FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter length: 4,712 words

Current novel length: 122,331 words

Chapter 40

(Licnos)

Sitting in his office with candles on his desk, the only light source, Ateano shuts his book with one hand and stares out the window to the woods, but with the darkness outside, he can his reflection mostly. He should be in bed by this time of night, but the events around six hours with the appearance of Vallo and Tylon willingly leaving with him have him unable to sleep. After he gets out of the chair and moves closer to the window, Ateano gazes at the primarily vacant settlement and two night patrols making their rounds. A knock on the door grabs his attention; Licnos enters before Ateano gives him permission.

"You need to see me, Ateano?" Licnos asked as he stood near Ateano's desk.

"I have a task for you, Licnos," Ateano said without turning away from the window.

"You do?" he questioned, surprised by being chosen for the first time.

Ateano sits back in his chair and picks up from where he left off in the book. "I do, but tell me; does this book ring any bells to you?"

Licnos reads the title of the book, "In One's Own Skin by Eilival Presralei. I know the author takes pride and joy in writing… disturbing scenes in his books and this one claims the title for most disturbing moments. Some people speculate that the author is the culprit behind the crimes featured in his novels because of how extreme he goes into the bloody details that they believe only the malefactor would know. Why would you ever read it?"

"Because it's one of my top five favorite books. He executes the story very well, once you ignore the disturbing scenes, and this is my sixth time reading it." Ateano grimaces after he turns to the next page and reads it. "Even though this is my sixth time reading this page, it still hits me hard by how this one main character dies. That's excellent writing if I have ever seen one. Oh… sorry for the spoilers, Licnos."

"It's ok; I wasn't even planning on reading it anyway. If you don't mind me asking, why did you ask me about that book?"

Ateanos shuts the book. "Because the author was in a profession dealing with Skin Changers, like Vallo, and other things occult before going into writing, and he based his stories from that past job. This is the only book I have by him so I'm reading to find anything useful to deal with Vallo and other Skin Changers he may be a part of. I already found and bookmarked the pages where the Skin Changer events are clearly affected by certain items, tactics a Skin Changer uses, and other things I deemed important. Take this book and find Reginus; tell him he is to form a posse, hunt Vallo down, kill him and bring Tylon back."

Licnos takes the book. "I'll do that, but may I ask a question first?"

"Go ahead."

"Why bring Tylon back? He clearly doesn't want to come back, and I don't blame him for how we treat him; despite him sharing our ancestors' blood, the people today consider him an outsider and a half-breed."

"He doesn't realize it yet, but he'll find out that Vallo is one of the worst people to be with, and his life is in jeopardy."

"I'll go search for Reginus right now, and you need to get some sleep, Ateano," Licnos said, satisfied with Ateano's response to his question. After Ateano licks his fingers and extinguishes the candles with them, both men leave the building, taking disparate paths.

Since he's a Secii, Licnos has the privilege to roam the camp after curfew without the night patrol impeding his movements. Due to a front coming through, it is a cloudy night by one part of the Northern Wall from the outer edges of a storm. Since animals and insects don't dare to get closer to the wall, it is silent at the bivouac for the most part; the footsteps of night patrol with lit torches make the only sounds for Licnos, but it's not enough to quell the anxiety he feels whenever he's outside. Some other noise catches his attention when he's at the door to the main barracks, moaning, and there's lots of it in pleasure.

Licnos confirms his suspicion when he opens the door and observes a massive orgy in progress. Women are on top of men and vice versa; some are in the spooning position, some engage in oral, and barely a handful are wearing parts of their entire clothing. Most men have one woman each, and the leftover females tend to flock over to the males that are in a higher tier. It takes a minute before one notices him, and, in a ripple, everybody halts their sexual activities with panic in their faces. Paying no attention to them, Licnos navigates his way to where Reginus's spot is only to find it vacant.

"Any idea where Reginus is?" Licnos asked one of the men that has a woman sitting on his cock; the man doesn't say anything out of fear. Sensing that everybody fears the repercussions for their current actions, Licnos dismisses that fear. "You can continue what you're doing right now; I have no interests in stopping this... gathering, and I'll handle Secii Ateano should he find out." He turns his attention back to the man after everyone resumes their orgy. "Do you know where Reginus is, Maccis?"

"He's over at... the building closest... to the animal stalls," Maccis responded with abrupt interruptions from the woman going down on his penis.

Licnos puts his left hand on his chin and ponders. "Why would he be there? He knows that place is off-limits."

"I can give you… three guesses... Secii."

"I can already infer what he's doing, but why that building?"

"Beats me… Secii. Ahh!" Maccis reached his orgasm.

"You've been very helpful, Maccis. I'll leave you and the others to…" Licnos glances around, "finish releasing your virile energy. That's an order."

"Yes… Secii."

Amid the sounds of more men achieving orgasm, Licnos departs to locate Reginus. Taking Maccis's tip, he ambulates over to the forbidden, only to non-Secii and other high-ranking titles, structure. Inside, he finds tall papers rolled up in a corner and a long, rectangular table; on it, there is a piece of paper representing the map of Adoran, Pheha, and Crisea, the miniature figures of men, horses, and other things reveal that this is a military map. When looking at the map, Licnos's mind flashes back to the last time being here. Only him, Ateano, other Seciis, and Adoranian commanders discussing military matters to them are allowed in here. Events are escalating rapidly; Colonel Wethmer talked about potential locations for retaliation, and he just needed the green light from the king himself. Bless Belenia that the king is not as eager as Wethmer and the Gaaruuk family urging restraint, or else we will be neck-deep in some serious shit right now. There's dissent growing in our people with Sammo leading the charge, and Ateano wants to weaken our forces by sending Reginus and others to hunt down Vallo. What in Iridii's name's going on here? Speaking of Reginus, where the hell is he, and did he and/or the female(s) he's with see this?

Licnos looks up to the ceiling after hearing a thud and a burst of female laughter above him. There he is. Moving silently up the stairs, he arrives at the only door on the second floor; he opens it to reveal Reginus going hard on a random woman while three more, one has cum pouring out of her, are doing sexual acts on each other in front of Reginus. When they realize Licnos is static by the entrance, they immediately surcease their sexual activities with a look of panic on their faces; Reginus pulls out from the woman he's currently in, right on the verge of filling her womb with his seed.

"Am I interrupting something important?" Licnos asked Reginus.

"No, Secii Licnos," Reginus stuttered.

"Wonderful, I need to discuss something with you."

"Look, I'm not the only one that's doing this. If you go to the barracks, you find everyone else fucking each other."

"I already know that, but it's nice to know you throw other people under a stampeding horse; lucky for you, I'm here under a different circumstance." Licnos tosses Reginus, the book. "Secii Ateano bookmarked several pages in the book; he wants you to read them, soak up the knowledge, and organize a small force to kill Vallo and bring Tylon back. Apparently, Tylon's in grave danger while he's with Vallo."

"So, I'm off the hook?" Reginus asked nervously.

"Not quite; had you been somewhere else having sex with four women, you would be, but you know this building is strictly off-limits to anyone not of a certain title."

Desperate to get Licnos to look the other way, Reginus bribes him, "I can offer two women to do with as you see fit. Any of them will be glad to fulfill your deepest desires, and they are the best looking."

Licnos inspects the four naked women as he walks by them. Going further, he gropes all of their breasts and stares at their hirsute crotches. "They would make amazing personal amibiexes for any man fortunate enough to get them." He then proceeds to touch and finger a couple of their vaginas. "And they would make fantastic child-bearers." When he's feeling the third woman's private area, he discerns her hymen is intact. "You especially," he said while looking straight into her eyes.

"So, what do you think, Secii? You take half, and we can call ourselves even?"

Licnos rubs his chin. "I have a different idea; once I'm done explaining it, you five can leave this place and go somewhere to finish where you left off, assuming I didn't kill the mood."

"What is your idea?" Reginus asked with concern.

"My idea is this."

(Tylon and Vallo)

"Argh, I miss my bed already," Tylon groaned with displeasure when he woke up.

Vallo is already awake, tending to a campfire for food. "Better acclimate quickly; we're going to be roughing it the vast majority of the way until we reach Siartin in the Somerin region," he said without breaking eye contact with the cooking food. "Going above the normal pace like I plan on doing, and nothing slows us down; it should be five days from here compared to ten." That went way better than I expected; I was already prepared to fight my way out, but the boy was fain to come with me.

Tylon sits directly across from Vallo. "So who has a contract on me?" He releases a yawn; galloping at full speed throughout most of the night has its toll on him.

"Someone powerful," Vallo answered. The food is ready, and he starts portioning it out.

"Anything else you would like to add?" Tylon asked some more.

"She lives in Adoran at a city called Siartin."

"You don't take your sweet time in your answers, do you?" Food particles fly out from Tylon as he talks.

"I answer just the bare minimum to satisfy the question." In no time flat, Vallo finishes his meal. "Finish your food fast; we're leaving in a couple of minutes."

"But I barely woke up," Tylon complained, yawning.

Vallo dumps water from a nearby stream to stifle the fire and does his best to cover up any signs of them here. "I don't care. The sooner we move, the greater the gap between them and us; I prefer putting distance to decrease the odds of the Cerths locating us."

Choking on a piece of food as he hastily ingests his food, Tylon licks his bowl clean as Vallo gets the saddle ready on Scarlette, his horse; he positions himself behind Vallo, and they take off down a path through the woods, leaping over a log from a fallen tree. Glows from a village greet them as they break through the treeline, but they immediately turn right and away from civilization; the first iota of daybreak peers over the horizon. The bitter cold night air sends shivers down Tylon as Scarlette gallops at full speed because he left most of his belongings at the camp near the Northern Wall.

"Can we at least stop somewhere and shop?" Tylon asked. "I left everything behind, and I'm woefully unequipped to be roughing it for the vast majority of the time."

"Fine, but we'll do that tomorrow or within the next couple of days. Today is all about traveling," Vallo answered.

"One more thing, what do you prefer I call you by since you don't go by your original name anymore and none of the alternatives from Reginus doesn't sit well with me."

"Just call me Heilim," Vallo -now Heilim- answered. "Any more questions, or can we go about our day in peace?"

"No, I think I'm good," Tylon answered. He thinks that now's not the time to ask why Heilim has those titles in the first place, including kinslayer; he rides in silence, deep in thought about the possibilities behind the name as they flee from the Cerths.

(Spetham 9th Year 672 of the 4th Age)

(Aila, Barion, Jemeir, and Radclyff)

As dawn arrives at Radclyff's house, Barion is the last person to bestir and head to the dining room for breakfast; the smell of home fries, ham, and eggs and the sound of them cooking enters his nose and ears respectively before coming down the stairs. Tag teaming, Aila and Radclyff are preparing the food while the others are at the dining table.

"Morning, Barion," Aila said as she turned her head and noticed him.

"Morning, mom," Barion replied as he sat down at the table.

"Morning, son," Radclyff said after he heard Barion. Barion gives him the cold shoulder.

"You're here just in time. Your father is about to start making pancakes, and once that's done, breakfast will be ready," Aila said as she removed scrambled eggs from the skillet.

When Radclyff makes pancakes, he creates unique designs instead of the traditional look. For his triplets, they are into dragons and dinosaurs so, they get the pancakes in the shape of them. Cordea and Garnet get their pancakes in the form of a swan to represent their love of birds. Deryn enjoys reading pirate adventures. So, his pancakes are in boat form, and Thyrius pancakes look like regular pancakes except wider to accept cuts to represent the continents in Illyria for his interest in geography; Aila and Jemeir opt for typical sizes and shape. When Barion receives his wolf shape pancakes for his attraction to the species and hunting, begrudgingly eating them along with the rest of his breakfast but doesn't say anything to Radclyff and gives him a cold stare. Radclyff's ears fold in sadness from Barion's response to him.

"So, I'm assuming that hearing the news from last night threw a wrench into our plans, Radclyff," Jemeir said to break the silence and to divert Radclyff's attention away from his son.

"Indeed it did, Jemeir," Radclyff responded. "I'm focusing all my energy on finding out who's behind the attack on my family, and I'm making sure they are completely safe before I can help you mend relationships with the townspeople and investigate about you know who."

Jemeir nods. "Good to know."

Radclyff looks at all of his children, "It's not safe for any of you here right now. You all need to leave and go somewhere safer until I take care of the threat."

"Where are we supposed to go?" Cordea asked.

"You and your siblings are going with Skye to Meybury after your mom and I talk to her. She may not agree to it. The backup plan, in that scenario, is staying with your relatives in Aeyis."

Roffe protests, "I don't want to move! I'm staying here!" He starts throwing parts of his breakfast.

Radclyff tries to calm Roffe down by speaking to him on his level, "I understand, but it's not safe here anymore."

"The bad men are gone!" More food flies around the table.

"There's one more, and he's worse than the ones a few nights ago. He's stronger; he will get you and do bad things to you, including killing you. He'll do the exact same things to your brothers and sisters, and that's why I need to stop him because I'm your dad; that's my job. Your job is to go with them and be brave, so I can do my job better knowing you're safe along with the rest. Can you do that for me, big guy?"

"NO!" Roffe throws a major tantrum.

Aiding her husband, Aila holds Roffe tightly in her arms. "Shh...shh. It's ok, sweetie; please calm down." Roffe calms down after receiving a hug from his mom. "If you can be such a big help to your mommy and daddy, I promise to take you to that place in Edgepoint that has all sorts of dinos that you really want to go."

"You mean it?" Roffe asked.

"Yes, sweetie, but only if you do what your dad said."

"Ok, mommy," Roffe cheered up.

"Now go give him a hug." Aila releases Roffe from her grasp and runs to Radclyff.

Radclyff says to Roffe, with arms wide open, "Come give your dad a big hug."

"I'm staying put," Barion said after Radclyff released Roffe.

"No, you're not," Radclyff said sternly. "You're going with your siblings."

"So, you can chide and lambaste again?" Barion asked with a gelid stare. He vacates the table and puts his dishes away, with most of the pancakes going into the trash.

Radclyff tries to say, "I'm sorry," but Barion exits before he gets the chance to.

"You'll get your chance soon, honey," Aila said and kissed Radclyff. "Let's get going while the day is still young; Skye may take all day to persuade."

"No...no...no!" Skye exclaimed when she opened the door to Aila, Barion, Jemeir, and Radclyff. "I'm not interested in what you have to say."

"Please, Skye, It's urgent!" Aila pleaded.

"We already considered my debt paid; I won't do another favor for you." Skye attempts to close the door.

Blocking the door, Aila says, "This time, it's different. If you can do this one major favor for Radclyff and me, then I will be indebted to you, and you can make me do whatever you wish within reason."

Skye holds the door in abeyance and cogitates on the offer for a minute, placing two fingers on the bottom of her lips and squeezing it. "I'll need to know the favor first before I make any serious considerations."

"Aila and I need you to take our kids-besides Barion- and take them to your other home over in Meybury. Their lives are still in peril, and we would feel better if you take them over there. We'll pay for a carriage to take you and them over to the city. I too will be indebted to you if you help," Radclyff spoke.

"Hmm, two people owing me for doing one favor," Skye muttered out loud. "Let me put all my potions and equipment in safe storage; then, I'll be ready to take them over."

"Thank you, Skye; Radclyff and I owe you big time," Aila said with relief.

"We can help expedite the cleanup while we're still here," Jemeir offered.

"Knock yourselves out." Skye points over to her potion-making room. "Just don't go in there, and we won't have issues." With haste, she gathers four books of varying thickness and drops them in the very same room Jemeir and the rest of the party can't enter. Due to the extra sets of hands helping, it didn't take long to tidy up the house; Skye is the last person to leave the house, and she secures it by locking it and placing a ward on it. A "kaw" sound catches her attention, and her dread, after she completes the speed; she is all too cognizant of the bird behind the sound.

"Ereiithi's taint," Skye cursed. She immediately shuts her mouth in fear and glances around; once she feels it's safe, she goes berserk on the raven, and it flies away for self-preservation. Now, Skye has the party's attention and the nearby people on the road leaving or coming to Belburn. "Nothing to see here; you can go on about your business," she said nervously.

"Still as superstitious as ever, Skye," Aila said. "Some things don't change after all."

"Just like you being obdurate," Skye responded.

"Shut up," Aila grumbled.

Aila and Skye continue their bickering until the group arrives back at Aila and Radclyff's house; the rest of the children are in the middle of packing their items in bags for their evacuation. Having privacy now, Skye initiates a ritual to shield everyone from a potential catastrophe in the future, and she lowers her voice to say part of her speech in clandestine. "I offer these tributes to you, Admounis, in hopes you will find them satisfactory enough to provide protection from future misfortunes and curses in our endeavors." A handful of herbs on the stem magically combust and smolder in her hands as she does a spell; the fragrance quickly spread and overpowers other scents from the grass and flowers. It's around three in the afternoon when a carriage big enough to house Skye and seven of Aila and Radclyff's progeny; all give their maudlin farewells to their parents and Barion before leaving.

With time to spare, Aila, Barion, Jemeir, and Radclyff ride on their horses to Belburn to commence their inquiry into who's behind the threat to Radclyff's family. After Barion tells him the name of the man investigating, Radclyff wants to speak with Fraunk Bahelon for information when they arrive in town. They truss their horses to wooden poles by rope with easy access to food and water outside the gate after arriving. During their search, they notice the changes happening in Belburn. There is construction underway on the ruined buildings from the zombie attack. There is a hint of war fever in the air as more and more people accept the Phehans as the culprit, with random citizens volunteering to join the military if they are physically fit. In addition to the jaundiced attitude towards Pheha, Half-Elves, Half-Orcs, Beastman, and other half-breeds are also fair game for the citizens' ire. To passively protect Barion, Radclyff puts on a look of 'if you dare try something on my son, it will be the last thing you do, and there will be grave consequences' as they meander around the streets for Fraunk.

"A lot has changed since we left, pal," Jemeir said to Radclyff.

"I'll say," Radclyff said as he glanced around.

"More people are buying into the faux rumor and propaganda from newspaper organizations about the Phehans; it's going to be difficult dispelling the fake news," Jemeir talked as he looked at the news posted on a board. "At least the Gaaruuk family are using their newfound power and influence, thanks to Malrina, to urge the king to resist the calls for war; some people are already calumniating the Dragonkin family, saying they're implants of the Aletlar Dynasty. They will quickly change their tunes if Malrina uses her effective methods on them." He adds another article for the party's knowledge. "In other news, there's been an increase in riots in the southern regions of Tumal and Wysan in Adoran protesting the atrocious living conditions most of the residents live in; either they didn't get the memo about Belburn, or they don't give a damn."

"Too many events are going on concurrently. I wonder if The Soulmonger has his influence in all of it," Radclyff said.

"How about you focus on what you set out to do before you worry about other matters?" Aila offered a suggestion.

"I haven't lost sight of my main objective. Speaking of which, where can Fraunk be? We haven't found him, and I feel we should've by now," Radclyff said while darting his eyes around.

Barion points at two guards standing and conversing with each other. "We can try asking them."

"Good idea, son." Radclyff offers a high five, but Barion brushes him off.

"Excuse me, do you two have a minute?" Barion asked the two guards.

"What can we do to help, citizen?" one of the guards answered with a question.

"I'm looking for Fraunk Bahelon," Barion answered. "Any idea where I can find him?"

"What business do you have with him?" the same guard asked.

"He did a major favor for me awhile ago, and I want to give thanks," Barion replied.

"He's currently unavailable, but I'll make sure to pass the message to him."

"Thank you for doing that, and I'll leave you two in peace." Barion leaves the guards and returns back to the party. "Well, that was a bust."

"It was futile from the start," Jemeir replied.

"How so?" Barion inquired.

"According to the postings on the board, he's dead."

"Dead? How?" Aila questioned with a shocked look on her face.

"Heart attack," Jemeir answered.

"I smell bullshit on that statement. Fraunk looked young and healthy to not suffer that."

"Perhaps you are right, but we're going to do some sleuthing to be absolutely sure, and that won't take place until tomorrow." Jemeir points at a gathering group of people in support of retaliating against Pheha. As more and more gather, the more energized the mass with speakers giving their harangue to the cheering crowd; it quickly escalates to violence when they turn choler on half-breeds paying attention to them in the background with guards intervening to restore order. A mother and father, Human and High Elf respectively, perish while fighting off a faction to protect their newborn baby; the bambino soon suffers the exact fate. In his struggle against a male Half-Orc, Roddy conjures his strength to violently rip the two tusks from him and uses them to puncture holes in his body, ending by embedding them in the eye sockets. Under Jemeir and Radclyff's protections, Aila and Barion flee from the horde's barbarity with them as limbs and, in some cases, entrails fly up in the air while the guards attempt to quell the unrest.

A person on a second-floor balcony spots Barion and alerts some mob members of a Beastman to attack. Radclyff and the others dart in and out of alleyways to avoid any confrontation from the pursuers; they accidentally turn onto a dead-end and trap themselves. Grinning from ear to ear at the sight of their prey, eight males, half are Human, and half are Elves, approach them with weapons in hand; Radclyff puts himself between his son and the threat.

"There is no need to spill any more blood on the streets," one of the Elves said calmly. "Just hand over the Beastman filth, and we'll go on our merry ways."

"That 'filth' is my son, and I love him so deeply that I'll kill every single one of you should anyone lay a single finger on him. The aftermath on your body will be so gruesome that nobody will be able to identify," Radclyff thundered with his hackles erected. He brings out Blazefury.

None of the pursuers don't take the threat too seriously. "Fire at the fleabag!" the same Elf ordered, looking at a human wielding a crossbow. Jemeir returns the favor by grabbing the bolt with his hand and throws it back at the perpetrator; it hits him in the trachea, and he succumbs by choking on his own blood. Targeting the Elf for giving the order, Radclyff is immediately on him before everyone fully processes the first thirty seconds of the fight. The Fenri shoves his greatsword down the Elf's mouth; he utters the command word for it to ignite and burn the inside of the Elf. Realizing they're hopelessly outmatched, the remaining fighters retreat from the situation, and Aila, Barion, Jemeir, and Radclyff have no issues.

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