Nothing grew here.  The ground was scorched by some manner of wildfire, but it seemed like that fire must have taken place years and years ago.  No stubble of grass, no shred of what might have at one time been a tree no existed here.  It was as if this life was as sterile as glass, and nothing would ever have a chance to grow here again.  No manner of sediment or seed would ever make this place green.  Xanthas tapped his staff on the hardened earth, and looked out over the sunless horizon.  He had never walked this road, and was not walking it with a mission this time.  He was merely following a direction.  One that he was told to go.  One that he knew would only lead to more of the darkness that was now in control of his life.  He did not wear an expression of concern though.  While this ground itself was not one that he had ever walked upon, the travel itself was as familiar as the arms of a parent to an only child.

 

            These arms would offer no comfort though.  This is a road that he only wished he could walk alone, but at every moment, her eyes were on him as if his back supported two hot coals, burning into his flesh every step of the way.  He could feel it even now as exhaustion started taking its toll.

 

            Finally, as the last rays of the sun expired on the flat nothingness in the far, far distance, he tossed the pack he was carrying on the ground, and looked around him.  There were no places more secluded than this.  It was fine for this.  He moved a little ways away from his pack, and used his staff, topped in a single black crystal, to trace a large circle in the lifeless loam.  In this circle, he created, tracing carefully, a symbol he had long since memorized.  It was a series of crossing, jagged, sharp lines.  They seemed to all make a hard effort to reach the edges of the circle, and then, as if repelled by magnets, they would jut back away from those edges, back toward the center.  The finished symbol did not represent anything that mortal eyes could ever see, but Xanthas, and perhaps Xanthas alone, knew what it meant.  he moved into the middle of the circle, and looked out over the wasteland. 

 

            Here he was again.  Alone in a place where he knew he was not alone.  He could hear his own heartbeat, as even wind could not seem to survive here.  The tanned rabbit, Xanthas, slowly removed his loin cloth and the very battered looking leather harness he was wearing.  He tossed them outside the circle, and picked up a jar.  Using the jar, he slowly spread pigment from it in patterns similar to the one in the circle onto his body.  Protection wards it would seem.  He began to mumble slowly, and at points where the lines came close tot he edges of the circle, blue flame erupted from the powdery wasteland itself. 

 

            This did not seem to alarm Xanthas, as he chanted now, a little louder.  Wind seemed to spring up around him in a slow, but definite vortex, surrounding the circle, but never crossing into it.  His eyes slowly slid open, as they had been closed while he chanted, and they glowed a deep crimson color.  He chanted louder, seeming to actually call out now, rather than just speak to the uncaring landscape.  Finally, the blue flames began to move, and, amazingly, so did the lines in the circle, shifting underneath the nude rabbit, as if only a shadow beneath him.  Once the flames and the points in the symbol had all reached the same location, directly in front of the rabbit, the flames moved out away from the circle about ten feet, and the lines vanished.  There was a bright flash, as the flames rocketed skyward, like a pillar of blue light which touched the very heavens.

 

            The wind, light, and etched patterns were all gone, but something new took their place.  Before Xanthas, stood a frightful, yet very tempting figure.  Another lapine.  She was a nightmare of beauty, and a masterpiece of dark intent.  She was a deep indigo color, with bat-like wings adorning her back.  She wavered them a little, as if just to prove they were real as she stood there, also nude in her shapely presence before him.  Xanthas gazed at her, unfeeling, as she smiled, baring sharp fangs, her green eyes glowing slightly.

 

            "It has been far too long, Xanthas." she said with apparent disgust, even though she was still smiling wickedly.  She moved toward where Xanthas was still on his knees with gliding, planned, sure steps.

 

            "Not long enough." Xanthas replied dryly.

 

            "You will hurt my feelings, Xan." she said, putting her hand between his long, alert ears.  He closed his eyes, not quite a flinch, but it was obvious the feeling was there.

           

            "You have no feelings." he said.

 

            "Of course I do." the doe said, with a short hiss.  "Just not any that you would consider positive emotions." she said.  "You have something I need.  I intend to collect." she said.  "From the wolf general, and from the aspiring priestess.  Very strong, pure energy.  You were right about this place.  It's filled with power.  And these.. overgrown predators seem to have a flavor I especially like.  I cannot wait to taste of it, if the scent is any indication."

 

            "You tire me with your insistence.  I am compelled to summon you, but you grant me little of the power I seek.  I gather these energies, and all you grant me is the power to continue gathering these energies, the majority of which you keep to expand your own power in this plain." he said.  The female rabbit pushed him backwards into the dirt with ease.  He did not seem to resist her at all.  He limply fell, like a marionette with its strings cut.

 

            "Our deal was not to give you omnipotent power.  Only enough to outlast your natural lifespan, so that you could take care of your personal business in this lifespan.  You seem to no longer be grateful for it.  I even bolster your own magic abilities a bit.  Don't forget, that I can make your life much worse and still be well within the limits of our 'deal' Xanthas.  Pray I remain as kind as I am now." she said.  She straddled his legs.  "After all... I can take the essence of your gathered power in one of two ways.  In transfer of will.. or in blood.  Which would you rather have, shaman?" she asked.  Xanthas shook his head.

 

            "Your point has always been made.  I just want you to remember that I can get a lot more energy if you give me more power to do so." he said.  "Also, you tend to tak my essence in both forms.  Your taste for blood is easily noted."  The female rabbit lowered her nude form over his, her breasts touching his sternum, heavy and firm.  Xanthas gazed at her emotionlessly.  If it were not for the fact that she made him suffer every time they met, he'd still find her very, very beautiful.

 

            "Yes, but I need to keep your power in check.  I cannot afford to have my  meal ticket start resisting me, Xanthas." she said.  Xanthas reached for her arms, but then his hands were thrown back over his head, with a small cloud in the powdery dust.  He winced a bit, as she grinned at him.  Her claws pierced into the tops of his wrists.  "This is not mutual, never forget that.  I am TAKING.  Our deal said I would take the essence for myself.  It did not say how." she said, growling a bit, showing her fangs.  Xanthas nodded slowly.

 

            "I know Theanne." he said softly.  Theanne looked at him with almost teasing satisfaction, as he released his muscles.  She was the one in control.  Still, he looked more than powerful enough by strength alone to take her on, but what she had in strength was such a small measure to her other abilities.  Xanthas would not try anything.  Not right now at least.  He closed his eyes, as she reached with her hands and encircled his neck, and began to press her nude form up his body, until her tight mound was pressed right over his masculinity.  She began to grind herself hard, almost painfully against him.  Her claws found purchase in the flesh of his neck, not puncturing... yet.  Her mound was dry still.  She had no cause for foreplay in its most gentle fashion.  She'd just use his body to stimulate herself, as cold and uncompassionate as she might use a toy of some kind.

 

            "I'd just let yourself go, and let it happen, if I were you, buck." she hissed to him.  she could feel him trying to ignore her, trying not to think about it.  Theanne took great enjoyment in knowing that this was rape in one of its darkest forms.

 

            "By your eagerness, you'd think you were almost capable of enjoying this." Xanthas said, gritting his teeth a little with discomfort as the strong bunny ground herself a little harder against him.  He wasn't excited yet, so it was a little hard to bare.

 

            "I almost do.. but not for the pleasure of it.. oh no.. just.. for.. the.. power." she said, dropping herself a little harder on Xanthas with each word, quite abusively now.  Her body was uncomfortably warm, as if she had been sitting in extremely hot water, on a hot day, and now wanted to get close.  Even so, as if by her will more than his own, Xanthas felt himself swelling up for her, his cock slipping from it's soft sheath, and parting her tight labia a bit, as she pressed herself against him.

 

            "Well, then take what's yours, Theanne.  Take it to the darkness.." Xanthas said, closing his eyes again, trying to let himself be calm.  He had learned the hard way that struggling against her, or even showing playful resistance to try to make this easier for him was a very bad idea.

 

            Now, what she wanted could, in all possibility, be a pleasurable moment, but Theanne did not want it to be pleasurable.  She never wanted Xanthas to think it was anything but business to her.  She would make sure of it.  She went out of her way to make this act both painful and humiliating to the powerful rabbit shaman.

 

            Slowly, Xanthas forced his mind more or less out of his body.  He tried to think of the wolf general.  He tried to think of the priestess in the farming village.  They did not want him to feel pain, and he actually tried to make sure they felt pleasure.  Like Theanne, he had a choice.  He could have made the taking of their life force painful.  He could have merely taken their blood, leaving them nearly lifeless, but they would recover.  Instead, he used their natural burst of energy at climax to be the bridge to their life force.  They never even knew he was using it, or taking it.  They just felt like they had been with a really, really capable lover.

 

            Xanthas was snapped back into reality when the vicious demoness rabbit grabbed him by the ears, pulling them down, making him arch his back a little, as she reached under herself, and positioned his masculinity against her now wet labial folds.  The demon rabbit had stroked herself to arousal against his unwilling form, and was ready for him.  She was not aroused by Xanthas.  She was hot for the sensation of power taking him so violently had given her.  Holding both his ears in one hand, tightly, she slammed herself down on his shaft.  Xanthas winced, but tried to let his mind travel to someone he would really have preferred to be with.  He didn't know love, really, but he did know pleasure, and what Theanne had to offer was nothing of the sort, in either case.

 

            She started very slow, looking into his eyes, her own dark and glowering.  Xanthas tried not to make eye contact, but, as always, this was going to be a short battle of wills.  She compelled him to look into her eyes, just as her power over him, and his life force, had compelled him to summon her here.  She would not enjoy the taking of his life essence as much if he was not watching her, and knowing he was being dominated.  He could feel her body tightly, and very purposefully embrace his thick cock inside her, making his fur bristle with real physical pleasure.  As much as he despised this creature of darkness, he was still male, and his body still reacted to the same things a male would.  She knew how to get what she was after, even if the male that she desired to take it from wanted to hold back.  She would get all of it.  Every single sweet and invigorating drop!

 

            Her thick, hot, syrupy juices coated his cock as she raised and lowered herself, making each motion painstakingly planned.  Xanthas could hear the soft slurping noise of it dipping into her body on this noiseless wasteland he was pinned on his back in.  No one could see, but they were out in the open.  She took him in deep, gyrated her hips in a backward half circle, and then, clenching tight, as if sucking him inside her, she drew herself back up.  She growled heatedly, as her juices literally poured from her, making his rock hard length slick, and tingle even more, as if having mint laced into it.  Xanthas gritted his teeth, groaning as pleasure started to work its way over him, whether he wanted it or not.

 

            She trembled a bit, with growing lust as she held his ears, and Xanthas finally looked up into her piercing green eyes, his will bending, and was trapped in them.  She alone had given him these years of his life.  Without her, he would have passed long, long ago.  He was entirely under her control when she was present, and nearly under her control, even if she were not.  The minutes seemed to drag out into pleasurable hours, as she worked her magic over him.  Whether her abilities were only physical, or she actually used a spell on him, he felt as if he were floating, as he lost himself in the inky black pools of her pupils.  They grew wide, as if to make sure he could never swim ashore to her emerald irises in them.

 

            Theanne finally released the shamanic buck's ears, only to sink her nails cruelly into his shoulders, as her hips sank down with blazing, illicit intent.  Her claws tore through his flesh so easily, as she took him deep, and stroked him deep inside herself.  As she filled her dripping, steaming sex more eagerly with his now twitching hard member, Xanthas found himself increasing slowly the speed of his breathing.  He could not help it.  There would never be a chance of him denying her completely that which she would take by force regardless.  Rivulets of blood streaked through his almond-brown fur, from the deep and painful puncture wounds of her vicious claws.  Even through his intense pain, she had control of his body, and drew him further and further into her circle of pleasure, to take from him everything she wanted.. both his seed, and his suffering, all at the same time.

 

            The indigo-colored demoness stretched her leathery wings back, as if showing them off to her eternal victim, reminding him that she was something far beyond what he could ever hope to be, as she finally pitched herself harder against him, suckling at his length hard with her powerful internal muscles.  Her entire body would obey her will to harvest heavily from this buck.  Xanthas' eyes glazed over slowly, as his will, again, was broken.  He succumbed to her intense heat and desire, her lust for what his body was made to store.  As her claws pierced his flesh, making him cry out in pain, his agonized shouts were broken by grunts of pleasure, from both him and his cruel partner.  Her hips began to slap into his own even harder, his shaft coursing in and out of her, slick with her juices, and his own.

 

            He braced his feet in the dust, and began to slowly lurch into Theanne's purposeful strokes, his thick cock spreading her tightly around him.  She reached down to her hips, and began to desperately stroke her clit in a rather rapid, greedy side to side motion.  She would not feel pleasure for Xanthas, but she had absolutely no problem masturbating while she took him, and cumming hard for herself!  Xanthas left his hands above his head where she positioned them, and let her control the motion, even though he was taking more and more part in it. 

 

            He could not hold it back though.  Heavily he panted, his heart pounding in his chest, a bastion of the life force he'd collected over the past month.  A dull greenish glow crackled around them both, as she began to laugh, very darkly, and very selfishly, holding out her wings, one hand on her pussy, stroking her clit, and the other on Xanthas's knee behind her, clenching painfully to hold on as she rocked herself hard against him..  She suddenly drew her hand from his knee to his chest, leaning over him, still teasing her cunny as his cock filled her deep, and she raked claws sharply down his chest, leaving heavily bleeding red crescents from her attack.   Xan arched his back, wailing in pain from it, falling back a little, away from climax, but her motions were perfect, quickly drawing him right back into his lustful counter-stroking against her, even as pools of blood formed in the thirsty dusts at his sides, running down from his chest.  Theanne cackled uncaringly, and she put her hands on Xanthas's ankles, as she began to jerk her hips even harder.

 

            Demon or not, she was still female, and her body was responding to the treatment she was taking.  If nothing else in his former life, Xanthas HAD been a capable lover.  She was starting to slip closer to her own climax.  While she would not admit her pleasure to Xanthas, he knew full well she would attain it, now, and many times after if she felt like it.  His mind was not on that at all right now though.  He was much more concerned with his own pleasure, growing with each powerful stroke, each slightly wet slap of her body to his.  She lurched harder, gritting her teeth, baring her fangs which looked so out of place for a rabbit to have.  She was not laughing any more.  A look of pleasured determination was on her face now, as she slammed herself even harder against him.

 

            "If.. I find out.. you held back.." she growled, threatening.  Xanthas lurched harder underneath her, making her squeal with pleasure, as she leaned forward again, grinding against him, holding his ears painfully again.  "Yes!  Yes!  Give it to me!" she practically roared.  Xanthas finally brought his hands from the ground over his head, to her hips.  He often found himself wondering how anything so wicked could have such soft, warm fur.  He gritted his teeth, looking forever into her endless dark pupils, and slamming harder at her command, lunging from underneath her, burying his cock again and again, wetly, her juices rolling down his hips, as she shrieked with obvious climax that she would later heatedly deny.

 

            "Be ready for it.. the general and priestess were strong.." he growled, a warning he knew he had better give, or the demoness might think he was trying to overtake her, and hurt him even worse.  She gripped his shoulders harder, making him yelp slightly with pain, but his eyes narrowed with determination.  The sooner this was over, the better, since he certainly could not get out of it.

 

            Xanthas felt the energy of his climax, and the spell-driven energy he had collected, both well up in his body.  He panted hot and shallow, before jerking his head back, and grunting, as his cock jerked inside Theanne, sending thick, hot ribbons of rich cum splashing deep inside her body.  She lurched downward and ground herself against him again, wailing with greedy release, as more than just his thick, hot cum burst into her body. Boiling in that hot, copious release was the power he had gathered from the general and priestess, now coating her insides, to be hungrily drawn deeper into her tight body! She held her trembling wings out, as her eyes glowed very brightly.  Her body too, began to glow, and then Xanthas grunted again, much louder, and with definite unadulterated pleasure as he felt a surge of energy back into him.  His reward.  The power he would use to keep on going, until his purpose was at an end.

 

            Xanthas felt her weight on him.  She was writhing a bit, in almost a trance of glee.  It wasn't sexual pleasure.  It was sheer bloodlust now.  He looked up at her through eyes half-closed in wincing pain, as she ran her claws through the gashes she had left over his chest.  Without scars these would heal, due to his powers as a shaman, but the pain, for now, was almost unfathomable.  After running her claws through the fresh wounds, Theanne glared at Xanthas as if she were a wolf, looking over her kill, and brought her fingertips to her mouth, licking them slowly. 

 

            She then leaned down, and hissed softly at him, nose to nose.  Her head lowered, and, his cock still securely wedged in her, she bit him, right into one of those wounds, making the blood rush out to greet her faster.  Xanthas cried out loudly, unable to hold back, even as tough as his life had made him.  It wasn't something one gets used to.  She licked over the wound, taking of his built up life essence in every way she could, greedily and uncaring.  She was silent, just watching her perhaps less than willing minion.

 

            This was always the worst part.  As violent as sex with her invariably was, her idea of afterglow was to make an even bigger mess over the one she considered her eternal property.  And it was always painful.  She put a hand around his neck, and held him down, as she licked rather abusively deeply over the wounds.  Her tongue felt like fire over them.  Xanthas cried out again, squirming in agony beneath her, his arousal long gone, though she held herself tight over his thigh, drawing in the full effect of his seed, filled with life energy.  Finally, she grabbed him by the ears, and pulled his head up to face level for her, as she squatted over him on all fours.  She kissed him, filling his mouth with the taste of his own blood.  She got up, and rubbed that crimson blood through the velvety fur of her breasts, grinning cruelly at the shaman.

 

            Xanthas lay there, quite a bit of his blood pooling around him, deep, fierce wounds over his chest and tummy, much of his fur soaked in scarlet.  His muscles spasmed involuntarily, the lapine twinging in pain.  Anyone else might have died from the injuries and blood loss some time ago, but the power he was given by Theanne denied him the eternal rest he silently begged for now.  He would recover, only to have to endure this all again, some other day.  But in his eyes, wet with unshed tears of searing pain, shined a grim determination to live on... to do what it was he made this deal to do.

 

            Theanne kicked Xanthas in the side, making him cough and wince.  She glared at him, smiling, a trickle of blood running from the side of her pouting lips, and a trickle of his own pearlescent seed dabbled at her tightly pursed labia.

 

            "I'd say get up, but I know you can't.  I intend to wash up... take a nice, relaxing bath in my own world.  Please send me back." she demanded.

 

            "Ughh.." Xanthas said, flexing a little.  He winced in terrible pain as he looked to his shoulder.  The tendon was severed.  The muscles cramped and recoiled.  "I... I c-can't." he strained to say.  Theanne grunted and spit at the floor, a little pool of Xanthas's blood.  She leaned down, and placed a hand on Xanthas's head.

 

            "You are not that weak.  Put some effort into it, you worm.  I hate this disgusting place you live in." she said.  "Send me back to my home.  NOW."  She picked up Xanthas, baring her teeth.  "Or.. if you like.. I can stay, and remind you that I have hurt you worse than this.."  Xanthas grunted, and shook his head softly.  He did not want that.  Then, Theanne's expression changed, as if she remembered something.

 

            "Oooof!" Xanthas cried, a puff of arid dust coming up as he landed, more of his blood spattering about.

 

            "Oh yes.. Actually... I have some more work for you."  She placed her foot on his chest, her heel digging into one of his wounds.  Xanthas cried out, and writhed in pain under her cruel foot.  "Go next to the village of Kitara." came Theanne's voice. 

 

            "Why there?" he asked, the strain of excruciating pain in his voice.  He left his hands at his sides, not daring to show any sign of resistance.  He could never resist her.  He knew better.  Xanthas began to cast a healing spell, pleading with his flesh to right itself, as fast as it could.

 

            "There is a war brewing." came the dark reply.  She walked away from Xanthas, her back turned to him.  She had no reason to fear him.

 

            "A war?" Xanthas asked softly.  He wanted no part of it.  If he kept her talking, he would be healed enough to guide her back and would not incur any more of her wrath.

 

            "There are powers at play here that I have some interest in." she said.

 

            "I cannot harvest life energy on a battlefield." the shamanic bunny grumbled, trying with difficulty to sit up, one eye pinched shut from the stinging pain that ran through his side.  "Your dark magics can give motion to the dead, but not life.. And I cannot draw life from that which is already dead.  And that's all you find in a war.  Even the living are never far from being dead.  That is the nature of war."

 

            "Oh, but you will get my life energy where you are going.  Just... Not in the usual fashion." came the demoness' reply.

 

            "How then?" he asked.  The rabbit sat up and strained a bit.  Everything hurt like hell now.  Everything..

 

            "There is another shaman playing on this stage." she said.

 

            "Lapine?" he asked.

 

            "Lupine." she answered.

 

            "I thought only the girls were allowed to use magic in this place." Xanthas said.  "This backwards little society is matriarchal." he said.  Xanthas concentrated on healing, breathing deeply.  Many of his wounds went utterly untended, still bleeding profusely, but Theanne's magic would allow him to live, even through some injuries that should have killed him. Xanthas was learning, however, that being unable to die was a very bad thing in the case that, normally, there were levels of pain that death kept one from ever knowing, and Theanne didn't mind showing them to her lapine servant.

 

            "Right.. hence the coming war." she dryly replied, still not looking at Xanthas.  "This sorcerer hates the royal family, and is helping their greatest enemy.  In return, he is being given great power.  He has a relic.. a scepter that links his powers to that of his master." she said with obvious mirth in her voice.

 

            "So you want me to take this scepter from him, and leech off his master?" he asked.

 

            "No, stupid." she growled.  "You will kill the sorcerer, and capture the power he already has.  His master controls the sorcerer with that staff.  It's dangerous.  You will break it."

 

            "You want me to commit murder?" Xanthas asked incredulously.

 

            "Yes.  Exactly." the demoness hissed.

 

            "Won't that make it harder for me to interact with the locals, Theanne?" he asked, as if her lack of insight were merely tedious to him.

 

            "Oh no.. this little assassination won't hurt your chances for harvest in the least.." she said.  "That's why you can't do this on your own.. So much would elude you if you were on your own." she said, putting her clawed hands on his throat again, making him shudder.  "You have to know when to take advantage of a political situation.  Murdering a traitor makes you a hero.  As a local hero, even for a little while, you will be able to harvest plenty for me, my sweet little puppet." she growled, looking hungrily into his eyes.  Xanthas gritted his teeth. If he did not send her back soon, she would either try to draw his life energy again, or might take someone else's, and they would not likely survive.  "The information is good, Xan.. Trust me." she finally hissed.

 

            "I trusted you 800 years ago." Xanthas said.  "Look what it got me." he grumbled darkly.

 

            "Yes, but think of the history books you could write." she said with a cackle directly into his mind.

 

            "After a couple hundred years, it's like reading the same stories, written by different authors." he said dully, wringing his hands.  "I can send you back now, if that is all... my.. mistress.."  He lowered his ears, despising calling her anything above himself.  Even after all this time, he still despised her control over him.  He'd never just submit to it.  To her.  She laughed again, and moved in front of him.

 

            "Yes.. I’m going back now.  I wish to bask in the warmth of your blood in my fur, you foolish puppet." she growled.  Xanthas lowered his head, and put his hands out in front of himself.  He was weak, but he didn’t want to speak anymore.  He wanted her to leave before she changed her mind.  The wind slowly picked up, as he watched quietly through half closed, weakened eyes, picking up more and more dust, until finally, it was like a cyclone, and made it impossible to see her in all the flying dust.  He finally felt the dispersal of her power, which felt like an oven right in front of his face.  Even her departure hurt!  He closed his eyes, wavered, and collapsed onto his back in the dust, drained, injured, half dead form blood loss and pain, and very, very glad that, at least for now.. that was over.  He lay there, under the stars, as the wind died down and dust settled into his agonizing wounds, what tomorrow would bring.