Total pages in book: 182
Estimated words: 171288 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 856(@200wpm)___ 685(@250wpm)___ 571(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 171288 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 856(@200wpm)___ 685(@250wpm)___ 571(@300wpm)
“No, I have not had the pleasure of sucking these balls,” the gray guard admitted and Penny had to stifle a giggle. He took the offered meat ball with a long-fingered hand tipped in black claws and popped it in his mouth. His large eyes opened wide. “But this is exquisite!”
“I thought that as a member of the Kin’kee Tribe, you would enjoy sucking these special balls. Perhaps the flavor is tasty enough to buy passage inside your marvelous city?” V’rex asked politely, offering the other ball to the guard with brown spotted fur.
“Yes—yes, I believe that is a fair trade,” the second guard agreed, after also putting a ball in his mouth. “In fact, I will take you to Chieftain Swift Tail myself.” He stepped to one side and made a bow. “Enter, visitors. How may I announce you?”
“Please say that the Merchant V’rex and his lovely lady Penelope are here to pay our deepest respects to your fine chieftain and his own beautiful lady,” V’rex said politely.
“With pleasure.” The brown-furred guard nodded and preceded them into the vast cavern carved in the rock.
“Thank you.” V’rex nodded again to the remaining guard as they passed. “Remember to suck slowly—the greatest pleasure can be found in the balls only when you roll them in your mouth in a leisurely way.”
“I thank you.” The guard nodded. “Enjoy your stay in our fair city.”
He nodded at Penny as well, who nodded back while still trying not to giggle. But her amusement over V’rex’s words was soon overcome by wonder as she looked around the vast cavern they were entering.
The crack which made up the doorway extended into the entryway which meant that a huge, craggy ceiling rose high above them. It was so immense Penny felt like an ant crawling beneath it.
Soon enough, though, the ceiling got lower so that it was only a few stories above them and they came to an inner entry into what must be the hidden city itself.
Penny wasn’t exactly sure if the ancient Kindred had lived here at one time or if it had already been abandoned when they chose it as a resting place for the Eye of Ten’gu, but it certainly wasn’t abandoned now.
As the guard let them in, they walked down a busy main street with crowds of Fox’en people going about their business. Their coats came in all colors and lengths but it was easy to tell the males from the females because all of the female Fox’ens were wearing jewelry.
Many had bright, ostentatious necklaces on while others had their tall, furry ears pierced with large gold and silver hoops. Some even wore sparkling golden chains tied to their furry tails.
The guard led them through what seemed to be a market district with rows of stalls on either side. All kinds of things were being sold from ropes of fat sausages tied with red string, to tail and ear jewelry, to little decorative pink and purple and yellow pots with blue puffs of smoke emanating from them.
“Scents! Get the finest mating scents here!” a Fox’en merchant was chanting as he waved a lovely little cut-glass bottle of what appeared to be perfume.
“Oh, what kinds of scents?” Penny asked, stopping short. “I love perfume!”
“I don’t know if you’ll like this kind.” V’rex had an amused look on his face but he signaled the guard and they stopped so Penny could talk to the scent merchant.
“What kinds of perfumes do you sell?” she asked him, eyeing the colorful little glass bottles which were lined up behind him on a table in rows.
“Ah, my lady!” The merchant, who had grizzled grayish black fur and a long muzzle, bowed low. “What kind do I not have? For I travel through all of Yown Beta, gathering only the finest anal gland seepage to add to my vast collection.”
“Anal gland seepage?” Penny tried to keep the disgust off her face but she wasn’t entirely sure she succeeded.
“Why, of a surety, my lady!” the merchant exclaimed. “For instance, do you want to spice your mating life up a bit? Simply rub some exotic anal scent from a different tribe all over your fur before your mate begins biting your neck. It will be as though you were a strange and lovely female come to tempt him. He won’t be able to resist mounting you!”
“Before he starts biting my neck?” Penny asked.
“Of course! Or maybe you’d like to switch things up a bit and you mount him instead?” the merchant asked, grinning slyly. “I sell male mating scents for females to wear and female mating scents for males to wear. It confuses the senses most delightfully.” He winked at Penny. “So if that’s your desire, you’ll find no judgment here.”
“Well, that’s…very nonjudgmental of you,” Penny said weakly. “But I just don’t know—”