I gasped out a question to the still ‘weeeing’ Tactitia in my mad dash away from the big bull-man. “What the hell is that thing!?” I started panting at that point. I’d been moving at a dead sprint for a good five minutes at that point, so it was a natural occurrence. The A.I. let out a little giggle before she answered me.
The big guy is called a ‘Minitoan.’ They are one of the native people of Atria. They tend toward large builds and are herbivores by nature. The Bulls are the aggressive ones whereas the females of their kind are nurturing and sweet.
I took a second to glance at her in confusion; she sounded like she was reading from a fucking script. She caught me just as I turned and moved to hide what looked like a manual behind her back while adopting an innocent expression that would melt anyone into a pile of goo. “You!” I gasped out while still running. “What is that in your hands?!” Oh God, my lungs, they burn!
A present from Daddy! It tells me the basics of this world so I can answer you if you ask a question. You can’t see it though! Only I can cause it was a present, and Daddy said only I could read it!”
Damnit, Frank! I started flagging at that point, risking a glance behind me. The loud ‘Stop running!’ Let me know he was still chasing me. When I turned around, I saw he was closing in on me, and all I could do was choke back a sob. I was going to get killed by a half bull-half man with massive horns in the first hours of my new life.
I tripped over something in the few moments I allowed myself to look at my horned doom; I was sure the painful roll looked anything but graceful as well. I went head over heels in two circles, a lot of dirty and small rocks going into my nose and mouth before I stopped on my back gasping for breath and hurting in more places than I cared to think about.
Closing my eyes against the pain, I heard the big man-bull-thing chasing me slow down while letting out a massive snort that made me think of something about to charge and gore you. I let out a little whimper before I heard the voice again, the sound of it seemed to vibrate my entire body with its deepness. “What in Atria are you doing on the ground? I was getting into the swing of things chasing you.”
“Oh God, don’t kill me! I’m sorry I ever got on that hill!” I heard another snort, then felt a massive hand grab me by one of my arms. I flinched and whimpered again. “Oh stop that whimpering you whelp. I ain’t gonna kill you; I want to know what you’re doing on my land! It’s mating season, and I don’t like the idea of being watched by some tiny Hume.” was his reply to my begging and whimpering. I let out an internal sigh of relief at not being gored on those horns. I opened my eyes after he hauled me to my feet and set me on them. I was still gasping for air as well, made standing on my spaghetti legs all the harder.
After a few shaky moments of taking in deep breaths and releasing them as slowly as I could, I opened my eyes to look at the man. I was met by a chest that was so overly muscled I it would put any number of professional weight-lifters on Earth to shame. Since I didn’t feel like looking at man-boob, I lifted my gaze up, and up toward the Minitoan’s head. I blinked in shock, and the big man shook his head a bit before snorting again.
His entire body was covered in a black-furred hide, and he had a massive cow’s head in place of something human. His left eye was the only oddity, having a single white patch of fur there. The eyes themselves were a deep brown as well. I’d call the big guy soulful if I weren’t very confident he’d rip me in two just my flexing. He was that fucking muscular.
“What ya looking at little Hume?” He asked, snorting again, and I realized I had been staring at him. I coughed a bit, taking my eyes from the sheer absurdity before me and realized that aside from the head, fur, and obvious size difference he had a human body. No hoofs that I could see at least. “Well?” Right, need to answer the big scary man.
“I’m sorry! I have never seen a Minitoan before, that’s all!” I yelled that out, shock and a great deal of residual fear making my voice way louder than it needed to be. The big man let out a cow-like low and then stuck one large finger in his ear closest to me. “Easy little Hume, no need to scream. How haven’t you seen a Minitoan before? We’re one of the more common races on Atria since we make the best farmers!” He said that with pride and I chose to not insult the big man by saying farming seemed a waste of that physique.
“I’m not from around here.” I managed to say in a calmer voice, and the big bull nodded at me before smacking me on the back. The blow sent me tumbling forward into the ground again. I think he said sorry, but I was still groaning in pain and trying to ignore the fact my back just went snap-crackle-pop in more places than I think it should from the seemingly casual blow.
Ouchie, are you ok Crispin? That looked like it hurt a lot…
I ignored the miniature pink girl and focused more on making sure I could still move! When I realized I could, I was being hauled back to my feet by the big man who seemed genuinely concerned for my well being. “Sorry about that, I forget you Hume’s are weak compared to us. I’m Ajax, by the by, what’s your name? Why are you on my land as well? Peeking at me, and my herd during mating season?”
I shook my head, trying to regain something like cognitive faculty before answering him, still gasping a bit from the pain. “I-I didn’t know this land belonged to anyone; I was looking for a town. I was not looking to seeing you mate with anyone either!”
The big man, Ajax, looked at me like I was lying before shrugging. “It’s polite to give your name when given another, or asked Hume.” Oh shit, don’t piss off the big bull. “Crispin! My name is Crispin. Sorry, still a little out of it from that blow.”
He nodded sagely when I mentioned that, moving his massive hand to my shoulder, engulfing it. I winced a bit expecting it to hurt. It was surprisingly gentle this time though. “That’s alright little Crispin. The town you’re looking for is a good ten miles down that road. It’s called Foxington, mostly Foxan live there, they’re good folk, but their traders will skin you alive and sell you if given half the chance. Go to the Inn, only one in town so you can’t miss it, tell them Ajax sent you and they should give you a good deal. Now get goin, I have a few of my wives waiting back in the field that needs attention.”
He shoved me, impatiently shooing me like you might an annoying fly before rushing back the way we had run bellowing out at the top of his lungs. “Here I come Clariiiiice!” I had no idea who Clarice was, but it probably was the name of one of his wives...Multiple being key there. I shuddered, wincing from that blow still before staring at his retreating form in wonder. What the actual hell?
“Care to explain Tactitia? I’m bewildered right now.” I was, Minitoan, Foxan, multiple wives, being chased by someone I thought planned to kill me and could have ripped me in two without much effort only to be given directions and a bit of help.
Atria has odd social customs; Daddy didn’t explain it much beyond that. A Foxan is like the Minitoan; they are animal-human hybrids that have a mixing of the features. The males tend to have more beastial characteristics while the females are more Human, or Hume, in appearance with ears and tails, maybe some fur covering their bodies.
Yeah, that just confused me more. “What other races are there?” I asked after a moment of just standing there in a daze.
Lot’s! There are even kitty people! I can’t wait to see them. Um, the book said there were several kinds of sentient races like Elves, Humans, Dragons, Demon thingies that are meanie heads, as well as a whole lot of animal people! They call themselves Beastfolk as a whole though.
Alrighty then, ok. I got a free Mercenary right? I’m going to go ahead and use that I think. If nothing else maybe I won’t die instantly to a fucking Dragon if they are there to distract it. I felt my mind melting a little at the possibilities of this world and the dangers. I did not want to fight after seeing that big guy, someone who was a fucking farmer, being over three times my size in sheer muscle mass. I coughed, trying very hard to ignore the thought of my early and gruesome death before speaking to Tactitia again. “So, how does using this free Mercenary work?”
Are you ok? You still sound hurt.
Well damn, the kiddo was a little more observant than I liked. “I’m ok, consider it a bit of culture shock. How does this free Mercenary thing work?”
If you’re sure… The free Mercenary they gave you is a template that I use to create a living, breathing entity. It gets complicated after that because once I create them after you finish customizing portions, they become living breathing people. Daddy said it was complicated and would tire me out afterward so I can’t do it often. Um, unlike the game my system emulates the Mercenary you select can be pulled from every race on Altria. Well, aside from some unique ones, or actual monsters.
I blinked a bit and smiled at the pink kiddo. She was scrunching her face up in concentration while trying to remember whatever Frank told her. It was genuinely adorable. I moved to pat her head with a finger as gently as I could. I heard her giggle and two tiny hands grabbed my index finger before she started swinging a bit. “Think we should go ahead and get it then, Tactitia?”
Yes! Here, I’ll bring up the proper information for you!
She let out a high pitch scream after I asked her if we should, she was so full of energy. I ignored the feeling of being an old bastard while watching her turn into a table.
Mercenary Selection Race Gender Cost
Squire Minitoan M/F Free
Squire Foxan M/F Free
Squire Wolfin M/F Free
Squire Draconian M/F Free
Squire Vampire M/F Free
Squire Flamico M/F Free
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Squire Lamia F Free
Squire Felidae M/F Free
Squire Demonic M/F Free
Squire Hercule N/A Free
Squire Naga M/F Free
Squire Avian M/F Free
Squire Ent M Free
Squire Leofric M/F Free
Squire Canid M/F Free
The list went on for a while, about three more pages to be exact. It was a little overwhelming. Some of the selections were Female only, or Male only, some appeared not to have known genders as well. Most had the standard male and female roles though, which was nice. I selected the Minitoan because I knew what to expect there. When I did a tab with information on the race as well as an actual display with sliders and stuff to change the appearance appeared.
The description only stated what Tactitia had told me about which was standard. The male looked like a smaller carbon copy of Ajax; it was kind of neat fiddling with his appearance as well. I looked at the female next, and I was reasonably sure my jaw dislocated and hit the ground.
The image of a Minitoan female was entirely one of curves. A soft, nurturing face like a human woman with two small little horns on the side of her head leading down to a chest that held two breasts, each the size of my fucking head, tapering down into a slim waist with a flat stomach and then widening out at the hips to support a perfect heart shaped butt that had no right to look that damn good. The little-spotted tail twirling behind the image just added a cute factor to her.
I blinked at the image a while before Tactitia pulled me back to reality with a little cough and asking if I was done yet. She was bored. I shook myself a bit and then went down the other races. Hume was further down the list, and while I might like the idea of a human-like companion, I figured I might as well select another form. Get used to the reality of this world and hopefully numb me a bit to the strangeness I’d see later on.
I debated on the Flamico because they were super strange and I’d have to adapt fast with them. Imagine a Flamingo with human features in some unusual combination, and you had their appearance. Tactitia was all for it because both male and females of that race came in pink. I decided against it, for the sake of my eyes and sanity though.
“Do they gain any bonus based on the race I select?”
Yep! You won’t know them until you learn more about the people of this world or ask me specific questions so I can answer you. Of course getting the Mercenary version lets you ignore most of that.
Hmmm, that made things a bit more complicated, but I ended up choosing the Leofric. They were a tribe of Beastfolk resembling lions. The males were easily the size of Ajax with actual to God lion heads and substantial gaping maws filled with fangs. Intimidating as all hell. The women were just pure sexiness on a stick though. Where the Minitoan female was all curves and size, the Leofric was more streamlined and had a lot more muscle tone while keeping softer curves.
It was entirely selfish of me to select female because I wanted to stare at a perfectly toned and soft ass all day long, but I still chose female. The options menu expanded and I started creating the perfect version within the races limitations, well, perfect for me at least.
I gave her c-cup breasts, a nice handful. I made her face mostly sharp angles, with a bit of fiddling it seemed both soft and harsh while maintaining an exotic feel. Her hair was a tawny golden brown and I had it flow down her toned back toward just the very top of her ass. Her butt I made a little bigger than I probably should have, but I’d be damned if you wouldn’t be able to bounce a dime off of it with little effort. Her arms were made to be a blend of muscle tone and soft feminine curves. The legs were the same, though I had her thighs and hips a little wider to accommodate the bubble butt. All in all her body was still athletic and very curvy for her size. I made her top out at five-six, four inches smaller than what I appeared to be.
That left her eyes, those I had a lot of fun with. I had to have spent twenty minutes alone on her eyes, making them seem sincere and soulful, it added to that exotic feel and made the huntress looking body primed for combat seem a little sensual as well. They were feline eyes, the pupil's slit, and black. I colored in the Iris a deep emerald green with an outer layer of amber. The green itself lightened in color the further out you went until it faded entirely into the amber lining.
I smiled at my handy work, those eyes alone would cause trouble for any horny man, but that wasn’t a concern of mine right now. This was purely selfish want, and desire for a female companion I could stare at that wasn’t pink and tiny. Her tail I slimed out a little, it matched the rest of her body and made her seem a little bit more deadly.
I was done, and damn happy with my work as well. I hit confirm on the little thing and was asked to name my Mercenary, a fun little feature right there. I named her ‘Leona’ and approved again. Tactitia screamed out a bored finally. Note to self; children hate doing nothing for extended periods of time.
Shortly after where her box became a glowing ball of light that quickly formed into Leona, I caught a pleasant glimpse of gentle curvature before the light built into the same linen-like clothing I was wearing, followed by a status screen suddenly showing up before me.
Name Job Zodiac Sign Title Exp
Leona Squire Sagittarius None 0/100
Change - Expand
HP MP ST Str End Sp Mind
100 10 100 5 5 3 2
Abilities
Active Passive Defensive
None Leofric Presence Block
I checked out the Leofric Presence while she was still forming into reality. The passive was pretty damn good, all things considering.
Leofric Presence
Just by being in near the noble countenance of a member of the Leofric race you feel pride and strength infuse your body. Capable of inspiring those within three feet of the Leofric into an act of bravery and heroism helps combat adverse mental conditions such as fear.
I had a terrible feeling I would need that at some point, though the fact that little ability was so far outside of the game itself confused me. Until I learned more I’d just chalk it up to being race exclusive and the system just popped it in there because of it. When she formed entirely I saw the vacant and distant eyes suddenly fill with life, adding a depth and vividly compelling desire to stare into what I had spent so much time on, then she lunged at me while letting out a roar that sounded way too much like an actual lion and sent a cold chill down my spine. I had a moment to think how utterly beautiful and frightening she was and then she latched onto me, my mind going blank and wondering how many more times I was going to be scared for my life after just arriving.
She took me to the ground, and I tried to get her off of me, the action itself made feeble by the frightening strength she had at her disposal. I felt the soft fur along her face, something I did not remember adding, rub against my neck, I felt fangs nip me, and I was sure I was going to die. A moment later, wondering why I was still alive and this frighteningly dangerous and sexy woman was rubbing against me, I heard it. Was she...purring? I felt it a moment later as it deepened and she nuzzled me harder while rubbing her cheeks against me.
I was baffled, lions didn’t purr and as far as I knew they didn’t scent mark anything, admittedly I knew little about lions beyond how cool they looked but still. She said something, uttering it. I gasped when she nuzzled a ticklish spot on my neck, and she muttered it again. This time I heard it, the purring she was doing adding an odd little tremble to her words. “Mine, all mine.”