FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

“Yes ma’am.” Connor agreed as he sped up just to keep an even pace behind her shoulder, as she led the way to the nearby subterranean parking garage, before throwing open the side door to her van, making it slam with a halting click as she directed Connor inside, “Get in and buckle up, or do I need to do that for you?”

“I can do that, I’m not a child Dagia.” Connor countered as he stepped into the van dropping his bag and rifle in the alley between the seats, “Really, I’d think otherwise, disobeying a simple and direct order for your own personal gains. You’re on duty, soldier, and that means you obey your SO’s orders, you shut up, buckle up and obey. Because people die when you think of only yourself. Military tactics only work if people listen and work together, or do you not understand something that simple?” Dagia lectured after Connor had restrained himself, barring his own escape and the ability to hide or do anything but listen to the second wolf to chew him out in two hours.

“Yes ma’am.”

“So, you don’t understand something so simple?” Dagia huffed in angered amusement, “You really are nothing more than a child then.”

“Wait… no, Dagia that’s not what I-,” The door slammed shut before Connor could defend himself, and he just watched Dagia from the windows defeated as she pulled into the driver’s side door and laid her briefcase down beside her. “Dagia that’s not what I meant…” Dagia pulled the buckle across her chest, and stabbed Connor with her eyes as she glanced over her shoulder.

“Do you have any idea how bad you look? You look like a damn child, you had an appointment with General Garus, a General and you left him waiting, you disobeyed the simplest order for your own personal gain. You need to get your priorities in line Connor, you signed up to serve, to protect, and serve this country and the world. So what do you really care about Connor; you’re job, or your personal life?” Dagia bit in, tearing Connor apart from afar, General Garus may have beat him, left him broken and bruised, but Dagia’s words cut deeper than any punch and stabbed at his heart because she wasn’t wrong in any regard.

Connor joined the military to serve, to protect everyone he cared about and kill the possessed and corrupted spirits that were destroying and conquering the world. Yes, the benefits were nice and helped him achieve his own goals and Tethys’, but first and foremost he just wanted to protect people, and that meant following orders and the rules, “It won’t happen again Dagia.”

“It better not,” Dagia exhaled as she ran the engine, before taking a deep breath as she leaned on the steering wheel, “Look, I’m just trying to protect you, Connor, as you’re lawyer it’s part of my job to protect your personal image, how other people see you. So, I’m angry that you went and disobeyed an order like that, but as your friend Connor.” Dagia turned around and reached back before patting Connor’s knee, “I’m proud of you, you earned your promotion, and I’m glad to see you safe.”

“It’s nice to see you too Dagia.” Connor smiled, the tension breaking for a moment as he held her hand, a subtle smooth warmth washing over Connor as she rubbed his knee with a thumb. But she took a breath and pat his knee one last time before turning back around to throw the car in reverse, and pull out, but she was forced to slam onto the break as she ended up hitting a stranger that had just suddenly walked behind the van.

“Bite me!” She breathed in shock, slamming the van into park, before throwing off her belt much like Connor who bolted from the vehicle with her, to check on the stranger they had hit only to be met with a putrid scent of blood, as they looked down at the hobbling body of a possessed corpse, its guts spilling out of the gaping hole in its chest, it looked at the two of them as it stood back up, and turned towards Connor lashing out at him.

Dagia stepped in and with one sweeping right hook, her fist plowed through the head shattering the skull and the brain, spraying blood and viscera everywhere as if a small grenade had gone off. The corpse was stunned, but not down as a black blob of blood pooled up from the body to recreate a make shifting and wobbling head with purple eyes.

“You don’t belong here,” Dagia declared as she unbuttoned her suit and tossed it aside, whipping out a dagger from the holster on her right hip, which she flipped into her forehand, bolting forward into a relentless attack.

Pouring magic into her dagger, the edge glowed with a silver light that the possessed spirit avoided desperately, barely keeping her back until eventually, Dagia had kicked the living corpse into a corner, knocking it back into a car that erupted to life, as the possessed was killed with a sharp dagger thrown through the heart, shattering the back window of the nearby car. Dagia paused before approaching, and stretched her leg, kicking off the intestines that had coiled around the heel, before looking back at Connor.

“Are you ok?” She asked, Connor, nodded, as he watched the body dissolve into black shadows, and expose the depraved soul locked within, it’s gleaming purple light lifting into the air, hanging there. Connor came close, and collected the soul with his pendent, tapping the copper end against the soul which sucked it inside, “I’ll take care of this?” He assured but Dagia shook her head, “Oh, no you’re not, hand that over. This is now a criminal investigation.” Dagia declared holding out her hand to Connor, demanding action with her gestures, which Connor accepted as he handed over his pendant. “Yes Ma’am.”

Dagia smiled, “It’s nice to see you can follow orders,” She chuckled as she took back her dagger and flicked the blood off the blade.

“Just so we’re clear if you’re steak is cold it’s not my fault,” Connor added, making the she-wolf close her eyes as she chuckled, shaking her head with mild amusement as she pulled out her phone.

“What is a possessed doing in Avonmori? All the dead are cremated, so they can’t be possessed.” Connor questioned as he started to follow the trail of blood down the ramp to the lower levels.

“Which is why this is a criminal investigation Connor; it means this human was murdered.” Dagia clarified, before falling into the call with the guard to explain the situation, as Connor continued to walk down the ramp to where blood had pooled, and out of the corner of his eye, met the eyes of a figure, their face obscured by a thick gray hoodie, and black cargo pants, the most distinguishing features were the bloodstains that stained the hoodie and the strangely shaped cleaver. But even though they were cloaked, Connor knew it was a Mincridarn, even if they had worn a hood, Connor saw the docked tail poking out of the pants, as the figure retreated into the stairwell, vanishing into the shadows.

“Connor, get back here?” Dagia ordered coming up behind Connor, “Don’t go wandering off, we don’t know what else is out here and without your amplifier you’re pretty much useless.” She scolded until she noticed Connor’s wandering eyes, “Are you ok? Did you see something?”

Connor’s mind fell into a dense fog as he tried to think back for a moment, but shook his head, “I don’t think so.” He answered as Dagia wrapped her arm over his shoulder and tugged him back to the van and opened the trunk, picking up her suit jacket along the way.

A large blue pastel diaper bag was left open in the trunk, along side a crate of magical supplies, one of which, was a small wooden box that Dagia flipped open to expose a set of crystal pens each with different colored crystal tips. “Go ahead and sit down, the Guards will be here in a second to secure the area, they’ll want to ask questions.” She explained as she pulled out the blue pen and circled the blood stains on her clothes, the stains melting away as she cleaned herself off.

“What’s with the diaper bag Dagia? I thought your boys were out of diapers?” Connor asked as he probed the bag.

“It’s Mail’s, he’s been working as a cubsitter after school, he wants to be a broodfather?” Dagia responded as she examined her suit jacket and her pants to leave no stains.

“And that is?” Connor asked as he picked up a fat diaper, thick and green, with a plastic front that was marked by bear paws.

“It’s…” Dagia paused, losing herself in thought as she tried to translate the term, shaking her head she continued to examine the suit jacket, as it had landed in a pool of blood that the corpse had left behind when it got knocked to the ground. “It’s like a nurse who helps mother’s give birth and raise their cubs. Mail has been really trying to push through school so he can work at a nursery just by the middle school…Green Pines Nursery, I think.” She shrugged off as Connor put the diaper back in the bag.

“That’s kind of cool, and what about you’re little bear boy… Hammer-,”

“It’s Hammond, and well, he’s been a little detached, her doesn’t really have many friends and just stays home playing games.” Dagia sighed glancing at Connor, “He’s a good boy, but a little lost right now, he dosen’t know what he wants to do when he graduates.”

“Well, at least he’s going to finish school.”

“Right… I forgot, you never really completed school, did you? You were born when all of this started? Do you even have any kind of diploma or certification?” Dagia asked as she slipped back into her suit jacket, feeling satisfied with how clean it was.

“After boot camp I got this certification that I’ve completed an equivalent High school education because I aced my Magical Courses, but I’ve never really done the school thing. My dad used to find these summer workbooks in book stores as we were traveling, and he’d have us complete them… He taught us more than how to shoot guns and protect ourselves. He taught us that the greatest weapon is our mind.” Connor sighed, as a siren echoed in the distance. “Fucking Finally, I was wondering how long they’d take, were on base, I thought they’d be faster than this.” Connor exhaled before looking up at Dagia, who glared at him, and pulled him closer by his jaw pinching his tongue down with her thumb, “You speak like that in front of my boys and I’ll scrub your tongue with soap, is that clear?”

“Yeth Ma’am.”

“Good.” She finished shaking her head, “Gods above, show some respect, did you’re parents teach you nothing about manners?”

“I grew up eating out of cans… so no… not really.”

“Then that’s something we’re going to have to work on, because I’m not going to let a foul-mouthed disobedient boy walk around my home thinking he can do whatever he wants.” Dagia noted as she watched as the glaring red and blue sirens roll down the ramp, as s set of Humvees opened up, soldiers and tech pouring out into view.

The guards mincridarn and human alike fanned out and searched the area following the bloodstains like Connor had before, secured the area with holographic yellow wards, as a Lioness trudged down the ramp, wearing a mismatched medieval kevlar armor that looked like a mix between a bomb suit and plate metal, stamping the ground with a serrated Halberd as she walked.

“Gods above, Dagia, what are you doing here?!” The lioness greeted warmly, ignoring Connor for the moment as the two females bowed their heads to each other.

“Obala, this is Connor, he’s why I had to leave work early. I had to pick this boy up from the base.” Dagia answered patting Connor’s head with a condescending approval; Obala bowed in greeting, “So this is the human who disobeyed General Garus? The general really broke you in, didn’t he?”

“Does everyone know?” Connor groaned wondering how far his failure had spread.

“When you fuck up that royally, people talk.” Obala chuckled before looking back at Dagia, “Well, it’s a a pleasure to meet you both, but I’m going to be the lead investigator on the case so I’m going to have to ask you a few questions.”

“I figured as much,” Dagia answered as Obala slammed the shaft of her halberd into the concrete, lodging it in place, before taking out a small notebook and silver bookmark, “Due to the fact that this might be a murder, I have to ask you both if you killed this being before they became possessed.” Obala explained as she held out the bookmark to Dagia, “Can you please hold this token of truth and answer the question Dagia?”

“Yes,” Dagia answered before taking hold of it, “I did not kill this being.”

“Thank you Dagia, and you Connor,” Obala waved forward, Dagia handing it over before Connor repeated the same line, “I didn’t kill this being.”

“Alright, thank you.” Obala accepted as she pulled back the token, “Do either of you know who that was?”

“No,” Dagia answered, and Connor agreed, “It happened a little fast but I didn’t recognize him before Dagia shattered his skull.”

“Did any of you sense or hear any other threats in the area?” Obala questioned, and once again Connor looked at Dagia, who shook her head, Connor mimicking her, “We didn’t notice anything else,” Dagia answered, Connor nodding, “I just followed the trail of blood but I didn’t see anything else noteworthy.”

“Well, that’s as much as I need for now,” Obala flapped her notebook closed before tucking it back into her armor, “We’ll look around just to be safe, thank you for being cooperative, you may go.”

“Before I do, Connor was able to secure the possessed soul, so maybe you can get a demon to interrogate it to see if it knows anything.” Dagia offered, as she handed the pendant over to Obala, who nodded with a wide smile, “Thank you Dagia, this will help, I’m sure, but if that’s all, you two should get going, until we know this area is secure, you’ll just be liabilities.”

“Thank you, May the Gods protect you Obala,” Dagia finished with a bow as she closed the trunk, making sure Connor was out of the way before pushing it closed.

“And you two as well, I’ll call you if I need anything else from either of you.” Obala finished before collecting her halberd, as they both buckled in to drive away, “Let them through they’re secure; And break out into groups of three and search the area, the blood smells fresh, so the killer might still be here!” Obala ordered waving out her commands as they drove out of the parking garage.

“You and Obala seem really friendly Dagia,” Connor noted as they reached the main road.

“I’m a legal advisor for Guards, so I help them on some cases,” Dagia answered which confused Connor, “I thought you were a judge for the tribunal, I didn’t think you got involved in stuff like that?”

“Tribunal judges are circulated between all courthouses in Avonmori to both protect our identities as well as create an impartial bias, so when I’m not a judge I work as a freelance lawyer.” Dagia explained glancing in the rear-view mirror as Connor adjusted his seat belt.

“But wouldn’t being a judge keep you busy all week?” Connor asked and Dagia shook her head, “There are around fifty tribunal judges in Avonmori right now, including me, I prefer working as a freelance lawyer so I’m a judge maybe once or twice a month.” Dagia answered as she took a moment to breathe and relax, “That was scary, wasn’t it Connor? A Possessed in Avonmori.”

“Yeah, it was, but I guess possession can happen anywhere and everywhere.”

“Well…no… it can’t,” Dagia started her mind churning as gears shifted, “The barrier around Avonmori should ward off possessions, to keep spirits out unless they’ve been selected to exist here. The only ways a possession like that could occur is if, it was summoned here by someone.” Dagia shook her head to shake the dark thoughts from her mind, “Regardless I’ll talk about it with Obala tomorrow, for now, let’s just get home, and I better not hear you talk about this case with anyone, am I clear?”

“Like Ice,” Connor answered before Dagia pulled back into her own seat to relax as she drove home, towards a city district Connor was barely familiar with, as it was a high-end townhouse area meant for the “nobles” of the world who had high-paying jobs. The architecture of the compact brick buildings was similar to their sister structures in New York, however, the fine buildings were entrenched in shadows, as the buildings were built out of an amalgamation of wood and stone, with the wood wrapping through the entire building, having been pulled down from the colossal Iron Bark Tree roots that served as the roof, and fine clean brick and stonework that was lifted from the ground and refined; given simple rough textures. But even though the neighborhood was trapped in woven darkness, it lived in the light that shimmered in the silver line crystal lamps that lined the street. The dim rainbow of lights left the neighborhood with an ethereal mystery, creating an atmosphere where you would never be sure if you’d run into love, or death along the humid stone sidewalks.

Connor had only come to such an enchanted neighborhood because of the Cavern. Though Connor loved to please and play with the patrons as much as any of the staff, his actions had always left some unwanted attention, as he attracted creepers who always mistook his sexual escapades as love and commitment, when it was nothing more than passionate sex. He had gained several stalkers who had decided to claim his “body” as theirs and demanded that he obey them, that he was theirs. They had followed him home, to the cavern, and just about anywhere that wasn’t a military installation. There had been several incidents where he had gotten distinct phallic objects and other inappropriate sexual paraphernalia as gifts; sometimes dangerous bone-chilling messages. Dagia was the one who helped put a stop to it all, by writing up restraining orders and such to keep the peace, which is how they became so close; Connor had barely met Dagia’s family, only meeting them between glances, but nothing more than that. However, that didn’t stop them from still becoming friends and hanging out together when Connor had come back from deployments.

So, when Dagia parked in front of a familiar house, Connor felt a bit relieved, and he exhaled as he finally felt like he was home, the farm lends were relaxing and calm, but they were more of a marker, to show he was close to home. Standing in front of the townhouse, living in the ethereal dark day, that’s what felt like home, because finally, Connor knew he was right were he was supposed to be, “Connor before we go inside, I need to talk to you,” Dagia interrupted as she watched Connor grab his things from the aisle. “Is something wrong?”

“The boys will have all kinds of questions about what you do, but there will be absolutely no conversations about blood, guts and battle and the dinning table, do you understand? The boys now about death and war, they’ve had to grow up around it, but don’t romanticize it, they should know what it really means to be a warrior, a guard; its not a game. Do you understand?”

Connor nodded, “Of course Dagia,” he agreed as he watched Dagia turn around in her seat and take a deep breath, “Good, we’re finished, I’ll show you around the house after dinner.”

“Thank you,” Connor finished as he picked up his things and tried to unbuckle himself, and for a moment struggled, as the lock wouldn’t disengage.

“Something wrong?” Dagia asked with a small laugh as she watched Connor struggle against the seat belt.

“The buckle is stuck,” Connor answered as he continued to pull against the binding, and sighed, “Don’t exhaust yourself, I’ll take care of it.” She countered as she freely stepped out of the van with her briefcase, and pulled open the side door on the van. “Lean back, and put your hands in your lap.” Dagia ordered as she set her briefcase down, Connor moved his things out of the way, but dragged out Dagia’s patience as she wouldn’t move until Connor obeyed, waiting and watching him until he leaned back in his chair and wove his fingers together, laying his thick fist between his thighs. Connor wanted to argue, but he knew he’d never win, Dagia was shrewd, quick, and creative, she’d find ways to win, and humiliate him if he tried, so he relented instead, kept quiet as Dagia took the opportunity, and crawled over his lap. Connor felt powerless and like a child, as she effortlessly popped the buckle free with a click, the button breaking as it would if it worked properly.

“What… How the hell?” Connor questioned as he stared in shock as Dagia who pulled back the belt back, “They’re supposed to be childproof, but I guess it works just as well disobedient soldiers too.” Dagia laughed with condescending coddling as Connor fumed with blushing cheeks, “I’m not a child.”

“Are you sure? because I’m just seeing reason after reason to say otherwise. It makes me wonder if you can even use the potty without someone pulling down your pants.” Dagia teased, with a bright smile knowing how much she was getting under Connor’s skin as he lips tightened and he silently pouted, pulling out his duffle bag, and in his blind anger tripped onto the sidewalk; his foot catching on the curb.

“Fuck me… That hurt.” Connor groaned as Dagia’s brows flexed, her head shaking with a subtle fury, “Struggling to walk now?” Dagia asked with a broken grin, as she picked Connor up by the collar of his fatigues with one hand, holding him in the air as if he were a kitten in it’s mother’s maw. Connor knew he had fucked up severely when he was at Dagia’s eye level, he froze under her plotting glare, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to Dagia, it slipped out.”

“You were given a warning before, but now I think you need a lesson in manners.” She declared as she put Connor on his toes and with a sharp smack, spanked him, her strike cutting through the quiet street like a gunshot. Connor was whimpering as his ass was beaten twice more, left tanned and raw. He looked up at Dagia, who took a breath as her anger melted away, “Now what did we learn just now?”

“That I get spanked if I say bad words?” Connor asked timidly, cowering beneath the she-wolf, who smiled, “That’s right, and if I hear it again, I’ll keep adding one more. I’ll spank you a hundred times if that’s what it takes to drive it home. Are we clear?”

“Yes Ma’am.” Connor balked as Dagia lifted him up in the air, holding him in just a way that prevented him from putting his whole weight on the ground. She kept him aloft, dragging him forward, forcing him to stumble up the stone steps and across the patio to the front door. He knew he looked like a child and was just thankful that no one could see, as he watched Dagia enter without a key or a knock on the front door. Pulling Connor in with her, Dagia finally let go and set Connor down on the chevron wood-paneled foyer, the dropped entryway created a separation from the quaint reading nook by the stairs, and the wood-toned living room just in front of the foyer. Beyond the woodland-colored living room was a dining room lifted again by another platform, while the kitchen remained level with the living room in the back left side of the townhouse. The kitchen was filled with simple rough-cut cabinets that looked like they were grown right from the wall; in fact, most of the furniture looked like it was grown from the Ironbark tree or from walls themselves like the bookshelves that seemed anchored in place in the living room, and the ornate tactile decorations in the dining room beside the China cabinets.

Though the most wondrous thing about the living space was the fact that it lived with greenery, vines were grown like curtains and hung across windows to create a sense of privacy. The earthy the scent of baked herbs washed through the house as dehydrated branches were hung from the islands chandelier, while some potted plants hung along side the lights in the dining room, living off the silver line crystal light.

The mystic druidic life of the apartment is what made Connor love Mincridarn architecture, they wove life into every ounce of the home, they lived with it, and respected every part of it. So even though the street lived in perpetual darkness, the silver line crystal lights left the entire room feeling warm and fresh with subtle white, yellow and orange lights, it also helped that the home wasn’t humid, it was dry, crisp and clean. Connor could only wish he had a home-like Dagia’s when he could finally, settle down.

“Welcome home mom?” A gray wolf teen called out from the dining room, with refined respect, that conflicted with his lack of clothes as he wore nothing but green plaid boxers, while he carefully set the table. “Dad! Mom’s home, she brought company.” He continued as Dagia dragged off her shoes, and stepped up into the living room, laying her brief case down on the green sectional as she folded her jacket over the couch.

Connor dropped his own things in the foyer, and untied his boots before setting them aside everyone else’s, walking inside with his socks on, as he watched Dagia come up from behind and greet her mate, Atix, with a kiss. The burly brown bear was deeply engrossed, but not enough to pause his basting and return the passion, “You’re late Dagia.”

“I know, but we have a guest.” Dagia explained as she nodded for Connor to come up and greet her mate, “I’ve never introduced you both, Connor, this is Atix, Atix this is the boy,” She made a distinct point to glance at Connor when she said “boy”, as if Connor wouldn’t get her subtle inflection, “That will be staying with us as he waits for his Residency Certification.”

“Oh, Connor, welcome to the family little guy.” Atix teased alongside his wife, instantly siding with his wife’s antics, but Connor wasn’t going to argue with a beast like Atix, the six-foot bear towered over him not just in height but size too, as his thick form was dense, he wasn’t a muscle gut, he was a monolith of rigid flesh and thick fur, probably packing a six back and dense abs beneath the round of fluff that cloaked his body; all of which was exposed because of his lack of clothes, the rigid bear wearing only a black and yellow jock strap. But what made Connor distinctly frightened by the bear was the fact that he was cooking with his bare hands, holding the cast Iron pan like a dinner plate, his whole hand cupping the side of the pan while the handle pushed up against his wrist; the fact that it might have burned seemed lost on him entirely.

“Can you prepare another steak for Connor?” Dagia asked and Atix smiled, “I always make extra, for leftovers, after this one is finished, we can sit down to eat.” Nodding his head towards a nearby platter domed with a transparent glass lid.

“Mail, this is Connor please set a place for him at the table.” Dagia called out introducing the middle-aged teen to the stranger, “Already done mom.” Mail answered respectfully, before being waved off by his mother, “Then go get your brother.”

Mail bowed out, and left with a swift step, and disappeared up the coarse wood stairs. “I thought Mail would have recognized me,” Connor noted as Dagia pushed Connor out of the kitchen.

“He meets all kinds of humans, so you kind of all blend together, don’t take it personally. There is a bathroom right there, go ahead and clean up, wash your hands and face, and use the bathroom if you need to; if you need help getting situated or anything, just say so.” Dagia finished with a coy smile as she knew exactly what she was doing as she cut Connor with every simple belittling comment.

Connor had dealt with a lot of mockery and teasing before, so it wasn’t the worst thing in the world, in fact he kind of like the subtly behind Dagia’s smothering motherly tones. The overly direct, borderline catcalls were almost boring and obnoxious, it didn’t feel as personal or as intimate as it was when you leaned in close and shared a personal moment with someone you cared about. A good tease always felt like it should be more like an inside joke, where no one else will get it, but the point is unmistakable to the other; that is what makes such things so humiliating; the lack of knowledge, and the confidence and daring to dominate and mock with people present.

Which is why Connor let all the comments wash away; that, and he didn’t want to argue with the female who had no problems bending a grown man over and spanking him like a child in the middle of the street. As he cleaned his beaten and bruised face, Connor took the time to wet down his hair so he could at least appear presentable, before taking a long-overdue piss in the toilet, his stream staining the water a soft murky purple, an all to common feature of Donmanthu’s blessings; it’d disappear in a day or two after his blood washed out all the excess. Washing his hands, Connor came out and watched as the Volvin’s circle the dining table, with Dagia at the head, Atix on her right, the boys on her left.

Connor sat down in front of the only free place set beside Atix, and across from Hammond, a brown bear just like his father, and one year younger than his brother, he was the only male that was respectably dressed, wearing a plaid orange-red silk shirt and pants, his fur looking recently brushed. “Connor, would you like to pray with us; are you a Tritalist?” Dagia asked and Connor froze, “I didn’t know you did that.”

“You don’t have to if you don’t want too, I’m just asking, it’s just something we do every night before dinner.” Dagia assured her voice calm and soothing, she wasn’t trying to tease him or get under his skin, it was an honest question, simple and clean, but Connor shook his head, “No, it’s ok, I’ll do it… What do I have to do?”

“Nothing much, have you gone to a temple before?” Dagia answered, with another question that didn’t explain anything to Connor who shook his head once again, Dagia exhaled but kept a bright and warm well-mannered smile, “It’s fine, we’ll teach you then. So, when you pray, you first make the symbol of the divine seven. Put your thumbs and last finger together, rotate your hands in until your knuckles are touching, and then put it in your lap.” She demonstrated, Connor quickly mimicking her until he was ready to continue, “Now, we bow our heads and take a minute, and just offer our thanks, respect, or pray to them. If you have nothing to say you can just talk to them instead, tell them about your day; the angels and demons say the Gods like hearing about mortals and their daily lives. That our prayers are like stories they hear over a radio.” Dagia chuckled, seeming to enjoy the idea herself, before looking to the rest of her family before leading them into the moment of silence.

Connor followed and closed his eyes as he found himself lost, unsure about what to do, he had never prayed to any of the gods of creation before, with everything that had happened to him, the fact that he bore the soul of their firstborn daughter of water; their existence was indisputable, and he believed in them, but he had just never taken the time to actually show his respect to them, and as his mind was lost in that thought, he settled on an idea. “I don’t know how to really do this, I’ve never really done this before, but if you are really listening, I want to thank you for everything, for doing you’re best to protect this world, and everyone on it.”

Connor gave his thanks, and just as he was about to continue, he heard the soft watery chime of a glass being struck and sat up, and looked at Dagia, “Please, guests first.” Dagia directed nodding to Atix who helped serve Connor his meat, and greens, before serving himself and passing everything along until the platters were nearly empty.

The steak was juicy, warm, and buttery with a subtle hint of rosemary, it was delicious and clean, a little tough but it blended well with the green beans, but the quiet meal was disturbed by Atix, “So Connor, how did you get recommended for you’re residency?” he asked between bites.

“I just recently got promoted, I used to work as a recycler, but apparently, I was too good for my team and my Advisor recommended that I be put somewhere where I belong.” Connor answered as the two boys listened quietly, watching him carefully, visibly intrigued with primed ears and bright eyes, but they weren’t going to interrupt their father who continued to question Connor, “So what are you doing now?”

“Well, apparently I’m being asked to train new rangers,” Connor answered and Atix paused, even Dagia seemed a little surprised.

“You’re going to be the next generation’s trainer?” Dagia asked and Connor nodded, a little confused by the comment, but it didn’t sound wrong.

“That’s what it sounds like, General Garus is paring me up with a Certified trainer and I’ll be working alongside them as a freelance instructor. I haven’t gotten any new information, but that’ll probably be worked out in the next couple of days.” Connor answered, causing Atix to chuckle with a surprised but proud laugh, “That’s amazing, maybe you two should spend some time with Connor, learn a thing or two about handling rifles.” He approved pointing to his sons with a knife.

“I actually don’t feel comfortable training people, so I don’t know if that’s a good idea.” Connor countered but Atix shook his head, “You were chosen to train new recruits for a reason, grow a spine little guy and stand up for yourself, you will do fine.” Atix pat, his heavy blows echoing in Connor’s sore chest, making him cough in retaliation.

“You ok? You look a little chipped.”

“Yes, I’m fine sir-” Connor was cut off by Dagia who pulled away from her water glass, “He was late to his appointment with General Garus, apparently he thought it was a good idea to drop off souls with Donmanthu before returning to Command.”

“What!?” Atix cried out in shock looking down at Connor, before stealing away his plate, “Why didn’t you tell me? I would have prepared a more appropriate meal for this cub.” He growled, as he looked down at Connor, who only shrank in front of the beast.

“Atix, General Garus already beat him, and I’ve already talked to him about it, he understands that if he screws up again it’ll lead to nothing good. Isn’t that correct Connor?” Dagia breathed, countering his husband's anger with her gentle tone, who settled down laying the plate down in front of Connor, “Yes ma’am, it won’t happen again.” Connor whispered, knowing Dagia wouldn’t hesitate, she had made that clear with the welts she had left on his ass; though Connor felt the weight of everyone’s suppressed anger, he could feel their eyes bearing down at him, the pressure forced Connor to bend his head, avoiding eye contact with everyone.

“Connor, please eat, you are still a guest, and as such; we all plan to show him the respect he deserves, and as long as he lives in this home, you will all treat him like family.” Her proclamations weighing down primarily on her family, who all relented and answered with dull agreements. “Good, now, please eat, we don’t waste food in this house.”

“The steak is good Atix.” Connor complimented his voice breaking as he tried to project himself, but he only sounded like a meek prepubescent child with a sharp voice crack, that made Atix roll his eyes, but exhale a bitter, “Thank you.”

Dinner finished quietly with no side conversations, plates were swept away, and a disgruntled bear served a blueberry pie to everyone, cutting Connor’s piece in half as his own retaliatory punishment. The tempered pie was warm and gooey with a fragrant berry flavor, that was a perfect finish for the meal, and partially made Connor wish he could have had the full slice.

But once muzzles were cleaned and the table was cleared, and Dagia stood up, “Connor, I believe it’s time for your tour, get your stuff.” She ordered, directing him away with a nod.

“Right, the pie was amazing Atix.” Connor answered with a bit more confidence, the bear mumbling a thanks as he started washing dishes.

“This is the living room, dining room and kitchen, feel free to come and watch the TV or cook, but if you cook you clean your mess; Atix isn’t your slave, understand?” Dagia started as she watched Connor picked up his things.

“Yes Ma’am.” Connor agreed as Dagia waved him forward, following Dagia downstairs, through a small side door in the kitchen, “The primary bedrooms are upstairs, and a bathroom, but you’ll be down here. There is a small space just for you.” as she walked down the stairs into a wide hallway that opened up into three doors.

Connor knew about two of the doors, the one on the right was Dagia’s Legal office, she had a back-alley entrance for client privacy, the middle was a for full bathroom for clients. But Connor never knew what the door on the left was for, he always thought it was just a storage room.

He was welcomingly mistaken as Dagia unlocked the door with a key and handed it over to Connor, “That is your room key, don’t lose it.” She warned before leading Connor into the contemporary space with bleach-white walls, and dark wood floors. It was like a big dorm room. It had a double bed set out in the bottom right corner of the room, a kitchen with a full fridge, and microwave on the left wall, an entertainment unit with a small flat-screen TV across from the bed, a walk-in closet that served as a thorough fair for the bathroom; which was simple and quaint, but it did have it’s own washer and drier, and all the Swedish styled prebuilt furniture looked new and well assembled. It seemed like every expense was made to make it a reasonable guest house.

“I thought I was just going to get a room, but this is amazing Dagia.” Connor admired, as he laid his duffel bag and rifle on the bed, petting the soft and freshly washed sheets the smelled of mint.

“I had this room made for special clients who needed a safe space to hide, and for family. But for the next couple of months, this room will be yours, the door across the room leads to the front entrance, make sure to lock it when you leave.” Dagia firmly pressed in with a hard glare.

“Yes Ma’am, of course, if this place had a stove or even an oven, this place would be perfect.” Connor chuckled but Dagia smiled, “We did that on purpose, so you’d have to eat with us, you’re a guest in this house, but that doesn’t mean we want you to hide away in this dugout. Your family till you leave, and that means we eat together, we talk together, and we fight together. We’ll fight for you if you return the favor.”

“Of course Dagia, thank you for everything, but what about guests? Can I bring friends over?”

“Absolutely not, not until I meet them first.” Dagia declared swiftly, leaving Connor at a loss as he recovered, “Ok… is there anything else I should know?”

“Yes, this room is yours and I expect you to take care of it, I will be coming by to check up on it, randomly; if it’s a mess when I come in, you will be punished for it. I control everything in this room. IF I see you are wasting water, I can turn off the water to the faucets and showers and you’ll be cleaning your dishes or yourself upstairs. If I see you are wasting electricity, I will set it on a timer so it shuts off. I have given you all the necessities, I will provide you with food, shelter, and clothes, but anything other than that you will have to buy on your own, this can include any personal food you want to keep down here. All meals are on a set schedule, breakfast is as seven, lunch is at twelve, Dinner is every night at six, if you are not in time to sit down and pray, you will not be eating with us. Do I need to repeat myself?”

“No Ma’am, I understand,” Connor answered with a nod of his head.

“Good, do you have any questions?” Dagia asked as she folded her arms, as Connor sat on a dining chair nearby, the small table space served multiple functions, as an end table for the couch at the foot of the bed, a desk, and a two-person dining table. It was simple but it was clearly going to be the most well-used surface in the entire room.

“What about laundry soap?”

“If you run out of cleaning supplies of any kind ask me, and I can either reimburse you or I can add it to the shopping list, and I’ll buy them next time I go to the market.” Dagia answered and Connor paused to think, “Um…Do I need to pay bills.”

“You’re living under my house, for now, you are a member of my family, I’d never ask for money from you. Anything else?” Dagia answered but Connor shook his head, “Good, now just remember Connor, follow the rules, or there will be consequences.”

“Yes, I understand,” Connor agreed, and Dagia bowed her head, “Good night then Connor, may the gods be with you as you sleep.”

“And with you Dagia, good night.” Connor returned the bow before Dagia left, who closed the door behind herself, leaving Connor in quiet isolation as he looked at everything around the room, it was a bit cramped compared to what he used to have, but it was ten times better than any dorm room he had back on base. So, he just fell back on his bed and looked up at the ceiling and noticed a strange magical presence, as it seemed to shift with this loose gentle sway.

Getting up, from the bed Connor turned off the lights in his room, and the room collapsed into darkness, and the ceiling lit up with a celestial brilliance as a shimmering night sky opened to him. “It’s a projection,” Tethys whispered in Connor’s dazzled mind.

“Of what?”

“Ecorein’s night sky.”