The Shadows Book One: The War for EarthEnd.

Chapter Three - Resistence.

Liki Wolfspirit.

PyreFox watched from atop the hills overlooking the City of EarthEnd with pangs of guilt, watching all the Beasts fleeing from their home while large stones flattened once occupied buildings to rubble. His bright orange fur gleamed in the sunlight, somewhat buffeted by the smoke of fires. Destruction slowly flowed down the city from its origin on the harbor. His sharp Foxen ears could easily hear the cries of now refugees as they fled away from the city and farther inland.

The Foxen turned his long sharp muzzle to the Anubian commander that was standing next to him, "This is wrong," He said, "I didn't sign up with you for this."

"You signed the contract captain," The large Anubian general grunted, "Now be a good fox and lead in the infiltrators, I think enough of them have escaped. I don't want any kind of resistence."

PyreFox grimiced and turned, making a flame appear in his hand before clincthing his fist to defuse it. These Anubians who hired him had no idea what they had actually hired. A member of the Pyre's, masters of Flame and Fire, few and fewer in number over the years becuase it was a hereditary ability. His kind was revered for their power, which was given to them through their rituals, with which only thier blood could activate. They had a very strict code to follow, but it only had one rule.

During the ritual, you make a promise, and you must keep that promise, else your spirit be doomed to burn in the wraith of fire.

And PyreFox's promise was coming dangerously close to being broken here today, he knew it becuase a mark on his left hand was burning and itching, the sign of his power, and the keeper of his promise. If it was broken, the mark would vanish, and he would know he was damned.

And he was determined to not let that happen he decided as he told his squad to take the nearest gate and lock down the city.

Liquid stopped at the side of the building and looked over the edge at the gate to be sure it was clear. She saw a few Beasts lugging thier possesions through with them and waved at the two boys to proceed. Liki and the small boy walked past her a few steps before she heard the scream and noticed one of the two Beasts ahead drop down to the ground, an arrow in his back. She used her ice magic to slicken the hill and cause Like and Blackpaw to slide back into the ally as the remaining Beast abandoned his luggage and attempted to run, a few arrows flew by him missing but he too fell dead.

She watched worriedly as a group of five Anubians entered the gate, bows in hand and plenty of arrows carried in quivers on their backsides.

She glanced away to hide from sight and whispered, "Damn it, they've locked down the city, there's no way out now. I bet every other gate has a group watching it too."

The Fangren Liki peered around her to see, and whispered as well, "I could take them."

Liquid stared at him with a 'yeah-right' look, and he huffed, "I could. I'm Liki, I can handle them."

"Yeah well I'm Liquid kid but it doesn't mean arrows will just go through me and my shield will only hold against so many," She peeked back out for a moment before walking away from the corner, we should find a house or something to hide in, and hope they fuck up or something and leave it unguarded for even a minute. Like this kid's here." She pointed to the house they had found Blackpaw in.

Liki grumpled under his breath, but he nodded and turned back to the house. He opened the door and led Blackpaw inside, with Liquid closing the door silently behind them and shutting the curtens to the house just in time to miss the Foxen that came walking into the gates.

PyreFox ordered his troops to keep the line at the gates and kill any other Beasts who were trying to escape while he searched the nearby houses. He strolled almost lazily down the ways, not bothering to look at the houses at all. Instead he rubbed his itching and burning hand angerily.

"I can't do this," he whispered, "There's so many innocent Beasts here, and I could die at any moment..." The mark on his hand glowed more and more the farther he walked, the greater the destruction to the city became and with that the greater the chance he could be killed once some kind of resistence was eventually made.

He walked around an ally distracted by his hand, when suddenly he saw it stop glowing and the burning and itching ceased. PyreFox stared at it stupidly and wondered.

What, He thought to himself, It stopped...

He stared around himself for a long moment, looking for something or anyone that was nearby. The mark also acted as a kind of radar, once he was in the vacinity of something that would help him hold his now nearly broken promise, it would suddenly stop. It had done this many times before as well, in fact it was one reason he was here to begin with. He was standing between two houses was all though, with nothing else around him but the Anubians at the gate around the corner.

Slowly he walked about ten steps down the path, then gasped and jumped back to where he was before as his mark began to burn horrendously, hotter then he had ever felt it burn him. If he went to the Anubians now, his promise would be broken for sure.

Shaking his aching paw, he looked to the house at his left and took a few steps toward it's door. As he touched the door, his paw burned and itched again, though not nearly as bad as it had just before, and not as bad as it had when he entered the city to begin with either. He was on the right track, but not the right way.

So, he thought and turned around to face the other house, of which the shades were closed and lights all out, whatever or whoever is in there.

PyreFox approached the door and leaned against it - noting that his mark didn't burn as he did - and tried to hear if there was anyone inside. There was silence for a moment before he heard a distinct female Feline voice.

"I...think he left." Liquid whispered, unable to hear anymore noise or see anything from the window through the shades there.

Liki sat on a chair with the young Blackpaw on his lap, staring at the door like he was possessed, and gave her a signal to remain quiet. He could feel someone there on the opposite side, a mind that was troubled with something that was important to them. The reason why though, was buried too far under for him to sense. It could be an Anubian who was looking for Beasts that had stayed to take as slaves or prisoners but...

No, the mind wasn't maleviolent, he decided as he took a broader sense of the Beast, but concerned for something. He wouldn't feel that from any Anubian. Slowly Liki rose and sat Blackpaw on the ground before making his way to the door. Liquid made a waving a motion for him to stop and get the fuck back, at least that was what he gathered by her face and how fast she moved her paw at him to sit back down, but he continued until he was leaning against the door.

As close as he was to the other person now, he had a much better connection to his inner thoughts and feelings. Now he sensed the cause for the trouble this person was feeling. A promise to something, a promise that was very important and would be broken if they continued to work with the Anubians. The feelings he felt were of hope. Perhaps the Beast believed that by finding survivors they could keep their promise.

Whatever thier reason, Liki knew enough now to believe this Beast was willing to be an ally and help, so he flung the door open.

PyreFox gasped when he felt himself falling foward. He felt like he fell in slow motion, his face had a look of surprise as he said, "Damn it!" right before he hit the ground inside the door.

He groaned for moment, rubbing his head regain his train of thought, then looked up from the ground to see the leather clad feet of a Fangren in front of him. He looked up more to see the same Fangren staring down at him with blue eyes. PyreFox scrampled to his feet and lighted his hands alfame, in clear view of the Fangren, and showed his teeth in preparation to fight.

A few moments passed of silence of the Foxen glaring at the inblinking Fangren. The wolf had taken no stance to protect himself, he only continued to stare up at him with unblinking, slightly glowing blue eyes.

PyreFox blinked stupdily. Glowing eyes?

He took a moment to move his head to see what else was in the room. There was a lean light blue furred Feline female to his right near the corner of the door, her hands shimmering with blue light. It took him a moment to realize that her magic was of water and ice. If he had met her in a fight, he would have a run for his money against her element, his being fire.

Hiding underneath the table in the center of the room, with his small arm reaching out to try and pull on the tail of the Fangren that stood in front of him, was a even smaller Fangren boy, wearing wragged silver clothing and shivering. His hand zipped back down under and he whimpered when he saw PyreFox stare at him.

In his head PyreFox examined the great thing that he had just found, here was all he needed to keep his promise secure. The Fangren in front of him, the way he stared and his weapons and his armor, he could tell he was powerful for such a young age. The Feline would be a greater ally then she would an enemy. The child was lost and hurt and needed protection. Yes, here was all he needed to keep his promise.

Yet, how to go about that now? He wasn't in the best situation, he had fallen foward onto his face and began an awkward silence while he had prepared for a fight on instinct even though that was obviously not needed.

Well to begin with, he thought and extingished his flaming hands and stood straight up, making the Feline blink in surprise and turn off her own magic, though she kept a ready glare on him, Show no aggression, and make the effort to say hi.

He was mulling about his head how to do that when the Fangren in front of him reached out his hand and simply said, "Hi."

PyreFox stared, the glowing blue eyes staring back at his red, like they were reading him.

Can he...? PyreFox thought in stress, Was every stupid thing I just thought to myself in plain view of him?!

The Fangren smiled and snickered, but gave a small nod in confirmation. PyreFox stared a little longer, but he smiled too and took the hand in shook it readily, noticing how strong the Fangren's grip was. "Of course I find the one who can read my every thought. Hello, I'm PyreFox."

"I'm Liki." The wolf boy laughed while shaking, "I couldn't see everything, but you're emotions were exploding with worry to protect some kind of promise, and I kind of just hoped you were looking for help from something other than Anubians."

PyreFox stared at his captian's uniform, "Yeah...I did this for money, being a merc isn't easy. I signed a contract with the Anubians, but I had no idea that this was what I was signing up for...doing this to all these innocent people drives me very close to breaking my promise."

"It must be a very important promise." Liki said while releasing PyreFox's hand, both were a little sore from both thier grips testing each other, "I usually can't sense things unless it causes extreame distress. I'm not as practiced in my power yet."

PyreFox turned his head in confusion, "What kind of warrior are you though? You use two daggers. Are you a rogue?"

Liki nodded, "A special kind. I'm-"

"I'd hate to interupt both of your wonderful stories," The Feline hissed in her corner, stepping up now, "But if Mr. PyreFox here is going to help us out, can we do it before the roof above our head falls?"

PryeFox stared at the Feline while Liki growled, "Alright alright," He looked back up to PryeFox, "Liquid is right though, we can figure out each other's strengths later. If you're here to help us out now and want help back for your promise, that might be better done outside the city where we aren't likely to die." Liki turned and waved the smaller Fangren boy out from under the table.

The Foxen took a small glance at his left paw, feeling it burn slightly as he contemplated staying or leaving, and decided leaving was the best choice from that. Liki managed to take Blackpaw's hand and pull him out whimpering.

"It's okay Blackpaw," Liki assured him, "PyreFox won't hurt you." Liki stood with the small boy behind him, holding his hand.

He looked up to PyreFox, "So, what do we do?"

"All right, I'll get you out of here. But you must do exactly as I say."