Alex woke up to a persistent pounding sound reverberating in his skull.
The noise of his own blood pumping in his eardrums was accompanied by an ear-splitting high-pitched whine, which thankfully subsided as Alex slowly opened his eyes and blinked a few times to adjust to the dim lighting of his environment.
He was still indoors, that much was clear. Was he in a photography darkroom? No, it only seemed that way. The only sources of light in the room were long straight tubes of blood-red neon. They were arranged one at a time vertically in front of a series of tall smooth marble columns, which were far away and lined the room on either side of Alex, each archway between them obscured by red velvet curtains. The ceiling above him stretched upwards into darkness.
Alex tried to sit up to get a better view of where he was.
But … he couldn’t.
He could hardly move at all.
Every limb was chained down to whatever cold metallic surface he was lying on.
And he was completely naked.
Panic set in. His breath quickened. Alex tugged and tugged against the chains, pulling each one as hard as he could, to no avail. They didn’t budge an inch.
You’re so weak.
Don’t even try to struggle.
This is where you die, you pathetic piece of shit.
Alex was about to scream when he heard footsteps echo through the cavernous room. It wasn’t just one person—he could hear several people opening the curtains and entering the room at once. Faceless figures in black hoods and long cloaks shuffled into the space and encircled the platform he was lying on. From what little he could see from craning his neck, he estimated there were about fifteen or twenty people gathered around him.
Alex would be absolutely humiliated if he wasn’t so terrified right now.
A grinding, squealing noise of activated motors broke the silence. The metallic platform Alex was lying on began to slowly tilt forward, giving him a better view of the room—and the onlookers a better view of Alex.
Now that he was upright, Alex could actually take in his surroundings. It appeared that they were in the main concourse of some sort of abandoned train station, or a building that looked like one at least. Everything was marble and stone, but rather than the polished splendor of a well-maintained older building like the Academy Cathedral, this room was abandoned to the sands of time. Decrepit, dusty, crumbling, and covered in cobwebs, the only new parts of the architecture were the neon lights and velvet curtains. Alex could see now that the curtains and lights were on stands, and must have been hastily installed recently.
Perhaps, along with this platform, they were installed just for him, he thought.
The hooded figures, some taller than others, murmured among themselves while still facing Alex. The echoes in the room made it difficult to hear, but he could pick up occasional fragments of conversations.
“… really a paladin spy?”
“I reckon Syd brought him in so that …”
“… didn’t even fight back! Aren’t those pigs better trained …”
“… He’s, like, kinda cute, actually!”
“Do we all have to be here? I mean …”
“… I’m sure Alpha knows what …”
“… quite the most inhospitable locale for this …”
“I swear to the Goddess, Audrey, if you don’t stop complaining …”
Hold on.
He knew those last two voices.
“R-Roxy? Audrey?” he stammered weakly. His voice was hoarse. How long had he been unconscious?
“Aw, fuck.” One of the shorter figures lowered her hood to reveal her wild mane of black and red striped hair. Roxy turned to the taller figure she had been talking with, and hissed, “Look what you made me do, Audrey!”
“Made you do?” The other figure kept her hood up, but two green glowing orbs in the velvet darkness under the hood gave away who she was. Audrey replied, “Your inability to remain clandestine by revealing my real name instead of using a sobriquet is what notified our captive of our true identities.”
Roxy let out an exacerbated sigh, and turned to Alex.
“Yeah, you guessed right, you paladin scumbag.”
Scumbag? What did Alex ever do to them? Beastesses hated paladins, sure, that much he understood. It still stung when he was personally attacked. He was trying to save them from their sin! He was trying to be one of the good ones!
“W-w-where am I?” Alex asked.
“W-w-well,” Roxy replied, mocking his tone, “that’s on a need-to-know basis, and you don’t fucking get to know, pig.”
“Enough,” said an all-too-familiar deep raspy voice from behind Alex.
All of the hooded beastesses tensed up, with some of them peering around the platform Alex was chained to. Roxy pulled her hood back up over her head.
Striding around the metal platform and into Alex’s view was—who else?—Syd, also dressed in a black cloak with her hood pulled down. Her gargantuan shadowy silhouette, along with the dim red lighting, was the stuff of nightmares. She was the monster in the closet brought to life, and he was completely vulnerable. It wasn’t the same brave vulnerability he saw in Roxy and Audrey earlier that evening—if it still was the same evening—but rather a shameful exposure of everything he hated about his body to the kinds of people he least wanted to bear witness.
As Syd sized up Alex, tilting her head to one side for a moment and then the other while scratching her chin, he couldn’t help but think that she was looking at him in the same way a hunter looks at their freshly-killed game, deciding how best to carve up the carcass for cooking. He tried not to dwell on that thought.
Syd placed her hands on her hips, walked towards Alex as he did his best to push himself back into the metal surface, and looked down at him with a sinister grin.
“Did you have a good nap, cupcake?”
Taken aback, Alex whimpered, “Wh-what did you—”
Syd frowned and smacked him with an open palm across the face, hard. She was clearly holding back, but it still hurt like hell. Alex gasped, then cried out in pain.
“I want you to listen closely to me, paladin.” Syd grabbed his throat and the lower half of his face with one hand, her nails sinking into Alex’s cheeks. “Do not interrupt me. Do not speak unless I ask you a direct question. Answer truthfully, and you might survive. And most importantly … do not scream again. Do you understand?”
Alex could only weakly nod in response. His eyes met Syd’s. He could see his own fear reflected back at him through her ferocious golden eyes. The same fear and weakness he saw in his mirror at the academy whenever he could bear to look at himself.
Only this time … something about his reflection was different. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but there was something about being seen in a beastess’ eyes that made him consider his body in a different way. Still weak, still scrawny, but through the lens of a hungry monster’s gaze, he saw something else.
… Potential.
Syd wrenched his head away, forcing Alex to break eye contact.
“We ran a background check on you. Needed to figure out just how a measly cadet paladin could have snuck past our security. And boy, did we discover some juicy details!” Syd walked over to Audrey. “Mind filling our captive here about what we found, Audrey?”
“I wouldn’t mind in the slightest, Sydney, my dear,” Audrey said.
Now it was Audrey’s turn to grin. Her magitech ocular implants flashed for a second before projecting a glowing green hologram into the space in front of Alex. It was a virtual document listing basic public information about his life in monospace green text on a black background, but it also included his academy ID photo, his academic records, his medical history, surveillance footage of him from around campus, even all the emails he had sent to Sophie—private information about his life that could only have been obtained from hacking the APA database.
Alex didn’t know up until now that it was even possible to feel more naked than having no clothes on. These pagans continued to surprise and frighten him.
“Now, this is all textbook intelligence gathering, as you can plainly observe,” Audrey said, gesturing to the document as it scrolled down to one highlighted section. “One thing that caught my eye—no pun intended—was your library records.”
Audrey pointed at each title in turn as she read them off.
“A History of Paganism Through the Ages. Wild Magic Practitioners: A Sociological Investigation. Advanced Beastess Anatomy.”
“Ooo, I’ve read that last one, like, a thousand times!” came an excited high-pitched voice from a hooded figure that Alex didn’t recognize. “Wow, he’s got good taste!”
“Pipe down, Sabrina,” came a deep slow drawling voice from the only other hooded figure in the room who was as tall, or maybe taller, than Syd. “You’re so dang impulsive, honey.”
“Sorry, Meg!” Sabrina giggled.
“Don’t apologize to me,” Meg sighed. She removed her arm from under her cloak—revealing a huge magitech bionic prosthetic from her elbow downwards, with long sharp claws on her fingers—and carefully placed her large metallic hand on Sabrina’s shoulder. “Jus’ keep a lid on it while Syd’s talkin’ to the captive.”
“Anyway,” Syd said, casting a sidelong glance at Sabrina before looking back at Alex, “those are just a few of the many beastess-related books you’ve checked out during your time attending that academy. Dare I say, it looks like you’ve checked out every single book about pagans and wild magic at least once in the past four years. What we’re getting at here is that you seem to be very interested in our kind. Why?”
It’s not quite the question Alex was expecting. Aren’t interrogations supposed to be about getting valuable information from the enemy? This approach is way too … conversational. The banter from the peanut gallery behind Syd—probably her pack members, Alex guessed—only added to the weird atmosphere of it all.
“Why d-do you care about my reading habits?”
“Answering a question with a question!” Syd said. “Very clever. If we tell you why we want to know, will you answer my question?”
A quid pro quo? Okay, this was definitely strange. He’ll play along with the heathens. It’s not like he has a choice.
“… Sure.” Alex replied hesitantly.
Syd waved her hand, and Audrey shut off her holographic projection.
“If the paladins were sneaking in a cadet of all people to see our fight,” Syd said, “we thought surely they must be really good at something—top of their class, a skilled fighter, a magitech genius …”
“An expert in espionage?” Roxy suggested.
“Sure,” Syd said, rolling her eyes with a smirk. “And in a way, we were right! You’re probably the go-to beastess expert in your academy, correct?”
“I guess so?” Alex said.
“I think you know so,” Syd corrected. “But what’s got me stumped is this: why send someone like you to spy on us? So, I’m going to need you to tell me why you’re so interested in big, strong, wild women like us. What do you know about us that the other paladins don’t realize? You don’t seem like a typical paladin to me. Why did they send you?”
“I was … told you might be hiding something. That’s why you didn’t let any paladins in.”
“We keep them away for every fight! If they try to raid us, we either kick some paladin ass, or we bribe them so they leave us alone.”
“Okay um … maybe they were after you? Or trying to figure out how your wild magic worked?”
“Pfff,” Syd scoffed, “they could research that with the same books you had access to! So why the fuck did they send you?”
“I-I really don’t know, honestly!” Alex said. He felt hot wet tears streaking down his face. The fear and humiliation of this whole situation was becoming too much to handle. “I don’t know why they sent me on this mission! I-I’m just a pathetic loser! Every reason I gave is what they told me they wanted to find out, okay? Bishop Ironside assigned—”
Alex immediately shut his mouth and looked down, his tears dripping on the marble tile below. God above, you’re such an idiot, he thought. You just got tricked into giving up classified information to a pagan! Don’t do it again!
He silently weeped, trying to avoid looking down at his naked body.
Stupid. Weak. Scrawny. Cowardly. Pathetic.
Piece.
Of.
Shit.
Syd raised her eyebrows in surprise at his sudden breakdown. Then her expression softened, and she smiled and raised his chin up, cupping it gently with her thumb and index finger, so their eyes could meet.
“I don’t think you’re a pathetic loser, Alex,” she said. “Gullible, maybe … but not a loser.”
… Huh.
For the first time since he woke up, Alex didn’t feel so afraid.
Syd slowly and deliberately looked down at all of Alex on display, then back up again. She bit her lip and gave him a coy smile.
“And still very cute,” she said.
Alex's cheeks turned a deep shade of red that even the neon lighting couldn't hide.
“Now, hold up your end of the bargain: why are you so interested in beastesses?” Syd asked.
Grateful for the change of subject, Alex replied, “I, well, um … beastesses are one of the few practitioners of wild magic left, and the influence of beastesses on underground economies is incredibly complex, and the sheer biological implications of humans that can transform into animals is fascinating in and of itself, and … well, there’s a lot of reasons why I like them, really, and it’s kinda complicated …”
“Simplify it for me, then, paladin. Spit. It. Out.”
“I-I-I, uh … well, um,” Alex stammered, “despite being sinful p-pagans, I think that beastesses are … cool, actually.”
Alex fidgeted his feet in his restraints, and looked away.
He whispered, “I like how strong you all are. And …”
Deep breath.
He looked back up at Syd.
“… I want to be like you.”
He waited for the inevitable laughter from the crowd of women gathered around him. Men couldn’t be beastesses, and of course they knew that. It was impossible.
But it never came.
Rather than the confusion, disgust, or derision that he was expecting from her, Syd’s expression was one of … pity, perhaps? It quickly shifted to a confident smirk. That damn smile—it cut a furrow across her cheeks deeper than her scars, and she always showed off her fangs.
“You want to be like us, huh?” Syd said. She placed one massive palm on the metal surface next to Alex’s head.
“… Y-yeah.” Alex blushed and looked away from the bicep as big as his skull.
Syd took her hand away and stepped back, crossing her arms.
“Then why the hell did you join the paladins? They’re a bunch of fucking cowards, hiding behind their shiny badges, tin-foil armor, and shitty-ass religion.”
“Hey!” he objected. “They’ve trained me to be a better person than I ever was before I joined the academy! We’ve provided a valuable service to the public since—”
“Oh, spare me! You know it’s all bullshit, Alex! The paladins are nothing more than the violent thugs of the state, spreading hatred and bigotry in the name of getting rid of ‘sin.’ Only … the sin never quite goes away, does it? You wouldn’t have a job if it did! The Church needs us as much as it hates us! So the rich get richer, the poor get poorer, and you fucking pigs waste your time targeting people like us—people who don’t fit in—just to appease some old rich fuckers and make more bribes with the megacorps. No wonder everyone hates the paladins.”
Alex shut his eyes tightly and turned his head to one side. He clenched his fists.
“You know I’m right,” Syd continued. “I know you do, because you’ve thought the same thing. No wonder you envy us, because being a paladin sucks! Whether by accident or on purpose, the paladins are making the city worse, and you know it … and you hate yourself for being a part of it.”
His eyes shot open. Alex looked back at Syd, shocked.
“How dare … you don’t know what I think …” Alex whispered.
Syd laughed sarcastically, with that same loud barking laugh from when Alex first met her.
“I don’t? Did you forget we’ve read through all of your emails and messages with that templar friend of yours? All your doubts, all your questions … you always accepted her answers, but you never stopped questioning, never quite fell in line with the propaganda that those pigs like her were feeding you.”
Okay, that was a step too far.
Alex felt a prickly heat all over his body. He pulled forward against his restraints, the chains rattling under the tension.
Summoning up all of his courage, he yelled, “D-don’t talk about Sophie that way! I don’t c-care what you say about me, but you don’t f-f-fucking talk that way about my best friend!”
Oh shit, he spoke out of turn.
But Syd seemed to be more taken aback by his anger than upset at him. She put up both of her hands defensively.
“I don’t doubt that she’s your friend and that she’s trying to help, but she’s also a fucking templar, Alex. She’s lying to you because she’s lying to herself.”
She poked him in the center of his chest with one finger.
“And so are you,” Syd said.
The huge beastess woman turned around and started walking away from Alex. The crowd parted to make way so Alex could see her walk all the way towards the other side of the room.
“Which brings us to our final point,” she said, a bit louder, her voice echoing through the chamber.
Syd turned around and stepped to one side. She pulled a remote control out from under her cloak and brandished it proudly. Even from how far away she was, Alex could see her golden eyes glimmer and the fangs in her smile glisten in the receding darkness.
“Our Alpha would like to have a word with you.”
Syd pressed a button on the remote. On the other side of the room from Alex, a series of neon tubes which lined the railing of a large wide marble staircase—teal-colored lights this time—flickered on and buzzed softly. The sudden brightness made Alex squint for a moment, but as his eyes adjusted, he could see the lights dramatically illuminated a new figure.
Standing on the landing of the staircase, with her hands behind her back, was a gigantic statuesque woman—taller than Syd!—who, Alex couldn’t deny, looked drop-dead gorgeous in her long elegant black dress that hugged her every curve.
Wait.
Hold on.
No, not just a woman.
… She was a lioness.
“Hello, Alexander.”
She gave a positively sultry glance at Alex and swished her long tail back and forth, looking casually at her claws on one paw like she had just gotten them painted.
Or perhaps like she had just wiped the blood from them after a fresh kill.
Her muzzle curled open as she bared her fangs, with a smile as wide and as sinister as a Cheshire cat.
“Or would you prefer I call you Lexi, my dear little church mouse?”