Furs in Steam Chapter 1
Breathing in the cool wet air after the passing spring thunderstorm Lesus Altara began away from home into the evening soaked cobblestone streets of New Roya. With each step the metal tip of his walking cane struck stone echoing about the buildings and dancing down the lane from Altara manor. Shifting eyes to his window the lantern flickered gently, he would be back in an hour or so after he had cleared his head. Coming to the end of the lane Lesus had to step carefully, between the overflowing gutter and run off from the roof his tail and ears could easily be sprayed and soaked by the still flowing rain water. At the fork he stood a moment, shaking wetness from one shoulder of his ashen overcoat though it was of cured Shren hide he still had the mind to take care of it the best he could. Drawing his pocket watch, he hadn't bother to check the clock in the manor before leaving, Lesus assured himself there would be plenty of time to make either of the shows. Raising eyes violet as storm clouds he found he was not alone making his way about this quarter of the city rather before the forking path was a Lynx he hadn't recalled being there before he had checked the time. Perhaps he was mistaken, rarely in these territories were any but Wolves and those of that ilk about, but if he were those ears were mighty strange on any other. However odd the sight may have been Lesus continued on his way, deciding the singer and whatever musical accompaniment to be superior to the dancing troupe he went towards the right path. Acknowledging the stranger with a soft smile and a minor tipping of his hat the Wolf thought there would be nothing more of it regardless if the ears sticking out from the hood were that of a Lynx or one with an abnormality. Yet it wasn't so simple, the voice began with the usual accents of those from the far north, everything out of those lips may have sounded somewhat sweet but even in those words that sounded mispronounced there was a lurking deception all too familiar to the listener.
"Why do you hide in plain sight, a child of a nobleman, and still wearing the fur you had first been born into? Have you so much pride Razien that you think you must forever be made from flesh and fur of this land?" amber eyes fixed him from beneath the hood and mirrored the gas lamp behind Lesus. Swallowing hard the Wolf knew that this could only be of a pawful of the other Lords, "And which are you? What have you come for and why might you think I won't cut you down here and now?" "Because even if you try to use your power against mine it will be stalemate old friend, so let us keep to more prosperous means of violence," the Lynx spoke as his cloak fluttered open and two streams of metallic light slid from the blackness within. Inside of that moment Lesus, or Razien as he had been rightly called before, realized not only his next move but the attackers identity. Lunging back the Wolf missed the oncoming foot long nails that jabbed at him and before his leather shod feet could clap the stone of the walking path his weapon was drawn. The specially made cane was common among those of New Roya, it was discrete and in an odd sense a civil man's tool; clasping the grip of the cane Razien had slid the movable piece in place until from each of the four corners running down the items length sharp edges protruded. With not only the full length but the point, now a sharp spear head, weaponized the Wolf stood a little more confident as the Lynx recoiled back and began to pace with the other man in a circle. Sigh a bit angrily though nonetheless aware of how unsurprising this event was Razien began, "Couldn't have just left this all alone Torqariyan, the seal was bound to break and this way you and Haven could have been happy together, so why pursue?" "Because you pursue things you should not and I must there to prevent whatever may unfold," Torqariyan dove forward both points ready to ram into the Wolf's guts and skewer him. Parrying one of the blades sent through the air to stick into and exterior beam of a nearby shop however Razien made no advances, he could afford to play with his old rival for a while before ending things. The time of talking ended quickly as rebounding from the cobblestone Torqariyan opened a rift that shut just behind only to drop from another above the spot Razien was standing. Yet the Wolf was accustomed to this man and had no difficulty in dodging this sneak attack, as he side stepped him Razien struck the Lynx's second weapon forcing it from his paw to clatter across the street. Before Torqariyan could even consider scampering after it a sharp edge of the cane, bathed in the dreadfully indigo haze came passed his eyes to rest below his jugular, "Tor, it didn't have to be this way, doesn't have to in fact but if you're going to insist on my death... well I won't bid you very well." "I does, if you're alive when this next war breaks... well suffice to say it will be worse than the Great War," the Lynx begrudgingly responding casting eyes to the stone below. Banishing the haze, retracting the spike and edges, and allowing the cane to drop the Wolf looked down with bitter hate in his eyes, "You're going to tell me all you know, because I know you wouldn't have spoke a word less you were playing at something."
In silence the Lynx poked and prodded the baked perch on his plate, Razien hadn't bothered much he was taking in the variety of outfits the dancers had on. If had to miss singer to extract the information from Torqariyan he would at least enjoy their spectacle, without looking he addresses the Lynx, "Don't look so dour you were never all that adept with any blade and especially against me. So how long since you got in? Did you take the train?" "Did I take a train?" the cat looked back regarding him with contempt at the very notion, "With what I can do you think I am going about all of this by the slowest means possible?" "Well if you were looking to be efficient you wouldn't have wasted your time on a form such as that; which by the way why not a Jackal aren't you proud of what you were?" the Wolf wrinkled his brow in discontent at the other man. Razien had his choice of any vessel he could have wanted however rather than taking the body of Chief or administrator all of which were grey or white Wolves he instead choice the son of a mighty military house whose fur happened to be red. Rolling his eyes Torqariyan began on his meal, succumbing to the hunger that had been aching in him since arriving in New Roya. Answering between bites though not looking the man straight in the eyes he remarked, "Not all of us feel so compelled to return to those furs and a Jackal here would be suspicious. Even in a city that is almost primarily Canine that would garner notice however a Lynx, another race of this region, no one looks twice." "I've seen Jackals about before you know, my 'father' has trained exclusive with a few that brought military knowledge and techniques from across the sea," Razien's tone lowered as a row of dancers lined themselves in the center of the performance area. The fork stopped moving and instead tapped lightly against some of the fish bones, "I'm sure he's trained with others too; Bears and Rabbits and all those from Metrux too. A common Jackal, not a general or what have you, that would be noteworthy and perhaps I didn't want you to find me before I found you Raz." Regarding the comment thoughtfully the Wolf nodded and let the conversation drop there, he needed to think and if nothing else he wanted to watch dancers rather than become wrapped in whatever it was that had the ex-Jackal's mind so horribly jumbled.
Swirls of fabric twirled in the air and trailed as ever longer and more wispy tails would have behind the dancers, their steps nearly perfectly timed to the rhythm, and all this while Razien had thought the dance so boring. Perhaps it was his former experience that made him believe it would be droll and nothing of note but in this age the dancer dressed either skimpily or in exotic costumes that left more to the imagination and their movements were far more intense and skilled. He couldn't be sure if it was like much else after the war, old fashioned ideas mutated by those of the other world or if this was all a natural progress, in either case he was for it. Then there were the dancers, he hadn't taken a great survey of them as they were readying to preform but now he saw not only natives of Verillia but the various furs of Metrux. Skunks and Raccoons, Bears and though his eyes and mind itself could have been deceiving him he could have sworn that Badger was Sephera's mirror image. With every twist and turn and contortion of their forms the Wolf was drawn away into a fantasy that began to force away anything on the outside of his focus even music receded into silence for his mind until only they were left. Eventually the many became one, there had been a switch over from a group performance to a single individual however this did little to alter the Wolf's almost singular perception of the spectacle. Ash fur spotted with soot dark ringlets all along the back and tail, wrapped in gauzy thin yet voluminous top and bottoms with the veil of a similar material all in dahlia a colour to match her scent. The Leopard moved gently and fluid as calmly lapping waves on the sea as she slipped from end to end of the performance area only to return to the floor's center. Throwing a leg out to either side she came to rest on her palm pads as her muzzle came down to hide from sight until pressing with all her strength she lifted her form up onto only her paws. Coming down in a roll she tossed herself forward nearly to Razien's feet and before he could take it all in she was gone, she stepped up the raised portion of floor the tables and chairs sat, used their table as leverage, and flung herself backwards in a flip. With exaggerated yet elegant gyrations the dancer stepped back beyond the squared off perimeter of seated patrons as another act took center stage, Razien was utterly stunned.
"We should go," Torqariyan whispered in the old tongue just loud enough for his companion to hear and only after thoroughly working his shin to break whatever concentration he still had on the Leopard leaving the room. Shaking his head, trying to regain himself Razien muttered lowly in regular speech, "Why's that?" "We have things to discuss and that's not getting done with you ogling them, not to mention for one who's such a purist for true furs you sure were eyeing her up awfully close," a wry grin crossed the Lynx lips for all of a second. Even as he blinked the Wolf could still see her body imprinted in his memory, "You're right, we ought to be off," he dug in his vest pocket pulled three sapphire shards out and set them beside the plate, "We'd best find a place to talk in private, I can't go back to Altara manor without a concern being raised." "Then you'd be needing to pay to put me up in the inn, if they will take me," amber eyes regarded him glum yet skeptically. Feeling at his pocket the Wolf was left to think it over in his head, "Perhaps we just walk, there are hidden nooks and parks about the city." "In a thunderstorm? I was thinking something less conspicuous, why not the manor?" Torqariyan asked nudging the Wolf's leg as his eyes began again to drift to the dancers. There would be no offense in what he had to say but still Razien was reluctant to say it so blandly, "I'm not quite seen as normal already, I needn't attract more attention from the head of the house by bringing in boys of foreign fur at all hours of the night." "We can't speak of it here, less you have an out as to why you were speaking with a strange Lynx in a language dead long before this city was founded," he poked at the empty bones on his plate, he couldn't let this opportunity pass. With a sudden stirring Razien shot up in his seat, "I've got it, I'll say you're from the north come to join the school and that the two of us, both enthusiasts of the arts and Erkinan, have become fast friends. It isn't air tight but should any ask, you being a colleague would at least come across more reasonable than anything else." Quickly and quietly the two departed between routines yet despite all of her apparent talent Razien was surprised not to see that Leopard take the stage once more when any other dancer had preformed at least twice. _'Must be a special act, no reason they wouldn't have her out for every performance less it was meant to be special.' _