[18+] The jackal Alexis has an encounter with his idol, the wolf Pyrrhos. The feelings born from that meeting change their lives.

Today’s story is the first of two parts of “Your Lancer - Adored” by Cardigan, who began writing in very late 2020 with adult fanfiction of Furry VIsual Novels. Now, he writes short stories and interactive fiction. You can find more of his stories, including sequels to this one at https://cardigan.sofurry.com.

Read for you by Khaki, your faithful fireside companion.

This week's two-parter is an adult story for mature listeners.

If that's not your cup of tea,

or there are youngsters listening,

you can skip these

and there'll be new stories for you next week.

You're listening to The Voice of Dog.

I'm Khaki, your faithful fireside companion.

And today's story

is the first of two parts of

Your Lancer Adored

by Cardigan, who began writing in very late 2020 with adult fan-fiction of furry visual novels.

Now, he writes short stories and interactive fiction.

You can find more of his stories,

including sequels to this one,

at cardigan.sofurry.com.

Your Lancer

Adored by Cardigan, Part 1 of 2 ~ In ancient times, the peninsula of Tetika was divided into city-states which

fought for territory and

influence.

Among them, Aolia,

the great city watched by the goddess,

was the most prosperous.

Aolia had not always been the leader it came to be known.

Once, it had been the smallest

of the more influential polies.

It was after a conflict with one of its more troublesome neighbors that they gained dominion.

Lacking a proper army,

the enemy overpowered them in weeks.

When the situation turned most dire,

the leader of their haphazard forces

prayed to their guardian deity for salvation.

Like a soldier wields a shield in one hand and a spear in another,

wield experience of age

and courage of youth,

she replied. And so they did it.

Put together men of disparate ages,

the older took the shields and sword,

while the younger bore a spear and a bow.

That combination led to victory for Aolia,

toppling the brute city

meant they also gained newfound power.

To celebrate the glory,

the older fighters gifted their younger companions

bracelets made of shining stones found on the shores of that battlefield.

The pebbles, molded into spheres by hand,

the goddess blessed in a new ritual.

That troop became the first

and most important branch of the Aolian army.

The band of the sacred beads.

For as long as Aolia stood triumphant,

many young men tried to be selected by the seniors

and joined the prestigious division.

The older members,

wards, could pick any youth they deemed worthy to be their counterparts,

lancers. They made an annual event

to celebrate the formation of the army,

the championship of the beads.

A grandiose competition to put a spotlight on the young men

who wished to be selected.

A hundred years after that triumph,

a jackal by the name of Alexios

competed in the tournament.

His efforts earned him only fifth place.

His reason for participating

was not the accolades the victory offered,

nor a position in the standing army.

For the first time,

a new member would join the band

without inheriting a set of beads.

A nobleman, trainer of fresh fighters,

a wolf named Piros.

That man had been in Alexios' mind since he saw him in an exhibition match years prior.

It was not his warrior prowess

or his unusual red fur that had claimed most of the jackal's attention.

The older wolf's

charisma and fortitude,

little things like his smile or the way he twitched his ears,

his body, all of it,

allured the youth.

Those feelings were not forbidden,

but for nobles like him,

being unable to produce an heir was undesirable.

They tried to curb those emotions,

but Piros refused to leave his mind,

the memory of his muscular body,

leading to many active nights for the jackal.

When they called the wolf to join the band,

it was the perfect opportunity to attempt a connection with him.

Alas, neither Alexios' strapping physique

nor the way he excelled at planning

gave him the fame to be in his eyes.

Piros had not picked his companion,

but it was probably going to be one of the tournament's victors.

That did not make him any less of a fan of the wolf.

He had gone to the arena to see his idol in a fight.

He was yet to know,

but that day would change his life forever.

Gennadius, son of the general, questioned the admittance of a bastard into the band,

and so arranged the match.

Piros was no newcomer to such accusations.

Usually he would just shrug it off,

but rejecting a challenge by someone with such ties to that troop

and to the council that ran Aeolia

could have its repercussions.

Despite its high stakes,

barely anyone attended the fight,

likely because they knew the outcome.

To become a teacher like Piros was,

one had to gain victories in wars and competitions.

They valued his skill enough

to be the first in a hundred years to join the elite ranking of soldiers.

Gennadius' combat capabilities

superseded many experienced warriors, but his pride and stubbornness

weighed down his potential.

Alexis had learned all that.

The fascination for observing the world around him,

he knew not where the feeling came from,

but accepted it as his greatest asset.

The jackal had barely made it in time to see the brawl.

As soon as he sat down, the fighters entered the sand-covered ring.

First, the wolf. The fighting oil that coated his red fur

glistening in the mild sunlight of noon.

Like many times before,

it took Alexis moments to divert his attention from Piros' perizoma and exposed body.

From the opposite side came the black-furred bear,

his massive torso casting a deep shadow beneath him.

After the referees signaled the start of the match,

they circled each other.

Their eyes moved up and down the other's body as their legs performed a continuous dance.

Alexis kept most of his attention on Gennadius,

as he knew Piros' technique really well.

Getting to the point, the jackal's breathing matched the fighters' steps.

Another three steps,

and the tension got thicker.

Before Gennadius would complete his fourth,

he returned his foot in a flash and lunged at the wolf.

A brutal charge. Anyone caught in that attack would suffer lasting damage.

As powerful as the move was,

it was predictable.

Piros dodged with ease,

and the bear ran until he hit the wall of the arena.

Gennadius was quick to shrug the impact off,

snapping his head to the canine

who had since taken a defensive stance.

The bear took no time to do another tackle,

more restrained. Also predictable.

The red wolf did not need to avoid it.

He held ground

and clutched him with his arms.

The struggle did not last.

He threw the bear off balance and to the floor.

The judge declared one point for Piros.

The meager audience cheered at the score unanimously.

After he rose, Gennadius made his growl of disapproval known,

snuffing any sound from the attendees.

Through all that,

silent Alexis's eyes locked on Piros,

who repositioned himself for the next round.

The second round started.

In a defensive stance,

the combatants stood on opposite edges of the ring.

Their serious faces

studied the other's slightest movements.

The wolf was the one to charge then.

The jackal could imagine the smallest calculations that went through the wolf's head.

The bear could not.

He mimicked his opponent

by trying to dodge the advance, something Piros already expected.

At the last second,

after passing by the bear, he used one of his legs to force his body in the contrary direction.

He slammed against Gennadius.

No struggle. His massive body fell to the sands,

pinned from behind by the wolf.

Another point for Piros.

After the announcement from the referee, the canine stood up.

The black bear growls,

turns to a wrathful scream,

even if there was no fanfare for him to silence.

Piros was on the way to positioning himself

at the time the bear was standing up.

Gennadius's legs went from raising his body off the ground to propelling it toward the wolf.

He pinned the red canine,

the fat yet muscular body of the bear

straddling him down.

Though the arbiter called them to break away,

the raging bear only raised a fist

while looking at his opponent with fury and disgust.

It surprised even Alexis,

running through the bleachers to get a better view.

Disgusting bastard!

The bear's punch flew toward Piros's face.

Fortunately, he was quick enough to block it with his forearms.

Many other punches followed.

They were slow, but the impact created a sound that echoed through the arena.

Once Alexis got to a good viewpoint,

guards entered the sands and attempted to steal the bear.

His massive strength

shrugged them off easily.

Their presence distracted him enough

that the canine could fight back.

Barely hoisting his upper body,

Piros performed a headbutt to Gennadius's stomach.

A screech of pain

and the bear was dazed.

Then one soldier could strike his muzzle.

That knocked out the bear for good.

The referee declared

Gennadius had forfeited.

It took three muscular guards to carry the unconscious bear out of the ring,

another to help the wolf up.

The relieved young Jackal sighed,

seeing his idol moving unrestricted.

Piros quit the arena without so much as a sign of victory.

There was no pride in such a win.

The attendees left in a sea of murmurs,

except Alexis, who sat pondering for longer.

The fight had not been interesting per se,

but that final struggle,

how easily the bear turned to breaking the rules,

and the risk of actual injury to the older canine

all clouded his capacity to think clearly.

When he came to, he was alone on the benches.

He made through the labyrinthine halls of the arena toward the exit.

Perhaps the Jackal's biggest shame as a fledgling warrior

was his poor sense of direction.

Any logical attempt to follow the sound of the air current from outside,

suppressed by the vertigo, induced by repetitive walls.

He got to a larger room,

a half-wall obscuring much of it. Since that clearly was not the way out,

Alexis sought to return to the halls.

The call of a virile voice stopped his movement.

Who goes there? The Jackal quivered in silence.

The idea of being reprimanded caused swirls in his mind.

A glance at the endless corridors,

and he rationalized it was best

to get help over remaining lost.

A lost fool, sir, said Alexis, finally.

Lost? Come,

Heather! A statement sounded sympathetic enough to Alexis's pitiful plight,

even though it carried a bit of judgment.

The Jackal obeyed the order,

moving further into the room.

Passing the short barriers,

the Jackal finally got a good look at the chamber.

At once he saw two long benches to his left and right side, both close to the walls.

At the very back,

wooden shelves, some completely vacant,

and others bursting with sacks and textiles.

What lastly caught his eye

was the owner of the voice.

He sat hunch in the middle of the bench,

illuminated by the sun coming through the top wall windows.

A small piece of cloth hung around the neck of the muscular yet chubby body.

The rays of light reflected the red-colored fur of the canine.

The one who called him

was none other than Piroz.

Another day's hit Alexis.

Abstracting the handsome body of his idol from the distant benches was one thing,

but the wolf was so close to the youth

his mind failed him.

His figure, still slightly oily,

filled the Jackal's gaze entirely.

Up close, his muscles were divine.

Every exposed piece of the wolf gained extra details Alexis would never dream of seeing. Piroz's perezoma also particularly drew his attention. The Jackal's imagination had created an image of what could lie underneath those undergarments.

The close range seemed to prove some of his theories.

Unbeknownst to him,

the Jackal was also subject to some form of scrutiny.

That belt, said the wolf.

Are you a member of the youth army?

The wolf had noticed the goblet of youth,

symbol of Alexis's place in the army.

His deep and welcoming voice barely broke Alexis's trance.

Yes, sir. Final year, sir.

I see. The older canine removed the cloth from his neck.

The sound of him popping it

caused the Jackal to cringe.

After muttering some minor obscenity, he again addressed the youth.

Do you fetch me that bucket?

He pointed to the half wall

where a series of buckets lied.

After a vocal confirmation he obeyed.

Alexis returned to the fighter who had adopted a more relaxed position,

his head tilted back.

The Jackal checked the puffed muscles on the wolf's chest

as he placed the bucket on the bench.

Thank you. The wolf tossed the cloth in the water.

Alas, I have another request.

You have seen the fight, correct?

My arms took quite the beating.

You handled it very well, sir.

Words the Jackal just blurted out.

The chance to personally compliment Piros,

he would not let slip.

Right. As you can see,

I'm still covered in grease.

I would like to avoid further pain, so...

The wolf's paws was brief, but noticeable.

Could you help me clean up?

Alexis's bewilderment rose to his face,

burning. Surely that was a dream.

The young Jackal refused to recognize the reality in front of him,

and yet, if he would look at the windows,

the light would burn in his eyes.

If he curled up his toes, he would feel the leather of the sandals he wore.

Were he to inhale?

He would pick up the nauseating but alluring odour of the wolf's musky sweat.

That was reality,

even if he doubted it.

Sir? That was all the youth uttered,

the days tempering with his ability to react.

At ease, soldier. It is no order but a request.

Do not feel obligated to...

It would be my pleasure, sir.

His mind had forsaken him.

No longer was he only unable to control his words,

but his rule over actions was gone too.

Very well, then. A fault in the wolf's voice.

You may start with my back.

Alexis did as told,

moving behind the bench,

getting access to Pierossa's dorsal.

He used the cloth from the pail for his work.

The youth had a good deal of experience analyzing the fighter's frame,

but never with such intimacy.

As the rag swabbed in that body,

new details came to light.

The young Jackal's eyes

did not follow the cotton,

the bulging back muscles hypnotized him plenty.

It caused such a distraction,

his movements became

repetitive and unnecessary.

The wolf was quick to reprimand him.

Ring out that cloth now and then,

otherwise you'll clean nothing.

Ah, forgive me, sir.

At ease. Alexis took his time drenching the textile and twisting it out.

He returned to ridding his back of oil and sand with concentration.

Paying attention meant doing a better job,

but also taking in the features of the body.

He never faltered in the cycle of rinsing and dousing the cloth,

but his hands grew trembling

and his breathing heavy

as a realization hit him.

Though the wet rag separated them,

he was narrowly touching and fondling the man that pervaded his more lustful thoughts.

That noxious thought controlled his movements more than any other.

Regardless, he performed diligently.

Reaching the end of the spine,

another problem arose.

He worked awfully close to the wolf's backside.

The perizoma covered it,

but the clear shape was there,

a palm away from Alexis' snout.

Eventually the youth just stopped moving the rag and stared there,

taking in as much detail in a trance.

Oh, are you done back there?

Good job. The booming voice once again broke the youth's hypnosis.

He did not hide the haste with which he rose.

Yes, sir. You should work on my arms now.

Beware, they are still quite tender.

By the way the wolf lifted his arm,

it was clear how painful he felt.

The fighter had put on an act.

Just before he would start rinsing the limb,

Alexis noticed how it trembled.

Even if keeping it aloft was a struggle,

the older canine displayed no sign of pain.

Alexis automatically moved his hands to the man's wrist to support it.

Be careful! His exclamation

made the wolf's head face him.

I can hold your arm steady.

No need to lift it.

Shocked, only after a pause did Piro's answer.

Great. Thank you. The young Jackal had trouble holding the weight of the muscular limb

after the wolf let go.

Only when he started cleaning his arm did he register the situation that had passed.

His natural affinity for details made him a skilled tactician.

In compensation, dealing with spur-of-the-moment settings often led to poor decisions.

What had happened surprised even himself.

In his exasperation to protect the man,

he spoke without honorifics,

the utmost disrespect according to the army.

For whatever reason,

Piro's chose not to berate him,

even thanked him instead.

Something else caught the youth's perception

as the cloth traveled over the red fur,

scars hidden by his pelt.

He seemed so fragile when hoisting his arm,

but the wolf knew much more of pain than the lad could even imagine.

He finished with one

and continued to the other, finding it in a similar state.

His mind went from admiring the wolf's form

to a reflection on his own actions.

Joining the army was a perilous job.

Even not being one of the highest probability,

surely he could get a position that did not involve risking his life.

Was it all to be like his idol?

Was it even a sound choice?

Thoughts of such caliber permeated his brain until he finished with the limbs.

Shall I advance to your legs now, sir?

Alexis's actions had become mechanical,

his mind between pleasure and doubt.

Indeed. You ought to fetch another bucket and rag, I fear.

For a third time

did his voice stop the jackal from dazing.

He noticed the cloth,

the water in the pail,

and even his hands had grown oily.

You are correct, sir. The youth grabbed the pail with the fabric.

Allow me to retrieve it.

Take your time, and you can find larger ones at the end of the room.

He did, as told, and soon was kneeling in front of Piro's.

With a larger fabric

he swabbed much more of his body at once.

He started at the feet.

Those were not as oily

as they were full of sand.

The nails caught his attention.

It was uncommon, even among nobles, to trim nails often.

It is unlikely he snipped at himself.

Their shape was artistic.

Someone put care into making them look good.

The details. The little things that Alexis adored,

he learned more about his idol with every move.

Gradually the real,

soft man above him replaced the illusion of the stoic statue he had grown to admire.

Foolishly he was back to admiring the canine body.

The looks were not wholly lustful.

He knew another chance like that would not come about and so focused on learning as much as he could.

Desire still gripped the lad's mind.

Such is the curse and blessing of youth.

He worked on the calves next.

Even with a larger cloth

he was still able to feel the body beneath.

Though muscular, the wolf carried a good amount of fat which rarely manifested in his body,

save for his protruding gut.

There was a hardness to those leg muscles.

Such solidity was paired with a cushiness that made touching it

very pleasurable.

He was finally at his thighs.

He had performed with some restraint up to that point.

But again being so close to those undergarments made his mind spin. Careful

was he to douse those legs.

Even more careful to conceal his heavy breathing.

The towering wolf broke the jackal's struggle

when he opened his legs.

His intention was to make it easier for Alexis to clean,

but another reaction occurred.

He was hypnotized.

His hands were working but the eyes stared only at the perzoma.

There was no attempt to hide it either.

If Piros looked down

he would find an aroused jackal gawking at his crotch.

Even the masculine smell felt stronger where he was.

A feast to all senses.

Alexis was able to break the trance on his own

and announced he had finished.

His hope was that the wolf would close his leg so he could focus again.

Very good. Only one place left,

said the wolf. The youth was still kneeling

when, following the call,

Piros's brawny hand caressed his gut.

The image drove the jackal to the brink of insanity.

He could not tell if he was being teased.

Not that it mattered.

The result would be the same if he was not.

He rose, enthralled by the belly in front of him.

Fat was mostly unwanted,

as it would slow most warriors down.

Piros always made sure to never let indulgences get in the way of his combat performance.

Only the wolf knew his methods,

but the most avid admirers were quite keen on trying to understand it.

He extended the fabric

all over the red wolf's

bulging stomach. Alexis had learned that softness existed in the fighter's body,

but he had never felt it like he did there.

It would make sense that the gut would be the most

jiggly body part,

but even the fur there had its own special softness.

No effort could hide the jackal's feelings now.

His mouth was agape,

and though he was mostly silent,

the red wolf felt his breath beyond the cloth.

His moves wavered

from professional

to loving, and did so for the rest of his job on the wolf's body.

Finally his pectorals,

definitely the canine's most toned part.

There was much the youth could admire.

Alas, he covered the pecs with the fabric and got to work.

His eyes had no access to the musculature,

but his hands very well supplemented any need.

The fur, a mixture of the soft,

like the stomach,

and tough, like most of his body.

There was, of course, the nipples, too.

If the caressing the jackal performed was not obvious by then, it became so.

Just above him he heard the voice again.

He partially expected punishments,

but words never came.

Only the same two syllables

came out, akin to gasping

or moaning. The youth raised his hand,

only to find their snouts inches away from each other.

Shock would have consumed Alexis

if the scene did not enthrall him.

Peros huffed like he did,

and his eyes looked solely at the jackals,

a detail that the young man seldom thought about sprung at him.

Green. It was impossible,

from the distances the jackal had seen the wolf,

to learn his eye colour.

Those eyes shone green,

not a feature that enhanced the admiration for the fighter,

but special all the same.

Few knew the closeness required to tell such information,

and Alexis just became one of them.

The jackal gulped

as his face heated in embarrassment.

He wanted to break the situation up,

but also did not. I, said Peros, paralysed like the boy.

Another pause. Their faces did not stay motionless.

It was as if an invisible force dragged their muzzles together.

I... He finally closed his eyes and grunted.

I think you did a great job.

He pulled his head away with a heavy sigh.

Alexis rose to his feet

and sighed and spoke in a faulty voice.

Thank you, sir. So,

you said you were lost.

The wolf stood from the bench, and in a quick conversation he clarified the way out to the youth.

They both spoke matter-of-factly,

as if nothing had happened.

Alexis thanked his superior

and left for the door.

A muscular hand grasped his wrist.

A deep voice called him to wait.

The jackal turned to face Peros again.

Your name? Many thoughts popped in and out of the youth's mind.

So many, he took seconds to answer the eager wolf.

Alexis. Alexis. The wolf's tone

differed from many other times he spoke,

almost whimsical.

After a decent pause, he spoke again,

releasing the lad.

I will see that you are rewarded properly.

Thank you, sir. The youth was quickly out of the room,

and thanks to the instructions out of the arena.

Though the event weighed on his mind,

especially the short aftermath,

he finally had what he wanted.

A connection. Alexis could not have guessed

where or when they would reunite

following that day.

This was the first of two parts of

Your Lancer Adored by Cariagem,

read for you by Khaki,

your faithful fireside companion.

Tune in next time

to find out how Alexis and Peros meet again,

and what they'll do with those new feelings.

As always, you can find more stories on the web at thevoice.dog,

or find the show wherever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for listening

to The Voice of Dog