FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

“A Hybrid?" asked Nala skeptically, her fingers ceasing the rhythm she was tapping out on the table.

Unable to bring my gaze up to meet hers I continue to stare at the table, nodding my head slowly in response to her question. How would she react? How would any of them react? Hybrids were rare, really, really rare! I've never once met one let alone seen one; we are few and far between, most Hybrid children dying only a few weeks after birth. Nevertheless, because of our mixed genes, most people find Hybrids to be… distasteful, wrong… unnatural.

“Well, that explains the smell I suppose." Her face lost the cold icy stare, returning to normal, a small smile resting on her lips.

I raise my head slightly to look at her, her nonchalant tone catching me off guard. She picked up a slice of meat and tossed it into her mouth, chewing for a few seconds before swallowing.

She seemed not to care, in fact, everyone at the table, once finding out the truth, seemed totally unfazed by such a revelation. They acted as if what I had just revealed was completely normal, which it wasn't! It's not normal, I'm not normal! I'm a freak! The offspring of a human who went and married an alien! An alien for God's sake! Why is she not bothered by this, why are none of them bothered by this!

As if being able to hear my own thoughts, Nala answered my unspoken questions.

“I have met other Hybrids before, Jason. You are not the first human-alien offspring I have seen on my many journeys, you are, however, the first I've encountered to look so," she paused, scanning me with such an intense gaze that I felt like she was trying to burn every detail of me into her mind, “normal," she finished.

“Normal? What do you mean normal?" I ask, completely dumbfounded.

“Yes, normal, you see most Hybrids are born with some kind of altered appearance, you, on the other hand, look completely human. I suppose your heterochromatic eyes and strange hair color are about the only things that really set you apart." She leans forward, resting her elbows on the table and clasping her hands together, looking at me intently.

“Well… I kind of underwent some changes during stasis, so…"

“Changes? How so?" she questions.

“I… Well, I didn't use to look like this. Everything had changed once I got thawed out. My hair, once black, now… this," I say, holding up a lock of white hair, “My eyes use to both be grey, but now one is blue, and… I have some fur covering my back as well."

“Interesting, so you are telling me you were not born looking like this? No physical mutations till recently?"

“Yeah," I nod, “I use to hate that I looked so normal, always wishing I could be unique. Guess I got my wish after all." I chuckle slightly, a small smile coming to my face as I think about how my wish had come true many years later in such a roundabout way.

“You are quite unique as you are, Jason, don't let anyone tell you differently."

I stare at her in wonderment, confused how her mood could switch just like that. Just a moment ago, she was all cold and business like and now she is warm and reassuring, it doesn't make sense!

“Now, I believe I have held you up long enough," she declares, clapping her hands together, “Please, eat, I can practically hear your stomach rumbling." That cocky smirk returns to her face, her eyes still boring into me like I was a shiny jewel she couldn't take her eyes off of.

I look from her to the table and the spread of food upon it, my stomach still quite empty and begging for more to digest. I hesitate for a moment, unsure if I should actually try to eat or if this was just another ploy from the Skal in front of me.

Apparently, my hesitation was noticeable, as Nala said, “No tricks this time, I promise, any more questions I may have can wait till later."

As much as I didn't believe her, I couldn't help the growing temptation to eat. So I did, just picking at things here and there, nibbling on something akin to bacon, munching on small dices of fruit, and sipping at that delicious blue drink. There was something off about the food, it was tasty, yes, but it didn't… feel right, like it was just knock-off imitations of what the real things were supposed to be.

I look over to one the machines lining the walls, watching as a Skal, whose scales were a muted mix of purples, silver jewelry hanging from her horns, approached it and began tapping at the built-in screen. Within a few minutes, a plate of steaming hot meat, what it is I'm not sure, was carted out on a conveyor belt.

“What are those things? I've never seen anything like them," I say, eyes glued to the contraption as someone else walked up and punched in their order.

“Have you never seen a nutrients cloner before?" Nala asked, a smile adorning her muzzle as she watched me.

I shake my head, looking at her expectantly, hoping she would go into more detail.

“A nutrients cloner is exactly as it sounds," she starts, “A piece of technology developed by humans and Venmar to clone… well, nutrients. I'm not entirely sure how it works, that's not my area of expertise, but what I do know is that the machines are stockpiled with what I guess is DNA—“

“And then the machine takes the DNA and is able to reconstruct the very genetic make-up of any food!" I say excitedly, interrupting Nala. My face fell as I realized I had butted in, not sure how she was going to react, “S-Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude."

She just laughed, waving my apology away, “It's quite alright, your expression was well worth it. You are absolutely adorable when you get excited!"

I blushed, hard, heat traveling up my neck and over my face. Nala noticed immediately, her eyes narrowing and the smile on her face turning up into that insufferable smirk of hers.

“Nutrients cloners are quite efficient, though they are far from perfect. Food produced by a cloner doesn't exactly taste the same, it's certainly good, but there is just something…" she trails off, gazing at a slice of melon she had speared on her claw.

“Missing?" I offer, watching as she pops the slice of fruit into her mouth.

“Hmm," she hums in agreement, watching as I nibble on another oro-oro fruit.

The table falls into silence, the chatter of inmates all around us filling the void. I can't deny that I do feel a little more relaxed now that the whole interrogation was over with, and that I no longer felt the gaze of everyone on me.

After a little while, the table is cleared of food, mostly thanks to Na'Rutha and her massive appetite. I feel exhausted, barely more than maybe an hour into the morning and already I want to go back to bed.

“Let us go," said Nala, standing up from the table and snapping me back to reality, “I would like to show you around!"

“Show me… around?" I ask, tilting my head.

“Indeed, the courtyard is quite large and I have many people I would like to introduce you too."

“The… courtyard? Y-You mean that big open space with all the trees and grass?" I ask excitedly, my eyes going wide.

“Yes, that," she laughed, “I trust this is something at interests you?"

“Yes! I haven't seen a tree in years!" I exclaim, bolting up from where I sat. “Gah!" Pain shoots up my legs, my muscles mad that I stood up too fast. It felt like my calves had just been ripped apart, my knees buckling and sending me falling to the floor.

There was a streak of black and white, a crashing sound, and then I found myself supported under the arms by a pair of black, scaly hands. My legs wobble for a moment, the flash of pain fading quickly, and then I find my footing. The hands, however, remain, keeping me steady.

I look up to find two golden orbs that seem to glow, staring down at me, filled with worry.

“Are you okay? What happened?" Nala asks, her voice almost panicked. Strange, she hardly knows me and yet she seems genuinely concerned.

I stare up at her, my mouth slightly parted, watching as her brow knits further in concern. Then, when I realize I haven't responded, I feel myself blushing again, face turning red and heating up like I was standing in front of a furnace. I stand up straight now, pulling away, back ridged as a board.

“I-I'm fine!" I nearly shout, nerves shot and absolutely enraged at myself that I hadn't stopped blushing, “J-Just my legs, I was told my muscles had practically deteriorated during stasis."

Nala pouted when I pulled away, her lips pursing when I told her what was wrong.

“Do we need to take you to the infirmary?"

“No! Uh, I mean no, I'm alright, the doctor gave me something to help with the healing. I just need to exercise my legs some, that's all." I then take notice of the deafening silence, everyone's eyes right back on me once again, making me shrink in on myself. There were several plates strewn about the floor, whatever material they were made of protecting them from breaking.

Had Nala jumped the table just to catch me? My face starts to heat up again from just the thought before I quickly shake it off, not needing to make the situation even more awkward.

“Well then, showing you around should help with getting your legs back into correct working order," said Nala, that usual smirk of hers returning to her face. “You three!" she snapped, pointing at a table near us where a pack of Venmar sat, “Clean this up!"

The three canines didn't even argue, instantly snapping to it, coming over and starting to clear the table of empty plates and picking them up off the floor. Was she really that respected? Or perhaps feared? I could see why someone might be scared of her, but she seemed nice, she did just save me from slamming into the floor. Then again, there was that little interrogation bit where she threatened to have Reyna quit literally squeeze answers out of me.

“Korza, Reyna, Na'Rutha, time to go," she said.

The three subordinates and friends got up from their spots and joined us as we made our way over to the lifts on the other side of the room. Once there, the doors slid open, revealing another white platform with a glowing teal ring. All five of us pilled in, the lift becoming a bit cramped with how big Nala and Na'Rutha were, as well as Reyna's massively long body. Reyna quickly remedied that problem, coiling her snake-like body under herself and freeing up enough room as to not be claustrophobic.

“So, Jason, what kind of implants do you have?" Nala queried, the grav-lift shifting and starting to descend.

“Umm, well…" I mutter, rubbing the back of my head, feeling the area in which my neural implant was located. I had forgotten all about my implants, having been distracted by everything else going on.

“I've got a neural implant and a wrist computer."

I didn't necessarily need my implants to function, but one of them was tied into part of my brain, it was hard not to live without it. I had come to rely on it far too much, the raw power of having access to pretty much anything and everything I wanted right at my fingertips.

It is addictive, the prototype technology I have inside myself allowing me to hack things so easily as compared to before when it was actually a challenge. I think I prefer to old school method, scouting the building, breaking and entering, navigating through the maze of unfamiliar territory just to find a computer.

The implants had their advantages too though; they allowed me to play it safe, keep my distance, connect to anything that emitted a signal and crack into it with relative ease. They did have some serious draw backs though, like the fact that—

“I assumed as much seeing as they equipped you with a collar," said Nala, interrupting my train of thought. “Personally, I don't favor the idea of implementing technology to one's body; it creates too many easily exploitable weaknesses."

“Yeah… I know," I mumble under my breath. The almost imperceptible narrowing of Nala's eyes, the slight raise of her brow, the frown barely twitching at her lips. It all told me she heard what I said and yet she ignored it. Whether for my sake or for the chance to gather more information about me, I am not sure.

“There is something you should know, Jason, before we reach the courtyard," Nala said, her switch getting flipped once more, tone cold and business like, hands clasped behind her back.

“And what would that be?" I ask.

“Here on the Artemis station, there are… factions of a sort," she began to explain, “Currently, this section of the station, section X, is quote unquote, controlled, by three such factions."

“Ok, but what does that mean?"

“I'm getting to that." She took a deep breath before continuing, “In each section there are three separate towers, in section X we have towers 12 through 14, each tower controlled by a separate leader. I am the leader of tower 14, every prisoner who has a cell here listens to my commands."

So that is why everyone was paying her respect, she is their leader. I am not surprised to hear something like this exists, prison gangs were a pretty common occurrence. Though, I do wonder how large of a scale this one goes.

“We are like family, tightknit and trusting of one another, those of tower 14 won't lay a finger on you. Those from the other towers, however, are out of my control. As such, while we are in the courtyard, I want you to stay close to me, Reyna, Na'Rutha, or Korza, do you understand?"

“Is it really that much of a concern?" I ask, “Wouldn't Artemis keep things in check?"

“Usually, things of this nature are not much of a concern, no. However, most everyone will see you as a ripe human male for them to take advantage of," she explained.

“And we are, after all, in a prison full of females. Most of which haven't seen someone of the opposite gender in a very, very, long time!" Smirked Na'Rutha, leering at me and wiggling her brow suggestively.

“Na'Rutha, don't go scaring the boy," Reyna admonished, lightly slapping the Kilnoid's furry forearm.

“I'm only teasing!" She rebuked.

Nala watched her subordinates banter with a smile before turning back to me and continuing, “As for Artemis? The thing is she does not usually interfere with most of the going on's, unless the situation starts to get too violent and risks someone's life."

“She doesn't interfere? Doesn't, like, keep order or anything? She just lets you do whatever?" I question with a raised eyebrow, head tilting in confusion.

She nods, “Correct, the reason for this, as I have come to find out over my many years here, is that we are essentially her entertainment."

“Entertainment? What is that suppose to mean?"

“Think about it. How would you feel if you were an A.I. trapped inside a massive space station surrounded by asteroids, unable to go anywhere or do anything except look after a ton of criminals?"

“I guess…" I start, rubbing my chin as I thought about it, “I would get pretty bored after a while."

“And what, may I ask, would you do if suddenly those same criminals started doing things that were entertaining? For example… forming rudimentary factions?"

“I would let them continue so long as no one got hurt, seeing as that is my main directive," I say, understanding dawning on me.

“Precisely! The reason Artemis lets us do what we want, within reason of course, is because she is bored out of her mind! Or, processor I suppose." She chuckles at her own joke. “You understand now?"

I nod, “Yeah, I understand."

“Good," she says, leering at me with a suggestive grin, “I would hate it if my new pet wandered off and got himself brutally mutilated."

I blinked at her, my mind not fully registering her words. Then, my face heats up hotter than ever before, my blush obvious to everyone in the lift.

“P-Pet?" I stammer, “N-Now hold on just a minute! I am not your—“

She hushes me swiftly, a single, clawed finger coming up and pressing to my lips.

“Now, now, Jason," she says coolly, bending over at the waist so she could be at eye level with me. She reached up and cupped my cheek in her hand, her claws lightly scratching the sides of my face. There was a glint in her golden eyes, possessive, greedy, but also calculating, and… protective? It made me shiver, a lightning bolt running up and down my spine and short-circuiting my brain.

“So long as you are here." Her hand starts to trail up my face, snaking behind my head, “So long as you are a part of tower 14." Her hand is in my hair now, her claws gently scratching my scalp, “You belong to me. Understand?" Her grip tightens ever so slightly, her warm yet possessive gold eyes boring into my wide fearful ones.

I'm at a loss for words, unable to do anything but give the tiniest nod, almost unable to do that with her gripping my hair. She could snap me in two if she wanted, rip me open with her claws, and tear out my throat with her fangs. She could do anything she wanted to me and I would not be able to stop her.

“That's a good boy," she coos, releasing my hair from her grip and giving me a pat on the head. Then, as if this entire thing was planned out to perfection, the lift came to a stop.

I was paralyzed, unable to comprehend what just happened, my mind completely and utterly blank. So, when the doors slid open and Nala stepped out, it took me a second to come out of my stupor and follow her.

Almost as soon as we step out of the lift, a Skal I haven't seen before runs up to Nala, glancing my way for only a second. Her scales were a mix of dark reds, almost purple like wine, a pair of leathery wings folded against her back while a pair of bone-white horns adorn her head.

She spoke with Nala in a hushed voice, the two exchanging words in their native tongue. Their language was oddly musical, consisting of many chirping and trilling sounds, much like a bird.

As they talked, I began to notice Nala growing restless and agitated, till finally, the conversation ended, the wine-colored Skal practically sprinting back the way she came. Nala was left standing there, her posture ridged, hands clenching and unclenching. She was clearly mad about something.

Reyna and Na'Rutha exchanged worried glances with each other, Korza walking up to her commander and just standing next to her. Korza's presence seemed to draw Nala back to the present, her straight back, and tense shoulders relaxing. They exchanged a few hushed words, before finally, Nala turned back towards us.

“I'm afraid the tour is going to have to wait, something just came up and I need to attend to it urgently," Nala said with an apologetic smile, something that failed to work seeing as her eyes are so cold and full of rage.

“T-That's fine," I squeak out, swallowing the lump in my throat. I pity whoever is about to be on the receiving end of that glare.

“Reyna, Na'Rutha!" she snapped, both the Silistain and Kilnoid rushing up to us.

“Yes, Mistress?" Reyna queried, her long tail that made up most of her body trailing behind her as she slithered forward, Na'Rutha lumbering behind her and being far less graceful than the snake.

“Look after Jason, I have some business that needs tending to and I don't feel comfortable leaving him on his own or bringing him with me," she ordered, her eyes glancing my way before looking back to the vibrant red snake in front of her.

“As you wish, Mistress," Reyna bowed her head, and then she and her Kilnoid companion moved over to stand beside me.

“Jason, dear, do be a good boy and try to stay out of trouble," said Nala as Korza started ushering her away, the two disappearing into a crowd of prisoners, blending in with the rest of the red-clad inmates.

I rub my temples, trying to soothe the headache that was starting to form. This… all of this… it was just so much to process and I still feel like keeling over at any moment and sleeping for another year!

“Come on Jason! I know Nala said to keep you safe and all but I think it'll be fine to show you around some of the courtyard, plus the walking will help with your legs!" said Reyna excitedly, the tip of her long tail swishing back and forth. “And of course, with this big girl here, no one would dare try to hurt you, isn't that right Na'Rutha?" She smiled and patted the large, muscly, forearm of her friend. To my surprise, Na'Rutha laughed, a deep guttural sound that shook me down to my very bones.

“Anyone who gets too close with these babies showing is either really brave or really stupid," said Na'Rutha, flexing her arms and making her biceps bulge. They were impressive, steely muscles the size of my head hidden beneath a layer of silvery-grey fur.

I chuckle slightly, I couldn't help myself, she looked like a model posing for one of those female body builder holo-mags.

“Something funny, Hybrid?" Na'Rutha snarked, for a second I thought I had offended her but the smirk on her face betrayed her and I realized she was teasing me.

“It's nothing; you just look like a model posing for a holo-mag."

“Well then, I guess I'll take that as a compliment."

“Yes, well, if you are done showing off, you overgrown rug, let's show Jason some of the courtyard before we meet up with Nala," Reyna teased, poking fun at her large friend.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, Cobra Queen." Their friendly banter made me smile; it reminded me of how I used to tease Amelia constantly, she would always end up getting me back in some weird and wacky way eventually.

The two lead me away from the lifts, Reyna slithering along at my side while Na'Rutha walked ahead and cleared a path for us through the crowd. Most of whom seemed very interested in me. It was not like in the cafeteria, people did not steal glances and whisper their conversations, here, they openly gawked, pointed, and loudly talked with one another about the human boy they just saw.

Looking up I saw the black void of space and its hundreds of twinkling stars through the glass dome that made up the roof. The place was large but it didn't seem as big as from when I saw it from the elevator, most likely because I'm now down on the ground.

The main floor was mostly made of that same white metal, but every so often, an island of greenery would break up the flooring. Most of these patches were rather large, some being the size of a football field, most covered in an assortment of trees, plants, rock formations, and natural-looking water fixtures.

Tall, glass rods caged in a wire frame were scattered everywhere, their lack of illumination suggesting they were turned off. Not like they were needed right now seeing as the system's star was lighting up the courtyard through the transparent ceiling.

Something overhead catches my eye, and looking up, I find some kind of drone flying high above. In fact, I find many of these drones flying above, at least two dozen, all following what appears to be a pre-determined patrol path.

Their frame was sleek and sharp, almost like a needle, with four fins, two on each side, seemingly keeping them afloat. It looks like they were using some form of anti-gravity propulsion, a hazy film obscuring the air right under the fins, almost like a heat wave.

Jutting from the walls on mechanical arms are more of those disk-shaped turrets, at least a hundred or more. It was creepy, the way they swiveled back and forth, tracking inmates as they roamed. It's as if they are alive.

I have seen many designs for defensive machinery, especially turrets, but these are foreign to me. Their frames are large, thick disks; no doubt containing all the internal components, while two, long, cone-shaped protrusions jut from the housing, the tips glowing blue. They are held aloft by a mechanical arm that connects them to the wall, wires running up and down the metal limb, no doubt providing the obviously energy based cannons with power.

To my shock, the turret I was watching suddenly retracted into the wall, the metal panel sliding shut and becoming flush with the surface. A few seconds later another section of the wall opened up, close to where the previous turret had been, and another turret, which I'm guessing is the same one, emerged.

Could… Could they move around? Was there some kind of rail system inside the walls that allowed the turrets to move positions at will? On the other hand, perhaps Artemis was controlling them, moving them around to get better angles to watch everyone from every direction.

Reyna slithered up to me, “Be careful in here Jason, someone is no doubt going to cause trouble sooner or later, it's just a matter of when, so stay close to me," Reyna cautioned, her fiery eyes burning into me seriously, her gaze rivaled only by Nala herself.

“R-Right, don't worry, I'm not going anywhere," I mutter, looking around almost frantically as more prisoners stopped what they were doing to openly gawk.

“Anyways, let us show you around! As you can see, the courtyard is fairly massive, a lot of it broken up by small patches of nature. At first, most people are confused by this, but it's actually a brilliant design! You see, the vegetation helps with the mental state of prisoners as well as supplies the station with fresh oxygen, It's also nice to just sit on some grass and hang out under a tree every once and a while."

We moved along, walking around the courtyard as Na'Rutha stayed ahead of us, keeping an eye out for anyone who might approach and start trouble.

Suddenly I hear catcalls and jeers, people saying things in languages I couldn't understand, but I did get the gist behind most of them, the tones betraying what people were thinking. It kind of scares me; I have never been to a prison where the prisoners were allowed to roam around freely in an open area, except Andromeda but their so called courtyard was hardly anything more than a gym heavily patrolled.

Every single one I have been to ended up with me stuck in a cell behind an energy barrier. Food would be transported to prisoners on a vacuum tube system, and we'd be granted the barest necessities to survive.

Unconsciously, I shuffle closer to Reyna, my arms coming up to hug myself as I glance around at the rowdy inmates. A lot of whom were shooting me dangerous looks, a few being salacious and others curious, some just downright predatory.

“Just ignore them, they won't do anything with us around… I hope," reassured Reyna muttering the last part under her breath, though with the way she kept her head on a swivel it seemed she wasn't too sure of her own statement.

“Ah, here's something that would be good to know, spaced around the courtyard, usually in the more open areas, are lounges like those." She points to an area where a couple of curved couches and a few chairs make a circle around a large, black cube that served the purpose of being a table. On top of it sat a sphere the size of a basketball, a flat base preventing it from rolling away. It looked like a giant snow globe.

“We even have entertainment spheres, though the TV channels aren't the best and those that we do get are mostly news and sports." She didn't sound too interested in them.

“You guys have TV all the way out here?" I ask skeptically.

“Yes, from what I understand the station uses a quantum relay to port over channels from nearby systems. However, the problem with this method is the fact that by the time they arrive they are already a few weeks to months old, so it's rather hard to keep up to date on things."

“We've also got exercising equipment," said Na'Rutha from ahead of us, gesturing off towards one of the nearer walls. Placed up against the wall, more or less out of the way of the main communal area, were different exercise machines ranging from a simple treadmill to alien machines that looked so complicated and dangerous I felt like I might get hurt just looking at them. Racks of weights lined the walls, along with stacks of towels that were probably for wiping away sweat or whatever fluid an alien secreted after working out.

With this much training equipment it was no wonder everyone around me seemed to be so buffed and in shape. Even Reyna had more muscles than I did, which honestly wasn't hard to achieve.

“Maybe if you started working out more you would grow some muscles, maybe even gain a few inches, shorty!" Na'Rutha poked, laughing at the glare that I shoot her.

I wasn't that short by human standards, one or two inches below average, but compared to Na'Rutha and Nala, I was absolutely tiny. After so many years and with so much advanced technology, increasing or decreasing one's height was still nearly impossible.

“Can I ask you something?" I ask, looking over to the snake next to me, this was probably a bad idea but Reyna seemed pretty relaxed and my curiosity got the better of me.

She tilted her head and looked at me with a smirk before saying, “You already did, but I get what you mean so go ahead."

“How did you end up here? Like… w-what did you do?" I am nervous asking this, unsure whether it was rude or not, but I was curious!

“Is that all? With that look on your face I thought you were about to ask something dreadful!" She snickered into her hand before letting out a sigh as she continued, “It's not that interesting of a story to be honest. Nala's family found me when I was just an egg, abandoned in an old warehouse with the rest of my siblings, all of whom didn't make it except me. At the time, Nala's parents were smuggling drugs and supplies past the blockade that encircles our planet, Septus Prime."

I had heard rumors years ago, that Septus Prime had been blockaded due to some civil war or something, but I had assumed that it was either over with by now or the rumors were simply that, rumors. Apparently, those rumors had been true, and with how Reyna is speaking about it, it seems it's still there.

“For some reason or another they decided to take me with them, and so they raised me like one of their own. Nala and I have been like sisters ever since and when she took over her parent's criminal empire I followed her, becoming her second in command," she finished, her eyes glazed over with a melancholy look as she reminisced on fond memories.

“You say not interesting but I think that's kind of cool, and sad… But cool! Kind of like the backstory for the main character in a book or something!"

“You're sweet, Jason. A bit naïve and shy, but sweet nonetheless, I can see why Nala likes you." She smirks, giving me a knowing look that I didn't quite understand, her words making my face turn red once again.

“How about you though? How did you end up here of all places?" She looked at me curiously, her unblinking black and red eyes a bit disturbing. I look away, biting my bottom lip and subconsciously rubbing my arm, having an internal debate on whether I should say anything or not.

“W-Well… T-The thing is—Gah!" Before I could relay my own story, I felt a hard slap against my rear, followed by a light groping pinch causing me to let out an admittedly very unmanly squeal.

I whip around to see who my assailant is. It was a Venmar, a salacious grin spread across her muzzle. She is barely taller than myself and covered in a coat of white and brown fur, a single gold hoop earring dangling from the base of her left ear.

“Nice ass you got there, Boy," she smirked; tongue running across her fangs as she looked me up and down. Her dexterous tail came around and brushed against my leg, trailing up my calf till it rested against my thigh. I gasp as she pulls me closer to her, grabbing my ass with both hands, claws poking me through my jumpsuit. I was stunned, too shocked and confused to formulate any words.

“Wha—“ I was about to ask the Venmar what the hell she thinks she's doing, when something tight wraps around my midriff and yanks me backwards, tearing me out of her clutches. A bright red and orange blur whizzes past and comes to a stop in front of me. It was Reyna! And she looked pissed! Really fucking pissed! Her serpentine body coiling up under her to make her far taller than the Venmar, the end of her tail wrapped around my middle and her hood flared like a cobra. She opened her mouth and two large fangs the size of my index finger shot out as she hissed threateningly.

“Touch him again and I swear I'll squeeze the life out of you, and I'll take my sweet time doing so, you bitch!" Reyna hissed in anger. Venom dripped from her fangs, her forked tongue catching it before it fell. She was scary, maybe even more so than Nala, but to my utter surprise, the Venmar looked unfazed, she just looked at Reyna, a smirk on her face and her arms crossed.

“What's wrong, snake!" spat the Venmar, “This boy toy belong to you or something? If so maybe you should have marked him better, I could smell his sweet virgin ass all the way across the courtyard!"

Reyna's voice suddenly dropped, becoming cold and deadly, “No, not to me. He belongs to Mistress Nala."

At that the Venmar was visibly shocked, her eyes wide and her previously wagging tail drooping. People were watching the whole thing go down, conversations breaking out at the mention of Nala. I swear I just saw something change hands amongst several prisoners, were they making bets? And if so, on what!

“T-That's… I-I mean…" stuttered the Venmar as she looked around for any support from her fellow inmates, only two more Venmar stepped forward, both of which looked uncertain, they were probably her pack mates. She looked back to Reyna and smirked, her chest puffed out as she gained back up, making it three against one.

“So what? I can't smell her on him, and besides, he's a rare treat, she can't possibly keep him all to herself and not expect others to want a turn!" Her nervousness suddenly vanished, and she became cocky and sure of herself only because the rest of her pack had shown up to support her. They didn't really have much of a choice in the matter though. She threw me another wanton look, her gaze making me shiver and shrink in on myself.

“Is there a problem here?" rumbled a deep voice, Na'Rutha marching up to stand next to Reyna, putting two massive bodies between the Venmar and me.

Na'Rutha looked pointedly down at the she-wolf, her arms crossed and teeth bared, her shiny black eyes fix on the bi-pedal canine. The Venmar might have called over her pack but with Na'Rutha here things suddenly took a turn. The Kilnoid was worth a lot more than two extra Venmar, easily big enough and strong enough to squash them if she so wanted.

The Venmar looked between Na'Rutha and Reyna, debating whether or not this was a fight she really wanted to get into. Ultimately, common sense won out and she backed down. It didn't escape my notice, however, that several drones and turrets had turned their attention in our direction, waiting to see how things unfolded in case they, or rather Artemis, needed to interfere.

“No," growled the Venmar, her teeth grating against each other in anger as she became outmatched. “I was just leaving." And with that, she turned on her heel and left, growling at her pack mates to follow her. We watch her and her group go until they disappear into the crowd.

“Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?" Reyna asks, slithering over and looking me up and down.

“N—No. No, I'm fine. Just… Just a little startled is all," I respond, my breathing abnormal and my hands shaking.

“Good, good," she sighed, not looking all too convinced, “If anyone ever does something like that to you again you let us know alright? We look out for each other here."

“R-Right… thank you." I nod to Na'Rutha as well, “And you." Na'Rutha just huffs, but I swear I could see the hint of a smile tug at the corner of her lips.

“Maybe those canine cunts will think next time before they mess with a member of our family!" She growls, flexing her claws, and gritting her teeth as she looks across the crowd of inmates. She could most likely still see the Venmar pack, being eight feet tall and towering over everyone.

“Alright, no more delays, I think we should head after Nala and Korza and go see what's going on," said Reyna, grabbing me by the wrist and dragging me with her as she slithered off in a seemingly random direction.

***

We approached the center of the courtyard where there was a large island of trees and plants. Through the foliage I am able to make out the glinting surface of water, as well as the grey backdrop of a rock cliff. I think this is that same large island I saw from the elevator.

Closer to us was a lounge area, curved couches making a ring around one of those shiny black cubes, a powered-down entertainment sphere resting atop it. To the right of the lounge was another metal table like those in the cafeteria except this one was larger and surrounded by enough chairs to sit about twenty or so people.

Nala and Korza were at the table sitting across from a tall, bright green Sivec.

The alien had a pair of large solid black eyes resting on a wide triangular face, four mandibles covering her mouth, and a pair of long thin antennas sprouting from atop her head.

Protruding from her stick-thin torso were four serrated arms, each arm bent reversely from the elbows, the forearms bending down rather than up. The top pair of arms ended in a sharp hook, with a single long and dexterous digit that was more like a feeler rather than a finger. The lower pair of arms were identical to the top except that the hook had been replaced with another feeler, giving this arm two of the dexterous digits. Her thin torso tapered into a thinner waist and then flared out a bit at the hips, giving way to two long legs with three, sharp, claw-like toes.

On her back, sprouting from her shoulder blades, were a pair of shiny gossamer wings that flowed down her back, giving the appearance she wore a semi-transparent cape.

An Asta sat to the right of the Sivec, her tan and teal skin standing out. She had four arms, just like her buggy companion; however, hers were normal by human standards.

She had four almond shaped red eyes, two where you expect them to be, and then another two right above them. Her mouth was sort of human-shaped, a lower lip present, but the top part was more of a flat beak.

She had hair, but it was strange, much different from that of a humans. A single strand was like rope, thick and long and braided down to her lower back, almost like dreadlocks. From there was a short, thin, reptilian-like tail, no longer than two or three feet.

Her body was much like a human female, her chest either non-existent or small enough to be hidden beneath the suit. Her torso tapered into a thin waist, her hips flared and transitioning into digitigrade legs while her feet had large heels with only two toes on each foot. She was also surprisingly a bit shorter than me, something I was not expecting to see in a place like this.

Lastly, a Venmar stood just behind and to the left of the Sivec. Her appearance is that of a wolf standing on its hind legs but with a human body. Two normal arms with five-digit hands, four fingers, and a thumb, each digit tipped off with a sharp black claw. Her muzzle was long and wide, just like a dogs', and she was covered head to toe in a coat of white and brown fur, a big fluffy tail emerging from her lower back and swaying calmly behind her.

I looked at the Venmar for a second, figuring she looked rather familiar. Then I spotted the golden hoop dangling from her left ear and I instantly recognized her as the bitch who just molested me! Reyna must have also spotted her because she moved closer to me, her hood twitching to flare up.

As we got closer we could hear the sounds of raised voices. Nala sounded furious, and if the smoke trailing from her nostrils was a good sign, then she most likely was. Korza, however, was as quiet and reserved as always yet her mere presences made the air feel heavy.

“You encroach on my territory, you send my people to the infirmary, and now you have the gall to demand I give up my newest member!" Nala shouted, her voice like thunder. The area around us was devoid of prisoners, everyone trying to stay far away from the giant dragoness who was clearly in a bad mood.

“I should tear you apart for all the trouble you've caused me, Green!" growled Nala, pointing an accusatory finger at the bright green Sivec who seemed amused at the situation.

“Now, now, Nala. Let's keep things civilized shall we?" said the Sivec named Green, her mandibles making a clicking noise as her voice was filtered through a translator that hung around her thin neck.

“Civilized? Civilized! You just demanded that I give up my newest member and let you bet on him like some kind of auction piece!"

“I was simply asking you to release the human so we might have a council meeting to discuss who gets him, isn't that right, Numa?" Green directed the last question at the Venmar who stood beside her, the same one who had groped me.

“Yeah, that's right! I went up to the human to greet him earlier and your little snake friend stopped me from seeing him, saying he belonged to you when there hasn't even been a council meeting yet!" Explained Numa.

Something inside me snapped, I don't know what it was, maybe it was the constant headache, maybe it was because I was tired, maybe it had something to do with that Venmar lying about what had happened only moments ago! Or perhaps it was a combination of all three that caused rage to boil up inside me! I had never felt so angry in my life! Angry at that Venmar, angry at this prison, angry at those who sent me here, angry at the R.O.F for getting me into this situation! But most of all, I was angry at myself, at how weak I am, at how small and helpless I must seem to everyone else! I just got harassed and I couldn't even stand up for myself! Reyna and Na'Rutha had to do that for me!

“That's bullshit and you know it!" I exclaim, pointing my finger at the Venmar as I march up to the table. Everyone turned to face me, shock and surprise evident on their faces, Nala especially.

“Jason! What are you doing here?" she asked, her eyes switching from me to Reyna who was rushing up from behind. “Reyna! I thought I told you to look after him while I dealt with this!"

“She was!" I butted in, “Before that Venmar came out of nowhere and started groping me like I was some cheap whore! I've put up with enough shit for the past four years and I don't need any more being added on!"

There was silence after that, Numa's eyes wide and darting between Nala and me. The Sivec looked interested in what was going on, and the Asta next to her was rubbing her temples with all four arms, clearly feeling done with the situation at hand.

Man, did that feel good, to just shout and release all that pent up anger I had buried deep inside. It was still there, four years of frustration and resentment bottled up, but I corked it and put it back on the shelf. I can deal with it later, I just had to release a little bit of the pressure is all.

I finally notice the expression on Nala's face, or rather the lack thereof. She was devoid of emotion, the only thing conveying how she felt being the smoke that was slowly seeping from her nostrils and the corners of her mouth.

Slowly, her features began to morph into anger, then rage, then absolute fury! Tension hung in the air, Nala's features contorting into a snarl as the air around us grew heavy with hate.

Her wings furled and unfurled, smoke billowing from her maw as her breathing became harder. I could see flickering orange light coming from the back of her throat, and the angrier she got the more it glowed and the more smoke that spilled forth. She flexed her claws, her head cocking from one side to the other as she gritted her teeth, trying to hold back the rage she was feeling.

I step back, eyes wide in fear. Something deep within me told me to run, to run and run and run until I was as far away from this thing as possible. It was deep, primal fear, a piece of my human side warning me of an immense danger nearby.

“N-Nala?" I call, voice small and shaky. Her head instantly snapped to me, her eyes filled with fire and rage. I had never felt so small and helpless more than at that very moment, but as Nala looked at me, she saw my terrified face and my shaking body. She smelled my fear, fear she had created, her eyes suddenly growing wide, realization flashing across her face. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, and as she let it out the suffocating aura faded as well. Smoke no longer billowed from her maw, her hands no longer flexed their claws and her wings had folded back into place. The tension in the air remained, and so did Nala's anger, but it was controlled now, sharp and precise and ready to be used as a deadly weapon.

When she opened her eyes again, gone were the fires of hell that had been burning behind them, in their place was a cold calculating predator. She smiled at me, and though it did not reach her eyes, I understood what she was trying to say. That she was sorry and there was nothing to fear from her. She turned back to face Miss Green and Numa, the smile on her face dropping off into a scowl.

“Tell me, dog, did you touch my property?" asked Nala, her voice level and calm making her all the more terrifying. Numa visibly bristled, her fur standing on end, her teeth bared, glaring at Nala as she let out a growl.

“How dare you accuse me of such a thing! I would never—“

“Numa!" Green cut off, scowling at her lieutenant, “Do not lie simply to cover your own hide! There are things here that matter more than your pride and I will not have my chances ruined simply because you are too self-centered!"

“I… Y-Yes Mistress Green," Numa conceded, bowing her head in submission as her tailed tucked up between her legs and her ears folded back.

“Now answer my question or I'll burn you alive!" Nala snarled, her teeth gnashing as a small jet of flame burst from the corners of her mouth, emphasizing the seriousness behind her threat.

I real backwards, eyes wide at the sight of Nala breathing fire. It was rumored that Skals had firey breath, that they were just bi-pedal versions of the dragons we had concocted in fantasy. To see it for myself, however, made things so surreal.

Numa seemed to grow smaller, hunching in on herself, her gaze remaining glued to the floor, “Y-Yes I did, Miss Vertikal, I'm… I'm terribly sorry; it'll never happen again I promise."

“Thank you for your honesty, Numa, though I do feel like there should be some form of punishment for your assault against one of my members."

“Hold on there a second, Nala!" Mistress Green said, turning her big black eyes back to the Skal across from her. “Did you forget what we were discussing before this?"

“No, I did not forget, I simply do not care," she responded with a wave of her hand.

“We made an agreement! A council would be convened consisting of the three faction heads, wherein we discussed who gets the newcomer!" Green's insect-like wings buzzed behind her in anger, mandibles flared in a snarl. Her voice was an eerie hiss as it was filtered through the translator, the bug's native language overlapping with the English translation.

“Jason is a part of my tower and thus belongs to me!" For the first time, I watched as Nala bared her teeth, a threatening growl rumbling forth from deep within her throat.

“That doesn't matter! Out of procedure and the agreement we—“

“You don't want to mess with me, little insect!" Interrupted Nala, “I was running an empire before you were even an egg floating in goo inside your daddy's egg sac!" I blinked at that one, looking over to Reyna in confusion.

She shrugged and whispered, “In Sivec society, male Sivecs fertilize the eggs of their mates normally, as you or I would. However, after fertilization, the female then mounts the male and transfers the eggs, along with a type of nutrients gel, from her egg sac, into the corresponding male's egg sac. The male will then carry the offspring till birth."

“So, kind of like a sea horse then?" I ask in a hushed tone.

“What is a sea horse?"

“Never mind, I'll tell you later."

“I'm warning you, Green, if you even so much as touch a hair on my boy's head, I will crush you and your pathetic excuse of a faction into the cold metal flooring of this station!" Nala declared, pulling herself up to her full height and glaring down at the bug.

“I sense a fight brewing! How come I wasn't invited?" said a voice, deep yet feminine with what sounded like a slight rolling of a Russian accent. A massive Kilnoid marched up to us, a small group of her fellow aliens in toe.

She towered over everyone except Na'Rutha, the two of them at eye level. Streaks of grey denoting her age were mixed in with her blood-red fur, deep grey eyes scanning our group before they came to rest on Nala. Her claws were the size of small knives, and her tusks were like daggers. Just like every Kilnoid, she was muscular, well-defined abs clearly visible beneath her stretched and straining jumpsuit. Her arms and legs were massive, biceps the size of my head, and thighs half my size. Her chest was like two massive watermelons, so large they would have snapped a human woman's spine like a toothpick.

“Nil'Tasus," spat Nala, “What are you doing here?" I could see the barely controlled anger flaring behind Nala's eyes again, her body tensing. As soon as Nil'Tasus arrived Na'Rutha moved next to Nala, Reyna grabbing me and pulling me behind her mistress.

“I wanted to meet the human, get to know them before they decided which faction to join, but it seems I've interrupted a little spat you two were having. Is something wrong?"

“No, nothing is—“Nala started only to be interrupted by Green. Nala glaring at the bug as she spoke.

“Yes, something is wrong! Nala here has claimed the human as her own and there has yet to be a council! I've just been discussing with her that she needs to remove the human from her ranks so that we may have a fair meeting to discuss who gets him!"

Nil'Tasus looked from Green to Nala, her face falling into a frown. “Nala is this true?" she asked, her arms crossing.

“Yes, it's true," she spat, her teeth grinding against each other. Her anger was barely being contained and I felt like it was liable to explode at any second.

“You know that is not how we do things around here!" Nil'Tasus said, her hands clenched and teeth bared.

“Look here you slagging fur ball! I just explained this to Green, and now I will explain it to you! The human is a part of my tower and thus belongs to me!"

“Nonsense! A council meeting makes recruitment fair for everyone, those who wish to leave and join another faction do so through requesting a council meeting, those who are new and wish to join a faction go through the same process."

“I've been running an Empire, Tasus, for the past 50 years and if there is one thing I've learned over that time, it's that in our line of business, there is no such thing as fair! I know a bad deal when I see one, and I know a power play when I see it! You both have been trying to grow your numbers, and it is a bit suspicious that you two seem to have been getting pretty chummy," Nala said coolly, emphasizing the second part of the Kilnoid's name while dropping the first.

Nil'Tasus' eye twitched, her hands balling into fists, clearly annoyed by the fact Nala refused to use her full name. Was dropping the beginning prefix in their name something of an insult or challenge in their culture? Whatever it was, it annoyed Nil'Tasus quite a bit as well as her subordinates that surrounded her, their hisses and growls making me shiver.

The tension in the air grew thicker, a buzz everyone could feel as the three faction heads glared at one another. Artemis must be watching because out of the corner of my eye I can see security turrets emerging from the wall and rotating in our direction, as well as several drones hovering overhead ready to subdue any fighting that might start.

Na'Rutha was tensed, ready to jump into action at a moment's notice, while Reyna's tail kept twitching and her hood was partly flared. She kept glancing from me to Na'Rutha, undecided on who she should help if things got worse. Nala stood in front of me protectively, her wings spread to create a wall between me and everyone else.

I could feel the heat radiating off her, thin trails of smoke flowing from her nostrils and the corners of her mouth. The pure rage in her eyes is terrifying, but it was all directed towards someone else all because she wanted to protect me. It was… endearing.

I reached out and took hold of Nala's hand, her smooth scales soft yet firm to the touch. She felt warmer than before, her hand nearly too hot for me to hold, yet I held it nonetheless. She faltered, her gaze drifting down to me, eyes wide in surprise and concern.

“What's wrong, Pet?" She asks softly, her eyes softening as she gently squeezed my hand in hers.

I ignore the endearing yet frustrating pet name she has decided to give me, “Don't fight, Artemis is watching and…" I glance to Reyna and Na'Rutha then look back to Nala, “And I'd rather not be the reason some of the first nice people I've met in almost four years get hurt." Nala opened her mouth to respond, but she was cut off by the blood-red Kilnoid.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Nil'Tasus smirked, eyeing me up and down. “You're a cute little thing, aren't cha'?"

Nala growled, pulling me against her and wrapping her tail around one of my legs. I turn red at the sudden close contact, and the redness on my face just grew even more when I felt Nala's chest press up against the back of my head.

“Ooh! Look at that, he's turning red!" laughed a Kilnoid from Nil'Tasus' group. A sharp hiss from Reyna shut them up quickly.

In my peripheral vision, I can see the drones moving closer, hatches on their bellies opening up and revealing the same cone-shaped cannons as on the turrets.

“Listen," I begin, turning my attention to the other two faction leaders, “I'm not entirely sure what is going on here, I'm tired as hell, my legs are killing me, and Artemis is about to stun our little group with, by my calculations, twenty separate stun cannons."

I wasn't entirely sure if the turrets and drones were actually equipped with stun cannons, but seeing as this is a prison and that the weaponry appears to be energy based, it's a safe bet that they are. It could be plasma, but the Alliance had extremely strict regulations concerning those types of weapons that the possibility was practically none.

“Furthermore, with the way you two have acted so far, I see no reason as to why I would want to join you when I'm perfectly content staying right here with people who actually treat me like I'm an actual person rather than some item to be won."

There was silence, everyone looking at me in surprise. I can practically feel Nala beaming, and glancing upwards confirms as much.

“You don't know Nala like I do, Human! She's a lying manipulative lizard! She would have you believe that we are the enemy while she is the saint that will protect you!" Declared Mistress Green, her lower set of arms pressing down on the table as she leaned over it.

“I will not deny I may have said Jason belongs to me, however, in my defense that was a spur of the moment thing," Nala says, her grip on my tightening and drawing me closer to her, “However, if Jason so wishes to choose to join with someone else, I will not stop him."

“That sounds an awful lot like you are agreeing to a council meeting, Nala," Nil'Tasus spoke.

“That's because I am, Nil'Tasus, till then, Jason will stay with me, that is not debatable."

“I… Wait, what? You're agreeing to a council meeting? Just like that?" asked Green perplexed.

“Indeed, because now I know I will most certainly win no matter what." She beamed at the bug, flashing her pointy needle-like teeth.

“Very well then, how about here this time tomorrow?" asks Nil'Tasus, back straight and hands clasped behind her back, looking around at everyone. Before, I had thought of Nil'Tasus as crude, and perhaps violent –most Kilnoids are- but at that moment, she seemed more like a general making a truce with the enemy.

Green just huffed her agreement and got up, marching away angrily with Numa.

“Finally that's all over," mumbled the Asta that had accompanied Mistress Green, hurrying after her as they left. She looked haggard, worn out, possibly due to a ton of work and stress. She was surprisingly one of the quietest ones there, next to Korza of course. Neither one of them speaking a word since everything began. Seems every group had their quiet ones.

Nil'Tasus nodded to Nala respectfully before turning on her heel and leaving, her pack of Kilnoid subordinates following closely behind.

I tilt my head back to look up at Nala, her gaze was firmly fixed on the retreating Kilnoids making sure they left without causing trouble. The group soon rounded a small island forest and disappeared from sight.

Now that everyone had left and it was just her, myself, and three of her closest friends left standing around the table, she visibly relaxed. Tension eased from her shoulders, her eyes drooped and looked weary and exhausted. She looked down at me, a smile coming to her lips.

“That was certainly… interesting," she states.

“Yeah, it was," I sigh, “Why did you agree to that council meeting thing though? You seemed pretty damn adamant about not letting it happen."

“You asked me to find a resolution that would not end with us in a brawl. The meeting is the only thing I know of that would calm those two." Her hand slowly drifts up to my head, her fingers finding my hair and, to my surprise, starts to pet it.

“So you agreed simply because I didn't want you guys fighting?"

“Indeed. Though do not mistake my decision as mercy, I would have gladly burned those two imbeciles to a crisp if it meant I got to keep you." She hummed in contentment, her fingers dancing through my hair, claws combing it back and out of my face. She seemed to enjoy rolling strands of my white hair between her fingers.

“Also, why did you let them keep calling me human if you know I'm a Hybrid?"

“Simple really, if they found out that you are even more special than you already are, I imagine they would be much more eager to get their hands on you."

“So… Ok wait, let me get this straight. Are you telling me that I'm essentially nothing more than a trophy that everyone wants so they can flaunt around that they have the newest thing or whatever?"

She was silent for a few seconds, her eyes refusing to meet mine, then she finally looked back to me, her eyes filled with something that intrigued me. Confidence? Determination? It was something along those lines.

“For the others? Yes, that is what you are," she replied at last.

“But not for you?" I ask skeptically.

“No, not for me." Her reply was confident, unwavering, and for some reason, I was inclined to believe her.

“Were you being serious when you said you'd respect my decision if I chose to join with someone else?"

“Yes, I was. The others would have you believe that I would hold you captive like a prisoner," she laughed at that, “I guess that is what you are, isn't it? What we all are… Perhaps I have been a bit too clingy, a little too affectionate too soon after meeting you. It must have given an impression that you didn't really have a choice in the matter, huh?"

“Yeah… That is somewhat how it feels. It's scary, I haven't been allowed many choices in my life for a long time now, and I figured that with you it was all going to be the same."

“Well that's not how it is with me, Jason, you are free to leave me and go join someone else's faction, or stay solo if that is what you wish, though I would not recommend it. I do believe you belong to me now, but I will not force you to do anything you don't want to. I cannot deny that I like you, you're cute and soft."

Her words made my heart skip a beat, and I suddenly felt a strange warmth flow through me for just a split second, as if a spark had been lit within me and left behind a warm afterglow. Only now, after my face starts to heat up for the umpteenth time today, do I realize just how easily flustered I am. I should try to do something about that.

“S-So… Is that all you like about me?" I ask nervously, my hands fidgeting with one another. Nala hummed softly as if in thought, her fingers never leaving my hair alone, always trying to feel as much of it as possible while trying to make sure she didn't scratch me with her claws.

“When you asked me not to start a fight, I liked that," she supplied, “I am so used to dealing with violent people that your stance against it is refreshing. I also enjoy your innocent naïve nature, as well as how cute you look when you get mad."

“Uh… Th-Thanks, I guess… A-Anyways, what are we going to do about tomorrow?" I turn around to face her, her lips falling into a slight pout at the loss of my hair for her to play with, but she quickly composed herself and became all business-like once more.

“Tomorrow we shall go to the meeting; once there, everyone who wishes to recruit you to their faction will 'throw their cat into the ring' as you humans say."

“It's 'throw their hat into the ring' not cat," I chuckle.

“Hat? Why would they throw their hats into a ring? I thought the whole premise of the saying was because people would through their cats into a ring and the animals would fight to the death and the last one standing would be the victor."

I blink at her, mouth opening and closing, “That's… That's most certainly not how it goes."

She huffed, “I think my version makes much more sense than this hat business you speak of."

“R-Right… Anyways, what exactly is this whole council thing and why were the others so demanding to have a meeting?"

“The council works like this," she starts, “All three faction heads will convene together, once gathered the person being recruited will stand before us. From there each leader will say if they wish to have the person join their group and give reasons to the person as to why they should join them. After that, the one being recruited gets to pick who they wish to join with. Current members of a faction can even leave and join another if they so choose during a council meeting. The last one isn't an uncommon occurrence."

“So, there are people in other towers that could be part of a different faction? How does that work?"

“The way it works is if someone from one faction wishes to join another and is accepted, then we put in a request to Artemis for them to be transferred to tower 14."

“But the tower only has 99 rooms, surely there gets to a point that you can't contain them all in there, right?"

“Yes, you are correct; however, multiple prisoners can share a single cell. For example, most Venmar packs, usually consisting of six members, share a cell."

“So because of that, and others sharing, it opens up more rooms to be used. I suppose that is efficient considering your limited resources."

“Everyone in tower 14 is like family, we do our best to live life here day after day as normal as possible. We even get along with others from the other two towers, though of course there is still bad blood between some. Downside to being criminals I suppose."

“I see. So, tomorrow, all we have to do is show up and then I declare that I will be staying with you, and then everything will be okay, right?"

“Generally, yes, that is pretty much how it's supposed to go, but I'm afraid with you, the others are going to make some sort of fuss and come up with some scheme to try and void my claim on you. But don't worry, Pet, I'll make sure nothing like that happens!"

“I am not—“ I start, about to try and defend myself.

“Yes, Yes, I know," Nala interrupts, waving away my complaints, “But you humans are just so small and cute and oh so soft! Moreover, you can talk too! Your species would make just the most wonderful pets ever! Do not worry though, my dear Jason, I'm just using the term endearingly, do not take it so seriously."

“I… That is… Ugh, fine! Have it your way!" I complain, crossing my arms and pouting.

“I generally do, Jason," she says smirking, “I generally do. Now come! Let me introduce you to the rest of the family!"

She takes my hand in hers and starts dragging me off towards the large, nearby forest. I hear snickering coming from behind us as Korza, Reyna, and Na'Rutha all follow closely behind, laughing at my sudden predicament of being dragged around by this giant dragoness who has seemingly grown attached to me.