Tabula Rasa: Adventures In A New World

“Really? You have barely finished our bedroom and have already grown bored?”

“Are you going to do this every time I want to take a little break...?” Krvavy slowly sighs out, glancing vaguely in the direction of her brat.

“Little break? Hmph!” The silver-blonde noble girl scoffs. “You will be gone for a few days! A week even!”

A rather deadpan expression fills the Drakling’s face. Though it doesn’t last long, as the corners of her lips begin to slowly curl upwards. “Aww, are you going to miss me~? That’s –”

“Ugh, as if!” Thea crosses her arms and glares back at the barbarian that she just so rudely cut off. A pinkish hue colours her cheeks. “I am simply annoyed that you are shirking your duties! Again!”

Krvavy slowly shakes her head at that. “Now you’re just being dramatic. I’m not going out there just for fun.”

“Sure, sure.” The girl sarcastically rolls her beautiful blue eyes. “But why, then, are you bringing Khalia along? For her company? Or to give yourself yet another chance to see that dog in action!?”

With another soft sigh, Krvavy turns back to the task at hand. She grabs some of the dried food that has already been nicely wrapped up and... stuffs it into a bag. “Look, we both know that that wasn’t really my choice. She’d follow me even if I told her not to...”

“Which is still your fault! You could have just lied and told her that you were... going out for a walk, or something boring! But no! You just had to mention that you were going out there looking for a fight of all things!” The bratty blonde exasperatedly whines, raising her hands into the air in pure frustration. “The only thing that crazy Greenskin likes more than fighting is mating with you! Which is something you two wild beasts will no doubt do as often as possible, shamelessly rutting together out there in the wilderness!”

“Is that why you’re complaining so much? Just jea–?”

“Shut up...!” Thea demands, her face flushing a bit brighter as she adjusts the loose blanket that is starting to slip off her otherwise bare body.

The now quite thoroughly packed pouch is shut, its flap secured with a click. “If it makes you feel any better, just think of this as a trip to go get some groceries. We’re running low on pretty much everything except for meat, nuts, and berries.”

“Oh yes, just getting groceries. Definitely not going out and committing banditry.” The girl rolls her eyes once more. “Raiding random wagons, such an effective way to get exactly what you want!”

“I mean, we don’t really have any better options.” The barbarian simply shrugs her shoulders and rises to her feet. “Plus, it isn’t like it’ll be hard to find food. The people travelling have to eat too.”

The silver-blonde brat simply pouts, apparently having nothing to say to that.

Krvavy grabs the partially packed bag and slips an arm through one of its straps. She takes a moment to make sure it is comfortable on her back, before heading over towards the fireplace. Or, more specifically, towards the beautiful girl sitting on one of the stools by the fireplace.

“Ugh... What do you wan–nnmph~...!”

A thin string of saliva connects the Drakling’s lips with those of her pouty little princess, snapping as she pulls back from that all too quick kiss. “I love you.” She smiles as warmly and affectionately as she can. “I’ll spend some time with you when I get back, okay?”

“I... love you too...” Those softly muttered words are barely audible as Thea lifts the blanket up just enough to hide how the corners of her lips can’t help but curl upwards.

“Oh, my dearest love!” The Wood Elf almost walks straight into Krvavy as they both turn the corner at the same time, one leaving the bedroom and the other entering it. “Ya’d think tha’ Ah o’ all people’d watch where Ah was goin’.” She wryly shakes her head, before taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling. “Do be careful out there.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.” Krvavy reassures her tomboyish Elf, gently pulling that lithe woman into her embrace. “Khalia will be with me, after all.”

“Ach, tha’ is wha’ Ah’m worried about.” Beryl states, nuzzling into the barbarian’s bare chest as she makes the most of this hug. “Ah’m afraid ya’ll do somethin’ stupid, like sacrificin’ yerself so tha’ she can get away from wha’ever trouble ya run inta.”

“Well, if it comes to that...” Krvavy trails off as her Elf glares up at her. “But I’d really prefer to not die again. So don’t worry, I am going to be a lot more cautious out there. Not going to just attack the first thing I see.”

Beryl pulls back just a bit, standing up on the tips of her toes and giving her Draconic lover a quick kiss on the lips. “Ya’d best return through the entrance ta this cave, ya ‘ear me? Ah’ll be quite cross if ya don’t. Got it?”

“Got it.” Krvavy quickly nods, fingers trailing across her tanned tomboy’s sides, feeling the taut and toned muscles hidden beneath that smooth caramel coloured skin. “I love you.” She leans in, just barely pressing her nose into Beryl’s forehead. “Don’t miss me too much when I’m gone~.”

“Ach,” the Wood Elf woman clicks her tongue and pushes the barbarian back, trying to act annoyed even as she openly smiles. “Ah love ya too. And, by the way, yer puppy is pacin’ around down in the grotto. So go on, don’t keep ‘er waitin’.”

The Drakling steps past her Elf, glancing back over her shoulder one last time to wave goodbye. “Bye you two, I’ll be back in a week or so!”

“Be safe, my dearest love!”

“Ugh! Just leave already!”

“Hehhehhehhehheh...” Khalia quietly giggles, pressing herself right against her Mate’s side as they journey through the woods together.

“Enjoying yourself?” Krvavy playfully asks the Orc.

“Yes~!” The Were-Beast woman almost barks back. “Hehehe~! Mate all mine~!”

“Really now?” Krvavy raises an eyebrow as she looks at her clingy puppy.

“Yes~! Yes~!” Khalia excitedly cheers, barely able to restrain her cackling laughter as she eagerly rubs her head against the barbarian. “Just me and Mate~! Alone in woods~!”

“And what makes you think that that means anything?”

“Rrrrrgh...!” The Orc’s good mood immediately evaporates, her happiness replaced with a threatening growl as she digs her clawed fingers into Krvavy’s arm.

“Oh, you want to threaten me, do you?” Krvavy narrows her eyes at the Were-Beast clinging to her side. “In that case, I’ll just set my cum volume down to zero. I can do that, you know. Nothing will come out. No matter how hard you try.”

“RRGH!” The Were-Beast woman scowls, amber-gold eyes gleaming with fury and rage. Her brow furrows, nose scrunching up, as she bares her sharp teeth and four little tusks.

“No matter how much you growl, I’m not going to change my mind.” The barbarian says in an almost bored tone. “But if you are a good girl then maybe I can let you have a bit of cum when we relieve each other in the mornings?”

Khalia’s grip tightens to an almost painful degree as a look of outrage spreads across her face. “Just morning?!”

“Yup. This is a serious trip we’re on.” Krvavy replies, meeting her Orc’s amber-gold gaze. “We aren’t just walking through the forest chasing after every random animal we see. You have to prove that you can act responsibly, otherwise there’s no point in me bringing you along on these kinds of trips.”

“Rrrrrrrrrrgh...” The green-skinned Were-Beast continues to growl, though a lot of her aggression is gone. She is all bark and no bite. Right now, at least.

“So, are you going to be a good girl or not?”

“Me... be good girl...” Khalia reluctantly grumbles, not looking particularly happy as she finds herself with no option but to concede.

“Good.” The Drakling pats her puppy on the head. “Now, how about we have a bit of fun? No, not that kind of fun.” She immediately has to clarify, resisting the urge to sigh. “There is a rather big river ahead and at the speed we are going we’ll probably get there tomorrow evening. So, how abou–”

“Mate want race?!” The Were-Beast excitedly cuts Krvavy off, her shaggy tail suddenly starting to whip back and forth.

“Well, I was thinking more along the lines of us just runnin–”

Before the barbarian can even finish saying that, her puppy bolts away from her. “Mate slow! No catch me!” Khalia loudly calls out as she quickly disappears from sight.

Krvavy simply shakes her head and begins running after the Orc, a smile on her face.

“Hehehahh hahahhaHAHAHHAHA~!” Khalia’s maniacal, cackling laughter echoes through the forest as she violently stomps a pawed foot down into the river, splashing water all around her. “Me win~! ME WIN~! Mate slow~! Slow~! SLOW~!”

“Was... wasn’t... a... race...” The barbarian simply gasps back, leaning quite heavily against a tree.

“Mate lose~! Me get prize~!”

“Wha–!?” What little air is inside Krvavy’s lungs gets forced out of her as the excited Greenskin tackles her to the ground. There is little she can do to stop the mostly empty backpack from getting pulled off of her.

“Heheheh~! Cuddle time~!” The Were-Beast woman aggressively cheers, her strong arms tightly wrapping around her exhausted Mate, her slightly coarse beige-brown fur rubbing against the Drakling’s skin and scales.

Too tired to really complain, Krvavy simply lets the Were-Beast hug her, idly bringing a hand up to gently scratch and scritch the almost mane-like fur along her precious puppy’s spine.

“Hehhehhehhehhehh~!” Khalia continues to giggle as she rubs her whole body against her Draconic Mate, showing an odd amount of restraint as she keeps herself from doing anything too sexual.

A part of Krvavy regrets suggesting this race... Sure, it cut a day or two off of their trip, but... she is just so exhausted. The barbarian didn’t stand a chance against this Greenskin of hers... Even using Windborne Haste wasn’t enough to even the odds...

Khalia truly is a monster... Even now, after they ran full speed for hours on end without even a single break, the Orc is hardly even winded. Granted, Khalia didn’t push herself as hard as the barbarian did, slowing herself down so that she was just out of Krvavy’s reach the whole time. Still, she simply has too much stamina...

“Hehhehhehh~... Mate thirsty~!” The giggling Were-Beast presses a waterskin against Krvavy’s lips, her shaggy tail audibly thumping against the ground. “Good Mate~!”

The barbarian takes deep breaths between sips of the water, which feels so refreshing even with its slightly leathery taste. Her lungs burn a little after that marathon, but the joy and happiness on her Orc’s face makes that bit of discomfort more than worth it. Khalia is just having the time of her life right now, having gotten to run freely through the woods before now being able to coddle and cuddle her mate...

“Rrrgh... Mate win...” Khalia grumbles in frustration, glaring down at the cleared patch of dirt in front of her. She trails her amber-gold gaze across the scratched checker pattern, critically looking at the little stone pieces as thick clouds lazily drift through the sky above.

“We can go back to playing the other game, if you’d like.” Krvavy tells the Orc as she clears up their impromptu board. “You were pretty good at that one.”

“No.” The Were-Beast woman forcibly shakes her head. “Keep playing. Me do better...”

Krvavy just shrugs as she puts the pieces back into their places. Her precious puppy is rather competitive, it would seem.

The two of them have been sitting here, in the treeline overlooking this lonely road, for quite a few hours now. A couple of wagons and travellers have passed by in all that time, but none of them seemed to be good targets. No point in attacking a small cart pulled by an old donkey or a wagon with just a few people sitting in it. Beyond those few unappealing targets, the road has been... completely empty.

And so, to stave off boredom, the Drakling and her Were-Beast have decided to play a few simple board games together. It isn’t the most exciting thing they could do, and all this sitting in one place is clearly making Khalia restless, but it helps.

“Ooh!” Khalia sharply inhales, sucking air in through her sharp teeth. Her head snaps to the side, staring past the barbarian. Her fluffy ears wiggle a little. “Cart...!”

Krvavy moves her piece forwards a tile before glancing over at the road. Far in the distance, she can just barely make out a wagon pulled by what looks like two horses. And behind it... behind that first one is another wagon. Whether that is a good thing or not is yet to be seen. She isn’t going to make the same mistake as last time.

The Were-Beast’s shaggy tail excitedly thumps against the ground as she squirms and shuffles in place, eagerly staring out at their potential target.

“Don’t get too excited.” The barbarian cautions. “It’s your move.”

“Rgh!” Khalia impatiently grunts, moving a seemingly random piece forwards. “Ma-ate!” She whines, pointing towards the approaching wagons. “Two carts!”

“I see that.” Krvavy calmly replies.

“Wu-uuuf...” The Were-Beast woman whines again, pleadingly staring at the Drakling she calls her Mate.

Krvavy ignores the Greenskin’s begging gaze and looks back out towards the road. It’ll still be a few minutes until the wagons reach them, but... well, it looks like they might have a promising target, after all this time.

Pulled by a couple horses each, the two wagons gradually make their way down the road. Getting closer and closer and closer...

The first one appears to be rather simple, just a wooden box on wheels filled with crates, but the second is a little more interesting. It is covered like a pioneers wagon, a sheet stretched tight over visible ribs, hiding whatever might be inside. Beyond that though... Neither wagon seems particularly special on its own. Though they don’t seem worthless either. Just a bit unassuming.

And, more importantly, there appear to be two armed men sitting at the front of each wagon. She can’t quite see what weapons the men riding the covered wagon might have, but the two at the front both seem to have spears. They don’t appear to be wearing much armour either, just some padded gambesons if she had to guess, but she can’t say for certain until they get closer...

“Attack?” Khalia presses herself up against the Drakling, her shaggy tail still wagging back and forth with barely contained excitement.

“Hmm...” The barbarian considers their options as she continues to stare at those potential targets. It definitely looks like a safe bet, but that covered wagon is making her a bit paranoid... There could be a bunch of heavily armed men hiding inside of it for all she knows. That is incredibly unlikely, but it doesn’t stop her mind from worrying...

“Wuu-uf...” The Were-Beast woman whines and begs, gently banging her head against her Mate’s shoulder.

Krvavy slowly breathes out, having decided to go with her gut instinct. “Get ready to fight.”

“Aw–wmmph~!” Khalia’s joyful howl is muffled before it can really begin, her mouth forcibly covered by her Mate.

“Shh!” The barbarian scolds her puppy. “This is an ambush. You have to be quiet until they get close enough to attack. Got it?”

The green-skinned Were-Beast excitedly nods, her whole body quivering with anticipation.

Krvavy sighs slightly as she takes a moment to think up a basic plan. The wind is blowing from the direction of the wagons, so no need to waste mana on Calm Creature... She probably shouldn’t use Blazing Breath either, as she doesn’t want to burn any of the loot...

“Okay.” Krvavy rises to her feet, grabbing onto Khalia’s shoulders and staring into the Were-Beast’s amber-gold eyes. “Khalia, listen. I want you to go after the two men at the front. Don’t play with them and don’t be cruel. Just kill them. Make their deaths as quick and clean as possible, okay?”

“Yes Mate!” The Orc eagerly nods her head, putting her four little tusks on full display in an unnervingly wide grin.

“Now, are you ready?”

“Yes...!”

Krvavy takes a deep breath and idly slides her foot across the ground, kicking the small stone pieces aside and erasing the checkered board. “We’ll attack when I give the signal.” She states, squeezing Khalia’s shoulders one last time before letting go of them.

The Orc is beyond excited as she follows her Mate to the edge of the treeline, crouching down in a bush beside the barbarian.

The wagons gradually approach their position, growing closer by the second.

Krvavy tenses slightly as she casts Oakflesh, getting to actually use it for the first time since she has learned the spell. An odd tingling numbness spreads across her body as the forty points of mana flow through her channels, diffusing through her flesh. Briefly glancing down at herself, Krvavy sees a bark-like texture covering her skin and scales alike, shimmering slightly like a mirage.

Shaking her head, she quickly turns her gaze back to the road. The wagons are almost in the perfect spot to strike.

More magic wells up inside of the barbarian, soaking into the dirt beneath her. A discomforting sensation presses against the backs of her eyes as she casts Grasping Ground, but Krvavy simply continues to cast the spell and ignores that slight bit of pain. She can almost feel her mana flow through the soil as it makes its way down the hill, coalescing into a mass in the center of the road.

The first pair of horses stumble as they step onto the once solid spot, their hooves digging into the packed earth of the road. The wagon they are pulling tilts a bit to the side as one of its front wheels suddenly sinks into the ground.

“Go!” Krvavy hisses out that order, bursting from the bushes with Khalia by her side.