E.M.M.A Ch. 01-02

She felt a hand on her shoulder, tensing slightly and turning to see a tall white anthropomorphic tiger looking down at her. He was extremely muscular, wore nothing but a loincloth and must have measured over seven feet.

"Hey there, are you alright?" He asked.

"Err... Yea." She answered, quickly overcoming her surprise at being approached by the intimidating predator.

"You looked a little preoccupied." He pressed, showing a very toothy kind of concern. "Oh, and I'm Fuzz by the way."

"I'm Edelaweth, and don't worry. I'm fine." She wasn't sure if she wanted the conversation to continue. Fuzz seemed to sense it, and went back to conversing with a small bearded man dressed in rags who was walking next to him. The man didn't speak much either, and appeared more concerned with pressing heavily on his walking stick as the group progressed.

As the group made their way to the town market, it was becoming more and more apparent just how different this medieval era town was from what they were used to. Not only were there no hover-rails, but also there weren't even well traced roads or pavements, just earthy and stony footpaths between houses, which varied in width and rarely went straight.

The houses looked rickety, and often stood at slight angles to the footpaths, walls and other houses. It was when Edelaweth looked up, wondering if the uneven rooftops ever collapsed, that it happened.

Something immensely strong suddenly grabbed her around the waist and pulled her down an alleyway as she screamed, seeing the group she was with becoming smaller and smaller, and vanishing as she went around a bend and out of sight.

[...]

It had all happened so fast. They had been walking together for a few minutes as the annoying Fuzz ball kept prattling on about his avatar, when a shadow had flown past them, taking the elf in front of them with it. She screamed just as her green dress was whisked out of sight, making Liz the giant lizard turn around. Before she could even react however, Fuzz roared and leapt into the alleyway after the girl.

Richard sighed. He had really been looking forwards to taking a nice long nap in the sun. But it was too late now. He started jogging after the cat, his cane clattering uselessly against the ground as he ran. As he ran, however, trying helplessly to keep up, his annoyance soon gave way to nostalgia. God it had been forever since he'd been able to run like this in the real world. And sure, he knew that the sensation here was simulated, with a machine helping him along in his real world pod, but it still felt great.

Soon he arrived in a small open space between houses, only to find Fuzz, the white tiger, on all paws and growling at an amorphous dark and hooded figure. It appeared to be holding the elf hostage, as she was bound tightly by dozens of thin dark ropes, almost resembling strings, which appeared to be so tight that her clothing has been cut open in several place. She even appeared to be bleeding in some spots, making it quite obvious that the figure could probably cut her to shreds in a single motion.

"Let her go!" Roared the infuriated Bengal tiger.

This had no effect on the figure, who simply stood silently as more dark ropes seemed to slowly slither, like snakes, around the body and limbs of the young elf held in front of it. Richard looked behind him, to check if anyone had followed them to come to their aid. No one.

Sighing again, Richard then lifted his cane up in the air, like a staff, and made a slashing motion towards the elf. Immediately, the bonds appeared to be severed by an invisible blade, splitting apart as she fell out of her captors' grip and to the ground, unconscious. The figure started writhing as the ropes retreated back into it, appearing to be in a lot of pain. Suddenly, and without a noise, the creature fell to the ground and apparently dissolved into the compacted earth.

"What was that?" Asked Fuzz, appearing perplexed.

"No idea." Answered Richard, shrugging his aged shoulders. He was starting to wonder whether he should have opted for a younger avatar. "But whatever it was, you're the one carrying the elf back."

"She's called Edelaweth."

"Whatever." The old man closed his eyes. Why couldn't he just enjoy his retirement in a peaceful virtual world of sunsets and comfortable wooden houses? He was tired of all this excitement.

Fuzz walked over to Edelaweth, who was sprawled on the ground, her dress torn and tattered around her, showing much more skin than was obviously intended. He then carefully tried to rearrange the dress so as to cover the young girl more, before hoisting her up over his shoulder. Richard had a suspicion that the tiger was blushing beneath his fur, but ignored it and started leading the way back, his cane thumping the hard soil.

[...]

"What the hell happened?" asked a bewildered Liz as she saw the three of them come out of the alley.

Fuzz just gestured helplessly at the unconscious young woman draped over his shoulder.

"She got attacked." He said simply. He was feeling utterly useless. He couldn't help her at all, despite his new strengths. Instead, she had had to rely on the magic of an old man with a cane. How pathetic.

Liz appeared to be deeply concerned, prattling on about how this could not have happened on her watch, and how terribly sorry she felt about it all. As a result, she decided to end the tour for the day and offered to buy everyone a room at an inn called the Pink Gazelle. She ensured everyone that it was safe as it was near the marketplace of the cities West District, and was therefore carefully regulated by city guards.

Fuzz was hardy paying attention. He was still brooding about how useless he was. He couldn't have done anything for the elf lying on his broad shoulder, other than roar and act tough. Had all the strength he had chosen for his character, the speed, the agility, the feline abilities, all been for naught? He was shaking with frustration.

Worse of all was the old man. He had simply trotted over and with a single motion saved the young girl. He hadn't even seemed to try. Fuzz looked over at the bearded man, who appeared to be dozing off as he walked, his old eyes nearly closing. This was unbearable. He decided to stare straight in front of him from then on, and so he did that until they arrived at the inn.

When the group arrived, however, there was a problem. The innkeeper seemed to be on good terms with Liz, kissing her loudly on both cheeks before ushering people inside. However, when Fuzz tried to walk in, she suddenly stopped him.

"Sorry, but you cannot come in." She told him, frowning.

"What's wrong?" asked Liz, poking her head out from one of the ground floor windows.

"My wards have detected corruption on either the tiger or the girl he's carrying, Liz. And you know I have strong policies against accepting such people in my establishment."

"But that isn't possible!" exclaimed a surprised Liz, "They are all new players, they cannot be corrupt."

"Well one of them must be lying then, because my wards never do."

As the other new players shuffled in, Liz bit her lip, seeming pensive.

"I know!" She said, "You guys go to the Laughing Crown, the pub right around the corner. I'll tell Max to join you there. He'll take care of you."

Fuzz nodded at that, and turned to walk off. He didn't care if the elf was "corrupt", whatever that meant. He owed it to her to at least stick with her as long as she was this vulnerable. He was surprised, however, to hear the clacking of a cane behind him.

"Why are you following us, Richard?" He asked the old man walking behind him.

The man shrugged, seemingly exhausted. "I need a drink." He answered.

So, as it appeared, did Fuzz. He was soon ordering large tankards of strong ale and downing them like they were the water he needed to survive. The atmosphere in the Laughing Crown was suitable merry, as both Fuzz and Richard slowly washed their inhibitions away with alcohol. The serving girls were friendly, although they kept throwing disapproving looks at the unconscious Edelaweth, who was sprawled over an entire bench, and Richard's weary expression was soon replaced by a much younger look, that of a person who appreciates life much more than he did.

"So," the old man asked, "Why did you call your avatar Fuzz?"

"Well it was supposed to be a silly joke... My avatar's last name is Aldrin you see, and..." he hesitated as Richard started chuckling. "What about you? Why did you choose to be called Richard?"

"Well it was the name of a great philosopher I enjoyed reading about."

"Really?"

"No of course not! My last name is Tate, and Richard is often reduced to Dick, so..."

Fuzz's roaring mirth filled the room as he lost it. Somehow the idea that such a serious old man had opted for such a puerile joke was more than his drink-addled mind could handle, and he laughed and laughed.

"What is going on here?" came a deep gravely voice as Max, the giant lizard, descended upon them curiously.

"Oh not much," hiccupped Fuzz, who could barely contain his laughter, "Just realized that we don't have any money to pay for all the drinks we have had so far!"

Richard sipped his drink and smiled at the stricken expression on Max's face, who immediately decided to drown his misery in alcohol. They soon found themselves delving deeper into their tankards, the relative silence unbroken until...

"Hey guys!" cried out a cheerful voice, "Mind if I join your table?"

Fuzz turned to see a cheerful young woman waving at them. She was incredibly attractive, with fiery red hair from which protruded small horns, a slim, powerful body dressed in intricately designed undergarments and a young, innocent looking face with blood red eyes.

"The innkeeper didn't let me in either," She complained, pouting, "She said she didn't like demons..."

Feeling lightheaded but happy, Fuzz gestured her to join them and handed her his huge tankard, beaming. All thought of his ineptitude had escaped his mind thanks to the power of alcohol... And of sitting next to a sexy young woman wearing nothing but high heels, stockings, gloves, hair ribbons, a garter, panties, corset and bra.

"Well hello gorgeous!" slurred the drunken tiger, "What's your n-name then?"

"Qorin." The woman looked at him appraisingly, a slight smile brushing her lips as she raised the tankard to them, her left hand placed on the table near his furry paw.

"Are you a s-suck... Suckyb..." attempted Fuzz.

"Succubus?" She giggled, her clear voice ringing despite the ambient clatter, "Oh no, just a demon, kitty cat."

"I'm c-called Fuzz. And you're a very prutty demon, Q-Q-Qorin."

She smiled at that.

"M-mind if I touch y-your hair?"

The smile broadened.

After that, the rest of night became an increasing blur. Fuzz vaguely noticed some shouting and laughing, as well as the unmistakable sound of splintering wood. The next thing he knew, he was outside in the cold night, panting and rutting against a gasping figure, with a red blur to his vision. He felt supple flesh in his hands, soft and warm, and it was writhing in his hands.

What little of his mind he had left was centered on the sensations of his erect shaft, which was being tightly squeezed and thoroughly milked for all it was worth. He felt a stinging sensation on his back, and responded with vague swatting motions. This resulted in a high-pitched scream, followed by a number of other voices calling and shouting.

Soon, though, Fuzz found himself on all fours, bounding forwards and leaping off of obstacles, a maniacal laugh coming from above him as he barreled forwards as fast as he could go. He only stopped when exhaustion took over him and he passed out.

[...]

Chapter 2: A bright new day.

Sunlight soon came. And so did the pain. Pounding headaches the likes of which had never been felt before, or at least that is what they'd later tell her.

Edelaweth had woken up in a forest glade, feeling perplexed and slightly achy. Two people lay beside her, and they were both sleeping deeply. She thought she recognized them, a giant lizard and old man, both sleeping soundly in the grass. Realizing that her underwear was showing beneath her torn clothes, she immediately draped her dress around herself in the hopes of covering up.

Looking around, she realized that she had no idea where she was. The woods were thick and hid all landmarks, not that she would recognize them if they didn't. She got up, holding her torn clothes against herself in the process, wondering what had happened. She knew she had logged on, having created an elf enchantress avatar in the character creation system. She had then gone on a tour for new players through the city she had spawned in, called Wickenham.

And then... She had been attacked, or ambushed, or kidnapped maybe... She could remember a dark figure, and pain, a lot of pain. She shivered. Her clothes weren't just torn; they were covered in blood and white fur. Was that her blood? She didn't seem to have a wound on her, although she did have many aches and pains. And what about the fur? Had she been abducted by that giant tiger-man who was walking behind her during the tour? He didn't seem the type, but the fur wasn't a good sign.

She sighed. What could she do? She hadn't learned any spells or enchantments yet, so she couldn't even repair her clothes or direct herself, let alone fight her way through what might be dangerous woodlands. She started pacing up and down; noticing that one of her matching green slippers was torn almost clean in half. What on Earth could have done this???

"Ugh..." Groaned a voice behind her. She turned to see the huge lizard stirring from his slumber. He turned to her, his eyes blinking rapidly. It looked as if he had a lateral translucent eyelid, which batted intermittently, independent of the other two. "You finally awake, elf?"

"Where are we?" Asked Edelaweth, ignoring the inane question.

"The Lucaligum Forest." He grunted, shielding his eyes.

"Well the obscure name doesn't tell me much."

"Many place names here are based on Latin, as that's how the game creators designers made it, so don't blame me for it. And we're West of Wickenham." Max yawned, his great maw opening to show a row of long sharp teeth. "Just give me a while. We need to go find your cat friend before we go back. He's probably completely lost."

"That guy? Why are we bothering to help that bastard?" Asked Edelaweth, feeling increasingly confused and angry.

"Well he did save you-"

"Actually I did that." Interjected the aged voice of the immobile old man.

"You awake?" asked the lizard, looking over his shoulder.

"Nope."

Max shook his head and turned back to face Edelaweth.

"Anyway, he's the one who carried you around since then."

"So he's the one that dumped me in the middle of a random forest?" Asked the now incensed elf.

Max shrugged, rubbing the top of his scaly head. "I guess. Anyway, you guys were under my supervision last night, so it's still up to me that he gets back all right. That's part of my 'job'. And that means we need to go as soon as possible."

"Five more minutes." Croaked the old man.

Edelaweth huffed and sat down on the grassy floor, her back turned to the duo. She had hardly arrived and this was already getting annoying.

It had hardly been two minutes however, when the entire forest was suddenly raised by a loud crash.

[...]

Fuzz woke with a start, raising his head slightly, only to let it crash back down under the deafening thuds of his headache. Never had he felt a hangover like this. He couldn't move, or talk, or see, or think, or do anything but wait through the horrible pain in his head. And yet...

"I see someone is paying the price of their drink this morning." Said a clear voice that rung through his head. He furrowed his brow against it, only for it to laugh at him. "Just let me take care of it."

Suddenly, the pain started receding to the back of his head, and then dulled bit by bit until he could no longer feel anything. Instead, the feeling was replaced with that of a deep, warm and wet pleasure around his groin. He looked down, and saw that he was no longer wearing his loincloth, and a beautiful face shrouded in red hair was bobbing up and down above his groin.

She looked up at him, his erect shaft falling from her mouth, and smiled at him greedily.

"Morning kitty cat." She said, "Enjoy waking up like this?"

"I... err... I..." Fuzz was stuttering now, unsure what to do and feeling embarrassed about what he might, or might not, have done the previous night. "You're very pretty and everything miss, but..."

"Qorin" She interrupted, smiling. "I told you to call me Qorin. And you've already said that I was very pretty. At least a dozen times now, I think."

She slid her way up his muscular body, until she was sitting on the length of his full-blown erection. Fuzz noticed that she was wearing her bra, garter and stockings, but no panties, as she started to rub against him, up and down his manhood... Or cathood... Or perhaps beasthood...? Fuzz shook his head to try and clear it, his eyes shut tightly against the incredibly lewd sight before him.

"Aw... What is wrong?" Asked the demonic woman. "You had no qualm about banging me last night. Be it in the woods, in dark alleyways, behind the inn... And to be honest, with a 'prize' this size, I'm not complaining."

What the hell did I do last night? Thought Fuzz, trying desperately to remember what had happened the previous night. Feeling disturbed and disgusted with himself, he raised one of his large paws and pushed the demonic lady off of him, before jumping to his feet. Fortunately, his loincloth was waiting for him nearby, which he quickly put on, ignoring the sounds of outrage coming from Qorin.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Isn't it enough that last night you were unable to smack me sensually without digging into my skin with your claws? You got drunk, I gave you a fun time, and then removed the resulting hangover. What more can you ask of..."

"Listen," He said, cutting off her rant, "You need to tell me if you saw where I left the elf last night. It was my job to carry and protect her, and I really need to find her."

"I dunno." She said, shrugging. "Last time I saw her, you offered to give me a ride. I didn't realize that you really wanted me to ride you, like a horse, and when you carried me off, I think I saw a big green guy pick her up. Not sure what happened next as people were chasing us... But that's how we ended up here I think..."

"People were chasing us?" Asked the bewildered tiger, "But... Why?"

"I can tell you!" Came a booming voice from behind him. Fuzz span around to see a knight coming out from behind a tree. "You wrecked the Laughing Crown tavern last night, and committed acts of indecency with this young woman in public."

The knight was lightly armored, with an open helm, a shield at his side and a raised one-handed straight sword.

"For these acts, along with perverse behavior towards many women and innumerable other miserable crimes, I am here to arrest you, Sir cat, and bring you to the authorities."

Fuzz was utterly taken aback by the knight. He didn't know whether to feel ashamed for his actions the previous night, afraid of the repercussions, or amused by how pompous the knight was acting. Qorin obviously favored the latter option.

"Well how about that," She said, giggling, "My own knight in shining armor to save me from the kitty cat."

"I am not here to save you," declared the knight with a dramatic voice, "You are also at fault for much of last night's chaos, succubus, and I expect you to come with me as well."

"How many times do I have to tell people that I am not a succubus?" replied Qorin in mock frustration, "I am just a demon. One who would like to be given some privacy to get dressed."