Judgment

"Uhnf! C'mon... hnn! Hyii! Hrrrr-!"

Struggle all he could, but Leone found it painfully difficult to tear through the unique tie around his wrists. Interlocking threads of tall grass, how the heck is it something so fragile could be so hard to break out of like this?

His eyes searched for a tool, a clue, a way out. Hmm, there was that obvious hole facing him like a tease, draped over by curtains which looked like more blades of grass. Well, seems they have the style sorted out, that's one thing about this Nekomata type he figured out. Think back, what do you remember about their kind?

Concentration wasn't his strength, but in desperate times anything was worth an attempt. He can't let the others know he was caught like this, he would be made a mockery of, or worse he would be stripped of his duty and be dealt with like trash! A quick shake of the head helped keep the thought away, with no one to relly on for help the hunter knew he had only his knowledge and skills to depend on. He stood still when something made movement of the curtains, before hearing the grunting of a woman cursing at... whom?

In a moment, he noticed a familiar dark brown arm poke through the curtains, gripping the dirt and struggling to push forward. Her claws had caught at the coverings, leaving the curtains to fall lightly as another Nekomata was revealed to him, this one with the same fur color as the one he spoke with before. She was much more clumsy, and a tad on the bigger spectrum. He found himself blushing as, to put it quite crudely, she was struggling to squeeze her ass through the entrance. Would be funny but... her chest was in full display for him. He crossed his legs cursing at their natural appearance and his inability to control himself. I'm a hunter, not a lover damn it!

She found success and pushed through, rubbing her large butt before crawling forward, eyes settling at the young man, very young actually! She found herself at awe at this man, this-this boy, by gosh he seemed close to her daughters age in fact! Suddenly she was questioning if they had incorrectly captured someone they perceived as a monster hunter.

A pair of other girls crawled through the hole with comparative ease, brushing their bodies and sitting at each side of her. Leone felt... like he was being analyzed. He could read their puzzling looks and shared glances amongst themselves, suddenly he felt aware of what they were thinking about him and his expression dropped to gloomy. They weren't even whispering anymore by this rate.

"Are we sure?"

"But he's so young!"

"And he looks adorable!"

"Ruisa!"

"What? He is, isn't he?"

"Girls, behave! Not in front of our guest." Cyri took command, brushing her thighs and waist before scooting forward. The place seemed to support them if they stood on their knees, standing up would be impossible with the low dirt ceiling. Leone looked up as this beauty cleared her throat and looked down at him.

"Hello there, can you understand us?"

"...yes?" Both girls giggled and clapped their paws before Cyri cut their celebration short.

"Are you a Monster Hunter, or..." He frowned, their it was. The inevitable thought he dreaded upon hearing often since he was allowed to walk freely as a hunter. Curse this baby face look.

"No, I am not a hunter." Screw it, maybe at least this time he could take advantage of their prejudgement.

"Oh, you're not?" Her ears looked like they drooped over in disappointment, the other two girls trading looks as if they were in trouble. "So then you're not a hunter, what were you doing when my girls found you with my daughter?"

Leone took a moment to breath and draw his thoughts in order.

"I was minding my own business when suddenly I heard the howling of wolves followed by the scream of a woman in danger. When I arrived, several wolves were readying to make a meal out of her so I scared them off. Suddenly I feel a blow to the head and now here I am."

One of the girls was not convinced. "Wait, how did you scare off a pack of wolves?"

"Uhh, I ran over with my horse and shouted at the top of my lungs. Loud noise frightens them." He made that bit up, hoping for them to take the bait.

"No, wolves don't scare that easily in a pack, especially to horses." Damn it.

"Well... they back off when I had my horse rear up on its hind legs to give the illusion of a large appearance. Tall creatures that stand their ground can intimidate them." That bit was true and added a layer of confidence in his voice. He nearly smiled seeing them converse as they took his story as the truth. Maybe this is working out after all.

Cyri would be the one in charge, he noticed she would delay all arguments with the lift of a paw. Though there are slim differences like eye color and size, he couldn't help but see the striking resemblance she had with the last Nekomata he met. Once they were done talking, she scooted closer.

"If what you say is true, then I believe we have had a misunderstanding. I apologize if this is the case, and we will be returning you outside within the hour, blindfolded of course."

"Sounds sweet." He grinned, feeling accomplished and witty when someone shouted outside the den.

"What! Mother, wait!" That voice, oh no. Scampering through the burrow, he saw the daughter, Emyri enter inside with another cat girl failing to pull her away. Cyri shook her head as the other girls crossed their arms. "Mother please, what are you doing?"

"Sweety, please not now Mommy is busy."

"Mommy is making a big mistake! He's a hunter, I told you so."

Leone frowned. "No I'm not."

"Really, then what were you doing outside during winter? You certainly aren't a local since you're not wearing the same clothes."

"I was hunting."

She huffed. "Hunting my butt!"

"Deary!"

"Not now mom, look I know what you're playing at and it's not working, not with me. Check his clothes mom, he was wearing metal stuff on him like a hunter!"

Both girls including Cyri glanced back at the hunter, making him nervous.

"I-It was just armor, you can never be too careful with wild animals these days."

Cyri looked back at her frustrated daugher, who seemed to be groaning and pulling her tails.

"Nuuuuu, no! What about your horse?"

"What does that prove, that I don't live nearby?"

Cyri approached her with a paw to her shoulder. "Sweety, I think you should let Mommy take over. You've done enough, we can talk later-"

"No! No, I am not the one who is wrong and this time I can prove it!" She backed away before rushing to him on all fours.

"Whoa-hey! What are you doing?" He was staggering, kicking his feet as she climbed up on his lap. "Easy now!"

"You're going to prove to them, you're telling the truth one way or another." She hissed, carefully sliding her claws over the cloth of his underarmor. The hunter was staring wide-eyed, helpless as she sat comfortably.

The witnesses gasped with Cyri feeling rather embarrassed. "Really Emyri, if you want him it's not like this."

"Not a word, I know what I'm doing this time!" She smiled, sticking her tongue out before tearing his shirt off, revealing his slim, sweat-lathered chest. What? It was hot being stuck underground with a fire beside him.

"Oh my." Cyri blushed, cupping her mouth as her two friends squealed in surprise and excitement. Zimi was silently watching from the entrance, gasping and wondering what the heck her friend was doing.

"Please stop?"

"Not a chance!" She shouted, struggling to pull his shirt off until finally she heard it give and rip and tear. Something flew off and landed with a soft thud in front of her mother. When Cyri and her council girls peaked in, they recognized the silver sculpture before squealing in shock.

"A Monster Hunter badge!" One of them shouted, with Emyri sneering at the hunter's face.

"Told ya! Now, I accept an apology but I want him around to poke in his head. Mom if we learn more about these guys we can be ready in case we face more of them in the future. Maybe we can avoid them, heck maybe we can beat them, you or me or my kids or my kids' kids! Doesn't that sound like it could benefit us, Mom? Benefit the clutter?"

Cyri scooped the badge up before discussing it with the others. In the meantime, Emyri sneered at Leone and stuck her tongue out, feeling delighted in her accomplishment. He didn't seem interested, avoiding her eyes and looking away for some reason. Ugh, he smelled weird and funny.

"You know... this might be crazy but I think you're on to something, love."

"I am?" Her ears shot up at once.

Cyri nodded, a smile beginning to form. "I think it sounds like a good idea, and it allows us to keep a watchful eye over him. But sweetheart, we don't know anyone who can get information out of hi-"

"I-I'll do it! Totally, you can count on me this time Mom! Please?"

Cyri giggled and nodded. "Okay then, if you feel up for the task I... sniff sniff... I suppose?" Even her council members were sniffing the air, with Emyri finding the scent growing stronger.

She turned around to gloat. "Hear that? I'm your hunter now, nya-ha!"

"P-Please get off." He struggled to mutter those words, focusing all of his strength to avoid it from happening. Damn it, stop wiggling on my lap! Peeking through his eyes, he was met with her soft body and decently supple and firm looking boobs. "Ah crud."

"What-NYA!!!"

She lept up, smacking her head onto the ceiling and running off into her mother's arms, burying her face into her chest. Cyri patted her daughters head before the other two gasped and giggled. "What? What is it-oh!"

The hunter was sporting quite a tent pitched under those pants. His blush and hung face was enough to admit defeat. Suddenly one of the council girls felt her tummy growl with the other beginning to salivate, swallowing quite a heavy amount to keep from drooling.

Well, if he wasn't being looked at like eye candy before.

Cyri began to laugh suddenly, shaking her head and keeping the other girls in line. "Well, he is definitely all yours to handle if you still wish to keep him."

"Mum! Guurss!" He couldn't hear her clearly, her words muffled under her mothers bosom.

"Oh hush dear. As for you, get comfortable hunter. You're going to stay with us for quite some time. Let's go girls, we have a lot to discuss now."

"P-Permission to stay behind?" One of them asked.

"On what grounds?"

"To... um, stand guard?"

"Ruisa, I can smell you from here. Denied."

She began to pout. "But he's so adorable, and I'm so thirsty now!"

"Denied!" She whined, nodding and following through the hole. Emyri glanced back at the hunter one last time before sticking her tongue out to him.

"Later, creep!" She flicked her tail before crawling out, leaving him cursing in the dust, sweaty and shirtless and with an aching hard on to boot.

That little brat!