FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Sorry for the delay, but I desperately needed this last month off. Unless something comes up, I should be sticking to my previous posting schedule. I hope you all enjoy this installment.

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Five days later

Ship to Horidotr's Delve

Harmond leaned against the port stern railing of Nohol's ship. It was a modest sized galley that prominently bore the sigil of Nohol's house on the mainsail, a purple ermine surrounded by violets. He breathed deep, his tail wagging behind him as he savored the crisp, salty air. The Dog had loved the smells and sounds of the sea ever since the first time he saw it from the hills surrounding the port of Redcking. He may have missed the life he had known, but sitting on the docks or the beach quickly quelled his sorrows. The Golden Retriever looked toward the bow of the ship, where Zroc and Ennrion stood at the railing having an earnest conversation, with a frown.

Zroc, true to form, had forgotten the confrontation between himself and the Golden Retriever. He left the room before the Dog woke up and spent the rest of their time in Myrka getting things ready for their job. The older male hadn't said more than two words to the Dog in that time. Harmond couldn't be too upset, after all Zroc was working, but the slight rejection still stung. He turned back to look over the calm ocean with a sigh. Maybe they would get their chance to talk after this was done. His restless gaze followed a large white-feathered pelican that lazily flapped behind the boat. Slow footsteps sounded behind the Golden Retriever. The stranger cleared his throat; it was Zroc. The Dog sighed and continued to stare out into the water.

"Zroc," Harmond began softly "I hope you're having a good day."

The Kobold sighed heavily. Harmond turned and looked down at the Kobold with a soft smile. It was hard work to stay mad at someone. Zroc nervously rubbed his hands. A silver chain dangled from one of them.

"So, I'm very sorry for my actions a couple of days ago," Zroc began, "And I'm sorry I'm only apologizing now. I know I promised I would make it up to you yesterday, but things came up."

Harmond raised an eyebrow and let out a soft chuckle.

"As drunk as you were, I'm surprised you even remember," The Golden Retriever replied, "But I forgive you. For all of it."

Zroc paused and looked up at the Dog with a cocky smirk.

"But you haven't even heard what I was going to do to make up for it," The Kobold chuckled, "You might have forgiven a little too early. Now I can shortchange you."

Harmond rolled his eyes and sat back against the railing.

"I wasn't aware that our relationship was a transaction," He smirked, "I'll remember that next time you want to use my muzzle more than once a night. Maybe I could earn myself something nice and shiny."

The Kobold opened his hand to reveal a glimmering silver necklace with a massive, brilliant cut emerald. As the son of a jeweler, Harmond had never much appreciated jewelry, but this necklace was incredible. His father wouldn't have worked with a stone like this in his wildest dreams. His jaw dropped as Zroc held the necklace out to him.

"How's this for a start?" Zroc asked, "On top of watching my drinking."

Harmond nodded and blushed. He closed his mouth and knelt down in front of the Kobold.

"It's more than enough," Harmond looked up at the Kobold, "Thank you."

Zroc embraced the Golden Retriever tightly. The Golden Retriever returned the embrace, his tail wagging hard behind him. It was as if a huge weight had been lifted from his soul. His muzzle nuzzled into the Kobold's neck, making the other male chuckle with happiness. He had hoped Zroc had not been beating himself up too much over this. The Kobold kissed the male's cheek as he released Harmond from the embrace.

"Now," Zroc said as he pulled away, "I want to see how this looks on you."

Harmond bowed his head as the Kobold wrapped the necklace around his neck. Zroc chuckled and fastened the necklace.

"Wow," He said softly, "You're beautiful."

The Golden Retriever moved a paw up to hold the necklace. He could barely make out his reflection in the glimmering jewel. His tail wagged as Zroc's head came into view as well. This was the most wonderful gift anyone had ever given him.

"Thank you so much," Harmond smiled at the Kobold, "Where did you get it?"

Zroc chuckled nervously. The smile faded from Harmond's face. He had suspicions that this present was not obtained through legal means. For now, he played dumb. He didn't want to jump on the Kobold now that things had been mended between the two of them.

"It's masterfully crafted," The Golden Retriever continued, "Must have been pretty expensive."

Zroc shook his head.

"Oh it wasn't," Zroc began, ""It's uh, loaned. Wedding present from Nohol."

Harmond raised an eyebrow.

"I wasn't aware we were getting married any time soon," Harmond replied, "I didn't think he'd even be interested."

The Kobold's nervous chuckle got a little louder. The Golden Retriever growled and quickly covered up the necklace. His suspicions had been confirmed.

"Zroc I swear to the gods," He shook his head, "You stole this didn't you!"

The Kobold raised his hands and shushed the Golden Retriever. Harmond's fur bristled on the back of his neck. How could Zroc be this foolish? The older male walked up closer to the Golden Retriever and leaned in close.

"Keep your voice down," Zroc began as he looked at the sailors on the ship, "We don't need people raising a fuss about it. We don't know how friendly these guys are."

Harmond shook his head.

"You have to put this back," The Golden Retriever replied, "You could get put to death for this."

The Kobold shrugged.

"Death seems a bit steep. Maybe put in jail," Zroc chuckled, "We're doing him a pretty big solid right here. Besides, he's probably never going to notice. You didn't see his treasure hoard."

"Hoard?!" Harmond scoffed, "What like a dragon?"

Zroc smirked.

"Dragons would kill for that kind of wealth," The Kobold replied, "Trust me, he's never going to notice. I took it from the middle of the pile. Just be happy I didn't steal the matching crown and scepter covered in diamonds."

"That doesn't mean it's right to steal from the guy," Harmond whined, "I can't believe you've done this."

Zroc rolled his eyes.

"What do you want me to do? Apologize?," He replied, "If you want to give it back, I'll put it back. If you want to keep it, I won't judge. But I'll bet you a pint of ale that he won't even notice."

He looked back toward Ennrion.

"Until then," The older male continued, "I'm going back to Ennrion to discuss our plan to get this guy. You should come too."

Harmond sighed and nodded. There were bigger fish to fry than Zroc's larceny. His paw moved up to his neck and unclasped the necklace. He looked at it one last time before stuffing it into his bag. Part of him wanted to keep it, but he knew that he would be looking over his shoulder for the rest of his life. Stealing from the rich and powerful was not something that appealed to him. Zroc held out his hand to the Dog. Harmond smiled and took it with a wag.

"Come on boy," Zroc smirked, "Let's go for a walk."

Harmond chuckled and shook his head as the pair started to stroll towards the Dragonborn.

"Fuck you," Harmond smirked and nudged the Kobold, "I'll get you back for that... Just you wait."

Zroc kissed the Dog's paw.

"I'm counting on it puppy."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

8 hours later.

The boat anchored up on the far side of the island out of arrow range from the shore. The party rowed in as the sun set and stowed their boats in a secluded cozy cove. It was an hour walk through the scrubby undergrowth that covered the island. It was dry and hot, any trees that were hardy enough to take root were stunted and scraggly. They stopped at the rear of the fort and hunkered down until sundown underneath a small outcropping. Horidotr's Delve was a large wooden fort surrounded by high stone walls. A ruined lighthouse, made of different, more polished stone. stood in the center of the walls. This island was once an important navigational outpost to traders from the north. Now, after countless wars and trade embargoes, the site fell into disarray and now acted as a watch tower.

Each member of the party got a turn watching the walls and looking for trouble. It was strangely quiet. No one saw another soul manning the ramparts. In spite of this, Ennrion stuck to the plan and waited for nightfall. The last thing they wanted to do was walk into an ambush. The party sat around Ennrion in a half-circle and waited for orders. The Dragonborn sighed and looked over the group.

"There's no better time than now," Ennrion began, "We need to go in through the front gate. We can't sneak in and risk having to kill the guards on the way out. As far as we know, they're still loyal to Nohol. They should give up Heming without a fight."

"And if they don't?" Zroc asked, "What's the play then?"

"Then we defend ourselves," Ennrion replied, "We're not going to harm anyone if we can help it. We aren't assassins. Heming will get whatever trial Nohol deems fit. We're just the muscle to make sure justice happens."

Ennrion looked around the half circle. There were no responses.

"Okay," Ennrion began, "I want Harmond and Uvoc to walk up first with me. If things go bad. Then Zroc and Warren will follow after. Jaal, I want you to hang back and make sure we don't get surrounded."

The group nodded and stood up from their positions. Zroc put his hand on Harmond's shoulder and squeezed.

"Hey," He said softly, "Are you sure you're okay with this? I'm sure if Ennrion would put you in the back with Jaal if you wanted him to."

Harmond nodded and kissed the Kobold on the side of the muzzle. He had never felt more confident in his abilities. The Golden Retriever was a warrior now, it was time for him to prove it.

"I can handle it," Harmond replied, "Don't worry about me."

Zroc smiled and kissed the Dog on the forehead.

"Alright love," Zroc replied, "I won't."

Harmond stood up and took his place on Uvoc's left side. The big Wolf smiled down at the smaller canine and wagged his tail, thumping it against the Golden Retriever's thigh.

"Don't be worry," Uvoc began, "They see scary Harmond. They run other way."

The Golden Retriever looked up at the Wolf and chuckled. Even though he was prepared and confident, he couldn't help but feel the icy tendrils of fear gripping his heart. All he could think of was the battle with the Asabi. How it felt to kill, how it felt to see death up close. He shook off the feelings and clapped the Wolf on the back.

"You're damn right," Harmond replied, "Don't worry. I'll protect you."

Uvoc laughed a little louder as Ennrion took his position on the other side of Uvoc.

"I don't think that will be necessary," Ennrion began, "We just have to knock and state our business. I'll bet a round of drinks that we won't even have to pull out our weapons."

Uvoc huffed and tightened the grip of his paws on the haft of his greatsword.

"No." Uvoc replied, "Quiet. Bad feeling. Sword stays out."

Ennrion shrugged and started off up the outcropping towards the back wall of the fort. The soil was loose, making the short 8 foot climb rather tedious. When all three had made it to the top, Ennrion started towards the nearest corner of the fort. There was no sign of life within the stone walls. The three stopped in front of the large oak door. The Dragonborn moved forward and knocked loudly with the hilt of his sword.

"Hello!" He asked, "Is anyone in there?"

The gate creaked and groaned from inside. Ennrion took a step back and waited. Harmond squared his stance. He was sure the gate was opening up. Low moans and groans sounded from the other side of the door. Harmond whined. It sounded like whatever was back there was no longer with the living. The Dragonborn frowned and looked back at the Dog.

"Any chance you can get this door open," Ennrion asked, "Preferably in a way that kills whatever's on the other side."

Harmond nodded. He was sure he could blow the door off its hinges. The issue was whether or not he'd have enough energy afterwards to fight off whatever came through that door. He reached into his pouch and rooted around. Ennrion had given him full reign at the magic shop in Myrka. Harmond had never had such powerful components at his disposal. Hopefully, they would do most of the work for him.

"I can figure something out," The Golden Retriever replied, "You may want to step behind me though."

He pulled out a couple of small, pumpkin colored berries and squished them in his hand. These were Veloshi Fire Berries, once of the spiciest fruits known to exist. He winced at the burning sensation on his paws and raised them up. He clenched his paws, his eyes closing as he channeled his arcane energy to the tips of his fingers. The juice coating his fingers grew warmer and warmer before igniting and covering his paws in bright orange fire. When Harmond finally couldn't take any more, he screamed in pain and opened his paws.

BAKBANÁS

Orange energy burst forth from the Golden Retriever's paws and knocked him flat onto his rump. The gate's shuddered and then burst inward, taking three quarters of the wall with it. Rubble flew up into the sky towards the ruins of the lighthouse. The gate broke into splinters, coating the ground and bits of brick rubble in sharp wood. Inside the courtyard of the fort, torchlight from the remaining walls illuminated the 20 or so remaining zombies on their feet. They were fresh corpses with minimal signs of wear and decay. They looked toward Harmond and started to advance with a chorus of low moans and groans.

The Golden Retriever, in spite of all his training, froze. All he could think about was the mummies back in the desert. His paws trembled and a whimper escaped his lips as the undead trundled forward, their feet and legs shredding against the nails and slivers beneath them. A zombified Doberman crawled out of the rubble closest to the Dog, his left shoulder and arm crushed and dragging behind him. His right paw reached up towards Harmond as he crept closer. Ennrion burst past the Dog and sliced the Doberman's head in half with his flaming sword. The Dragonborn whirled about as Uvoc charged forward with a loud battle cry, his greatsword slicing through a trio of crawling zombies.

"On your feet!" Ennrion shouted, "There's too damn many of the bastards!"

The Dog trembled as he slowly got to his feet. He took a deep breath and straightened up, his legs still wobbling beneath him. Harmond looked over the destruction with a soft whine. He slowly stepped forward, his paws moving to his sword hilt. The Dog nearly fell on his face, and pushed himself back up with a low whine. That spell had taken far more energy than it should have. The Dog had overdone it. Zroc ran up behind him and held him tightly, taking some of the weight off of his legs. Warren ran past the pair, his axe drawn and ready to bury itself in the undead.

"Easy," Zroc began, "Easy!"

The Kobold eased the Dog back down into a sitting position. Harmond whined and struggled against the Kobold's grip.

"Let go of me!" Harmond shouted, "They need my help."

Zroc growled and squeezed the Dog tighter. Jaal sprinted up behind them and heaved a javelin over their heads. The wooden shaft flew true and buried itself in the back of an undead Coyote crawling up a pile of rubble towards Ennrion's ankles.

"You've done more than enough," Zroc replied, "You probably couldn't even swing a sword in your state. Just take a rest, regain your strength."

Harmond growled in protest but fell still. Zroc loosened his hold and sat down beside him. Even now that he was a fairly well trained fighter, Harmond got the sinking feeling that he'd never be able to stop Zroc from worrying about him. The Golden Retriever sighed and looked out over the melee within the courtyard of the fort. It looked as though the fight was already won, even though the four combatants were outnumbered 4 to 1. His gaze traveled down to his paws, which were trembling just as much as his legs. He huffed and held them down against his legs. Zroc didn't need to see that.

"Are you sure they don't need our help?" Harmond asked, "There's an awful lot of them."

Zroc scoffed and ruffled the Dog's head-fur. His fingers moved back down to rub over the back of the Golden Retriever's neck. In spite of the situation, Harmond's tail wagged behind him. This was the most intimate he had been with Zroc since they had arrived in Myrka.

"Easy there kid," The Kobold replied, "If they can't handle 20 or so shamblers, then they have more problems than you or I can help with."

The Golden Retriever pressed into the tender contact with a sigh. He felt just about as useful as a 1 legged horse. Zroc looked up at the Dog and moved his arm down to slide underneath Harmond's arm and rub gently over his side.

"You know," Zroc began, "I don't think I've ever seen anyone who can cast a spell the way you do. You really are a talent."

Harmond shook his head and sighed.

"Now I just have to work on being able to do more than one," The Golden Retriever clenched his fists, "Doesn't matter how good I am if one cast takes me out of commission."

Zroc rolled his eyes.

"You're too hard on yourself. Most times all you need is one." The older male replied, "You took that damn gate down in one. If those were living soldiers, they'd have shit in their armor and thrown their weapons on the ground."

The Kobold kissed the Dog on the cheek.

"Now relax," Zroc replied, "I'll sit with you until you stop trembling. I don't want you to go into an arcane fit."

Harmond nodded. An arcane fit was when a magic user's body reacted to a sudden drain in magical energy. As the body replenished its stores, tremors, seizures, and even full blown comas were common. The Golden Retriever had only experienced the minor symptoms, but Zroc was still insistent that Harmond be careful.

"Okay Zroc," The Golden Retriever began, "Thank you."

The Kobold nuzzled the Dog's cheek.

"Of course baby," Zroc replied, "Now. Do you want a drink?"

Harmond rolled his eyes and stared at the Kobold with an unamused glare.

"What?" The Kobold replied incredulously as he pulled a flask from his hip, "I read it helps."

"Oh really?" Harmond asked, "Since when do you study magic?"

Zroc shrugged and took a sip from his flask. He swallowed and held it out to the Dog. Judging from the smell it was some kind of powerful spirit.

"Okay okay," The Kobold smirked, "Maybe it's just folk wisdom. But the important thing is, this is another wedding gift from Nohol. Only difference is, well, that he knows about this one."

The Golden Retriever shook his head and took a quick sip. If Nohol drank it, it had to be good. This assumption proved very wrong. The acrid tasting liquid burned the dog's tongue and, when he hurriedly swallowed to quench the burning, his throat all the way down to his gut. He groaned and thrust the flask back into the Kobold's hands.

"What is this?" Harmond said with a burp, "It doesn't even taste like anything."

Zroc smirked and put the flask back on his hip.

"Well yeah, it's a fortifier," The Kobold chuckled, "Workers in Myrka drink it for a little pep. Should help you out a bit."

Harmond groaned and held his stomach.

"Do Myrkan workers often blow stuff up?" Harmond began, "Or do they just light this shit on fire?"

Zroc looked over the Dog and chuckled loudly.

"I don't know," The Kobold began, "But you definitely aren't shaking as much."

Harmond looked down at his paws with a smirk. The tremors had all but stopped. Zroc stood up and pulled out his sword.

"I'm going to go in and look for this guy," Zroc continued, "Come in once you're able. We're basically wrapped up here."

Harmond smiled as the Kobold walked towards the fort. He put his paws down at his sides and pushed. He let out a yelp as his his rump left the ground and then promptly fell back down. There was no way he was leaving his impromptu seat any time soon.

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1 hour later

The Golden Retriever eventually managed to stumble his way into the fort. He perched on top of a pile of rubble to continue to catch his breath. In the meantime, the four other adventurers searched and looted the zombies in the courtyard. There were no zombified Ermine to be found. Ennrion and Uvoc searched the ruins of the lighthouse in the courtyard, while Warren and Zroc tackled the main part of the fort.

"Where the FUCK is this motherfucker!?" Warren groaned as he and Zroc walked out of the main keep, "He's not dead, and he's not hiding, so where in the sweet fuck is he?!"

The Rat growled and kicked some rubble from the top of the pile. Zroc walked around the pissed off rat and climbed up the Golden Retriever's tower. His face softened as he approached.

"Hey there love," The Kobold began, "Are you feeling any better?"

Harmond nodded, his tail wagging hard against the rubble behind him.

"Yeah Zroc," He replied, "I'm almost 100% again. Or close enough."

The Kobold crawled up the rubble and sat down beside the Golden Retriever. As the pair cuddled up, Enrrion and Uvoc left the lighthouse empty-pawed. Warren groaned loudly.

"You've got to be shitting me," Warren shook his head, "Where the hell else is there to look?"

The Rat whirled back to look up at the couple perched on the rubble pile.

"Harmond?" He continued, "Any chance you could magic up a way to find him?"

Zroc huffed and squeezed the Dog tightly.

"Oh no," The older male frowned, "He's not doing any magic until he's rested. He's done enough today."

Harmond kissed the top of the Kobold's head and looked around the courtyard of the fort. There was a dark-brown and massive door on the side of the fort. The Dog rolled his eyes and rested his chin on Zroc's head. Did they really miss that?

"Did anyone go into that door?" Harmond asked as he lifted up an arm to point at the door, "Maybe he's in there."

Ennrion looked towards the wall with a chuckle.

"Well then," Ennrion looked to the Wolf, "Looks like we found out what was behind that stone wall. Must be the door to the larder or something."

Uvoc growled.

"No go," Uvoc began, "Bad smell."

The Dragonborn sighed.

"We still have to look," He replied, "All of us if we're up to it. It could be a pretty big room down there. Besides, the last thing we want is for the bastard to slip past us"

Ennrion looked up at Harmond.

"Any chance you'd be in good enough shape to come with us?" The black-scaled male asked, "We might need a little magic down there. Some lights at the very least."

Zroc turned back to look at the Dog with a frown.

"You can say no if you need to," He said with a gentle kiss on the younger male's cheek, "We've got plenty of torches, and I can see pretty damn well in the dark if I have to."

Harmond shook his head. While he wasn't 100 percent, he could definitely cast a couple of his less intensive spells. His repertoire had grown to the point where he had a fair number to choose from. He stood up shakily and climbed down from the rubble. His eyes stayed on Uvoc. The Wolf was getting more and more agitated at the prospect of going down in that cellar. There was probably more zombies down there. The prospect of more undead didn't thrill the Golden Retriever, but he was confident they could handle it.

"I'm ready," The Golden Retriever replied, "Let's get this over with. I really don't want to be here any longer than I have to be."

The Dragonborn shot the Dog a smile.

"Don't worry," Ennrion began, "It's just going to be a quick in and out. If he's not hiding down there, we'll assume the worst and go back to Nohol empty handed."

Zroc climbed down the rubble pile and stood beside the Dog. His hand enveloped the Golden Retriever's paw and squeezed softly. Clearly Zroc was still worried about the Dog. The Dragonborn looked around the other adventurers and started to shepherd them towards the entryway. As the other males left, Harmond squeezed the Kobold's hand back.

"I'll be okay Zroc," The Golden Retriever replied, "Trust me."

The older male smiled and let go of the Dog's paw.

"I know," Zroc smirked, "Is it so bad that I worry about you?"

Harmond blushed and wagged his tail. It definitely wasn't a bad thing. Zroc kissed the Dog's paw and then followed after the Dragonborn. The Golden Retriever paused long enough to watch the Kobold walk. Zroc always walked with a confidence that seemed uncharacteristic of someone so small. Harmond thought it was incredibly sexy. He quelled those thoughts and walked toward the door. Ennrion threw it open to reveal a dark stone staircase.

The foul smell of death and decay wafted out from the room below. Ennrion frowned and drew his sword, lighting up the blade with a quick snap of his flint. Visions of the mummy's tomb flashed in Harmond's mind, making the Dog grip his spell bag nervously. This was going to be different, he was going to make sure of it. The Dragonborn took a deep breath and moved down the darkened stairway. Zroc and Jaal followed close behind, their weapons drawn as well. The Kobold pulled a torch from the Camel's pack as they walked and ignited it with a puff of green fire.

"Well," Harmond said softly in Uvoc and Warren's direction, "Let's get down there."

Uvoc dug his feet in and shook his head.

"No go." Uvoc replied, "No go. Bad down there."

Warren looked between the Golden Retriever and his lover. He clearly didn't want to go down in that basement just as much as Uvoc.

"Look," The Golden Retriever began, "I'm going down there no matter what. If there is something bad down there, then I want the two of you there to back us up."

The big Wolf let out a frustrated snarl and pulled his greatsword off of his shoulder.

"For you friend Harmond," The barbarian replied, "For you."

Harmond started down the stairs with a low whine. The smell got worse the further he moved, making it harder and harder to breathe. The Golden Retriever snapped his fingers and conjured a small blue light. Uvoc and Warren followed close behind. Normally, the Dog would balk at having so many people practically hanging off of him. This situation seemed to call for it. There had to be more safety in numbers.

The long stairs came out into an open stone room with high vaulted ceilings. Harmond couldn't even see the top of it. It seemed far too spacious to be a cellar, both in height and length. Ennrion, Jaal and Zroc stood a short distance away with their backs to the stairs. The Golden Retriever looked around at the bare, stone walls and shuddered. Something felt seriously off about this place. It seemed as if the very stones in the floor were screaming at the Dog to run back to the open air.

"Have you guys seen anything yet?" Harmond asked, "Any sign of the guy?"

Ennrion turned and looked at the Dog with a sigh.

"Not yet," He replied, "Any chance you could give us some more light."

Zroc nodded.

"The room is way too big," Zroc continued, "I can't even see the back wall yet."

Harmond nodded and looked down to rummage around through his pack. He was sure he had something that would do the trick. Something in the darkness clattered, making the whole party whip around in shock. The hair on the back of the Dog's neck stood on end. The first thing that came to Harmond's mind were ghosts, maybe even something unspeakably bad. Ennrion turned back to the Golden Retriever.

"We could really use that light Harmond," He said, the fear clearly evident in his face, "There's something down here with us."

The Dog whined as his fingers closed around the pre wrapped firefly carapaces. A light spell without using materials was well within his talents to cast, but would tax his dwindled energy reserves even more. If there was something down here, then he needed to ensure that he would be able to cast as many spells as he needed. He feared it was something more dangerous than a couple of zombies. Ennrion took a step towards the Dog and then let out a shaky, ragged gasp. Ja'al turned, flashing his torch over the Dragonborn.

Harmond looked up just in time to watch four long, black claws push through the Dragonborn's chest and out the front of his armor. Ennrion's eyes went wide with shock as the bony appendages wriggled out further. His lifeblood dribbled out on the floor in rhythmic spurts. The claws curled around Ennrion's chest and then yanked him back into the darkness. The Golden Retriever let out a pained cry of shock and despair, then crushed the carapaces in his paw.

AMDAGIAN!!!

Bright blue light left the Dog's paw and flew in the direction Ennrion's body vanished. It followed the crimson trail of blood to the back wall. Standing there was a tall, skeletal figure; with sunken red eyes and large, bony hands. What little grey flesh it had hung off it's skeletal frame grotesquely. It was a boneclaw. The Dragonborn's limp body slid off the long, bloodstained claws and landed face down on the floor with a sickening thud. Zroc let out a soul-wrenching shriek and ran forward, his brand glowing bright green underneath his armor.

"No, No, No, NOO!" Zroc shouted, "ENNRION!"

The boneclaw screeched and shot its other hand out towards the Kobold with incredible speed. It's hand closed around Zroc's head, lifted the small male up, and squeezed down hard. The resulting crunch echoed throughout the small chamber. A lick of green flame curled around the boneclaw's hand and then disappeared with a puff of smoke. The creature let out a horrific, enraged shriek and threw the limp Kobold against the wall with a soft thud. Zroc lay face down in a growing pool of blood, unmoving and unbreathing. Harmond's eyes went wide. All he could feel was rage; rage at this monster that had murdered the two beings he loved the most in this world.

Harmond didn't even notice Ja'al step forward and hold beside him. The Dog blinked with shock as the Camel readied a javelin and hurled it toward the monster. The air from the oaken shaft rustling the fur on the Dog's neck snapped the Dog out of his state. The projectile slammed into the creature's thigh with an audible thunk. It threw its head back and roared defiantly as one of its grotesquely oversized hands sliced down in front of it and broke the javelin off at the haft. The Camel frowned and turned to look at Harmond with a sigh.

"You've got some spells under your sleeve right?" Jaal asked, "We need your help to kill this thing."

The Golden Retriever nodded and raised his paws up. He glared at the roaring creature and reached into his pouch for a pawful of powdered brimstone, some candle wax, and a bit of powdered metal. He winced as he closed his paw and started to draw a circular pattern in the air in front of him. His eyes closed for a brief instant as he gathered the strength for this spell. He was close to spent, but the fight or flight response triggered by the apparent deaths of Zroc and Ennrion gave him the push he needed.

LOVSPHREA!

Bright green light danced shone through his closed eyelids. The Dog opened his eyes, his paws now swirled around a sphere of arcane fire about his size. His brow furrowed as he lifted his paws, taking the sphere with them. Harmond shouted in rage as he hurled the sphere towards the creature's head. The sphere flew across the dark room, illuminating the walls in bright green light as it did so. Harmond chuckled, green was not the color of his aura. He got a nagging suspiscion that Shaadaha was directly intervening in these events. The boneclaw let out another shriek as the spell hit it directly in the chest. The orb bounced back off of the creature, leaving a large burn mark that festered and smoked.

The creature batted the orb aside and stomped forward, it's sunken eyes staring directly at the Golden Retriever. Once it got within striking distance, it swung wildly with one of its hands at Harmond's torso. Harmond dropped the spell in an attempt to dodge out of the way, but was unable to do it quickly enough. The claws slashed through his shirt, skin and muscle, making him gasp and shudder with pain. The other hand followed suit from the other direction, opening up an even deeper wound on his right side. Harmond fell back with a wet, bloody cough and looked up at the monster before him in shock.

A loud, feral battlecry raised up from behind the Dog. Harmond looked back in time to see Uvoc charging full tilt towards the boneclaw, his greatsword raised in anticipation of bloodshed. Uvoc's torch arched a short distance ahead and clattered at the boneclaw's feet, illuminating the creature once again. The undead whirled about in an attempt to slash at the incoming challenger, but narrowly missed the Wolf's torso. Uvoc leapt forward and brought his sword down hard on the creature's elbow, cracking open the bone and leaving it hanging off kilter. He brought the sword down again on the break, severing the appendage cleanly. It flew across the room in the opposite direction from Zroc and smacked against the wall with a wet thud. Black blood sprayed across the white Wolf's bare fur as Uvoc sidestepped again and drove his sword into the boneclaw's chest. Uvoc roared in triumph, panting hard as he surveyed his grisly work. As Uvoc made his assault, Warren crept around behind the boneclaw, staying as low to the ground as he could manage.

Harmond scarcely noticed the Rat creep off to the side. Silently, Warren drew his handaxes and dashed forward towards the creature's leg. His first swing with his right arm buried his axe deep into the boneclaw's gaunt stomach. It let out a roar of pain and brought it's remaining arm down to parry the Rat's follow up attack. Warren let out a yelp as the impact of his axe on bone knocked him off of his feet and sent him ass first to the ground a few feet away. The Rat's other axe remained embedded in the wound.

Jaal bent down at Harmond's side with a concerned gasp.

"Harmond!" He whimpered, "Just stay still. Let me help you."

The Golden Retriever shook his head with another bloody cough.

"Help them," Harmond growled, "They need it more."

Jaal frowned and turned back to face the creature. The boneclaw was preparing to strike Uvoc against with murderous intent in its eyes. Jaal hurled off another javelin and smirked as the weapon buried itself into the creature's neck. The skeletal figure straightened up, its eyes bulging as it's free hand moved up to clutch at the projectile buried in neck. The Golden Retriever snapped off another small ball of light and shot it towards the creature When the spell was complete, Harmond grunted and started to crawl towards Zroc. The Kobold hadn't moved from the growing pile of blood underneath his head. The Golden Retriever cried out in pain and agony as he got closer. By all appearances, the love of his life had fallen.

The boneclaw screeched and slashed its claw down towards Uvoc. The Wolf grunted, but stood firm as the claws raked his arm, tearing the skin and superficial muscles asunder. Green and yellow energy surged around the creature, but stopped as the magical blue light slowed to a stop in the air over the top of it. Uvoc snarled and raised his sword again ready to finish off the wounded creature. The first strike was aimed too high and clattered off one of the bony spikes that protruded from the foul creature's shoulder. The second struck true, burying the Wolf's sword two thirds of the way into the boneclaw's neck. Uvoc brought the sword back out of the wound with a spelch and a crunch before whirling the blade back around to cleave the creature's skull in two.

The monster slumped forward and fell face first onto the ground. The Wolf, in spite of his clear victory, brought his sword down again, and again. The only sounds that echoed through the underground chamber were the rhythmic squelches and crunches of bone and brain spattering across the floor. Soon, the squelches gave way to sharp metallic clangs of steel on stone. Warren ducked the Wolf's swing and embraced Uvoc tightly.

"It's done," The Rat whined as he braced for impact, "It's done love. You've killed it."

Uvoc panted and let the sword clatter to the ground. He dropped to his knees, taking the Rat with him, and started to sob loudly. The pair embraced in the bloodstained results of Uvoc's rage. As the two lover's cried in each other's arms, Harmond slowly sat himself up beside the lifeless body of his mate. His ears flicked as Jaal slowly and quietly walked up behind him. Harmond put his paw on the Kobold's back and took a deep breath to calm himself. As he exhaled, his breath caught in his throat in a strangled sob; there was a heartbeat. It was faint, but it was there. The Dog whined and opened his bag of magical ingredients. He was sure the Kobold's wounds were grave, but he had to try to help him. Even a little medical attention could save his fiance. Jaal gasped and put a strong hand on the Dog's shoulder.

"Harmond..." Jaal began, "It's not worth it. He's..."

Harmond whirled around with a snarl.

"I can feel his heartbeat," Harmond growled, "N-now, help me move him."

Jaal let out a soft sigh.

"We probably shouldn't," The Camel replied, "He could have a broken neck. It would only make it worse. And besides, you're looking fit to join him."

The Golden Retriever whined and looked down at his chest. His clothes were stained with blood, his blood. A pang of dizziness struck him like a bolt of lightning, nearly making him pass out. Harmond took another deep breath and shook his head.

"So don't jostle him," Harmond shuddered with anxious energy, "I need to touch the wound. Otherwise I'm only making it harder for myself.

The Camel bit back a reply and moved down to the Kobold's feet. He nodded and waited for the Dog's move. Harmond gently moved his paws underneath the smaller male's head and neck. He could feel the breaks in the Kobold's muzzle and trembled at the warm blood that leaked out over his paws. He looked up at Jaal with wide eyes.

"Lift on 3," He began, "Keep his back straight and follow my motions okay? I don't think he has a broken neck, but I'm not too sure."

Jaal adjusted his hold and took a deep breath.

"1,2," Harmond looked down at his lover with a sniffle, "3."

The pair lifted the Kobold up and rolled him smoothly onto his back. Harmond bit back another sob as he looked over Zroc's face. His nose and upper jaw were fractured badly in multiple places, giving his muzzle a new series of bumps and ridges. The real damage was in his right eye. The socket was smashed in and the eye itself was nowhere to be found. Bubbles formed in the blood that slowly leaked from his nostrils. At least he was still breathing.

Harmond crushed up a small selection of herbs in his paws and rubbed the juices into his pads and fingers. Jaal took a deep breath and took a position behind the Dog. He reached into a pouch on his own belt and crushed some herbs of his own. The Golden Retriever grimaced at the smell and turned to look at the Camel.

"I need to do this," The Golden Retriever whined, "Please, I need to save him."

The Camel scoffed and knelt down beside the Kobold.

"You're being a child," Ja'al replied, "Let me help. I don't want to carry three bodies back to Myrka."

Harmond grumbled but fell silent. The Camel had a point.

"Don't overdo it," Jaal continued, "Just stabilize him."

Harmond took a deep breath as he welled up the necessary energy to cast his spell. There wasn't much left.

"That might be overdoing it," Harmond began, "But he's worth it. I can handle a couple seizures. I've handled worse."

The Camel let out a gasp of protest.

"Don't you have anything else that can help?" Jaal asked, "Bandages, salves, anything like that?"

Harmond growled and shook his head.

"He needs quicker aid than that," Harmond began, "Besides, you'll have to do that bit. I won't be able to stop my paws from shaking."

From behind the pair, Warren let out a shaky cry of fear.

"G-guys," The Rat whined, "I-its still moving."

Harmond gasped and turned to look towards the Rat and the Wolf. The pair of them were still embracing, but had their attention turned toward something far more disturbing. The half an arm that Uvoc had hacked off was crawling, slowly but surely back towards its body. Jaal looked toward the Dog with his jaw dropped.

"Is that fucking normal?" Jaal asked, "Does that mean it's not dead?"

Harmond took a deep breath and thought back to his studies. The subject of the undead had come up more than once. If Harmond wanted to get one thing out of his intense study, it was to learn how to avoid another mummy situation. He remembered that boneclaws could reconstitute themselves. The only way to be sure of their demise was to separate the pieces from one another indefinitely.

"Can you and Uvoc scoop up as many pieces of brain and skull as you can find?" Harmond asked, "We gotta keep that thing from coming back to life."

Warren groaned and nodded.

"I guess I have to," The Rat grumbled as he got up from Uvoc's side and walked toward the corpse, "The less of these in the world the better."

The Golden Retriever took a deep breath and readied his paws again. He slowly touched them against his mate's muzzle and pressed lightly. Ja'al gingerly touched the Kobold's eye socket with a grimace. Harmond knew deep down that his lover would never have the use of that eye again. He doubted it was even salvageable.

"Ready?" Harmond asked, "On three."

The pair mouthed the countdown together as pure white light formed at Harmond's fingertips. The Dog closed his eyes and muttered the incantation.

Driege Noxsis

Harmond whined and shuddered, his body shaking harder and harder as he expended what little magical energy he had left. He closed his eyes and bit down hard. He felt a heavy strain and a slow heat building as he forced the last of that magic out. The pain came next, similar to a runner succumbing to severe cramps. There was a loud snap, as pieces of bone in the Kobold's jaw and cranium settled back into their proper places. Harmond drew his paws away, let out a little laugh, and fell unconscious beside his lover.