FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

"Okay, so, I'll look for decorations and curtains while you find us some food and an ice-box," Asha said to Terrin. She had to speak above the noise of the marketplace, the most chaotic and loudest district in the city. Merchants everywhere were barking and advertising their wares while a countless number of citizens, ranging from all different species, ambled about to browse and shop.

"Then we can meet back at our house," she finished. After a month of being mated to Terrin, her mother had offered to spend some of their fortune to buy a house for them in the feral district. Terrin reluctantly agreed--he said he would pay her back in full for every piece of gold she spent.

"After this, it'll look much more homely," he said and nuzzled her. "Maybe I'll get a proper bed for us, too."

"Don't get ahead of yourself," she replied and smirked. "We're almost finished furnishing the house; I don't need you getting injured trying to move too many things around!"

"I won't push myself... too hard," he teased. "And you better not make our house look all frilly and pretentious!"

She scoffed and tapped him with her tail. "When have you ever known me to be excessive?"

He chuckled and gently hit her back. "I just don't want you to get carried away, either!"

Asha giggled and gave him a peck on the cheek before she hopped away into the crowd. She walked down a wide, cobblestone street that had been worn down over the years of use. So much sand and dirt had been kicked up that the rocks were almost completely covered so that it looked like an ordinary dirt street. On either side of her were stalls, carts, and vendors. A frenzied sea of feet and paws flowed around her.

In the heart of the market district was a plaza lined with stalls like a maze. Tarps hung overhead to relieve anyone who walked under them from the scorching sun. It was much more crowded than the streets and at peak hours it was hard not to bump into anyone.

On her list were a few different items: curtains, tapestries, rugs, and some pots for some plants. It would be difficult for her to carry all of that, but that really depended on how many things she wanted! Her mother gave her plenty of money to spend to buy whatever she desired. She wouldn't squander it all, but she was looking forward to buying the things that caught her eye. Finally, she had her own home, a private place for her and her mate, who she loved dearly.

Almost every merchant she visited had at least one thing she wanted, and soon her satchel was nearly stuffed full. She took two rugs and tied them beneath her so they wouldn't interfere with her flight. She did the same with some curtains she found, and another blanket that she thought looked very comfortable. Aware that she looked ridiculous, she started looking for a place to take off so she could at least drop everything off and come back for some shelves that they also needed.

But before she could leave, she heard a voice squawking behind her. Curious, she turned to look and saw an orange and black-feathered gryphon weaving his way toward her.

"Blade!" he called after her, but then he stopped dead in his tracks as she turned her head. He looked at her with surprise and clacked his beak. "O-oh, so sorry! I thought you were someone else!"

He swiftly turned to leave, but Asha stomped down on his tail and grabbed it. "What did you call me?"

The gryphon squeaked and pulled his tail free, grabbing onto it and stroking where she stepped on him as he sat up. "Hey, that hurt! It's not nice to grab someone's tail!"

Asha scrutinized him. He was just an ordinary gryphon. The orange color of his feathers was darker at his torso and lighter at his hind end, a gradual shift of hues. Black markings speckled his face and covered his feline-like paws, and circular designs followed down his back between his wings.

"What did you say?" she pressed. She swore she heard her father's name, but with all of the sounds around her, she wasn't sure. That, and she admitted that she could just be crazy, since he's been on her mind more often than not lately.

"I uhm... I uhhh..." he stuttered. He was nervous; Asha could easily see that much. "Slade! I said Slade. I'm looking for my uhm... gryphon friend named Slade. Have you seen him? He's about this tall and this wide." He used his paws as a guide to show her the size of his friend, who seemed to be exactly as tall and wide as he was. "Black feathers and such..."

She softened a little and stepped closer. "Sorry... I must have misheard you. Do you want me to help you find your friend?"

He adamantly shook his head and hopped back to his feet. "Nothankyou!" he spouted. "I gotta go!" He whirled around and sped away, diving back into the sea of people.

Asha watched him. He was a very peculiar bird, and a very nervous one, too. She didn't talk to many gryphons, and they were known for being easily excited and high-maintenance, but he seemed especially twitchy--almost like he was hiding something. Asha knew that there was no way in the world he could have been connected to his father... but...

"Hey, you," she stepped toward a young, lone dragon and handed him two gold pieces. "If you watch all of my things, I'll give you three more gold pieces when I come back, if nothing is missing."

He looked up at her like she was insane, but he nodded his head and took her items. She didn't give him much of a chance to respond before she climbed on top of a building and leapt into the sky to find the orange gryphon. Since she wasted no time, she found him within minutes, still running through the crowd. He was heading toward the west gate, so she looked for a safe spot to land and chased after him.

Now, it was a game of stalking and learning. If her hunch was right, he would lead her to clues about her father. Before he walked through the east gate, he turned his head, as if to check if anyone was following him, and started to run again. The guards there paid him no attention and stood like toy figures.

Asha hurried after him, but the human guards quickly blocked her path, cutting her off with the poles of their halberds.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?" one of them sneered.

"You seem to be tryin' to slip past us awful quick," another added.

Asha kept her cool the best she could, in spite of the fact that her lips quivered in a snarl. "I need to catch up to my friend: the gryphon who just ran through here."

The same one that you didn't even bat an eye at, when he's entirely more suspicious than I am!

They exchanged glances but didn't budge. "No gryphon's come through 'ere. Ya better run off, beast."

"He did just a few seconds ago!"

Were they purposely being pigheaded!?

"You're mistaken."

Asha growled and tried to stubbornly walk through, but they shoved her back with their weapons. With her teeth bared, she snapped at them before whirling around and storming off in the other direction. It was no use trying to argue with a human; they were more obstinate than dragons.

She grumbled and found an alley to cut into so she could safely fly over the wall without the guards noticing. As long as she was compliant to their faces, they wouldn't give her more trouble in the future. Since she was the only feathered-dragon in the city, it was easy for everyone to recognize her--which in her mind was a curse.

And that was entirely the reason she so desperately needed to find the gryphon again. No one has ever mistaken her for someone else before. In no way, shape, or form did she look like a gryphon named Slade.

No, whoever he was looking for looks like me... Even if it is just another feathered dragon and not my father, I'm still interested in finding some answers.

She flew over the Eastern housing district, scanning between the clusters of houses. Occasionally, she would steal a glance in the sky to try and spot any orange feathers, in case he would try to fly away. Several minutes passed, and then another few as she circled back. She made another round, beating her wings as quickly and steadily as she could.

But Asha couldn't find him again. He had escaped.

Damned bastards wasted too much of my time and let that feather-brain get away, she griped. Usually they're docile, unless they've been paid to do something other than just 'keep the peace.'

Asha scoffed at that. Not once had she seen a guard do any good. They were all humans because they were the only species trusted to maintain order, when it was humans that put them there in the first place. It was just an easier way for humans to control everything.

And yet, unless they were dumber than they looked, they had purposely stopped her from pursuing the gryphon.

Nothing sat right in her stomach about that gryphon.

She paid the young dragon his reward and collected her things before carefully making her way back home. It was only a block away from Terrin's house, and about two from hers, on the corner of two intersecting streets. It was small, and it only had two rooms inside, their living area and bedroom, but it was plenty for the two of them.

Inside, Terrin was lounging on spare furs, eating his meal. The ice-box that he bought was under a table, and on top of the table was their water-basin to drink from--they would have to fill that two or three times a day from a public well.

"You were gone longer than I thought you would be," he commented and licked his chops. "Find everything you wanted?" He chuckled as he watched her take off all the items she found.

"I did, for the most part." Asha still felt peeved about losing track of that gryphon.

"Doesn't seem like it," he said. "You look agitated."

Asha took a deep breath and calmed down. She smiled at him. "Sorry, just a little stressed with all the work we've done," she explained and nuzzled him.

"Why don't you eat something?" he offered and slid his plate over to her. It had leftover hunks of fish and lizard meat. "It'll help you feel better."

Asha kissed his cheek in thanks. She lay couchant and eagerly picked at her food, using her claws to help slice pieces off of bones.

"I take it you found everything, then?" she asked.

He nodded and twined his tail with hers. "The ice-box is ready to go, too. I put the crystal in and added the gel to keep the stone from freezing and breaking. Our meals for the next few days are already in there."

"Oh, good," she said. "Maybe we can finally relax tomorrow."

"Mhmm." He eyed her and watched as she finished the rest of her food in a big gulp. "What were you upset about?"

She glanced at him and shrugged her wings dismissively. "I've just been stressed out, I guess."

He shook his head. "You were irritated about something. Your feathers stand up when you're angry."

Asha petted down her crest of silver feathers. "Do not!"

Terrin chuckled. "They do too. Now tell me what's bugging you."

"Hrmph." Asha turned her head away and pouted. "There was a gryphon that called me Blade today."

His ears perked. "Your father's name? Are you sure?"

She sighed and laid her head on top of her forepaws after pushing her plate away. "No, I can't be one-hundred-percent sure, but he acted very suspicious and ran off. I tried to follow him, but I got caught up by some doofus guards."

"Wow, such profanity," he teased and scooted closer to her. He nuzzled into her neck and gave her cheek and snout a few affectionate licks. "Why do you let him get to you? He's gone, Asha... He's not going to come back."

She pursed her lips and stared forward, biting her tongue.

"You probably misheard him and scared him off." He nosed under her chin and tenderly licked the underside of it. A comforting paw curled around hers and squeezed.

Asha exhaled and released some of the tension in her body, nodding. "Maybe..."

"You're too worried about your past. Why don't you spend the present with me?" he said softly.

Asha purred and leaned into his licks as they started to trail lower to her neck. "I'd like to spend my future with you too."

He rumbled in approval as he wrapped around her and tucked her soft body against him, his sinuous wings closing over her back while their limbs tangled together. Asha giggled and let him snuggle her. His pebbly-scaled snout rubbed into her fluffy chest and his paws sifted through her feathers. He placed her against him snugly and soon enveloped her entirely in a warm, comfortable embrace.

"Mmm, someone is a little more affectionate than normal," she said, purring. She gently kneaded into his broad chest as his body pushed up against hers. His squishy nethers rubbed into her groin, and his sheath already felt thick. He was always so warm and more comfortable than he looked. A soft coo escaped her lips as Terrin kissed down her neck.

"Just happy that I can be alone with my mate," he said, "In our own house, away from prying eyes."

All of her worries from today started to wash away. The thoughts of pursuing the gryphon and finding her father were pushed to the back of her mind. Asha relaxed, enjoying the way her mate held her, touched her, and kissed her body. His soft lips didn't stop at her neck; they trailed to her chest, to her belly, up her thighs, lower... and lower...

"Ooohhh, Terrin," Asha moaned. Warm, lustful feelings made her feathers stand on end. Her hind legs were open to him as he buried his red muzzle between them, kissing and licking around her slit. A paw grabbed her taught haunches and squeezed them firmly as he nuzzled around between her soft, fluffy thighs, sometimes licking at the inner parts of her leg and sometimes teasing her wet vent.

"Just relax, my love," he cooed.

Heat filled Asha's cheeks as she watched him mouth over her slit. Pleasure bloomed inside her, tingling throughout her loins, his tongue making her toes curl. With a soft gasp, she squirmed and felt that warm, slippery tongue slide up her slit. It made the same motion again and again, pressing firmer into her folds each time. Sometimes it flicked across the very top of her slit, rubbing against the hood of her clitoris, which sent small jolts of pleasure trickling up her spine. The longer he continued, the more of her clitoris became exposed. Hot, tingling sensations warmed her body as she relaxed and let her mate pleasure her.

"Mmmmm... Ooh, your tongue..." Asha exhaled a hot, lusty breath as his tongue started to push inside her. A quiet groan escaped her lips when it slipped into her moist folds. It wriggled around and slid deeper and deeper until he would pull out and do it again.

"That f-feels really good... mmmmm..." Her walls clenched on his tongue and gave it gentle squeezes as it nestled inside her. When it flicked across tender, sensitive spots, Asha would inhale and give a soft moan as her toes flexed, and Terrin would purposefully tease those spots. And if he had trouble finding those spots again, he would give up and lick her clitoris with the flat of his tongue to make her squirm and groan.

Asha had to give up watching and instead laid her head back and sprawled out for him, relaxing. Her hind legs slightly pedaled, and she arched her back, unable to escape the almost ticklish sensations that wracked her body with bliss. Hot, pleasurable feelings bloomed inside her loins as she started to succumb to the pleasure. Her orgasm was building; she could feel it bubbling inside her each time he stimulated her clit.

Terrin kissed and made out with her sex, wetly slathering his tongue over her exposed flesh. She could hear all of the lewd noises he was making as he slurped and groaned along with her, and she could feel his heated breaths blowing across her wet crotch. Asha's body moved on its own, her limbs trembling with delight and her hips rolling into his muzzle. His paws gripped her rump tightly, trying to hold her still while he ate her out.

And then his lips mouthed over her erect clitoris. She moaned loudly and felt heat rush to her face. Electrifying sensations coursed up her spine and a wave of ecstasy flooded her mind.

"Aaaahhh... I'm going to c-cum..." She was ready to let it all spill over, to let go and feel the rush of pleasure. She was so close to breaching that point of no return and feel release pour out of her loins.

But Terrin pulled his muzzle away and left Asha whining--begging--for more. When she opened her eyes, he was licking his lips hungrily with glazed, green eyes to match that lust. Her arousal was smeared and glistening on his pebbly nose. His body moved over hers as she laid exposed, legs spread and waiting. His flesh bobbed underneath him, hard and throbbing, pre drizzling from its tip.

"T-Terriiiin!" she complained. She panted and watched him lean forward to press their lips together.

A groan vibrated her throat as she kissed him and tasted herself mixed with his saliva. His paws kneaded into her body before they grabbed her and guided her to roll onto her belly. Asha followed his touch and broke the kiss once she turned around. Lost in a blissful fog, she let him move her into place and do with her body as he pleased. She wanted it, and she wanted it bad.

Once she was situated exactly where he wanted her, Terrin pressed his belly to her back, his weight pushing her down. A paw grabbed the base of her tail with a firm squeeze and lifted it high to expose her bare haunches to him.

Asha gasped softly and elicited a coo to him as she felt his tip pushing into her folds, his hips moving under her tail.

"Rwrrrr, that's a good girl," he crooned next to her ear.

Asha had a retort to that, but then he suddenly thrust into her and made a cry spill from her lips instead. All at once his entirety filled her, and her muscles clenched down on him tightly, but he kept thrusting after that and eagerly rocked into her body. The initial discomfort was replaced by pure pleasure as Asha submitted to her mate.

"D-don't think you're--oooh--not going to... be in t-trouble for this," she muttered between breaths as he humped her. "Mmmmm..."

"Grrrrrmmm... You're going to take my seed like a good hen," he groaned into her ear and gave a single hard thrust that made her crest flare and her feathers puff out.

"Oohhhrrr! You're totally getting off to this..."

Normally, Asha liked to be in control. She usually decided when he could mount her and how, and most of the time she had seduced him first. But recently Terrin seemed to enjoy taking the dominant role, to be forward with his own decisions.

And Asha loved it.

It was a feeling she hadn't felt before. It was similar to vulnerability as she was pinned beneath her mate, unable to resist even if she wanted to. The sensation drove her lusts wild and made her toes curl with pleasure while her hind legs stretched out behind her, legs spread open. Her tail bent over her rear end as he pressed into her.

"Aaaahhh, Terrin!" she moaned.

She grunted with every thrust and moaned with the swells of pleasure. Her walls stretched around him, his cock grinding against her soft, drenched folds, slipping in and out with wet slaps. Terrin was relentless as he pounded against her, his balls patting her groin. Their bodies grinded together and rocked back and forth with his thrusts.

"Mwrrrrrr, that's it," he moaned back.

Then, his forepaws rubbed her shoulder near her wings before clamping down near the base of her neck. He gripped her tightly as he pulled her into his hips. His cock pushed deep inside her and pushed at all of the right buttons, her muscles quivering around him. Deep, rumbling growls vibrated next to her ears as his head rubbed against the back of hers.

She neared her orgasm again. It came faster than before because of Terrin orally pleasuring her beforehand; it left her clitoris erect so his cock would sometimes rub against it, which would send electrifying pleasure up her spine. Pressure stirred in her loins, building with each of his thrusts. His chest pushed her torso down, his weight rolling into her and slightly lifting her rump when their hips met. When he started to gently bite her neck and nibble on it that was when she lost any control she had left and felt her senses become overwhelmed with hot, blissful lust.

With a cry of pleasure, Asha reached her climax. Muscles wrapped around his cock that continued to slide in and out of her at a sporadic pace, squeezing around it tightly. The undulations milked his flesh in an attempt to coax out his seed, but with the way he kept pounding away, she knew he wasn't close yet. She panted, grunted, and groaned as he rocked into her through her orgasm, her sensitive walls being rubbed by his cock.

"Ooohhh, Asha, that's it," he groaned.

It was rare that she would be the first to cum; usually Terrin would spill his seed first and have to keep thrusting afterward to get her to reach her climax too. But this time, Asha had to endure taking his thrusts into her sensitive, trembling folds. Too enraptured in ecstasy, she laid her head down and nuzzled into the bedding while soft moans and grunts escaped her lips.

Terrin's hips slapped against hers, finding a rhythm to roll into her. She listened to his grunts and growls and encouraged him with groans of her own. He was panting into the base of her neck, his hot breaths bathing her feathers while he leaned over her and rutted his mate.

"Oooh... Oooooh!" he moaned.

Without much warning, Terrin slammed into her one last time and grinded against her rump as his cock thickened and pulsed. She felt his warm seed spilling into her, gushing to fill her passage with the rapid throbs of his flesh. He moaned into her ear and went limp on top of her as he rode out his spurting orgasm.

Asha took a deep breath and shuddered, her muscles quivering around his hard length buried deep inside her. Every throb would send another strand of his seed trickling into her. His weight was almost too much as he squished her against the ground. He panted and caught his breath while they lay there together until he finally pulled away, finished, and flopped onto his back, tongue lolled out of his mouth.

Stretching, Asha hummed and fluffed up her feathers to enjoy the freedom. She glanced at him and saw his pink flesh jutting and twitching between his legs, glistening with a mixture of their fluids. Most of her senses had returned to her by now, so she was left with a full feeling of satisfaction while Terrin was embraced in the afterglow.

Admittedly, she felt a little sore from that, but it wasn't a painful soreness; it felt like she had been stretched further than normal, so a dull ache squeezed her loins.

"Mmmm, someone was eager," she cooed. "You haven't gotten like that in a while."

He chuckled and let out a big breath. "I couldn't help it. I hope I didn't hurt you at all." He looked over at her with a soft expression and curled his tail around hers.

She shook her head. "No, but next time..." She sidled up next to him and lowered a paw between his legs, grabbing his orbs and squeezing them tightly. "I'm going to have my fun with you," she finished with a smirk.

Terrin groaned and flinched as she grabbed him. "O-okay! Just--aaahhh--be careful with those."

Asha giggled and firmly rolled his stones around in her paw. Next to his sheath, they were the softest part of his body, where his scales were so small that it felt like touching skin. They were squishy, too, which was why she enjoyed playing with them.

"I wouldn't dare hurt my favorite part of you," she teased and nuzzled his cheek.

He grinned and gave her a quick peck on the nose. "I love you."

"I love you too," she purred.

The rest of the evening passed by quickly. After taking water from the public well, they retired for the night and thoroughly enjoyed each other as mates would. Now that they had privacy, there wasn't anything to hold them back.

Thoughts of the gryphon and her father were pushed to the back of Asha's mind as she spent her time with Terrin. He distracted her from herself, just like he always had. For once, she thought that she could simply relax and lay her mind to rest.

But of course, Asha's determination proved otherwise. The next day, she scoured the city for that gryphon. Thinking his bright-orange feathers would be easy to spot from the sky, she sped from one district to the other but focused around the market and eastern housing districts. Just when she began to think about returning home, she spotted him.

He wandered down a lone street in the market district, away from the commotion. It appeared that he was carrying something at his flank as he roamed down another almost empty street. Ahead of him were tarps and canvases that would block Asha's view, so she barreled downward and thudded somewhere close by to stalk him on foot.

For the next several streets, she followed him. Each time he turned, she would wait until he was nearly out of sight again before she would enter the street. If he turned around at any point, he would see her and most likely run again. She didn't blame him though; she knew she was acting out of line--all because she had a gut instinct about him.

Soon, he turned to leave the market district, at the same gate again. Not wanting to risk the guards stopping her, Asha leapt up the wall, caught the top of it, and pulled herself over. She dashed to cover and found a tiny space to squeeze through toward the gryphon.

You won't escape this time, bird.

His path continued down the main stretch until he turned off. She recognized this area as the slums of the two-leg territory. Dirty looks were cast her way as she quickly padded down the street and ducked behind cover. It made her feel nervous to be here, and she wondered what a feral gryphon would be doing in the two-leg district in the first place.

Then, to her surprise, he walked into a small, stone house and disappeared. She frowned. There were only a few windows, and each of them was covered so she couldn't see in. So, she reached and carefully pulled the curtain away just enough so she could peek inside. But he wasn't in this room, so she tried another one and another after that. The last one she peeked into was the right one.

She saw the gryphon in the middle of the room, lying on fur bedding. Inside the room were a lot of different shelves and books as well as a chair and a table. She remembered that in one of the other rooms was a bedframe and a nightstand next to it.

It's a two-leg's house, she realized. So why is there a gryphon here?

"What are you doing?" someone growled.

Asha grimaced and climbed down to all fours. She was caught. "I-I was just looking for someone..."

A two-legged dragon stood in front of her, scornfully ready to discipline her if he could. "Your kind isn't welcome here. Leave." Despite being dressed in rags, he still had an air of superiority over her.

"I just need to talk to the person inside," she said and stepped up to the door. "I know them."

He glared at her doubtfully. "No one lives there anymore. The owner died a couple of years ago, but the old hag passed it on to some dragon who refuses to sell it even though he doesn't live here."

"Well, there's someone in there right now that I want to talk to," she stated firmly.

He sighed and continued walking away. "Whatever. Not my business," he grumbled.

Asha exhaled with relief and hoped he wouldn't get the guards, but then she gulped before she knocked on the door. Seconds later, the door swung open, and she watched the excited look on his face disappear.

"O-oh, hello again. Can I help you?" He glanced around in the house and behind her.

"I want to know what you're hiding," she said, peering at him curiously. "Where is Slade?"

"Listen, I don't know you! I shouldn't be talking to a stranger, and especially to someone who was stalking me! It was nice knowing you, bye bye!" He chirped and tried to shut the door, but Asha stood in the way.

"Please," she said urgently.

"I don't know what you want from me!" he squawked. "I just mistook you for someone I know, and now you're being all weird and stuff. Like, give me some space or something."

"Where is Blade? Where is my father?" Asha felt her mind slipping, her heart taking over. She couldn't control it, and she barely fought back her tears of desperation. She knew she was close to finding him; she knew that this gryphon had answers for her, but it was so frustrating that he wouldn't give them to her.

"Okay, okay, okay, listen... You're kind of scary, but in a not-so-frightening way and more like a if-I-don't-watch-out-she's-going-to-chew-my-head-off sort of way. Can you relax for a moment and take a step back? You know, so you're not so close and I'm not in danger of losing my head?"

Asha gritted her teeth and reluctantly took a big step back. She knew she was brazen and abrupt, teetering on the edge of hostility. With a deep breath, she closed her eyes and tried to relax.

And then he promptly shut the door in her face that nearly hit her nose.

"HEY! YOU FEATHERED BASTARD!" she growled and started pounding on the door.

"Go away!" he shouted from inside. "You're scary and mean!"

Asha hissed and slammed on the door one more time before snorting and stepping away. She already attracted enough attention. Eyes stared over in her direction. She muttered a few profanities and jumped into the sky. Before storming off toward home, she studied the area and which house the gryphon was in.

I'll be back, whether you like it or not.

So, the next few days Asha spent her afternoons watching the gryphon's house. When Terrin asked her what she was doing, she had given him a vague answer that didn't raise any more questions. She wasn't exactly proud of what she was doing, but she thought of it as a necessity in order to find more information about her father.

The gryphon didn't have much of a routine, but he did leave the house quite often and fly to the marketplace for food. She would watch him from a distance, usually flying overhead while he was none the wiser.

But, she never saw any hint of a feathered dragon, and neither did she gather any more clues. So, she changed up the times that she would watch him the next couple of days and kept a close eye on his activities. And still, nothing out of the ordinary occurred. Asha was beginning to lose hope.

Maybe if I approach him again and ask nicely, he will give me at least one answer.

It was all she could hope for as she tapped on the door with her claws. Moments later, it cracked open before she heard a squawk come from inside, and the door shut again. Asha sighed and took a deep breath. She knocked again and waited... and waited...

"Please," she said, "I just want to talk. I won't hurt you; it was never my intention."

Silence.

Asha clenched her teeth and snorted a puff of air--it was nearly impossible to keep a level head. "I just want some answers, gryphon. Please?"

Just as she was about to turn away, the door opened ever so slightly, and a small voice piped up from the crack. "You promise not to be mean?"

She rolled her eyes. "I promise I won't be mean."

The door opened for her, so she stepped inside. The sunset-colored gryphon warbled and sat upright in front of her. Inside, it was dusty like no one had lived her for years, with cobwebs littering every nook and cranny she could see. Trails of paws were imprinted on the stone floors, where the dust and sand had been swept away. A scorpion skittered across the floor in the other room.

"Sorry about the mess," he apologized. He must have seen the face she made. "I don't actually live here, though. It's just kind of where I'm staying for the moment... as you probably know already, since you've been stalking me!" He ruffled his feathers and clacked his beak.

Asha shut the door behind her before she sneezed and wiped her wrinkled nose. "I-I'm sorry too. I didn't mean to be so rude before..." Her thoughts trailed away from the house and pleasantries and returned to her objective. "I want to know about my father."

"I don't know your father!" he chirped. "I've never known you or your father! I made a mistake, okay? Can you pleeeeease leave me alone now?"

Asha frowned. She knew he wasn't telling the truth before, and she knew he wasn't now, but how would she get him to say otherwise?

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Renjee," he answered, "with two 'E's'!"

"If you don't live here, then why are you staying here, Renjee? Where do you live?"

He clacked his beak and shifted his wings. "I needed a place to stay while I was here... I-I don't live in the city. I uhm... live across the... desert! In the forests with my family." He nodded his head as if to assure himself it was true.

She scrutinized him, which seemed to make him queasier. "Then what are you doing here? Who else is with you?"

"N-no one! I came alone..."

"If you came alone, and you live all the way across the desert, then why would you have approached me like you knew me, even if you mistook me for someone else?"

He shifted back as Asha stepped closer. "B-b-because you look a lot like my friend... uhm... with the black feathers... and stuff..."

"Slade?" she pressed.

He can't even keep up with his own fabricated story.

Renjee avoided making eye contact and shuffled on his paws. "Yes! Slade... my black-feathered friend. I thought he uuhh... followed me here." He nodded again to himself.

"So you thought I was Slade... a gryphon?"

He eagerly nodded. "Yep, yep! You look a lot like him. He even has the silver markings like you do!" His feathers puffed out as he appeared to grow more confident.

More confident in his lies, she thought.

"I've been exploring the continent," he continued. "So naturally I came here to look around! It's a big city with a lot of people in it, so I thought I'd stay for a while and look around--meet new people and stuff."

"And you came here because it was abandoned?" she asked, tilting her head curiously.

"Mhm! That's why, yep! There wasn't anyone living here, so I moved in myself! But it could use some work... like dusting and getting rid of all the bugs--yuck."

He lowered his guard as he looked around, the mental wall he had built up gone. Asha took the opportunity and asked him, "So how did you know my name, then?" It was a gamble, but she took the chance.

She could almost see his brain rattling as a glimpse of worry coursed through his feathers. Had he slipped up? When did he say her name? Was he caught? He better make up another lie to cover his tracks!

C'mon... lie to me again.

"I heard someone say it! The uhm... trader you were talking to that sold you those rugs! Asha, yep! He said it."

"Aha!" she shouted triumphantly with a smirk stretching her lips. "No one ever said my name and there was no way you could have possibly known it unless you've been hiding something from me!"

Renjee squawked and pedaled backward as she got too close to him. "Nonononono, I don't know what you're talking about!"

She had him now. She finally knew without a shadow of a doubt that he was connected to her father. Now, all she had to do was get him to tell her where he was or just any bit of information he could muster. Asha had won.

"You can't lie to me anymore, Renjee! You know my father. You know where he is. Stop lying to me and tell me the truth. Tell me now!"

He looked for an escape, but Asha had him in a corner now. She wasn't any bigger than him, but she knew she could at least subdue him if he tried to break through her.

"Please don't bite my head off! Aahhhh!" he curled up into a fluffy ball and hid behind his wings.

"I won't bite your head off if you tell me where my father is," she stated.

"I can't! I don't know! Please go away!" he pleaded.

"You do know! Tell me n--"

Before Asha could get an answer, the door burst open behind her, and a black-scaled, feral dragon came rushing in. His crimson eyes examined her and then shifted to Renjee.

"You're not who I'm looking for..." he muttered. "But..." His thoughts trailed off in his head.

"Hey!" Asha shouted. "What do you think you are doing?" She turned to face him, and as soon as she did, he pounced on her. She growled and tried to throw him off, but he quickly had her subdued and pinned down underneath him after he swept her legs out from underneath her. He was bigger and stronger than her, but his movements were entirely too fast for Asha to resist.

"GET OFF OF ME!" She snarled and tried to bite him while kicking with her hind legs, trying to sink her talons or teeth into something, but her claws glanced off his hard scales at the wrong angles. He was able to restrain her entirely. He pushed her legs down so she was on her side and then used his tail to coil tightly around them while he used his forepaws to hold down Asha's front end.

"Settle down," he said and pushed her into the dirty floor. Her feathers were getting soiled with the dust.

Asha hissed and growled, squirming to wriggle free. "Renjee! DO SOMETHING!"

The gryphon was still curled up in the corner, feathers puffed out and his beak clacking nervously. "What do you want me to do!? Big, scary dragon!"

"You try anything and I will hurt her," the black dragon stated and pressed a claw to Asha's neck. She winced as his sharp talon stabbed into her hide. "Reach into my satchel and grab my rope, feather-brain."

Renjee hesitantly did as he was told. "What's this a-about?"

"Currently none of your business. Tie her up."

"DO NOT!" Asha growled.

"Quiet, you." She felt a paw grab her muzzle and squeeze it shut, making her growl and thrash around more. Then, the rope wound around her hind legs first, pulling them together so she could hardly move them. Next were her forelegs, tied in the same fashion. He let go of her muzzle and stepped away from her, and she turned her head and saw him tying Renjee up in the same manner.

"If you remain quiet, I won't tie your mouths shut," he said. "But say one thing I don't like and I'll tie them extra tight."

Asha bit her tongue and snorted hot air. She stared at him with enough malice that he could feel it. She didn't recognize him at all, and if she had seen him before, she thought she would remember a dragon as dark as an abyss. Except for his red eyes and white claws, he had no color to him. Strapped to his forearm were several knives, at his thigh was a crooked dagger, and at his side under his wing was a satchel. Based on the stories she heard as a whelp, he definitely looked like a villain.

"What do you want with us?" she asked as calmly as she could in this situation, as to not get her muzzle bound. Her heart was racing and the thought of what comes next nudged her mind uncomfortably.

"My client asked me to return to him a black and gold-feathered dragon. It seems there was either a mix up with physical description or I have the wrong dragon. Either way, we will find out soon enough."

My father? she thought with a mixture of fear and anxiety. Why would someone else be searching for him? And how did I get caught up in this?

She hated that he was completely composed and almost bored. Whoever he was, he had been trained for this and had done this far too many times. It wouldn't be easy to escape, but Asha tried to think of a way out.

Renjee was docile and obediently followed every command. Asha had to be forced to move to her paws, and she wanted to resist being tied to the gryphon too, but she quickly learned that it was best to be compliant for now.

Asha hissed as the black dragon shoved her forward out the door. She nearly tripped over herself. The gryphon followed in tow, a single rope tied between them as they both hobbled on bound paws. She imagined that she looked just as ridiculous as she felt.

Looking up into the sky, she thought that maybe if she was able to jump fast and high enough that she could escape, but the only issue with that was Renjee. He would have to jump and fly at the same time as her for them to even have a chance. But then the dragon wrapped a noose around her neck and tugged her forward.

"Try to escape or force me to drag you along, this rope will only get tighter," he said. "It's in your best interest to be a good prisoner, like your bird-friend."

Asha growled. "Where are you taking us?"

"Somewhere safe. I have no interest in harming you, so you don't have anything to fear if you obey me."

He led them down the street. Curious eyes stared in their direction from the sides of the streets. Crowds of people opened up, a sea parting for them. Nasty glares, jeers, and other obscenities were tossed at Asha and Renjee as if they were the scum of the city. Asha hissed and snapped her teeth at them, and that only made things worse. It was humiliating.

Terrin...

Having given up on escaping herself, she hoped her mate would rescue her. She hoped that he would be somewhere in the crowd, ready to tear the black dragon apart and set her free.

But that dream soon came to an end.

Desperation clawed at her chest. What was going to happen to her? What if she never saw Terrin again? All of the hopes of finding her father, and she would never get to even come close to seeing him. It was her fault she was in this situation, and it seemed that she dragged Renjee into it too. If she didn't escape soon, Terrin would be worried sick about her.

They walked into the palace district, a place Asha had never set a paw in because of the constant warnings of her mother. It wasn't a good place for ferals; humans would openly persecute them. And here they were: eyes wide and staring directly at the two prisoners. It didn't take long until rocks pelted her and Renjee. One caught her muzzle and rattled her head, causing tears to well in her eyes. All Asha could do was keep her head tucked down, her spirit broken and her body bruised.

She no longer had the same confidence as before. Now, there was nothing but fear and tension gripping her heart.

The black dragon led them into the palace itself, entering through a back door where there were four guards posted. They recognized him and allowed them to pass without hesitation.

Inside, marble floors stretched down two long hallways, one ahead of them and the other to the right. Giant pillars lined the pathway that appeared to surround a courtyard that she could see through the windows. Another building towered above them in the center of the yard. They passed by nobles and guards, all humans. Asha didn't see a single two-leg and especially not a feral anywhere in the palace.

She had never seen so much wealth in one place before. The small fortune that her mother had shown her was nothing compared to the massive amounts of gold just decorating the hallways. Chandeliers of light-crystals and gold hung from the curved ceilings above. Paintings and expensive tapestries decorated the walls with an elegance she could hardly fathom. Silken curtains hung over the windows.

All of this money wasted while thousands still live in complete poverty.

To their right was a staircase that led into the darker confines of the palace. Guards were posted in increasing numbers around it. It grew colder and darker the further down they went until the stairs ended and a long, dank corridor opened in front of them. Asha had heard about the prison in the palace by word of mouth, but she never imagined that she would be seeing it herself. Compared to the prison in the slums, she much rather preferred this, if she had the choice.

But if she really had the choice to make, she would level this entire palace down to the sandstone and rip everyone and everything apart with her bare claws until justice was found.

Surprising enough, there weren't any other prisoners here, and it was eerily silent. The black dragon shoved them into a cold cell carved out of the sandstone, with metal bars and a gate at the front of it. He untied the both of them, correctly assuming that neither would try to escape. At this point, the effort would have been wasted.

"Why are we here? Why are you doing this?" Asha asked.

He glanced at her as he shut the cell door but didn't say a word. Rage welled inside her. Her claws dug into the hard, stone floor, and her jaw clenched tightly.

"I simply follow orders," he finally stated. "I don't know why you are here and nor do I care." He locked the door with a clank and put the key in his satchel.

"Then why are you doing this?"

"For the money," he answered as he started walking away, tail flicking casually behind him. "Nobles pay handsomely for someone else to do the dirty work, even if that someone else is a dragon. They hate me, and I hate them, but gold is what makes the world go 'round."

Asha frowned and watched the dragon leave, left with nothing but more questions and an empty pit in her stomach. Who was the noble paying him and why was he interested in her or her father? Would she ever see Terrin again? Would she die here?

And worst of all, there was nothing she could do. She was a prisoner.

What comes next?

Frustration made her want to cry. Anxiety made her want to hide herself in her wings. Gritting her teeth and resisting her fears, she turned her head to Renjee, who had frightened eyes and was curled up into a ball of quivering fluff. She stepped to him and hovered above him, glaring.

"Tell me about my father. Now."