Now this is a commission of mine that took quite a while to finished. Still, I am very happy with the results ^_^ I am very late for a summer/beach themed commission, but better late than never, I guess lol

A solo comic plus a story below which shows Ahriman meeting his old friend, Mace, back during the war, Val also meeting with her "Uncle" Mace after he had a make-over with scales and Agna finally finding Mr. Right.

Artwork done by PsakornTnoi from Twitter: https://twitter.com/PsakornTnoi (Thank you so very much!)

Story written by  Grifterwolf (Thank you so very much!)

---

The beach was incredibly crowded on this July afternoon, the smell of salt still lingered in the air as Agna Shinoda anxiously paced back and forth, she looked down at her purple sandaled feet every so often, feeling the sand sift between her toes and occasionally she would bring the toe of her shoe up to the deck nearby and tap it to clear it. The young raccoon was waiting for Val at the cabana changing room for the beach and she’d been in there at least fifteen minutes by this point. In a groan of frustration, she quickly rapped her knuckles on the cabana door.

“You know a beach can only stay open so long Valkairis.” She said, unable to suppress the accent in her voice that she was often much better at holding onto, but for all the wrong reasons the wolf tended to ride her last nerves.

“I’ll be out in a minute.” Val’s muffled growl came from inside. “I-I’m not sure if this thing is too small.”

“It’s called a bathing suit. Not a plastic bag, hurry up and get out here. We’re supposed to meet with Ahri, remember?”

“Agna...”

Agna approached the cabana door and placed her forehead on the wood, thumping it as she thumped her fists on either side of her. “COME OOOOOOON VAAAAAAAALLLLLL!” She shouted loudly, her voice so exaggerated that several passersby paused to look at her strangely. “I can hardly wait! Ahhh! Ahhh!” She screamed even louder. “You promised after that.. paper I helped you write? You know, the return for a favor and all that?” Her voice grew higher again. “Val! I need you!”

“Okay! OKAY!” Val shouted from inside as the door latch clicked and it opened up. “Just shut up!”

Valkairis Sarikblod stepped out of the booth and into the light wearing a rather form-fitting bikini. As brilliantly red as her mane of hair that fell down past her shoulders, her crimson eyes, all contrasting with the subtler soft gray and white fur of her body. She was a fan of red, but the red under the fur on her face was probably the brightest it’s ever been. Despite her athletic, muscular physique, Val brushed her arm uncomfortably as she stepped out, only to be met by Agna’s brilliantly enthusiastic face. Agna’s tail swayed wildly as she looked her over, even peeking around the bottom of the skirt to make sure that it really was Val standing there. She let out a long exaggerated gasp.

“Ohhhh my gosh gosh gosh gosh! You look so cute, Val! Ahriman’s really gonna love this!”

“Sh-shut up... do I really have to wear this?”

“Yep!” Agna exclaimed with a sharp nod. “All afternoon! Or...at least until we change to go home again.”

“We can’t go now?”

Before she could even try to turn around, Val felt Agna’s hand grab hers and tighten. She gave a groan and was suddenly pulled off the step of the cabana and onto the soft sands of the beach. She hadn’t work shoes today, and as she slung her bag over her shoulder, she shrieked a bit at the hot sand as she was pulled across it. Agna looked pretty cute in her similarly styled bikini as well; although it was more an amber orange than the red that her suit had, she still wore it nicely and she couldn’t help but cast a look at her. It was a good distraction from the utter embarrassment of having to be seen out in public like this. “You’re just lucky we’re friends and my damned code of honor is keeping me keeping my promise, missy. Or I’d just--”

“Holy shit! Beach babes three o’clock!” A random wolf howled at the pair of them as they ran down the beach together. “Fuck! Can I get your phone numbers?”

A wolf whistle came up from a pair of men in speedos as they passed; Val mentally thought they should be more interested in each other than either of them, but still they stopped. “Oh man look at the guns on that one!” One of them exclaimed. “That wolf looks like she belongs on American Gladiators!”

“And her friend? So cute!” The other man added.

“Thanks guys!” Agna said, waving at them as the two of them continued on.

“Oh she’s cute!” Another man said of Agna.

A couple of women chatted amongst each other and giggled as the two of them passed, clearly checking them out in return. “You see? Isn’t this fun, Val? Look at all this attention we’re getting”

“I feel like a slab of meat hung on a window ten feet above a lion’s head...” Val murmured angrily. “Can we go soon? Where are we supposed to meet--

“Oh....my goddess... look at that muscle momma!”

Val stopped, and froze in place. Her abrupt halt almost sending Agna to the ground as the wolf clenched her fists and took a deep breath. “What... did you say?” She asked as she turned to look at the fox who had thrown the comment. “Did you...just call me... momma?”

The fox looked nervous as Val approached him, if his yellow swimsuit had just gotten an accident in them, there would be no way to know as Val stormed over to him, grabbed him by the collar of his white t-shirt and hoisted him angrily into the air, lifting him a good six or seven inches above the ground until they met face to face. “You really think that? DO YOU THINK I’M OLD?!” Her voice was so loud that the fox’s fur fluttered back some from the abrupt force of her voice. “Do you!?!”

“N-No... no ma’am! Miss! No miss? No... mistress? What am I doing wrong here?” He asked nervously looking at Agna, who frowned and shook her head in confusion. Unsure what to do at this point.

“You are going to apologize, and then you, young man are going to march straight home to your mother and apologize to her too! That’d be a GODDAMN START!” She screamed loudly, making him cower in her grasp.”

“Val. Maybe you should...put the man down?” Agna suggested, putting a hand on the wolf’s shoulder, then shrinking back a moment as Val snapped a vicious look at her. “Or maybe? Maybe not? That’s good too you just do you...”

“No. You’re right.” Val said as she lowered the fox back to the ground. “Maybe now he’ll learn a little respect when approaching a strange woman on the beach?”

“Yeah...yeah! Yeah! Respect. Yes ma’am! You got it!”

Val released the fox, who then turned around and ran, but not before a swift kick to the butt from the wolf sent him sprawling to the sand. He immediately got up and bolted, his hands clenched firmly on his butt. Val eventually glared at Agna. “What do you wonder that fox’s name is something silly like... ‘Ted’ or... ‘Simon’?”

Agna smiled, her long tail swaying behind her a bit. “Well, what can you say?”

“I know what I can say. I can say I’m going to go back and get changed into something else--” She started to turn back, but was grabbed by the raccoon.

“Oh come on, we’re almost there. Come on, Ahri’s going to love this look.”

Val felt her face warm up at the suggestion of meeting Ahriman and she groaned, running a hand along the back of her large neck. “You really think so?”” She asked, then she shook her head. “I’m just not in the mood for...whoa!” She grunted as she was pulled along, dragging her further down the beach.

---

A soft wind rose, spraying a bit of salty sea air into Val’s senses and she breathed in the smell, relaxing a bit with an exhale. Despite being led by Agna, the two had slowed down to a walk as they approached the boardwalk. They came up out of the sand and started down the wooden pier toward the distant end before the two of them spotted the familiar muscular shape of a bull standing at the far end looking out over the water. His blue and gold-trimmed swim trunks clung tightly to his body, the breeze causing the legs of his shorts to flap lightly against his thighs. He turned to look at the pair as they approach, his eyes lit up and a smile crossed that typically stoic face of his.

“Agna! Val. What a pleasure it is to see you both here.” He looked them over, in particular toward Val, who turned her gaze to look over the water. “It is good seeing you both dressed up for the occasion.” He looked at his watch. “And you’re both on time too.”

“Well no thanks to Val.” Agna said, slapping the wolf on the back of her shoulders. “I swear she could have put up shop and lived in that cabana if it meant not coming out all cute.”

“Shut up.” Val said, semi-playful in her tone for the first time all afternoon. “I was worried it’d be too hot for my fur, but...the breeze is nice.”

“Yes. I’ve been enjoying it.” Ahri commented, crossing his arms over his chest and looking at the pair. “So...you’re the one who arranged this meeting, Agna. What did you have in mind?”

“Well I didn’t really plan that far in advance.” She said. “But maybe some lunch or...or something?”

“That sounds good. I am rather starved.” He looked at Val, who brushed her hair out of her face as she silently turned to walk, following Agna and he in turn followed her. After about half the length of the pier, he cleared his throat, his deep voice making it feel a little less subtle than he intended. “So... this look...” He said to Val as they walked. “I mean... I never would have pictured you in something so... provocative?”

Val looked at her bikini and felt her self consciousness creep in. “Yeah... well...” She exhaled slightly. “I thought I’d try something different.”

“Do not get me wrong, Val. It looks fine, I should not have said anything.”

“Well, I guess I’m partly to blame for that one.” Agna admitted, bouncing on the balls of her feet some. “She owed me for something I did for her at college and I figured she could use a day to unwind.” She looked at Val and giggled some, nudging the wolf with her elbow. “But you don’t need to be so self conscious, Val! I mean you’ve got a body most ‘guys’ would be jealous of. You’re big and beautiful and I think you look great in that swimsuit!”

Val looked at Agna, a few moments passed and she let out a slight chuckle at her pooled eyes staring back at her. “Yeah well... I guess you’re right.”

“Darn right I’m right! You’ve got the body of an Amazon, any guy here would be lucky to have his nuts crushed by you!”

Val let out a sputter and laughed loudly at the comment, her tail wagging back and forth while Ahriman chuckled still taking a soft step backward. “Oh god, oh god, the imagery!” She laughed before slowly recomposing herself and wiping a tear of laughter from her eye. “Ohhh I needed that. Thank you Agna...”

“And she is not wrong...” Ahri said before glancing at the raccoon. “The nut...crushing aside. I think you look quite beautiful like this, Val.”

Inhaling sharply at his words, Val smiled at the bull. “Thanks... Ahri...HEY!”

Ahriman gasped indignantly at the same time as Agna grabbed each of their butts through their bottoms and gave them a firm, supple squeeze out of nowhere. “And besides! It gives more of a show of your juicy, manly butt for your Daddy Bull, doesn’t it?!”

Val growled at Agna and swung a hand at her head, to which the raccoon deftly ducked under. “Why you little--MANLY? I am going to kick your pretty-petite butt all over this beach, young lady!”

“Okay! You two go get comfy! I’m going to get us like... a huge stack of food because I am hungry! Be right back!”

And with that, Agna zipped off from both of their reach, running the ten yards or so to the land and skipping happily through the sandy beach toward the food stalls not far away by now.

“She is... still quite the handful.” Ahri commented, his face beet red under his fur as he looked at Val.

“Jeez, you have no idea. I mean being around here so much it’s a wonder I haven’t killed her already.” She added jokingly.

Ahri smiled and nudged Val as they continued to walk. “You should have seen the look on your face though, when she grabbed your butt, though Val.” He chuckled in delight.

“My face? You looked like you were gonna jump right outta your fur!” Val exclaimed and grinned wickedly at the bull. “Of course that happens when someone squeezes that bubble, right?” She added playfully as she smacked his ass, making Ahri practically leap out of his skin again.

“Val!” He exclaimed in surprise before putting his fists to his hips and glaring at her. “Come on.”

“I thought Agna said you wanted to meet out here, but you said this was her idea?”

“Well, yes. And no. I mean this wasn’t the destination of my choosing, but I did want to talk to you about something important...”

“Hey!” Val ignored the shouts from behind them, thinking it was for someone else. But then it came again: “Heyyy!” It took a moment, but both Ahri and Val turned to the source of the voice and both opened their mouths in surprise. “I need to have a word with you you son of a--”

A large, muscular crocodile was approaching aggressively, his body was covered in a thick collection of deep crimson scales, his gold eyes glimmering against the pale yellow color of his lower jaw and belly and the bright yellow trunks he wore almost matched the accents on Ahri’s own swim trunks. He grabbed Ahri by the shoulder and raised a massive fist, his eyes narrowing in the dark blue coloration band around his eyes. Val readied herself, she had to defend Ahri from this beast no matter how incredibly massive he was, stretching almost two feet or more taller than herself. She was sure she could take him.

“I’ve been meaning to settle something with you, Ahriman.” He growled.

“You have? Then perhaps you should have scheduled an appointment.” Ahri quipped back.

Then, just as suddenly as he’d approached, both the croc and Ahri burst out into laughter as the croc pulled him into a strong, passionate hug.

“WHAAAAAT?” Val jumped at the sudden move, almost screaming at the top of her lungs as the unexpected embrace happened before her eyes.

After several moments, Ahri and the croc let go and he leaned back to put a hand on Val’s back, gesturing her forward. “You do remember Val, yes?”

“Do I remember? Shoot, how could I forget? Aside from seeing my amazing Lord-Colonel, I was also looking forward to seeing my little niece.”

“Niece?” Val paused for a minute as she recollected the only man she’d ever called “Uncle” that she wasn’t related to by blood. She gasped. “U-Uncle Mace? Is that you?!” Her eyes fell to his chest, recognizing the similar necklace around his neck that Ahri often wore himself. She then gasped and then jumped into him, pulling him down as she hugged him. “Oh my GOD! Uncle Mace! You’re here! You’re real you’re.......red?”

Maicon Naolin Mundi was a huge man, even for a croc, standing over eight feet in height, not many would picture him as a sweet, kind old man who just happened to be packed heavy with muscle. His gut hit her stomach as he wrapped his arms around her and laughed happily hugging her back. “Well yeah, I sorta got tired of looking all green, so I decided to get myself a little color... ¿Has estado al día con tu español? Hace mucho calor y estoy muy cansada y necesito algo de comida ahora.”

Val laughed and unconsciously scrubbed the back of her neck with his hand. “I...ahh... haven not exactly been keeping up with my Spanish, Mace. I did understand...hot...and...food?”

“Ah. Eso es una pena.” He lamented with a deep chuckle. “You should consider keeping it up, it is part of your heritage. It’s just good to see you guys, I hope my surprise was...surprising?”

“You bet it was!” Val said. “It’s been so long...now you’ll have to tell me what you did to turn red. Or did you do it just because it’s my favorite color?”
Mace grinned a bit as the three of them started to walk from the sand and surf. “Ah, no. It’s a decision I made a few years ago, actually. I went to one of those rejuvenation...genetics clinics what have you. They basically give you the ability to alter any part of your DNA, change colors, change sizes, change things like your eyes to look completely different than you used to have.” He shrugged. “I just needed a change.”

“Well you’re pretty old. I guess you really could use some change.”

“I’ll have you know I am still pretty young and spry for a man of my species, young lady.” He growled, crossing his arms defensively.

Val laughed and as the three of them found a large table to sit down at, the croc turned to the wolf. “So why haven’t you kept up with your Spanish, Val? Just...curious.”

“It isn’t like I ignored it entirely... I just have not kept myself versed in it, is all.” She said defensively.

“Hmmph.” Mace chuckled deeply sitting back. “Well I suppose that’s understandable. It’s not as if she didn’t talk in Spanish constantly, I mean Logan told me this one time that she went on a rant in a crowded room, in full unadulterated Spanish and no one in the room even spoke a word of it.” He laughed. “But that was before...” His voice faded, his glance fell to Val and he swallowed. “Well I mean...that was during the days of all out war before our division against the Romans in the later days when Logan...” His voice paused away again, Mace unable or unwilling to even broach the subject. He swallowed again. “Man I am thirsty, where’s a gator gotta go to get a drink around here, huh?”

“You’re a crocodile, not a gator.” Val added. “What about my father?” She asked pointedly.

Mace breathed in, then exhaled sharply through his nostrils as he looked into her eyes. “Look, kid. Sometimes war changes people, I don’t want to speak ill of your dad over what he may or may not’ve done during trying times. I like to hold onto the fact that you were always the first thing he mentioned getting up in the morning, to the last thing he mentioned before going to sleep at night. As a good father, as a good man should do. He loved you more than anything, more than us. More than his own life.” He pounded a hand on the table to accentuate his point. “Logan’s gone to the Karn’athaine, and that’s all I know.” He looked at her. “No matter what.” He raised his arm. “And if he ever needs me, I’d be happy to fight at his side in the battlefield eternal.” He pumped his fist a bit. “Shit. I really should be raising a glass to him over this.” He cursed. He then chuckled and looked at Val again. “Maybe you could join us up there, hm? You’ve got a lot of him in you...you’re such a fighting spirit. I’d be proud to fight with you. The World-Cleaver would know a true warrior like I do when they see you.”

Val blushed and smiled. “You’re too sweet, thanks Mace...” She sounded embarrassed for a minute as she blushed to Mace’s compliments. “I’ll do you proud.”

Mace smirked. “You already do.”


“Okay guys, I don’t know what is taking these guys so long, they’ve got like four people in front of me and they’re already gone so I don’t know what--oh hello!”

Mace turned to see the slender raccoon making her way toward their table and his eyes widened in surprise. Her long dark hair, her masked eyes of green, the way her face was white contrasting the color of her eye mask and nose, he immediately went to stand up, almost knocking the table down as he did so. “A-ah he-hello...” He said looking at her.

“I was wondering where you were.” Val said with a laugh at Mace’s reaction. “Agna this is Maicon Mundi, he’s an old friend of Ahri’s and my parents even...”

“Mace.” He interrupted extending a hand toward her and gently shaking her hand as she reached out to take it. “Pleased to erm... meet you.” He said sounding more and more flustered by the moment. “Agna...such a lovely name.”

Agna giggled a bit, she was blushing as she looked into Mace’s eyes and paused before things got awkward. “I... uhh... kinda need my hand back.”
“Mmm? OH! Sorry.” He said as he removed his hand from hers.

“So...uhh...” She said awkwardly before pointing over her shoulder. “I think I’ll get back to getting our snacks, did you want anything, Mace?”

“Who me?” Mace asked, placing his chin on his hand to look at her. “No...no I’m not hungry.”

“Oh. Okay! Well then, I’ll be right back!” She said as she turned and started walking off, a little extra bounce in her step as she moved off. She glanced over her shoulder at him as she walked off, giving a subtle wink that made a shiver run up his spine.

“Ooohhh wow...who the heck is that?”

“That’s Agna.” Val replied, then grinned and poked him. “Did somebody find somebody he liiiiikes?” She asked in an almost mocking but loving tone of voice. “She’s one of my roommates at college. She’s pretty cute, no?”

“You are incorrigible.” Ahri said with a sigh, crossing his arms, but not able to resist the rarest of smirks from crawling onto his face. “And completely obviously smitten.”

“Was it that obvious?” He asked.

“Yes.” Both replied instantly, making the croc’s skin turn darker from embarrassment.

Val leaned in, looking through the fingers he’d put on his face. “Hey Mace? I’m confused. I thought you said earlier you were starving. But when she asked you if you wanted some food you said you weren’t hungry.”

“I-I don’t know what I am right now.”

“I think you would probably benefit from joining Agna at the food stands.” Ahri pointed out.

“You--you think?” He paused at the glare passed from the pair before he jumped to his feet, again almost knocking the table over. “Y-yeah! I’m starved...how could I have forgotten that. I’ll be right back guys!”

---

Mace approached the food station that Agna stood at, waiting patiently outside the window, checking her watch just as he approached. He huffed as he stepped to the station and smiled awkwardly at her. “H-hey. Sorry about that...I completely forgot how hungry I was.”

“You looked hungry.” Agna said, brushing some of her hair from her face as she looked him over again. “I mean if I were as big as you, I’d probably be famished all the time.”

“Well it’s not as bad as it was when I was young. Can’t get to be my size on jello packets and water... I ate about everything in sight. There was a whole year I swear I’d swallowed a tin can in my sleep and I don’t think I ever got rid of it. If I run fast enough I can still hear the sound of tin clinking in my gut.” He chortled awkwardly as he leaned into the truck. “Yeah I’d like three of your number eights and a number four on your menu.”

Agna smiled and leaned against the window. “And I’m still waiting on my order...” She reminded the harried woman in the window.

“Yes ma’am. We’re almost done, the large pot of spaghetti is what’s taking the longest, we’d run out so we had to make some fresh.”

“Sounds like someone’s ringing Ahri’s dinner bell...” He said to her appraisingly.

“Well I just know what he likes.”

“Well wait until you get to know me...”

Agna smiled, her lips pressing out in almost a kissy motion as she pouted them and leaned against the serving ledge of the food hut. “I think I already know what you like.” She said in a soft, almost seductive tone of voice.

“Okay! Let’s go let’s go!” Val exclaimed, throwing herself in between them momentarily. “You two should probably take a minute to breathe. Come on Val, let’s go see if we can’t help with getting our food together and we’ll have a nice tasty meal together, sound good?”

“Y-yeah, it does!” She said as she was led away, looking back as Ahri, still chuckling in amusement put a hand on Mace’s shoulder.

Mace groaned softly as Ahri led him back toward the seating area. “Oh man... what is wrong with me?”

“Nothing is wrong. You are just a slave to your hormones, I cannot blame you. She is quite a girl. A lot like Val has gotten in the last few years...but probably not as prone to punching your throat in when she gets mad.” He chuckled. “Come now, let’s sit down and have ourselves a meal, shall we?”

---

The sun was going down by the time the girls brought the food to the table. Large loads that Val was able to carry on her own while Agna carried a crate of large tub-like drinks behind her. As they all sat down again, Val and Agna sat on one side of the table while Ahri and Mace sat on the other side. Ahri dug his fork hard into his spaghetti, twirling it around the fork and shoving a good drumstick-sized portion directly into his mouth while Agna made a good impression from the first bite of her massive one pound burger. The size of which impressed Mace, who indulged in a thick, sticky pile of ribs. His breath hitched though and he almost choked when he felt the subtle sandals of the raccoon touching his ankle. Meanwhile Val salivated as she took out here large hunks of Poulvian Drumsticks and one, after the other, bit large portions out of the meat, pressing her lips with her fingers to keep the juices from dripping down. The first ten minutes was mostly silent due to their ravenous eating when finally Val put her plate aside and breathed deep, taking a large drink of soda before her second portion. “What a day.” She said. “At first I thought I was going to have the worst day ever.” She paused and smiled at Agna. “But it turns out that it wasn’t so bad after all.”

“Me too...” Agna responded, the raccoon’s eyes darting to Mace, who loomed kindly over her.

“To good friends, and to good meals.” Ahriman raised his paper cup, shortly joined by the other three.

“To good friends.” The other three repeated as they thumped their drinks together.

In that moment, a flurry of fireworks shot overhead, illuminating the skies over the beach, prompting everyone to pause and enjoy the show. As Ahri and Val looked up, Agna leaned forward, pulled Mace’s necklace to bring him closer and kissed him on the cheek. He blushed heavily as she leaned away to enjoy the show, the warm touch of her lips against his cheek radiated through him. “Yes... it really turned out to be a pretty damn nice day...” He said to himself as he looked up with the rest of them.

THE END