized that she kept looking around and saying the word over and over again no matter who was holding her. Faith was too young to understand the forlorn expressions the adults shared.
oooOOOooo
"Gaahhh! Do you know how hard it is to get dried cum out of fur after it's dried?" Zoe asked. She was waist deep in a small pond trying to get the remains of her and Gabriel's activities off her face and shoulders.
"Actually, I do know." Gabriel stated, guarding Zoe with the dart rifle in his paws while she bathed. She had been rather insistent when she'd crawled into his, now their, sleeping bag and now she had to deal with the consequences. Especially seeing that, no matter how valiantly she tried, she couldn't swallow fast enough. Though he did admit that he felt much more relaxed now.
"That was a rhetorical question." Zoe said, working on a particularly thick piece on her chest just above her left boob. She'd stopped producing milk the afternoon they'd left the tunnel and she left the pump a little way inside out of the weather, expecting to pick it up on the way back. She was a lot more relaxed as well since he had insisted on returning the favor.
"This is your fault you know." She stated.
"How do you figure that?"
"You had to return the favor with that magical tongue of yours and make me pass out. We'd camped here with the express intent to clean up after and you made me cum so hard I passed out."
"I didn't hear any complaints last night, it was all 'oh gods, Gabriel!' 'Deeper baby!' 'More!' and so on."
Zoe grumbled under her breath. She couldn't deny anything he was saying, knowing it was the truth, his tongue just not reaching her cervix, but slipping inside and cleaning it. But it was also true that both of them needed last night. The sexual tension that had been growing rapidly between them since they'd entered the caves was now down to manageable levels. Zoe didn't know it; Gabriel was regretting not packing protection of the intimate sort as well.
Zoe had that dream again, but now she stood at the entrance to an enormous cave that penetrated deep into the mountain. She could smell something within, but she didn't recognize it. "COME." Came a tremendously loud, deep voice from within. Gathering her courage, Zoe stepped into the cave and out of the light of day.
Zoe woke still being held by Gabriel in their sleeping bag. They were in a small, lightweight tent that Gabriel had been carrying and finally had been forced to use when it started raining. The patter of the rain drops hitting the walls of the little tent relaxed Zoe a great deal, but not enough that she couldn't feel Gabriel's erection against her backside. Zoe groaned in frustration. She was horny and she wanted her coyote, only the prospect of getting pregnant while not knowing how long her journey was going to take kept her from impaling herself on Gabriel's cock.
Facing dangers while heavily pregnant wasn't something she wanted to try. Even if her dream showed them living at their house. Still naked, Zoe left the softly snoring Gabriel in the tent and stepped outside. The rain was cool and felt good against her fur. She gauged it to be about three in the afternoon as the rain still made little pattering noises, just against the leaves of the trees now. She loved the smell of the air and the feeling of the plants around her. It reminded her of their place by the lake and her heart ached anew, missing the rest of her family.
She closed her eyes and opened her spirit up to the wilds so teeming with life. Praise Gaea, you do great work Lady!
Her communion was cut short by a shouted "ZOE!" and Gabriel came stumbling out of the tent flap holding a dart gun in his paw and looking frantically around until his eyes lit on Zoe. He dropped the gun and ran to her, pulling her into her arms and hugging her tight.
"Gods Zoe! I thought something had happened to you! I woke up and you weren't there! Don't ever do that to me again! Okay?"
Zoe looked into his fearful gaze and felt bad. "I'm sorry Love, but I was horny and needed to get out of the tent for a while."
"I can't lose you Z, you mean too much to me."
"I'm really sorry Baby. If you'd like, since we're already soaked down to the skin, we could help each other take the edge off."
"You are insatiable my Love Bunny."
"Rabbit sex drive."
"And if I was to have my wicked carnivore way with you?"
"I'd ask if you wanted to eat me before or after you knotted me."
"Gods you tempt me Z! But can you see us having sex and then some strangers showing up while we're tied together. I wish I could knot you right now you little temptress! But we're both going to have to wait and make sure it's safe before we do that because I'm at the point now where I don't give a damn if I get you pregnant or not."
"I feel the same my coyote! But until then..." And she started rubbing her feet against his crotch, bringing his erection back to life after having lost it due to fear. His growl sent shivers of anticipation though Zoe as he lowered her down to the ground where she began using her paws and mouth to take care of his problem. The happy slurping sounds she made didn't let him last long.
After nine days hiking through the woods, the vegetation began to thin to just brush. Not too far away, they both saw a dirt road and smiled. Roads meant civilization; civilization meant transportation. When they reached the road, they could see no evidence of tire treads, just some paw prints from mammals, mostly rabbits, that were about a week old. Sniffing the air, Gabriel failed to catch any smells at all, just faint ones from the tracks themselves.
"Well," Gabriel said after looking at Zoe and shrugging his shoulders, "most of the tracks seem to be heading to the north."
Zoe was feeling renewed, seeing evidence that they were on the right track. Feeling playful, she said. "Well, my coyote, future husband and the future father of our cubs, let us travel North then."
Gabriel snorted. Cubs indeed Love. I'm going to have you so often that you'll never stop being pregnant!
Two days later, they saw their first signs of life. Rabbits were working fields and Zoe was surprised to see that they were doing it by paw... with paw tools! No tractors were to be seen anywhere, no automated equipment. The two lovers were shocked when the male rabbit they approached saw them, screamed, dropped his hoe, and ran toward a small cluster of buildings that appeared to be a farmstead. "WRAITHS!"
Zoe could hear the farmer scream.
"What did he say?" Gabriel asked.
"Wraiths. I'm not sure what that means, but we'll find out." She said, heading for the structures. As they got close, they noticed that the home they'd hoped to see was more of a hovel, the rough wooden door and shutters closed. Gabriel and Zoe looked at each other before approaching closer.
"Go away!" The same male voice from earlier spoke through one of the windows.
"I'm sorry sir, but we're travelers from far away. I assure you I'm no Wraith. My eyes are because of a condition, but I can see I promise you."
"Not you lass, the coyote! Why are you traveling with a Wraith?"
"I take it you can understand him?" Gabriel asked.
She started to open her mouth to ask why he couldn't then closed it with a sigh before answering him. "Lord Hermes, God of Travelers. Yeah, I can understand them."
When he looked perplexed, she explained. "Chosen, remember?"
"Ah."
"And he said that you are the Wraith, not me."
"Doesn't your master speak a civilized tongue?" The voice asked again.
Zoe's shock must have shown through because Gabriel asked "What?"
"He asked how come my master doesn't speak a civilized tongue."
"Sir, this coyote isn't my master, he's my boyfriend."
"Bullshit!"
"Stan! Language! The young ones heard you!" A female voice admonished the male.
"Sir, I assure you that he is my boyfriend. As I said, we are travelers and we've been on the road for almost three weeks to arrive here."
"Bull..."
"STAN!"
"Rrr. Liar! The road ends at the marshlands four days walk south and at Predburg 12 days walk to the North."
"Poor choice of words perhaps sir. My boyfriend and I came from the West, through the woods."
Silence. Not even movement could be heard inside. "You lie! To the West lay the Cursed Forest! None who enter ever return!"
"Sir, my name is Zoe Bree Darkwater, I am the High Priestess of Melinoe, Chosen of the gods, and Oracle of Apollo. In the name of my goddess, I swear to you what I've said is true."
More silence. Then they heard wood scrape on wood and the door opened. A middle-aged rabbit with dark brown fur stood there with a crude looking pitchfork in his paws and wearing ragged homespun garments that seemed to be not much more than a smock.
"Who?" Stan asked in a calmer voice, but not lowering the pitchfork.
"Zoe Bree Darkwater. I was adopted by my father into the Darkwater clan, so I took his name as well as my own."
"No. I mean who is this goddess Melinoe person?"
Zoe looked at Gabriel horrified. How could they not have heard of her Lady?
After some rather involved details from Zoe, the fact that they didn't seem to have ever seen a rifle like the one Gabriel was holding, and that she could see even given the white of her eyes, they finally accepted that the two lovers weren't from around here. And they still tended to shy away from Gabriel, which hurt his feelings.
The wife, Edith, was the peacekeeper and true power in the home. There were over a dozen kits from toddlers to teens here as well. Something about that didn't sit right with Zoe so she used her astral sight to look at the family. There was love there, Zoe could see the threads between them, but they lived in a cloud of despair and fear.
Zoe told them of her goddess and that she was an Entry. That in and of itself required an explanation. From there she expounded onto Zootopia and the life they lived there, bringing an expression of wonder to them all, although Stan still held onto his disbelief. Edith brought out a rather savory vegetable stew for them all. Placing a bowl in front of Gabriel with her arm stretched as far as it would go, she apologized. "Tell your ma... boyfriend that I'm sorry, I don't have anything for a carnivore."
Gabriel just waived the apology away, assuring her that it was okay, and dug out a protein bar. The family, whose last name turned out to be Owens, were amazed and marveled at the wrapper when Gabriel handed it to them.
"Aren't you afraid he's going to eat you?" A youngster of about ten asked her. Zoe had to hold back a laugh at the inadvertent innuendo and, with laughter in her voice, told him 'No'.
"What did that boy just ask you Z?" Gabriel asked. He'd been trying to follow along with Zoe helping by translating most of what the family was saying. Her fur hiding her blush, she gave Gabriel a slight smile.
"He asked me if I was afraid, you'd eat me." She said, her amusement evident even with the two other adults in the room.
Gabriel chuckled. "Tell them that I already have."
Zoe's jaw dropped and she poked him in the chest while saying, "Gabriel Latrans! I will do no such thing! Tell a ten-year-old that? You should be ashamed of yourself."
Gabriel hung his head and said, "I'm sorry." But the slight smile belied those words.
"What did he say?" Edith asked Zoe. Looking at the kits then back at Edith, Zoe said "He said 'tell them that I already have'."
And then she looked at the floor in embarrassment as well, unable to keep a small smile off of her face. Edith barked out a laugh and then chuckled. Looking at her husband she said, "Stan, these two are telling the truth. They're lovers or I'm not a female and a mother."
From there she went into her history in Zootopia, and they told her what life was like on this side of the mountain range. They didn't know much history, none of them being able to read or write, but they did know what had happened in the broadest terms. The three kingdoms had continued to war amongst themselves after Ethred Darkwater led The Exodus away. Predburg had decimated Herdsville and either ate or enslaved the populace.
The Owens themselves were slaves, but since they could farm, were allowed to grow food for the herbivore and omnivores in the city. As they talked, Zoe discovered what made her uncomfortable. The Owens had older children, but they'd all been taken by the Wraiths to Predburg as servants. The last, Penelope, had only been 13 when she'd been taken.
This angered Gabriel and Zoe, though Gabriel's was more evident. And it was heightened when she told him that Penelope was the same age she had been when she died and arrived in Zootopia. Stan could see the expressions on their faces and, having heard Penelope's name mentioned, had his fears set at ease. These two were certainly not from around here.
After crushing Herdsville, Predburg tried taking on Omnivoria, but wasn't able to break through their walls. And since the citizens could live on grown foodstuffs instead of each other, they easily withstood the siege. Eventually, Omnivoria was able to take the fight to Predburg and the two armies fought to a standstill. After many years of brutal combat, Omnivoria nominally prevailed, but lacked the mammal power to conquer Predburg. A peace treaty was struck with Omnivoria getting the most concessions.
"Something you should know," Stan mentioned, interrupting his wife's history lesson. "From what we can tell, the king of Predburg is King Darkwater."
Zoe's jaw dropped as she looked at her boyfriend. She knew that Aaron's ancestor was the one to lead The Exodus, but they hadn't been in line to inherit the throne. Evening had come and Zoe helped Edith put the kits to bed while Gabriel tried to learn the language from Stan.
"You're a mother yourself." Edith stated, watching Zoe tuck in Ben, the ten-year-old.
"Yes, triplets. A boy and two girls. Faith, Grace, and Aaron. Aaron looks just like his father."
"Oh? What color fur does his father have?"
"Russet. My wife Judy has grey fur with black tips on her ears and my wife Abby is an albino doe."
"Russet? I've never heard of a russet furred rabbit before."
Zoe laughed. "That's because my husband is a fox."
"A WHAT?!" Edith's startled exclamation woke several of the kits and made both males turn their heads in the ladies direction. It took several minutes for them to calm the kits down so that they would go back to sleep. "You married a fox?!" Edith asked her.
In response, Zoe went to her backpack and pulled out the plastic bag she kept her wallet in and showed Edith the pictures she had of her family, Gabriel included. "So, it's true then, Ethred's followers did found a new land where predator and prey can live together in peace."
Zoe nodded. "It's true. We've had some issues, even to this day, but overall, it's a city where mammals can get along in peace. My wife Judy and our husband Nick are police officers, and my wife Abby is a nurse and an Acolyte of Eileithyia, but she's studying to become a doctor."
"Zootopia sounds like a truly wonderful place."
"It can be."
"Then why are you here?"
"I'm supposed to have a destiny that I need to follow, apparently it involves coming here."
"That's rather vague."
"That's the nature of destinies, they're vague until they're meant to be understood."
"Is that how you're able to speak our language and your boyfriend isn't?"
"Apparently I'm The Chosen. I have different gifts from some of the gods, such as being able to see in the dark as well as being able to speak different languages."
Edith shook her head. "All this talk about gods, we're just simple farmers."
"Then you would be followers of Demeter, Goddess of the Harvest and Agriculture."
The kits put to sleep, the wives joined the males back at the table and continued to talk quietly. Curious about their tech, Gabriel asked questions which Zoe translated. It turned out that the highest technology that the kingdoms had was steam engines. The rest of the countries were back in the early turn of the century with no automated farm equipment of any kind. The only weapons that the elite of the kingdoms had seemed to be early cap and ball style revolvers that used lead bullets.
Being dirt farmers, Edith and Stan needed to get to bed early. Both couples whispered to their mates as they lay together, but each of them could hear the others conversation even though Gabriel couldn't understand what was being said.
The next morning found both Zoe and Gabriel still passed out in their sleeping bag to awaken to the smell of breakfast. It was simple fare, a type of corn cake with a sugar beet syrup and fruit. Gabriel snacked on another protein bar. He'd have to start hunting soon since he was running out of them. Not long after breakfast, all the rabbits heard a noise. Zoe couldn't place it, but from the expressions on the Owens family, it wasn't good.
"WRAITHS!" They heard Stan shouting as he ran back to the house. Edith closed the shutters on the windows that she had opened that morning and did her best to hide her kits in various bolt holes built into the home. Zoe and Gabriel looked at each other and both put on their pistol belts and Gabriel grabbed his rifle, readying it for action. Stan bolted into the house, breathing hard.
"Stay here! Don't let them see you. I'll talk to them and see what they want but if they see you there may be trouble."
"We don't want to cause your family any trouble Stan. Is there a back door or something?"
"No. Pray to your gods that they don't want to come into the house."
The two doe's and the coyote peered between the cracks of the window to see what was going on. Stan bravely walked out the door holding the pitchfork in what he hoped was a casual manner. Gabriel's grip on his rifle tightened at the scent of fear that the Owens family was giving off and his anger rose with it. Zoe heard the clanks and hisses as the large vehicle approached the house. She could see that it wasn't very well made, with many rivets holding the different pieces together.
The vehicle stopped about 30 feet from the front door before it slowed to a halt with a loud grinding noise. With a final loud hiss, the vehicle settled with only slight pings and hisses sounding. The doors were thrown open to hit the side of the 'car' with a loud 'clunk'. As soon as the two Zootopian's saw the spotted paws they tensed up. Four leopards exited the car clad only in pants. Bandoleers with pistol cartridges crisscrossed their bare chests, pistol holsters on their hips, and what looked to Zoe like sabers in sheaths on their offside hip.
Warning: Dark content
As the largest leopard got out of the front passenger seat, Edith let out a great wail and screamed, "PENELOPE!" Edith collapsed on the floor, sobbing hysterically and Gabriel saw the pitchfork fall from Stan's nerveless fingers and drop to his knees. On the right shoulder of the largest leopard was the pelt of a cream-colored rabbit with a white patch on the back of the neck. That leopard was wearing the remains of the Owens' 13-year-old daughter. All the leopards began laughing at the sight and sound of the Owen's pain.
A/N: Yeah, I know, a horrible thing to witness. But don't worry, there's still the next chapter coming up.