Yundo's eyes sparkled with awe as he wandered through the abandoned city atop the Ebony Tower. The brilliant blue sky shone above the ancient buildings, and the radiance of the sun bathed the street canyons in a surreal light, making it seem as if time had frozen to a stand-still. The slugcat had never seen such a well-preserved relic of the fallen civilization, but the centuries had still left their mark. The city's once vibrant colors had faded to pale shades, and the concrete facades were worn and sanded by the relentless winds that swept through every crack and crevice. Most windows and doors were shattered and broken, and the innumerable metal poles and contraptions that lined the streets had long lost their original purpose, only serving to reinforce the omnipresent aura of death and decay. Wherever he looked, not a scrap of life was left. There were no creatures, hostile or friendly, no bugs and worms, and not even any plants, just a layer of sand and dust covering every inch of the concrete colossi, and aside from the howling winds, it was eerily quiet. So high above the cloud height, the city probably hadn't seen a drop of rain in centuries, and so what must've once been heaven had become hell, another obstacle on his way back to his beloved lizard.

Slowly but surely, the all-encompassing aura of death seeped into Yundo's body and mind. With every breath of the dry, dusty air, every step on the hard concrete, and every icy gust of wind, the initially enchanting sight of ancient splendor became increasingly bleak. As beautiful as this city might once have been, the slugcat didn't want to stay in it for longer than necessary. With Radiant Heat's advice in mind, he kept plodding away from the searing sun, down the endless streets, and hopefully closer toward the edge of the tower. At least, the ancient city wasn't as confusing and labyrinthine as the alien machine that lay beneath its foundation, only hindering his progress through its gigantic size.

After hours of mindless marching -- the sun was already setting -- the thicket of skyscrapers and apartment blocks around the slugcat cleared. The street he had been following for so long had finally reached a dead end, stopping in front of a 50-foot brick wall. Yundo paused briefly to catch his breath and relax his heavy, cumbersome body before resuming the search for the way forward. While the towering wall seemed insurmountable at first, he eventually spotted a rusty, slightly ajar metal door that led right into its core. He wasn't sure what exactly waited behind it, but it probably got him closer to the edge. So without another thought, he entered the darkness and found a maze of narrow corridors, steep staircases, and empty chambers that reminded him of his odyssey inside the Ebony Tower. At least this time, he didn't have to wander around in the dark, as his body still emitted a faint glow from the one floating orb he had eaten days ago.

Luckily, the labyrinth inside the wall wasn't all that long or complicated. Before Yundo knew it, he emerged in a small, quaint room with colorful wallpapers and intact albeit dust-ridden furniture. The rays of the evening sun fell through a single narrow window, immersing the interior in a mellow orange. As he looked outside, the slugcat caught a glimpse of the city's outskirts. It lay several hundred feet below him and spanned all the way to the edge of the tower. Several evenly-spaced channels filled with water cut through the plateau, and unlike the rest of the city, the area around each stream was populated by bushes, vines, grass, and, much to the slugcat's dismay, lizards. His smile turned into a frown at the sight of the many blue, orange, and green reptiles roaming the outskirts. They were yet another bothersome obstacle on his way out, but that was something he would worry about tomorrow. The current day was fading, and he was exhausted from the long march, so he decided to call it and take a long-overdue rest. After all, he had been awake since he had woken up deep inside the Ebony Tower, which must have been at least a few days ago.

Yundo stretched and yawned as he scanned the chamber for a suitable place to sleep. As luck would have it, one of the worn pieces of furniture was nothing but a large steel frame holding soft green bedding, blankets, and pillows, most likely the bed of one of the city's former inhabitants. Without another thought, the slugcat pulled back the covers and flopped down on the wonderfully warm and comfortable mattress. Just this once, the dead city was a blessing as he didn't have to worry about any threats, be it predators or the rain, and he could drift off to sleep without a single worry in his mind.

The sun had just about risen on the horizon when a strange rustling jolted Yundo from his slumber. He wrenched his eyes open and jumped up, adopting a defensive stance to fight off whatever intruder had come to attack him. Fortunately, he wasn't dealing a big, hungry predator, but only with a small, timid creature, of which he saw only a narrow white tail as it fled through the door. Whatever that had been, it didn't seem too dangerous, and yet, going back to sleep was out of the question. The slugcat didn't want to take any risks, and the new day was beginning anyway. So he sluggishly climbed off the bed and sat on the floor, trying to figure out how to proceed. Should he try to pursue the critter or just ignore it and leave?

His decision was made for him as the stubby, triangular snout of a white lantern mouse peeked through the door frame, inspecting him with two big black eyes and twitching whiskers. Apparently, the rodent's curiosity had won out over its natural shyness, but there was more to it than that. A hint of despair and hope sparkled in the mouse's dark eyes.

"Hey, you. Who are you, and what are you doing in a place like this?" Yundo asked in a low voice, barely moving so he wouldn't scare the unexpected visitor away again.

However, his efforts didn't help much. The timid mouse flinched and disappeared the moment he heard Yundo's voice, scuttling away into the other room and hiding in the rearmost corner.

"Don't worry, I won't do anything to you. I'm not hungry, and I don't have a weapon." Yundo whispered into the darkness, wondering if the mouse even understood him. The scavengers roaming this area had a pretty foreign accent, and it wasn't impossible that this creature just spoke a completely different language altogether.

Yundo's assumption proved to be wrong when a weak warbling emerged from the door, "You don't need a weapon to kill me, and I don't believe you that you aren't hungry. There is almost no food around these ruins. Everybody here is hungry or dead." Then, the slugcat heard the mouse scampering back, and his adorable, pointy muzzle emerged from the darkness once more. "Also, what are you doing here if you're not on a hunt? There is no other reason to be here."

"I'm merely on my way through. A stroke of bad luck, or rather the Rot, has dragged me into the heart of this tower. That's why I'm here, and all I want is to leave this place as fast as possible, " Yundo followed up. "Trust me, I don't need to bother with you at all. And yet, I'm curious about why you've chosen to live here, between a dead city and lizard-infested wastes?"

"I don't live here!" the mouse wailed. Just like that, it broke out of him as he quickly lost itself in tears of despair, crying, "I- I got lost. I don't want to be here! I want to go home! But I can't! Everything wants to eat me out there, and I don't think I can make it back ever. I'm trapped here forever. Until I die!" 

The rodent's emotional outburst pulled at Yundo's heartstrings, affecting him harder than he had expected. Something about the poor creature's situation sounded very familiar to his own: trapped and with no way out. Only, the little mouse seemed to have suffered this fate for much longer, vegetating between two kinds of gruesome death. Without any more thought, the slugcat reached out, "I know. I don't want to be here either. Tell you what, I can help you get home if you like."

The heart-wrenching sobbing stopped, and the mouse stammered, "Really? You would do that? Why? Admit it! You only want to eat me!"

The slugcat rolled his eyes and sighed. Holding up both paws, he revealed casually, "Why do I even bother? Because I've been at the same point not too long ago, and I know how awful it feels to be lost and alone. And trust me, if I wanted to eat you, I would've already caught you. I've slain countless lizards, even a red one, centipedes, and even a vulture once, so a lantern mouse like you would never stand a chance." This was a risky bluff. Either it would drive the mouse away for good or convince him that he didn't harbor any mal-intent. Moreover, it was a white lie since Yundo had never slain any stronger foe without weapons and Lash's assistance, but that was beside the point.

A fearful squeak escaped the timid rodent, and he froze, pondering his options for a brief eternity before whimpering, "O-okay. A-alright, I believe you. What other chances do I even have left, anyway? You can call me Amu, but please, don't eat me!" 

With shaky steps, Amu stumbled out of cover and toward Yundo, revealing the rest of its stocky body. The lantern mouse was about half the slugcat's size. He carried himself on two stubby legs and balanced his weight with a long, whip-like tail. His body was covered in silky white fur, and he had two pairs of dark, glassy spots on the back, his light organs. Between his legs rested a snug ball sack and a fully erect, black cock, dripping as if he had been aroused for several cycles. He finally sat down just out of the slugcat's reach, still eyeing him warily.

"You can call me, Yundo, And don't worry, Amu. I'll help you get home in no time. Just tell me, where do you live?"

"At the foot of the dark tower."

"Oh, wait, in its eternal shadow, you mean?"

Amu nodded vigorously, his eyes idly wandering over Yundo's body as he slowly grew accustomed to his presence. As he relaxed and fear lost its paralyzing grip on him, other unexpected emotions surfaced. The mouse began to salivate at the sight of the slugcat's slit, and his gaze was becoming increasingly wanton and needy.

"Fair enough. I'm passing the foot on my journey anyway, so this shouldn't be an issue to get you there," Yundo assured before he noticed the mouse's stare. "Hey, Amu, are you listening? Are you okay? You look... distracted."

The lantern mouse jerked up and hastily shook his head, the spots on his back lighting up with a dim orange glow as he flushed with embarrassment. "I'm sorry, it's just... I'm hungry and parched. Also, I really miss my companions. I haven't had any sex ever since, and it is getting really bad! As bad as you wouldn't believe. I need it!"

Yundo's face lit up with a glowing smile. The tower and Radiant Heat's shenanigans seemed to affect the mouse as well, raising his lust to an incomprehensible level. At least, this sounded like an issue he could take care of. His enhanced productivity promised to come in handy to quench Amu's thirst and his lust at the same time and satisfy his own as well. Furthermore, this was the perfect opportunity to win the timid mouse's trust. "I think I know how to help you with that," the slugcat singsonged and teasingly spread his slit, revealing just the dark tip of his resting cock. "Feel free to help yourself if you like."

"W-wait, are you serious?" Amu responded in a mixture of disbelief, confusion, and hope, hesitant to approach the much larger and stronger stranger but still thrilled by the prospect.

"Absolutely, Amu. We either find you something to eat and drink when we're down by the channels, or we take care of it right here and now and even take care of your pesky lust," Yundo purred and gingerly reached out to the reluctant mouse, offering his paw.

Amu examined the slugcat and his paw for another tense minute. His timidity fought with his desire before the latter won out, and he accepted the offer. Wrapping his tiny, trembling paw around one of Yundo's fingers, he slowly stepped into his reach.

Yundo's smile grew even wider as he embraced Amu with a gentle swipe of his arm. He pulled the soft, little mouse against his body and patiently waited for him to get used to the closeness, wondering what the horny critter would do next.

Amu's heart raced in his chest, but once he crossed the final boundary and slipped into the chubby slugcat's hug, his hesitation melted away in a heartbeat. He had just thrown his life into a potential predator's paws, so there was no need to be afraid anymore. His fate was sealed either way. Now, the weeks of pent-up lust quickly assumed control and guided him onto his knees, right in front of his partner's smooth slit. Amu wasted no time to embrace it, eagerly putting his paws on the soft, glistening flesh and rubbing the thick folds to tease out the slugcat's hidden treasure.

The lantern mouse's first touch sent a lustful shiver through Yundo, and he slumped against the bed frame as he watched his adorable partner stroke and caress his slit. The slugcat groaned softly as wave after wave of stimulation coursed through his body and filled him with the cozy warmth of arousal. As the pleasure surged, his blood rushed to his loins, swelling and inflating his still concealed cock. 

Amu diligently rubbed the bulging slit until the pressure of Yundo's growing taper popped the folds open like the petals of a flower, unveiling it with a wet slurp and a languid bounce. The mouse paused with a lewd gasp and licked his lips, admiring his partner's moist, opalescent cock. The call of the slugcat's fat meat drew his muzzle closer and closer until his lips finally touched it. Without missing a beat, he pressed his tongue against the throbbing flesh and dragged it to the tip, sampling the first taste. Grabbing the base with one paw, Amu held his forearm against the throbbing meat and swooned, "It's huge! So thick and leaky! And it tastes delicious!" Then he pushed on to satisfy his thirst, licking and kissing the slugcat's taper with needy squeaks and hot moans. His little black tongue darted and danced around Yundo's sensitive flesh, up and down, ceaselessly drinking up as much of his sweat and pre as he could find.

While Amu worshiped his cock in a lusty frenzy, Yundo's arousal surged, and his body heated up, producing and leaking even more of the fluid his thirsty partner craved. One salty, sticky bead of pre after another emerged from his tip, and soon, they merged into a steady flow that oozed down his taper. 

"Such a tasty cock! A real blessing," the mouse cooed with bliss as he swallowed another wad of pre. "Thank you, Yundo!" Then he moved his muzzle even higher up to the tip, wrapped his adorable muzzle around it, and pushed down as far as he could, gagging as it hit the back of his mouth. With the loose, leaking urethra inside his gullet, he began to knead and pump the slugcat's cock with vigor, gulping loudly and profusely as he drank the pre straight from the tap.

Aside from the early-morning shock, Yundo's day was going exceptionally well so far. Amu's blowjob was one of the best he had ever had. His muzzle was really tight and wonderfully warm, his enthusiasm and vigor were unmatched, and his paws squeezed and rubbed him just perfectly, stirring wave after wave of pleasure and boosting his lust. But the mouse had even more tricks up his sleeve. Without forewarning, he shoved his tongue into the slugcat's pliable urethra, stretching it wide open. Yundo's mind exploded as he felt the squirming, wet intruder inside his sensitive channel. His muzzle flopped wide open, and he moaned with senseless passion as an even mightier surge of stimulation flooded his lust-addled brain.

Completely enamored with the mouse's affections, Yundo sluggishly put a paw on his head and idly caressed his silky smooth fur as the greedy male nursed on his cock. With the other paw, he gripped Amu's thigh and gently pulled him closer, close enough to reach around his petite dick and return the favor by jerking him off with tender strokes. The mouse was so unbelievably hard and pent-up, even a single touch was enough to make him squeak and squirm, but he never stopped sucking the slugcat's cock.

Gradually, the lantern mouse's arousal spiraled out of control, and he lost all inhibitions in his conquest for wet, warm satisfaction. His eyes glazed over, his cries became needier, and his body literally glowed as the light organs on his back lit up, their warm golden shine mixing with the mellow white glow of Yundo's plump body. He rubbed his thick treat with all his might, stroking and pumping it ceaselessly, and he pushed his head down a little further still, his jaw cracking as he swallowed another inch.

The additional tightness finally proved to be too much for Yundo. The very next burst of pleasure overwhelmed him and triggered a powerful orgasm. His paws tightened around Amu's head and cock, and he pulled the defenseless mouse even closer, forcing inch after inch of his throbbing meat down his throat until he physically couldn't take any more. The slugcat heard him gag and choke, his neck tightening around the throbbing dick and tears welling up in his big black eyes, but he didn't muster any resistance, the light organs on his back flaring up even more. 

Engulfed by tight, hot flesh, Yundo's dick erupted with an enormous load of cum. He flooded Amu's esophagus with thick, warm cream and dumped an endless volley of squirts into him. The torrent of semen gurgled and sloshed as it filled the squirming mouse and soon manifested in a swelling, growing bulge on the mouse's little belly. But this was just the beginning, and since his muzzle plugged tight, there was only one direction for the voluminous eruption to go: even deeper.

The lights on Amu's back became brighter and brighter while Yundo choked him with his dick. The mouse was on the verge, less because of the paw around his cock than because of the slugcat's ruthless demonstration of power, and the next spurt of sticky seed inside his stretched throat triggered his own release. He tensed and writhed in his partner's iron grip, futilely struggling against the stronger male while he succumbed to an overdue climax. The lights on his back started to flicker and fade, and his rigid little pecker erupted with a few squirts of mouse cum, an insignificant trickle compared to the slugcat's persistent flood.

Yundo kept cumming for another minute, making sure that the thirsty mouse swallowed every last drop of his load. But eventually, the torrent abated. His orgasm was quickly superseded by an odd sensation, a pressure in his chest as if he were underwater, a feeling as if he were running out of breath. Rudely snapped out of his blissful stupor, the slugcat shook his head and looked at his partner, quickly realizing that Amu's movements had stopped and the light in his eyes and on his back was fading. He hurriedly pulled out and allowed the lantern mouse to refill his lungs with air.

Amu slumped back and just lay there for a moment, shaking and gasping as he recovered from the intense stuffing. His body was drenched in sweat, and his belly inflated into a round, sloshing ball, filled with more liquid than he could have ever asked for. A blissful, albeit strained grin rested on his lips as he gingerly stroked the massive bulge. Looking at Yundo with radiant satisfaction, he whispered, "Thank you so much! It's... a lot, but my thirst is finally gone."

The unsettling pressure on Yundo's chest vanished, but something else surfaced deep within his brain. A squeaky voice talked to him, barely audible and nearly incomprehensible. It frantically repeated words, phrases, and sentences and filled him with foreign lust. My savior used me like a cum-dump, made me all full with his semen. He is so strong, so powerful, and he tastes so good! The slugcat shook his head, but the thoughts that clearly weren't his refused to stop coming. Only when he yelled "Stop!" and startled the lantern mouse so much that he jumped back on his feet, the voice in his head fell silent.

For a moment, the two males stared at each other with open muzzles. Temporarily free from the distraction, Yundo's brain worked hard to sort this puzzle out, and the revelation came with a loud gasp as he remembered Radiant Heat and its gift. He realized that he had just heard his little partner's thoughts, and to verify his assumption, he tried to respond with a focused thought of his own. Amu, can you hear me?

Huh? Wait? What is going on? Yundo? The lantern mouse jerked up again and tripped over his own feet, slumping to the floor with a thud and loud sloshing. That was all Yundo needed to know. The robot's gift worked as intended, maybe even a little bit too well, because it allowed him to eavesdrop on Amu's thoughts. He wondered, could the mouse hear his thoughts as well? If so, that could make things pretty awkward pretty quickly.

We can talk through with our minds, Amu. It's a pretty long story. In short, a strange robot gave me a tool that allows me to communicate telepathically with creatures I've had sex with. It all began in the underbelly of the tower... Yundo roughly explained what Radiant Heat had done to him, using the opportunity to grow more comfortable with his new talent. As he kept talking, the lantern mouse's jaw dropped lower and lower, his mind exploding in plain sight. The slugcat also found the answer to his own worry. As far as he could tell, Amu wasn't able to listen in on his thoughts, just the ones he openly broadcast, but he, in turn, got a pretty deep look into his mousy companion's brain, many if not all his thoughts and emotions were laid bare. This tool was apparently even more powerful than he had thought it to be!

As Yundo ended his story, the lantern mouse had only one more thing to add. "Wow!"

Yes, it was the strangest series of events that I have ever experienced. If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have done it, but I'm also glad that it happened because I wouldn't be here, talking to you with my mind. Either way, you're fed and happy, so let's get going, shall we? The longer we dawdle, the longer it'll take until you're back home.

Amu nodded quickly and clumsily got up on his feet, waddling to the window and frowning. So many lizards! Icky beasts, deadly beasts, horny beasts. I hope Yundo really knows how to handle them.

Yundo grinned but remained silent. The lantern mouse didn't need to know that he could hear his inner voice right now. Amu, do you know a way down?

Yes, the one I've come up through.

Great. Lead the way, then.

Amu gave the slugcat a worried look, then he took a deep breath and nodded. He grabbed Yundo's paw and pulled him along, through the door and out of the room, deeper into the dark, dead building, the dim glow of their bodies the only illumination. They wandered through countless rooms and corridors, down and down multiple staircases, dropping from the level of the ancient city down to the channels and their toothy inhabitants. With every step, the mouse's apprehensions were overshadowed more by surging excitement, the growing hope of finally getting home, and the happiness of having found an ally in this dusty grave. All this showed in his buoyant gait, the smile on his face, but also the emotions and thoughts Amu inadvertently transmitted to the slugcat.

Initially, Yundo had a lot of fun eavesdropping on Amu. The mouse thought of him as the greatest hero in the world, the unspoken praise stroking and boosting the slugcat's ego. However, he eventually realized that snooping also had downsides, mainly the ceaseless onslaught of mundane and trivial thoughts, fragments pelting his brain and scattering his focus as he was literally thinking for two. This was when the slugcat noticed that he could control the flow of information. As he started to actively ignore the mouse's mental broadcast, the voice in his head grew quieter before breaking off altogether, allowing him to focus again. His attention returned just in time because the next door wasn't just the exit to the channels, but it also revealed a blue lizard lying in ambush.

The lurking reptile jumped up with a sharp hiss as it noticed them and immediately went for the attack. A burst of adrenaline surged through the slugcat as he suddenly faced the gaping, toothy maw of the predator, and he had to actively fight the urge to hurl Amu at it since he was the only thing he was holding at the moment. While it probably would've done the trick, it obviously wasn't an option. Instead, he flung the mouse into a corner and side-stepped the lizard, hastily scanning the rubble around him for any usable weapons. Grabbing the first handful of debris he could find, he lobbed everything at the hungry lizard. The bricks and bit of concrete were enough to make the predator recoil and whimper with pain, buying him just enough time to find a proper weapon.

A devilish smile grew on Yundo's face when he spotted a piece of rebar twinkling on the ground. He rushed over and pulled the steel rod from the rubble, anticipating the lizard's next attack. The quadruped snarled with ire when it pounced on his defensive prey in a flash of blue and black, ready to devour him whole. But the slugcat didn't let that scare him. He wound up and stopped the bundle of reptile fury in its tracks as the steel connected with its muzzle, applying enough force to scatter two teeth. The sounds of anger turned to pain as he smacked the lizard again. Once the attacker staggered backward, Yundo went into the offensive and jumped onto its back, striking the soft spot just where its blue face armor ended. He reflexively reached for the dagger in his bag to finish it off, only to reach into disappointing nothingness. Remembering the loss of his trusty weapon threw the slugcat for a loop, but fortunately, the clobbering he had given his opponent so far was sufficient. Whimpering and wailing, the reptile threw him off, turned tail, and fled through the open door.

For a moment, Yundo considered pursuing the predator turned prey. But as the immediate threat to his life subsided, so did the electrifying rush of combat, and his mind cleared, making him realize that he had more important things to worry about. So instead, he turned around and checked on Amu. The poor mouse cowered in the corner, trembling with fear as his panic threatened to overwhelm him. Big, Scary! TOOTHY! VILE!

The slugcat discarded his makeshift weapon and rushed over, picking Amu up and hugging him tightly to snap him out of the building panic attack. Shhhhh. It's gone. It's all good again! Calm down, relax, Amu! You're safe now!

Yundo's hug and words managed to break through Amu's raging storm of emotions, and the shivering mouse snapped out of his distress. He wrapped his arms around his savior, tightly holding on to him as he burst into tears. "I thought this was it," he sobbed. "Thank you! Thank you so much!"

Okay, that's better. Let's keep going. I'll keep you safe. Yundo tenderly patted Amu's head and recollected his piece of rebar, steadying it before he stepped through the door. They had finally left the city and reached its outskirts. The rushing of water welcomed him, big streams flowed through massive concrete channels, and they were surrounded by the comforting signs of life. Lush vegetation had claimed large swaths of the moist rubble, brimming with creatures of all sizes, insects, bugs, and batflies, but also more lizards than he had ever seen in one spot. There was just no rest; the next challenge was awaiting him.

Yundo clutched his rusty weapon, pressed Amu tightly against his chest, and made his way into the jungle. He couldn't see his destination anymore, but he knew that he only had to follow one of the massive drains to get to the edge of the tower. That was easier said than done, though, because the vegetation became denser and more hindering as he moved on. Sneaky vines and slippery debris tripped him up every few steps. It didn't help that the little male hugging him didn't even think of letting go, clinging to his neck as if his life depended on it. Admittedly, it probably did as a lone lantern mouse wouldn't stand a chance in this treacherous, lizard-infested jungle.

At least, the lizards were keeping their distance for some reason. None of them dared to attack, and a few even fled as soon as they caught sight of him. It was an unexpected but most welcome blessing, and eventually, Yundo figured out why the reptiles left him alone: they didn't fear him, but they feared the smell and sight of lizard blood on his makeshift weapon. So his stressful encounter at the door had been at least somewhat beneficial. Eventually, a few braver or hungrier lizards approached them with gnashing teeth, but he only had to wave his blood-stained rod, and they turned tail with groans and hisses.

Despite the rough start, things went better and better as the two males progressed along the concrete rim of the drainage river. Yundo grew accustomed to the trembling weight on his shoulders and balanced through the slippery rubble with growing naturalness, allowing him to focus more on his surroundings and potential predators. Peering through the vines and bushes, the slugcat spotted more of the teeming wildlife, creatures of all varieties buzzing, humming, growling, and hissing as they followed their daily routine of hunting and fleeing. Among them, he spotted the swaying and wiggles of a few hungry, insidious creatures that mimicked the vegetation: worm grass, monster kelp, and pole plants were scattered across the jungle, waiting for prey to entangle themselves in their deadly grip. Luckily, the violent waters of the channel were too strong for anything to thrive there. As long as they remained close to it, the raging stream was the greatest and only hazard.

After wandering along the foaming waters for another hour, the vegetation around Yundo and his little companion disappeared. They traversed the final strip of bleached concrete, rusty steel, and sandy soil before arriving at the edge of the tower, a place that looked like the literal end of the world. A steep drop into virtual nothingness lay before them, leading into an endless sea of clouds, white and fluffy. The thundering of the drainage water was omnipresent. The wet torrents were rushing and raging as they careened off the edge and plummeted into the abyss, where they mixed with gusts of wind into a vast mist that fed the ocean of clouds. Thankfully, plenty of scaffolding was scattered about the drop, steel bars and platforms serving long-forgotten purposes, so their descent wouldn't be too impossible. But where they could climb, so could others. The countless dots of neon colors told the slugcat that even this part of the tower was infested with lizards. Those lizards reminded him that there was a pink one somewhere down below the thick layer of clouds, lonely, probably still distraught, and desperately waiting for his return. The slugcat swallowed hard as he wondered how Lash was doing at the moment. Hopefully, everything was well, and he had actually made it back to safety because he didn't even dare think about the alternatives.

"Oh no, it's so high! We're going to die if we fall, aren't we?" Amu squeaked and timidly buried his face in Yundo's neck, abruptly snapping him out of his thoughts.

The mouse wasn't wrong. If Yundo had been all alone, he probably would've jumped off the edge and hoped to be reborn somewhere at the foot of the tower. A shortcut he would pay for with some mental and physical integrity, but that was a price he was ready to pay to return to his lizard sooner. And yet, although it would've been so easy to abandon Amu right here, on the edge of the world, he couldn't do or even think about it. He felt deeply obligated to save a creature as lost as him, a desire reinforced through their newly-formed mental link. Wrapping an arm around the mouse's trembling body, he whispered, No, everything will be alright. Hold on tight, and I'll get you back where you belong. Then he stepped forward and grabbed one of the many steel bars that lead down into the clouds. He wrapped both paws, both legs, and his tail around it and made sure that Amu had a good hold on him before he cautiously began his descent, hoping that the mouse wouldn't be swept away by a particularly nasty gust of wind.

Level by level, Yundo made his way down the daunting drop. The tower's proportions were so immense that for the first hour he felt he wasn't making any progress whatsoever. The fact that he still was chubbier than he was used to and had to take care of the male dangling from his neck slowed the climb further, and every time they reached another lizard-free platform, he had to take a short pause to allow Amu to stretch his limbs and recollect his energy. To make matters worse, as time went on, the lizard-deterring effect of his blood-doused weapon seemed to diminish, turning the already slow descent into a game of evasion as the lizards became increasingly eager to pursue the two males. Thankfully, the vast view the slugcat had of the lower-lying platforms made it somewhat easy to avoid most confrontation as he always picked the path with the fewest reptiles on it.

After another hour of climbing, progress was finally becoming evident, but at what cost? The clouds had come closer, the air had become moist with humidity, and the gusts of wind had grown into stormy blasts of air, fiercely pulling and tugging him and Amu around. The lantern mouse was clutching his neck as if he wanted to strangle him and his squeaky voice echoed in the slugcat's mind, brimming with an existential fear of the bottomless drop underneath them. As if that wasn't enough hindrance already, the moisture was making things even more complicated as it enveloped the steel and concrete with a slippery layer of droplets, so the slugcat had to hold on extra tight not to accidentally lose his grip and tumble down. It almost felt as if the weather had conspired against them, trying to make the rescue even harder than it already was, but he didn't give up. He stubbornly continued his descent in defiance of all adversity.

Eventually, Yundo reached the uppermost layer of the clouds, and things got even more unpleasant and miserable. The sunlight dulled into a drab, distant gray, the air was chillingly cold, raindrops whirred and whizzed around his head, and a thick mist impaired his vision, seriously hindering his ability to spot any dangers ahead. On the positive side, the terrible weather had driven all but the hardiest of lizards away, leaving them pretty much alone in their struggle with the elements while everything merged into one meaningless blur, the world turning into the ever-same dull scenery of gray clouds, dark platforms, and rusty poles. Finally, even time lost its meaning, and minutes and hours became interchangeable as the slugcat pressed on without knowing how far he had come and how much still lay ahead.

The end of the males' descent came as a surprise. The idea of a wall on one side and clouds on the other side had burned itself into Yundo's brain, so he was really perplexed when the wall suddenly ended, and he was surrounded by clouds from all sides. They had finally arrived at the overhang where the head of the Ebony tower rested on its leg, which meant that they were about halfway done with their journey to the tower's foot. However, that goal receded into the distance as the night closed in. The muddy sky was darkening even more, and the storm around them flared up with newfound intensity, carrying with it heavy rainfall. While he had learned that the nightly rain wasn't as deadly in this part of the world as back home, his fear grew that it might still be strong enough to pull him off the scaffolding and throw him toward death, so he started to look for an opportunity to rest and weather the night.

Fortunately, after a few minutes of climbing around the edge of the overhang, Yundo spotted a compact concrete structure protruding from the tower's massive side. It looked a little precarious, dangling from the rest of the tower by just a handful of concrete mountings, but if it had weathered the cycles for this long, it probably wouldn't break off tonight either, right? Trying to suppress any worries he might have about the structure's stability, the slugcat quickly climbed toward it, entered through a small vent in the bottom, and crawled into its core.

The center of the weather-beaten side-building turned out to be a surprisingly cozy little room. Its thick concrete walls blocked out every trace of the raging, howling storm, keeping the insides dry and quiet, even pleasantly warm. The floor and the walls were tiled, and it was stuffed with old machines and appliances, covered with an inch of dust and completely dead, and there was even a small lamp in the ceiling, still burning after centuries and dousing the chamber in soft light. All in all, this maybe wasn't as cozy as a proper nest, but safe from the elements and untouched by anyone in ages, including lizards or other hungry beasts, and it promised a decent rest. 

Finally, I feared this day would never end! Yundo thought aloud as he put Amu down on the floor and sat down next to him.

"Thank you so much, Yundo. I would've never gotten this far without you. You're my savior," the lantern mouse chimed, his voice slightly tired but brimming with gratitude. He clumsily rolled over on all fours and crawled toward the slugcat, cuddling up against his side.

You're welcome, Amu. I mean, I can't let someone as adorable as you become lizard food, Yundo responded with a warm smile and pulled the mouse up to his chest. Now that he wasn't strung up in the constant struggle against the weather, he was able to relax and think about something more fun than the fight for survival, and he quickly realized the effect the little male had on him. Just the sight of the fluffy white male sent ripples of joy through him, but it wasn't just that, but also a distinct stir of arousal. The longer he stared at Amu, the stronger the feeling got, and his mellow, sweet scent, his bright, melodic voice, and his timid, cute behavior multiplied it many times over. He had never felt this strongly about lantern mice ever before and was quite stunned by just how much he wanted that mouse, a craving that tugged at his heart almost as fiercely as his desire to return to Lash. Perhaps that was a side-effect of the mind link?

Confusion spread in the mouse's mind, and he met Yundo's horny gaze with a coy question, "Yundo, what are you thinking about right now?"

A wet pop echoed through the room as the slugcat's slit burst open and revealed the tapered tip of his shimmering cock. Now that it was outside, it filled with even more blood and quickly swelled to full size, snaking over Amu's inner thigh and up his leg. The mouse flinched and turned around, his jaw dropping and his eyes widening when he noticed it. It's so big! Does he want to stick it in me? Is that why he's looking at me like this?

The mouse's stray thoughts intrigued Yundo and put a cheeky grin on his muzzle. I was wondering if we could celebrate the successful descent and the end of the day with some more fun? If you feel like it, that is, he suggested casually, already knowing the response.

Amu squeaked with excitement, and a burst of lewd thoughts spilled from his mind, stoking Yundo's lust even more. "Yes, please, fuck me!" he nodded vigorously. "That's the least I can do for all you've done!"

The slugcat licked his lips and slowly got up, bending over the little lantern mouse. Wrapping his paws around Amu's waist, he tenderly picked him up and lifted him over his head. "Well, let's get you prepared first. I don't want to overwhelm you," he purred and buried his muzzle in his tiny partner's crotch. Without missing a beat, he parted his lips and greeted the mouse's bits with a broad lick over his dangling balls and his swelling black cone, taking the first taste of his meal. Then, he opened his muzzle a little further and swallowed everything at once, sucking and slurping Amu's dick and nuts at the same time. 

"So good, don't stop!" Amu cried blissfully, erupted with bawdy squeaks and moans, squirming and thrashing in Yundo's grip as his receptive brain was subjugated to the slugcat's eager tongue.

As before, the mind link transmitted all of the mouse's pleasure raw and unfiltered to Yundo's brain. Although he was the one doing the licking, it felt like he was getting licked himself because his arousal was closely tied to his little partner's arousal. Every stroke of his tongue and every time the hot insides of his muzzle tightened around Amu's tiny prick and snug sack, lewder squeaks poured from the mouse, and the slugcat's flushed mind with more stimulation, fueling his licks and making his cock leak like a fountain.

Eventually, the lantern mouse stopped squirming and just latched onto Yundo's head, squeezing and kneading his flesh, moaning right into his ear and humping his head while he continued to suck him off. With every stroke, the slugcat's tongue slithered further down and across his perineum, ultimately arriving at his dark, tight pucker. 

Yundo eagerly circled the mouse's flexing orifice, tasted his sweaty, earthy flavor before he began to prod the center. Initially, the narrow ring defied him, so he pulled his muzzle away from his partner's cock and focused solely on his pucker. After passionately kissing and licking it for another minute, it finally relaxed and loosened up, accepting his tongue with a lewd slurp. The mouse squeaked and squirted a bit of pre over the slugcat's face, panting rapidly and moaning needily as he firmly shoved his muscle into him. 

Once inside, Yundo coiled and twisted his tongue vigorously, working the mouse's insides with all the force he could muster to loosen and prepare him for penetration. At some point during his frenzied licks, Amu reared up in his grip, the light cells on his back suddenly lighting up with a dazzling shine, and another spike of pleasure flared up in the slugcat's mind as he managed to hit his prostate. Swept up by the sudden rush, he dug a little deeper and harder still, deliberately thrusting his tongue against the sensitive button and blessing both of them with even bigger waves of stimulation.

As Amu's emotions and sensations ravaged Yundo's mind, he simply couldn't stop himself anymore. With his face buried in the mouse's butt, he licked him to completion, thrusting and squirming his muscle until Amu erupted with a powerful climax. 

The lights on Amu's back flashed and flared in rhythm with the slugcat's pounding heart while he came, and his tiny sack tensed as he squirted ropes of cum all over his partner's face, drenching his cheeks, snout, and eyes with a layer of sticky white.

Yundo got to experience every single aspect of his partner's climax. He wallowed in the waves of radiant bliss erupting from Amu's mind and felt his tasty pucker tightening around his tongue while he continued to pummel and milk his prostate. And without having to touch his rock-hard cock once, the slugcat followed his partner's example and exploded with the strangest orgasm he had ever experienced. Once it had been triggered, it rushed through his entire body like a flash fire, filling his brain with a firework of bliss and triggering his body's natural reaction. Fueled by nothing but another creature's lewd thoughts, his taper erupted with a massive load, squirting and spraying countless strands of warm cum all over the tiles, splashing and spattering as they hit the ground.

It pained the slugcat to hear his seed wasted like this, and in his lust-addled trance, only one way came to mind to stop this waste. Yundo pulled his tongue out of the lantern mouse's sphincter, and he unceremoniously plunged him down onto his spurting cock. Throbbing flesh rubbed against flesh as his tip slid over Amu's taint and into his butt crack. For just a split second, it rested against the little male's twitching anus before he rammed it in.

Yundo and Amu howled in unison, their voices merging into a lewd cacophony as the slugcat buried half of his taper inside the tight mouse. He wrapped both arms around the little creature and thrust even deeper, eliciting an even stronger wave of bliss and boosting their mutual orgasm to unprecedented heights. Their thoughts merged in a gigantic maelstrom of emotions, lust reigning supreme and keeping them tied together, twitching and pumping, grunting and groaning. Yundo felt as if he had shoved his cock up his own butt, experiencing the sticky warmth of his abundant semen as if he had come inside himself, and given the jumbled mess bubbling over from Amu's mind, he knew that the mouse was in pleasure heaven as well.

Again and again, their orgasms reinforced and reinvigorated each other, delaying the end to eternity. Seconds turned to minutes, but neither of them noticed because they were too busy cumming their brains out. Only once Yundo's internal nuts ran dry, the constant stream of warm, thick jizz abating, the frenzied high finally weakened and faded away, releasing the two males from its relentless grip.

Yundo awoke from his orgasmic stupor as if from a deep slumber. The blinding, muffling haze around his senses cleared, and he could see and hear again. When he looked down at his cute partner, he realized what his profuse eruption had done to the mouse. Ever since he had plugged Amu with his cock, he had swelled and inflated his belly with cum, turning it into an almost spherical, sloshing bump that swayed and jiggled with every movement. The mouse was grunting, huffing, and sweating as he struggled with the unexpected filling, reciprocating the slugcat's gaze with glassy black eyes and an open maw. His tongue was hanging from his muzzle, and his limbs were dangling from his bloated body. 

Holding his breath, not wanting to stir Amu's poor body more than necessary, Yundo gingerly pulled out and put him down on the floor. How are you doing, Amu? he asked cautiously. I hope I didn't overwhelm you. I kinda got carried away there.

The lantern mouse chuckled weakly and sluggishly turned his head, facing the slugcat with an enraptured smile. "I'm a little full, but don't worry. I'll manage," he cooed. "No, really, this was amazing! You're so big and strong, careful and powerful! The entire day was a blessing. Karma really meant well to me today because it sent you. Thank you so much, Yundo!"

Yundo's worries dissipated in thin air, and he breathed a sigh of relief. I'm happy to be of help. The mouse's praise was music to his ears. Apropos ears, now that the sounds of sex were gone, he could hear the distant drumming and pattering of rain on the concrete overhang. The night had fallen, and it was time to rest up. Yawning passionately, he lay down on the tiles next to his little companion and got comfortable. But I think that's enough for now. Let's get some sleep so we can traverse the final part and reunite you with your friends. How does that sound?

Images of other lantern mice flashed in Yundo's brain as his words conjured up memories in Amu's mind. "Yes, I think that's a good idea," the little male squeaked softly, adding with a hopeful whisper, "Um, Yundo? The floor is so cold and hard. Would you mind..."

Before the mouse had even finished his sentence, Yundo had picked him up and lifted him onto his big, glowing body. Setting him down on his chest, he carefully wrapped his arms around the bloated little creature and held him close. Better?

"Much better," Amu responded and snuggled against his chest, closing his eyes and relaxing. "You're a hero, Yundo. I've never felt as safe as I do with you."

Another long, arduous day had finally come to an end. Looking back, hauling Amu through the lizard-infested, perilous outskirts and the long drop had been strenuous work, and he couldn't even imagine what the next day would bring. But the rescue definitely hadn't been a thankless job so far. Quite the opposite, in fact. While Yundo warmed and cushioned Amu with his body, the mouse's words warmed and elated his heart, making him all giddy and fuzzy inside. Besides, thanks to him, the slugcat had experienced Radiant Heat's gift for the first time, marveling at a mind link that granted him an unexpectedly deep insight into another creature's mind. He wondered what Lash would say once they established their first link. But that was a matter for another day, and the sooner he returned, the sooner he would find out. First, he needed to rest and recover, and with the softly breathing, gently sloshing body of his new companion on his chest, it didn't take long for him to drift off into the comforting pitch-black of sleep as well.