Epilogue

The world of humanity is gone, destroyed by fire and anger and arrogance. Resources started running out, Oil, coal, natural gases, you name it; and by the time the politicians finally got convinced that they were indeed running out and it wasn't a hoax, it was too late. There wasn't enough time to get the clean energy infrastructure up, then the politicians decided to do the next best thing; Take it. An all-out war raged, countries fighting each other for the scraps of land that might have had a little bit more oil. Alliances fell apart, the drafts were reinstated, everyone; man, woman, anthro they all had to fight. And if they lost then everything was lost, this wasn't a war to the standstill, it was a war of domination, to take everything. It ended just about as well as one would think. Some political leader got backed into a corner and said "fuck it" and unleashed the nukes.

No one is quite sure how much time has passed since the bombs fell, but they know that the environmentalists were wrong. Nature did not
Survive humanity, it quivered for a while and clung on in some places, but it didn't hold on without the last gasps of humanity breathing life into it like a smoldering ember. The land is barren, turned to dust and sand and in some places, glass. Great sandstorms rage, filled with Mother Nature’s last bits of fury, giant lightening spirals of sand and destruction, leaving the last pockets of humanity huddled and trying to escape them

That wasn't even the worst of it all, black storms; pocket nuclear winters, cold enough to freeze blood in a person's veins in seconds. There are mutated animals from years of drinking irradiated water, cannibals, and raiders with no regard for life or death, and humans. Turns out when humanity has its back to the wall, it turns vicious and angry. But still it survived, even if just barely. Settlements have popped up, trying to rebuild, or just lead a safe and normal life, sheltered around oasis's and the last bits that nature has a hold on. Only hot springs, deep water wells, caves filled with water, were far enough from the radiation. Humanity lives on, even if it is broken.



Chapter 1: The Dance Macabre

>Sand whips past as your Chariot speeds through dark, billowing clouds of sand, and lightning strikes, scorching the ground.
>This sandstorm was perfect for masking your approach to the camp your scouts had spotted.
>The scouts said they had what you wanted, so you were going to take it.
>You stare forwards, through your goggles and face mask, searching for the walls of the camp or settlement or whatever it was.
>The cowards would be hiding inside, away from the stinging sand that plagued the world now.
>That’s why this was perfect.
>They wouldn't hear you until it was too late.
>You lead your faction, The Sand Eaters, through the storm.
>This is your life in this world; travel from settlement to settlement and take what’s yours, or what would be yours.
>The world ended decades, maybe centuries ago, long before you were born; bombs fell and turned the world to dust.
>So you lived the life you had always known, take what’s yours from the weak.
>You look around, left to right, at the other Chariots following yours.
>So many, all following you to this temporary sanctuary that would become a tomb.
>"Rammer, are you ready?" you call through a handheld radio to your Faction's battering ram.
>"Ready boss!" comes an overly enthusiastic voice.
>"Good" you call out as the sand whips past, burning the exposed skin on your wrists as you move the radio.
>Long jackets and gloves have a few spaces between them much to your chagrin, and glass on chariots was hard to come by, so you had to opt for other means of protection.
>The rammer is a specially made Chariot, built heavier and stronger than even yours, along with enough armor to make it a tank.
>"Fucking start this shit" you call out earnestly through the radio.
>"DOIN' IT!"
>You hear the rammer before you see it, the nitro burns to life, the exhaust roars, leaving a burning trail of fire behind it as it hurtles forwards and slams through the front gates of this settlement.
>The sound of metal meeting bits of wood and twisted metal reaches your ears as the rammer hits the gates, knocking them off their hinges with ease.
>"Fucking waste everyone!" you call out through the radio as you smile maliciously, speeding into the settlement.
>Another settlement, another bout of supplies!
>You hear your gunner firing the gun on top of your chariot as you do donuts in the center of the enclosure, your men’s chariots stopped with them pouring out like fire ants.
>Your chariot had a different kind of gun, no one of combustion and fire, but one of air and pressure.
>It used stored air pressure from your driving to launch spikes made of whatever; rebar, wood, stone into anything, with deadly accuracy.
>All housed in the shell of an old browning machine gun.
>Chariots themselves are similar to old world "Cars", made of metal and ambition, and they were what most of your fleet was made of.
>After a while you're satisfied with your donuts of death and slow to a stop, then get out of it; feeling the stinging sand blizzard over your thick jacket and your goggles.
>That is what this world was now. Sandstorms, hellfire, and death.
>All things you were totally accustomed to.
>As you walk calmly to the door of the main building (You only assume it’s the main building because it’s the biggest) you hear radio chatter just barely over the sound of sand.
>"Outpost 1 cleared boss" "Sentry 1 cleared boss" 
>Your men are all doing their jobs with battle proven effectiveness and killing anything in their way.
>"Who's in the main building?" you yell through the radio over the roaring sands.
>"Me" Comes a voice you recognize immediately.
>Nickson, the giant, carries a fully automatic something gun; it was big as fuck and killed stuff fast.
>Your third in command; he must be busy killing everything in sight, even though you wanted him to hang back a bit.
>But can you blame him for wanting to get the party started?
>You smirk as you enter the main bunker and see staircases going both up and downs
>Calmly you pull off your mask and goggles, painted to look like a skull, and let your good eye focus in the dim light.
>You lost your left eye years ago, a raid gone bad; they took it and laughed as they squished it into pulp and liquid.
>It just made you angrier, you could still see because luckily you had a spare, and they paid for it with their lives.
>"Nickson, You gone up?" you radio questioningly.
>"Yep, left some fun for you down below" came the response.
>How considerate.
>You draw your heavy rifle off your back
>The MG 14, an improved model of the WWII variant, which fired 7.92 MM rounds was your weapon of choice, plus a sidearm; a Glock 45, and a fire axe strapped to your back, because no one should be without a strong melee weapon.
>"There are NO Survivors, I'm heading down" you call out to no one in particular.
>You can hear the pure sadism in Nickson's voice though as he answers.
>"Got it" then a few gunshots.
>Nice.
>You clear the halls, hoping for a chance to use your guns, but only to find dead or dying in your path.
>The sticky sweet metallic smell of blood lingers as you walk room to room.
>What a waste, your men are doing their jobs so well, and leaving you with leftovers.
>As you walk, your machine gun at the hip fire position, a strap over your shoulder to steady it, you feel a grab at your ankle.
>You jump and pull out your handgun, aiming at the offending grab.
>Only to aim your handgun at ...Someone from your faction.
>Honestly the only reason you can tell he is with you is his clothing, the black and grey and red colors, you certainly don't recognize him.
>"Boss, I’m hit. Please-" he chokes out.
>You tug your ankle out of his grasping bloody fingers and fire a round into his head, putting him out of your misery.
>Yea, it’s so sad the people get hurt during raids.
>But you don't have the time or resources to let them heal up, this isn't Mad Max where "human blood bags" were viable.
>Keeping them alive was a strain on resources; food for both the hunter and the "blood bag".
>No, this was better, well better for you anyway.
>You would find some sad hopeless sap who gave up before he was hurt, and give him a chance to join you to replenish your numbers later.
>Walking through the corridors of what probably was an old military outpost, you meet no opposition.
>Your men are doing their jobs well.
>"Hey uh... Boss. We have a situation" You hear through your radio, pulling you away from your investigation.
>"What is it?" you say into the radio, annoyed.
>"Just...come here" comes Nickson's voice, a bit of concern in it.
>For fucks sake, what is it that would bother him?
>You backtrack upwards, and follow the path he took, grunting in annoyance as you climb a thin ladder.
>When you reach the top and trek a few dozen meters into the enclosure you discover why he was hesitant.
>These people must have been slavers.
>In front of you lay 2 large cages full of humans and anthros, both cages maybe 20 foot by 20 foot.
>The room is an auditorium of sorts, the cages on the stage and rows of empty seats watching them.
>You see a few of your men lounging in the comfortable seats, feeling the gentle springiness of softness; no doubt some of these seats would get ripped out, or at least the cushions would, to make their Chariots a bit more comfortable.
>The Slaves are all different kinds of people light skin, dark skin, and anthros of different species.
>They are divided up by gender to stop intermingling, even though you can see a few "couples" reaching towards each other in the hope that you would free them.
>You were not so kind though, they want to survive, and they have to fight.
>"What do we do boss?" comes a voice from your side.
>It's a voice you don't recognize, probably because it was useless for anything.
>But you knew what to do.
>"Who has Useful skills?  Doctor, seamstress, whatever" you call out.
>A small feeble looking mink anthro steps forwards.
>"I was a doctor" he says quietly.
>"I can fix solar panels and Cars" says a human awkwardly.
>A Female squirrel raises a paw.
>"I am a seamstress"
>"Get them out" you say to the nearest flunky, then address the slaves once more "We are going to open this cage. If anyone moves out of it besides those two, everyone gets killed" 
>the slaves freeze as the door opens and they slide out, tugged along by your men, then the doors close once more.
>Alright then, time to replenish the numbers.
>"Nickson, how many did we lose during this raid" you call out to him over your shoulder.
>You hear him mumbling into his radio before he answers you.
>"We lost 23 boss"
>More than usual to be sure, but there were more than 40 male slaves here to replenish your numbers, and females...females always got special treatment.
>You speak slowly as you address the men in the cage before you.
>"Alright sooo.... We have openings...23 to be exact. You join us; you live and fight another day" you say calmly as you look into the cage casually.
>"Or you die, and I don't give you a second thought"
>You smile coldly at the gawking men and anthros
>"Make it quick"
>As the would-be slaves ponder what you mean, a Small mouse anthro grabs a rock from the floor of the cage and bashes it into the head of a large wolf anthro, then begins hitting anyone else within reach.
>You smile at that.
>You like tenacity.
>Fighters are always welcome, size doesn’t matter.
>"Keep count and keep track of how many are alive for us" you say to Nickson, trusting his judgement for this.
>The females would always be kept alive.
>You were no monster to kill women in a dying world, and at the same time, if a male slave really wanted to keep his woman or wife or whatever he wanted to call it, he would fight all the more ferociously.
>Give him the chance to survive. You're more than sure that that small mouse hit that wolf to protect his lover.
>Or maybe he's just that ferocious.
>The sound of fighting goes on behind you as you venture back into the recesses of this old world bunker.
>Blood has a very unique smell, especially in large quantities like this. 
>Like a wet dog that has killed some poor animal and rolled around in the carrion, it sticks to your nostrils.
>Your eye wanders the stained walls as you walk through, guns at the ready.
>This wasn't the first massacre that these walls had seen, you're sure of that much as you regard the faded blood stains on the walls, maybe years old, but a massacre nonetheless. 
>In these confined halls, you set your machine gun on your back and ready your fire axe and your handgun.
>As you explore, you're more and more aware of how the scenery changes.
>It gets cleaner and cleaner.
>Less bare bone walls of grey stained cement turned to decorations, luxurious amenities and more comforts.
>How unoriginal, the leaders got the best air quality, the purest water and the safety if the underground...
>You walk slowly through a door into a large apartment; that was probably a stronghold for keeping some untold old world resource secure.
>Or someone secure.
>Along the walls you see separate rooms, a bedroom, a kitchen, and a bathroom, all around an unsecured central room.
>Was this building a prison? Or a fort? You would never know or care.
>What you did care about was the central room.
>One of your men is already in there, having cleared the rooms prior to you arriving.
>There was a large cage, the same size as the one housing 40 or so slaves, only this time with just one figure in it.
>The Anthro inside was a she, you could tell that much from the way her breasts are pressed against the bars, her looking at you with an odd eagerness.
>It took a moment for you to fully recognize what you were seeing. 
>You have seen all kinds of feline anthros, Cougars, lions, Tigers, you name it.
>This girl has the body of a cheetah but missing the distinct trademarks of her kind.
>She is a spotless cheetah anthro, a rare anomaly in genetics, kept separate from the other slaves because she's just that rare of a catch.
>Probably kept separate  from the other slavers because of the special treatment she was given, and to keep her safe, She probably got better treatment than the people who lived here. 
>Some warlord would want to pay top dollar for a rare gal like this.
>A fancy little lady that was extremely rare and cute.
>And a perfect trophy for you.
>Just for you.
>You calmly walk forwards to her and extend a hand to her, eyeing her with your remaining eye, scarcely believing what it sees.
>"Hello there little one, what’s your name?" you ask calmly.
>"My Name is Coul! Are you my master?" she asks happily, extending a perfect paw to you.
>To your annoyance, your underling swats her paw away from your hand, and the Cheetah mewls sadly in pain, which sparks your anger.
>"NAH! She's mine boss! I found her first!" he says, eyeing you for weakness and even looking you in the eye.
>Not many of your people dared to look at you directly like this, the animal instinct of not making eye contact still alive in humans.
>His eyes blaze in lust and anger , your eye shines in cold calculated prowess.
>You frown but don't talk, better not to give him time to close this clear opening for an attack.
>A casual underhand swing of your fire axe, sharpened to the best point you could muster, hits your former underling right between his legs.
>Not a swing of anger or malice, just one like someone would swing a yo-yo or a garbage bag into a trashcan.
>Quickly, you yank it out, severing the tendon of his pelvis and whatever artery is in there.
>He falls over, grasping what remained of his crotch with howls of pain.
>"This one is mine" you say coldly, regarding the man. 
>The arterial sprays of blood stream out of him as he tries to stop the bleeding.
>Sure he wears your faction’s usual colors, but he opposed you, so he’s nothing
>Grabbing your radio you call into it; "make sure 24 survive Nickson" before looking back to the cage.
>The cheetah eyes the scene with odd cheerfulness, her perfect sultry body pressed to the bars, letting little bulges of her supple flesh strain against them.
>"Back up" you say without emotion, which she does without question.
>Carefully you shoot the lock off the cage, freeing Coul.
>"You want me to be your master, you gotta be useful. Prove it" you say grabbing the writhing man’s sub-machine gun from him and thrusting it into her paws.
>"OK!"
>No hesitation on her part.
>She lets loose a torrent of fire and lead, ending the man's life, sure most of the bullets hit the floor around him, but its works regardless.
>How adorably murderous.
>You eye her calmly as she looks back to you for reassurance.
>"Did I do good Master?" she says with a happy smile.
>You actually give her a smile to as you look at her handiwork.
>"Yea, you did good Coul" you answer.
>At this point in time, you take the time to fully observe her.
>she's a spotless cheetah, you can tell from the steel wire muscle in her legs; and she has the distinct facial and muscular features of a cheetah.
>No fluff like a snep, thicker fur than a lioness, and stockier than a Jaguar.
>Rare, but not impossible.
>She has wide hips and moderate sized tits; the best looking body type for a gal, in your opinion. 
>She's been taken care of, given enough food and water to make sure she had a good body and a submissive mind.
>As far as you care, she's cute, willing to do what you say and won’t ask questions.
>The radio flickers to life as Nickson's voice comes through.
>"We only got 22 here Boss"
>Your annoyance is undermined, because of your new female.
>"That's ok; did that mouse survive? The one with the rock?" you ask, thinking about the mouse that acted first.
>"Yea, he's alive; got a few scratches, but alive, they gave us one hell of a show"
>You smirk.
>A fighter is always welcome, and ferocity is a bonus.
>"Good, you know what to do" you say calmly
>The slaves would be freed, survivors would get to claim their mates, or try to find a position among the ranks of your Faction. 
>If they didn't act fast, a mate would be claimed by another male, and then only a fight would end it. 
>That or they were a single male, trying to find a spot to fit in.
>Sure you needed replacements, but there was no handholding here.
>They figured out where they were needed and did it, or they got left behind.
>You regard the chambers you were in currently, a large apartment, rooms branching off each with well-lit rooms and the faint smell off cooking food from one.
>You must have interrupted dinner time.
>Coul grasps your arm happily, her gun tucked away in the bare bones clothing she wore; but still clothing of better quality than any other slave would wear.
>Some kind of soft fabric for panties, and a top and bottom made of what looks like some kind of old world fabric, rare and hard to find, but on her to make her more appealing.
>She was a rare one.
>And is all yours.
>"Let’s eat?" you ask, leading the happy feline to the kitchen.
>"Yes Master!" She chimes happily, "Uh, may I ask your name Master?"
>You pull off a glove and rub her hear right between her ears, scratching softly and getting a soft Purr from Coul.
>"My name is Tread" you say, as the two of you walk into the clean kitchen.
>Some kind of meat sits on a tray, along with bread and even some vegetables. 
>Their loss, your gain.
>Another day, another night.
>Another blood-soaked raid ending in success.

Chapter 2: Monster

Lord Byron was not used to having to wait for what he wanted, in fact he never had to wait for it. So now that he was staring out the window of his estate at the sandstorm he felt nothing but rage. Who was Mother Nature to deny him what he wanted? Her last wisps of vengeance against humanity should have waited until after he had his prize. Sandstorms raged outside the window, pocked with the occasional lightning strikes and howls of angry wind. The caravan was supposed to leave today to pick up his new slaves, a refill in his entertainment in the pits, a refresh in mates for his men and a special morsel for him. The leader of the Slavers (Lord Byron had never bothered learning the man’s name because he was trash), Said that they had captured a rare lady. An Anthro of exquisite coloring and beauty; trained for years to be the perfect wife. Of Course the Slaver demanded to be paid up front or no deal, and Lord Byron, while annoyed at it, agreed, but this would be worth it.

Lord Byron nearly shivered thinking about it. A new Girl for his harem, someone trained for years to be perfect and subservient! Nothing like the trash found out in the wastes; nothing like the cactus flowers that his men dug up. The problem with cactus flowers is that they were beautiful but still had spines surrounding them, spines that sometimes pricked his fingers. Those spines would obviously need to be clipped away, which was...Messy, yet enjoyable. Hopefully this would change all that; he had waited for a suitable mistress to carry his heir, one that would not lash out whenever he tried to love them. For too long had he tried to find the right mistress. The others lay chained in the recesses of his estate, ready for him should he chose to indulge himself and his needs; but hopefully this one proved to be different. The only thing holding him back was the sandstorm, and only crazy men traveled in a sandstorm.


>You wake suddenly to the smell of some kind of meat being cooked, and a reminder of where you were.
>This was a forgotten military outpost, and the rest of your faction would be arriving soon.
>You roll over, thinking about the pear shaped Cheetah that had occupied the space next to you in this bed.
>The bed of a man that was probably long dead, the victim to one of your men.
>regardless, she's gone and you are instantly on edge, grabbing your handgun and preparing to clear the rooms before Coul's cheerful face appeared in the doorway.
>"Master! I have made us breakfast, let us enjoy a meal together!" She says with joy ringing through every word, wearing nothing beyond an apron.
>Is this a trick? Is she covering for someone?
>Your mind flashes back to her pressed against the bars of her cage, the pained mewling from when your former subordinate slapped her paw.
>She wasn't capable of deception, you're nearly sure it had been trained out of her; this was one of THOSE places.
>You had run across places like this from time to time in your life while patrolling the wastes.
>Slave holds, places where they would capture anyone and sell them into slavery.
>It didn't bother you; that was life, the weak got dominated by the strong.
>However, this seemed...different.
>And not in a different you liked.
>You got your trophy, Coul, this spotless Cheetah anthro, but there was also the 20 or so male slaves ready to be sold.
>But also the 40 or so female slaves.
>Who needed that many slaves? A group larger than your own that's for sure.
>You sigh and focus on the now, Coul at a solid looking table, some kind of breakfast food shared between you and her as she looked at you with an expectant smile. 
>"Master? I have made breakfast. Is it not to your liking?" She mewled softly, her ears drooping as she looked down at the meal.
>Some kind of bread, real eggs, and a browning crisscross of something.
>You pull up a chair to the dead man’s table and poke at the brownish stuff.
>"What's this little one?" you muse, poking it with a real metal fork.
>"Uh...They are hash browns my master, shredded potatoes" Coul says with a confused stare.
>"Shredded potatoes?" you say, looking at the "Hash browns" while poking at them carefully.
>They smelled good, that’s for sure, but why shred a potato? They were rare enough as it was, just chop them up and toss them in a pot or let them be blazed by fire.
>These are...Elegant, carefully cooked in some kind for oil and crisped to a form you had never known.
>You look at Coul carefully, seeing if there was any form of deception from her, after all this would be the perfect attempt of subterfuge.
>There is nothing though, No anger, no poison attempt, just her looking at you with a bit of confusion, fussing with her apron as she looks at you to make sure you enjoyed your food.
>With added emphasis, you take a bite of the hash browns and chew heartily, careful not to swallow yet.
>Coul's face descends into one of happiness and she brings you various spices.
>"Oh my master! Is it to your liking? Do you need salt of pepper?" she says, holding either out to you.
>Hash browns were one of the most delectable things you had ever eaten, enough to make you not worry about poison or whatever.
>Without answering Coul, you shovel the rest of the food into your mouth, hungry from the drive across the wasteland and eager for food.
>Coul looks upon you, shocked at the display of gluttony.
>"I take it that it was good master?" she says, staring at the now empty plate.
>"Yea, gimme more, and get some yourself little one, eat with me" you say, wiping your mouth on a sleeve.
>She regards you carefully for a moment, then dashes off to fill your next plate and hopefully her own.
>A moment later, she returns with 2 plates, one overfilled, which she slides to you, and one barely filled, which she takes.
>"Nah" you say with annoyance as you switch the plates; you got a bit more of the "hash browns" but she got more eggs and more bread.
>She looks at you in confusion as you eat your meal calmly, and slowly, this time savoring the flavor.
>"Master? Why do you give me such generous portions?" she says, poking at the food as if you were going to punish her for touching it.
>You fix your eye on her, studying her.
>From what you can tell, she is genuinely surprised that you have given her food.
>A flashback hits you of- You shake it away before it fully forms.
>"Eat up little one, you are my Prize and I want you to stay healthy" you say with a smile as you stand and gather yourself.
>Coul seems pleased with this response and digs in ravenously; even for a slave that was taken care of, she was only given the basics it seemed.
>While she eats, you inspect your weapons; handgun was loaded, no carbon build up to cause a jam, your MG 14 having never fired a shot, much to your disappointment.
>The only thing that saw any real action was your fire axe, and even that was just a blood stain away from perfection.
>Sure you shot one of your men, but one shot was not enough to cause an issue.
>You get dressed in silence, listening to Coul as she eats, the clinking of the silverware audible as she does.
>Getting dressed was a task to be done quickly, after all there were many things in the world that would want to catch a man with his literal pants down.
>But today was a day you could stop and inspect your gear, you had taken this fortress for the next few days, and you were far enough into it to be safe.
>Your shirt was ragged and torn but still wearable; your Jacket made of leather and lined with 3 layers of Kevlar.
>Your pants are black stained gortex (Blood proof) with 2 layers of Kevlar, gloves are leather and your boots have steel plates attached to the soles and over your toes.
>Lastly, you have your mask, black and painted with a skull, only one eye opening on it.
>Everything is in good condition, beyond your shirt; but that's replaceable.
>Coul appears, wearing the basic clothing she had on last night, her new sub-machine gun tucked into it carefully.
>You gesture for her to come close to you and remove the gun, looking it over.
>She lets out a small sound, one of sadness as you take it.
>"I’m not keeping this from you Coul, I’m keeping you safe" you explain, pointing to the safety which is set to full auto.
>With a slight flick, it’s set to safe and you tuck it back into her waistband.
>"What else do you have to wear?" you ask looking at the basic rags she has on.
>Coul's ears droop, then perk back up again.
>"I have the dress which I was supposed to wear when I met my master! Please forgive me! I will change right away" she says, shrinking back from you as if you would strike her.
>You simply nod.
>"Go change then"
>Coul gives you a puzzled look, then scurries away quickly into one of the side chambers.
>As you follow, you hear the sound of cloth and hangers rustling.
>What you find is a full walk in closet the size of a bedroom, with a sewing machine and several bundles of cloth.
>Different outfits line the walls and racks, suspended on hangers.
>They used metal to make hangers? You can think of over a hundred better uses.
>And so much cloth! Where did they get it all?
>"Oh! Master? You are here with me? Did you want to watch me change?" Coul says, poking her head out, her ears flicking softly.
>Hm, that’s actually not a bad idea.
>"Yes Coul, I would enjoy that" you answer, leaning against the door frame.
>She gives a happy smile, then disappears into the racks of clothing.
>After about a minute, she emerges holding a pale purple dress, which she slings over the table that has the sewing machine on it.
>Looking you in the eye, she smiles seductively, then shimmies her generous hips side to side, slipping the bottom half of her rags down.
>Turning from you, she slowly bends over and picks up red panties, lifting her tail and giving you a full view of her slit and ass, then she leans her butt against the table and lifts one long sinuous leg and slips it through the panties.
>She repeats the gesture gracefully with her other leg, and with a flourish lifts her ragged shirt up and away; flicking it towards you but with just enough force to have it land at your feet.
>Looking back to you, she presses her modestly sized tits together and slips her tongue out of her mouth in a sultry licking motion and you notice her tongue is pierced in two places.
>Coul does a small spin, sweeping up the dress with her paws and sliding into it easily.
>It fits her form perfectly and you have a moment of clarity about one of the female slaves upstairs being a seamstress.
>It’s a short dress, wide a gap for her thighs to show.
>You stand star struck from the display.
>"Does it please you my master?" Coul purrs walking to you, swaying her ample hips and flicking her tail side to side.
>Her footpaws make no sound as they hit the floor and within moments she's pressed against you.
>"Do I Please you My Master?" she purrs, her voice a low sultry moan.
>"Yes Coul" you say, and before you can react, she pulls you into a kiss, pushing her tongue into your mouth.
>The dual studs on her tongue clack your teeth and you feel them with your tongue as your arms wrap around her waist and your hands slide down her thighs.
>She purrs loudly, sending vibrations through your body.
>"HEY BOSS" you hear one of your men shout into the apartment.
>Swearing at the intrusion, you break away from kiss leaving Coul panting slightly and flustered at the interruption.
>You stare at Coul, wanting her, but sigh out a low grunt of anger and compose yourself.
>There is a ton to do and Coul would always be there ready for you.
>"Put on some shoes little one, we are going for a walk" you say to Coul, who simply nods and disappears into the racks again.
>You leave the closet and find one of your men, Travis you think is name is, standing and eyeing the corpse of the man you killed last night.
>He cocks an eyebrow at you and you smile grimly.
>"He challenged me" you say simply.
>The shock is evident on Travis’s face.
>"Why would he challenge you Boss? That’s a good way to get dead" he asks, as he eyes to body once more.
>Coul emerges from the closet and rushes to you, wrapping her paws around your arm.
>"Her" you say motioning to Coul
>Travis stares at Coul, his face a mix of shock and understanding and he simply nods then swallows.
>"Uh- anyway boss, The Envoy is on the horizon, they'll be here within 20 minutes" he says, his eyes never wavering from Coul.
>You snap your fingers in his face.
>"Do I need to make another dead man?" you growl.
>He jumps and shrinks back bowing his head in submission and looking at the floor.
>"N-No Boss"
>"Good, Get her some riding gear and make sure it’s the best" you order quietly and he simple nods and runs.
>You look down at Coul and she simply beams up at you from her position wrapped around your arm.
>With a smile and a shrug, you motion out the door Travis ran through.
>"Can’t have my men challenging me all the time" you say simply, then look at her and sigh.
>She has her gun tucked awkwardly in the side of her panties and heavy boots on, they clash with her elegant dress, but you aren’t the fashion police.
>You walk to the downed man and remove his gun belt, then snap it around Coul's waist.
>Kneeling down, you adjust it gently so it isn't too loose and then place her gun in the holster.
>When you look up, Coul is positively radiant, her sky blue eyes shining in happiness.
>"They said my master would treat me well, but you are nice! You give me food and belts and guns and command people to give me stuff!" she says with a voice full of happy wonder.
>You stand up and smile.
>Nice? That's a first.
>She immediately wraps herself around your arm again and you lead her out through the tunnels.
>Your men are doing the first steps of the raid; stripping the bodies of anything useful and tossing them over the walls.
>Where bodies had been previously, there are just bloodstains showing something was dragged away.
>Together with Coul, you walk through the halls to the surface to greet The Envoy.
>You can feel the eyes of your men as you walk, some openly stare and some just continue working.
>For those that stare, you scowl at them and they avert their eyes.
>"Master where are we going?" Coul says finally as you walk up to the surface.
>You lead her up a stairwell to get on top of the walls and look eastward then look at Coul.
>She flinches and turns her face away quickly.
>"S-sorry Master! It is not my place to ask questions" she whimpers, her posture going rigid although she still holds your arm.
>"You have no need to fear me little one" you say calmly
>You hook a finger under her chin and gently make her look out over the wall at a growing dust cloud.
>"What is that master?" She asks, looking from it to you.
>"The Envoy" you answer.
>"Our Faction operates in 4 groups Coul, the scouts who search for places like this" you say motioning to the fortress.
>"The Assault, the group who attacks the places found by the scouts and cut through their defenses" you gesture to the men and anthros and even a few anthro females helping with the cleanup.
>"The Envoy, the group of Haulers who comes and gets the stuff from these encampments" you say pointing out to the dust clouds.
>"And the 4th?" Coul asks, her eyes focused on the distant haulers. 
>"The defenders of our home" you explain.
>"Our home?" 
>You nod "Your home and my home" you confirm.
>Coul smiles and her light orange fur catches the morning rays of sunlight, shimmering under the warm light.
>The kiss from her still lingers in your head as you watch The Envoy get closer.
>Oh, that kiss was something and had so much promise, as did those tongue piercings.
>But that would all have to wait.
>The Haulers are waving flags of black and grey and red, which are answered from atop the wall as your men raise similar flags.
>A loud "HONK HONK" comes from the foremost big rig.
>The rig itself is painted Jet black, and the words "Pillar of Strength" are in white along the sides.
>All the Haulers are heavily armed, because they carry all the cargo and are the most likely thing to get attacked.
>Minigun turrets, Heavy machine guns, rockets, anything big enough to stop a vehicle.
>2 Dozen Haulers, all in all make a considerable amount of firepower.
>The Pillar of Strength along with about 4 other Haulers pull through the demolished Gates.
>Your second in Command, Gabriel, climbs out of the Rig and you escort Coul down the stairs to meet him.
>"Right on time Gabriel, any issues?" you ask as you meet him and you both hit your right fists together.
>"Some spineless fucks thought to try to get behind us and take us out one by one, so we just dropped some proxy mines and Boom, no more fucks" He replies with a grim laugh.
>His eyes glance over to Coul and he looks at her in awe.
>"A Spotless Cheetah? I’ve only heard about those" He says, removing his mask to get a better look at Coul.
>Coul shrinks closer to you as he looks her over.
>Gabriel is not the biggest man, but he's smart, half untapped genius, half unchecked madness.
>He's a touch under 6 feet tall, built like a runner and has dark black hair and steel grey eyes.
>"Ohh and she's a pretty one, you got a good one Tread" he says with a final nod and a smile then extends his hand to Coul.
>Coul looks at you for confirmation that its ok and you nod once.
>She outstretches her paw to him and he takes it gently, bows, and then kisses the back of it.
>"I Am Gabriel, Commander of The Envoy, you have nothing to fear from me" He says with a smile.
>"I-I am Coul Commander. I serve Master Tread" the Cheetah responds with much consternation.
>"Aye you do lass, and he'll take good care of ya" Gabriel says with a nod.
>He lets go of her paw and Coul backs up to your side once more.
>You motion over your shoulder to Gabriel and the 3 of you start walking.
>"So what do we got here Tread?" Gabriel asks, looking around.
>"Slavers, plenty of food and water, lots of cloth and metals too, not much in terms of weapons based on the weak resistance they put up" You respond, gesturing to the piles of bodies.
>Gabriel nods.
>"aye, the Cloth will be good, and we can reshape metal" He responds, looking around. 
>You lead him through the various underground chambers, with Coul occasionally pointing out hidden compartments.
>"Lass, How do you know where the hidden compartments are?" Gabriel asks, as she points out hidden lever, which opens to a small, yet mostly full stash of food and Alcohol.
>Coul gives a slight grin and looks from you to Gabriel. 
>"I was allowed to walk around sometimes, to keep my strength and some of my former masters would... give me treats from their stashes to try to win my affection" She says with a coy grin.
>You in turn smile at her approvingly, so she played them with her beauty, clever girl.
>"I- I Never gave them anything though master! I am Unsoiled!" She says quickly, raising her hands in surrender.
>You simply smile and pull her to you by her gun belt.
>"Good job playing them Little one, you served us well before we even got to you, did you have a favorite?" you ask, as she swoons from the praise.
>"Uhmm... One gave me this kind of... Tough meat that was salty and chewy but so good, Jerky I think it’s called?" she responds, putting a pointed claw to her chin thoughtfully.
>"I'll save you a big bag of it since you're leading us to so many hiding places" Gabriel says as he pull a bottle of whiskey from the compartment.
>Coul's eyes light up.
>"You mean it Commander Gabriel?! A whole bag just for me?" She asks, literally jumping for joy as she speaks the words.
>Gabriel gives her a smile and hands you a small bag of sliced Cured Salami which you take and each a piece of and eat, then fish one out for Coul.
>"That's what He will give you little one, I will give so much more" you say, holding the meat up, Coul opens her mouth and you fondly feed it to her.
>When she's done she licks your fingers seductively, looking you straight in the eye.
>"Jesus, you got a good one Tread" Gabriel says, eyeing the show of lust and affection.
>You nod and never break eye contact with Coul.
>"That I did" you respond.
>A loud thump from above you snaps you away from Coul and you draw out your Handgun as Gabriel grabs his Melee weapon off his back.
>his melee weapon is a literal horse leg he got when he cut it off a depraved Horse anthro.
>Coul fusses a bit getting her gun out but you and Gabriel have the situation under control.
>The ceiling is made of the old timey foam shit to insulate sounds or something, all you know is that it’s annoying and gross.
>"Whoever is up there, you have 5 second before I start firing" you say, aiming upwards.
>No response
>"Five...Four...Three...Two...O-"
>A terrified squeak and then one of the panels raise, showing a Female Rat Anthro, who is visibly shaking in terror.
>"P-Please don't shoot...I-I’m unarmed and-" she slips mid-sentence, careening towards the floor.
>Gabriel catches her before she hits though.
>You holster your gun, then assist Coul holster hers as Gabriel sets the rat down.
>she's a small brown furred Rat anthro, oddly plump for a slave, her eyes dart from you to Coul to Gabriel and the door nervously.
>"well now, here's a gal more my speed, Whatchu doing in the ceiling there Lass?" Gabriel asks, eyeing the rat and the ceiling.
>She frets with her torn clothing before answering,
>"I-I e-e-escaped and hid in t-the C-ceilings, I-I'm Useful! I-I know where f-food stashes a-are, I c-can smell them" She says pointing to her nose.
>A Stuttering Slave rat, you look to Gabriel, who smiles.
>"I'll keep her, it's rare I get a female during a raid, show me those stashes and we'll talk business" he says, ushering the now less terrified rat.
>You grab your Radio and make a quick call out.
>"Assault and Envoy groups; Search EVERYWHERE, Tear down walls if you think there is a space behind them, these guys liked to stash food and Alcohol, you find it, you get 50% of it, the rest goes to the main food for rationing. How copy?" You call out.
>A chorus of "sure boss" and "Got ya boss".
>The small rat is leading Gabriel from stash to stash while you head back down to the Apartment you slept in.
>This place hand plenty of things you would claim, the bed for starters, the food, you had no real claim over but a few of the rare items you could make yours.
>"Coul, what do you need to make me more of those hash browns" you ask the cheetah and she instantly lists off things
>"potatoes, salt, pepper, vegetable oil and a grater" She says without hesitation.
>you smile and nod.
>"Get them all and they will be ours" you say with a smile, sitting on a plush couch.
>She complies quickly and with earnest.
>Potatoes are rare, and you wanted more of those hash browns Coul had made earlier.
>You watch as she gathers the ingredients, and she makes sure she puts on a show for you as she does so.
>Long legs stretched as she reaches up, hiking her dress up a little, showing more of her body.
>Her reaching a bit too right, causing her tits to peek out a just a little.
>Angrily you tear your eyes from the show and snarl into your radio.
>"Maxon, do you copy?"
>"I'm here Boss" comes a gruff voice with an odd southern accent.
>For some reason accents still lived on, even after the world ended.
>"Get us some of the theater chairs, the comfy ones; and put them in the Chariot plus a passenger" You call into the radio. Trying to not think about the Cheetah before you.
>"You got it Boss, why a passenger?" he answers.
>"I didn't ask for your questions, just do it" you command, staring at Coul, who has her tail raised just enough to cover everything, yet still provocative.
>No wonder she could tease EVERYONE in this camp to showing her their stashes.
>She turned the "training" against them, getting what she wanted.
>You draw your handgun and point it at Coul.
>"Little one" you say calmly, pointing the firearm at her.
>She looks to you and freezes, a bottle of something in her paw.
>"M-master?" she says timidly, staring at the handgun.
>"You played an entire camp to get what you wanted, who do I know you aren't playing me?" you ask, aiming down the sights.
>Coul was a rarity, but you were no fool; she used her rarity and beauty before for her advantage.
>"Master...Tread...You have treated me like someone to be cared for" She starts, which makes you look her over calmly.
>Not many people used your name.
>"Most have treated me like a lost child to be guarded and protected, you gave me a gun and made me prove myself“ she says with a small bit of panic in her voice, masked gently behind false confidence.
>"They said my master wouldn't allow questions and would treat me no better than anyone else, may even share me" she continues, raising her paws.
>"Yet you have given me extra food, excused mistakes, allowed questions and given me gifts to defend myself, even against you" She pleads, motioning to her gun.
>You think about it for a moment, she had the opportunity to shoot you, poison you, and deceive you if she wanted too.
>But paranoia is a hard habit to overcome.
>"Are there any stashes in here?" you say calmly, watching Coul.
>She nods, staring at the gun.
>You lower it and soften your tone.
>"Show me" you say calmly, which makes her relax a bit. She gently walks to one of the pictures on the walk and simply knocks it off its hook.
>Sure the guy before might have had a way to swing it aside, but Coul was desperate.
>Inside the stash there are preserved food, Alcohol, and even a few sweets, presumably stored by whoever ran this camp.
>"Bring me a bottle of vodka" you command, looking at the huge selection of alcoholic beverages.
>Honestly, this fortress has the largest stash of alcoholic drinks you had ever seen.
>Almost every crew member has had a stash of alcohol, and you're sure that plump rat had many more to show.
>Coul carefully selects a bottle of clear liquid and then walks slowly to you.
>You pat your lap softly, and Coul Approaches, trying not to show her fear.
>She gently sets herself in your lap, sitting sideways across it, blue eyes focused on you.
>You grip her paw, gently yet firmly, the one holding the bottle.
>"Open it" you command, motioning to her other paw.
>She does, quickly and obediently.
>Gently, you use her paw to raise the bottle to your lips so you can take a quick swig of the burning liquid.
>"Drink some" you croak out, and she does so, then coughs.
>You wait for her to regain her composure
>"Coul, look at me" you command, using your coldest stare.
>To your surprise, she meets your iron gaze, and takes another swig of the burning alcohol.
>She then kisses you, pushing a bit of the burning liquid into your mouth.
>It hurts, but in all the right ways, a push of pleasure and the sensual burn of affection.
>Her tongue laps at the inside of your mouth as she grinds her thick ass against you.
>You break the kiss, and she looks at you calmly.
>"Coul, I will protect you with my life, and my men will protect you so long as I rule, but if I think you will betray me, I will not hesitate t-"
>Your words are cut short by Coul kissing you once more.
>Her tongue forces its way into your mouth and you feel her arms wrap around you. 
>When she breaks the kiss you hear her whisper.
>"You have treated me with such respect dear master, you have given me the means to end life and cause death; you have shown me compassion and defended my honor... I am yours...Dear Tread" She whispers, putting her paws around your handgun and angling it under her chin.
>You stare for a moment, amazed at the devotion she had towards you, and how she was willing to face death at your simple doubt.
>One of her paws motions to her gun, still holstered and to the dead man on the floor.
>Her blue eyes close, no longer looking at you and seemingly accepting her fate.
>Would you kill this lady on nothing more than a suspicion? 
>Your head is tearing itself apart thinking about it.
>"She could betray you" says one half
>"She would have already" says the other.
>You frown and lower the gun from her chin.
>Coul inhales sharply as you do.
>"Thank you Master, I will never fail to serve you" She says solemnly.
>You holster your pistol and grab your radio.
>"Men, Grab everything of use from this place, I want us ready to leave in 2 days, load everything into those Haulers" you call out eyeing the room you're in. 
>You don't need the cage, nor the couch, but the metal cutlery would be taken.
>This base would be picked clean of every resource, from light bulbs to wire hangers to cans.
>"Coul, we're gonna start packing this stuff away, Grab everything you want from that stash" you direct her.
>She nods and gets off your lap and quickly goes to the Stash, picking up every single sweet thing and all of the meats.
>You can hear her purring as she looks at the food in the stash, easily visible from her previous cage.
>That must have tormented her, being able to see it, yet not having any of it.
>You head back to the closet and look at the rolls of fabric, then at Coul, then back.
>"This is Tread, Send the new seamstress to me in the bottom apartments" You call through the radio.
>"Yes Sir" you hear a voice respond.
>Coul darts into a side room, and you watch her emerge with a large canvas bag, possibly from the old world military based on its drab green color.
>She begins tossing the sweets, the meat and the stuff for hash browns into it.
>As if feeling your gaze, she looks up and you, smiles then turns away, showing her wide thighs and ass while lifting her tail.
>What a tease, you love it.
>Tearing your eyes away, you look around the room at the various outfits, all for females, some like old world nurses, some like maids, but all well made.
>"S-sir?" comes a meek voice from the door causing you to turn quickly.
>The squirrel seamstress from last night shrinks back, eyes wide in fear, she has a human male with her, one you recognize from your faction, Hammer, you think his name is.
>"Did you make these?" you ask the squirrel, motioning to the various outfits.
>"Y-yes sir, all of them" she answers, looking away from you.
>Smart girl.
>You smile and point to Coul, who has a bit of beef jerky in her paws that she is nibbling on.
>"How many are for Coul?" You ask calmly.
>She looks at Coul and frowns, you can see the anger she has towards Coul.
>You Snap at her.
>"ANSWER" You bark, making the squirrel and Hammer jump.
>"uh- uh- lots Sir! They wanted to sell her for a good price and with lots of outfits to fit the Buyers desires" she hastily explains.
>You nod at that; makes sense for a slaver to provide more than just rags for a prize.
>"Ok, you are Coul's seamstress then, and will be awarded as such for the work you do" you say, thinking about the various clothing this squirrel could make.
>But then a thought hits you.
>"Why were they selling you if you made clothes?" you ask, dreading the answer.
>She looks at you, then Hammer then Coul.
>"Because she got sold, we were all going to be sold the day you attacked, I was not needed anymore" she says, looking at you with confusion.
>Your heart jumps to your throat.
>They were not picked up because of the sandstorm, and now that it has died down, the buyer would on the way.
>The buyer that needed over 80 slaves.
>on the way HERE.
>You Grab your Radio and shout into it.
>"Change of plans, grab what you can, we need to be out of here by sunrise!" 
>Gabriel’s voice answers.
>"What’s going on Tread?"
>Your scouts hadn’t reported and fort or settlements within a day’s drive from here.
>"New information, might have company, I would rather us out of here when they show" you answer.
>there is a moment of stunned silence then a quick
>"Roger, we'll get it done"
>"Good, set up a rotating watch for anything on the horizon" 
>You can hear things on the floors above you kick into overdrive.
>"Thank you for the info; Hammer, is she yours now?" you say looking from the squirrel to the man.
>He nods and gently puts a hand of her shoulder.
>"She is boss"
>You see the squirrel flinch at his touch but not fight it.
>"You and her get an extra ration when we get back to base for this info, now help get shit going, we need this fabric and I’m leaving you in charge of it, get it done." you say, and you see the squirrels face become astonished and Hammer smiles.
>"Ok Boss, we'll get it done" He replies
>You leave them in the closet and head to Coul, your head running a thousand miles per hour.
>Yes, you could probably take whomever was on the way, it would most likely be a lightly armored party of transports.
>But if they spotted this place before you spotted them, if they called reinforcements, if they had their full attack force or anything like that, you needed to be gone, the constant sandy wind would cover your escape, but only if you left in time.
>"Grab anything you want Coul, but we need to get out of here" you say, feigning calmness for her.
>She looks at you and smiles sadly.
>"The man who bought me is on the way?" She asks, a weary smile on her face.
>You nod and frown, looking at her.
>"You knew you were bought?" you ask, feeling your anger rising.
>She nods.
>"Lord Byron bought me, he has bought many slaves from here, and many, many wives. I do not know of the date he would come claim me though" She says, sadness and fear covering her face.
>"Please.... Save me from him...He is a monster and you are...kind. Please" Coul says as she slowly walks to you and gets to her knees in front of you.
>"I do not want to be his latest mistress, I wish to be yours" She says, clasping her paws together, staring up at you.
>You frown but help her to her foot paws, and call into you radio.
>"Travis, where is that riding Gear?" you bark, looking around this apartment.
>"C-coming boss” comes a terrified reply
>You look at Coul and nod.
>"You are my trophy, and I will protect you" you say calmly.
>This place was a huge boon to your faction, and everything was a gain.
>Before long Travis reappears before you carrying several pieces of gear.
>"H-here you are boss, a shirt, a jacket, and pants" he sputters, looking only at your feet.
>Carefully you inspect the gear and see it is all in very good condition.
>"Good, now get to work" you say without looking up at him.
>He doesn't respond, but instead just runs.
"Seamstress" you call to the squirrel.
>After a moment, she appears besides you.
"Y-yes sir?" she asks.
>"I want this stuff fit to Coul before sunrise, use whatever material you have to" you say, shoving the clothing into the squirrels paws.
>"Y-yes sir" the Squirrel responds then scurries off.
>One thing done, now onto the next.
>You grab Coul's bag and heft it over a shoulder, then look at her.
>"Want anything else?" She shakes her head and walks close to you, the gives you a slight kiss on the cheek.
>"Just you Tread" she whispers.
>Fuck, you wish you had more time to....explore with her.
>But things had changed, usually you get a few days to tear a place apart, but this time... take what you can and go.
>"Let’s go" you say and lead her out.
>As the two of you walk, you pass rooms where your men are tearing through things, and packing them up
>All the mattresses get stacked and tied up and carried out, all the metal frames cut apart and hauled away.
>Nothing would be left behind.
>You make your way to your Chariot, Unique in its weaponry and its mode of transport.
>Heavy treads propel your vehicle and Maxon is already fixing the new seats into place.
>"We ready to go at a moment’s notice?" you call to him as you set the bag behind your seat. 
>"Yea boss, I refueled at this places gas pump an-" he says only to cut himself off as he stares at Coul.
>"No wonder you wanted a passenger seat boss" he remarks and you nod.
>"Will the Chariot be ready by sunrise?" you ask, looking around at your men hurrying busily loading the Haulers.
>"Yea, we'll be ready, I already got all the spikes for the gun" he answers as he checks over the feeding mechanism to the gun.
>"Good" you reply and head back into the base.
>You didn't want a fight, not here anyway.
>Coul hangs onto your arm and looks up at you with shining blue eyes.
>"Let’s go Coul, we got work to do" you say, thinking about the oncoming storms.
>You could almost hear the opposing chariots racing towards you across the wasteland.
>Almost.

Chapter 3: Anarchy Road

Coul woke before the sun rose like always; or rather like she had always been trained to.
"Be ready for your masters first order as soon as he's awake!" her upbringers had taught her.
She was scared of what would happen if she woke up late to her new master, only to find him still asleep in almost perfect silence. Gods, it hard to tell if he was even breathing. Honestly the only reason she could tell he was alive was from the shallow rise and fall of his chest as he sat strapped into the seat of his "Chariot". Master..."Tread" as he called himself, had taken care of her in a way she couldn't understand. She had always been told she was a breeder; born to satisfy her masters desires and to show herself off to make her masters rivals jealous. Her new master ordered her to kill, to be more than a slave. Sunlight streamed over the horizon as she studied her new master, one hand on a gun and the other tucked behind his head like a crude pillow. His black mask covered most of his face, except for his remaining eye that showed through, moving quickly back and forth. Coul had been told what that meant; he was dreaming of something and it was her job to comfort him no matter what. She cautiously moved a paw to stroke his face when his hand whipped forward with unnatural speed, catching her paw in a deathgrip.

"What are you doing" He asked before even opening his eye.
"Comforting" She purred in response, wiggling her paw out of his grip with a bit of effort.
"No" he groaned, pushing her paw away; albeit with a bit of reluctance.
"I don't need that" 

>Night bleeds into your consciousness as you drive your Chariot over a forsaken landscape.
>The day has died and you race forwards into the remaining light,through the stinging sand.
>But the dark speeds alongside you, overtaking you with overgrown tendrils of despair.
>You mash the pedal of your chariot, sending plumes of crimson fire out of the exhausts.
>But it isn't enough, it never is.
>A tendril lashes towards your face and you reach out to catch it.
>Your hand wraps around a furry wrist, and you open your eye to a surprised looking Coul; who looks shaken and startled.
>"What are you doing?" you growl, albeit with less ferociousness than usual.
>"Comforting" She chokes out, her voice giving away her fear.
>"No" you say as you calmly push her paw away.
>You can't show weakness, not now or ever; to need comforting was to be weak.
>"I don't need that" you say as you stretch, your joints and body popping.
>Coul looks a bit confused and apprehensive as you do so.
>"What's wrong little one?" you half ask, half yawn; reaching forwards to start your chariot, slamming you palm into the horn of it.
>"I did something without masters approval, so I await punishment" She says while looking downwards, barely audible over the roar of your Chariot starting up.
>More roars are heard from other Chariots and Eventually Haulers and the fleet starts up, revving and ready to go.
>"You did nothing wrong" you say, reaching a hand forwards and forcing Coul to look at you, her lower jaw in between your thumb and forefinger.
>She gazes at you for a moment, then sighs and closes her eyes, almost melting into your hand with sheer reluctance.
>You move your thumb a few times in an awkward petting motion, then let her go and focus on the road.
>The answering of horns sound out, spreading out around you; showing the drivers were awake and ready to go.
>It doesn't matter if you're the first up or just the first one to sound the wake up call.
>Grabbing your Radio, you toggle the "talk" button as the sun peeks over the horizon to your left.
>"We are going in 30 seconds, fall behind and get left behind; You ready?" you growl.
>"Ready" comes a chorus from the radio
>You smile as you hear the revves of engines ready to do.
>A choir of fury and anger, all ready to be unleashed at your command.
>"Go"
>You slam your foot into the gas of your chariot as a hundred other engines sound off with yours.
>Haulers, chariots and everything in between scream in elation as you all rocket forwards.
>Everything is drowned out as you speed across the wastes, leading your charge to nowhere.
>"M-Master?" 
>A barely audibly yell is heard over the screams of the engines.
>You look over to see Coul clenching her ears with her paws, fear and pain covering her muzzle.
>Cursing to yourself for forgetting her, you open the glovebox of your chariot and pull out a pair of radio headphones.
>yea, you had been saving them, and yea; everyone else you offered them to refused.
>But Coul accepted them and placed them over her ears with no issues or complaints
>"LETS FUCKIN GO" you hear Gabriel yell through the radio chatter as the various engines roar to life.
>You take one last glance at Coul, who secures the headphones over her ears then gives you a shaky thumbs up.
>That makes you smile and nod at her.
>She is scared, she is confused, and yet she is ready for whatever you have to offer.
>"Let's go" you call out calmly as you shift your chariot's gear.
>Your Chariot rockets forwards, its engine screaming sounds of indulgence.
>Coul holds her headphones to her ears, a look of confusion and unease on her muzzle.
>carefully, she positions the microphone attached to her headset to her mouth.
>"Master?" she questions, looking at the microphone, and at the same time looking very cross eyed.
>With the flick of a switch, you isolate the radio chatter between you and her; you had prepared communications between these headphones a while ago.
>You just ever had anyone to share the headphones with.
>"Yes little one?" you reply to her.
>Coul Looks over her shoulder at the remains of the stronghold you and your group had raided.
>"Why do you not destroy the fort my previous masters resided in?" she asks, a frown on her muzzle.
>You smile and keep your eye focused forwards.
>"Gotta think long term Coul" you answer tapping a finger to your temple.
>"In five or ten years, some group of settlers will find that base and settle there" you say with a smile hidden by your mask.
>You look over to Coul and see her face unprotected from the stinging wind.
>You reach over with one hand, and pull on her face mask and her goggles so the blinding sand does not erode her gorgeous face.
>"Keep those on while we ride" you demand as you put them on her.
>"Yes master" she answers as she adjusted them to be more comfortable on her.
>for hours you drive; staring at your compass and the barren flats ahead of you; roaring engines and whipping wind is all you hear.
>Coul Stays quiet and simply watches.
>This raiding party is a well oiled machine.
>Everyone knows what to do.
>That is until this peaceful ride is interrupted.
>"Boss, we got company" comes a call through the radio.
>You frown and respond with a frown.
>"How do you know?" 
>"One of the kites saw a dust cloud shift towards us"
>Kites are anthros that can fly.
>Well, their feral versions can fly.
>They can't but if they are dragged behind a chariot on a cable they can "fly" like a kite.
>Hence the name.
>"Reel all the kites in. Nickson, Ravish, Dreg, Triple 7 and Flex; drop back and hide in our dust trails" you call out.
>Several Chariots drop back out of formation as you call the perspective drivers names.
>They dont answer as they fall out of formation, looking like shrouded ghosts in a blanket of dust.
>"Speed up and let them come to us" you call out.
>Your only answer in the revves of engines as your faction rallies behind your command.
>"Master? what's going on?" Coul calls through the radio.
>You look over and see confusion in her eyes.
>"Company, another faction has spotted us" you answer calmly
>Coul's ears perk up as much as they can with headphones on.
>"And what does that mean?"
>"They want our stuff and will try to take it" you reply nonchalantly, studying her reaction.
>"Like how your faction took stuff from my trainers?" She asks, eyes wide in fear.
>You nod as you reply "they are going to try and kill us, and take you from me"
>Coul shivers slightly and huddles into her seat.
>"Do not let them take me please" she whispers into the radio, barely audible.
>"I Won't"
>You shift your Chariots gears and speed up.
>"They're behind us and a few to our right" comes a call out.
>"Who thinks they can take from us?" you reply, looking over and leaning forwards to see around Coul.
>"Those stupid clanks with their wing things"
>7 Chariots with metal wings welded onto them.
>They can't fly of course but they wanted to intimidate.
>Clankers they called themselves, and they are a relatively new faction; and eager to make a name for themselves.
>Reputation counts for a lot in the wastes.
>"Anyone with long range weapons shift to the side of the formation, hit them before they hit us" you call out.
>Your formation shifts and writhes like a living thing, careful to keep the Haulers in the center. 
>They aren't defenseless,in fact some of them had an arsenal that was nothing short of overkill, but they are carrying valuable cargo.
>Steering to the right of the formation yourself, you already see a few haulers begin firing they heavier weapons.
>"Maxon, You better fucking kill one of those fucking Clanks" you roar as one of the rival chariots gets a direct hit and explodes into sharpnel.
>"Yea yea Shut up and Drive" Maxon calls back "Let me get the ones on top"
>You watch a piece of rebar rockets from atop your chariot and impale a clank gunner; launching him backwards off the chariot.
>"12 chariots behind us! and a war rig coming from the left!" comes radio chatter.
>"Nickson, you guys positioned?" you call through the radio.
>the dozen chariots behind the formation are trying to attack they weak spot in ANY formation.
>"Yea" comes his voice, full of eager anticipation.
>You had dealt with this before though.
>"Good, Start getting rid of our problems"
>A Loud explosion from behind the formation sends a shockwave over the sands
>While most chariots are for engaging and killing people in opposing chariots so you could take them, the five chariots you had told to fall back where Specifically designed to take down other chariots.
>More explosions rock the desert as chariots clash, the dozen behind you caught between your formation and the five you sent behind them.
>You Serve quickly to avoid hitting a flung engine block and frown as you see one of your factions chariots get engulfed in flame then quick fall out of view in a cloud of dust.
>Fuck these Clanks and their stupid wings.
>"Coul take the wheel and keep us going straight" you roar to her as you reach behind your seat and grab your MG 14.
>"M-Master?!"
>"JUST DO IT" you yell as you lock the accelerator down with a foot switch.
>Coul scrambles and grabs the wheel while you slide out of your window and flick the bipod on your MG to sit on the roof of your Chariot.
>You had wanted to use this gun during the raid but now was as good as time as any.
>A wave of armor piercing rounds rip the Chariot nearest to you to shreds as you fire the Heavy Machine gun.
>"Stop playing with these fucks, kill them NOW" you call into the radio.
>As you're about to unload onto another chariot, you watch one of the former slaves, a big cat of some kind, jump from the chariot he was on, directly onto the hood one of the clanker chariots.
>You're almost impressed as he uses nothing but his claws to shred the drivers throat and yank the body out of the window 
>He then sits in the seat and begins driving it himself; Steering the stolen vehicle into your formation, the clanks that were on top of it are immediately ripped off and thrown to the wastes.
>Now that's what you like to see.
>"We're having Trouble with the War rig!" you hear through the radio.
>"All the chariots on the right are gone, focus on those behind us and that rig!" you order as you slide back into your drivers seat and take the wheel from Coul, pressing your MG into her paws
>Carefully, she slides it behind your seat and then looks at you with pride in her eyes.
>"Did I do good master?" she purrs, running a paw down your thigh
>You reach a hand to her and grip her chin and rub it softly then give a gentle squeeze.
>"You did Very good Coul"
>She purrs through the radio to you, but another explosion pulls you from her.
>"Gabriel! Just fucking kill that Rig! Whatever it takes!" you call out angrily,annoyed that such a thing would give your formation so much trouble.
>"AAAIGHT! Fuck outta the way!" you hear Gabriel call out as the Pillar moves to the outside.
>"I've been fucking DYING to use this thing!" comes his voice. 
>Engines roar and you hear a few panicked radios calls to get out of his way.
>"M-master?! What is THAT he has?" Coul Cries, looking past you out the window.
>You steal a quick glance and see Gabriel with some kind of shoulder mounted thing on top of the Pillar Of Strength.
>"Dunno, he's got it covered" you reply, focusing on the "road" in front of you once more.
>A series of 10 explosions ripple across the wasteland, sending shockwaves of dust and debris in front of your formation.
>"What in the fuck was that?!" you call out in anger and amazement..
>"A MIRV! Holy shit it worked!" comes his excited reply.
>You frown deepens
>"You made a WHAT!? and WHY have you waited till now?!" you yell into the radio.
>"A bomb that can fuck up multiple things" is his happy answer.
>You accelerate and sigh at the same time.
>"And why have you waited to use that thing?" you growl.
>"I didn't know if it would work, but holy shit it works!"
>That was the biggest disconnect between you and Gabriel.
>He wanted to save his best stuff for last.
>You did not, you wanted to use the best stuff first and leave the enemy scattered and demoralized.
>You peek sideways and see the opposing war rig slowly pull away from the formation, then crash into a wayward outcropping, causing it to flip in a small fireball.
>"Took long enough" You growl.
>"How many did we lose?"
>For a moment, silence is you answer.
>"We lost 4 boss" is the answer before you start yelling.
>"You cunts lost four chariots? FUck someone go back and try to scavenge what you cant from the clanks" you reply into the radio disheartened.
>That was a lot to lose; To get a chariot up and running took time and a lot of metal, scrap and work.
>The clanks might be growing a big bigger than you expected,
>"Gabe, who has salvage equipment in the envoy?" You sigh into the radio.
>"Cact, Knight, and uhhh, bedman" comes his reply.
>You nod as you respond.
>"You three, fall back, get a few assault vehicles to join you and try to salvage what you can" you call out.
>"What about survivors boss?"
>"Grab ours, kill the rest" you answer.
>Those vehicles might be useful.
>There is a bit of the radio chatter as you drive, you listen as a few envoy haulers pull away with 4 or five assault chariots.
>The five vehicle attack chariots fall back into formation as you speed across the wasteland.
>"Master? Is...Is this normal?" Coul asks, her voice calm.
>You look over to her and see that she is anything but calm.
>Her paws clench and unclench as she shivers slightly while looking at you for reassurance.
>Poor thing.
>Must be her first time.
>"Pretty normal out here Coul" you grumble in response>
>No point in lying.
>"Is...Home... Safe? Safe from the baron?" she asks; even with her headphones on, you see her ears fold back.
>You frown and feel a bit of anger at her, but then shake that away.
>"I don't know who this "baron" is, but he has no power here; no power over us" you respond with your grin hidden under your mask.
>She just doesn't know that home was a fortress; she hasn't seen it before after all.
>But that also raises a few questions in you.
>"What makes this..What is did she say? Baron? So bad" you ask as you give Coul a quick peek
>She shudders and is quiet for a moment before answering.
>"My ma- er, my slavers, like you called them; they were scared of him" she says quietly, barely audible over the radio.
>"They were scared of nothing! NOTHING! ...nothing...besides him" she finally whispers.
>You can see her shaking in her seat as you drive.
>What do you do here?
>Awkwardly, you move a hand to her, and she takes it with a small grin.
>"YOU are different Tread" 
>You pull your hand away.
>"They just didn't know to fear me" you respond, focusing on the road.
>Coul gives a soft whimper in response, then falls quiet.
>Your formation wouldn't reach home before dark.
>It's too dangerous to keep going into the night, so you slow your chariot.
>"Slowwwwwww! Time to set up for the night, haulers form a circle and assault form a loose circle around that, set up a tent or whatever near your chariot" you call out as you pull to a stop.
>Haulers and chariots slow and begin circling around. getting into positions and forming perimeters.
>You Slow your chariot and others slow and begin to spread around your, forming a circle.
>Assault in the center, envoy's mixed with assault surrounding that.
>If anyone was ballsy enough to attack at night, they would meet the full might of the envoy while they were pissed and half asleep.
>That also meant the full fury of the assault would be swarming over them like locusts to a field of old.
>You pull your chariot to a stop and park it, breathing in the cold desert night air as you step out of it.
>Engines roar and circle around you loosely.
>The envoy and assault vehicles slowly begin parking after kicking up enough dust to confuse a blind man.
>You grab your handheld radio and stand up through the roof of your chariot, looking out to your faction
>"THOSE CLANKERS THOUGHT THEY WERE BETTER THAN US!!" you yell with anger and happiness.
>"YEAAAA" is your response
>"THEY THOUGHT THEY COULD BEST THE DUST EATERS!" you call out, watching the dust settle and reveal a sea of vehicles and people.
>"AND WE FUCKIN SHOWED THEM" you yell into the mic, pumping a fist skyward.
>Your faction cheers in response.
>"SO THEN...LET'S FUCKIN PARTY!" 
>"YEEEAAAHHH" is the response from the crowd.
>You jump down from the roof of the chariot as people begin setting up around you.
>This is an intermediate stop, the Envoy and the assault are prepared for days long journeys.
>Tents, sleeping bags, and anything to make fires for warmth are standard.
>You help Maxon set up your temporary shelter, and his tent.
>Sharing is for those below you; so you have your own.
>Except for Coul, she can join you.
>Gabriel parked near your chariot with his massive hauler, allowing you to have a nice bonfire near him.
>The envoys Haulers had a definite advantage to your chariots, that being they had built in living quarters.
>So Gabriel was able to set up a nice fire while you set up your sleeping area.
>As such, a few fold up chairs await you when you finish setting everything up.
>Coul waits for you as you approach the roaring fire.
>"Master, we can relax" she says with a slight bow.
>Gabe is already near the fire, his new rat friend giggling in his lap as her smiles and holds her.
>"So...What is the name of the lady who rats on the slavers" you ask as you settle into a chair next to them.
>The rat looks at you; then Gabe; a pensive and scared look on her muzzle.
>"Answer him, he won't hurt ya" Gabriel reassures her calmly.
>She looks at you once more before answering with a hint of doubt in her voice.
>"Jessica" is all she says before huddling into Gabe's chest for reassurance.
>You invite Coul to your lap with a slight pat, and welcome her as she slides onto you with a calm expectant look.
>"Well Jessica, welcome to our faction" you say with a smile, wrapping your arms around Coul, earning a deep heavy purr.
>"Jessica" looks from you to Coul to Gabe, who smiles confidently and nods at her in reassurance.
>She extends a shaky paw to you while clenching Gabe's clothing in fear with her other paw.
>What did he do to convince her he was her savior?
>You would have to ask him later.
>Either way, you shake her paw softly, and then settle into a chair with a sigh.
>Gabe and Jessica have already started cooking some random meat; with enough to share with you and Coul.
>You give Gabe a silent thanks with a somber nod, which he returns with a knowing wink.
>Coul looks around in wonderment as more and more fires pop up.
>"You...You don't always live behind walls?" she finally asks, looking down at you as you relax in a comfy fold-able chair.
>"The world is too big to stay behind walls for our whole lives" you answer, absentmindedly rubbing her exposed fur..
>Coul looks at the cooking food, then settles further into your lap.
>You wrap one arm around her then look around at your faction.
>Your men are celebrating, you see them dancing around the fire, playing music, drinks being shared and good times all around.
>No reason to take away from that.
>Let everyone celebrate, it raises morale.
>You pull Coul closer to you and feel the soft fur of her body against you.
>It's been so long since you felt that.
>The trust, the want of affection.
>She doesn't pull away, but instead snuggles you, purring loudly as her tail wraps around you, he ass grinding you affectionately.
>As much as you want to take her; now is not the time.
>"So what's cooking" You ask, trying to distract yourself from the gorgeous cheetah grinding against you.
>"Salted beef!" The rat, Jessica chimes happily, all her preservations about your forgotten.
>The meat is "fresh" that's for sure; but it's also been artificially preserved.
>Actual fresh meat is hard to come by.
>but that doesn't matter now. 
>Chunks of meat can sit over a stove made from a flat rock; and the smell of it still makes your mouth water.
>Even as you sit and Hold Coul in your lap; you see a few members of your faction look your way an awe at her beauty.
>A few openly stare.
>The back of Gabriel's hauler is open, allowing your men to grab supplies as needed.
>The food cooks as Coul turns herself in your lap so she can face you.
>After a little bit Gabriel pulls the food off the fire and spreads it around.
>Equal parts all around, your part isn't bigger than Jessica's or Coul's or Gabriel's.
>Survival doesn't favor the lone wolf; your experience spells that out without a doubt.
>So the assault and the envoy get free range to eat and drink as they need or want.
>Risk your life, get the reward.
>When you get back to base; things would be divided up differently, but here on the road everyone gets what they want.
>You dig into your share messily; using your fingers to hold the chunk of meat, while Coul slowly and delicately eats her portions , using her claws to cleanly slice the meat.
>As you sit and enjoy your meal you hear a drunken yelling voice which already annoys you.
>"Wheres Tread and his new BITCH, show me that pussy!" comes a screaming voice above the music and cheers.
>You groan as Ravish parts the crowd and strides to you, stumbling slightly.
>Ravish is an odd one out, a wolf female with ferocity and anger to rival anyone, but with too much unbridled rage to be in charge.
>She refused to carry any kind of gun when raiding, instead using a heavy club made to look like an axe.
>With a skull as her headdress and a least a dozen tails adorning her belt she strides to you drunkenly.
>She always got this way when she drank, like she could challenge you or something.
>Each time ended with her being humiliated.
>As she pushes through the crowd, you can feel the eyes of your faction on you.
>They look for weakness, look for anyway they can dig into you.
>"There he is with his new PUSSY! Just like I called it!" she roars stumbling towards you and Coul.
>A cool head always prevails; or at least in this case a sober one will.
>You smile coldly at Ravish and run a hand under Coul's road leathers.
>"Jealous?" is all you say in response, pulling your machine gun next to you in one hand while pulling Coul closer into your lap
>Ravish scowls and steps to you, growling angrily.
>"You might rule now, but the second you slip! I'm taking control!" she seethes as she stomps on Coul's tail.
>Coul winces in your lap, inadvertently digging her claws into your clothes. yet not making a sound.
>Ravish smiles, cruelly twisting her paw on Coul's tail.
>You in term take you machine gun barrel in one hand and bash the butt of it sharply into Ravish's tail; slamming it between your rifle butt and the hard ground.
>Ravish yelps in surprise and pain; earning a chuckle of laughter from the onlookers.
>"yea Ravish, you got what it takes, at least Coul didn't yelp like a pup" you say wryly, digging the heavy wooden stock of your gun onto her tail.
>She wanted to go for a weak part, she gets the same treatment.
>"Don't touch her again" you growl as you grind her tail down further, earning sharp whines
>Ravish tries for all she is worth to pull her tail out from under your gun, a mix of fury and pain on her muzzle.
>When at last she frees it, she scowls at you, baring her teeth.
>"One day Tread, I'll get you, and when I do, ill add your pussy's tail to my collection" she seethes before sulking off.
>Coul meanwhile, cradles her own tail; wincing slightly as she holds the now most likely bruised part of it.
>"I do no like her... She is a mean bitch" Coul mumbles more to herself than to you.
>"Aye that she is" you say calmly, adding a calming hand the hurt part of her tail.
>Coul purrs against you, holding your hand to her tail as you gently caress it.
>"Thank you for defending me master" she slowly purrs, rubbing against you slightly.
>"I am not your master Coul, I am just Tread" you respond.
>Coul stops her rubbing to examine you carefully.
>"You are not my master?"
>You study her for a moment.
>"I am your master I suppose, but you do not need to call me that every time; Tread works just fine"
>Coul studies your face for a moment, then hugs you tightly.
>"You are Tread, My Master"
>You are about to speak out against what she says, only for her to speak up once more.
>"You are MY Tread"
>It takes a moment for that to sink in, but you pull her face to yours in a kiss when you understand.
>"And You are MY Coul" you respond.