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Nate couldn't remember a time when he had felt so relaxed...so comfortable...so at peace. His eyes fluttered open slowly, beginning to register his surroundings as his mind and body slowly awoke as well, bringing him back into the world of consciousness. The first breath he took in through his nose was laced with the scents of sweat, sex and most of all, _dragon._Grinning to himself, the wolf gave a sigh of contentment as the memories of last night came flooding back to him, and he rubbed the strong arm he felt wrapped around his midsection. A gentle growl came from behind him, making his grin grow wider as he heard it, before a gentle lick traced the edge of his ear, making him giggle gently as it twitched. Turning his head back, his eyes met that of the silver dragon laying next to him in the bed, the gentle rumble coming from the drake's chest as it pressed against Nate's back.

"Good morning," the wolf smiled, sliding back into the dragon more.

"Hey you," the muscular drake growled, giving his lupine partner another lick across the muzzle. The pair lay there for a moment, just basking in the memories and the bliss of their union the previous night, Auren's arm rubbing the toned abdomen of the wolf he held in his arms. The dragon opened his maw to say something more, when suddenly, the door swung open, revealing a familiar fox entering the room.

"Hey guys, breakfast is-whoa!" Riku snorted, taking a step back and covering his nose as the combined scents of the room hit him. "Holy mother....how many times did you two go at it?!"

A pillow sailed across the room and nearly beaned the vulpine. "Oh shut it....you know you were listening in the whole time, ya horny fox," Auren growled from his half-arisen spot on the bed. "What do you want?" Beside him, Nate looked equally unamused as their pleasant morning was so rudely interrupted.

Riku put his paws on his hips, looking slightly annoyed even though the gleam in his eyes showed barely contained amusement. "What, no 'good morning Riku'? Did all that sex rob you of your manners?" His muzzle parted in a playful smile. "Clearly you guys worked out some serious issues last night."

Auren growled and raised another pillow in his arm, the other still wrapped tightly around the form of Nate beside him. "Either say what you came here to say, or get the hell out."

"I came to tell you the breakfast is ready downstairs," the fox smirked. "But clearly you're much more content to lay here with your boyfriend....."

"That's it," the dragon snarled, rising up as his tail lashed. "Out!" The second pillow sailed fast and straight, catching the laughing fox in the side. "Or my boyfriend and I will show you 'serious issues'!" Riku made to throw in another jibe, but a heavy _thud_from the thrown alarm clock made him shut the door and duck back out into the hall, his yipping laugh echoing all the way down. "Bloody...horny....fox," Auren grunted, sagging back down beside the wolf in his bed, wrapping an arm back around his chest.

Nate suppressed a chuckle at the antics, despite the morning cuddle being interrupted. As Auren grouched and grumbled back into his previous position, the silver-furred wolf rolled over so they were laying face-to-face. "Did you really mean that?" he asked, touching his nose to the dragon's.

"Well, if he wasn't going to give us any peace," Auren began, before a surprise lick from the wolf cut him off.

"I meant the other thing," Nate said softly, a hint of a blush showing through his fur. At Auren's quizzical blink, the wolf folded his ears back and whispered. "The....er....boyfriend comment."

"Oh...that."

Looking up into the face of the handsome dragon he was laying with, Nate tried to read his friend's expression. The passion and intimacy of last night was hard to ignore, but now, he truly wondered just how Auren saw things between them. Especially with the way the world was around them. "Are we?"he asked in a gentle voice.

Auren simply looked back into the eyes of his lupine friend, searching for much the same answers as Nate was looking for in his own gaze. "Do you want to be?" he rumbled, keeping his voice as level as he could manage.

Nate held the dragon's gaze for a moment, before sliding closer and laying his head on the muscled chest of his companion. "I just.....after last night I thought...."

A pair of strong arms wrapped around his frame and pulled him close as a deep growl met his ears and rumbled against his chest. "I'll take that as a yes," Auren chuckled gently. He used a claw to lift Nate's head up so he could lean down to kiss the wolf on his muzzle. It was like last night all over again as the warmth raced through their faces and chests, making them both growl and purr in bliss. "That was more than just sex to me, Nate," the dragon rumbled as he stared down into the wolf's eyes. "If you'll have me....then I'd gladly inherit that title."

Nate didn't answer, instead, he smiled widely and snuggled into the warm embrace of the drake - his boyfriend- feeling his tail beating against the bed rapidly. A deep breath, and he basked in the scent of the powerful dragon holding him, even as Nate felt the gentle nips and sniffs trail across his own neck from Auren. "This kinda makes all the bad stuff worth it," Nate grinned up at his friend.

"Yeah...you could say that," Auren chuckled again. Reaching between them, the drake winked as he ran a paw across their slowly bulging sheaths, making Nate growl in pleasure again. "Then again...not all of this is 'bad'..."

Nate giggled, but pushed away from his friend to roll over and stretch as he sat up. "Later, stud," he grinned. Arching his back, the wolf stood up and stretched again, giving his Auren a nice clear view of his own muscular frame. "Riku mentioned breakfast, and after last night, I could use a good meal."

The word 'meal' made something in Auren's smile falter, but he hid it away just as quickly as it appeared. "Sounds great," he murmured as he got up as well, rummaging around for their clothes. Bending over to retrieve his jean shorts, he froze as a familiar warmth pressed into his bare backside, and he felt Nate's sheath rub against the underside of his tail. Looking over his shoulder, he raised an eyebrow at the wolf assuming a rather suggestive position. "What just happened to breakfast?"

"Maybe I want to work up a good appetite?" Nate grinned evilly, giving a few soft humps into his draconic partner. Before either of them could say anything further, however, a low rumble came from the wolf's stomach, and he blushed. "Er....guess I already have one."

Auren just shook his head and laughed, pulling on his jean shorts. Handing Nate his own attire, he flashed a fang-filled smile at his lover. "How about breakfast, catch up with the others, then a quick 'room time', hmm?"

The rapidly wagging tail was all the answer he needed.

---

The red-scaled dragon who was Sam was just collecting the last plates from the gathered breakfast crowd, a small smile crossing his muzzle as he returned the dishes to the kitchen for the staff there to add to their wash pile. Who would have thought I'd go from running a bar, to managing a boarding house for furs? he chuckled to himself. Still, a part of the drake felt at peace knowing all these people - changed, horny or otherwise - felt safe in this little sanctuary he and his staff had built. Small groups of survivors came and went, as did the traders, but there was a moderate amount of 'permanent residents' who had come to call this place home for now, Sam and his staff included.

Speaking of residents, he spotted a familiar silver duo heading towards the bar, and he waved a paw in greeting. "Morning, you two," he growled pleasantly. His keen eyes saw the subtle shift in their body language as they walked close together, and spotted the pair of clasped paws. As soon as they reached the bar, a tentative sniff of his red-scaled nose confirmed what Sam's instincts already told him. "Heh...smells like you two had fun last night."

Auren huffed and rolled his eyes, but Nate just smiled and wrapped the silver dragon's arms around him from behind as they leaned against the bar. "Sure did," the wolf grinned, his tail beating against the legs of his partner behind him.

"Well, with the lack of running water, it's kinda hard to hide it," Auren grumbled gently, his sharp blue eyes scanning the small collection of tables nearby. More than a few people looked over and smiled at the pair, and a few more gave suggestive winks, making the dragon blush and avert his gaze. "Especially in present company," he added.

Sam sighed and folded his arms over his muscled chest as he leaned against the wall behind the counter. "You'd be hard-pressed to find much in the way of utilities still running anywhere on the island, my friend," the red drake shook his head darkly. "I don't know a great deal of what went on at the plants, but judging from the lack of both power and water, I'd say they were hit as hard as anywhere else once the infection hit and chaos ensued." Sam ran a paw over the back of his head, gliding down the horns there. "Its been...what? Two weeks now? You think the military contingent on the island would have done something by now."

Nate grunted and shrugged his shoulders, still huddled against his dragon. "Maybe they were hit just as hard as the rest of the city. I mean...how _do_you prepare for something like this?"

"Speaking of," Auren growled in a low tone, leaning closer to Sam over the counter, even though his eyes swept the room once more. His voice dropped a bit as he muttered. "What are supplies like here, Sam? Feeding this many people can't be easy on your stores..."

The red dragon matched his silver counterpart's growl. "You're right. Our generators in the basement have enough fuel to last maybe another week, but that is debatable. We were restocked on food and drink a day or so before the outbreak, and we've managed to scavenge some supplies and foodstuffs since then, but...." Another quiet sigh. "It won't all last forever. Not at this rate," he nodded towards the door, where a small group of four mutated survivors were brought in by one of the large tiger bouncers. The group looked a little worse for wear, sporting a few injuries as they looked around in slight fear at the number of people already inside. Kara, the skunk waitress, hurried over and helped them to the nearest booth while another waitress - a petite rabbit girl - brought some water bottles over for them, as well as a med kit.

Watching the group, both Auren and Nate turned their eyes to one another, having a silent discussion with each other. Sam noticed a gentle flick of Nate's ear, and a soft snort escape his silver dragon companion. "Who do you have to scavenge for supplies?" the wolf asked softly.

"A few traders, Phil for one, make regular stops here. Some of the others make little ventures out in to the city once and a while," Sam said, indicating a Labrador and a leopard near by. Auren ran a critical eye over the mentioned pair, noting that both of them were of average height and build. The leopard currently had a large bandage wrapped around half of his left arm. The silver dragon pulled away from Nate a bit as he continued looking around the floor, sizing up everyone he could see. There were a few 'large morph' people, such as the stallion that helped turn Brandon, as well as a bull off to the side, but for the most part, the people here were smaller in stature, having been transformed into various breeds of smaller mammals. "I see you notice what I notice," Sam said dryly as he watched Auren scan the room.

The silver drake nodded. "No one really looks like they can survive out there on their own." Nate gave a cursory look around himself, and found he had to agree; against creatures like that minotaur or that gang of violent hyenas - or gods knows what else - nobody here was in any shape to be out in the city without protection.

Sam watched the two appraise the room, before muttering softly. "No one...except maybe you."

The pair of companions turned back to the bartender, a mix of expressions on their face. "Us?" Nate repeated, before looking over Auren as the dragon did the same to him. Lusty thoughts aside, the wolf's brown eyes lingered over Auren's chiseled torso and abs, his thick corded arms and powerful legs, and found himself agreeing with Sam. They were certainly of the larger breeds here, not to mention muscular, and capable of handling themselves a fight.

The red drake behind the counter nodded grimly. "Now, I'm not saying I _encourage_the idea of you four heading out into the city, poking around...-"

"But it's not like there are much other choices," a deep voice nickered beside them. The three looked up as Brandon joined them at the counter, leaning his seven-foot frame by the taps. He nodded to Auren and Nate, who returned it with warm smiles of greeting, and then turned back to Sam. "I'm not one to proclaim we should go out and play hero," the golden-coated stallion snorted. "However, considering_I_ just put away a good few pounds of food myself...I can understand the situation." He gestured with a large hand towards the room in general.

Sam's face darkened slightly as he looked over the trio. He could tell where their thoughts were leading, but he was conflicted about the idea. "I won't deny we need supplies, especially if our numbers keep growing, but I won't ask you to put yourselves in danger because of it."

"If not us, then who?" Auren asked flatly. The gentle tingle of Nate's musk hit his nose, and his tail twitched in both arousal and concern. "Food is one thing...but without clean or running water, our days are numbered either way." His eyes lost focus slightly as he gazed off into space. "The water treatment plant would be....what? A day's walk from here, given the current state of the city?"

Brandon's own eyes narrowed and his ears flattened back atop his head. "If you're thinking what I think you're thinking...."

Auren snorted and met the stallion's eyes. "You know me, B. You know I am."

The horse folded his own massive arms over his equally broad chest. "Okay...then if we're thinking of investigating the water treatment plant and reservoir, then that means we'll have to hit the power plant first. Can't fire up the water facilities without power, now can we?" he grunted with a heavy dose of sarcasm.

A smirk appeared on the silver muzzle. "You're catching on," he grinned. Brandon simply shot him a dark look.

Nate cleared his throat and waved a paw gently between the two. "Okay....before we get into a scuffle about it," he said, stepping into the middle. "Are we seriously considering this?"

Brandon and Auren stared at one another for a few minutes, before the dragon raised and eyebrow as if to say 'well?'. The horse snorted and shook his head, causing his brown mane to flutter. "Like I said...I'm not saying its a good idea to go out and play hero." His gaze shifted as he looked out over the floor of their little sanctuary, noting the newly arrived group as well. The stallion's shoulders relaxed and some of the fight drained from his voice. "But Auren has a point....if not us, then who?"

Sam looked between the trio of friends with a careful eye. "I can't ask you to risk your lives out there."

Auren gave him a flat smile - equal parts warmth and uncertainty. "You don't have to, Sam. It's our choice."

The red-scaled dragon held their gazes for a moment, before sighing in acceptance and slipping into the back room. A few moments later, he returned with a large map of the city and rolled it across the counter before the three. "We're here," he said, tapping an area of midtown. His claw traced a line to the east side of the island. "The power plant is here, out past the industrial sector. From what I remember, its equal parts solar as it is hydro-electric, so obviously fuel won't be a concern." His claw then moved southward the equivalent of a handful of miles, before circling another area. "The water facility is here, on the southeast coast of the island, with open access to the ocean for the intake of water. Now, as Brandon said, any attempt to get the reservoir going again is futile without making sure the power plant is operational."

"So, we head to the power plant first," Nate nodded. "Get it going, and then head to the reservoir to get the water running again."

Brandon snorted softly, unable to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. "I didn't realize we four had any engineering backgrounds. Getting a high-tech facility up and running should be a snap."

Auren growled a short warning to his friend, enough to get Brandon to stop with the negativity, even though his eyes still showed doubt. "Never said it would be easy," the drake rumbled. "But the 'high-tech' part may be the saving grace. Half the technology and systems on this island are automated. If we're lucky, all we would have to do is get the system running, and it would take care of the rest."

The stallion couldn't help himself. "And suppose we are not lucky?"

Nate held his paws up between the two again, pushing them back by their chests as they scowled at one another. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it," he snapped, his muzzle curling up into a slight snarl. "Regardless, we have to get there to find out. And you two standing here arguing about it isn't accomplishing either, so cool it!"

The dragon and stallion let go of their scowls, inclining their heads at Nate in agreement and apology. They may not share each others' views, but both Auren and Brandon knew the validity in the others' statements. It would not be an easy task...but if they never got there, they would never know one way or another.

Turning back to Sam, Nate nodded towards the map before them. "Okay, so we have a general plan, but getting there is likely to be half the battle." He grimaced as the next question formed on his lips. "I hate to ask someone who has already given so much, but-"

"This way," Sam said in a low tone, curling a claw slowly. The red drake led the three friends into the back room behind the counter, holding the door open for them before closing it after they entered. Leading them past the kitchen and supply coolers where the remains of their consumables were stored, the bartender stopped before what looked like a broom closet. Reaching for the light switch, he smiled at the trio of expected looks of surprise when he flipped the switch open, revealing a keypad. Punching in a code, he stood aside as an audible _clink_sounded from behind the door, as a locking mechanism of some sort was disengaged.

The three companions watched in borderline shock as the door slid open sideways to reveal not a broom closet, but a small room filled with gear and equipment. Military-grade equipment. There were several alcoves in which a suit of combat wear hung, as well as several different selections of what looked like tools and other things a soldier - or commando - would need in the field. A locked gun cabinet was in the middle of the far wall, a dozen or so weapons showing from behind the barred gate of the cabinet.

"How the....what is this?" Auren growled, shooting Sam a guarded look. "Where did you get this stuff? Why?"

The red-scaled drake simply folded his arms over his chest and regarded the three before him. "Everyone has their secrets, Auren, even me. Suffice to say, a bartender is not all I am. No, I am not going to tell you the whole story yet, as that time has not come. I will however tell you that I mean to help, nothing more and nothing less. The 'how; and 'why' will come later." He motioned with his head for the three to enter the room, and as they did so, Sam pointed to the various things inside. "Now, obviously most of this was designed with humans in mind, but a few alterations will fix that. Regardless, this should help you survive out there....IF you are still willing that is."

Brandon snorted and shook his head in disbelief. "Well now that our survival chances just went up a few points...."

Nate had moved in farther and ran a delicate paw over the military-style clothing. Like Auren, his head was abuzz with dozens of questions as to why Sam would have such things in a secret room, and what other implications arouse from that one fact. Still, considering the state of the island around them, and what they were planning to do, an unexpected surprise such as this was not entirely unwelcome. He glanced over at Auren, who still hard a dark look of suspicion on his face, but the dragon nodded. "This will certainly help, Sam. Thank you." He shot the red drake a look of his own. "Even if this raises more questions."

Sam actually smiled at that. "If it didn't, I'd be more worried about you four."

Brandon was reaching for what looked like a set of high-tech binoculars, when a sudden thought froze him and he looked to Auren and Nate with a slight grin on his muzzle. "Oh yeah.....maybe we should inform Riku of this, don't you think? He might want to know." The silver duo stiffened in surprise as well, having completely forgotten about their fourth friend.

Nate shook his head and suppressed a laugh. "I'll go get him. You guys start packing some bags."

He gave a curt nod to Sam before slipping past him and heading back out into the main areas of the Den. It took only a moment of careful sniffing on the main floor before he picked up the fox's scent, and the wolf turned and headed up the stairs to the rooms. Nate followed the scent to a closed door where some very obvious sounds were emanating, including some very high pitched yowls of pleasure. The wolf paused for a fraction of a second, before grinning and barging through the door. "Hey, Riku-"

"Dude, what the fuck?!" The rust-furred vulpine yelped and looked towards the door in horror, his hips frozen in mid-plunge. His arms held out the legs of his partner, a grey-colored feline on his back who looked to be in the throws of ecstasy with a thick fox cock half-buried inside his tailhole. The cat barely registered the intrusion as he squirmed and tried to push up to get more of Riku's cock inside him, his own barbed cock hard and dripping onto his stomach, even as the fox glared at the intruder. "Do you even know how to knock?"

"Right, 'cause you are so good at it yourself," Nate smirked, leaning against the door frame.

As it was clear the wolf was not about to leave, the vulpine sighed loudly and held the cat below him as he looked towards his friend, his throbbing cock still sticking into the lusty tabby. "Well, what is it?"

"We're heading out to try and see if we can get the power and water back on to the city," Nate said as if it was no big deal, eyeing the mid-coitus couple.

"No shit?" Riku perked up, suddenly much more interested in the intrusion. He grunted as the tabby below squirmed on his cock, but he readjusted to hold the feline still, ignoring the mewls for him to continue. "I'd say I was surprised, but with you and Auren being all 'noble' and such.....when do we leave?"

To his credit, Nate was impressed and surprised how easily Riku not only accepted the idea, but basically confirmed that he was on board with it all. No questions, just instant 'I'm there, bro' attitude. Looking over the pair on the bed, he snuck a peek at Riku's half-inflated knot. "How long you gonna be?"

The fox grinned at his friend. "Give me fifteen minutes." The feline nearly yowled with desire as he tried to get the dominant fox to hurry up and get back to it.

"Deal. Meet you at the bar." Nate turned and let the door close, smirking as the yelps and sounds of the hard-mating pair resumed before the door finished swinging shut.

---

The midday sun cast an unfiltered light down on the group of four furs as they picked their way through the debris and mess left behind in the street. Auren idly fingered the hem of the black tactical vest he wore, getting used to the weight of the garment on his torso. Being that all of them, save Riku, had grown larger than before, neither he nor Nate or Brandon wore the long-sleeve shirt that went with the vest, leaving their bare and muscular torso and arms open to the world. Surprisingly though, they had all managed to fit into the cargo pants that went with the uniform, which Auren was grateful for. Striding around in his tattered jeans made him feel like some kind of dragon stripper.

So now, he, along with Nate and Brandon, were decked out with tactical vests and pants, each pocket stuffed with nearly everything they could carry to help them on what Riku was now jovially calling their 'quest'. They had loaded four packs with food, gear and other equipment they thought they might need, getting advice from Sam on what he thought they should take with them. The red dragon quietly commented on things they picked out, or items they had overlooked, but still managed to stay rather silent about the whole 'Oh hey I have a secret stash of gear' subject, one Auren was determined to question him on later.

Brandon, being unarguably the strongest physically of them all, got to heft most of the heavier items in his two large packs, such as the climbing gear and the portable tents, as well as all the rations. Auren's pack held the slightly more delicate gear, as the dragon was a bit more nimble on his feet that their large stallion. His pack contained items like their torches, data pads, replacement radios and other such equipment. Riku had all their medical equipment, as the smaller vulpine wasn't able to heft quite as much as his larger friends. Nate, who designated himself as the group's scout, had his back taken up by his bow and quiver, leaving him with only the supplies he could carry in his vest.

One additional piece of hardware was strapped to everyone's thigh, the one thing they all felt most self-conscious carrying. As they went to leave, Sam had stopped them all and unlocked the gun cabinet in the store room, passing each of them a pistol and its webbing. A shotgun and rifle were also add to Brandon's packs, as well as a moderate supply of extra ammunition. The four friends were wary about carrying weapons, but Sam shook his head and said they weren't an option to leave behind. Gods knows what they would encounter out in the infested city, and a gun may end up being the only thing between them and death. Auren finally acquiesced to the other dragon's words, but all four had unanimously agreed they would be a last resort. Changed as the people and creatures may be in the city, they were still somewhat sentient.

After loading up from Sam's hidden cache of equipment, the four friends had head out into the city towards the distant power plant. Nate was a few dozen yards or so in front of the others, scouting ahead of his friends for trouble with his sharp eyes and ears. He gazed over the changed and ruined city, noting with a flash of despair how not two weeks ago, it had been a bustling and lively metropolis. He remembered exploring downtown here with his friends on their first days after arriving at Seascape, poking into all the shops and the mall. With everything that had happened, it almost felt like a lifetime ago.

In his ear, the small bud attached to his radio buzzed. Stopping into a crouch atop the bus he was on, Nate glanced back a block or so where the other three were, and saw Auren raise a paw, signalling to hold there as they answered the call. Over their earpieces, the fuzzy sound of Sam's voice buzzed out. "Check check....you guys hear me okay out there?"

"Loud and clear, oh secretive one," Auren grunted in reply.

A dry chuckle echoed across the radio. "Oh come on....you going to be like this the entire time now, Scales?"

"Haven't decided," Auren muttered, even though his mouth twitched into a small grin. "What's up, Sam?"

"Just wanted to check in. You guys should be getting close to the mall by now." A gesture from the wolf a short distance ahead confirmed this. "The traders mentioned activity around there, both friendly and non-friendly. Keep your eyes open."

Auren fiddled with the leather holster around his waist, then flicked his eyes to the golden-colored stallion next to him. "Roger that, we were thinking of taking a quick peek inside to see if any of the shops had anything useful left. Brandon says he remembered a hardware store in the lower court."

"Aright, just be careful. Still got a ways to go before you reach the plant."

"Understood. We'll check in on the next hour." With that, the radio hissed and faded to silence, and Auren motioned his head for the group to resume. Up ahead, Nate hopped off the bus he was perched on and slunk away down the street, making sure to keep a uniform distance between himself and the others as he looked around for any surprises. The trio of fox, stallion and dragon returned to their steady, measured pace of picking through the ruined streets, slowing each time they passed a wrecked car or building in case they spotted something of value.

After another block of silent walking, Auren turned his gaze to the stallion on his right. "So, B, why a horse?"

The golden-coated equine flicked his ears in surprise at the seemingly random question, but kept walking. "Hmm? What do you mean?"

The dragon shrugged. "I mean, why of all species, did you pick a horse?" He waved a paw between himself a Riku. "We didn't have any say in what we turned into, but you did. I'm just curious as to your selection." There was a small glint of playfulness in the drake's blue eyes, but he held his tongue, knowing that reason would sound more like something Riku would answer with.

The three plodded along in silence for another minute or so, before Brandon sighed and ran a hand through his thick mane atop his head and neck. "I thought it would be a safer choice," he finally grunted. His brown eyes flicked back to the slightly grinning dragon. "Yes, I actually was listening when you screamed at me the other day."

"Hey, I was only-"

Brandon waved him off with a meaty paw. "I know....and your concern is appreciated." He flashed the dragon a quick grin to show he wasn't still all bent up about their argument. Stepping over a downed light pole, he went on. "I figured if I had the choice to chose a species, I'd pick something that wasn't a dominant predator. Maybe, with a slightly more docile form, I would have a better chance of retaining my humanity." He shrugged, fingering the hem of his vest as it hugged his broad, muscular torso. "I still wanted something big enough that I could be of some help thought. So, 'horse' is what came to mind."

"Makes sense," Auren said honestly, bobbing his head. "Most of the ferals we've come across have been one type or another of a predator species." His jaws parted in a sly grin, looking at the horse out of the corner of his eye. "Still....I'm surprised you didn't ask Sam first." That brought a chuckle from Riku, as the fox shimmied past a pair of cars that had run into one another. It was no secret that Brandon loved dragons, his favorite book series, movies, or videos games almost always having that recurring theme.

The stallion huffed and snorted, kicking away a small trash bin. "I did," he grouched, although he too had a small grin on his muzzle. "He politely refused, which is why I turned to the 'non-predator' idea." He shot a glare over at the silver-scaled dragon an arm's length away. "And yes, before you ask, I'm fucking jealous..." Auren chuckled and gave his equine friend a playful punch, rustling his wings gently on his back as an added little tease. He was about to ask further about the subject, when their radios hissed again, this time echoing Nate's voice in their ears.

"Heads up, guys. We're at the mall."

Hurrying forward to the corner of the street they were on, the trio stacked up against the still-standing building and peered around the corner. Across the adjacent parking lot was the large, flat-topped structure of the mall. There were overturned and wrecked cars scattered all throughout the parking lot, but the mall itself was mostly intact. The glass doors that marked the main entrance to the building where shattered and bent, evidence that something or someone had decided to make their own exit, but aside from that, there was no outward sign of damage to to the single-storey structure. Up ahead in the parking lot, Auren spied Nate crouched behind a van nearest the entrance, and the wolf waved them forward. The trio picked their way through the mess of vehicles, until they joined their lupine scout. "I can't see anything inside, but its too dark to tell," Nate muttered. "Definitely smells like there are people and/or ferals around."

"Aye," Auren nodded, taking a sniff of the air himself. He had to admit, these enhanced animal senses were a huge benefit over his old human ones. "Hard to distinguish though, there is so many scents."

Brandon stood up and peered over the top of the wreck, the stallion's muscular, seven-foot frame barely hidden behind the minivan. His eyesight wasn't much better than it had been as a human, but his hearing was excellent. Coming from the building ahead, he could hear the faint sounds of movement echoing from the cavernous interior. "This should lead right into the food court," he grunted. "Past that, and down the first left hallway should be the hardware store."

Beside him, Riku's large furred ears twitched. "Anywhere else we want to check out in there? Better to make a plan now than go exploring."

"Not unless you want to stop by the bookstore and look for books on engineering," Auren snorted as he rose, earning a few chuckles as the group made their way towards the entrance. Pausing at the threshold to let their eyes adjust, the four friends crept slowly inside, eyes and ears perked in all directions as if they expected massive creatures to come tearing down at them from all sides.

Making their way slowly through the food court, Auren had to steel his stomach at all the spoiled food that remained scattered across the tables and floors. More than a few foot - and paw - prints littered the floor, tracking through food and debris alike. Most were smaller than the dragon's own hind paws, he noted with slight relief as he navigated a clump of overturned tables, however, a few odd prints hinted at something considerably larger, and Auren swallowed a lump in his throat, wondering what else could be out there that would give them serious problems.

Before long, the group left the food court behind and slowly made their way towards their goal; the hardware store. They had to take a slight detour when the main hall was blocked by a fallen scaffolding. Normally, simply climbing over it would have been no big deal, Riku was quick to point out the slimy fluids covering the structure, as well as pooling around the middle of the debris. Nate led them around through a jewellery store, minding the broken glass around his sensitive pads. He only had to stop once to pull Auren away from a display case, the dragon distracted by a few remaining pieces, giving a soft growl of 'shiny...' much to the group's amusement.

Finally, the group of transformed friends located the hardware store, noting with dismay that the windows had been bust out and evidence of looting was apparent. Climbing in through the shop window, as a large shelf was wedged into the door, Auren crept gingerly across the floor towards the counter, hopping over it and rifling behind the desk. Riku and Nate had moved down one of the isles, but Brandon leaned against the counter, looking over the drake's shoulder as he searched. "What are you looking for?" he asked, keeping his voice low.

"Invoice, inventory book....something that might help us look faster."

The stallion raised an eyebrow. "Do we even know what we are looking for?"

The dragon paused in his searching, then shrugged and resumed. "No," he responded, "but it couldn't hurt to get some ideas." Not having a retort to counter that, Brandon simply shrugged as well and turned his attention back to the store before them. He was just looking over the display of garden tools when a rattling crash sounded from the back of the store. Right away he froze, ears perked, and beside him, Auren shot to his feet. Raising a paw to his ear, Auren muttered into his throat mike, "Nate...Riku...was that you guys?"

There was a heartbeat of silence. "No," came the whispered reply from the wolf. "I think we have company."

Sliding back over the counter as quietly as he could, Auren drew the pistol from its holster on his hip, slowly creeping forward into an isle. Right behind him, Brandon reached up and drew the shotgun from above his shoulder, pulling it from one of the packs he was carrying. The thick metallic cha-click of the stallion working the slide sent shivers up Auren's spine, both comforted and worried by their armed state. Sam had been correct in urging them to take weapons, for it may very well mean the difference between life and death. Still, Auren's gut churned with the thought of taking a life, even in self-defence. Even if they were feral beasts now, at one time, the creatures roaming the city were people like them. Remembering the hyena bikers he had fought only a day or so before, Auren swallowed his rising stomach, steeling himself. Us or them, he coldly reminded himself.

Moving on careful, measure steps through the store, Auren and Brandon worked their way deeper into the mess of shelves and racking, accopanied only by the soft click of the stallion's hooved feet on the polished floor and their own gentle breathing. Another rattle, followed by a crash, and Auren froze, turning to his right and pointing. Brandon nodded, shouldering the shotgun, and moved alongside the dragon as they crept forward. Coming to an intersection, the only jumped slightly as Nate and Riku rounded the corner, their own weapons raised. Nate had an arrow nocked and ready to fly in his bow, and Riku had a glittering combat knife clenched in his right paw. With silent nods, the four formed up and moved slowly down the isle towards the noises. As they approached the end of the isle, another small clatter sounded from around the corner, and they stopped. Taking a deep breath, Auren flicked his eyes to each of his companions, getting a small nod in response. Holding up his left paw, he ticked off his fingers slowly.Three...two...one...now!

Whirling around the corner, the levelled their weapons at the figure next to the shelving. Before them was a female Arctic Fox, her snow-white pelt standing out brilliantly against the drab colors of the store around her. Roughly the same height as Riku, the vulpine's tattered clothing hung off her shapely form, just barely managing to cover her modesty, although the scraps of fabric left little to the imagination. She pulled back with a frightened scream and covered her torso with her arms as she cowered back against the wall. "Ahhh! No please! Don't hurt me!" She huddled as far into the corner as she could from the four large males, whimpering in fear.

Seeing her reaction, Auren and the others instantly relaxed, lowering their weapons as they realized she was more likely to run than attack. "Easy...we're not going to hurt you," the dragon rumbled, letting his pistol fall to his side. The paw around the weapon was still tight, however, instinct telling Auren to never let his guard down completely. He took a tentative step forward, offering his left paw. "Are you okay? Can you tell us your name?"

At the deep rumble of his voice, the fox raised her head and stared at him with her brilliant green eyes, a look of recognition on her face. "A-Auren?" she whispered.

Taken aback, the dragon tensed up, his eyes darting first to Nate, who shared the same look of surprised, before going back to the female before them. "How do you know my name?" he growled softly.

Her ears twitching, the fox slowly rose into a standing position. Her breathing slowed as she evidently calmed down, her eyes wandering over the silver-scaled drake in front of her. "Your voice....I'd know it even under that baritone growl." A small smile split her muzzle, showing her gleaming fangs. "I heard it enough times in class to recognize it anywhere." Those bright green eyes travelled over the others behind the drake, her posture relaxing even more as she named them. "Nate....Riku....Brandon," she murmured, nodding to the wolf, fox and horse in turn. "By the goddess...you made it!"

The gears clicked into place one by one, and the four male furs went slack jawed as the revelation slammed them in the face.

"Professor Reston?!"