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Chapter 1: Captured
Chapter 2: Aria
Chapter 3: First Day of Training
Chapter 4: Aria's Punishment
Chapter 5: Aria's Harem Duty
Chapter 6: Take off
Chapter 7: Of Beads and Begging
Chapter 8: Field Trip
Chapter 9: Unwinding and Prep
Chapter 10: Hooked
Chapter 11: Aurora's Present, and Aria's Past
Chapter 12: Pushing Boundaries
Chapter 13: Games
Chapter 14: Amber's Harem Night
Chapter 15: The Zenith Showcase
Chapter 16: Choice
Chapter 17: Hide and Hunt (You are here)
If you read the story please take a moment to leave a comment below. It would mean the world to me as the writer.
**
Panting breaths flowed from the white vixen in the cramped inner walkways of the zeppelin. Aurora drew on her very limited knowledge of the layout of the ship to navigate her way through it; but she was mostly turned around. She drew confused looks from some of the crew as she went, but none dared to question her. She came to a stop and crouched behind a console to catch her breath. “Where should I go? I won’t have much longer until…” she started in thought before the sound of static laced pinging tones echoed off the walls and into her ears from the ship’s speaker system.
“Good evening Moonchaser guests and crew. This is your captain speaking. I have a very special announcement. My newest pet has decided to give me a very special gift tonight. A chance to do something I haven’t had the time to do in ages. She thinks she can hide from me on my own zeppelin. Challenge accepted. We’re going to play a game of ‘Hide and Hunt.’” came the exusianox’s calm voice over the PA.
“Hide and…hunt?” thought Aurora to herself surprised. What was he playing at?
“This will not affect anyone else onboard. No one is to interfere. Do not offer her any help, or in any way hinder her attempt to hide from me. I have spoken with the Silver Moonbeam, and a quick betting pool has already been started. Anyone who is interested in betting on the outcome of this game is encouraged to do so. We’ll call it a…special event.” he continued.
“Now the rules are simple. We are cruising at an altitude of one mile above sea level. At our current speed the ship will arrive in Freeport tomorrow morning at six o’clock. If she can evade me and stay hidden until then I will allow her to disembark from this ship with the passengers a free vixen. The only places that are off limits are the guest rooms, and the engine rooms. Can’t have our little game bothering our guests, and the engine rooms are simply dangerous places. Break this rule and the attempt is forfeit. So…Arnarra; you wanted this chance. Show me what you’ve got. The hunt begins in fifteen minutes.” he said before the broadcast cut off.
“Well I guess he knows.” thought the white vixen to herself after the broadcast cut off. Now that the die had been cast there was nothing to do but follow through and win his game. “But where should I hide?” she asked idly before her attention came to a sign on the wall with an arrow pointing to a nearby room. Her blue eyes flashed with interest at what it read.
**
“Aurora…” said Aria sadly in the Captain’s Quarters as her ears twitched at the sound of the broadcast ending.
“What does that mean Miss Aria?” asked Amber curiously.
“It means that Aurora is trying to run from Master, and he’s turned it into a game.” answered the red fox.
“Do you think Aurora can win the game?” questioned the fennec next.
“I doubt it. Even the FVA try not to have direct confrontations with exusians. And being hunted by one is… terrifying.” said Aria as her tail curled lightly around her legs and she gripped her left arm across her midsection with her right hand.
“But Master is only half exusian right?” asked Amber.
“Yes. But half of an exusian is still partly one. And he knows this ship better than anyone else.” mused the raven haired vixen. She thought back on her master’s words not long ago. “Bumpy. He knew this would happen.” she continued in thought before a knock at the door caught her attention. She watched Amber go to answer it and was surprised to see Heather behind it with two covered trays.
**
The sound of clinking metal and porcelain filled the galley as staff moved here and there cleaning things. Loud footsteps proceeded the figure of the Captain entering the galley. A tigress was just putting the finishing touches on a set of three salmon dishes. Her head was topped by a chef’s hat. Her tail flicked in the air behind her as she admired the plating before she turned to acknowledge the exusianox approaching her. “Good evening Captain. I trust your meal was satisfactory.” she said with a polite smile.
“Yes it was. Delicious as always Sera.” he replied with a smile of his own. “I take it these meals are for the band.” he guessed as he looked at the various dishes she was preparing.
“Good guess. Yes they put their orders in as soon as the ballroom closed its doors for the night. Two of the salmon dishes are for the calico. I made sure to give her big fillets.” she replied with a slight chuckle as she brushed her hands over her clean white cooking outfit.
“I’m sure she’ll appreciate it. She does love her fish.” he said with a shake of his head.
“Is Amber still keeping up with her belly dancing practice?” asked the tigress next as she placed a tray cover over each plate for delivery.
“Yes she is. She enjoys doing it. Thank you again for teaching her.” answered the exusianox.
“She is a very good student. I wouldn’t mind giving her more lessons sometime. It’s been a while since I last performed.” Sera mused.
“She’d love that. Maybe I could schedule a night for you both to perform together. I think you’d both look great under the full moon.” he offered.
“I think that would be wonderful.” she replied with a clap of her hands at the idea.
“But for now it’s another one of my pets I’m focused on. My newest one decided to play a game of hide and hunt with me.” said Sly.
“I heard your announcement over the PA. Is that what brings you here tonight?” asked the tigress curiously.
“Yes. I thought to myself of where the first place an arctic fox might try to hide might be. And my first thought was the galley freezer. But come now. I know she wouldn’t INSULT MY INTELLIGENCE BY DOING SOMETHING LIKE THAT WOULD SHE?” he asked first toward Sera; before he turned his attention to the plastic flaps that separated the galley from the colder freezer storage. A white tail puffed up with all the hairs standing on end behind one of the boxes at the tone of his voice.
The sound of a soft sigh came next before the vixen stood up from behind the boxes. Wordlessly she stepped out of the freezer and into the galley. Her harem silks outfit flowed around her softly as she came to a stop in front of the exusianox and tigress.
“You didn’t really put much thought into your hiding place did you Arnarra?” he asked simply.
“Apparently not.” she answered flatly. She had been caught already. Only twenty minutes into the game and it was already over.
“Do make sure to put more effort into the next one.” he said next. The white vixen’s ears shot up at those words.
“What?” she asked in disbelief.
“As I announced earlier there’s a betting pool on whether or not you’ll succeed. I don’t think it would be very fun for either side if our little game was over so soon.” he explained simply.
Aurora wasn’t going to complain. If he was giving her a mulligan she was going to take it. She took that as her cue to leave, but as she took a step he spoke again. “I’ll say this though Arnarra. You’ve chosen your path now, and you’ll have to follow it where it leads next, whether you succeed or fail. So use everything the FVA taught you about hiding from an exusian. You’ll need it. It’s been a long time since I last played this game. Do try to make it interesting.” he said with a toothy grin that unnerved the white vixen just a little. She nodded to him and ran out of the galley quickly.
“She begged us not to rat her out when she went to hide. I told her that the rules of the game were that no one would help, or hinder her. She’s on her own.” noted Sera as the staff got back to work cleaning and prepping things in the galley. She turned to see the same grin on the exusianox’s face and smirked at the look. It reminded her of a hunter; one that’s caught the scent of prey, and is about to go on the chase.
“I don’t think I’ve seen that look on your face before. You’re enjoying this aren’t you?” she asked.
“Oh very much so. I’ll give her a ten minute head start this time. Have a good night Sera.” he said as he began to walk off himself.
“And people say we felines like playing with our prey.” noted the tigress as she brushed a stray blonde hair back under her hat and watched him go. She didn’t know what the odds were that the vixen could successfully evade him, but it wouldn’t be easy. Of that much she was certain.
**
Rapid footsteps echoed off the walls of the corridor and into the attentive ears of the arctic vixen as she ran. Her blue harem silks flowed in the air behind her. She listened intently as she moved. No sign of other hurried footfalls behind her. He wasn’t immediately giving chase. That wouldn’t be fair. A grace period then. Like before he was delaying coming after her to give her a sporting chance. But a chance to what? To use the training the FVA gave her? What training? She wasn’t in a combat focused cell. She’d never even been on an active mission before now. But that didn’t mean she was ignorant. She came to a stop against a wall to catch her breath. “What was it Neia said?” she thought back to just before the mission that brought her here.
*
“Weaknesses?” asked Neia as she turned to an eager orange furred face. Leena had an interested glint in her eye as she regarded her Captain.
“Yeah. I mean they’re strong, but we all know that exusians aren’t invincible. Do you know of any weaknesses they have?” asked Leena for clarification.
“Oh. Water.” answered the white vixen quickly.
“Water?” came the confused response.
“Yeah. Because of the way their upper bodies are built, exusians have a hard time swimming. Most avoid water altogether if they can. It’s part of the reason foxes were able to escape across the ocean when they conquered our homeland, and why the FVA usually focuses on hit and run tactics on islands. The female’s can swim better, but the males can’t swim well at all.” answered Neia to the tail wagging fascination of the younger vixen.
*
“Water…” her thoughts focused as the memory faded. But how could she apply that now? A footstep behind her made her gasp as she turned quickly. She turned to see a blue jay female coming around the corner. The arctic vixen sighed in relief before she decided to keep moving. She needed to find a place to hide if she wanted to rest. Until then she needed to stay on the move. The movement of the silks clad vixen caught the attention of the avian as she left. The blue jay smirked to herself as she watched her go before she returned to her own task.
**
The red hand ticked the seconds by on the silver pocket watch in the captain’s hand. His tail swished behind him as he stared at the timepiece attentively. When ten minutes had passed he closed the watch and put it back into his pocket with a deep breath. His hands went to his shirt collar and loosened his tie. He hated that he had to wear it as part of his uniform, but for now he could forget about it. Once it was gone he began to undo the buttons on the white shirt next. His bare fur now exposed on his upper body he closed his eyes and focused. Trails. He could almost see trails of scents in his mind’s eye. Different colors for different individuals. He recognized each of those that belonged to a crew member of his, but they were mingled in a tangled mess with those of guests that frequently went here and there as well. Part of the reason he specified that none of the crew would help or hinder Aurora was because he knew that they would continue their tasks and jobs, which would lace their scents over hers organically as they went about their duties. He could pick out a trace of Aurora’s scent going down a hall, but he turned to go down a different hall instead. It would be too easy to simply follow her. He would instead pick up her scent as he searched. That would be both more fun, and more sporting. He dropped his shirt and tie in a laundry chute as he continued down the hall. The hunt was on.
**
Ripples travelled across the surface of the large pool. The sole occupant clung to the side wall conserving her energy as her white ears listened intently for any sounds other than the soft sloshing of the clear water. The blue harem silks she wore floated around her in the water. “This is not how I thought this would go. Admittedly I didn’t know what I expected, but still…” she thought to herself. It had been nearly an hour since she’d entered the water. Could she really just hide here all night? If it meant freedom, she definitely could.
Her ears twitched at the sound of footsteps not far from the edge of the pool. She held her breath and stayed as still as she could. She heard them move across the pool area and stop. The vixen silently prayed that whoever it was would just move on. The soft absorbent material coating the deck near the pool made it impossible to tell if the footsteps belonged to a small or large creature. Thirty seconds passed before she heard the footsteps begin to move again, sounding like they were moving away from the area. She let out her held breath slowly and quietly in relief.
“I’m curious. Were you hoping that the chlorine smell would cover your scent?” came the familiar voice of the exusianox captain. Sheepishly she glanced above the rim of the pool to see the familiar form of the male with a raised eyebrow looking at her, one hand on his hip. That was it. He’d found her…again.
“I…I had heard that exusians can’t swim, so I figured you might avoid the pool.” she replied as she pulled herself out of the pool.
“I see. Starting to use some of your training to your advantage. Well at least you hid for longer this time. But your knowledge is incomplete.” he said.
“Incomplete?” she asked confused.
“It’s true that exusian males can’t swim well. Females can, but the way the male’s upper body is shaped they can’t. That aside you forgot to take one thing into account. I’m not a full blooded exusian. I’m part fox. I can swim just fine. I’m not afraid of deep water.” he answered.
“Figures.” thought the vixen to herself. Exusianoxes were rare in the world; even moreso outside of Exusia. It’s likely no FVA member had ever actually come across one before.
“But I do think that attempt deserves another chance.” he noted suddenly. She looked up at him surprised by these words. “Go on. Try again. You have nine minutes before I start again.” he explained as he took out that silver pocket watch again and noted the time.
She didn’t know why he was doing this. Was he being arrogant, or was he just enjoying the game? She couldn’t be sure, but she wasn’t going to look a gift ocaris in the mouth. If he was going to give her another chance, she was going to take it. The only question now was where she would go from here.
**
The arctic vixen tried to slow her heart rate a bit as she calmed her breathing somewhat. It had been a few hours now and she’d been found multiple times, but each time he’d let her go. There was no doubt in her mind anymore that this was all a game to him, but something was different. Something was off. As time has gone on he seemed to be…changing more and more; almost giving off the presence of a wild animal. This was more in line with what she had been told exusians were like all her life.
She crept down the hallway and noted a door on the right. She peeked her head in and flicked the light switch only to gasp at what she saw stored in the room. Bondage furniture and equipment lined the walls of the room. A sawhorse, an X-frame, a bondage bench, and various tools and instruments of restraint, pain, and pleasure could easily be seen. This zeppelin even had its own mini dungeon. The white vixen wasn’t sure if she should be surprised or not at this new information, but her attention was caught by a new noise. The soft thud of heavy footsteps echoed down the hall behind her. Ones she very much recognized.
“Arnarra…” came Sly’s singsong voice from the other end of the hall. He had found her again. She needed to move. The next room was the cargo hold. An expansive room full of everything from the guest’s larger luggage pieces to the supplies for the zeppelin. She quickly ducked into the room and looked for a suitable place to hide. There were a couple crew members here, but like nearly every other crew member she’d come across since this game began they paid her no mind, and drove home once again that she was on her own.
Soft growls escaped the exusianox as he stepped into the cargo hold. It wasn’t often he was able to embrace his exusian side as he had been increasingly allowing himself to tonight. He might have to thank her later for this. He took a sniff of the still air in the cargo hold. A myriad of types of scents were intermingled here in the enclosed space. Organic things like food, inorganic things like coal, and fuel, wood, metal, and of course the individual scents of guests and crew that have come and gone in this room in the recent past. But the one that stood out the most was the one that had just entered the room a minute ago, and it was laced with something obvious he couldn’t ignore.
The white vixen shivered as she sat crouched hidden by a couple of boxes of fruit. She could see the figure of the exusianox as he moved around the room searching for her. His footfalls echoed into her ears, and she barely held herself still as she waited for him to pass. Her blue pupils shrank as instead she felt and heard the crash of the top box of oranges she was hiding behind be knocked over suddenly. She looked up and her breath caught in her throat as she stared into the slightly glowing yellow eyes looking straight at her in the dim light. Her hackles rose. Instinct took over and her fight or flight kicked in. She sprang forward and scrambled toward the nearest space between two boxes. The arctic vixen didn’t dare to look back. She could feel the rumble of his footfalls right behind her, hear the slight chuckle of amusement as he gave chase.
Loud clattering ensued as the pair dashed here and there from spot to spot within the cargo hold. Under large objects, behind boxes and cases, even dashing between spaces that were too big for the exusianox to fit through didn’t deter him from the chase. He just went over or around and continued after her. The vixen’s breaths started coming out as little more than panicked pants as her eyes darted here and there, her only thoughts on escape. When had this game become a fight for survival against a predator? She skidded to a stop with a large container in front of her, and large boxes on either side; a dead end. A large thud behind her made her heart skip a beat and her eyes shrink to dots as the larger male came to a stop just behind her. “Seems this is the end of the line…Arnarra…” came his voice as his light growl tickled her hearing. She whimpered as she turned, the figure with glowing eyes stood tall over her. When his hand reached forward she flinched back against the large container, only to feel him tap her nose softly.
“Wh-What?”she thought as she opened her eyes again to see him walking off. Her heart was still pounding as he said nothing to her. She didn’t move as she watched him go. The visage in her mind of the exusian predator was mostly gone as she looked at him from the back. Still she didn’t believe what her eyes were telling her. She could hear him apologizing to the cargo hold crew he’d disturbed and made more work for, but it was still a few moments before she was able to calm herself enough to get a move on again. She knew he was giving her a head start, but the time he granted her seemed to be shrinking each time. She needed to find a new spot, and she didn’t have much time to find it.
**
The wind whipped her brunette hair around the arctic vixen’s face. The soft pants of her breath could be seen in the air in front of her as she fought with herself not to look down. Aurora took shaky movements as she slowly pulled herself higher still on the side of the zeppelin. The enormity of the vast amount of air below her with the ocean below that nagged at the back of her mind, but she paid it no heed. “If I am to hide from him till daybreak, I need to get to a place he can’t sniff me out.” she reasoned with herself as she reached for the next hand hold. She was in a precarious position high above the deck of the zeppelin. The cold of the night chilled air didn’t bother her. But the wind did. It whipped around her and made even small adjustments to her position difficult. But most vexing of all was that she hadn’t accounted for the thinner air making her breaths not supply as much oxygen to her muscles as they normally would. She was only halfway to her chosen spot; a small crevice on the upper hull, but she was already winded. This is the most physical exertion she’s done since she first stepped on board this zeppelin a couple months ago.
“Shit!” her thoughts screeched as a gust hit her and her hand slipped its position. She tried to grab hold of the hull, but couldn’t get a grip. She was falling. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched her position fall away and her head tumbled backward. “No no no!” she said as she closed her eyes. This was it. She knew if she opened them she would only see the main deck of the zeppelin rushing up at her and then nothing. She might as well see nothing until the impact. Seconds ticked by like minutes. Time seemed to slow to a crawl. When she realized more time had passed than was reasonable for the distance to the deck her heart began to pound. Had she missed the deck entirely? Was she in freefall in the open air below the zeppelin now? She hazarded a look. She expected to see nothing but the darkness of the open sky above the ocean, but instead she saw the bright lights of the deck below her still. She looked down her body to see her body being held in the grip of a very familiar male figure. Captain Slyrinnmar was holding her by the leg not too far below where she’d slipped. He was holding onto the hull of the zeppelin securely. He’d caught her mid fall. His piercing glowing eyes regarded her aware state before he pulled her closer to hold her midsection. She said nothing as he leapt from his position to a lower one, before jumping down to the deck itself safely.
He released her there. She fell onto her butt and stared up at him warily. “I know I said that only the engine and guest rooms were off limits, but I didn’t think you’d actually risk your life trying to climb the hull. Luckily I spotted you when I did.” he mused as he shook his head in disbelief at her actions before he turned away from her. Aurora panted as she watched him start to walk off confused. “You only have a few hours left.” he noted over his shoulder. A reminder that made her flatten her ears to her head with doubt that she actually could evade him now.
**
A short time later the figure of the exusianox moved over the empty main deck. He hadn’t seen hide nor hair of his quarry for some time. Had she actually found a good place to hide this time? His vision flicked to the right, and his eyes narrowed at something surprising. It seemed the deck wasn’t as empty as he’d figured. A lone figure sat knelt before the door to the Captain’s Quarters; her bushy white tail and blue harem silks blown by the wind. Aurora’s head was bowed; her ears twitched softly as she listened to the approaching footsteps of her master.
“This is a good hiding spot I must admit; though a bit unusual. I think it would work better if you’d actually gone inside. The Captain’s Quarters isn’t a place I would think of quickly, but eventually I would check there too.” he noted aloud. “Did Aria not let you in?” he asked half jokingly.
“I give…” said Aurora softly. Words that made her master stop and focus on her fully.
“Come again.” he said; his ears perked up.
“I said I give up Master. I know there’s no way to hide from you on board this vessel. You know it too well. That last stunt was my last effort, and that was a failure. You win.” she replied clearly.
“I see.” he replied simply.
“I make no excuses. I know you’re angry, but I had to try.” said the white vixen as she looked up at him. She was surprised to see him offering her a hand. Hesitantly she reached up to take it.
“I’m not surprised you tried, and contrary to your assumptions I’m not angry.” he said as he pulled her to her feet. Aurora was surprised when he continued to pull her closer to his chest. “But I am disappointed.” he whispered before she felt a sharp pain at the back of her neck. Her eyes widened at the blow before they softened, her vision going blurry suddenly. “And there will be consequences to your actions.” she heard him say just before she blacked out.
The exusianox pulled a radio out of his pocket as he regarded the slumped vixen in his grasp. “Silver Moonbeam. This is Captain Falar. The contest is over. Aurora has been captured. Please contact the winners and pay out all winnings as per usual.” he said before he pocketed the communication device and placed Aurora over his shoulder.
“Roger that Captain.” came the expected static laced reply as he turned to walk off as the white vixen’s arms and legs dangled limply in front and behind him.
If you read the story please take a moment to leave a comment below. It would mean the world to me as the writer.
Aurora (or Arnarra) cast her die and she wasn't able to escape. What will that mean for her now? What will be the consequence Sly mentioned at the end? You'll have to tune in next time to find out.
As always thanks to evilymasterful for allowing me to dabble in their setting.
Artwork featured belongs to metalmanda
Exusians, Exsuianoxes, and the setting belongs to evilymasterful
Captain Slyrrinmar Falar, Aurora, Aria, Heather, and Sera all belong to me and were allowed to be placed in the setting.
Chapter 2: Aria
Chapter 3: First Day of Training
Chapter 4: Aria's Punishment
Chapter 5: Aria's Harem Duty
Chapter 6: Take off
Chapter 7: Of Beads and Begging
Chapter 8: Field Trip
Chapter 9: Unwinding and Prep
Chapter 10: Hooked
Chapter 11: Aurora's Present, and Aria's Past
Chapter 12: Pushing Boundaries
Chapter 13: Games
Chapter 14: Amber's Harem Night
Chapter 15: The Zenith Showcase
Chapter 16: Choice
Chapter 17: Hide and Hunt (You are here)
If you read the story please take a moment to leave a comment below. It would mean the world to me as the writer.
**
Panting breaths flowed from the white vixen in the cramped inner walkways of the zeppelin. Aurora drew on her very limited knowledge of the layout of the ship to navigate her way through it; but she was mostly turned around. She drew confused looks from some of the crew as she went, but none dared to question her. She came to a stop and crouched behind a console to catch her breath. “Where should I go? I won’t have much longer until…” she started in thought before the sound of static laced pinging tones echoed off the walls and into her ears from the ship’s speaker system.
“Good evening Moonchaser guests and crew. This is your captain speaking. I have a very special announcement. My newest pet has decided to give me a very special gift tonight. A chance to do something I haven’t had the time to do in ages. She thinks she can hide from me on my own zeppelin. Challenge accepted. We’re going to play a game of ‘Hide and Hunt.’” came the exusianox’s calm voice over the PA.
“Hide and…hunt?” thought Aurora to herself surprised. What was he playing at?
“This will not affect anyone else onboard. No one is to interfere. Do not offer her any help, or in any way hinder her attempt to hide from me. I have spoken with the Silver Moonbeam, and a quick betting pool has already been started. Anyone who is interested in betting on the outcome of this game is encouraged to do so. We’ll call it a…special event.” he continued.
“Now the rules are simple. We are cruising at an altitude of one mile above sea level. At our current speed the ship will arrive in Freeport tomorrow morning at six o’clock. If she can evade me and stay hidden until then I will allow her to disembark from this ship with the passengers a free vixen. The only places that are off limits are the guest rooms, and the engine rooms. Can’t have our little game bothering our guests, and the engine rooms are simply dangerous places. Break this rule and the attempt is forfeit. So…Arnarra; you wanted this chance. Show me what you’ve got. The hunt begins in fifteen minutes.” he said before the broadcast cut off.
“Well I guess he knows.” thought the white vixen to herself after the broadcast cut off. Now that the die had been cast there was nothing to do but follow through and win his game. “But where should I hide?” she asked idly before her attention came to a sign on the wall with an arrow pointing to a nearby room. Her blue eyes flashed with interest at what it read.
**
“Aurora…” said Aria sadly in the Captain’s Quarters as her ears twitched at the sound of the broadcast ending.
“What does that mean Miss Aria?” asked Amber curiously.
“It means that Aurora is trying to run from Master, and he’s turned it into a game.” answered the red fox.
“Do you think Aurora can win the game?” questioned the fennec next.
“I doubt it. Even the FVA try not to have direct confrontations with exusians. And being hunted by one is… terrifying.” said Aria as her tail curled lightly around her legs and she gripped her left arm across her midsection with her right hand.
“But Master is only half exusian right?” asked Amber.
“Yes. But half of an exusian is still partly one. And he knows this ship better than anyone else.” mused the raven haired vixen. She thought back on her master’s words not long ago. “Bumpy. He knew this would happen.” she continued in thought before a knock at the door caught her attention. She watched Amber go to answer it and was surprised to see Heather behind it with two covered trays.
**
The sound of clinking metal and porcelain filled the galley as staff moved here and there cleaning things. Loud footsteps proceeded the figure of the Captain entering the galley. A tigress was just putting the finishing touches on a set of three salmon dishes. Her head was topped by a chef’s hat. Her tail flicked in the air behind her as she admired the plating before she turned to acknowledge the exusianox approaching her. “Good evening Captain. I trust your meal was satisfactory.” she said with a polite smile.
“Yes it was. Delicious as always Sera.” he replied with a smile of his own. “I take it these meals are for the band.” he guessed as he looked at the various dishes she was preparing.
“Good guess. Yes they put their orders in as soon as the ballroom closed its doors for the night. Two of the salmon dishes are for the calico. I made sure to give her big fillets.” she replied with a slight chuckle as she brushed her hands over her clean white cooking outfit.
“I’m sure she’ll appreciate it. She does love her fish.” he said with a shake of his head.
“Is Amber still keeping up with her belly dancing practice?” asked the tigress next as she placed a tray cover over each plate for delivery.
“Yes she is. She enjoys doing it. Thank you again for teaching her.” answered the exusianox.
“She is a very good student. I wouldn’t mind giving her more lessons sometime. It’s been a while since I last performed.” Sera mused.
“She’d love that. Maybe I could schedule a night for you both to perform together. I think you’d both look great under the full moon.” he offered.
“I think that would be wonderful.” she replied with a clap of her hands at the idea.
“But for now it’s another one of my pets I’m focused on. My newest one decided to play a game of hide and hunt with me.” said Sly.
“I heard your announcement over the PA. Is that what brings you here tonight?” asked the tigress curiously.
“Yes. I thought to myself of where the first place an arctic fox might try to hide might be. And my first thought was the galley freezer. But come now. I know she wouldn’t INSULT MY INTELLIGENCE BY DOING SOMETHING LIKE THAT WOULD SHE?” he asked first toward Sera; before he turned his attention to the plastic flaps that separated the galley from the colder freezer storage. A white tail puffed up with all the hairs standing on end behind one of the boxes at the tone of his voice.
The sound of a soft sigh came next before the vixen stood up from behind the boxes. Wordlessly she stepped out of the freezer and into the galley. Her harem silks outfit flowed around her softly as she came to a stop in front of the exusianox and tigress.
“You didn’t really put much thought into your hiding place did you Arnarra?” he asked simply.
“Apparently not.” she answered flatly. She had been caught already. Only twenty minutes into the game and it was already over.
“Do make sure to put more effort into the next one.” he said next. The white vixen’s ears shot up at those words.
“What?” she asked in disbelief.
“As I announced earlier there’s a betting pool on whether or not you’ll succeed. I don’t think it would be very fun for either side if our little game was over so soon.” he explained simply.
Aurora wasn’t going to complain. If he was giving her a mulligan she was going to take it. She took that as her cue to leave, but as she took a step he spoke again. “I’ll say this though Arnarra. You’ve chosen your path now, and you’ll have to follow it where it leads next, whether you succeed or fail. So use everything the FVA taught you about hiding from an exusian. You’ll need it. It’s been a long time since I last played this game. Do try to make it interesting.” he said with a toothy grin that unnerved the white vixen just a little. She nodded to him and ran out of the galley quickly.
“She begged us not to rat her out when she went to hide. I told her that the rules of the game were that no one would help, or hinder her. She’s on her own.” noted Sera as the staff got back to work cleaning and prepping things in the galley. She turned to see the same grin on the exusianox’s face and smirked at the look. It reminded her of a hunter; one that’s caught the scent of prey, and is about to go on the chase.
“I don’t think I’ve seen that look on your face before. You’re enjoying this aren’t you?” she asked.
“Oh very much so. I’ll give her a ten minute head start this time. Have a good night Sera.” he said as he began to walk off himself.
“And people say we felines like playing with our prey.” noted the tigress as she brushed a stray blonde hair back under her hat and watched him go. She didn’t know what the odds were that the vixen could successfully evade him, but it wouldn’t be easy. Of that much she was certain.
**
Rapid footsteps echoed off the walls of the corridor and into the attentive ears of the arctic vixen as she ran. Her blue harem silks flowed in the air behind her. She listened intently as she moved. No sign of other hurried footfalls behind her. He wasn’t immediately giving chase. That wouldn’t be fair. A grace period then. Like before he was delaying coming after her to give her a sporting chance. But a chance to what? To use the training the FVA gave her? What training? She wasn’t in a combat focused cell. She’d never even been on an active mission before now. But that didn’t mean she was ignorant. She came to a stop against a wall to catch her breath. “What was it Neia said?” she thought back to just before the mission that brought her here.
*
“Weaknesses?” asked Neia as she turned to an eager orange furred face. Leena had an interested glint in her eye as she regarded her Captain.
“Yeah. I mean they’re strong, but we all know that exusians aren’t invincible. Do you know of any weaknesses they have?” asked Leena for clarification.
“Oh. Water.” answered the white vixen quickly.
“Water?” came the confused response.
“Yeah. Because of the way their upper bodies are built, exusians have a hard time swimming. Most avoid water altogether if they can. It’s part of the reason foxes were able to escape across the ocean when they conquered our homeland, and why the FVA usually focuses on hit and run tactics on islands. The female’s can swim better, but the males can’t swim well at all.” answered Neia to the tail wagging fascination of the younger vixen.
*
“Water…” her thoughts focused as the memory faded. But how could she apply that now? A footstep behind her made her gasp as she turned quickly. She turned to see a blue jay female coming around the corner. The arctic vixen sighed in relief before she decided to keep moving. She needed to find a place to hide if she wanted to rest. Until then she needed to stay on the move. The movement of the silks clad vixen caught the attention of the avian as she left. The blue jay smirked to herself as she watched her go before she returned to her own task.
**
The red hand ticked the seconds by on the silver pocket watch in the captain’s hand. His tail swished behind him as he stared at the timepiece attentively. When ten minutes had passed he closed the watch and put it back into his pocket with a deep breath. His hands went to his shirt collar and loosened his tie. He hated that he had to wear it as part of his uniform, but for now he could forget about it. Once it was gone he began to undo the buttons on the white shirt next. His bare fur now exposed on his upper body he closed his eyes and focused. Trails. He could almost see trails of scents in his mind’s eye. Different colors for different individuals. He recognized each of those that belonged to a crew member of his, but they were mingled in a tangled mess with those of guests that frequently went here and there as well. Part of the reason he specified that none of the crew would help or hinder Aurora was because he knew that they would continue their tasks and jobs, which would lace their scents over hers organically as they went about their duties. He could pick out a trace of Aurora’s scent going down a hall, but he turned to go down a different hall instead. It would be too easy to simply follow her. He would instead pick up her scent as he searched. That would be both more fun, and more sporting. He dropped his shirt and tie in a laundry chute as he continued down the hall. The hunt was on.
**
Ripples travelled across the surface of the large pool. The sole occupant clung to the side wall conserving her energy as her white ears listened intently for any sounds other than the soft sloshing of the clear water. The blue harem silks she wore floated around her in the water. “This is not how I thought this would go. Admittedly I didn’t know what I expected, but still…” she thought to herself. It had been nearly an hour since she’d entered the water. Could she really just hide here all night? If it meant freedom, she definitely could.
Her ears twitched at the sound of footsteps not far from the edge of the pool. She held her breath and stayed as still as she could. She heard them move across the pool area and stop. The vixen silently prayed that whoever it was would just move on. The soft absorbent material coating the deck near the pool made it impossible to tell if the footsteps belonged to a small or large creature. Thirty seconds passed before she heard the footsteps begin to move again, sounding like they were moving away from the area. She let out her held breath slowly and quietly in relief.
“I’m curious. Were you hoping that the chlorine smell would cover your scent?” came the familiar voice of the exusianox captain. Sheepishly she glanced above the rim of the pool to see the familiar form of the male with a raised eyebrow looking at her, one hand on his hip. That was it. He’d found her…again.
“I…I had heard that exusians can’t swim, so I figured you might avoid the pool.” she replied as she pulled herself out of the pool.
“I see. Starting to use some of your training to your advantage. Well at least you hid for longer this time. But your knowledge is incomplete.” he said.
“Incomplete?” she asked confused.
“It’s true that exusian males can’t swim well. Females can, but the way the male’s upper body is shaped they can’t. That aside you forgot to take one thing into account. I’m not a full blooded exusian. I’m part fox. I can swim just fine. I’m not afraid of deep water.” he answered.
“Figures.” thought the vixen to herself. Exusianoxes were rare in the world; even moreso outside of Exusia. It’s likely no FVA member had ever actually come across one before.
“But I do think that attempt deserves another chance.” he noted suddenly. She looked up at him surprised by these words. “Go on. Try again. You have nine minutes before I start again.” he explained as he took out that silver pocket watch again and noted the time.
She didn’t know why he was doing this. Was he being arrogant, or was he just enjoying the game? She couldn’t be sure, but she wasn’t going to look a gift ocaris in the mouth. If he was going to give her another chance, she was going to take it. The only question now was where she would go from here.
**
The arctic vixen tried to slow her heart rate a bit as she calmed her breathing somewhat. It had been a few hours now and she’d been found multiple times, but each time he’d let her go. There was no doubt in her mind anymore that this was all a game to him, but something was different. Something was off. As time has gone on he seemed to be…changing more and more; almost giving off the presence of a wild animal. This was more in line with what she had been told exusians were like all her life.
She crept down the hallway and noted a door on the right. She peeked her head in and flicked the light switch only to gasp at what she saw stored in the room. Bondage furniture and equipment lined the walls of the room. A sawhorse, an X-frame, a bondage bench, and various tools and instruments of restraint, pain, and pleasure could easily be seen. This zeppelin even had its own mini dungeon. The white vixen wasn’t sure if she should be surprised or not at this new information, but her attention was caught by a new noise. The soft thud of heavy footsteps echoed down the hall behind her. Ones she very much recognized.
“Arnarra…” came Sly’s singsong voice from the other end of the hall. He had found her again. She needed to move. The next room was the cargo hold. An expansive room full of everything from the guest’s larger luggage pieces to the supplies for the zeppelin. She quickly ducked into the room and looked for a suitable place to hide. There were a couple crew members here, but like nearly every other crew member she’d come across since this game began they paid her no mind, and drove home once again that she was on her own.
Soft growls escaped the exusianox as he stepped into the cargo hold. It wasn’t often he was able to embrace his exusian side as he had been increasingly allowing himself to tonight. He might have to thank her later for this. He took a sniff of the still air in the cargo hold. A myriad of types of scents were intermingled here in the enclosed space. Organic things like food, inorganic things like coal, and fuel, wood, metal, and of course the individual scents of guests and crew that have come and gone in this room in the recent past. But the one that stood out the most was the one that had just entered the room a minute ago, and it was laced with something obvious he couldn’t ignore.
The white vixen shivered as she sat crouched hidden by a couple of boxes of fruit. She could see the figure of the exusianox as he moved around the room searching for her. His footfalls echoed into her ears, and she barely held herself still as she waited for him to pass. Her blue pupils shrank as instead she felt and heard the crash of the top box of oranges she was hiding behind be knocked over suddenly. She looked up and her breath caught in her throat as she stared into the slightly glowing yellow eyes looking straight at her in the dim light. Her hackles rose. Instinct took over and her fight or flight kicked in. She sprang forward and scrambled toward the nearest space between two boxes. The arctic vixen didn’t dare to look back. She could feel the rumble of his footfalls right behind her, hear the slight chuckle of amusement as he gave chase.
Loud clattering ensued as the pair dashed here and there from spot to spot within the cargo hold. Under large objects, behind boxes and cases, even dashing between spaces that were too big for the exusianox to fit through didn’t deter him from the chase. He just went over or around and continued after her. The vixen’s breaths started coming out as little more than panicked pants as her eyes darted here and there, her only thoughts on escape. When had this game become a fight for survival against a predator? She skidded to a stop with a large container in front of her, and large boxes on either side; a dead end. A large thud behind her made her heart skip a beat and her eyes shrink to dots as the larger male came to a stop just behind her. “Seems this is the end of the line…Arnarra…” came his voice as his light growl tickled her hearing. She whimpered as she turned, the figure with glowing eyes stood tall over her. When his hand reached forward she flinched back against the large container, only to feel him tap her nose softly.
“Wh-What?”she thought as she opened her eyes again to see him walking off. Her heart was still pounding as he said nothing to her. She didn’t move as she watched him go. The visage in her mind of the exusian predator was mostly gone as she looked at him from the back. Still she didn’t believe what her eyes were telling her. She could hear him apologizing to the cargo hold crew he’d disturbed and made more work for, but it was still a few moments before she was able to calm herself enough to get a move on again. She knew he was giving her a head start, but the time he granted her seemed to be shrinking each time. She needed to find a new spot, and she didn’t have much time to find it.
**
The wind whipped her brunette hair around the arctic vixen’s face. The soft pants of her breath could be seen in the air in front of her as she fought with herself not to look down. Aurora took shaky movements as she slowly pulled herself higher still on the side of the zeppelin. The enormity of the vast amount of air below her with the ocean below that nagged at the back of her mind, but she paid it no heed. “If I am to hide from him till daybreak, I need to get to a place he can’t sniff me out.” she reasoned with herself as she reached for the next hand hold. She was in a precarious position high above the deck of the zeppelin. The cold of the night chilled air didn’t bother her. But the wind did. It whipped around her and made even small adjustments to her position difficult. But most vexing of all was that she hadn’t accounted for the thinner air making her breaths not supply as much oxygen to her muscles as they normally would. She was only halfway to her chosen spot; a small crevice on the upper hull, but she was already winded. This is the most physical exertion she’s done since she first stepped on board this zeppelin a couple months ago.
“Shit!” her thoughts screeched as a gust hit her and her hand slipped its position. She tried to grab hold of the hull, but couldn’t get a grip. She was falling. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched her position fall away and her head tumbled backward. “No no no!” she said as she closed her eyes. This was it. She knew if she opened them she would only see the main deck of the zeppelin rushing up at her and then nothing. She might as well see nothing until the impact. Seconds ticked by like minutes. Time seemed to slow to a crawl. When she realized more time had passed than was reasonable for the distance to the deck her heart began to pound. Had she missed the deck entirely? Was she in freefall in the open air below the zeppelin now? She hazarded a look. She expected to see nothing but the darkness of the open sky above the ocean, but instead she saw the bright lights of the deck below her still. She looked down her body to see her body being held in the grip of a very familiar male figure. Captain Slyrinnmar was holding her by the leg not too far below where she’d slipped. He was holding onto the hull of the zeppelin securely. He’d caught her mid fall. His piercing glowing eyes regarded her aware state before he pulled her closer to hold her midsection. She said nothing as he leapt from his position to a lower one, before jumping down to the deck itself safely.
He released her there. She fell onto her butt and stared up at him warily. “I know I said that only the engine and guest rooms were off limits, but I didn’t think you’d actually risk your life trying to climb the hull. Luckily I spotted you when I did.” he mused as he shook his head in disbelief at her actions before he turned away from her. Aurora panted as she watched him start to walk off confused. “You only have a few hours left.” he noted over his shoulder. A reminder that made her flatten her ears to her head with doubt that she actually could evade him now.
**
A short time later the figure of the exusianox moved over the empty main deck. He hadn’t seen hide nor hair of his quarry for some time. Had she actually found a good place to hide this time? His vision flicked to the right, and his eyes narrowed at something surprising. It seemed the deck wasn’t as empty as he’d figured. A lone figure sat knelt before the door to the Captain’s Quarters; her bushy white tail and blue harem silks blown by the wind. Aurora’s head was bowed; her ears twitched softly as she listened to the approaching footsteps of her master.
“This is a good hiding spot I must admit; though a bit unusual. I think it would work better if you’d actually gone inside. The Captain’s Quarters isn’t a place I would think of quickly, but eventually I would check there too.” he noted aloud. “Did Aria not let you in?” he asked half jokingly.
“I give…” said Aurora softly. Words that made her master stop and focus on her fully.
“Come again.” he said; his ears perked up.
“I said I give up Master. I know there’s no way to hide from you on board this vessel. You know it too well. That last stunt was my last effort, and that was a failure. You win.” she replied clearly.
“I see.” he replied simply.
“I make no excuses. I know you’re angry, but I had to try.” said the white vixen as she looked up at him. She was surprised to see him offering her a hand. Hesitantly she reached up to take it.
“I’m not surprised you tried, and contrary to your assumptions I’m not angry.” he said as he pulled her to her feet. Aurora was surprised when he continued to pull her closer to his chest. “But I am disappointed.” he whispered before she felt a sharp pain at the back of her neck. Her eyes widened at the blow before they softened, her vision going blurry suddenly. “And there will be consequences to your actions.” she heard him say just before she blacked out.
The exusianox pulled a radio out of his pocket as he regarded the slumped vixen in his grasp. “Silver Moonbeam. This is Captain Falar. The contest is over. Aurora has been captured. Please contact the winners and pay out all winnings as per usual.” he said before he pocketed the communication device and placed Aurora over his shoulder.
“Roger that Captain.” came the expected static laced reply as he turned to walk off as the white vixen’s arms and legs dangled limply in front and behind him.
If you read the story please take a moment to leave a comment below. It would mean the world to me as the writer.
Aurora (or Arnarra) cast her die and she wasn't able to escape. What will that mean for her now? What will be the consequence Sly mentioned at the end? You'll have to tune in next time to find out.
As always thanks to evilymasterful for allowing me to dabble in their setting.
Artwork featured belongs to metalmanda
Exusians, Exsuianoxes, and the setting belongs to evilymasterful
Captain Slyrrinmar Falar, Aurora, Aria, Heather, and Sera all belong to me and were allowed to be placed in the setting.
Category Story / All
Species Unspecified / Any
Gender Any
Size 108 x 120px
A successful hunt, though I kind of feel sorry for the guests that bet she’d be found earlier. She was found early on, though I’m guessing no one but she and Sky know that.
Surprised at the blow Sly dealt her at the end. Was that some Exusian instincts coming out regarding catching their prey, or just Sly being Sly?
Regardless, another enjoyable chapter read!
Surprised at the blow Sly dealt her at the end. Was that some Exusian instincts coming out regarding catching their prey, or just Sly being Sly?
Regardless, another enjoyable chapter read!
Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Because of how hastily the betting pool was put together it was only a simple bet of whether she would be successful or not. So how quickly she would have been caught wasn't a factor.
The blow at the end was just to knock her out. His Exusian instincts were beginning to show more and more, but he was in full control of himself. So it was just him ending the game basically.
Because of how hastily the betting pool was put together it was only a simple bet of whether she would be successful or not. So how quickly she would have been caught wasn't a factor.
The blow at the end was just to knock her out. His Exusian instincts were beginning to show more and more, but he was in full control of himself. So it was just him ending the game basically.
Nicely written. I was hoping Aurora would would win the “game”, perhaps by restraining the captain in some way to prevent him from finding her, but it made sense why she lost.
I'm glad you enjoyed it. Her being able to restrain him would be a tall order on it's own considering he's a good two heads taller and stronger than her.
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