FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

I'm going to do my best to finish off this arc of the story, but will not make any promises. Everything going on has murdered my productivity. Hopefully, you'll see more from me in the coming weeks though!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The naked Golden Retriever let his jaw drop as Nohol let himself into the room and slammed the door shut behind him. He was breathing hard, his head-fur still mussed up from his slumber. It looked as if he had run down here immediately after waking up. Harmond gave the Ermine some space. Nohol looked as if he was going to collapse on the spot. He collected himself as best he could, but still huffed and puffed, unable to get any words out.

"Serious trouble?" Zroc asked, "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

Nohol turned to look at the Kobold with an unamused grin. His face softened immediately as he realized Zroc was okay.

"Thank the gods," Nohol began, "At least there's some good news today."

The portly Ermine caught his breath and waddled over to the chair at the foot of Zroc's bed. Nohol inhaled a deep shaky breath, his paws shaking with pent up energy and anxiety. . Harmond took a seat down in front of the Ermine and took a deep breath. He blushed and crossed his legs, hiding his package from view.

"What's going on Nohol?" Harmond asked, "What's happened?"

Nohol collected himself and shakily reached out to pour himself a goblet full of wine from the vessel on the table. He gulped it down, his paws still shaking as he swallowed. Harmond reached out and held onto Nohol's paws. The older male smiled softly and pat the Golden Retriever's paws in thanks.

"There's an army at our door," The Ermine let out a quiet whine, "Turns out my brother had some powerful friends. I fear he had been planning this for longer than I had anticipated "

Harmond pulled back his paws.

"Wait wait wait," The Golden Retriever began, "Your brother. Is that the guy you sent us after?"

Nohol nodded slowly.

"That's why I wanted him dead so badly," The Ermine continued, "I was the older child, the title was mine by birthright, but Bardi thought that was unfair."

The Golden Retriever sighed and put his head in his paws. His fingers slowly worked over his temples. There was no way Nohol expected him to lead his party to battle on his account. He looked up at the Ermine's hopeful eyes and growled. Harmond had a sinking suspicion that was going to be the case. Zroc groaned out behind the Golden Retriever as he sat up and scooted down to his lover's side. His hand reached out and squeezed the Canine's arm tightly.

"What kind of army are we talking about here?" Harmond asked, "How many? What kinds of troops?"

Nohol nodded slowly before speaking.

"It's a Tenemmen army," The Ermine began, "10,000 strong. They haven't cared for us for generations, but this is the first time they've ever gone and done something like this."

Harmond took a deep breath. Ten thousand was a lot, too many for the Golden Retriever's liking. The fact that Nohol referred to the army by name gave him another sharp pang of worry. Were the Tenemmen well regarded in warfare? Judging by the heavy sigh that left Zroc's lips, Harmond's suspicions were proven.

"So what?" He asked, "Foot soldiers? Cavalry? Do they have any siege equipment?"

Zroc chimed in with a low, unenthused tone.

"Most importantly," Zroc interjected, "How badly are we outnumbered?"

The portly Ermine shuddered and looked out the window. Wine sloshed over the rim of his goblet and stained the front of his purple bedrobe.

"Badly," Nohol replied, "They've brought plenty of siege equipment. I fear that once the battle starts, the walls will fall shortly after. We have enough men to do some serious damage, but I fear there's just too many of them for us to come out victorious."

Harmond looked over at the Kobold and grimaced.

"What do you want us to do about it?" Zroc asked, "We aren't soldiers, and there are only 5 of us."

The Golden Retriever nodded. Zroc was right. There was nothing they could do that would turn the tide.

"I'm sorry Nohol," Harmond added, "There's no amount of coin you could give us that would buy that. This is sounding more and more like a suicide mission."

The Ermine glowered and stood up with a huff.

"I give you my best hospitality, arrange to have an inn rent out for your flea-bitten friends, and fully finance your lover's recovery," Nohol bared his teeth, "And you repay me with cowardice? With insubordination!?"

Harmond stood up and glared down at the portly male. His nakedness was forgotten as anger overtook the Golden Retriever. Nohol knew damn well who he had hired and what their skills were. Battle was not one of them.

"I appreciate your situation, I really do," The younger male said with a growl, "But there is nothing cowardly about this decision. I'll say it again, we are not soldiers."

Nohol chuckled and shook his head.

"You're whatever I damn well want you to be," Nohol replied, "Your dead friend saw to that when he signed you to my service. Now, you will report to the captain of the guard as soon as possible for your assignments."

He started to walk out of the room with a frown. The Ermine made eye contact with Zroc and chuckled mirthlessly.

"All of you."

The Ermine stepped out and slammed the door behind him. Harmond shook his head and sat back down on the Kobold's bed.

"Harmond," Zroc said softly, "Look at me."

The younger male looked up and over at the Kobold and let out a soft chuckle.

"Nohol is out of his fucking mind if he thinks we're fighting this battle for him," The Golden Retriever scoffed, "I'm not one to spit in the face of hospitality, but this is just too much."

He let out a soft sigh.

"Ennrion would have never stood for this," Harmond continued, "What do you think he would have done?"

Zroc sighed and kissed the Golden Retriever softly on the cheek.

"That's not important," Zroc began, "What are you going to do? Ennrion trained you so hard to make you better than him. It's time to take that responsibility he put on your shoulders and run with it."

The older male smirked and kissed the Dog on the cheek again.

"Now," He said with a quiet chuckle, "As far as my vote, I agree with you. I'm not fighting in some foreign war."

Harmond nodded and thought hard. They had at best a couple of hours to find a way out of the city. The Golden Retriever sighed and shook his head.

"I don't know how we're going to get out of this," Harmond began, "Do they have tunnels out of here? Is there a spot we could hide that won't get burned to the ground if that army outside wins."

He scoffed.

"Even worse," The Golden Retriever continued, "What happens if Nohol's guys win? They aren't going to let us just walk out of the front gate."

Zroc nodded.

"You're right," The Kobold replied, "You've got to have some people in the city that would tell you that information. People with local knowledge."

Harmond closed his eyes and rocked softly as he thought. Who had he met that would fit the bill? All of Nohol's men and the clergy were immediate no's. The whore at the baths that Shahaada had occupied wouldn't remember him. That just left...

"Ukran... The innkeeper," Harmond said softly, "We'll dress for battle, head down to the Golden Hammers, rally our guys, and find out the quickest way out of this dump."

Zroc chuckled and smirked.

"Now we're cooking with fire," He licked his lips, "Although, are you sure you need the armor? I kinda like the view..."

Harmond shook his head and made his way to the door.

"See you downstairs in a few minutes Zroc," He chuckled softly, "Fully dressed."

The Kobold shrugged as the Golden Retriever left the room and moved across the hall.

"Yes sir," He looked down at his feet and scoffed as he slid them out from under the blanket, "Was worth a shot."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

30 minutes later

It didn't take long for Harmond and Zroc to traverse the empty streets and reach the inn. It was strangely quiet, almost as if the air around them was tensing with anxious worry. Harmond shoved open the door and let out a relieved sigh. Uvoc, Warren, and Jaal were sitting in the common area eating their breakfast. They didn't look up until Zroc slid under the Dog's arm and clapped his hands.

"Is this what you guys have been doing since I've been gone?" The Kobold chuckled, "Sitting around getting fat? I was hoping there'd be a whore on each of your laps, helping you to fuck the pain of my absence away."

Warren and Jaal let out a happy and surprised gasp. As they verbally fumbled over their words, Uvoc got up without a word, walked over to the Kobold, and knelt down in front of him. The pair made eye contact, and then embraced each other.

"Friend Zroc," Uvoc breathed a deep sigh and squeezed the smaller male tightly to his chest, "I miss you."

Harmond smirked with quiet amusement as Zroc momentarily resisted the tighter embrace. It didn't take him long to give in. If Uvoc wanted a hug, then Uvoc got a hug. The Kobold relaxed and let his arms fall from the Wolf's bulky body.

"I know big guy," Zroc replied, "We don't have time for this right now. Have you guys heard? There's an army outside the city."

Ja'al stood up from his seat and frowned.

"What kind of army?" The Camel asked, "How many are there?"

Harmond let out a low whistle. His ears perked up at the sound of armored footsteps hurrying down the street. The Dog slammed the door shut and put his back against it. It was probably nothing more than guards rushing to the wall, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Harmond moved away from the door and let out a quiet sigh.

"Enough," The Golden Retriever replied, "We need to leave, now. Nohol wants us for the defense."

Warren looked up at Ja'al and Harmond with a whine.

"Isn't that deserting?" The Rat asked, "Won't he hunt us down?"

Zroc peeked over Uvoc's shoulder and chuckled loudly.

"He's not going to be able to hunt us down if this city falls," He replied with a groan as he extricated himself from the Wolf's grip, "He doesn't have high hopes. The city guard is outnumbered and they've brought siege weapons."

As Warren processed the news and drew his legs against his chest, Ja'al stood up and surveyed the Golden Retriever.

"I agree with you Harmond," The Camel replied, "Now, how are we going to get out of here?"

The Golden Retriever walked toward the center of the room and started to pace. Ukran was nowhere to be found, which meant his plan had hit a very serious roadblock. Now it seemed the only option was to blindly probe around the city in hopes that the party could find an entrance to some hidden way out of here.

"We're going to have to make it up as we go along," Harmond replied, "For now, get your weapons and armor. We'll meet here and start to search for a way out."

Warren finished his drink and stood up from the table with a quiet sigh. The Golden Retriever put his paws to his side and let out a gasp. His pouch of medicene was sitting on his bed in his room at the inn. Harmond put up a paw.

"Warren?" He asked, "Could you get the pack of herbs and what not from my room?"

The Rat chuckled and blushed.

"It's in our room," Warren replied, "Uvoc and I, well, ran out of that stuff you gave us."

Harmond smirked.

"That's fine," The Golden Retriever began, "Just be sure to grab it okay?"

Warren nodded and walked up the stairs to the upstairs rooms. As the party members split, a quiet grinding sound emenated from behind the bar. Harmond's ears perked up in response. Upon closer inspection, it sounded like stone grinding against stone. The Golden Retriever walked forward and peeked his head over the bar. There was a slowly growing gap in the floor. It appeared to go down into a well-lit stone stairwell. As the Dog moved in for a closer look, Ukran's ears popped into view. Harmond smirked and sat on the bar, his legs dangling down absent-mindedly.

"I was wondering where you went Ukran," Harmond chuckled, "Weren't you worried we were going to case the joint while you were gone?"

Ukran let out a growl and a groan.

"Gods damn it Harmond," He barked, "Could you help push this fucking thing open? I've got my arms full here."

The Golden Retriever jumped down and pushed hard. The heavy stone slab groaned and shuddered as the two males forced it open. Ukran sat down on the top stair, panting.

"Thank you," He said with a pained whine, "The damned lever got stuck."

Harmond nodded.

"So, uh," The Golden Retriever began, "I take it you know what's going on."

Ukran smirked.

"I take it that you must know as well," The older male replied, "And the fact that you're sitting down here with me instead of running to the fat fur's defense tells me you want no part in it."

The Corgi moved back to his feet with a groan.

"I'm not going to cast any judgements. After all, I wouldn't be standing here talking to you if I didn't know when to run away," Ukran continued, "I could use some help getting through the tunnels. When I first opened this inn, the storm drains still flooded. Now that the river has shifted course, my little boat out of here is useless."

The Golden Retriever's tail wagged behind him. Doing whatever favor Ukran required was a small price to pay for a safe escape. The ceiling above them vibrated in the time of armored footsteps moving back down to the ground floor.

"What do you need?" Harmond asked, "We'd be more than happy to get you out of here."

Ukran moved behind the bar and grabbed a couple sacks of gold. He clipped the sacks to his belt, their contents jingling and rattling as he bustled throughout the bar. Harmond leaned back against the bar and watched as Ukran bustled around. The Corgi pulled out more sacks of gold and stacked them up on the counter. Harmond's eyes went wide as the pile grew to a dozen, then a score, then thirty. Ukran panted and let out a little chuckle.

"That's what I need to bring," The older Dog chuckled, "This place and everything in it could burn to the ground for all I care. But I need that gold."

Harmond nodded.

"We can definitely help you carry your gold," He chuckled as Uvoc led the charge of adventurers down the stairs, "And there's the Wolf to do it. He'd probably carry you if you asked nicely."

Ukran shot the taller Canine a smile and chuckled.

"I may have to take you guys up on that last part," Ukran replied, "It's going to be a bitch of a walk. Dark, damp, all and all not a place one wants to spend any amount of time."

Zroc leapt onto the bar and looked over the money with wide greedy eyes. Ukran growled and shook his fist at the shorter scaly male.

"You aren't laying a claw on any of these bags," The Corgi said sternly, "Your sneaky fingers are the talk of the town. Not everyone steals from Nohol and gets away with it."

Harmond's eyes went wide. If the Ermine got out of this scenario alive, there was a very good chance that he would send mercenaries after them. He looked over at Zroc who had a very disconcerting smile on his face. The Kobold pulled out a wineskin and took a sip of it. From Harmond's position he could smell the unmistakable aroma of Racapo wine. The Golden Retriever glared at the smaller male and crossed his arms.

"What! I had an enchanted wineskin!" Zroc smirked and put the flask back into his jacket pocket, "Did you think I was going to fill a neverending flask with Colbanese piss? Besides, it's not like I needed all that much."

Ukran rolled his eyes as the rest of the party filed in behind them.

"You found a way out?" Ja'al asked with a bemused chuckle, "That was way easier than I thought it would be."

Harmond nodded and looked back at the other furs. He was happy for the distraction. Sometimes Zroc was just too much.

"All we gotta do is help Ukran carry his gold out of the city," The Golden Retriever replied, "It's the least we can do."

Zroc nodded and got down from the bar.

"It's a hell of a lot better than fighting in some battle for that fat white-furred prick," The Kobold scoffed, "The nerve of that guy... The absolute nerve."

The Golden Retriever gathered up some of Ukran's gold and pushed it towards Uvoc. The Wolf watched for a few moments before collecting all of it and putting it into his backpack. Uvoc groaned and wiggled to help the uncomfortable sacks settle against the small of his back. He looked to Harmond and nodded.

"Okay Ukran," Harmond began, "Do we have everything we need? Torches and what not?"

The Corgi nodded.

"There's torches down there," Ukran replied, "It's pretty simple to find our way once we're down there. It's practically a straight shot."

Harmond looked over the members of his party to survey for any complaints or questions. Warren shrank against Uvoc's side and whined softly.

"Are you sure it's safe?" The Rat asked with a whimper, "It didn't end so well the last time we went in a hole in the ground."

Uvoc bowed his head and squeezed the Rat's arm tightly.

"No worry," Uvoc began, "Mate can fight any foe. I with you."

Harmond smiled at the display and looked over to Zroc. The Kobold had taken the flask out again and was quaffing the liquid. The Golden Retriever grumbled. He was going to have to deal with Zroc later.

"Let's go," Harmond began, "We should try to get out of here before the battle starts."

The Golden Retriever drew Ennrion's enchanted sword from his back and channeled some of his psychic energy down to it. The blade lit up with green fire, making Zroc and Ukran whistle with awe.

"Green must be your color now," Zroc chuckled, "That's new."

Harmond blushed and nodded. Ever since Zroc and Ennrion had fallen to the boneclaw, his spellcasting had changed. It now matched the new tint of green in Zroc's eyes, and the flames that shot from his muzzle. He feared that Shaadha had marked him as well.

"We can talk about that when we get through these tunnels," Harmond began, "I'll lead the way with Zroc. Jaal, Uvoc, and Warren, you two can take up the rear." How many of us can walk across at once?"

Ukran shrugged.

"Three or four?" He replied, "I don't know why it's such a big deal. There's nothing down there."

Harmond smirked and shook his head.

"There's always something down there," Harmond began as he walked down the stiars, "Now keep up."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

3 hours later

The party walked through the tunnels underneath the city. Uvoc and Warren whispered between themselves and Ukran barked out directions at every junction. It was hard going, the stone underfoot was treacherous and slippery. small rivulets of water, the last remnants of the water that once flooded these drains, pooled at slight decline in the tunnel. Old bones littered the tunnel, some from vermin and some from anthropomorphic bodies. Zroc elbowed the Golden Retriever in the side and chuckled softly.

"It looks good on you, Ennrion's armor," Zroc began, "He'd be happy to see you in it. He'd be happy to see you leading us."

Harmond let out a quiet sigh.

"I'm only leading us because you weren't able to," He replied, "It only makes sense that you take charge."

Zroc shook his head.

"I don't have the patience," The older male chuckled, "I'll help you, don't get me wrong, but I could never lead these guys."

Harmond moved to open his mouth again, but was cut off with a squeeze from Zroc's hand.

"Don't worry," The Kobold smiled, "You'll be brilliant."

The party continued to walk. From above, sounds of battle began to ring throughout the tunnels. There was no chance of detection, but the whispers from Uvoc and Warren ceased. The walls, true to Nohol's estimation, didn't stand for very long. Zroc let out a low whistle and looked over to the Golden Retriever.

"So, that boneclaw," Zroc began, "I saw the scars. How bad was it?"

Harmond whined and shook his head.

"Not now," The younger male replied, "I really don't want to talk about it."

As Zroc responded, Harmond's ears perked up at the sound of something splashing ahead in the darkness. He put his paw up and hustled to the nearest corner. The party fell silent and still behind the Golden Retriever. Harmond couldn't see much in the dim light, but could make out a wall of anthros coming towards them. He hustled back, stumbling slightly and sliding the longsword against the stone floor as he made his way back.

"There's guys," Harmond gasped, "A lot of them."

"Good guys?" Warren asked, "Or bad guys?"

Zroc scoffed.

"Come on Warren, they're all bad guys at this point," The Kobold rolled his eyes, "How many Harmond?"

The Golden Retriever whined softly and looked back towards the corner.

"Looked like a lot," Harmond replied, "How much farther do we have to go Ukran?"

The Corgi sheepishly pointed towards the corner that Harmond had looked around. The party let out a collective groan.

"It's about 70-80 feet around that corner," Ukran began, "I don't know any other way out of here than that way."

The Golden Retriever growled and looked back towards the door. He didn't have the time to replenish his component pouch. He thought hard thinking of anything that could help them out. His eyes opened as his fingers moved to clasp his pouch.

"I can put up a wall," Harmond said softly, "I can give us a minute. If we hurry, we can cut through whoever is on the other side of it."

Zroc put up his hands.

"Wait wait wait," He huffed, "Cant you just like."

He pantomimed a wall blasting vertically through a column of shoulders.

"Do the wall that way?" The Kobold continued, "Kill the fuckers?"

Harmond shook his head.

"It's only a few feet wide. This way I can keep more of them from moving down around it," The Golden Retriever began, "I'm going to need your help with this. All of you."

The rest of party drew their weapons and nodded. Zroc looked at the Golden Retriever, worry unmistakably creasing his face. Harmond chuckled.

"You said I was the leader," The Golden Retriever shot the Kobold an encouraging smile, "Let me lead."

Zroc shot the Golden Retriever a smile and a nod.

"On your command then," Zroc replied, "I'll follow you anywhere."

Harmond shared a tender look with the Kobold before looking over the rest of the group. Even Ukran produced an ornate dagger.

"When you hear me shout," The Golden Retriever began, "Run around the corner and cut down everything between you and that door."

Harmond walked around the corner, his fingers closing around a chunk of phosphorus in his pouch. The first wave of soldiers had passed the door. From the light of their torches and the light of his sword, Harmond could tell that they were not Myrkanese. He crushed the mineral in his paw and held it out in front of him. His paw started to glow bright green. The front row of soldiers froze and pushed back against the shields of those behind them as the glow slowly grew. The Golden Retriever glanced at the door and mentally aimed the spell 5 feet behind it.

Faelnaur!

The glow poofed away from the Dog's fingers. The soldiers, mostly Deer and other ungulates, looked over the now lightly armed Golden Retriever. One of them, a tall black furred Fox, raised his arm and shouted a command in a language Harmond didn't understand. As the first row started to move, a 20 feet tall wall of green fire closed off the entirety of the tunnel. The flames licked through the 16 or so soldiers in the rows behind them, cooking them alive in their armor. One managed to duck down and dive out of the range of the spell. The soldier, a male Deer, looked back at the Golden Retriever with a loud battle cry.

He hopped to his feet and ran forward, his longsword and shield at the ready. Another row of 8 soldiers jumped through the wall, this time, five fell to the ground as charred bodies. The remaining 12 soldiers on the Golden Retriever's side of the wall charged forward. Warren led the charge, followed by Uvoc. The rat rushed forward and struck out at the Deer soldier leading the charge. He brandished his handaxes, and with a double strike slashed them both across the Deer's chest. The other soldier squared up to the Rat and counter attacked, his sword slapping against the steel heads of his axes. Uvoc ran straight past the dueling pair, his greatsword raised high as he charged for the center of the row of soldiers. He swept the blade across him in an arch, parting three heads from the shoulders of the enemy soldiers. The remaining 5 in the row flinched with shock at the sudden deaths of their comrades and then surrounded him.

Jaal stepped forward and threw his spear at the Deer harrying Warren. It pierced through the side of his neck, bringing the Deer to the stone floor with a loud thud. The Camel rushed to Warren's side, both to collect the spear and put a reassuring paw on the Rat's shoulder. Zroc rushed forward to join them, his shortsword at the ready. The three of them looked toward the now surrounded barbarian and hurried forward.

"You good kid?" Ukran asked, "You need any one beside you?"

Harmond shook his head and took a couple of steps forward.

"Just go!!" He shouted, "Wait for an opening and take it. You aren't going to last long without any armor."

The fighters surrounding Uvoc slashed out at the raging Wolf with their longswords, all but two of them clanging their blades against the Barbarian's. One of the blades slashed across his shoulder while the other winged his belly. Uvoc let out a ferocious snarl and brought his sword around again. The first soldier managed to dodge out of the way and send the barbarian's sword clanging into the ground. Uvoc brought it up again to slam the blade down on the solider's head, only for it to be slapped out the the way with his shield. He let out a loud, blood-curdling howl and ran the Deer through, lifting him off his feet in the process. Uvoc twisted the blade and drew it back with a snarl. Intestines plopped around his paws as the lifeless soldier hit the stone.

As Uvoc raised his sword for another swing, Warren ran forward and tackled one of the remaining soliders, a Mouse with a loud war cry of his own. He brought both of his axes down on the smaller rodent's head. One of them missed completely, sparking metal off of the stone, while the other buried itself into the rodent's face. Warren wrenched the axeblade out and shakily got to his feet. Harmond whined as he watched the Rat slowly ready himself for another kill. The Rodent would need a good counselling session after this. Jaal arched his spear over the Rat at a Deer who lunged forward at Warren, and missed completely, sending the projectile arching just in front of the flame wall. He yelped and drew a small dagger from his belt as another scorched Deer stepped forward to face him..

Zroc rushed behind the Red Fox to the right of Uvoc and drove his shortsword into the back of his chest up to the hilt. The vulpine let out a cough and a groan as he fell forward with a death rattle. The Kobold drew his sword back and readied another swing at the Deer standing in front of him. Urkan started to run forward narrowly dodging swinging blades from the soldiers and the party. Harmond smirked. This was going to work. His ears shrank against his head as he heard Ja'al cry out in pain. The Deer he was facing slashed across the Camel's arm, sending the dagger clattering to the ground. Even worse, one of the fighters, another Fox, facing Uvoc slashed Zroc across the back, making him gasp and yelp in pain.

Harmond frowned and pushed through the emotional stress to keep the wall up. He looked up just in time to see arrows pushing through the wall of flames. They were burning, but flew true. Most of the arrows missed, but two of them buried themselves into the backs of the soldiers fighting Warren and Jaal. The Deer facing the Rat shrugged off the arrow that grazed his cheek and slashed towards the shaken Rat again. Ja'al's stag was not so lucky, and was brought to his knees by the impact of the arrow that thudded into the small of his back. Uvoc swang his sword in a low circle, slicing down the Deer kneeling in front of the Camel. The other slashed the Fox facing Zroc clean in half. Uvoc turned towards the Deer fighting his lover with a terrible snarl and lunged forward.

The Deer cried out in fear as he was lifted from the ground and squeezed until the life was crushed out of him. The Wolf let the ungulate's lifeless corpse crumble to the ground in front of him. Warren stepped forward and put his paw in the Wolf's, breathing shakily and leaning up against the Wolf for support. Harmond could tell he wasn't hurt on the outside, but inside, things were likely less intact. He started to step forward, walking slow to keep up his concentration on the wall of fire. Ukran poked his head out from the side passageway and waved.

"You guys coming or what!" He shouted, "We're gonna have a hard time getting out of here if they get through that wall."

The company looked back at Harmond, who rolled his eyes and gestured for them to go through.

"Go on!" He shouted, "I'm right behind you!"

The four males sprinted for the door as another volley of arrows loosed. Once again, most clattered harmlessly into the stone or buried themselves into the corpses of their compatriots. One of the arrows buried itself into Harmond's thigh. He grit his teeth and ignored it, continuing to walk forward with the wall of flame still up. The Golden Retriever started to run forward as best as he could. Once again, the arrows loosed from the other side of the wall. This time three managed to come close to the Golden Retriever. Two bounced off of Ennrion's half-plate armor, while the other buried into the fold between the plates. He limped into the tunnel with a whine. His friends had already made their way up the stairs.

He looked back toward the entryway as the soldiers fired another round of arrows. Harmond knew he had to seal up this tunnel. He counted down as he backed as far up the stairwell as he could before reaching into his pouch for the last of his Veloshi Fire Berries. He crushed them in his paw and raised it up. As the first couple of soldiers came into view Harmond shouted his incantation.

BAKBANÁS

Green energy burst forth from the Golden Retriever's paws and knocked him flat onto his back against the stairwell. The 6 soldiers that stood at the base of the stairs were vaporized in a puff of red mist. He whined as the tunnel below him buckled and shook. The heavy stones fell with loud, cacaphonous booms. Screams echoed out from below for a few brief instants. Then silence. Harmond pulled himself up with a whine. From behind the cave in, Harmond heard a deep unsettling chuckle.

"Well well," The male voice began, "Aren't you a powerful one?"

Harmond stayed as silent as he could. How was this guy still alive?

"You must be the one who slaughtered my master's boneclaw," It continued, "No matter. We'll retrieve the remains shortly. My master will return, and you'll be one of the first to face his wrath. There's nowhere to hide. Even in death, he will find you and make you suffer."

The Golden Retriever bit down on his lip and started to scoot up the stairs on his rump. If he played his cards right, maybe the stranger below would think he had perished. All he needed was a little luck. Harmond looked up at the top of the stairs with a confident smirk. He was almost there.

"Harmond?" Zroc said with a whine, his feet heavily thudding on the stairs, "Harmond!"

The Golden Retriever swore under his breath as the Kobold came into view. Zroc ran forward and hugged the Dog tightly with a quiet sob.

"I was so worried!" He said with a relieved groan, "I heard the explosion and I thought-"

Harmond freed his arm from the hug and plastered his paw across the Kobold's muzzle. As Zroc fell silent, the voice on the other end started to chuckle louder. Harmond pulled the paw away and started to once again crawl up the stairs.

"Harmond the Wizard," It continued, "Plain name for a wizard. You won't be hard to find. I'll see you and your friends again soon. Don't you worry."

Zroc looked at the Golden Retriever with fear in his eyes. He helped the Dog to his feet and bore the weight of his bad side. Harmond let out a quiet whine of thanks and held Zroc's hand tightly. Once they were a safe distance away the Kobold released the Golden Retriever's paw.

"What the hell was that about?" He hissed quietly, "Who was that guy?"

Harmond panted and shook his head.

"I don't know," The Golden Retriever replied, "But I think we need to get the hell out of here. Is everyone okay?"

Zroc nodded and looked back down towards the caved in base of the stairs.

"Ukran and Warren are just finishing with the wounded. Uvoc and I are fine and Ja'al is a little beat up, but he'll make it," The Kobold began, "Other than that, Warren is more than a little shaken. If his paws aren't bandaging something, they're shaking like a tree in the wind."

The Golden Retriever feared as much.

"You'll have to help me figure out how to help him," Harmond replied, "I'm still new to this sort of thing."

The Kobold nodded.

"For now," Zroc said with a chuckle, "Let's get the hell out of this tunnel. I don't want to even see a cave for another month at the earliest."

As the pair walked up the stairs the stone tunnel got brighter and brighter. They came out into a small enclosed clearing. Ja'al sat, panting hard, with his back to the stone wall. His left arm was wrapped in blood-stained bandages. Uvoc and Warren were sitting against a fallen tree. The Rat had his head buried in the larger male's chest. Ukran was nowhere to be seen. He looked up at Harmond with a happy chuckle.

"I was beginning to fear the worst," The Camel chuckled, "I'm happy you're okay."

Harmond let out a sigh as Zroc steered him to a soft patch of grass just beside Ja'al. The Golden Retriever let out a groan of pain as he sat himself down. The Kobold looked down at his lover with a concerned frown. His eyes kept flicking down to the slowly bleeding wound in the Dog's leg. It was a concern that Harmond was wholly unused to.

"Are you going to be okay while I get Warren?" Zroc asked, "I don't want you to pull that arrow out and try to heal it while I'm gone."

The Golden Retriever chuckled and shook his head.

"Yeah I'm not quite tough enough for that," Harmond said softly, "Take your time. Tell him there's no rush if he needs a breather."

The Kobold sighed and kissed the top of the Golden Retriever's head before walking over to Uvoc and Warren's side. The three of them conversed softly as Harmond turned to look at Ja'al.

"How much time do we have?" Ja'al asked, "I'm going to need a bit of a rest until I'm good to move."

Harmond nodded.

"There's nothing coming up this tunnel," He replied after a short pause, "And this appears to be pretty hidden. I bet we'll be fine for a couple hours at the least."

The Camel breathed a sigh of relief and rested his head against the stone wall.

"That's good," Ja'al let out a pained laugh, "Let's try not to kill anything that can kill us back for a while."

Harmond returned the laugh and panted hard.

"I don't plan to," The Golden Retriever whined as he shifted his position, "I plan on getting as far from here as possible."

The Camel nodded and went back to quietly nursing his wounds. Zroc came over a few moments later with Harmond's medicine pack in hand. He knelt down in front of the Golden Retriever and kissed him softly on the forehead.

"Warren, uh, needs a bit," The Kobold began, "I can do it though."

He looked down at the arrow sticking out from Harmond's wound and let out a low whine. His hands started to shake as he reached over to open the bag. The Golden Retriever reached out and took the older male's hand.

"Come on," Harmond squeezed it, "You've patched up worse for Ennrion haven't you?"

Zroc nodded sadly.

"I have, but that was Ennrion," The Kobold sighed heavily, "I've never liked seeing you get hurt. Even before we were, you know, together."

Harmond reached down and pulled a dagger from his lovers belt. He moved the point down to rest just above the wound. Zroc's eyes went wide and he shook his head violently.

"No, no, no," He frowned, "Let me do it. I can do it. Just give me a little time."

The Golden Retriever shook his head.

"Let me enlarge the wound," Harmond sighed and pulled off the strap of the bag, "You pull and put down a rag or something for the bleeding."

Zroc let out a defeated sigh and nodded. He closed his eyes and looked away as Harmond bit down on the strap and gave the shaft a little wiggle. It wasn't lodged and fortunately wasn't near any major blood vessel. Harmond closed his eyes and brought the blade of his knife down against his flesh. A whimper escaped through the gag as he spread the wound further with the knife. The Kobold let out a growl as he reached forward and pulled the arrow from the wound. He thrust his other paw down against the bleeding gash, pressing a rag down hard against it, and leaned in to kiss over the Dog's muzzle.

"I'm sorry!" Zroc let out a whimper, "Are you okay?"

Harmond let the strap fall from his muzzle and softly kissed his fiance back. The Kobold froze and smiled, returning the kiss with a gentle, yet insistent pressure. His other hand moved up to carress Harmond's cheek, one of his fingers playing with the younger male's floppy ear lobe. Harmond giggled and closed his eyes. This was his and Zroc's first real kiss since the boneclaw incident. The Dog pulled away and rested his forehead against the Kobold's.

"I'm sorry I'm too tired to take care of these wounds myself," Harmond let out a sigh, "You're doing wonderfully though."

Zroc reached into the pack and smeared a bit of herbal politice over the Dog's wound. Harmond grit his teeth and gripped the Kobold's shoulder. He knew Zroc was being as gentle as he could, but it still wasn't enough to make up for his lack of experience. The Kobold took a clean bandage and wrapped it tightly around the Dog's leg.

"There," Zroc sat back and looked up at the Golden Retriever, "You should be able to make it till you can fully patch everybody up."

Harmond nodded and pushed himself up onto his two legs. He faltered a little but managed to catch himself with his good leg. Rest could wait. Now he needed to get himself and his friends as far away from Myrka as he could. Ukran came down from the hill with a quiet sigh.

"Myrka has fallen," The Corgi began, "They've started burning the castle."

Zroc helped Ja'al to his feet and held him up against his shoulders. The Camel faltered as well, but managed to stay standing with Zroc's help.

"Where's the nearest town?" Harmond asked, "Can we get there before the army moves out?"

Ukran paused for a moment.

"Well, if it were actually a Tenemmen army," The Corgi began, "They'd be travelling southwest, directly through the nearest town.

"If they were?" Warren asked, "But they were."

The Rat looked up from Uvoc's chest and slowly stood on his own. His paws were shaking. He looked down at them, closed his eyes for a moment, and then opened them with a shaky gasp.

"I saw it on their armor," The Rat continued, "Who else could it have been?"

"I watched them storm the inner walls," Ukran replied, "They advance orderly through the city, save the pillaging and the raping for after the fight. These weren't Tennemens."

Harmond took a deep breath. The words the Fox had said to him clicked.

"They were, and they weren't," Harmond interjected, "I heard they were trying to break someone out. Someone powerful. The one who put the boneclaw in that keep."

He sighed.

"We may have a bigger problem," The Golden Retriever continued, "Whoever they're trying to get sounds like bad news."

Zroc cleared his throat.

"And?" The Kobold asked, "What are we supposed to do about that?"

Harmond shook his head.

"I don't know," Harmond replied, "But right now. We need to move."

Ukran shook his head.

"The safest option is to stay here till they leave," The Corgi began, "Then, we head north, skirt the ruins of the city, and make for Holbaek. It's small, crummy inn, but out of the way."

Harmond looked over the group and nodded slowly. They needed the break desperately. The older Dog looked Harmond in the eyes and returned the nod.

"I can watch while you guys catch your breath," He continued, "Once it's clear, we need to hustle out of here."

The Golden Retriever rested his head against Zroc's shoulder. For now, at least, he was happy the Corgi took command of the situation. His lover wrapped an arm around him and held him tightly to his side.

"You did good," Zroc kissed the top of Harmond's head, "We wouldn't have got out of that if it wasn't for you."

Harmond nuzzled in response to the compliment but did not respond. While he knew this was not true, part of him worried that the only reason they were in that situation in the first place was because of him. The Golden Retriever was no stranger to self doubt, but it had never spiraled down this quickly. He felt paralyzed. What if this was only the first of many sticky situations he led his friends and lover into?