Once you do fall asleep your dreams are filled with the oddest imagery. Running through the snow-covered woods, tracking the scent of your prey. Eagerness as you bound through the fresh, undisturbed powder. Then you see him ahead of you. A stag, his majestic antlers still unshed, looming in the distance.
You give chase, four powerful legs beneath you carrying you surefooted across ice covered rocks, and frozen streams. Finally, you quarry is in reach, you spring on him, your paws wrapping around the stag, bringing him down under you, your muzzle meeting his in an eager kiss, your paws turned hands exploring his body as you feel his hands running through your fur.
Your bodies joining together in an embrace, limbs tangled together. The heat from your throbbing cocks pressed together. The stag turns and presents his ass to you, tail flicking out of the way as you bury you cock inside of him, feeling complete and one with the beautiful beast beneath you. He cries your name as you thrust into him, "Nate!"
"Nate!"
"Wake up, Nate!" Your eyes flutter open, the feeling of someone holding your hand causing you to turn your attention over there. Yuriv kneels naked next to you, holding your transformed hand in his, though it looks to have progressed even further in the night. He gives one of your fingertips a squeeze, and a claw slips free. "Feline." He says with a shake of his head. "Hopefully not a lion. Probably not with this grey color." He runs a hand through the fur that has covered your arm all the way up to the elbow. A mix of smokey grays, long and thick. Perfect for a creature living in the cold north.
He looks into your eyes and leans forward, his hand reaches out to caress one of your ears, and you can feel it running over a point at the top. "I think if we don't get you help by tonight, you're stuck."
"Is that such a bad thing?" Your mouth feels odd and after a moment you discover it's because you've grown a pair of rather prominent fangs. "I mean what I said last night. I want to be with you."
"I've seen the curse turn people into lust slaves, I.. I want you, too. But I need to be sure. Otherwise I'm no better than Riefclaw." Yuriv backs away from you and starts digging in his pack, pulling out some food. Cheese, some dry biscuits, and a bit of dried meat he holds out to you.
You accept the food gratefully, your stomach rumbling at the smells. Smells much stronger than they should be. "But, I didn't touch your seed till last night, it was that wolf's that got me first. He's not the one I'm thinking about all the time."
This seems to give Yuriv pause. He goes quiet as he eats his meal, motioning for you to do the same. As you do you take stock of your changes. The hair that covers your chest and stomach now has a much more fur like quality to it, also turning from the brown that had matched your hair to a soft gray-white in the center. A casual examination of your face with your freehand reveals that beyond the pointed ears and fangs, the only real change is your beard has grown in from stubble much faster than it normally does, and the hair is a bit softer. Your muscles are noticeably more defined as well, though sleek instead of bulky
You tug open your pants to reveal a thankfully still human looking cock, though still erect from your dream. The front of your pants damp from your nocturnal musings.
"We should get going, we have even less time now." Yuriv dug a fresh pair of shorts out of his pack and is pulling them on, much to your dismay. You were quite enjoying watching him stroll about naked. He comes over and helps you to your feet. For a moment you stand there face to face. You notice with surprise you're taller, still nothing on the stag's seven feet, but you don't have to crane your neck quite as much anymore. For a moment, you think he's going to kiss you and then he's pulling away and heading towards the cave entrance. With a sigh you follow after.
You spend the next couple of hours walking in silence, any questions only get a short grunt of response from Yuriv, as if he's afraid even talking with you will spread the curse further. So you give up and just keep your attention split between the woods and watching Yuriv's ass in those tight shorts of his. You really hope this constant horniness abates a little at the end of this, no matter the result.
Lost in thought you don't notice that Yuriv has come to a halt in front of you and bump right into him. "Yur.." Your mouth goes dry as you see a fox in armor standing in the road ahead of you. Not gleaming plate armor, but leather, studded with metal nubs. He has a sword at his side, but a crossbow raised and pointed right at Yuriv's chest.
"Well, well, a pair of lost pups all alone in the woods." The fox chides lightly.
Then a voice comes from the woods. "Boss, the smaller one is still mostly human!"
A jerk of the cross bow towards you is all the instruction you need to come up beside Yuriv. "Well, I'll be damned, a half-cursed humey. I've got six more marksmen in the woods, each of them with a crossbow trained on your skulls. So answer me truthfully. What are you doing in these woods?"
"I'm looking for the wizard Jargus. I want to see if he can help my friend here. I'm just getting something out of my pack.." Yuriv slings his pack around and digs into one of the pockets, pulling out a wooden disc he shows to the fox. "I'm a friend."
The fox creeps forward to look at the disc and tsks under his breath. "That's his mark alright." He tugs at a leather cord around his neck, pulling a similar disc out from under his armor. "Follow me, I'll bring you to him. The rest of you idiots, keep watch." There's only the faintest rustling in the woods as the others back away. You couldn't see them, but you're positive they were there. A mix of scents that registered in your mind as individuals. Your nose was certainly getting better, if only it didn't carry Yuriv's musk to you even better.
You and Yuriv follow the fox deeper into the woods, every so often the scent of someone else wafting towards you, the smell of another sentry or guard, but only after you passed. They were smart enough to stay downwind of anyone approaching. Soon you come to a clearing, a clearing bustling with activity. A camp has been set up with a makeshift wooden palisade surrounding it. "Welcome to the rebellion." The fox says as he shoot the pair of you a grin.
"A bunch of lackwits that think they can fight Riefclaw's magic." Yuriv says with a sour tone, he looks over at you. "A bunch of exiles and runaways that want to oust Riefclaw. They'd fall on their knees to suck him off once he pushed at them with the curse."
The fox, rather than looking insulted, just laughed. "We're working on ways around that. Jargus almost has it solved. But what would a thief care about other than himself."
Yuriv just shoots the fox a sour frown, but you feel his hand slip into yours to give it a comforting squeeze, as if to say, 'You. I'd care about you.'
You're being led to a large tent towards the center of camp. Though most of the tents are patched and shoddy, this one still has a bit of grandeur to it. The figure sitting outside is just as impressive. Must be Jargus' personal guard. The wolf is proportioned more like a bear, tall and thickly muscled, even under his shaggy black pelt you can make out the lines of his pecs and biceps. He has a bit of a gut, and his muzzle is stained gray from age, but only a fool would think this wolf weak or old. He stares into the fire in front of him, stirring a stew in a pot.
"Jargus, I found this pair in the woods looking for you." The fox motions to you and Yuriv.
You're incredulous, this monster of muscle is.. "This is the wizard?!" You can't help yourself. You clap your hand over your mouth almost as soon as the words escape, but it's just met by a booming laugh from the giant wolf.
"Another child who thinks all wizards have to be doddering old men in robes. I'm a wizard of the wilds. I make my home in nature, it's a hardy discipline. And you.." He stands and takes a few steps towards you, looking you up and down. "Are just about halfway through the curse." He looks to Yuriv, his smile turning into a frown, then turns to the fox. "Thank you Makin, I'll take it from here. This stag is an old friend."
Old you think to yourself, Yuriv can't be much past 25 years, only a few years older than yourself. It was hard to tell without seeing a human, but you're more than certain, now. Almost as if sensing your thoughts he turns to you. "I've known Yuriv here since he was born. Taught him how to live in the woods and off the land. Has he told you who he really is?"
"Jargus! I didn't come for your games. Nate here needs your hel.."
He's cut off as Jargus jabs a clawed finger into the middle of Yuriv's chest. "I suspect you've put this poor young man in more danger than he knows. If I help him, it's going to cost you." Jargus wanders to his tent, pushing the flap aside and motioning you to follow.
Yuriv chases after Jargus and you follow after, but you can still hear the stag's whispered plea. "Anything you want, just help him."
"Anything?" Jargus' brows shoot up, his ears perking. "What is he to you?"
"I.. I don't know." You can't recall seeing Yuriv so out of sorts, this whole trip he's been confident.
"Fine." Jargus plucks a few leaves off a plant hanging from a cord from the tent ceiling, holding them out to you. "Chew this. It'll slow the curse a bit, give me more time to work. I make no promises though. This curse is powerful, and your friend seems hard under its sway despite the slowness of his transition. Almost as if.." The wolf leans forward and gives you a sniff. "Two points of transmission. He's been infected twice?! And one is yours?!"
"Please don't yell at him. I.. it was my fault. I touched his.. I almost.. he stopped me." You find your voice as you pop the leaves in your mouth. They're horribly bitter but you continue to chew anyway. Yuriv on the other hand is scuffing his hoof on the packed dirt floor.
"My price, Yuriv, is that you stay here three days. Get to know the rebellion. I'm not going to force you to join it, but you should know these people. You belong here." Jargus moves about the tent, gathering ingredients on the table. The wizard looks at you. "Do you know the story of this land?"
You nod slowly.
"Well, Duke Neren, the lord of this land had a son that wasn't killed. A son that decided to run off and become a thief." Jargus looks pointedly at you then at Yuriv. "You could rally this rebellion, be the leader you're supposed to be, and overthrow Riefclaw, instead of just looking for ways to tweak his nose. Now go, mingle. I need to concentrate. You meet the men that are still loyal to your father's memory."
Yuriv actually looks guilty, then angry, then he looks at you and he looks desperate. He comes closer to you, whispering into your ear. "You'll be fine, I won't be far." Then he presses his muzzle against your lips, letting the kiss linger for a moment before leaving the tent.
"So, Nate. What do you want?" Jargus' tone with you is gentle despite his gruff voice. "You've done something to Yuriv there. I haven't seen him really give a damn about anything since his friends died, and not this much since before his father died. He must really care for you to come to me. He'd know I'd try to manipulate him. So again.. what do you want?"
You look at Jargus, perplexed. "What do you mean?"
He holds up rock carved with runes in front of your face. "There's a part of you that wants to be cured, and maybe I can do that. I haven't really had anyone to try with before. But a part of you also wants to become what you're becoming, because you feel something for that stag out there. We can say I tried and failed, or you can just admit it to him."
"He thinks the curse is.. making me want him."
Jargus laughs. "Aye, the curse can do that, but no, son, those feelings of yours I think are genuine. So tell me.. what do you want? Do you want to be human, or do you want to be with Yuriv? I think you'd make quite the dashing lynx personally. Summers might be a little miserable, but..."
"Lynx?"
Jargus just nods. "That's what you're becoming, though maybe I could.. shake things up if that isn't to your taste, that could have some risky side-effects. Whatever you pick, I'm going to want to keep an eye on you, I've never seen the curse moving so slowly, and it'll give me knowledge of its workings I can ill afford to pass up."