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", "count": "67", "submission_left_submission_id": "3711513", "submission_left_file_name": "5726592_XPAuthor_05_-_prey_away.doc", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/5726/5726592_XPAuthor_05_-_prey_away.jpg", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/5726/5726592_XPAuthor_05_-_prey_away.jpg", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/5726/5726592_XPAuthor_05_-_prey_away.jpg", "submission_left_thumb_huge_x": "300", "submission_left_thumb_huge_y": "300", "submission_left_thumb_large_x": "200", "submission_left_thumb_large_y": "200", "submission_left_thumb_medium_x": "120", "submission_left_thumb_medium_y": "120" }, { "pool_id": "81808", "name": "Republic of Pekia", "description": "A world of casual nudity, casual sex, and casual death. With population control a driving factor, death comes at any time and is accepted by all. Sex is not much different, regardless of age or gender", "count": "7", "submission_left_submission_id": "3700487", "submission_left_file_name": "5706010_XPAuthor_cullings_and_kindness.doc", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/5706/5706010_XPAuthor_cullings_and_kindness.jpg", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/5706/5706010_XPAuthor_cullings_and_kindness.jpg", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/5706/5706010_XPAuthor_cullings_and_kindness.jpg", "submission_left_thumb_huge_x": "300", "submission_left_thumb_huge_y": "300", "submission_left_thumb_large_x": "200", "submission_left_thumb_large_y": "200", "submission_left_thumb_medium_x": "120", "submission_left_thumb_medium_y": "120" } ], "description": "Comments will probably have spoilers. You have been warned.\n\nAnother Pekia story, this time with some deep lore. We join Jenaric \"Aric\" Prince Nocturne, a rat who is a Shadow, a secret agent for Pekia. Kind of like an agent of PopCon, only they work off the books. He is given a task that seems off, different from his usual assassinations. He worries this is a setup to burn him as an agent, which in Pekia, means he's probably going to die soon. He's fine with it, he had a good run. ...But there is more to this mission, and more to Pekia, that he is about to learn...\n\nYes, Aric is my self-insert... sort of. The main timeline Aric is, but this is not the same Aric from the main AF setting, not even an 'alternate' version, more of a shockingly similar genetic reincarnation (because the gods are having fun or something).\n\nCameos by a certain fox and rabbit, owner left anon.\n\n- - - - -\n\nA massive thank you to my top tier subscribers:\nSedyna | RoleplayCentral | [iconname]Karmandel[/iconname] | IzzyMouse | The Anons (not a username)\n\nIf you would like early access to my stories, weekly previews and updates, access to my private discord, chance to have your character become part of the lore, and other bonus content, please consider subscribing to my [url=https://subscribestar.adult/xp_author]SubscribeStar[/url]", "description_bbcode_parsed": "Comments will probably have spoilers. You have been warned.

Another Pekia story, this time with some deep lore. We join Jenaric "Aric" Prince Nocturne, a rat who is a Shadow, a secret agent for Pekia. Kind of like an agent of PopCon, only they work off the books. He is given a task that seems off, different from his usual assassinations. He worries this is a setup to burn him as an agent, which in Pekia, means he's probably going to die soon. He's fine with it, he had a good run. ...But there is more to this mission, and more to Pekia, that he is about to learn...

Yes, Aric is my self-insert... sort of. The main timeline Aric is, but this is not the same Aric from the main AF setting, not even an 'alternate' version, more of a shockingly similar genetic reincarnation (because the gods are having fun or something).

Cameos by a certain fox and rabbit, owner left anon.

- - - - -

A massive thank you to my top tier subscribers:
Sedyna | RoleplayCentral | \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKarmandel\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t		\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKarmandel\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
| IzzyMouse | The Anons (not a username)

If you would like early access to my stories, weekly previews and updates, access to my private discord, chance to have your character become part of the lore, and other bonus content, please consider subscribing to my SubscribeStar", "writing": "[center][b]The Shadow Hand[/b][/center]\n[center]By XP Author[/center]\n\nAric was just sitting down to enjoy some fresh coffee when there was a knock on his front door. The rat quirked an eyebrow. \"Wonder who that could be.\" The candidates for visitors was very low, even less since he had just taken the head of the cute fennec fox that liked to hang around him. In fact, the cute girl's head was sitting on his table, a big smile frozen on her cute, dead face. She had definitely enjoyed her death, he made sure of that. Thanks to the improved preservation chemicals he accidentally discovered, she would stay that way for many, many years. Along with all the other girls and women in his personal collection downstairs.\n\nSetting his mug down, he slid out of his chair, not bothering to get dressed and hide his brown fur, toned physique, or half-hard erection. Pulling the door open, he was met with a different fox, one his age. An old friend from long ago. \"Gina! Been a while.\"\n\nThe orange fox smirked, her eyes glancing down momentarily. She'd seen all he had to offer many times, and he'd seen her just as bare. Though they were hardly lovers, as she preferred women as her partners. \"It has been some time.\" She was dressed in all black, typical of a PopCon agent, though she didn't have any of the official symbols on her at the moment. Or any of her gear, just trousers and a shirt. \"I should come in.\"\n\n\"Ah, so this is official business.\" It wasn't a question, and she stayed quiet. He stepped to the side and let her enter, closing the door behind her. \"Just made a fresh pot of coffee. You want some?\"\n\n\"No. I can't stay that long. I've got a job in the area to get to soon.\" She held out a small, unassuming package, sealed but with no markings. \"I'm to tell you to wait until I leave to open this. Your eyes only.\"\n\nHe took the package, which didn't feel heavy. \"Brass is being even more clandestine than usual. Must be something big.\" He set the package down on his table. \"Well, thanks for dropping it off. So, who's the job?\"\n\nGina smiled. \"Mouse family. They got pulled for a culling and don't have any exemption status.\" She shrugged. \"Hoping they're all up for a bit of a personal touch for their ends, and not another one that just wants to get shot.\"\n\nAric nodded. \"Yeah, that can be a bit boring. Still some good bodies to play with after, though.\" He reached over and picked up his mug. \"Well, I don't want to keep you. Have fun with your job.\"\n\nShe nodded. \"Same to you.\" She glanced around him at the young girl's head set on his table. \"And have fun with your friend.\" He chuckled, giving her a nod as she took her leave. She was one of only a small handful of people that even knew he existed, and one of only two active PopCon agents that knew of him and his profession, and all the benefits it entailed. The other was Lyal, a very built and hung horse. The three of them had been raised together by PopCon, all training to be agents. There was a fourth, Beth, a white rat, but her body was currently one of his most prized possessions, and the reason he never became an agent of PopCon... officially.\n\nHe was something different. A Shadow, a secret, hidden agent of PopCon and Pekia that did jobs that weren't officially sanctioned, and were completely off the books. It meant if things went badly, it was on him to find a way out, or suffer the consequences. In exchange, he got a lot more freedom to express his murderous tendencies. Several of the girls in his collection should have been exempt from culling, but he found them too cute and sexy to pass up the chance to slice their necks and keep. The fact he had a collection at all was somewhat illegal. Bodies should be given over to be processed, but he kept most of his kills, preserved using a mixture of chemicals that totally halted the decaying process. He'd tweaked the formula over the years, leaving many of the body's functions still... functional. Milk production, vaginal excretions, even muscle contractions and sexual stimulation. His latest batch had added extra elasticity to bodies, allowing holes to be used without being ripped open fully. Lyal would be happy about that. With his massive shaft, he had a habit of breaking his toys too quickly.\n\nAric picked up the package and used one of his short claws to break the seal and pull one side open. A small device slipped out into his hand. It looked like a tiny computer screen, but only three inches long and two wide, with a thin metal case. He knew what it was, and how to activate it. He held it up to his face, right in front of his right eye, and a white line slid down the screen. It let out an affirmative beep as it confirmed his retina, and he moved it to a more reasonable distance. Fuzz filled the screen for a moment, then showed a large house. \"City 0, District 2.\" The voice that spoke was heavily distorted. The image shifted, showing an older dog, a german shepherd. \"Devin Jisak. Method: execution. Not used. Body to be found.\" Aric frowned. He had just said he didn't like executions.\n\nThe image changed again, to another dog, this one a female beagle. \"Erika Jisak. Method: execution. Not used. Body to be found.\" Another shift, this time to a very young pup, also a german shepherd. \"Andria Jisak. Method: your discretion, but she must disappear. No signs of use on site. No body to be found.\" He smirked. That was more his style. That was usually where it ended, but instead, it shifted again, showing a small trashcan. \"Dead drop is in District 2 park. Next to the water fountains on the north side. You will find the pistol, and another sealed package. It contains evidence of PEACE involvement.\" Aric frowned. PEACE was an anti-Pekian terrorist group that lived out in the mountains outside of the cities. Many of the people he was tasked with killing were sympathizers. \"You are to use the pistol provided for executions, and plant the evidence in the Jisak home. Make it look natural.\"\n\nThe rat frowned even harder. He'd never had to plant evidence before. \"This is a high priority task. Failure is not an option. You will have no support. Task must be completed within 48 hours. Failure is not an option.\"\n\nHe scoffed. \"You said that already.\" Nothing else was said, and the device went dark. Then it let out a high pitched whine, and an acrid smell of burnt metal and plastic, a small wisp of smoke rising from one corner. Aric set the device down, as it had also gotten very hot as it fried itself. He'd crush it and chuck it into the trash later. He always thought it was a waste for such advanced tech to be used like this, but he knew the need for secrecy in this job. For now, he sat down, leaning against the table. At least he wouldn't have to go too far for this one. He also lived in City Zero, also known as Central, as it was in the middle of the seven cities, the other six laid out around it like a wheel. It was the capital of Pekia, with the governor's house and capital building in District 0.\n\nPopCon headquarters was located there, too, where most active agents worked out of. While it was the largest building for active agents, it was not the largest PopCon facility. That was outside of the cities proper, in an old military bunker under the mountainside north of City 3. Orphaned children were taken there and raised by the government, though only if they were young enough, under the age of 9. It was a good education, and most would become agents once they became adults, usually around age 16 or 17. Though it was not mandatory, as they could choose to leave and lead a civilian life. They did not have any of the benefits of being an agent, but also none of the downsides. Agents were made sterile upon initiation. Families were never an option for agents. But those that left could still have a family, and with the education from the government, they often got a great boost in whatever career they chose. Many went into politics. The current Governor, Zandi Salisada, a zebra, had gone through that system.\n\nA lifetime ago, Aric had been one such orphan. His father, James, had been a general in the army, and sacrificed himself to destroy a major PEACE bunker, stopping what would have been a large scale attack on the cities. An honorable death, that left him as a war hero. There was a memorial to him in the City Zero cemetery. Aric was only 6 at the time. His mother, Mary, gave him up to the government to allow herself to be culled and buried with her husband, also an honorable end. However, he decided not to become an agent in the end, not wanting to lose the ability to breed. There were a few other reasons he chose differently, too. But thanks to being the only son of a war hero, and having gone through all the training, he was approached to become more than just an agent. He became a Shadow.\n\nUnfortunately, it meant he had to sometimes do tasks like this. He looked at the dead girl's head next to his mug. \"Something feels off about this one, Fennie.\" He picked her head up and leaned back. \"Think I'm being set up? Maybe this is how they burn a Shadow?\" He shrugged, bringing her head down to rub her lips against his cock. \"Well, let's have a little fun, in case this is the last time you get to have a taste.\" He let out a soft sigh as he slid his dick into her cool mouth. \"Hopefully I'll get a good death, too.\"\n\n[center]* * *[/center]\n\n\"What do you want!?\" The man begged, his voice shaky.\n\nAric shook his head. \"Nothing. Shut up and stay on your knees. Hands behind your back.\" The rat had snuck into the house late into the night, and caught Devin in the living room. The house was nice, but not overly large. A far cry from the typical mansions he was sent to on jobs. Most of the time, the people he had to cull were well to do, or had important jobs. He'd looked up the Jisaks, and that was not the case. Devin was a driver for a delivery company, and Erika was a clerk for the same company. Their daughter, Erika, was only 5, so there was no way she had any connections.\n\nDevin took several deep breaths in an attempt to keep calm. He was kneeling like Aric had ordered, hands clasped behind his back. Since he was at home, he was naked, as he planned to have some fun with his wife and daughter after a long day at work. Now he was terrified out of his wits. Like most Pekians, he was not exactly afraid of death, but this was hardly how he hoped he would go. \"If... We don't have much, but I can give you money. You can take the TV. My computer is upstairs. Password is D-R-One-V-Three-R-S-Zero-N. All capitals.\"\n\nAric smirked. \"Good to know. But that's not what I'm here for.\" He gripped the handle of the pistol he had gotten from the dead drop, pointing it at the back of the man's head. \"For what it's worth, I'm sorry. This is not personal, and not how I'd do this if I had a choice.\"\n\n\"Had a choice? Wh-\" He never got to complete the question as Aric fired. The silencer kept the noise to a muffled pop, like popping a paper bag, but at least it wasn't a bang that would make his ears ring. Blood splattered on the carpet in front of the man as his body jerked, then the dog slumped to the ground as he went limp. When Aric stepped around the growing pool of blood, he saw the man's cock twitching and spitting one final load onto the floor, too. There was no exit wound, the pistol not high enough caliber to blow the man's skull open. But the shot was still fatal. He fired a second shot into his head just to be sure. The body didn't even twitch.\n\nThat was one, now for the second. The house was only one story, but he wasn't concerned about Erika hearing him. The sound of a shower came from the main bedroom, so she likely couldn't hear much of anything right now. The little girl could have heard, but she would not be a problem. Moving down the hall towards the sound of the shower, he peaked inside one room. Office, with the computer mentioned. Though it looked more like a game room than an office. Directly across the hall was another room. He slowly nudged the door open and was met with an explosion of pastel colors on the walls and floor, and the small bed against the wall. Andria's room. The little girl was sitting on the floor, playing with little plastic dolls.\n\nStashing the gun in his pocket, he pulled out a small, thin tube with a needle on one end. Slowly nudging the door wider, he silently moved forward, then lunged. His arm came around to grab the puppy's muzzle, clamping it shut while dragging her back against him. \"Shhh.\" He shoved the tube against her neck, the auto-injector pumping the contents into her in one go. The girl tried to struggle, but he held onto her hard. The sedative worked quickly, and her struggles grew sluggish, and then her arms fell away. \"That's it. You sleep.\" He whispered into her ear. When she went completely limp, he gently laid her down on the floor, patting her head. \"I'll be back for you later. You rest for now.\"\n\nPutting the injector back into his pocket, he pulled his pistol out and left the girl on the floor in her room. The sound of the shower stopped at some point while he was dealing with Andria. The door to the main bedroom was left open, so he could see it was still empty. Stepping inside, he saw a light coming from a door to the other side, likely the bathroom. He cautiously made his way around the dresser and to the open door. Moist heat was pouring out from the shower, along with the slightly floral scent of fur shampoo. He also heard a woman's voice humming to herself.\n\nTaking a deep breath, he stepped in and pointed his pistol forward. The beagle inside saw him and gasped. \"Don't scream, or this will be very painful.\" He commanded.\n\nErika dropped the towel she had been using and raised her hands up, revealing her naked body. White fur with brown patches covered a slender body with little tone. Her breasts were average at best, but they were still perky. Her fur was still slightly damp, but as she had been drying off, it made her look a bit more puffy. \"W-what do you want?\"\n\n\"That doesn't matter.\" His eyes flicked behind her, at the standing shower stall still open. \"Step back into the shower, and keep your hands up.\"\n\nShe obeyed, slowly stepping back. \"W-where's Devin?\" She gasped. \"You haven't hurt Andria, have you!?\"\n\n\"Your little girl is fine. She's in her room. I just gave her a little sedative to put her to sleep.\" Of course, she wouldn't stay unharmed for long, but he didn't need to tell her that.\n\nErika let out a soft, relieved sigh. \"I... I have jewelry if you are just here to rob us. It's in the top-right drawer of the dresser.\"\n\nHe shook his head. \"I'm afraid that's not what I'm here for.\"\n\nHer shoulders seemed to slump a little, though she kept her hands up. \"Oh...\" She looked him up and down. His black clothing masked his physique, but his frame was still solid enough. \"Will you... at least fuck me first?\"\n\nHe sighed. \"I'd very much love to rape you, but my orders are not to. Sorry.\"\n\nShe blinked. \"Orders? From wh-\" He didn't let her finish, firing two shots into her chest, right next to her left tit. She tried to gasp as she staggered back, only to hit the tiled wall behind her, her breath catching in her throat. Her hands moved to touch the wounds, seeing the blood on her fingers. Her legs trembled, and then gave out entirely, making her collapse to the shower floor. Blood was drooling out of the two wounds, and more started to leak from her mouth as the lung he punctured collapsed. She looked up at him, eyes wide with fear and confusion. \"W-wh...why...?\" He watched as she started to piss herself, it and the blood slowly running down the drain under her.\n\nHe frowned. \"Like I said. Orders. You don't need to worry about any of that.\" He aimed his pistol. \"I'll make sure your daughter at least gets a good death.\" She opened her mouth to say something, but he fired again, this time hitting her forehead. Her body jerked, then slumped fully. A shiver ran through her legs, and he saw her pussy lips quiver, but then she was still. He sighed heavily as he stashed the gun in his pocket again. \"Shame. I'm real sorry you had to die this way. But a job is a job.\" He turned around, leaving her in the shower where she fell.\n\nHe had tucked the documents he was to plant into his waist, hidden under his shirt. He pulled them out and thought of where best to stash them. He had read through them, and they implicated both adults in being sleeper agents for a local cell of PEACE. One read as a reply of some kind, as if one or the other had gotten cold feet and wanted out of the city. Their reply said someone would be by for them. Aric had seen enough of these sorts of documents. He was being made to look like a PEACE hitman, cleaning up a loose end.\n\nHe first went to the office/game room, usually where these sorts of documents were hidden. But he decided instead to just start pulling drawers open and making a brief mess of the contents, as if someone had searched hastily. Returning to the main bedroom, he did the same to the dresser. Where he actually placed the documents was behind a bookshelf, using a bit of tape from the office to stick them to the back side. A clean up crew would find them when they came to clean the house later. Especially if they were told to look for something like this. He even made sure to leave just part of a corner sticking out, enough to catch the attention of someone looking carefully, but easily missed by someone looking in haste.\n\nWith all of that done, he had one last thing to take care of. Andria. He returned to her room, and she was still out cold on the floor. She would be for a few hours. He gently picked the girl up, draping her over his shoulder. \"C'mon, little one. You're coming home with me.\" He carried her out and downstairs. \"Once you wake up, we'll have some fun.\" He pat her back and took her out of the house, using the back door. He left his car at the park, which was a bit of a walk, but it was closer than his own house. \"Well, I'll have some fun, at least.\" He smirked as he walked out into the night.\n\n[center]* * *[/center]\n\nThe young puppy finally started to wake up. She let out a soft, groggy groan as her consciousness swam back to the surface through the thick, oily drowsiness still clouding her mind. She tried to move, but her limbs felt like they were extra heavy. She tried to open her eyes, but her vision was still fuzzy. The room was lit very dimly, but that was about all she could see. Something touched under the back of her head. A hand. It was very warm, and gently lifted her head up a little. \"Here. Drink this.\" A man's voice, but she didn't recognize it. It wasn't her father. Something touched her lips. A straw. Her mouth did feel extra dry, so she wrapped her lips around it and took a sip. Cool, sweet water filled her mouth, and she drank it. It helped a little.\n\n\"Whe-\" She couldn't get the whole word out before she started to cough. The straw came back, and she took another long sip of the sweet water, then tried again. \"What... happened...?\"\n\nAric set the cup down. He had taken the girl to a little room in his house, with a comfortable bed, but not much else in it. \"Do you really want to know?\" She nodded slowly, trying to look at him, but having to blink several times to get her eyes to focus. \"I drugged you to make you sleep.\"\n\n\"W-why? W-who...\" She was surprisingly calm, but probably because her young mind wasn't awake enough to fully process what he said.\n\n\"You can call me Aric. And I knocked you out because... well, see, I had to kill your mom and dad, and I couldn't have you making a fuss over it.\" He kept his voice calm and even, even gently stroked her cheek.\n\n\"K-killed them?\" She blinked several times, the brown shape slowly solidifying into the form of a large rat man. \"A-are you... PopCon?\"\n\nAric smirked. \"Not exactly. But don't you worry about that.\"\n\nShe did worry, but she still couldn't get her body to listen much. Trying to sit up only resulted in her falling back down onto the bed. \"A-are you going to kill me, too!?\"\n\nHe nodded. \"Yes.\" He set his hand on her belly, gently teasing at her fur. She had already been naked when he got her, and now he was just as naked as she was. \"But I'm going to use you first.\" He teased up along her flat chest. \"I'm not going to be gentle about it. I'm going to rape your little pussy hard.\" His fingers trailed up and touched her neck. \"And then I'm going to cut this little neck and take your cute head off.\" She tensed up. \"And if you're a very good girl, I'll let you cum really hard first.\"\n\nShe shook her head. \"N-no! I-I want my daddy!\" She tried to sit up, but he just pressed his hand down to keep her pinned.\n\nHe sighed. \"Well, your daddy's currently a corpse in your living room, so he's not coming.\" Shifting back, he climbed up fully onto the bed, moving to kneel in front of her. He used one hand to shove her legs out of the way, scooting forward between them. The other was still pinning her down. He rested his hard cock against her abdomen, the tip sitting up above her navel. \"I'm going to rape you and kill you either way. If you're not going to let yourself enjoy it, that's on you.\"\n\nShe shook her head again. \"N-no! I want my daddy!\" Aric rolled his eyes. She was one of the little girls that only had eyes for her father. She probably wouldn't have lasted once she got to school with that attitude. Pulling back, he pressed the tip of his cock against her little cunny lips. She tried to squirm some more, but he kept holding her down. His other hand helped aim himself, then he pressed forward. She let out a whine as he started to slowly part her pussy lips. Despite her protests, he could feel the moisture on his tip, her body wanting him, even as she tried to say otherwise.\n\nHe let out a moan as his tip slipped inside, and the girl let out a loud yelp. \"Mmm, nice and tight.\" He pushed deeper, moaning as the warm walls squeezed around him. She kept letting out little yelps and whines with his little thrusts. \"You keep crying, but your body wants it. Your cunny is so wet already, and I've only just started.\" He moaned again. \"And you keep squeezing me. It's so nice.\"\n\nShe shook her head. \"N-No, stop!\"\n\n\"You don't want me to stop.\" He thrust deeper, making her cry out a little. \"You're a little puppy slut, and you want me filling you.\" Every thrust pushed more of his shaft into her, making her cry out louder, but also squeeze around him harder. It wasn't long before his tip bumped against her cervix, leaving nearly half of himself still outside of her. \"Mmm, maybe I should just start filling you up right now.\" He thrust against the back of her pussy again, hitting harder this time. \"Or should I just dive into this little baby womb?\"\n\nAndria shook her head, tears running from her eyes now. \"N-no! I-it hurts!\" She cried out as he struck deep again. He was right, despite her protests his cock felt really good inside of her. Each time he hit deep, a jolt of pleasure ran through her little body. She couldn't stop her hips moving with his thrusts, or her pussy clenching around him as the pleasure built up. She let out a shocked gasp when he ran a thumb against her little clit, making her tremble even more and clench even harder.\n\nHe laughed softly. \"See, you want it.\" He moved to grip her sides so he could start really hammering hard. \"Go on, little girl. Cum one last time before you die.\"\n\n\"N-no! I-I...d-don't...\" She gasped as he struck hard again, and she felt her insides starting to give. \"I-I d-don't... w-want to!\" She let out a loud shout when he struck hard again. It felt like something was about to break inside of her belly.\n\nHe shoved as hard as he could several more times. Finally, he felt the tearing flesh as he ripped through her cervix and plunged into her womb. He also let out a loud moan as all of his cock was finally able to shove fully inside, her womb clinging around the first few inches. \"Ah! Fuck yes! Wombs always feel the best!\" He started to really hammer away, feeling her inner walls clenching and clinging, and even her womb itself seemed to be squeezing around him. Her belly bulged out just a little when he thrust fully inside, showing just where his cock was striking.\n\nThe young dog couldn't hold anything back anymore, letting out a scream as a mix of pain and pleasure took over her body. She squirmed under him, tears rolling down her eyes. It felt like he was punching her guts from the inside, but somehow it felt great at the same time. Then she felt something else, hard and cold, pressed against her throat. Her eyes snapped open as a new pain struck, and she tasted blood and metal at the back of her throat. She opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out but a gurgle as the sharp blade easily ripped through her flesh.\n\nAric sawed the knife back and forth. The edge had teeth that made quick work of connective tissue and muscle. It only slowed slightly when he struck bone, but he was experienced and found the grooves to slip between. With a hard crack, he split her spine, and cut the rest of the way through. Her head rolled to the side as blood sprayed out of the stump of her neck in great spurts and arcs. Her body started to thrash even harder than before, everything clenching around him. He set the knife down and gripped her hips once more, humping at her dying body as hard as he could. With a loud cry of his own, he plunged deep and unleashed a huge load deep into her womb, filling it with enough of his seed to bulge her belly out a little again.\n\nHe looked over at her head, her eyes wide with fear and shock, tears still flowing from them. He watched the light leave those eyes as she faded away, her mouth twitching before going slack. \"That's it, just rest.\" He pat her forehead gently. \"At least I let you cum one last time.\" He grunted as her body still squeezed around him. \"Fuck, and you're still cumming, too!\" He humped a few more times, then withdrew his shaft. A small river of cum came out after him, and he spat a few more shots onto her. Her pussy lips still quivered as her body's thrashing slowed to twitching and shaking.\n\nHe set her down, only to move around to the other side, not caring that he was sitting in so much spilled blood. He was used to it. Lifting her shoulders up, he pressed his still drooling tip against the newly exposed throat. \"Let's give you one last meal.\" He pushed forward, the hole spreading a little for him. He still had to force it, but soon slipped inside of her throat. What was left of her neck bulged out visibly as he pushed further down. \"Ah... fuck yes, best kind of blowjob!\" He gripped her shoulders hard and dragged her back to shove his whole shaft down her severed throat. Blood kept spurting out against his balls, but he didn't care.\n\nHis hips thrust forward as her throat clenched tighter than her pussy ever could hope to. He moaned loud as he rammed himself forward over and over. Her body still trembled, and he saw her legs give a bit of a twitch. \"Good little slut. Cumming so hard even after dying.\" He let out another moan as her throat clenched again. \"So many people always say they don't want it, but you cum so much harder once your head comes off.\" He grunted as his cock twitched, already nearing a second climax. He had no reason to hold back, and thrust as hard as he could into her. With a loud cry, he blew a second load deep into her throat, right down into her stomach. As he did, her pussy let out a little squirt, body cumming again for him. He loved when they did that. Some sluts would keep cumming for hours after dying.\n\nHe wasn't done using her with just two loads. For nearly two hours he continued to use her body. He gave her a load in her mouth, both from the front, and up her throat from behind. Another was blasted into her ass, a second left in her pussy, and milked one final load just rubbing himself against her belly. When he was done, he was panting and spent, his cock drooling but limp, unable to stay hard anymore. For now, at least. Her well-used body was coated and drooling his seed from every hole, her face coated as more leaked from her mouth and neck.\n\nHe reached over to pat her head. \"You were a good girl.\" He took several deep breaths, though he was still breathing heavily. \"I'll have to get you cleaned up to mount you later.\" He liked to keep his kills preserved and in his collection. Though he also frowned. \"But you still said no, so... I'm going to have to take your limbs.\" He also had a rule about his kills. Those that tried to deny him didn't get to keep their limbs once mounted, leaving them as only a torso, their head mounted above it. Sometimes he kept the limbs as well, sometimes he didn't. He wouldn't bother keeping hers. Thanks to his training as a kid, he knew how to get the meat off of her.\n\nWith the girl being so small, cutting her limbs off was a fairly quick task. He started with her arms, cutting them close to the shoulder. The knife was designed to cut through bone, as well, so it left a clean cut behind. The legs took a little more effort, but he was still able to cut them high near her hip. He left her cute little tail, though. With that task completed, he picked her torso and head up, and walked out of the room. It was located just off of his collection room in the basement. Dozens of women and girls of many ages were on display down there, all mounted on stands against the walls. Some had their limbs, most didn't. Most were naked, some had some kind of clothing, but still with their chests and pussies exposed. He liked to use the girls from time to time.\n\nThree were displayed at the center of the room, separate from the rest. They were his most prized members. A white rat, killed when she was 17 years old. Beth. His first love. She was one of the major reasons he hadn't become an agent. She had been in his class with him, and she wanted him to kill her. Even now, years later, her face still smiled with the lustful joy of her last moments. The second was much younger, a white rabbit with brown markings. Zoe, only 6 years old. The young girl had been sneaking into his house to play with him. She was addicted to his cock for some reason. He couldn't hold back and finally took her head, but still loved the little girl, so she was presented. And the third was the newest, the young fennec fox girl he had been playing with when he first got this job. She had also been hanging around him a lot, though he had no idea where she lived. She might have been homeless. But a week ago, she asked if he was ever going to finally kill her, and he obliged, giving her one last night of fun before taking her head. She also had a joyful, lustful smile frozen on her cute face. Both the fox and the rabbit had also had their limbs removed, but not because of his rule. He knew both of them would have preferred to end up like that, just a torso to be displayed and used.\n\nHe took Andria past all of them, to another room. This one had several large, glass vats, four in total, two on either side. A smaller vat, more of a large jar, was next to each larger. Three were empty, but one had a blue-green chemical inside of it. His preservation tanks. The chemicals inside would halt the decaying process of the body placed inside, with the smaller vat beside for the head. Aric had been tweaking the formula since his time at the academy, and had improved upon it many times. His latest improvement left the body with a new elasticity so it could withstand hard use for much longer without the flesh ripping.\n\nWith a grunt, he hefted Andria's body up, slowly lowering it into the large vat of chemicals. He lowered the metal lid, which sat on a hinge. He did the same with her head, putting it into the smaller vat and closing it. Then he hit a button, and they both started to hum, bubbles slowly floating up and around the body and head. It would take time for everything to process properly. He had gotten the process down from more than a day, but it would still take several hours. More than enough time for him to take a shower and have some food.\n\nHe took his time in the shower, carefully washing all of the blood out of his fur. Dinner was nothing special. He would strip Andria's arms and legs later. He still had some other meat, which he'd ground up. He used that, some pasta, and a bit of cheese to make a simple, but hearty meal. He was also going to make some coffee, but realized his cream was low. \"Guess I'll need to milk the mamma.\" One of the girls on display was a cow. Thanks to his preservation, and some drugs he injected into her form time to time, her large tits still produced milk, even though she had been dead for months. It was still creamy and sweet, too. It was another of his successes. The milk farms did a similar process, preserving bodies and using a drug to induce them to produce milk, but they usually only lasted around two months before they stopped. With his tweaked formulas, 'Mamma' had been producing for over eight, and didn't show signs of stopping yet. He'd reveal all his formulas someday, once it was his time to die. He had all of it written down and easy to find.\n\nHe grabbed a fresh bottle to fill and headed back to his basement. Though the moment he got there, he froze. \"You really do look just like her.\" It was the voice of a young man, one Aric didn't know. \"You look happy, too. I'm glad.\" Stepping cautiously down, Aric wished he'd kept his knife on him. Once he was at the bottom of the stairs, he saw someone he didn't recognize standing in front of the three girls at the center of the room. Specifically, he was looking at Zoe, his hand reached out to gently stroke her head near her ear. \"I'm sure she would have liked this, too.\" Whoever it was, they were wearing a long, black coat that hung down to their ankles.\n\nAric cleared his throat. \"Excuse me... who are you, and how the hell did you get in my house?\" He held the empty bottle in his hand like a weapon, ready to smash it on the person's face if he had to.\n\nThe young man turned around, and Aric blinked. He had never seen anyone like them. They looked around 14 or 15, with short, messy black hair, and striking crimson eyes. A white rabbit, but with black tiger stripes, and a cat tail. The stripes on the tale seemed to spiral up the length, too. He had heard of hybrids happening in the past, but they almost never happened in Pekia. Under the coat, the kid was wearing a pair of long, black slacks, and a button up shirt with a v-neck collar. \"Oh. Hello. Sorry, didn't mean to just walk in unannounced, but you looked like you were enjoying your dinner, so I didn't wanna bug you.\" He hooked a finger over his shoulder. \"I also wanted to see her. She's just like someone I used to know a long time ago. Pretty sure she'd have liked ending up like that, too.\" He gave a big smile, showing off his feline teeth.\n\n\"That... doesn't answer my question...\"\n\nThe boy tilted his head. \"Hmm? Oh. I guess not.\" He waved his hand. \"Well, don't worry about it. You'll find out soon.\" He stepped forward, reaching into one of his pockets. Aric was ready to attack if a weapon was drawn, but instead, the kid pulled out a small device. The same kind Aric got his missions on. \"Here. This is for you. Follow the instructions very specifically, and don't tell anyone. Or else.\" The last two words were said with such an edge, the rat almost flinched.\n\nHe did still take the device, looking at it. \"Another mission already?\" When he looked back at the kid, he did flinch this time, though he couldn't say why. The phantom of an image was left in his mind, the kid's red eyes, but with deep, swirling spirals within them. He blinked several times, only to realize the boy was gone. He turned around quickly, but there was no one there. He looked all around, checking the different rooms, and even heading upstairs. There was no sign of the kid at all, and his doors were all still locked. But he also still had the little device, proof that someone [i]had[/i] been there. \"What... the hells is going on...?\"\n\nBlinking several times and shaking his head, he looked back at the device. He brought it up to his eye, and it scanned him and activated. There were no visuals this time, only audio. \"Job confirmed as ordered. Your presence is required. Proceed to PopCon HQ immediately. Do not delay. You will be greeted by someone with the phrase: 'Do you need a hand?' Respond thusly: 'Only when in the dark.' Further instructions will be given from there.\" There was a pause, then the distorted voice added. \"…Please come dressed.\" With that, the device let out a high pitched whine as it fried itself.\n\nHe dropped it onto the table, shaking his hand from how hot it got. \"No delay, huh?\" He sighed, looking over at the coffee he was about to have. \"Well, if this is going to be my execution, I'm sure they won't fault me having one last cup.\"\n\n[center]* * *[/center]\n\nAric stepped through the large front doors of the building, wearing one of his nicer set of clothes. A pair of black slacks and a dark blue button up shirt. He felt like he looked like a pencil pusher at some office, though his ponytail probably soured the look slightly. He looked around the lobby, a great sense of nostalgia washing over him. The Office of Population Control, more commonly known simply as PopCon. It had been a long time since he had stepped into the main headquarters. The last time, he had been 19, when he first got the appointment as Shadow. That was over ten years ago now. As a Shadow, he usually tended to avoid the place.\n\nDespite it being just after four in the morning, there were quite a few people walking around, most of them not agents but clerks, record keepers for the population of the seven cities. The lobby itself wasn't particularly large, but it was impressive, with a marble floor, the seal of PopCon laid out underfoot. As he stepped in, he wondered what or who he was supposed to be looking for. In his distracted state, he nearly walked right into a squirrel. The big, bushy tail right in front of his face was the only thing that halted him from colliding with her. He stepped back, letting out a slight laugh. \"Sorry!\"\n\nShe turned, giving him a big smile. \"Oh, that's alright. It can get in the way sometimes.\" Aric tilted his head a little as he looked at her. She looked in her late 20's, and was cute, but had an odd shape to her face, more dog-like than rodent, and her ears half flopped over instead of stuck out straight. The pattern on the top of her tail was also strange, lines of bone white sticking out among the grey-brown fur. They crawled outwards in a v-shape, but split here and there, like bolts of lightning, but with smoother turns. He almost got the impression of a pair of antlers. \"You seem a little lost. Do you need a hand?\"\n\nHe shook his head. \"Oh. No, but...\" He paused, then spoke the passphrase. \"Only when in the dark.\"\n\nThe squirrel smiled up at him a little wider. \"Then let me help you step into the light.\" With that, she turned and started to walk away. She made no motion for him to follow, but he did so anyway. She opened a door and walked down a hall, made several turns, then opened another door, which led to a ramp down. This all reminded him of his last time here, being led down more turns than necessary. Though at the bottom of the ramp, he found only a plain door. The woman had vanished somehow, the same way the kid had earlier. At least this time, he didn't have a headache.\n\nTaking a deep breath, he opened the door, only to find himself in a tiny, metal box of a room. He stepped inside, only to spin around as a set of doors slid shut behind him. The whole room started to move, slowly descending. \"Hidden elevator?\" Most buildings in Pekia were only a few stories tall, so elevators were quite uncommon. He was not sure how far down it went, but he stood there for several minutes. It finally came to a gentle halt, the doors opening for him again. Beyond was darkness, the light from the elevator just enough to show him a short hall leading to another, larger room. But he could not make out what was inside. Taking another deep breath, he stepped out and into the larger room.\n\nThe moment he got to the center of the room, a male voice spoke, loud and echoing around him. \"Jenaric Prince Nocturne.\"\n\nHe spun around, looking for the source of the voice. \"Yes, that is me.\"\n\nAnother voice spoke, this one female. \"You have completed the tasks we have given you. You have acted as Shadow with exemplary results.\"\n\nHe smirked just slightly, despite the situation. \"Thank you. It has been an honor to serve as Shadow all these years.\"\n\nA third voice spoke, this one sounding young and familiar. \"You have also acted on your own, killing many that have not been assigned.\"\n\nHis smirk faded. \"Ah... yes. I don't deny my impulses to take those I like or find attractive.\" He stood up a little straighter. \"I don't deny I've done this for personal reasons, but it does keep my skills sharp.\"\n\nThere was a prolonged silence, and the first voice spoke again. \"This is not an accusation.\"\n\n\"We are actually quite impressed with your skills, and your ability to kill unseen.\"\n\n\"And to stay hidden and take the slain away.\"\n\nHe looked around in the darkness. The voices seemed to be coming from all around him. \"Um... Thank you.\" Even with their praise, he wasn't convinced this wasn't to be his execution.\n\n\"We have been impressed enough that we have chosen you for a great honor.\"\n\n\"A new role.\"\n\n\"If you would accept. If not, you will not leave this room, but be honored as a skilled Shadow.\"\n\nAric laughed. \"No pressure.\" He cleared his throat and stood up straighter again. \"What is this new task?\"\n\n\"In time. First, introductions.\" Lights came on in the room, thankfully slowly rising, so they did not instantly blind him. The room was mostly empty. Space around him was three seats, all high up above his head. A person sat one each, and above them was a symbol on a banner.\n\nTo his right, under the banner of a feather, was a man. A squirrel, with the same features as the one that had led him to the elevator, only he looked older. Possibly her father. \"I am Soaring Dawnwing, Champion of Zanduchi.\" Aric flinched. A divine champion was one chosen by the gods to represent their will on the mortal world, or so the stories went. They were supposed to be immensely powerful, with abilities no other mortal could possess. But they were only rumor, and many thought they were myth. Zanduchi was the god of death, fertility, and the hunt. Often called the god of balance, as well.\n\nTo his left, the woman spoke. He flinched again, as she was massive. He wasn't sure what she was exactly. Her head was like that of a goat, but her body was huge, looking more like a buffalo. The banner above her was a needle. \"I am Morrigan Pierce Danials, Champion of Ket.\" Two champions!? Ket was the god of war, politics, and conflict.\n\nThe third, in front of him, sat under the banner of a crown. And he recognized them. It was the kid that had been in his basement, the young rabbit with the tiger stripes. \"I am Rex Cisni, Champion of Thenitas.\" The god of tricks, cunning, chaos, and luck. Minutes ago, he had thought champions were just stories from the old world, but now he was apparently in a room with three of them.\n\nHe wasn't sure if he should salute or bow or genuflect. So he just stood at military attention between them. \"It... is an honor to meet champions.\"\n\nMorrigan let out a snorted chuckle. \"I'm sure. But as for why you are here, you need to know something. We three are the rulers of Pekia.\"\n\nHe blinked again. \"Rulers?\"\n\nSoaring answered. \"The government serves its purpose, but we make the ultimate choices. We are the Trinity.\"\n\nRex finished. \"The true rulers... and the founders.\" He smirked wide adding that.\n\nAric stared at the kid. \"Founders? But Pekia was founded almost 200 years ago!\" He looked at the three of them. A child, a woman in her prime, and a man just past his. None of them looked like they were centuries old.\n\n\"Blessings of the gods.\" Rex continued. \"We can discuss it later, if you accept the offer.\"\n\nThe rat was hesitant. \"What... is the offer?\" They still hadn't said.\n\nMorrigan explained. \"You have served faithfully and skillfully as a Shadow. We would make you our personal Shadow. Our Shadow Hand. The hand of the Trinity itself.\"\n\nSoaring continued. \"You would still act as shadow as normal, but you would do our tasks above all else. You would be above the other Shadows.\" Aric knew there were other active Shadows in the cities, though by nature, had never met any of them. \"And you may be given tasks by us that countermand other tasks given. Ours take priority.\"\n\nRex spoke again. \"There have only ever been seven Shadow Hands in the history of Pekia. If you accept, you would be the eighth.\" He gave a big, toothy grin. \"And don't think the promotion doesn't come without perks. For one, you would receive boons from us, akin to those of a champion, but lesser. We are not our gods, but we can still pass blessings from them on to others.\"\n\n\"What kind of blessings?\"\n\n\"We can discuss that later.\" Soaring responded. \"Do you accept this great honor?\"\n\nMorrigan added. \"You have learned a hidden truth of this world today. If you do not accept, then we will be forced to keep you quiet.\"\n\nRex smiled again. \"But don't worry. We'll make sure your death is a great one.\" His smile grew slightly warmer. \"And we'll make sure your collection is well tended to, as well.\"\n\nAric smirked. \"Thanks.\" He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Standing up straighter, he looked at all three of them. \"I do not fear my death. I never have. So I do not make this choice because of that. I have served Pekia all my life, and I am honored for the chance to serve more directly. I humbly accept the offer.\"\n\nRex clapped his hands. \"Great! Welcome to the fold, Mr. Nocturne.\" He chuckled. \"Great name for a Shadow, by the way.\"\n\n\"Um... thanks? I didn't choose it, though. Was my father's name. James Nocturne.\"\n\nMorrigan chuckled, a softer sound than she had made so far. \"We are aware of who your father was. He was a great general who died a hero to all of Pekia.\"\n\n\"And you have been a hero in your own way, from the darkness.\" Soaring leaned back. \"Keep doing that.\"\n\n\"Of course!\" He cleared his throat. \"So... what now? When I became Shadow, I had to swear an oath. Is there a ceremony for this?\"\n\nRex giggled, hopping down from his seat and stepping close. \"That was the ceremony. We like to be a bit dramatic sometimes, but none of us are big on pomp.\" He held out his hand, and Aric shook it hesitantly. \"Anyway, great to meet you in person. I've been watching you for a while.\"\n\n\"Ah... okay.\" He wasn't sure what to say to that. After a moment, he couldn't help himself. \"Okay, I have to ask. Are you really one of the founders? You look like you're 15.\"\n\n\"14.\" He corrected. \"And yes, I am. But I'm actually wa~ay older than that. I just like to keep myself looking young.\" He flashed his sharp, feline teeth. \"In fact, I'm the oldest of us three.\"\n\nAric stared at him. \"W-what?\"\n\nMorrigan spoke up, making him flinch as she was standing beside him and showing just how huge she actually was, his head not even coming to her shoulders. And Aric was not a small man at six feet. \"The kid's not lying. I'm only a little over 200, and this kid is much older.\" She motioned to Soaring. \"He's actually the youngest.\"\n\nSoaring nodded, also stepping close. \"Indeed. In truth, only those two were among the founders. I am the descendant of the third founder, Howling Nightfeather. We Zanduchi champions have chosen not to extend our lives, accepting our deaths when they come. But we pass the title on to our offspring, Zanduchi willing. So far, she has seen fit to keep our tradition with us. I am the 6th to sit in the feather throne.\"\n\nAric felt he could relax a little more now that all three had come down to talk to him on more equal, casual terms. \"I'm curious about that. What's with the symbols? They're not the symbols of the gods.\"\n\nMorrigan nodded. \"Ah yes. We carry those symbols on ourselves.\" She held out her massive hand, which could easily fit around his head. Long, sharp, feline claws extended from her fingertips. \"I bare the lion claws of Ket. But my symbol is the needle, because it pierces. Morrigan [i]Pierce[/i] Daniels.\"\n\n\"Oh! I get it.\" He looked at Soaring. \"Feather because Dawnwing?\"\n\nHe nodded. \"Yes.\" He pointed at his tail, which had the same bone white markings as the girl upstairs. \"The antler is Zanduchi's symbol. I chose to wear it on my tail instead of on my head.\"\n\n\"And the girl upstairs, the one that led me to the elevator. Is she your... daughter?\"\n\nHe nodded once more. \"Correct. That is my eldest daughter, the only one of my children that is still alive, in fact. Her name is Talon Brightfeather. She is ready to become my replacement, likely not far into the future. These old bones are feeling their age. But until then, she will be your contact point within the agency. Though you will still get your missions from those two agent friends of yours as normal. She will only contact you if the missions directly from us are too sensitive for the usual method.\"\n\nHe looked at Rex. \"But you were able to sneak into my house without me even seeing you.\"\n\nThe 'kid' shrugged. \"We have a lot of things to take care of. We can't go out and do all the jobs on our own. We may be champions, but we're still only three people. That's why we have agents and shadows and hands, and why we have the whole government set up instead of sitting in some palace and ruling.\" He pat the rat's arm. \"Don't worry too much about it. There's more you'll have to learn, but that'll come in time.\"\n\nAric nodded. \"Oh, never got about your symbol. But I can guess. Rex, king, crown?\"\n\nThe boy nodded. \"Yup!\" he pointed at his tail, and the tiger markings swirling up the length. \"That's Thenitas' symbol on me, the spiral.\"\n\n\"And you are really the oldest one here?\"\n\nHe nodded again. \"Oh yeah, by far.\" He gave one of his big, toothy grins. \"In fact, I was born before the war.\"\n\n\"Before...\" Aric's eyes went wide. \"Wait, THE war!?\" Rex nodded. \"But that was... what, 300 years ago!?\"\n\nRex shrugged. \"Eh~ closer to 350 at this point, but years don't mean much after a while. And I was already around for a long time when it happened, so I'm way older than that.\"\n\n\"Ri~ight...\" It was still hard for Aric to wrap his head around. \"Uh, also, when you were in my house, you were talking to Zoe like you knew her. Were you a friend before I took her as my w- Added her to my collection?\"\n\nRex smirked. \"In a way, but also no. I didn't know [i]that[/i] Zoe. But she's a descendant of one I did know a long time ago.\" He chuckled. \"Technically one of my descendants, too. The Zoe back then and I had a lot of kids. Some of 'em lived long enough to have their own kids, and so on. Some of those were mine, too. When I first came to the valley, quite a few of the group I came with were in that line. I guess in a way, it's almost like she got to live again.\" He grinned. \"And die again. But don't worry, she looked happy, and I'm sure both she and the one I knew would have loved to end up like that.\"\n\nHe nodded slowly. \"Yeah... her little body still drools sometimes. Even dead, she's still horny all the time. Same for a few in my collection.\"\n\nRex tilted his head. \"I also knew someone who looked a lot like you back then. Also named Aric. Possibly your ancestor. He was a writer. Do you write?\"\n\nAric blinked. \"What? N-no. I'm no writer. I'm more of a chemist in my spare time.\" He cleared his throat. \"Speaking of, I have... a lot of improvements to the preservation formula, as well as a bunch of other drugs and the like. I was planning on turning them all over to the State once I died, but... should I hand those over to you three?\"\n\nSoaring answered this time. \"If you want, but that is your choice. We can slowly disperse them out over a few months or years.\"\n\n\"Alright. I'll turn over a few of my improvements for preservation. Especially the one that seems to keep milkers going a lot longer. I think that'll help out a lot.\"\n\nMorrigan chuckled. \"Already coming up with ways to improve society for the better? You'll make a fine Hand.\" She slapped his back, nearly knocking him over in the process.\n\n\"Th-thanks...\" He rubbed his back where she struck.\n\nRex spoke up. \"Well, you've had a long few days, so you should go home, get some sleep. We'll be in contact later. You've got a lot more to learn, and we'll be here to answer questions another time.\"\n\nSoaring held up one finger. \"Oh, before you go, though... It should go without saying, but I'll do it anyway. Do not tell [i]ANYONE[/i] about your new position, or especially about us! Pekia is not ready to know the truth. That includes your contacts within the Agency other than Talon.\"\n\n\"Of course. I wasn't going to tell anyone...\" He hesitated, then added. \"Well... maybe my girls, but they won't tell anyone.\"\n\nRex chuckled. \"Yeah, that's fine.\" He pursed his lips. \"Well, there is one you could tell. That boy you've taken as your protege.\"\n\n\"Zac?\" Zoe's twin brother. He had somewhat taken the kid under his wing. At this point, he wasn't surprised the trinity knew about that.\n\nRex nodded. \"He's already a candidate for Shadow thanks to the training you've been giving him, and his natural disposition. He could also become a candidate for the ninth hand after you. But don't tell him just yet. You can reveal being a Shadow to him, if you haven't already. Once he is a little older, if he becomes a Shadow, then you can reveal yourself to him. A Hand has never personally trained their own replacement before, so it should be interesting to see how that will work out.\"\n\nAric chuckled. \"Just got the position, and you're already looking to my replacement?\" He shrugged. \"Well, hopefully my death will be a good one, whenever it happens. Until then, I'll continue to serve you and Pekia.\"\n\nMorrigan nodded. \"We know you will. Now go home. Get some sleep. Talon will be in contact with you later.\"\n\nAric nodded, giving a salute by thumping his chest. Then he turned and walked away to the elevator again, his head swimming with everything he just learned. As he stepped out of the chamber, Soaring looked at the other two. Specifically at Rex. \"Reincarnations of old friends? How long ago did you set all this up?\"\n\nThe 'boy' shrugged. \"Hey, I didn't know that was even possible. I just took a group of people that had some of my descendants from the ruins of Alta Ferro.\" He smiled. \"It's probably Thenitas getting a good laugh. He likes to do crazy stuff like this.\"\n\nMorrigan smirked. \"There's more. Not only is he possibly a reincarnation of your old friend, our new hand is also the descendant of my old CO.\" She had once been the head of a surviving group of soldiers. Before she became the leader of the group, before she was even a champion, her commanding officer had been a rat, Jayson Nocturne. Aric was the spitting image of the man.\n\nSoaring scoffed. \"The gods do like to toy with us.\" He smiled. \"At least our lives aren't boring.\"\n\nRex smiled wide. \"I'd never let that happen.\" The three laughed.\n\n[center]* * *[/center]", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "
The Shadow Hand

By XP Author


Aric was just sitting down to enjoy some fresh coffee when there was a knock on his front door. The rat quirked an eyebrow. "Wonder who that could be." The candidates for visitors was very low, even less since he had just taken the head of the cute fennec fox that liked to hang around him. In fact, the cute girl's head was sitting on his table, a big smile frozen on her cute, dead face. She had definitely enjoyed her death, he made sure of that. Thanks to the improved preservation chemicals he accidentally discovered, she would stay that way for many, many years. Along with all the other girls and women in his personal collection downstairs.

Setting his mug down, he slid out of his chair, not bothering to get dressed and hide his brown fur, toned physique, or half-hard erection. Pulling the door open, he was met with a different fox, one his age. An old friend from long ago. "Gina! Been a while."

The orange fox smirked, her eyes glancing down momentarily. She'd seen all he had to offer many times, and he'd seen her just as bare. Though they were hardly lovers, as she preferred women as her partners. "It has been some time." She was dressed in all black, typical of a PopCon agent, though she didn't have any of the official symbols on her at the moment. Or any of her gear, just trousers and a shirt. "I should come in."

"Ah, so this is official business." It wasn't a question, and she stayed quiet. He stepped to the side and let her enter, closing the door behind her. "Just made a fresh pot of coffee. You want some?"

"No. I can't stay that long. I've got a job in the area to get to soon." She held out a small, unassuming package, sealed but with no markings. "I'm to tell you to wait until I leave to open this. Your eyes only."

He took the package, which didn't feel heavy. "Brass is being even more clandestine than usual. Must be something big." He set the package down on his table. "Well, thanks for dropping it off. So, who's the job?"

Gina smiled. "Mouse family. They got pulled for a culling and don't have any exemption status." She shrugged. "Hoping they're all up for a bit of a personal touch for their ends, and not another one that just wants to get shot."

Aric nodded. "Yeah, that can be a bit boring. Still some good bodies to play with after, though." He reached over and picked up his mug. "Well, I don't want to keep you. Have fun with your job."

She nodded. "Same to you." She glanced around him at the young girl's head set on his table. "And have fun with your friend." He chuckled, giving her a nod as she took her leave. She was one of only a small handful of people that even knew he existed, and one of only two active PopCon agents that knew of him and his profession, and all the benefits it entailed. The other was Lyal, a very built and hung horse. The three of them had been raised together by PopCon, all training to be agents. There was a fourth, Beth, a white rat, but her body was currently one of his most prized possessions, and the reason he never became an agent of PopCon... officially.

He was something different. A Shadow, a secret, hidden agent of PopCon and Pekia that did jobs that weren't officially sanctioned, and were completely off the books. It meant if things went badly, it was on him to find a way out, or suffer the consequences. In exchange, he got a lot more freedom to express his murderous tendencies. Several of the girls in his collection should have been exempt from culling, but he found them too cute and sexy to pass up the chance to slice their necks and keep. The fact he had a collection at all was somewhat illegal. Bodies should be given over to be processed, but he kept most of his kills, preserved using a mixture of chemicals that totally halted the decaying process. He'd tweaked the formula over the years, leaving many of the body's functions still... functional. Milk production, vaginal excretions, even muscle contractions and sexual stimulation. His latest batch had added extra elasticity to bodies, allowing holes to be used without being ripped open fully. Lyal would be happy about that. With his massive shaft, he had a habit of breaking his toys too quickly.

Aric picked up the package and used one of his short claws to break the seal and pull one side open. A small device slipped out into his hand. It looked like a tiny computer screen, but only three inches long and two wide, with a thin metal case. He knew what it was, and how to activate it. He held it up to his face, right in front of his right eye, and a white line slid down the screen. It let out an affirmative beep as it confirmed his retina, and he moved it to a more reasonable distance. Fuzz filled the screen for a moment, then showed a large house. "City 0, District 2." The voice that spoke was heavily distorted. The image shifted, showing an older dog, a german shepherd. "Devin Jisak. Method: execution. Not used. Body to be found." Aric frowned. He had just said he didn't like executions.

The image changed again, to another dog, this one a female beagle. "Erika Jisak. Method: execution. Not used. Body to be found." Another shift, this time to a very young pup, also a german shepherd. "Andria Jisak. Method: your discretion, but she must disappear. No signs of use on site. No body to be found." He smirked. That was more his style. That was usually where it ended, but instead, it shifted again, showing a small trashcan. "Dead drop is in District 2 park. Next to the water fountains on the north side. You will find the pistol, and another sealed package. It contains evidence of PEACE involvement." Aric frowned. PEACE was an anti-Pekian terrorist group that lived out in the mountains outside of the cities. Many of the people he was tasked with killing were sympathizers. "You are to use the pistol provided for executions, and plant the evidence in the Jisak home. Make it look natural."

The rat frowned even harder. He'd never had to plant evidence before. "This is a high priority task. Failure is not an option. You will have no support. Task must be completed within 48 hours. Failure is not an option."

He scoffed. "You said that already." Nothing else was said, and the device went dark. Then it let out a high pitched whine, and an acrid smell of burnt metal and plastic, a small wisp of smoke rising from one corner. Aric set the device down, as it had also gotten very hot as it fried itself. He'd crush it and chuck it into the trash later. He always thought it was a waste for such advanced tech to be used like this, but he knew the need for secrecy in this job. For now, he sat down, leaning against the table. At least he wouldn't have to go too far for this one. He also lived in City Zero, also known as Central, as it was in the middle of the seven cities, the other six laid out around it like a wheel. It was the capital of Pekia, with the governor's house and capital building in District 0.

PopCon headquarters was located there, too, where most active agents worked out of. While it was the largest building for active agents, it was not the largest PopCon facility. That was outside of the cities proper, in an old military bunker under the mountainside north of City 3. Orphaned children were taken there and raised by the government, though only if they were young enough, under the age of 9. It was a good education, and most would become agents once they became adults, usually around age 16 or 17. Though it was not mandatory, as they could choose to leave and lead a civilian life. They did not have any of the benefits of being an agent, but also none of the downsides. Agents were made sterile upon initiation. Families were never an option for agents. But those that left could still have a family, and with the education from the government, they often got a great boost in whatever career they chose. Many went into politics. The current Governor, Zandi Salisada, a zebra, had gone through that system.

A lifetime ago, Aric had been one such orphan. His father, James, had been a general in the army, and sacrificed himself to destroy a major PEACE bunker, stopping what would have been a large scale attack on the cities. An honorable death, that left him as a war hero. There was a memorial to him in the City Zero cemetery. Aric was only 6 at the time. His mother, Mary, gave him up to the government to allow herself to be culled and buried with her husband, also an honorable end. However, he decided not to become an agent in the end, not wanting to lose the ability to breed. There were a few other reasons he chose differently, too. But thanks to being the only son of a war hero, and having gone through all the training, he was approached to become more than just an agent. He became a Shadow.

Unfortunately, it meant he had to sometimes do tasks like this. He looked at the dead girl's head next to his mug. "Something feels off about this one, Fennie." He picked her head up and leaned back. "Think I'm being set up? Maybe this is how they burn a Shadow?" He shrugged, bringing her head down to rub her lips against his cock. "Well, let's have a little fun, in case this is the last time you get to have a taste." He let out a soft sigh as he slid his dick into her cool mouth. "Hopefully I'll get a good death, too."

*     *     *


"What do you want!?" The man begged, his voice shaky.

Aric shook his head. "Nothing. Shut up and stay on your knees. Hands behind your back." The rat had snuck into the house late into the night, and caught Devin in the living room. The house was nice, but not overly large. A far cry from the typical mansions he was sent to on jobs. Most of the time, the people he had to cull were well to do, or had important jobs. He'd looked up the Jisaks, and that was not the case. Devin was a driver for a delivery company, and Erika was a clerk for the same company. Their daughter, Erika, was only 5, so there was no way she had any connections.

Devin took several deep breaths in an attempt to keep calm. He was kneeling like Aric had ordered, hands clasped behind his back. Since he was at home, he was naked, as he planned to have some fun with his wife and daughter after a long day at work. Now he was terrified out of his wits. Like most Pekians, he was not exactly afraid of death, but this was hardly how he hoped he would go. "If... We don't have much, but I can give you money. You can take the TV. My computer is upstairs. Password is D-R-One-V-Three-R-S-Zero-N. All capitals."

Aric smirked. "Good to know. But that's not what I'm here for." He gripped the handle of the pistol he had gotten from the dead drop, pointing it at the back of the man's head. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry. This is not personal, and not how I'd do this if I had a choice."

"Had a choice? Wh-" He never got to complete the question as Aric fired. The silencer kept the noise to a muffled pop, like popping a paper bag, but at least it wasn't a bang that would make his ears ring. Blood splattered on the carpet in front of the man as his body jerked, then the dog slumped to the ground as he went limp. When Aric stepped around the growing pool of blood, he saw the man's cock twitching and spitting one final load onto the floor, too. There was no exit wound, the pistol not high enough caliber to blow the man's skull open. But the shot was still fatal. He fired a second shot into his head just to be sure. The body didn't even twitch.

That was one, now for the second. The house was only one story, but he wasn't concerned about Erika hearing him. The sound of a shower came from the main bedroom, so she likely couldn't hear much of anything right now. The little girl could have heard, but she would not be a problem. Moving down the hall towards the sound of the shower, he peaked inside one room. Office, with the computer mentioned. Though it looked more like a game room than an office. Directly across the hall was another room. He slowly nudged the door open and was met with an explosion of pastel colors on the walls and floor, and the small bed against the wall. Andria's room. The little girl was sitting on the floor, playing with little plastic dolls.

Stashing the gun in his pocket, he pulled out a small, thin tube with a needle on one end. Slowly nudging the door wider, he silently moved forward, then lunged. His arm came around to grab the puppy's muzzle, clamping it shut while dragging her back against him. "Shhh." He shoved the tube against her neck, the auto-injector pumping the contents into her in one go. The girl tried to struggle, but he held onto her hard. The sedative worked quickly, and her struggles grew sluggish, and then her arms fell away. "That's it. You sleep." He whispered into her ear. When she went completely limp, he gently laid her down on the floor, patting her head. "I'll be back for you later. You rest for now."

Putting the injector back into his pocket, he pulled his pistol out and left the girl on the floor in her room. The sound of the shower stopped at some point while he was dealing with Andria. The door to the main bedroom was left open, so he could see it was still empty. Stepping inside, he saw a light coming from a door to the other side, likely the bathroom. He cautiously made his way around the dresser and to the open door. Moist heat was pouring out from the shower, along with the slightly floral scent of fur shampoo. He also heard a woman's voice humming to herself.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped in and pointed his pistol forward. The beagle inside saw him and gasped. "Don't scream, or this will be very painful." He commanded.

Erika dropped the towel she had been using and raised her hands up, revealing her naked body. White fur with brown patches covered a slender body with little tone. Her breasts were average at best, but they were still perky. Her fur was still slightly damp, but as she had been drying off, it made her look a bit more puffy. "W-what do you want?"

"That doesn't matter." His eyes flicked behind her, at the standing shower stall still open. "Step back into the shower, and keep your hands up."

She obeyed, slowly stepping back. "W-where's Devin?" She gasped. "You haven't hurt Andria, have you!?"

"Your little girl is fine. She's in her room. I just gave her a little sedative to put her to sleep." Of course, she wouldn't stay unharmed for long, but he didn't need to tell her that.

Erika let out a soft, relieved sigh. "I... I have jewelry if you are just here to rob us. It's in the top-right drawer of the dresser."

He shook his head. "I'm afraid that's not what I'm here for."

Her shoulders seemed to slump a little, though she kept her hands up. "Oh..." She looked him up and down. His black clothing masked his physique, but his frame was still solid enough. "Will you... at least fuck me first?"

He sighed. "I'd very much love to rape you, but my orders are not to. Sorry."

She blinked. "Orders? From wh-" He didn't let her finish, firing two shots into her chest, right next to her left tit. She tried to gasp as she staggered back, only to hit the tiled wall behind her, her breath catching in her throat. Her hands moved to touch the wounds, seeing the blood on her fingers. Her legs trembled, and then gave out entirely, making her collapse to the shower floor. Blood was drooling out of the two wounds, and more started to leak from her mouth as the lung he punctured collapsed. She looked up at him, eyes wide with fear and confusion. "W-wh...why...?" He watched as she started to piss herself, it and the blood slowly running down the drain under her.

He frowned. "Like I said. Orders. You don't need to worry about any of that." He aimed his pistol. "I'll make sure your daughter at least gets a good death." She opened her mouth to say something, but he fired again, this time hitting her forehead. Her body jerked, then slumped fully. A shiver ran through her legs, and he saw her pussy lips quiver, but then she was still. He sighed heavily as he stashed the gun in his pocket again. "Shame. I'm real sorry you had to die this way. But a job is a job." He turned around, leaving her in the shower where she fell.

He had tucked the documents he was to plant into his waist, hidden under his shirt. He pulled them out and thought of where best to stash them. He had read through them, and they implicated both adults in being sleeper agents for a local cell of PEACE. One read as a reply of some kind, as if one or the other had gotten cold feet and wanted out of the city. Their reply said someone would be by for them. Aric had seen enough of these sorts of documents. He was being made to look like a PEACE hitman, cleaning up a loose end.

He first went to the office/game room, usually where these sorts of documents were hidden. But he decided instead to just start pulling drawers open and making a brief mess of the contents, as if someone had searched hastily. Returning to the main bedroom, he did the same to the dresser. Where he actually placed the documents was behind a bookshelf, using a bit of tape from the office to stick them to the back side. A clean up crew would find them when they came to clean the house later. Especially if they were told to look for something like this. He even made sure to leave just part of a corner sticking out, enough to catch the attention of someone looking carefully, but easily missed by someone looking in haste.

With all of that done, he had one last thing to take care of. Andria. He returned to her room, and she was still out cold on the floor. She would be for a few hours. He gently picked the girl up, draping her over his shoulder. "C'mon, little one. You're coming home with me." He carried her out and downstairs. "Once you wake up, we'll have some fun." He pat her back and took her out of the house, using the back door. He left his car at the park, which was a bit of a walk, but it was closer than his own house. "Well, I'll have some fun, at least." He smirked as he walked out into the night.

*     *     *


The young puppy finally started to wake up. She let out a soft, groggy groan as her consciousness swam back to the surface through the thick, oily drowsiness still clouding her mind. She tried to move, but her limbs felt like they were extra heavy. She tried to open her eyes, but her vision was still fuzzy. The room was lit very dimly, but that was about all she could see. Something touched under the back of her head. A hand. It was very warm, and gently lifted her head up a little. "Here. Drink this." A man's voice, but she didn't recognize it. It wasn't her father. Something touched her lips. A straw. Her mouth did feel extra dry, so she wrapped her lips around it and took a sip. Cool, sweet water filled her mouth, and she drank it. It helped a little.

"Whe-" She couldn't get the whole word out before she started to cough. The straw came back, and she took another long sip of the sweet water, then tried again. "What... happened...?"

Aric set the cup down. He had taken the girl to a little room in his house, with a comfortable bed, but not much else in it. "Do you really want to know?" She nodded slowly, trying to look at him, but having to blink several times to get her eyes to focus. "I drugged you to make you sleep."

"W-why? W-who..." She was surprisingly calm, but probably because her young mind wasn't awake enough to fully process what he said.

"You can call me Aric. And I knocked you out because... well, see, I had to kill your mom and dad, and I couldn't have you making a fuss over it." He kept his voice calm and even, even gently stroked her cheek.

"K-killed them?" She blinked several times, the brown shape slowly solidifying into the form of a large rat man. "A-are you... PopCon?"

Aric smirked. "Not exactly. But don't you worry about that."

She did worry, but she still couldn't get her body to listen much. Trying to sit up only resulted in her falling back down onto the bed. "A-are you going to kill me, too!?"

He nodded. "Yes." He set his hand on her belly, gently teasing at her fur. She had already been naked when he got her, and now he was just as naked as she was. "But I'm going to use you first." He teased up along her flat chest. "I'm not going to be gentle about it. I'm going to rape your little pussy hard." His fingers trailed up and touched her neck. "And then I'm going to cut this little neck and take your cute head off." She tensed up. "And if you're a very good girl, I'll let you cum really hard first."

She shook her head. "N-no! I-I want my daddy!" She tried to sit up, but he just pressed his hand down to keep her pinned.

He sighed. "Well, your daddy's currently a corpse in your living room, so he's not coming." Shifting back, he climbed up fully onto the bed, moving to kneel in front of her. He used one hand to shove her legs out of the way, scooting forward between them. The other was still pinning her down. He rested his hard cock against her abdomen, the tip sitting up above her navel. "I'm going to rape you and kill you either way. If you're not going to let yourself enjoy it, that's on you."

She shook her head again. "N-no! I want my daddy!" Aric rolled his eyes. She was one of the little girls that only had eyes for her father. She probably wouldn't have lasted once she got to school with that attitude. Pulling back, he pressed the tip of his cock against her little cunny lips. She tried to squirm some more, but he kept holding her down. His other hand helped aim himself, then he pressed forward. She let out a whine as he started to slowly part her pussy lips. Despite her protests, he could feel the moisture on his tip, her body wanting him, even as she tried to say otherwise.

He let out a moan as his tip slipped inside, and the girl let out a loud yelp. "Mmm, nice and tight." He pushed deeper, moaning as the warm walls squeezed around him. She kept letting out little yelps and whines with his little thrusts. "You keep crying, but your body wants it. Your cunny is so wet already, and I've only just started." He moaned again. "And you keep squeezing me. It's so nice."

She shook her head. "N-No, stop!"

"You don't want me to stop." He thrust deeper, making her cry out a little. "You're a little puppy slut, and you want me filling you." Every thrust pushed more of his shaft into her, making her cry out louder, but also squeeze around him harder. It wasn't long before his tip bumped against her cervix, leaving nearly half of himself still outside of her. "Mmm, maybe I should just start filling you up right now." He thrust against the back of her pussy again, hitting harder this time. "Or should I just dive into this little baby womb?"

Andria shook her head, tears running from her eyes now. "N-no! I-it hurts!" She cried out as he struck deep again. He was right, despite her protests his cock felt really good inside of her. Each time he hit deep, a jolt of pleasure ran through her little body. She couldn't stop her hips moving with his thrusts, or her pussy clenching around him as the pleasure built up. She let out a shocked gasp when he ran a thumb against her little clit, making her tremble even more and clench even harder.

He laughed softly. "See, you want it." He moved to grip her sides so he could start really hammering hard. "Go on, little girl. Cum one last time before you die."

"N-no! I-I...d-don't..." She gasped as he struck hard again, and she felt her insides starting to give. "I-I d-don't... w-want to!" She let out a loud shout when he struck hard again. It felt like something was about to break inside of her belly.

He shoved as hard as he could several more times. Finally, he felt the tearing flesh as he ripped through her cervix and plunged into her womb. He also let out a loud moan as all of his cock was finally able to shove fully inside, her womb clinging around the first few inches. "Ah! Fuck yes! Wombs always feel the best!" He started to really hammer away, feeling her inner walls clenching and clinging, and even her womb itself seemed to be squeezing around him. Her belly bulged out just a little when he thrust fully inside, showing just where his cock was striking.

The young dog couldn't hold anything back anymore, letting out a scream as a mix of pain and pleasure took over her body. She squirmed under him, tears rolling down her eyes. It felt like he was punching her guts from the inside, but somehow it felt great at the same time. Then she felt something else, hard and cold, pressed against her throat. Her eyes snapped open as a new pain struck, and she tasted blood and metal at the back of her throat. She opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out but a gurgle as the sharp blade easily ripped through her flesh.

Aric sawed the knife back and forth. The edge had teeth that made quick work of connective tissue and muscle. It only slowed slightly when he struck bone, but he was experienced and found the grooves to slip between. With a hard crack, he split her spine, and cut the rest of the way through. Her head rolled to the side as blood sprayed out of the stump of her neck in great spurts and arcs. Her body started to thrash even harder than before, everything clenching around him. He set the knife down and gripped her hips once more, humping at her dying body as hard as he could. With a loud cry of his own, he plunged deep and unleashed a huge load deep into her womb, filling it with enough of his seed to bulge her belly out a little again.

He looked over at her head, her eyes wide with fear and shock, tears still flowing from them. He watched the light leave those eyes as she faded away, her mouth twitching before going slack. "That's it, just rest." He pat her forehead gently. "At least I let you cum one last time." He grunted as her body still squeezed around him. "Fuck, and you're still cumming, too!" He humped a few more times, then withdrew his shaft. A small river of cum came out after him, and he spat a few more shots onto her. Her pussy lips still quivered as her body's thrashing slowed to twitching and shaking.

He set her down, only to move around to the other side, not caring that he was sitting in so much spilled blood. He was used to it. Lifting her shoulders up, he pressed his still drooling tip against the newly exposed throat. "Let's give you one last meal." He pushed forward, the hole spreading a little for him. He still had to force it, but soon slipped inside of her throat. What was left of her neck bulged out visibly as he pushed further down. "Ah... fuck yes, best kind of blowjob!" He gripped her shoulders hard and dragged her back to shove his whole shaft down her severed throat. Blood kept spurting out against his balls, but he didn't care.

His hips thrust forward as her throat clenched tighter than her pussy ever could hope to. He moaned loud as he rammed himself forward over and over. Her body still trembled, and he saw her legs give a bit of a twitch. "Good little slut. Cumming so hard even after dying." He let out another moan as her throat clenched again. "So many people always say they don't want it, but you cum so much harder once your head comes off." He grunted as his cock twitched, already nearing a second climax. He had no reason to hold back, and thrust as hard as he could into her. With a loud cry, he blew a second load deep into her throat, right down into her stomach. As he did, her pussy let out a little squirt, body cumming again for him. He loved when they did that. Some sluts would keep cumming for hours after dying.

He wasn't done using her with just two loads. For nearly two hours he continued to use her body. He gave her a load in her mouth, both from the front, and up her throat from behind. Another was blasted into her ass, a second left in her pussy, and milked one final load just rubbing himself against her belly. When he was done, he was panting and spent, his cock drooling but limp, unable to stay hard anymore. For now, at least. Her well-used body was coated and drooling his seed from every hole, her face coated as more leaked from her mouth and neck.

He reached over to pat her head. "You were a good girl." He took several deep breaths, though he was still breathing heavily. "I'll have to get you cleaned up to mount you later." He liked to keep his kills preserved and in his collection. Though he also frowned. "But you still said no, so... I'm going to have to take your limbs." He also had a rule about his kills. Those that tried to deny him didn't get to keep their limbs once mounted, leaving them as only a torso, their head mounted above it. Sometimes he kept the limbs as well, sometimes he didn't. He wouldn't bother keeping hers. Thanks to his training as a kid, he knew how to get the meat off of her.

With the girl being so small, cutting her limbs off was a fairly quick task. He started with her arms, cutting them close to the shoulder. The knife was designed to cut through bone, as well, so it left a clean cut behind. The legs took a little more effort, but he was still able to cut them high near her hip. He left her cute little tail, though. With that task completed, he picked her torso and head up, and walked out of the room. It was located just off of his collection room in the basement. Dozens of women and girls of many ages were on display down there, all mounted on stands against the walls. Some had their limbs, most didn't. Most were naked, some had some kind of clothing, but still with their chests and pussies exposed. He liked to use the girls from time to time.

Three were displayed at the center of the room, separate from the rest. They were his most prized members. A white rat, killed when she was 17 years old. Beth. His first love. She was one of the major reasons he hadn't become an agent. She had been in his class with him, and she wanted him to kill her. Even now, years later, her face still smiled with the lustful joy of her last moments. The second was much younger, a white rabbit with brown markings. Zoe, only 6 years old. The young girl had been sneaking into his house to play with him. She was addicted to his cock for some reason. He couldn't hold back and finally took her head, but still loved the little girl, so she was presented. And the third was the newest, the young fennec fox girl he had been playing with when he first got this job. She had also been hanging around him a lot, though he had no idea where she lived. She might have been homeless. But a week ago, she asked if he was ever going to finally kill her, and he obliged, giving her one last night of fun before taking her head. She also had a joyful, lustful smile frozen on her cute face. Both the fox and the rabbit had also had their limbs removed, but not because of his rule. He knew both of them would have preferred to end up like that, just a torso to be displayed and used.

He took Andria past all of them, to another room. This one had several large, glass vats, four in total, two on either side. A smaller vat, more of a large jar, was next to each larger. Three were empty, but one had a blue-green chemical inside of it. His preservation tanks. The chemicals inside would halt the decaying process of the body placed inside, with the smaller vat beside for the head. Aric had been tweaking the formula since his time at the academy, and had improved upon it many times. His latest improvement left the body with a new elasticity so it could withstand hard use for much longer without the flesh ripping.

With a grunt, he hefted Andria's body up, slowly lowering it into the large vat of chemicals. He lowered the metal lid, which sat on a hinge. He did the same with her head, putting it into the smaller vat and closing it. Then he hit a button, and they both started to hum, bubbles slowly floating up and around the body and head. It would take time for everything to process properly. He had gotten the process down from more than a day, but it would still take several hours. More than enough time for him to take a shower and have some food.

He took his time in the shower, carefully washing all of the blood out of his fur. Dinner was nothing special. He would strip Andria's arms and legs later. He still had some other meat, which he'd ground up. He used that, some pasta, and a bit of cheese to make a simple, but hearty meal. He was also going to make some coffee, but realized his cream was low. "Guess I'll need to milk the mamma." One of the girls on display was a cow. Thanks to his preservation, and some drugs he injected into her form time to time, her large tits still produced milk, even though she had been dead for months. It was still creamy and sweet, too. It was another of his successes. The milk farms did a similar process, preserving bodies and using a drug to induce them to produce milk, but they usually only lasted around two months before they stopped. With his tweaked formulas, 'Mamma' had been producing for over eight, and didn't show signs of stopping yet. He'd reveal all his formulas someday, once it was his time to die. He had all of it written down and easy to find.

He grabbed a fresh bottle to fill and headed back to his basement. Though the moment he got there, he froze. "You really do look just like her." It was the voice of a young man, one Aric didn't know. "You look happy, too. I'm glad." Stepping cautiously down, Aric wished he'd kept his knife on him. Once he was at the bottom of the stairs, he saw someone he didn't recognize standing in front of the three girls at the center of the room. Specifically, he was looking at Zoe, his hand reached out to gently stroke her head near her ear. "I'm sure she would have liked this, too." Whoever it was, they were wearing a long, black coat that hung down to their ankles.

Aric cleared his throat. "Excuse me... who are you, and how the hell did you get in my house?" He held the empty bottle in his hand like a weapon, ready to smash it on the person's face if he had to.

The young man turned around, and Aric blinked. He had never seen anyone like them. They looked around 14 or 15, with short, messy black hair, and striking crimson eyes. A white rabbit, but with black tiger stripes, and a cat tail. The stripes on the tale seemed to spiral up the length, too. He had heard of hybrids happening in the past, but they almost never happened in Pekia. Under the coat, the kid was wearing a pair of long, black slacks, and a button up shirt with a v-neck collar. "Oh. Hello. Sorry, didn't mean to just walk in unannounced, but you looked like you were enjoying your dinner, so I didn't wanna bug you." He hooked a finger over his shoulder. "I also wanted to see her. She's just like someone I used to know a long time ago. Pretty sure she'd have liked ending up like that, too." He gave a big smile, showing off his feline teeth.

"That... doesn't answer my question..."

The boy tilted his head. "Hmm? Oh. I guess not." He waved his hand. "Well, don't worry about it. You'll find out soon." He stepped forward, reaching into one of his pockets. Aric was ready to attack if a weapon was drawn, but instead, the kid pulled out a small device. The same kind Aric got his missions on. "Here. This is for you. Follow the instructions very specifically, and don't tell anyone. Or else." The last two words were said with such an edge, the rat almost flinched.

He did still take the device, looking at it. "Another mission already?" When he looked back at the kid, he did flinch this time, though he couldn't say why. The phantom of an image was left in his mind, the kid's red eyes, but with deep, swirling spirals within them. He blinked several times, only to realize the boy was gone. He turned around quickly, but there was no one there. He looked all around, checking the different rooms, and even heading upstairs. There was no sign of the kid at all, and his doors were all still locked. But he also still had the little device, proof that someone had been there. "What... the hells is going on...?"

Blinking several times and shaking his head, he looked back at the device. He brought it up to his eye, and it scanned him and activated. There were no visuals this time, only audio. "Job confirmed as ordered. Your presence is required. Proceed to PopCon HQ immediately. Do not delay. You will be greeted by someone with the phrase: 'Do you need a hand?' Respond thusly: 'Only when in the dark.' Further instructions will be given from there." There was a pause, then the distorted voice added. "…Please come dressed." With that, the device let out a high pitched whine as it fried itself.

He dropped it onto the table, shaking his hand from how hot it got. "No delay, huh?" He sighed, looking over at the coffee he was about to have. "Well, if this is going to be my execution, I'm sure they won't fault me having one last cup."

*     *     *


Aric stepped through the large front doors of the building, wearing one of his nicer set of clothes. A pair of black slacks and a dark blue button up shirt. He felt like he looked like a pencil pusher at some office, though his ponytail probably soured the look slightly. He looked around the lobby, a great sense of nostalgia washing over him. The Office of Population Control, more commonly known simply as PopCon. It had been a long time since he had stepped into the main headquarters. The last time, he had been 19, when he first got the appointment as Shadow. That was over ten years ago now. As a Shadow, he usually tended to avoid the place.

Despite it being just after four in the morning, there were quite a few people walking around, most of them not agents but clerks, record keepers for the population of the seven cities. The lobby itself wasn't particularly large, but it was impressive, with a marble floor, the seal of PopCon laid out underfoot. As he stepped in, he wondered what or who he was supposed to be looking for. In his distracted state, he nearly walked right into a squirrel. The big, bushy tail right in front of his face was the only thing that halted him from colliding with her. He stepped back, letting out a slight laugh. "Sorry!"

She turned, giving him a big smile. "Oh, that's alright. It can get in the way sometimes." Aric tilted his head a little as he looked at her. She looked in her late 20's, and was cute, but had an odd shape to her face, more dog-like than rodent, and her ears half flopped over instead of stuck out straight. The pattern on the top of her tail was also strange, lines of bone white sticking out among the grey-brown fur. They crawled outwards in a v-shape, but split here and there, like bolts of lightning, but with smoother turns. He almost got the impression of a pair of antlers. "You seem a little lost. Do you need a hand?"

He shook his head. "Oh. No, but..." He paused, then spoke the passphrase. "Only when in the dark."

The squirrel smiled up at him a little wider. "Then let me help you step into the light." With that, she turned and started to walk away. She made no motion for him to follow, but he did so anyway. She opened a door and walked down a hall, made several turns, then opened another door, which led to a ramp down. This all reminded him of his last time here, being led down more turns than necessary. Though at the bottom of the ramp, he found only a plain door. The woman had vanished somehow, the same way the kid had earlier. At least this time, he didn't have a headache.

Taking a deep breath, he opened the door, only to find himself in a tiny, metal box of a room. He stepped inside, only to spin around as a set of doors slid shut behind him. The whole room started to move, slowly descending. "Hidden elevator?" Most buildings in Pekia were only a few stories tall, so elevators were quite uncommon. He was not sure how far down it went, but he stood there for several minutes. It finally came to a gentle halt, the doors opening for him again. Beyond was darkness, the light from the elevator just enough to show him a short hall leading to another, larger room. But he could not make out what was inside. Taking another deep breath, he stepped out and into the larger room.

The moment he got to the center of the room, a male voice spoke, loud and echoing around him. "Jenaric Prince Nocturne."

He spun around, looking for the source of the voice. "Yes, that is me."

Another voice spoke, this one female. "You have completed the tasks we have given you. You have acted as Shadow with exemplary results."

He smirked just slightly, despite the situation. "Thank you. It has been an honor to serve as Shadow all these years."

A third voice spoke, this one sounding young and familiar. "You have also acted on your own, killing many that have not been assigned."

His smirk faded. "Ah... yes. I don't deny my impulses to take those I like or find attractive." He stood up a little straighter. "I don't deny I've done this for personal reasons, but it does keep my skills sharp."

There was a prolonged silence, and the first voice spoke again. "This is not an accusation."

"We are actually quite impressed with your skills, and your ability to kill unseen."

"And to stay hidden and take the slain away."

He looked around in the darkness. The voices seemed to be coming from all around him. "Um... Thank you." Even with their praise, he wasn't convinced this wasn't to be his execution.

"We have been impressed enough that we have chosen you for a great honor."

"A new role."

"If you would accept. If not, you will not leave this room, but be honored as a skilled Shadow."

Aric laughed. "No pressure." He cleared his throat and stood up straighter again. "What is this new task?"

"In time. First, introductions." Lights came on in the room, thankfully slowly rising, so they did not instantly blind him. The room was mostly empty. Space around him was three seats, all high up above his head. A person sat one each, and above them was a symbol on a banner.

To his right, under the banner of a feather, was a man. A squirrel, with the same features as the one that had led him to the elevator, only he looked older. Possibly her father. "I am Soaring Dawnwing, Champion of Zanduchi." Aric flinched. A divine champion was one chosen by the gods to represent their will on the mortal world, or so the stories went. They were supposed to be immensely powerful, with abilities no other mortal could possess. But they were only rumor, and many thought they were myth. Zanduchi was the god of death, fertility, and the hunt. Often called the god of balance, as well.

To his left, the woman spoke. He flinched again, as she was massive. He wasn't sure what she was exactly. Her head was like that of a goat, but her body was huge, looking more like a buffalo. The banner above her was a needle. "I am Morrigan Pierce Danials, Champion of Ket." Two champions!? Ket was the god of war, politics, and conflict.

The third, in front of him, sat under the banner of a crown. And he recognized them. It was the kid that had been in his basement, the young rabbit with the tiger stripes. "I am Rex Cisni, Champion of Thenitas." The god of tricks, cunning, chaos, and luck. Minutes ago, he had thought champions were just stories from the old world, but now he was apparently in a room with three of them.

He wasn't sure if he should salute or bow or genuflect. So he just stood at military attention between them. "It... is an honor to meet champions."

Morrigan let out a snorted chuckle. "I'm sure. But as for why you are here, you need to know something. We three are the rulers of Pekia."

He blinked again. "Rulers?"

Soaring answered. "The government serves its purpose, but we make the ultimate choices. We are the Trinity."

Rex finished. "The true rulers... and the founders." He smirked wide adding that.

Aric stared at the kid. "Founders? But Pekia was founded almost 200 years ago!" He looked at the three of them. A child, a woman in her prime, and a man just past his. None of them looked like they were centuries old.

"Blessings of the gods." Rex continued. "We can discuss it later, if you accept the offer."

The rat was hesitant. "What... is the offer?" They still hadn't said.

Morrigan explained. "You have served faithfully and skillfully as a Shadow. We would make you our personal Shadow. Our Shadow Hand. The hand of the Trinity itself."

Soaring continued. "You would still act as shadow as normal, but you would do our tasks above all else. You would be above the other Shadows." Aric knew there were other active Shadows in the cities, though by nature, had never met any of them. "And you may be given tasks by us that countermand other tasks given. Ours take priority."

Rex spoke again. "There have only ever been seven Shadow Hands in the history of Pekia. If you accept, you would be the eighth." He gave a big, toothy grin. "And don't think the promotion doesn't come without perks. For one, you would receive boons from us, akin to those of a champion, but lesser. We are not our gods, but we can still pass blessings from them on to others."

"What kind of blessings?"

"We can discuss that later." Soaring responded. "Do you accept this great honor?"

Morrigan added. "You have learned a hidden truth of this world today. If you do not accept, then we will be forced to keep you quiet."

Rex smiled again. "But don't worry. We'll make sure your death is a great one." His smile grew slightly warmer. "And we'll make sure your collection is well tended to, as well."

Aric smirked. "Thanks." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Standing up straighter, he looked at all three of them. "I do not fear my death. I never have. So I do not make this choice because of that. I have served Pekia all my life, and I am honored for the chance to serve more directly. I humbly accept the offer."

Rex clapped his hands. "Great! Welcome to the fold, Mr. Nocturne." He chuckled. "Great name for a Shadow, by the way."

"Um... thanks? I didn't choose it, though. Was my father's name. James Nocturne."

Morrigan chuckled, a softer sound than she had made so far. "We are aware of who your father was. He was a great general who died a hero to all of Pekia."

"And you have been a hero in your own way, from the darkness." Soaring leaned back. "Keep doing that."

"Of course!" He cleared his throat. "So... what now? When I became Shadow, I had to swear an oath. Is there a ceremony for this?"

Rex giggled, hopping down from his seat and stepping close. "That was the ceremony. We like to be a bit dramatic sometimes, but none of us are big on pomp." He held out his hand, and Aric shook it hesitantly. "Anyway, great to meet you in person. I've been watching you for a while."

"Ah... okay." He wasn't sure what to say to that. After a moment, he couldn't help himself. "Okay, I have to ask. Are you really one of the founders? You look like you're 15."

"14." He corrected. "And yes, I am. But I'm actually wa~ay older than that. I just like to keep myself looking young." He flashed his sharp, feline teeth. "In fact, I'm the oldest of us three."

Aric stared at him. "W-what?"

Morrigan spoke up, making him flinch as she was standing beside him and showing just how huge she actually was, his head not even coming to her shoulders. And Aric was not a small man at six feet. "The kid's not lying. I'm only a little over 200, and this kid is much older." She motioned to Soaring. "He's actually the youngest."

Soaring nodded, also stepping close. "Indeed. In truth, only those two were among the founders. I am the descendant of the third founder, Howling Nightfeather. We Zanduchi champions have chosen not to extend our lives, accepting our deaths when they come. But we pass the title on to our offspring, Zanduchi willing. So far, she has seen fit to keep our tradition with us. I am the 6th to sit in the feather throne."

Aric felt he could relax a little more now that all three had come down to talk to him on more equal, casual terms. "I'm curious about that. What's with the symbols? They're not the symbols of the gods."

Morrigan nodded. "Ah yes. We carry those symbols on ourselves." She held out her massive hand, which could easily fit around his head. Long, sharp, feline claws extended from her fingertips. "I bare the lion claws of Ket. But my symbol is the needle, because it pierces. Morrigan Pierce Daniels."

"Oh! I get it." He looked at Soaring. "Feather because Dawnwing?"

He nodded. "Yes." He pointed at his tail, which had the same bone white markings as the girl upstairs. "The antler is Zanduchi's symbol. I chose to wear it on my tail instead of on my head."

"And the girl upstairs, the one that led me to the elevator. Is she your... daughter?"

He nodded once more. "Correct. That is my eldest daughter, the only one of my children that is still alive, in fact. Her name is Talon Brightfeather. She is ready to become my replacement, likely not far into the future. These old bones are feeling their age. But until then, she will be your contact point within the agency. Though you will still get your missions from those two agent friends of yours as normal. She will only contact you if the missions directly from us are too sensitive for the usual method."

He looked at Rex. "But you were able to sneak into my house without me even seeing you."

The 'kid' shrugged. "We have a lot of things to take care of. We can't go out and do all the jobs on our own. We may be champions, but we're still only three people. That's why we have agents and shadows and hands, and why we have the whole government set up instead of sitting in some palace and ruling." He pat the rat's arm. "Don't worry too much about it. There's more you'll have to learn, but that'll come in time."

Aric nodded. "Oh, never got about your symbol. But I can guess. Rex, king, crown?"

The boy nodded. "Yup!" he pointed at his tail, and the tiger markings swirling up the length. "That's Thenitas' symbol on me, the spiral."

"And you are really the oldest one here?"

He nodded again. "Oh yeah, by far." He gave one of his big, toothy grins. "In fact, I was born before the war."

"Before..." Aric's eyes went wide. "Wait, THE war!?" Rex nodded. "But that was... what, 300 years ago!?"

Rex shrugged. "Eh~ closer to 350 at this point, but years don't mean much after a while. And I was already around for a long time when it happened, so I'm way older than that."

"Ri~ight..." It was still hard for Aric to wrap his head around. "Uh, also, when you were in my house, you were talking to Zoe like you knew her. Were you a friend before I took her as my w- Added her to my collection?"

Rex smirked. "In a way, but also no. I didn't know that Zoe. But she's a descendant of one I did know a long time ago." He chuckled. "Technically one of my descendants, too. The Zoe back then and I had a lot of kids. Some of 'em lived long enough to have their own kids, and so on. Some of those were mine, too. When I first came to the valley, quite a few of the group I came with were in that line. I guess in a way, it's almost like she got to live again." He grinned. "And die again. But don't worry, she looked happy, and I'm sure both she and the one I knew would have loved to end up like that."

He nodded slowly. "Yeah... her little body still drools sometimes. Even dead, she's still horny all the time. Same for a few in my collection."

Rex tilted his head. "I also knew someone who looked a lot like you back then. Also named Aric. Possibly your ancestor. He was a writer. Do you write?"

Aric blinked. "What? N-no. I'm no writer. I'm more of a chemist in my spare time." He cleared his throat. "Speaking of, I have... a lot of improvements to the preservation formula, as well as a bunch of other drugs and the like. I was planning on turning them all over to the State once I died, but... should I hand those over to you three?"

Soaring answered this time. "If you want, but that is your choice. We can slowly disperse them out over a few months or years."

"Alright. I'll turn over a few of my improvements for preservation. Especially the one that seems to keep milkers going a lot longer. I think that'll help out a lot."

Morrigan chuckled. "Already coming up with ways to improve society for the better? You'll make a fine Hand." She slapped his back, nearly knocking him over in the process.

"Th-thanks..." He rubbed his back where she struck.

Rex spoke up. "Well, you've had a long few days, so you should go home, get some sleep. We'll be in contact later. You've got a lot more to learn, and we'll be here to answer questions another time."

Soaring held up one finger. "Oh, before you go, though... It should go without saying, but I'll do it anyway. Do not tell ANYONE about your new position, or especially about us! Pekia is not ready to know the truth. That includes your contacts within the Agency other than Talon."

"Of course. I wasn't going to tell anyone..." He hesitated, then added. "Well... maybe my girls, but they won't tell anyone."

Rex chuckled. "Yeah, that's fine." He pursed his lips. "Well, there is one you could tell. That boy you've taken as your protege."

"Zac?" Zoe's twin brother. He had somewhat taken the kid under his wing. At this point, he wasn't surprised the trinity knew about that.

Rex nodded. "He's already a candidate for Shadow thanks to the training you've been giving him, and his natural disposition. He could also become a candidate for the ninth hand after you. But don't tell him just yet. You can reveal being a Shadow to him, if you haven't already. Once he is a little older, if he becomes a Shadow, then you can reveal yourself to him. A Hand has never personally trained their own replacement before, so it should be interesting to see how that will work out."

Aric chuckled. "Just got the position, and you're already looking to my replacement?" He shrugged. "Well, hopefully my death will be a good one, whenever it happens. Until then, I'll continue to serve you and Pekia."

Morrigan nodded. "We know you will. Now go home. Get some sleep. Talon will be in contact with you later."

Aric nodded, giving a salute by thumping his chest. Then he turned and walked away to the elevator again, his head swimming with everything he just learned. As he stepped out of the chamber, Soaring looked at the other two. Specifically at Rex. "Reincarnations of old friends? How long ago did you set all this up?"

The 'boy' shrugged. "Hey, I didn't know that was even possible. I just took a group of people that had some of my descendants from the ruins of Alta Ferro." He smiled. "It's probably Thenitas getting a good laugh. He likes to do crazy stuff like this."

Morrigan smirked. "There's more. Not only is he possibly a reincarnation of your old friend, our new hand is also the descendant of my old CO." She had once been the head of a surviving group of soldiers. Before she became the leader of the group, before she was even a champion, her commanding officer had been a rat, Jayson Nocturne. Aric was the spitting image of the man.

Soaring scoffed. "The gods do like to toy with us." He smiled. "At least our lives aren't boring."

Rex smiled wide. "I'd never let that happen." The three laughed.

*     *     *
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