FSE

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The Age of Darkness. A cruel and desperate time that plagues the world of Aberuth. Monsters of unknown origins roam and ravage this world. Those who resist are dragged into their twisted world where they, too, become mindless abominations. Aberuth deems these creatures as shades.

This ancient enemy is a power even the gods fear. And just when they thought all hope was lost in this time of desperation, the gods found three champions to repel them, the ones they call the Watchers. Standing together, they were able to cast away the shades back into their own twisted world.

But even with this victory, the damage that was done could not be ignored. Many lives lost, kingdoms destroyed. Those that survive must adapt and begin anew. But some never make it that far.

There are three kingdoms left untouched by the dark, each the home of a Watcher, where they are always watching for signs of a new Age of Dark. And although this is a time of peace, it is also a time where everyone must play their part...

Sirencester is the main city of the Vorpresian territory, located in the desert area to the west, a nation consisting of mostly canines, and ruled by the jackals, who are gifted with magical powers. Their bloodline is said to be blessed by the gods themselves. In the forested areas of the west lies the Aflia nation, whose residents contain mainly felines, dominated by lions. Carningsby is the main capital here. And lastly further up north in the mountains rests the Whaji nation, ruled by dragons. Most of the cities are located inside the landscape, especially the capital known as Murtovaara. There are several other races who have lost their kingdoms to the scourge, and now live either as refugees and beggars, or have found their place within the other nations, while still others have formed small tribes who thrive in the wild.

---

The market area in Sirencester was busy as it always was. Citizens in the streets, guards around every corner, and some children at play. As the day drew towards the end and the sky began to turn orange, one of the fruit shops, owned by middle aged gazelle, was closing up, unaware of hooded figure approaching and quietly grabbing a melon. The old man turned around, about to cover the stand, and noticed the figure already fleeing with the fruit in hand.

"Hey! Stop, thief!" A few guards were alerted and noticed the figure darting behind some buildings just before disappearing from sight, and high tailed after the robber. They followed into an alley, and continued on, unaware that the thief was hiding around a dark corner. As she came out of the shadows and started running in the opposite direction, she kept looking back to make sure she wasn't followed, not paying any attention to a guard who was waiting to cut her off. She didn't get a chance to get very far, as she found herself bumping into him and fell to the ground. The melon rolled out of her hands and picked up some dirt as it moved a very short distance across the road. Her hood fell off, revealing her identity.

She was an Ufrana, more specifically a fennec fox, something not commonly seen in Sirencester, or anywhere else in the Vorpresian nation for that matter. Her fur was blonde, and her matching hair which was short and scruffy, barely coming down over her eyebrows, and she had blue eyes. The tufts of hair inside her large ears were white, and at the end of her tail, she had a shade of light brown shortly followed by a darker shade at the tip. She looked up at the the guard, armed with a simple sword and silver armor with a dark blue tabard hanging from the chest down, with golden ridges and an ankh in the center. She could tell by his long ears, though not quite as large as her own, and by his short thin tail that he was a definite jackal. His fur was dark brown, and he had piercing red eyes that matched the marking on his cheek, small and resembling a skull.

Before she had any time to say anything, she was grabbed by the throat and lifted her up off the ground so she was dangling just inches in the air. She squirmed and kicked as she tried to break free. His companions finally showed up to aid him, not that he needed it at this point. He picked up the melon with his free hand, dusting it off as he handed it to one of the guards. "Take this back to the old man. I'll go see what sort of punishment the Pharaoh has in mind for this little rat."

---

The throne room in the main palace was quiet, almost empty save for a few guards and the ruler himself, and a visitor. The officer came in with the fox in custody. Her arms were bound behind her. He pushed her to the ground face first in front of the throne. She shuffled about and struggling to sit up on her knees. She looked up at the figure seated at the throne. This jackal was white as the driven snow with bluish eyes and marks, with a snowflake like mark on his cheek. His robing was black silk with gold detail, including the wrap around the waist and the pectoral necklace embedded with sapphires, and of course the royal headdress, which was a symbol of his authority.

To his left, another jackal, black in color, with a darker shade for his hair, neatly kept and was shoulder length on the back side, while just barely coming down over the eyes on the front, mostly on the left side. He wore a white kilt with royal decorations, similar to the tabard worn by the officer and several of the guards, simply folded over the belt and hanging comfortably between the legs. A pendant in the form of a silver ankh hung around his neck, dangling at the pectoral area. He had a couple of silver piercings in each ear, and was covered in dark purplish markings that matched the lone dark amethyst eye, the other covered by his jet black hair. The marks were unusual compared to the one's the fennec had seen before, especially the symbol on his cheek, featuring a crescent moon lying on it's side, the ends pointing upward, and a diamond sitting in the slope. One set of markings were located around his wrists, which just barely made themselves visible from under the silver bracelets. Another set was larger, and reached from his shoulder down to his elbow. The final marking was spread out across his back.

"Sorry to disturb you, but I caught this one robbing one of the markets. I'd like to know what sort of punishment you have in mind." The ruler stared her down for a long moment. The vixen could feel her heart racing as his piercing blue eyes seemed to stare right into her soul.

"Toss her in the dungeon for now. I'd like to make an example of her with the usual, but earlier in the day." He chuckled lightly. Her heart skipped a few beats, wondering what the usual was as she was suddenly lifted by the tuft of fur on her neck and dragged away against her will, kicking and squirming under her captors grasp and pleading for mercy. The much darker jackal standing beside him glared, almost as if he were appalled by the action.

"Don't you think that's too harsh? She's just a pup after all, and besides..." he was suddenly cut off by a dismissive hand.

"Are you saying I should just let the people do as they please?"

"No of course not. I only meant..."

"It's my duty to keep order," his majesty proclaimed, "And that includes punishing those who would dare to disrupt it. There can be no exceptions. I must assert my authority." The other said nothing, feeling a loss for words into a pointless argument. "But why do you care? You've never seem to before." Once again, he said nothing, not knowing how to answer, "If you're so concerned for her well being, you're more than welcome to do something about it. I have no authority over you boy, ridiculous as it may be." He gave a scoff, and thought hard about it for a moment. Maybe he should do something...

---

_The vixen was dragged floor after floor, catching the gaze of several guards, servants, and visiting townsfolk, finally arriving into the depths beneath the palace.She was taken to a room just beyond the guard's quarters where she was stripped of all of her belongings, including her clothing, and in place was given a set of ragged wear. It was unsightly, but at the very least it was comfortable, warm, and covered the parts that should remain private. _

Sirencester's dungeon was cold and dimly lit, filled with the city's undesirables, from petty thieves to murderers. A shiver fell down her spine every time she was dragged by one of them, some looking at her with desire, probably from being kept in captivity for so long and not seeing any women. She was carried towards the end of the hall to an empty cell. The officer opened the door and threw her in face first. She shuffled quickly to sit up and looked towards the cell door as the guard closed it, sneering from behind the bars.

"Get comfortable. You're gonna be here for a while."_ She sat curled up in her bed as night crept in. She found it difficult to fall asleep with everything on her mind. Plus it was just too cold. She stared out through the bars of her window, the city quiet and fast asleep. The rays of the moon seemed to be her only light source, and the only comfort she could find. Eventually she was able to drift off to sleep._

As the light of the morning sun shined through her window, she continued to sleep, faced towards the wall as she curled up to stay warm. She awoke only to the sound of one of the jailers the bars to her cell, jumping in surprise. "Wake up runt. You have a visitor." She jumped out of bed almost immediately as the guard walked away, approaching the bars as she wondered who would want to visit her, and why. But when she saw her visitor, she was shocked. Black fur, jet black hair, purple markings, and a deep, dark amethyst eye. She recognized him as the pharaoh's associate from before. She noticed another feature she hadn't seen before, that being his left eye, which was scarred up and gray. Although it gave him a more intimidating visage, she couldn't help but feel a sense of gentleness coming from him.

"Y..you!? Why are you here to see me?" she stuttered.

"Wanted to see how you were coping with your... situation."

"But why?"

"I don't completely agree with the pharaoh's decision. It just seems too harsh for such a minor offense, especially for a pup like you."

The vixen shuffled a bit, looking away slightly. "It's scary. The guards are mean, and the prisoners have been giving me looks.. its unnerving."

"I imagine. But I can assure you, the punishments here are far worse than any one guard could be." She sniffed, feeling a bit worse about her predicament. "You're not from around here, are you?"_ _She shook her head. "Then you're probably unfamiliar with our customs, especially when it comes to crime. It would probably be best to keep it that way, unless of course you truly wish to know what's in store for you."

"N..no." She shivered a bit. Thinking of the possibilities sent a chill down her spine. "H..how would I get out of it though?"

"As far as your freedom is concerned, simply letting you go is out of the question. But I have worked something out."

She stared intensely, gripping tightly at the bars as she poked her snout through. "What is it?"

"The warden has agreed to leave you under my supervision. And your sentence has be revised to a form of.. community service if you will. But of course this is entirely up to you. So.. do you accept?"

She was almost hysteric, nearly tearing up from joy and relief. "Yes, yes! Please just get me out of this place."_ _He nodded, and gestured for one of the guards on duty, who in turn opened the cell door and restrained the vixen. "I'm so glad to be out of here, but.. why am I being cuffed?"

"It's just a precaution. You understand, yes?" She nodded, not happy about it, but as long as she was out of that cell, she didn't really care.

---

She was escorted through the city, catching some looks and gestures by the locals, not to mention rude remarks. Her ears hung low as she tried to stay close to the mysterious jackal. The longer she was around him, the more questions that came to mind. They eventually left the main district, away from the gaze of passerby, and arriving at a large manor that was isolated from the rest of the city. It stood a couple stories tall, with a large garden, walkway, and a large fountain in the center.

"It's so beautiful. You live here?" She looked around, awestruck by the surroundings.

The jackal looked over his shoulder, cracking a smile. "Do you like it?"

"I do. I've never seen such a lovely home before." As they entered, she was astonished by the interior as well. A chandelier hung above them, and there was a dual staircase leading to the second floor. "What exactly will I be doing?" she asked as the guard removed her restraints, eventually leaving them alone.

"I'll likely just have you do a few basic chores. Cleaning, dusting, that sort of thing. Either that or help out some of the other servants."

"Sounds good. I think I can do that."

"Glad to hear it." He quickly took note of her current apparel, realizing how drab and pitiful she looked in the tattered prison garb. "But first, what do you say we get you out of those rags and into something more appealing? I'm pretty sure there's a dress around here that might fit you. Come with me." She did as she was told, staying close to him as they went up to the second floor, and entered one of the bedrooms. It was a sight to behold, complete with a queen size bed, covered by a quilt with gold and red designs, and blankets made from Egyptian cotton, some dark oak nightstands, and a wardrobe, and a nice little vanity mirror. "This is where you'll be staying. Have a seat."

She lied down on the bed, sinking into its soft and cozy grasp. "So comfortable. This is all for me?"

He chuckled, amused by the vixen's reaction. "I can see you haven't enjoyed the simplest luxuries in a while. Like owning a bed."

"Mhm... I can't remember the last time I slept in one." As she took in warmth and comfort of her new bed, her jackal overseer browsed through the wardrobe, looking through the assorted attire inside, finally pulling something out. It was a simple design, a blue color that matched her eyes, and made from silk. It was sleeveless and was cut just above the knees.

"This looks like it should fit you."

She blushed a little as she reached for it. "It's so pretty."

"Why don't you try it on?" She seemed a little too eager, as she quickly took off her shirt in front of him, realizing a bit too late as she turned around and covered herself, not that she had anything to hide up top. "Oh, s.. sorry. I got carried away." He couldn't really complain though, as he found himself drawn to her svelte, petite figure, and even more so to her shy nature.

"There's nothing to apologize for." _he chuckled, _"If I may be so bold, I wouldn't mind seeing the rest of you."

Her entire face turned red as she shied away, trying to avoid his gaze. "I.. I'm not sure you would like it." Her reply confused him. Not sure he would like it? Why? Was she ashamed of something?

"Why don't you let me be the judge of that?" She nodded. And though hesitant, placed the dress on the bed and slowly finished undressing, revealing her most private areas. He got a good look at vixen's cute little rump. But when she turned around, he was a little shocked. He quickly understood why she was so nervous. "So you're actually a boy then?" She blushed hard, looking down at the floor, afraid to look him in the eyes as she wondered what he must have been thinking. She didn't have to wonder for long when she felt his hand under her chin, slowly lifting her head to meet his gaze, surprised to see that he was smiling. "It's okay. I don't mind." He gave her a stroke on the cheek, causing her to blush more as she leaned into his soft touch. He grabbed the dress, handing back to her. "By the way, I don't believe I caught your name."

"D..Dawn." she choked a little, "My name is Dawn."

"It's nice to meet you, Dawn. I'm Riku."

"A pleasure to meet you as well, Master Riku." She put the dress on and did a twirl. It hugged her form nicely, but not so much as to make her uncomfortable. "How does it look?"

"It suits you nicely." he said with a warm smile. His answer made her blush.

"T..thank you sir."

"Of course." He glimpsed out the window, but only for a moment, and gave a sigh. "I'll have to head out soon. In the meantime, just make yourself at home. I'm sure the other servants can answer any questions you may have." She gave a nod and a slight bow. He bid her farewell as he departed and left her alone.