The next day...

*Knock, Knock, Knock*

"Hello! It's Kitsa from yesterday! Ermm... The village head! I've come to make sure that you settled in okay and Sir Denbury asked..."

*Creaaaaaaaaak*

The door slowly creaks open to reveal a very tired Cat-Kin, dark rings circle his eyes, his whole demeanour screaming "let me rest!". Making Kitsa back off slightly.

"… Hello... My Lord will be ready very soon... Apologies for making you wait..." It took a moment for Locks hazy eyes to take note that she was the one who knocked.

Kitsa peaks slight behind him, her eyes expanding into shock as she sees the room they were staying in had been turned upside down.

Chairs and the small table in the room had been over turned, the curtains almost falling off and the sheets of the bed flung on the floor to name a few of the things a complete mess in the room.

And then laying in the centre of the room, completely swaddled in sheets is a person

"Oh my! What happened here?! Were you attacked?! Do I need to call for help?! Is that the person responsible?!" Kitsa says panicking while also scanning the room for Fen, before looking to Lock with tears in her eyes.

Lock looks back at the room and then back towards her with an awkward smile on his face.

"Ah... My sincerest apologies, nothing bad happened. Well, no one attacked us. The mess and damage were sadly done by us. We shall happily pay for any damages that have occurred and tidy ourselves before we leave." Lock bows deeply to the young lady in front of him... Before the swaddled individual turns in their sleep to face the doorway and reveals themself.

"Ahehe... more drinkies pleasseeeeee..." The person of course being Fen.

Kitsa looked at the beautiful man blissfully dreaming in shock and looks back to Lock for answers, who continues to rub his head in an exhausted manner.

Lock begins to explain his night...

*

"OOooooOOhhHH Lock... I need some he-hick-guhh heeelp... Ahehehe... the night *hick* is still young! I need help *hick* ordering some more beer up here *hick* guh" (Fen)

Okay, he is still laid down at the moment. If I can try and convince him to sleep while he is still in that position it might be easier to restrain him.

Lock plots in his mind, turning briefly away from him to scan the room for anything to help him. The room was fairly simple. Two single beds, a wooden desk with a chair and a small window with curtains drawn across it. With the inn being fairly new, these were the best rooms that they could offer which they gladly accepted to the relief of the inn keeper.

Now if I can just get him covered with my sheets so I don't have to move him to get into his sheets... I might be able to get him too comfortable to stay awake...

Is what he thought, until he felt a sudden presence directly behind him...

"Heyyyy Loccckkk, why are you ignoring meeee..." (Fen)

"AH!" (Lock)

An impatient voice, almost as if it just manifested out of thin air, whispers in his ear making his tail and ears point straight up. Followed by the strong grip of a small hand on his shoulder.

Sweating, Lock turns to see the crimson red face of his very light weight companion.

"I-I'm deeply sorry my Lord, maybe you should lie down and I can go get us the drinks and..."

"We are alone! You don't gotta saaay "my lordddddd". Call me Fen!" An angry Fen interrupts him before he can finish, poking him in the face repeatedly as he says it.

"Oh... yes my... yes Fen." Lock cannot help but smile being able to use Fen's actual name, something he very rarely gets to do with the relatively little time they are completely alone.

"Yeeey! Anyway... it's time to have fun!" (Fen)

"Wah!" (Lock)

Letting his guard down, Locks vision all of a sudden turns upside down.

When he realises where he is, he is already laid flat on his back and pinned down. With possibly the most angelic looking being in the word in his eyes. His pure white hair seemed to glisten in the candle light of the room while the slight blush from the alcohol that covers his face and the tips of his pointy ears appears to make him seem more radiant yet.

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"Ahehe, like I said, it's still waaay too early..." Fens crimson eyes shone hypnotically as he smiled mischievously.

Lock holds his breath as he sees Fen lean down towards his ear.

"Now... Be a good boy... and let's get some more beer!" Fen sits up and shouts, throwing his hands up in the air while swaying unsteadily.

How am I going to survive this night!

The ruby faced Lock lays there and accepts his fate for a while....

*

"Eventually I managed to swaddle him in the sheets and he very quickly passed out... not before drinking a bunch of bottles that he asked for when the inn keep came to check if we was okay not long after..." Lock gave a defeated look recounting the events of the previous, as well as a red hue on his face that Kitsa found strange but did not question further.

"I see... You had it rough last night huh..." Kitsa looks down at the peacefully sleeping pretty boy, contemplating the difference in image that she saw from him yesterday when he was trying to put his best foot forward...

"What was the reason for your visit, Lady Kitsa?" Locks question brings Kitsa back to reality.

"Sir Denbury asked if you could meet with him before you leave? He said it was really important, related to the bandits they have been protecting us from. I know you said you would be leaving early today but..." Kitsa brings her gaze back to Lock, seeming to plead that they meet with him.

The situation with the bandits must be really stressing her out... for good reason. Kidnappings and pillaging... who knows what else they will do if they are allowed to continue and perhaps become bolder...

"I cannot promise anything, it will be up to my Lord whether we stay or go. But, I have never seen my Lord turn down someone in need." (Lock)

Hearing this Kitsa's worried face grows a hopeful smile.

"Thank you! Well for now I will go let him know you will be on your way to him-AAAAA!" Just as Kitsa is about to leave, a couple of hands rise up seemingly out of nowhere and drag her to the ground.

Lock who had been just about to turn to get ready to go, swivels back just in time to see the small dwarven girls get eaten by the cocooned being that Fen had become.

"Wh-What is happening!?" (Kitsa)

"Ahehe... no talking... it's sleeping time... zzz" (Fen)

Kitsa, now being cuddled by the still soundly sleeping Fen, who seemingly arose just to stop the talking going on around him.

Kitsa seemingly malfunctioning from Fen hugging her and rubbing their cheeks together, stays completely still not knowing whether to enjoy the moment or embarrassed because someone is watching her being hugged while not knowing how to react.

"...Well I would be very obliged if you could keep him there while I get ready Lady Kitsa, I'll be back as quickly as I can." Lock smiled down at them both as he makes his quick exit.

"Huh! No wait!" Kitsa briefly awakes from her embarrassment daze but quickly settles back into the daze again as Fen snuggles into her more.

*

"… It's not my fault." (Fen)

"I have not said anything, my Lord." (Lock)

The two were now fully dressed with Fens hood applied, making their way towards the barracks to meet Sir Denbury. Leaving Kitsa back at the inn to rest.

Lock had come back to find Fen still completely asleep, but also Kitsa had become so overwhelmed by the cuddling that she had also passed out. Whether she did so because she eventually got used to the situation and just fell asleep or fainted is unknown...

"Still, Kitsa said they have some information about the bandits?" Fen tries to change the topic by catching up on the information in more detail.

When Lock told Fen about what Kitsa had come to tell them, he immediately at least wanted to go see what the soldiers had found out.

"Yes, she said that apparently it was very important." Lock says just as they arrive outside of the barracks. The two guards stood outside the building seemed to know who they were and to expect them, as they both stood aside and opened the doors to the building for them.

They look even more tense then yesterday...

Fen thinks to himself as he passes.

The building itself was the second biggest in the village, with work seemingly going on outside of it to make even bigger. It was also in a lot better condition then a lot of the other buildings, that seemed to have some damage due to the raids and such. Whereas the barracks were perfectly fine.

They walk through the corridor led by a soldier, eventually stopping at a door to a room with a large table in the middle.

Around the table stood primarily two men who seem to be in conversation, while a bunch of armed soldiers stood around the room. These looking slightly more professional and better armed then the ones that Fen had seen with Denbury thus far...

"Hmm? Ah, Lord Fenbrook and his servant." One of the men around the table turned around, revealing himself to be Sir Denbury. His greeting causing the other man to turn around as well.

"So this is the Lord you told me about who was willing to help." The man was someone unknown to Fen, but was definitely a fellow soldier. The way which Denbury shrunk, uncharacteristically, as he spoke led him to think that this is perhaps a superior to him.

The man approaches and seems to tower over both of them as he gets close. His weathered face, with a scar across the cheek gave him some gravitas about his appearance. With sleeked back, receding brown hair and a little stubble, he looked like a very serious fellow.

"I am Sir Lavicius Bolt. Commander on the wall of Sentarial City. Sir Denbury here contacted the guards headquarters last night, told us that you convinced him that you need help here after all." Lavicius gives Denbury a side eyed look as he recounts the events of last night, to which he awkwardly looked down again.

"Hearing the struggles that they have been having, I have come here to oversee this myself." Fen glances behind Lavicius, seeing Denbury clenching his fists while looking at the ground.

"We have finally found them. The scouts this morning reported they saw some bandits and managed to follow them back to their base. It is deeper inside the forest, but a walkable distance for our soldiers. Unfortunately, I feel like it is best to see this through personally. I will be taking command of the bandit extermination and it will be over today." Lavicius explains while also making clear his displeasure with Denbury.

"Which is part of the reason I asked you to come here today. Although I am confident we can clear this up ourselves, I want to be sure. The people of this village have suffered enough. I hate to ask this of you, but how skilled are you in combat?" Lavicius determinedly stares into Fens eyes.

I see... (Fen)

"We are fairly adept at fighting." Fen smiles, hearing this the commanders face turned into a small smile.

"Oh? Would you be willing to help us with making sure these bandits do not escape. You, of course, will most likely not have any participation at all. I just need as many people as possible to cover every angle." At this point, he bows his head. Showing far more politeness and humility then what Fen and Lock had experienced up to this point.

"Lift your head Sir Lavicius, I will gladly lend you my help."