Rik stepped forward, her eyes glowing yellow, swinging her fists wildly. Bron on the other hand, took conservative steps, dodging the gnoll’s haymakers. Although the Rik was much larger than the orc, she wasn’t as skilled in hand to hand combat and although her gnollish rage made her a formidable opponent, it also made her clumsier and less precise.

-Should we do anything about this? – Chety asked while reaching for the bottle of rum.

-I don’t think so. – Tarek answered calmly while taking a light sip from his pint. – They need to get it out of their system. Its only natural.

-You heard what she said she’ll do to him if she beats him, right?

-Do you have so little faith in Bron’s abilities?

-No…-Chety finally reached the bottle, undoing the cap, he took a long swing - …but let’s assume, for arguments sake, that she beats him. Then what?

-We interfere. Naturally.

-And what if she beats us up?

Tarek scratched his chin.

-Well…let’s hope it won’t come to that. – Tarek sipped his drink and stretched back, observing the fight.

Bron ducked under each of Rik’s haymakers, stepping from one side to the other. Although he was a bit drunk earlier, the adrenaline quickly sobered him up. Rik’s attacks were fairly quick, but lacking the experience, not a single a hit landed on the orc.

After Bron ducked another clumsy punch, he stepped forward. With the momentum of his step and using the strength of his entire back and arm, he delivered a punch in Rik’s weak spot, now more inflated from all the alcohol she had consumed. Upon impact, Bron’s fist was instantly sucked into Rik’s abdomen, her gut assuming an almost jelly-like quality, surprising even the orc himself. Bron was used to delivering quick jabs, one after another, but, for whatever reason, this time he pushed his fist as deep as it could go, completely engulfed in the gnoll’s belly. He pushed it as much as he could, reaching the halfway point to his elbow.

His pseudo-experiment, had the orc in a trance-like state, until his concentration was shattered when Rik’s head landed directly on his shoulder. The audience spewed their drinks from laughter as they saw the otherwise terrifying gnoll’s face contort in the same way it had been described during the entire night – her cheeks puffed and her lips puckered with a high pitched stream of wind fizzling out of them. Her glowing yellow eyes, usually associated with fear, were now crossed and slowly going up her head, dismissing any sort of threat they previously possessed.

-Maybe we should call her The Blowfish, eh Chety? – Tarek managed to say in between his bombastic laughs.

Chety tried to answer, but whatever he wanted to say was left unintelligible due to his laughter.

Bron felt Rik grabbing his arm, with what little strength she could muster, so he slowly turned his fist around, which in turn, forced Rik’s expression to change yet again. Her mouth slowly opened, emitting a low guttural sound, with saliva running down her tongue and onto Bron’s back.

-Off…right in the breadbasket, eh Riki, ol’ girl. – Bron chuckled, but the gnoll didn’t answer. – More like a paunch, actually.

Rik unable to push Bron away, finally just started taking steps back, releasing the orc’s fist from its fleshy prison. Bron quickly pulled his arm out and took a few steps back, ready for the gnoll’s retaliation, but she just staggered left and right, holding her belly.

-Had enough?

Taking a few deep breaths in, Rik adjusted her stance and charged again at Bron.

-Guess not. – The orcs murmured under his nose and ducked under one of Rik’s punches.

This time around, her attacks were even slower, allowing Bron to dodge them with greater ease.

-You know…-Chety turned to Tarek - …just for a second there, I thought that would have been it.

-So did I. – Tarek answered and took another swing at his drink.

At this point the fight wasn’t as interesting as to the spectators. They could see that Rik’s form was even sloppier now and Bron had this in the bag. But he continued ducking and dodging her hits, as if playing with her.

-For Kri’s sake, Bron! Just finish this already. – Chety cried out – Its getting late…

-If you really insist. – the orc answered, smugness oozing from his voice.

After ducking another punch, he stepped forward and landed a direct uppercut under Rik’s chin. The gnoll lost her balance and Bron quickly moved in for a series of quick jabs into Rik’s stomach. Although not as powerful as his first attack, each one stunned the gnoll a bit more. Without really having any means to retaliate, she slowly backed away, but Bron continued with his punches. With each hit Rik folded a bit more, letting out small gusts of air until they were completely indistinguishable from each other, forming a light, constant torrent of wind. The barrages continued, Rik unable to respond except by stepping back and each consecutive blow shaking her a bit more, until even her pseudo-penis was hitting her stomach with a comical slapping noise. This still managed to entertain Tarek and Chety, with them letting out small spurts of laughter.

-You think that fake cock adds a bit of force to Bron’s punches? – Chety snickered.

-Mmmm…I like to think it does. Makes the whole thing seem…a bit more funny.

-Can’t argue with that, now can I?

-Nope.

The fighters slowly stumbled out of the campsite, finally Bron pinning Rik to a nearby tree. After another a final set of punches, Bron backed away. Wiping sweat from his brow, he examined his opponent. Rik’s belly was slowly puffing up again to its natural state and her eyes, although still unfocused, turned towards the orc.

-You might wanna tighten that belly.

Rik spat to one side, letting out a low growl, but Bron didn’t wait for a response. He assumed his fighting stance and again, using all the momentum he could muster, he extended his fist, his entire body tightened and his entire force concentrated in one spot.

The gnoll was ready this time. Upon initial impact, Bron noticed that Rik’s abs were tightened. Like steel, they didn’t budge. But that only lasted for about a tenth of a second. Bron fist again penetrated her gut, her once hard abs, now turned into mush, his fist pressed far within his opponent’s belly. He pushed it as hard as he could, going even deeper this time around, so much so that even the skin around her groin stretched and her pseudo penis pointed up at the orc.

Rik’s confident expression distorted once again, her mouth assuming the usual O shape. Her entire supply of air was knocked out of her with this punch, her jaw slacking down and the iris of her eyes disappearing up her skull and although the yellow glow still remained is was not as bright as before.

Rik, now gasping for air, had been completely defeated. Bron pulled out his fist from her gut, leaving her to fall down on the ground and curl up. The orc cracked his knuckles and turned towards the rest of his team, slowly approaching them.

-Wellp. That’s that. – He proclaimed and spat. – Turns out she really isn’t as tough and she wanted us to think.

-I’ll say. I guess even she can’t handle your punches. – Chety commented, scratching his head, still unsure of how to react.

-Heh…even told her to tighten up. – Bron stopped and stretched his back a bit, now that the fight had finished and the adrenaline draining from his body, his muscles stiffened a bit.

-Yeah…weird how even then she caved in. Guess she truly has a glass belly then. – Tarek took swing at his pint after which her left it on the ground and stood up. – Guess we should pick her up.

-Eh…leave be. Let her catch her breath at her own pace. I’m sure it’s tough to get your ego crushed so bad in one night. – Bron proclaimed, pride in his voice, stirred with a pinch of arrogance.

-Didn’t you recently get upper cut in the balls? – Chety asked, letting out his usual spurts of laughter.

Bron furrowed his brow.

-You want me to punch you too?

-No. No need for that. We’re all friends here, right? – Chety jokingly raised his arms in surrender

-That’s what I thought.

-Say…-Chety squinted his eyes. – Shouldn’t Rik’s eye glow…die out after she gets knocked out?

-What? – Bron turned around.

Rik’s jaw snapped right in front of Bron’s face, saliva getting in his eyes. Without wasting any time, the orc reacted. He bent down and jumped towards the gnoll’s mid section. His muscles tense from the near death experience, he threw one final punch, hitting Rik in the solar plexus. The blow lasted a mere second, after which Bron retracted his fist, but in that time, he managed to completely empty the air out of his opponent’s lungs with loud and quickly exhale , the attack itself sending waves through Rik’s body, rippling her soft belly.

Rik was petrified, unable to move or speak. She stood still, in the same position that she attacked, and after a few seconds she toppled down, trying to inhale. The glow in her eyes slowly started to fade away as she curled up in a ball, her mouth wide agape. A thin stream of air slowly made its way through her mouth, sounding like an out of tune tin whistle. Her gut was now completely caved in, her ribs visible through her skin.

-Well…that was unexpected.  – Bron exhaled, the surprise of the attack finally catching up to him.

-I’ll say…-Tarek commented as he got closer. – Say, the way she’s sucked in her belly reminds me when I tried to impress the girls in my village.

-Yeah? – Bron’s breathing slowly normalized.

-Yeah. Had a bit of a beer belly. Had to suck it up.

-And how would that go?

-Sometimes it worked. –Tarek laughed.

-Jee, Bron – Chety joined in on his companions – Don’t you think you went a bit overboard with that?

-A bit over…-Bron furrowed his brow at the kobold. – She tried to bite my face off!

-Yeah…she did…but still… - Chety walked around the unmoving gnoll – You think you hit her spine with that one?

-Well, I’m good – Bron scratched his cheek – But I’m not that good.

Chety lightly pushed Rik with his foot. There was no response.

-Is she dead? – Chety finally asked.

-No she’s not dead. – Bron objected. – I can hear trying to take a breath.

-Could be a death rattle, you know.

-Huh…

Bron cautiously closed the distance between himself and Rik. He squatted near her and slowly got even near her. Rik sharply inhaled, scaring the orc and causing him to tumble backwards. After the initial inhale, she started to slowly exhale. Once again, her cheeks puffing up the usual way, so large that you could mistake them for balloons, her mouth puckered in its usual O shape.

After shock had passed, Bron laughed, both from the relief and the caricature of a warrior that laid before him. His nervous laughter shifted into a full hearted one, the two other bandits following his example.

Now that the fight was over, Rik’s rage had completely evaporated and with it her erection had gone. The gnoll turned around and tried to lift herself up. Half conscious, she could barely stand on her legs, her one arm still grabbing her belly, while the other one dangled lifelessly.

-By Crom, Rik! You had us a bit scared there! – the orc got up and dusted his leggings. – So, do you yield.

There was no coherent response, only guttural noises, growls and the occasional gasp.

-I’ll take that as a “yes”.

-Not really much of an answer really – Chety commented.

Bron didn’t pay him any attention and turned back towards the gnoll.

-You know, you fought well, for someone out of their element. – Bron said, believing that some sort of speech was in order at this point. – It’s actually a good thing that we found out that you got that weak spot so early, don’t you think? Probably avoided an accident waiting to happen.

-This…whole thing…isn’t an accident to you? – Chety chimed in.

-Shut it! – Bron spat and turned his attention back to gnoll, who didn’t seem to respond. – So…yeah! It’s no shame in having a weak spot! Everyone does! And don’t worry, earlier I said I’d take you to town and we’d get something for that belly of yours

Bron extended his hand a pat Rik’s belly in a friendly demeanor. At which point Rik grabbed him by the wrist, the yellow glow once more returning to her eyes, pulled him in and kneed the orc in the balls.

Bron immediately toppled over, with both the other rogues jumping back. Feeling secure in her victory, Rik walked right behind the orc, fully erect, with the veins on her pseudo penis visibly pumping blood.

-You remember what I told before we started this, Bron – her words were feral and barely understandable. – I’m gonna fuck you so hard that you’re gonna love me!

Bron couldn’t respond, losing all ability to speak after that attack. The gnoll intertwined her fingers and raised her fist high above her head, arching her back in preparation for her final attack.

-Let me show you how we gnolls assert our dominance!

Rik’s pseudo penis twitched, as she was about to lay her blow on the fallen orc’s neck and claim her prize. In one fell swoop, there was a thunderous smash.  It echoed through the valley, rustling the grass. Wind passed by Bron’s ears and even Chety fell on his behind.

Rik’s belly had been completely visible in the moonlight thanks to her position. It was obvious where it started and where it ended, her ribs and hips providing and adequate borders, like an anatomy sketch, turning the source the night’s troubles into the perfect target. In the time it took Rik to subdue her opponent to her preparation for her final strike, Taret had grabbed his weapon, a hammer, so heavy and large that it even took him, one of the strongest warriors in the country, some effort to lift it, and had swung it right into the unexpecting gnoll’s weak spot.

Rik folded around the head of the hammer, completely drained of air in one fell swoop. A puddle formed underneath her from the saliva. Her cheeks, puffed only for a second, quickly flattened.

The minotaur stood still, his face showing to emotion.

-“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

Rik was completely motionless, only this time around, after her breath had left her, there was another sound. Her stomach grumbled. Her mouth, a few moments ago only slightly opened, was now fully patulous with a mixture of all the liquids she had consumed, rum and water, pouring out, completely covering the grass beneath her. She would vomit in spurts, with some pauses up to a few seconds in between, all the while letting out belches here and there. The entire contents of her stomach had been physically pushed out from the blow. And when her stomach was empty, Rik puffed her cheeks one more time. She let out a monstrous belch, echoing through the entire valley. The steel, engulfed by her belly, vibrated from her grumbling gut.

Tarek squeezed the handle of his weapon. Turning the hammer around, the head squishing Rik’s belly,  perfectly fitting into the cavity between her ribs and hips. Tarek pushed the handle down and, with all of his might, he forced the gnoll skyward. As Rik ascended, she could barely tough the ground, her toes wiggling back and forth, scrapping the dirt by some subconscious reflex. With another push, the minotaur manages to completely lift Rik off the ground, her legs now completely motionless, only dangling back and forth by pure inertia. Rik, as usual, had her hands covering her belly, but this time, the cold, metal hammer was all they could touch. The gnoll’s tongue hung loose as the last remaining drops of saliva and stomach content dripped down on the ground.

Bron, finally regaining his sense, turned around and stood at awe at the sight. There was something breathtaking about this act – someone you had defeated thrice, who still managed to get the best of you, being completely and utterly dominated in such a way. As he stood, jaw agape, eyes wide, time seemed to slow down. The orc remembered two saying he heard. Art imitates life. Life imitates art. Bron believed that normally a person can only subscribe to one of those two paths, while dismissing the other. But this. This in front of him. This was the perfect synthesis of both of them.

-Y-you…you can put her down now… -Bron found himself murmuring, but Tarek didn’t comply.

Rik had completely envelope the hammer’s head, clutching on to it for dear life. Tarek tightened his grip and once more gently pushed the gnoll upwards. That was the final straw. Rik’s limbs, now completely lost all strength, dangled back and forth, the glow in her eyes completely gone, her tongue flapping back and forth from the light breeze. Rik let one final breath escape her mouth.

-Bet this wasn’t the penetration she was expecting, was it. – Bron chuckled, motioning with his head towards the now facet pseudo penis, rocking back and forth.

A light smile crept onto Tarek’s face and he decided to let the gnoll go. He lowered his hammer to one side, relieving pressure from her gut. For a moment, Rik managed to stay on her feet, but she quickly toppled over, landing face first on the ground, her arms and legs wrapping around her soft belly, with her naked ass in the air, her tail swinging left and right, the gnoll was finally defeated.

Bron finally managed to get up and stepped next to Tarek, who was expecting his hammer. It was warm to the touch, with some wet stains here and there.

-Maybe I should have hit her with the handle.

-Pfff…you know…-Bron scratched the back of his head. – I’m glad you didn’t.

-So…- Chety stepped forward, standing in between Tarek and Bron, joining the group in examining their fallen comrade. – Are you supposed to fuck her now?

-What? – Bron exclaimed, taken aback by the proposal.

-You know…- Chety tried to salvage his statement as much as he could. – She wanted to fuck you if she beat you in battle. So…you know…shouldn’t you fuck her, now?

-The hell is wrong with you?

-I’m just asking! I don’t know gnoll traditions!

-I think you shouldn’t fuck her. – Tarek chimed in.

There was a moment of silence and the group began to laugh. The laughter increased in volume and echoed through the entire valley. When he was done, Bron stepped to one side and gently pushed Rik on her back. There was a wet patch of dirt where her face was pressed. The gnoll’s belly slowly started to expand into its usual size, but she was now completely knocked out.

-You think she’s alright. – Bron asked, genuine concern in his voice.

-Probably. – Tarek answered while putting his hammer away.

-I’m serious. You hit her with a hammer. Couldn’t she get…I don’t know, internal bleeding or something.

The minotaur sighed.

-Look. I did what I had to do…

-Which I appreciate, don’t get me wrong.

-…but. I’ve seen that girl take much worse blows. You remember the story I told you about the magician, right?

Bron nodded his head.

-That was worse. Trust me.

-But still…- Bron crossed his arms.

-It’s a good thing that you are worried about the health of your friends, Bron – Tarek placed his hand on the orc’s shoulder. – But you shouldn’t forget that she tried to rape you in anger.

-Plus! She kicked you in the balls. –Chety let out a light laugh.

-Yeah…I guess she did…heh…

Bron looked around. He went back to the campfire, which had now completely died out a retrieved the gnoll’s cod piece. He thought about how exactly to proceed now, until he finally gently threw it over her pseudo penis.

-You know. – Chety spoke – I think Rik technically might have one your little duel. Considering that Tarek had to interfere and all.

-How’s about we don’t tell her that tomorrow? – Bron said with a nervous giggle.

-Works for me. So…that’s what gnoll women are like, eh? Wonder what the men are like…

-Less than that, don’t worry. – Tarek poured himself another pint of rum. – Although, you can think of her as basically man, can’t you?

-Oh…for sure… - Chety motioned towards Tarek’s pint – Can I get some of that?

-Considering the size of that fake cock of hers – Bron went back and grabbed his pint – I think she just might be a little more man than any of us here.

-Hehe…you heard that final belch didn’t you? That’s enough in my book. – Chety laughed as he poured down the contents of Tarek’s pint down his throat. – You know guys, it’s been fun, but I’m gonna hit the hay.

-Same here. – Tarek said as he stepped towards the tents. – I’ll just grab a blanket for Rik. I think we should leave her there for the night.

-Yeah…good idea. – Bron said, trailing off.

The orc stepped a bit closer to the now sleeping gnoll, her belly rising and falling as it was supposed to. Her tongue was still out, slobbering the ground she slept on and she would snore from time to time. Bron smiled and bent down.

-We’re getting you some armor tomorrow.

The orc patted her belly and a ticklish laughter escaped her muzzle.