FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Ok everyone, here's chapter 2. Again, please comment, what you like, don't like, what I could improve on, etc. Have fun!

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Chapter 2

The wolf's black fur blended well with the dark shadows at the edge of the forest where he crouched, eying the small cottage before him. Smoke rose from the chimney that stuck out of the thatched roof, but he had not seen anyone come or go for some time. His gaze shifted to consider his prize, a long black cloak that hung drying on the line. The pants he was wearing would not hide him well, but with this he wouldn't stand out as much. The only difficulty was in snatching it unseen. He didn't know who lived here, but the last thing he wanted was to draw attention.

Slipping out from under the eaves of the forest, he slid forward into the small garden adjacent to the clothesline. Weaving his way through the rows of plants, he glanced around, ears flicking as strained to hear any movement besides his own. Noticing nothing, he rose and darted over to the cloak. He pulled if off the clothesline, wrapping it around himself. Movement caught the corner of his eye, and he froze, cloak halfway on. Keeping his head still, his eyes darted over and he saw a mouse, probably the owner of the home, through the window of the cottage. His tail slowly slipped between his legs as he watched her walk around in what appeared to be her kitchen, carrying things back and forth, humming softly to herself. As soon as she moved away from the window, he broke his statue-like position and ran away from the house. It was only when it was safely out of sight behind some others that he slowed down and relaxed.

It had been awhile since he had worn anything besides the pants he had been given, and his paws fumbled clumsily with the brooch at the throat. Finally fastening it, he looked up, only to whine in frustration. He had completely forgotten that the port had a wall around it. Getting around the guards would be a task, but hopefully he hadn't forgotten everything his father had taught him, despite having to hide it while in slavery. Moving off the road, he approached the gate from an angle. Luckily for him, the guard seemed distracted. Pressing himself against the wall, he slid towards the gate. He picked up a rock and made to throw it, hoping to distract the guard, but the clip-clopping of a horse's hooves stayed his paw. Crouching down, he was glad of the sun that threw a shadow over him, concealing his figure. He eyed the newcomer cautiously. It was a brown-furred wolf, a big one at that. He counted himself tall, but this wolf was a good head taller than him, perhaps even shoulders. And he wasn't just tall, he was broad-shouldered as well. The mare underneath him must have some draft-horse in her, to carry what looked like a high three-hundred pounds of muscle around.

The wolf stopped in front of the guard and spoke to him. He perked his ears to try to catch what they were saying, but didn't dare move any closer. It was enough though, and he was just able to pick out their words.

"Anything happen lately that I should know?"

The german shepherd guard muttered something about a message board, and the lurking wolf felt the blood drain from his face. This had to be a Hunter, why else would he be asking a guard about the message board? Swallowing, he considered just traveling down the shore until he reached the next port. It was possible, but he had no clue how long that would be, and he couldn't count on his untried hunting skills to procure food for himself. This was still his best bet, even if a Hunter was inside.

The brown-furred wolf muttered thanks, and nudged his horse inwards, calling something back to the guard as he entered the port. He judged it safe to move forward, and rose slowly as the shepherd gave a casual wave to the mounted wolf. Gripping the rock in his paw, he wondered if now was a good time to try for his diversion, but froze as he heard the guard scramble to straighten up at something the Hunter had said inside. Breathing slowly, he watched the back of the guard's head as he stood at attention, glancing inside the walls. After a few moments, the guard leaned forward and peered into the port. Giving a quick glance down the road, he moved into the city. Like a gust of wind, the wolf darted inside the gate and over a nearby wall. Glancing back, he watched the guard return to his spot, grumbling about the Hunter playing tricks on him.

Slipping further into the dark alley between the houses and the wall, he padded forward, a flicker amongst the shadows. The tall houses pressed close together, blocking out the sun below the second story windows. Shutters clacked open, and he heard a grunt of exertion. Diving towards the wall of the alley, he narrowly missed being drenched in the contents of a chamber pot. It wouldn't have been a new occurrence, but it was one he was glad to have avoided. He wrinkled his nose at the stench, speeding up slightly to move away from the mess. When he had been here before, he had been led through the main streets, where things like that were not allowed. He struggled to keep his tail out from between his legs. The smell of these alleys reminded him of the darkest back rooms of his past few years, the rooms that those who experienced them refused to talk about, and those who hadn't only spoke of in low whispers. The blood, the urine, and myriad other fluids that permeated the air only made the memories all the more real. Shaking his head, he moved towards where the alley opened onto a larger street. Even at the expense of being seen, he'd rather be out there than taunted by those memories.

He almost stepped directly out into the street, but he stopped himself at the last moment, grabbing the wall to restore his balance. With no clue how to act, he'd be spotted immediately by anyone looking for something out of place. Leaning against the wall, he looked up and down the street, examining how others walked and interacted with one another. Specifically, he watched for male lupines. After a few minutes, when he was satisfied that he had watched enough to copy them adequately, he stepped out of the shadows. Immediately he felt an urge to pull the hood of his cloak over his head to hide his features, but he batted it away. No one else had their hood up, and to raise his would only make him look suspicious. Walking down the side of the street, he forced himself into the relaxed posture that he saw most other people taking, straight back, confident step, like he knew where he was going. He avoided eye contact, but he forced himself not to look at the ground. Rather, he looked around at about shoulder height.

A warm, heavy smell wafted in through his nostrils, and he inhaled deeply. Muzzle watering, he followed the wonderful scent. After a couple turns onto different streets, he found himself on one lined with shops. Above the doors were large wooden signs, each depicting what was sold inside. Still following his nose, he passed by most of the shops, ignoring the flashy signs in favor of his nose. Finally, the smell led him to stop in front of one of the last shops on the street. It was no different than the rest of them, frankly, it was probably in worse shape, but the wolf couldn't care less. Through the open door, he could see a ferret inside humming as he swept about behind the counter, carrying trays of freshly baked bread from the oven to a rack where they could cool. As the wolf stepped inside, he paused in the process of transferring a pan of dough from the rising rack into the oven. He narrowed his eyes at the wolf, not liking his appearance one bit. The dark cloak, the fur that looked like it hadn't been washed in days, none of it spoke of a respectable person.

"Hoy, you!" He said loudly, waving a paw at the wolf. "If ya aren't lookin' t' buy, clear off! Yer takin' up room for payin' costumers!"

The wolf flinched at the loud voice, and jerked up from where he had been sniffing a warm roll. His ears flattened for a moment, but he soon remembered to keep his facade and forced them up again. Huffing, he spun around, cloak billowing, both from the movement and the paw that nearly disappeared against it. He ground his teeth as he left, there hadn't been anyone else in there besides him, and there was plenty of room. What was he worried about? It wasn't like his entire shop was going to fill to overflowing in a couple seconds. And even then, if it had started to fill, he would've left. He hated crowds. Wandering through a couple more streets, he entered a courtyard with a fountain gurgling in the middle. Sitting down on the ledge surrounding it, he pulled the roll out from underneath his cloak. One of the advantages of having such flowing clothing was that the difficulty of distracting the eye was greatly reduced. Murring as he sank his fangs into the roll, he savored the warm, heavy taste. He knew he was likely to draw attention because of this, but if he ate it before he was found, they'd have no proof.

As he ate, he watched the pigeons that strutted about on the cobblestone, picking about for food. He envied them, envied all birds, actually. The freedom they had to simply spread their wings and lift into the sky was one he desired. To rest easy with the knowledge that at the first sign of trouble he could simply escape into the air, away from his problems.

He was so deep in thought that it took him a few minutes to realize that his paws were empty, he had finished the bread. Sighing at his still-gnawing stomach, he stood up. There was no use for it now, he had stayed too long out in the open anyways. Despite his fear of the smells of the alleys, they were the safest place for him. Perhaps he could use them to get close to the docks, he needed to find a good ship to board. Standing up, he took a quick drink from the fountain before walking into the darkness of the alley.

Cedric's ears went flat at the sound of something splashing in the alley behind the stables. He knew from the sound the whatever it was wasn't the most pleasant-smelling substance, so he sped up his inspection of the stall he had led his horse into. Hopefully, he could finish and leave before the smell permeated the stable. He had to admit though, it couldn't make the existing smell much worse. Grabbing an armful of fresh hay, he threw it in the manger. The horse nickered softly as she dipped her head to the hay. Sniffing it, she snorted and raised her head to look at him. Cedric scratched her under the chin, the wiry hairs there poking his paws. "Sorry girl, that's the best you're going to get around here." He murmured to her. "I'll make sure you get some of the good stuff when we get home." The mare dropped her head to the hay and began to munch on it slowly.

Stepping out of the stable, he entered the adjacent building. Walking over to the counter, he pulled a wooden circle, emblazoned with his mark, from his pocket and slid it into a slot on the counter. The owner of the stables would put it on his tab, and he would pay later. It was an advantage of being well-known and wealthy. He could usually put off paying his expenses to the end of the month. Walking out of the building, he crossed the small courtyard and stepped into the street. The cobblestones felt strange against his paws after the large slabs of stone that made up the walkways at his home. As he walked through the streets, he looked from side to side at the whitewashed houses, trying to spot anything different. There wasn't much, this side of the port was not swayed much by the exotic imports that came in the far side. The streets weren't empty, but the majority of activity was going on in the windows. He could see wives sitting in chairs by the window, knitting as they enjoyed the sunshine, and maids leaning out the upper windows to water their flowerpots. Here and there a male carried a sack of something into one of the houses, back from an errand.

Cedric nodded to a young dog who greeted him as he passed. He wasn't sure of the dog's lineage, but that wasn't surprising in the middle class. It was only among slaves and nobles that distinct species were discernible. When he took time to think about it, he always found it strange that the top of the social ladder and the bottom would be the same in that respect. He supposed that it made sense, in a way. The nobles were concerned with keeping their lines pure, and when slaves were pureblood, well, that made them more valuable.

He turned the last corner, emerging into the center square of the port. This was where the town had started, as a circle of homesteads a short distance away from the sea. Now it was a sprawling complex of houses, and the old wooden shacks that used to be here had been replaced with houses of stone. The newer parts of town could be discerned just by looking at the materials the homes were built with. Radiating outwards from here, the houses were made of stone, then brick, and finally wood on the outskirts. This simple observation had helped him find his way around the port many times.

Crossing the square, he made for the wooden notice board on the other side of the square. As he was passing the center, marked by a simple fountain, a voice called out to him. "Hail, Lord Cedric!" The wolf looked around for a moment before spotting a doe standing outside a tavern on the north side of the square.

He smiled and waved to her, "Hail, Matron!"

As she finished pruning the plants that flanked her doorway, she called out to him. "Shall I get something together for you? Or are you dining at some other spot today?"

Cedric chuckled as he continued over the message board. "You know full well that I'll be over in a moment. Need to check here for work first."

The doe finished what she was doing and went back inside, calling over her shoulder. "I'll have Bryce make a little somethin' for ya. It won't be much, Cook'd have my hide if I ruined your appetite for her dinner. Just a little snack and a tankard of ale."

He waved her on. "I'll be in in a minute." Turning away, he looked over the various postings. There weren't many, and most of them were for job openings around the port. They were ignored in favor of the wanted posters. He grunted slightly as he pulled down one that advertised a reward of a thousand gold pieces for the capture of a bull known as 'The Hammer' who was accused of highway robbery. He was surprised that they hadn't taken it down yet. He had turned the bull in at the prison a few days ago, that's where he had acquired Maurel. Looking over the others, he noted that Captain Beowulf had been right. Lokisson's poster was there, along with some artist's representation of the fox. Cedric doubted that the fox's face wrinkled quite that much when he snarled, or that his right ear dangled by a flap of skin, but that didn't matter since he never used the picture for identification purposes. Only an amateur would do that, because of the likelihood of it being a complete misrepresentation. He ran over the information given; middling height, slim figure, and green eyes, memorizing them before looking at the other ones. On a whim, he glanced around for one from Lord Baldric, but found none. It looked like the rottweiler was giving those who had showed up a head start over the others. Cedric shrugged, it was fine with him, although it would've been nice to know what they were looking for...

Sighing, he looked around. Aside from Lokisson, there weren't any notable warrants. A few large-scale criminals were advertised, but he knew they were in large cities on the other side of the kingdom, so there was no point getting worked up over them. He sighed. It looked like he would be bringing in pickpockets for awhile. If this continued for much longer, he would have to rouse himself and take a trip across the country to try his paw at capturing the crime lords of the cities, just to ease his boredom. Stepping away from the notices, he turned and walked to the adjacent side of the square, pulling open the door of the tavern and stepping inside. As the door clicked shut behind him, he felt numerous pairs of eyes, and some single eyes as well, turn towards the door to check out the newcomer. The inside of the tavern wasn't a smokey as most such establishments were, and that was one of the reasons it was allowed to operate in the town square. That, and none of the guards would follow an order to evict the proprietor. They all liked her food too much. A few of them were here now, enjoying a mug of beer over a game of cards. A shout rose from their circle, and a doberman shot up, a grin plastered on his face while the horse next to him sat back in his chair and groaned. Sitting forward slowly, he reached out and pushed the pile of gold in front of him over to his friend.

Weaving his way between the packed tables, he made his way over to his usual spot, a corner seat next to a window that looked out onto the square. Pulling out the chair, he sat down, glancing over the other patrons in the room as he did so. Most were people he had seen before, but some were newcomers. A few looked like a pup's nightmare, but he knew they wouldn't cause trouble. That was one of the perks of being accepted in this tavern. Matron treated all the regulars as her family, and, in turn, they made sure that anyone who tried to steal from her, flirt with her, or start a row in her tavern was thrown out and taught a sound lesson. They considered Matron their sister, and they protected her like one. Cedric smiled, that was a pretty good description of them. They were a pack of rough, but well-meaning, big brothers to her.

"What makes you grin like a fried frog?"

Cedric glanced up to see Matron standing next to his table, a mug in one paw and a plate in the other. "Oh, not much." He said, "Just enjoying the atmosphere."

Matron's paws swept down and placed the food before him. "Well, enjoy it over some food. And when you get home, tell Cook that someday I'm gonna make somethin' better than her cookin'."

The wolf picked up the mug and raised it to her. "I wish you good luck then. But I'll have you know that she has almost and entire lifetime on you. You're still wet behind the ears compared to her."

She huffed. "Well, age does not limit skill."

"But it does limit experience."

The doe glared at him. "Just shut up and eat your food."

Cedric set down the mug, now a little emptier than before, and took a bite of the bread. He made large chewing motions as he looked at her. She opened her mouth to say something, but a shout and a crash from the back room interrupted her. Sighing, she turned. "What did he do now?"

As she swept off through the crowded room, Cedric turned his gaze out the window. Cocking his head, he studied a black-furred wolf that had sat on the edge of the fountain. The wolf pulled a roll from his cloak and nibbled on it, his tail creating a mini whirlwind behind him as he enjoyed the taste. Cedric wondered when the wolf had last had a roll, if that was how he reacted when he bit into one. He wasn't too close, but he could tell that it wasn't anything fancy. His attention was drawn away as the chair opposite him was pulled out.

A canine, of indiscernible species, crossed his arms over the back and grinned at him. "So, Your Highness, what do you think of our new resident crimelord?"

Cedric shook his head. "Dunstan, you know how I don't like you calling my that."

The canine wiggled his floppy ears. "And why would that be? I tell no lie, you are the king of Hunters! Why should I not call you by a proper title?"

He shook his head and sighed. "You're hopeless. I'm surprised Leola fell for you. I can't imagine what she sees." The mug came up to his muzzle and he took a large gulp. "So how have the two of you been since you've gotten married?"

Dunstan grinned. "Well, after we tied the knot I took her home and we tied it again. Multiple times." He thrust his hips a couple times. "I think when the pups arrive I'm gonna have t' get someone to take care of 'em one day a week. I'd miss taking her whenever I wanted to." He licked his lips and leered at Cedric. "Over the last week, I've tested the strength of the table, chairs, and half the walls in our house. Broke a few of them too. Don't think I'll ever be able to tie 'er that hard again."

Cedric's ears flattened. "I don't need to hear all about your bedroom exercises."

The dog licked his muzzle, "But they weren't in the bedroom."

Fangs were bared briefly as Cedric changed the subject. "You hear anything that's not on the notice board?" The large canine glared at the smaller, daring him to continue.

He took the hint. "Not that I know of. There's a couple new notices that came in with the post rider this evening, but I don't know what they were for." Scooting himself around the chair, he sat down. "Not my fault you haven't been laid." He muttered under his breath. "It'd do you some good."

Cedric looked out the window again. The wolf at the fountain had finished his roll and was now staring off into space, deep in thought. He studied the wolf a little closer. A full black pelt blended in seamlessly with the black cloth of the cloak, making Cedric take a second glance to make sure he was seeing the wolf's fur and not the cloak. The pants were a nondescript shade of brown, muddied and torn. Some leaves stuck to the bottom, and they were torn in places. Cedric turned back when he realized belatedly that Dunstan had been talking to him. "What?"

He rolled his eyes. "I asked if you'd heard the rumor. Apparently the Prince is coming here within the week. I haven't hear a confirmation from anyone who would know, but by the way the mayor's house has been rushing around, it seems likely."

Cedric snarled. "I hope not. I'd rather have Skoll complete his quest first. My parents would probably tag along like the good little courtiers they are and then I'd have to endure hours of personal questions about my love life." He huffed, tail lashing the wall behind him. "Ha, I'm beginning to wonder what their faces would look like if I told them I'd decided to knot Cook."

Dunstan jerked forward, muzzle clamping shut on the burst of laughter that nearly escaped. "If Skoll completed his quest, you wouldn't be able to find Cook t' knot 'er." He decided to press the wolf a little. "So, are you actually thinking of knotting Cook?"

Cedric had to spit his ale back into the mug. "What? No! She's twice my age!"

"Who do you plan on knotting, then?"

The wolf growled, "Maybe I'll just do you if you don't shut up."

Dunstan stood up, holding up his paws. "Nuh uh. I saw that when we were pups. It was big then. There's no way I'm letting whatever you got now anywhere near me." His ears swiveled backwards. "Oh, well, I hear love calling. It was nice talking to you, but I gotta go!"

Cedric looked out the window as the dog disappeared in the crowd. Dunstan was a sex fiend, but he still cared for his friends. It was hard to tell, and sometimes he seemed shallow, but Cedric knew he could count on the dog if he ever needed to. Movement caught his attention and he watched the wolf stand up. He could tell from the fountain that he was tall, shorter than him, but still tall. The wolf strode across the square, yellow eyes following. Cedric let out a grunt of surprise when the wolf ducked into a narrow alley instead of using the paved streets. He was about to turn back to his meal when another figure caught his eye. It was a doberman, and Cedric watched as he slid along the wall until he got to the alley the wolf had entered. His eyes narrowed as the doberman pulled out a knife before darting into the alley.

Bursting from his table, Cedric shoved his way through the crowd to the door. He would pay later. He knew when a person meant harm, and this was definitely one of those times. Shoving the door open, he sprinted towards the alley, pulling out his own knife as he went. He just hoped he wasn't too late.

The wolf sighed as the darkness of the alley closed over him. Shivering, he glanced longingly over his shoulder at the warm sunlight that stopped just behind him. Whining, he wished that he could stay in the warm comfort of its embrace instead of the cold, clammy chill that permeated the alleys. Pulling the cloak tighter around him, he allowed his tail to wrap around his legs, the bushy fur providing a little more warmth, as well as comfort. He had done it so often that now it was almost a conditioned response to anything out of the ordinary. He hated how it made him look like a scared pup, but it did ease his mind a little.

Sighing, he pushed off the wall, glancing over his shoulder one more time before walking deeper into the back alleys of the port. His eyes widened, and he dropped almost flat on the ground, causing the doberman that had been rushing him to trip. Rolling away from the other dog, the wolf stayed in a low crouch, teeth bared and snarling. The doberman stood up, eying him carefully now that he no longer had the element of surprise.

Holding his knife in front of him, he rumbled from deep within his chest. "We can either do this the easy way, or the hard way, bitch." He approached the wolf slowly. "Either surrender now and I'll take you however I want before handing you over to Lord Baldric, or fight and I'll beat you down and take you hard and maybe keep you for awhile before sending you back to your master well-used. Your choice." He looked the snarling wolf over. "Although I might take you hard anyway, just to see you whimpering under me like you should."

The wolf knew the chances of him getting away were slim, but submitting and going back were out of the question. Snarling, he lunged at the doberman at about the same time as the Hunter made his charge. Grabbing the paw with the knife in it, he strained to keep it away from him as he snapped at the other dog, teeth flashing. Despite his height and speed advantage, his assailant was infinitely more experienced. The world spun around as somehow he was slammed, chest first, into the brick wall behind him. Tasting blood, he knew he had bit his tongue, but he wasn't about to give up yet. Wiggling, he desperately tried to get out of the hold the doberman had on him, but one heave from the dog on the arm twisted behind his back made him yelp and freeze, the pressure in his joints becoming unbearable. Hot breath washed over his ear as the dog breathed into it. "There's a good bitch."

The wolf whined as the doberman ground against him, his large package made all the larger because of the wolf's fear. Whimpering, he turned to look over his shoulder pleadingly, but was only met by the flash of teeth. Yelping, he jerked his muzzle away and stared at the wall before him, his breath hitching for a moment before he leaned his forehead against the cold brick. Teeth set into the scruff of his neck while one of the paws were removed to fumble with the dog's pants. The same paw then slid up underneath his tail, and the wolf whined as it prodded around.

There was a chuckle behind him, "What's this, a hole? Seems like Baldric liked his bitch to be nice an ready for him, eh? Well, that just makes it easier for me." The wolf yelped and whined as his tail was yanked up and the tip of the doberman's cock pressed under it. "Don't worry wolfie, I'll still get paid, even if you do die from this." He huffed over the wolf's pinned ears. "I am going in dry, y'know."

The wolf felt the dog's hips tighten, and he opened his mouth to scream in terror. Just before the sound could leave his throat, the weight on his back vanished abruptly, followed by the meaty smack of bodies hitting the ground. Taking advantage of his freedom, the wolf spun around and crouched back against the wall, tail tucked tightly between his legs and ears back. His eyes widened as he realized the the doberman was pinned underneath the largest wolf he had ever seen. He had been used to being the tallest person in a room besides his former master, but this wolf looked even bigger. His mind was drawn away from analyzing the wolf's size to the fight that was going on between the new contestant and the doberman. The doberman was getting the worst of the confrontation, his hard-on limiting his movement. The wolf had no such hindrances and soon had the smaller dog pinned. Leaning forward and snarling into his face, the brown-furred wolf breathed out a warning. "Leave and stay away from him or I won't go so easy on you next time." The doberman's ears and tail were pinned tight against his body, and he nodded fearfully. After the wolf got up, the dog scrambled to his feet and took off down the alley, leaving his knife where it lay.

The smaller wolf felt his blood run cold when this mountain of fur and flesh turned to face him. He recognized his savior as the Hunter from the gate. Although he willed his legs to run, they refused to respond. Why was he still here? The wolf probably just saved him to get the reward himself. Taking a deep breath through his nose, he prepared to run. It proved to be the end of any escape attempt. As soon as the other male's scent hit his brain, it could only be equated with one thing. Alpha. This wolf was his superior, and there was nothing he could do against him. As the Alpha approached, the scent grew stronger, and the wolf felt his knees buckle as he slid down the wall to curl up against it, whimpering as this manifestation of power approached. His whines grew in volume as the Alpha stopped before him and reached out a paw. When it grabbed his muzzle, the wolf went limp. This wolf was greater than him in every way, and could do anything to him. His whining never stopped as his muzzle was pulled around so he looked the Alpha in the eyes, despite all his attempts not to.

He saw the Alpha's eyes go wide with surprise, then narrow slightly. Whimpering, he curled tighter into his ball when the Alpha let go of his muzzle and straightened up. The large wolf spoke in a language that he did not recognize at first, but then it clicked and he realized with a start that this was his native language, the language of his sires. He hadn't heard it since he had been made a slave. Listening closely, he deciphered what the wolf said.

"I have saved your life, what is my due?"

The wolf felt his blood run cold as he heard those words. He didn't think anyone outside his family remembered those ritual words, but nevertheless, they had been spoken, and now the ritual reply was in order. It was either that or a shamed death, all honor stripped from him. Trembling, he choked out the words.

"I-It is yours, t-to do w-with as you will."

Now came the real question. The wolf could either return his life to him, in which case he would be free to go his own way, or he could take it. If it was taken, he would be honor-bound to obey the Alpha, to give his life for him, and all hope of freedom would be gone. If it were taken, the chains that would then bind him could never be cut. He looked over at the wolf, his eyes only making it to the brown-furred chest before they stopped, out of respect. He heard the intake of breath.

"I take your life as my own, to do with as I will."

The black-furred wolf sobbed quietly as silent tears rolled down his cheeks. In trying to escape his bondage, he had locked himself in chains infinitely stronger.