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Episode 3: With the Wind at My Back

"The winds can be a fitting analogy to describe freedom. Winds must constantly keep moving as we must continuously exercise our freedom. For should we stop, then freedom will fade into nothingness and die... Just like if the winds were to stop."

Penelope Warsmith

Fate, Destiny and Free Will

Another chapter told and another page turned...

There was a degree of satisfaction that Jacob had sort of helped people in Pollenburn but that was tainted with the grim taste of complicating matters as well. Taylor's group would probably get grilled on the presence of 'the Reaper' as they called him especially their interactions with him. However, they were smart enough not to get truly involved. Gale seemed like a decent guy so Jacob hoped he wouldn't let anything terrible happen to the cougar and his friends.

But if something did, Jacob swore he'd get them out of that trouble.

Taylor was pretty cool...

"Could it be that you actually have feelings for this Taylor character?" Spectre snickered from beneath him. The giant, winged wolf flapped his wings lazily as they soared high above the Ashlands.

Well... There's no harm in admitting it...

"I suppose," he said with a shrug. "Not sure what it was. Apart from the sex, I mean."

"Your first gay sex you mean?"

"First, second and third." He frowned slightly and straightened in Spectre's saddle. "Should I be worried?"

"Just don't turn into a sex-craving monster, Jacob. Life isn't about sex. Affection can be shown in other ways apart from driving your cock in some guy's ass."

This was a topic that was totally new to him. Life lessons and romancing people really weren't part of his education. "Like what?"

"Say something nice to them. Give them a gift. Stuff like that. I don't know, Jake! I'm a freakin' guardian of your Brand!"

Jacob chuckled and shrugged. "Sometimes, you seem a lot more than that."

Spectre didn't reply for a moment. Then the wolf's hackles rose. "Someone's coming."

Jacob removed his headphones form his ears to free himself from the white noise. Apart from the roaring of the winds around him, he did detect a faint... whooshing sound. It was oddly familiar. Glancing back, he noticed a small, black dot racing towards him.

Oh no...

"Pick it up, Spectre. We've got to make our ExIT."

"Hold on tight!"

Jacob hunkered against Spectre's back to make them more streamlined as the winged wolf zoomed across the skies, reaching near-supersonic speeds. Spectre could easily reach light-speed but without anything to protect him, Jacob was likely to get killed. Though, Jacob did wonder what would happen.

Daring a glance over his shoulder, he noted the black blob was getting bigger... and there were tints of gold against it.

Oh great...

"Better pick it up, Spectre. Looks like we've got the world's only flying monkey on our tails."

Spectre gave him a grim grin. "Winthrop's got nothing on me."

With an ear-splitting boom, Spectre shot off, the Ashlands fleeting beneath them in a black blur. A distant_boom_ followed them and Jacob felt his heart sink as Gale Winthrop gained on them still.

Damn... Doesn't look like we'll be able to lose him like this...

"Spectre, slow down."

"What!?"

"Slow down, bud. With me on your back, no way we can outrun him." His eyes narrowed. "Besides, if he was going to try and fight us, he wouldn't have come alone."

The winged wolf seemed dubious but conceded. "Alright... But be ready. MODD are known for their backstabbing... He's also a ninja so you have to be doubly careful"

Jacob summoned his blades, holding them tightly. He smirked slightly. "Think if I start dressing and talking like a pirate, I'll increase my chances of surviving?"

At first, Spectre didn't reply. "No. Your wits are sharp enough."

Gale slowly caught up. Having a Prime Elemental Seal had its advantages and the chimp was certainly putting them to good use. Jacob fought off the urge to fire a warning shot. Gale wasn't trying to stop them... No doubt, the power of the Seal of Fate's Winds could easily whip up a storm that would've hindered Spectre...

So either Gale wasn't well-versed in using his Seal...

... or there was something else he wanted.

Jacob seriously doubted it was the former. If he got his math right, Gale would have possessed his Seal for well over a decade. That was a long time and if he didn't know how to use most of his Seal by then, he was probably the worst Seal-bearer in the world.

Gale eventually caught up, the ExIT Commander hovering in the air simply suspended by his own power.

"Wow... I was sort of expecting you to unleash the powers of hell on me..." the chimp admitted.

"I'm not exactly the demonic wolf the media made me out to be," Jacob answered with a shrug. "More often than not, I've been used as propaganda against everything that's 'good' on the world. I heard I was actually going to make it into some religious text at one point." He glanced off to the side absently. "I wonder if I should get paid royalties for that..."

"Right..."

Gale seemed a little unnerved. It was hard to let go of the past especially when said past was filled with the same, monotonous mantra. Jacob could see the ExIT Commander was fighting hard not to lunge and fulfil what must have been nine years of hatred and revulsion.

"So... When can I expect to be arrested and executed?" Jacob asked absently. "For my last meal, I'd love a porterhouse steak with all the trimmings. We'll start off with an entree of seared buttered scallops with black truffles and for dessert let's go with -"

"Wait," Gale interrupted, holding up a hand. "I'm not here to arrest you, Jacob. I might actually have proof of your innocence."

The word 'might' didn't slip by.

"I take it's not as simple as you handing it over to MODD and everything being sunflowers and rainbows, huh?"

"It's pretty big, Jacob," Gale replied, that insecurity returning. "It deals with the head of ExIT. If we hand it over, MODD will back Balthazar. He may not have a Seal but he's got more influence than all the Elemental Lords combined. I can't risk surrendering my position in MODD. Not when Pollenburn is still at risk."

Jacob shrugged. "Then burn the evidence."

Gale balked in the air. "What!?"

Staring severely at the chimp, Jacob said, "You heard me. Destroy that evidence. However you got it, I bet Balthazar already knows and is sending his dogs to get you. Blame the whole incident on me and let me go. They'll go chasing me instead of you."

Wildwind stopped in midair, allowing Spectre to gain a few more metres before he quickly followed. "You'd do that...? Why...?"

Because what you're doing for Pollenburn is pretty noble... I'm not going to get in the way of that...

"Because I seriously can't be bothered with such bullshit as my 'innocence'. Whether or not I was innocent back then is irrelevant because right now, I'm guilty."

Which was true enough... The way Jacob saw it, he had committed atrocities across Rillotia. It didn't matter if what caused him to perform those atrocities was out of his hands. The fact was, he had committed them. The cause did not justify the end.

"But this could get you back into normal society!" Gale protested. "You can go back to living your life again!"

"Who wants to be normal?" Jacob scoffed. "And I have a life, thanks. Just because it's not the life everyone else lives, doesn't mean I have to change."

"Don't you want to at least get revenge on the bastard that ruined your life!?"

There was an instant where Jacob did consider that... He now had a name... and a title. All he really had to do was hunt the guy down and kill him. Hell, he could easily find a door and aim his destination as the ExIT Director's office and kill 'Balthazar' within seconds. It wouldn't be much of a hunt but there would be a degree of closure.

However...

"My life got ruined, yeah," he said. "But I made something of it. It's not much but I'm good with what I have."

"You're a fugitive with no home, no money, no friends, no family and no job. How can you be satisfied with that!?"

The conversation was getting wearisome. It was one of those exchanges he kept imagining some psychologist would talk him through, trying to convince him to change his ways because he didn't conform to society. Normally, he ended up getting the psychologist just to give up because he was beyond redemption.

Some part of him considered that, perhaps, the path to salvation lay in settling his past... but he had set aside those memories far behind him. He lost all anger at MODD - replaced with bitter sarcasm - and hatred for those that tried to use him. In truth, he understood them in a way. They wanted power and he was the source of that power. In their shoes, he probably would've done the same.

With a deep sigh, he said, "I don't know. Since you seem to have all the answers, why don't you tell me why I can be satisfied with being an outcast?"

...

Gale had no response.

"Thought so."

Spectre began pulling away from Gale again, slowly this time.

"What about your parents?" Wildwind began again. "Don't you think they at least deserve some sort of vengeance for what happened?"

"I don't think my parents would want me spending the rest of my life hunting down their murderers. If they did, then they clearly weren't the parents I knew and loved. Note the use of past tense."

"Are you telling me that you just go from town to town, forge some powerful connections and just sever them before moving on!?" Gale snarled. "They were right... You're a terrible person. No, you're much worse. You strike at people where they're weakest; at their hearts! You get close and then tear them a hole from which they could never recover!"

Yep... That's me in a nutshell...

Can't fill crushing emptiness in my own heart so I carve out pieces from other people's and stuff them into the never-ending black hole...

Jacob smirked and glanced over his shoulder. "So, are you going to be the big superhero that's going to stop me from turning the world into a graveyard of broken hearts? Or are you and I going to be archnemesis from now on? You can't deny you owe me one."

"I owe -?"

"If it weren't for me, you would never have known about Shana or Darren. Not to mention that I 'paid' for their medical expenses."

It was such a delightful little trap Jacob would've given an evil, maniacal laugh there and then if he wasn't sure Gale was going to throttle him. Truth be told, he was counting on Gale letting him go. Seriously, he had nothing on an Elemental Lord despite all his abilities. There wasn't even a door nearby he could escape through.

If worse came to worse, he prayed he had a pirate costume somewhere in his secret cache...

Gale's fists tightened... but he didn't attack.

Hiding a sigh of relief, Jacob turned away and nodded towards Spectre who began pulling away from Gale. Relief washed over them both as the situation eased and Jacob quietly vowed he would never get close to another high-ranking MODD agent again. He should've just taken the next door back to Albert's place at the mention of Pollenburn being Gale's Headquarters.

WHOOOSH!

Spectre balked in the air slightly and Jacob felt a slight stinging on his left cheek. Before his regeneration could kick in, he reached up and touched the small cut that had been inflicted there. Some part of him wondered if Gale had done that as a warning or he had genuinely missed.

Glancing over his shoulder, he noted that Gale had drawn that bladed bow of his.

"I can't allow you to escape, Jacob," Gale said grimly. "You just basically confessed to countless acts of evil. What few good deeds you did do will not free you from judgement! By my authority as a Commander of ExIT, I have to place you under arrest!"

That actually brought a small laugh to Jacob's lips as his small wound healed.

"Wow... I have an archnemesis."

"You have several," Spectre muttered dryly. "He's probably the only one you're actually going to fight."

Jacob shrugged. "True... So on that note, let me handle this?"

The winged wolf flinched. "You sure?"

Jacob smirked and rolled up his left sleeve, his Brand glowing slightly. "He still doesn't know what my Brand can do. At least I hope so..."

"If you need help, give me a shout."

"Sure."

Jacob let himself slide off Spectre, immediately hurtling towards the ground with his two swords primed for the attack. Grim satisfaction filled him when he saw Gale hesitated in midair for a good few seconds before he dove after. Winds were wailing past him as he streamlined his body and zoomed towards the ashen fields far below them. The large, blue coat that Shana had loaned him flew off his shoulders.

"Are you nuts!?" Gale shouted, zooming close to him.

CLANG!

Jacob struck Gale's weapon, sparks flying between them and disappearing as they drifted to the ground.

"You'd rather splatter yourself against the Ashlands than get captured!?" Gale cried.

He grinned at the ExIT Commander, pulling the trigger of Radiance and activating its ranged mode. "Hey, I'll be in a million pieces anyway after this battle. If I get to make it harder for you in any way, then hell yeah!"

He levelled his Light-based sword at Gale and pulled the trigger again, a beam of light shooting from the barrel of the blade and slamming hard into Gale's defences. The ExIT Commander was hurled back by the sheer force of the blast.

"You're completely crazy!"

Jacob unleashed a barrage of slices with Requiem, blades of intense sound shooting from his slashes and streaming towards Gale. "Never claimed I was otherwise!"

Wildwind countered by unleashing a barrage of those golden wind-based blades. Where the two types of energies met, loud blasts of wind erupted, spewing forth a burst of twisting golden energies that pushed both combatants further apart.

Let's see... From what I remember of Gale, he's a ranged combatant.

Gotta get in close!

But first...

The ground was rapidly streaming towards him. Jacob quickly turned towards the rapidly approaching Ashlands and swung Requiem, unleashing a super-intense blast of sonic energy. The burst slammed into the ashen planes, brushing the thick coating of black ash aside and with the countering force blasting back up against him and easing his descent. He landed softly on his feet in a patch of green grass.

For the briefest of moments, he wondered how such a lush patch of grass could even exist without the sun but that was pushed aside as Gale descended several metres away from him, the winds swirling up around the ExIT Commander and easing his descent much like how Jacob had stalled his own.

"You know you're making it worse by resisting arrest!"

Jacob struck a cocky pose and shrugged. "What are they going to do? Add a couple more volts to the million they're already hoping to fry my brains with?" He winked at Gale and struck his usual battle stance - Radiance pointed forward towards the ground and Requiem pressed against his back. "And remember, that's a steak for my last mean."

He spoke with a confidence he didn't feel but he was never one to doubt himself. If anything, he was driven. Screwed up and mentally unstable, maybe but certainly determined. Letting doubt into his heart was never something he did often and when he did open the gates to let that creepy, little mischief-maker in, it was only to either give the pest a quick boot to the trash compactor or to fry its mutilated carcass on a spit.

No... He didn't doubt the battle.

There was a slim chance he would actually win but he wasn't holding out for that.

I'm probably not going to win this...

... but hey, all the antagonists at the end of every video game are programmed_to lose but that doesn't mean they don't put up one hell of a fight!_

Gale lifted his bladed-bow and pulled at the invisible string, summoning a swirling arrow of golden lights. "Last chance, Jacob! Surrender peacefully and I'll get you the best lawyer out there!"

Hmmm...

Jacob loosened his grip on Radiance. "Maybe you're right... I am tired of running..." The golden arrow slowly dissipated and Gale relaxed. "Here, catch." He threw Radiance at Gale in a completely non-threatening manner. Nice and loose. It would probably just clatter to the floor at Wildwind's feet.

Gale's eyes flicked to the sword.

Gotcha.

"Hey Gale!"

In the instant before Gale's eyes flicked back to Jacob, the wolf surged forward at supersonic speeds, swinging Requiem. The silvery blade sliced right across Gale's left cheek, making only a small, superficial cut but enough to draw blood. Gale's green eyes were wide in shock as Jacob grinned at him.

"Other paw," Jacob finished. Lightning-fast, he snatched Radiance as it flung towards him and spun completely around, swinging both blades at the chimp. Gale barely managed to bring up his bladed-bow up in defence and even then, Jacob's strikes were fast, hard and had caught him completely off-guard. Gale staggered back with each blow.

Jacob swung both his swords downwards, driving Gale's weapon into the ground. He spun and sent a powerful kick into Gale's chest, sending the chimp sprawling into the black ash. There was no grass around him and Jacob wondered if the ash was just that much thicker where they were fighting.

With the gap closed between them, Jacob pressed his advantage and lunged forward, swinging his blades in fast, intricate slashes. Gale's weapon suddenly collapsed unto itself, the bladed edges of the bow folding towards one another to form a double-bladed sword.

CLANG!

"Don't think I'm that easy to read!" Gale snarled through clenched teeth. "And I have an 'other paw' too!" With his free hand, Gale reached into his MODD coat, grasping the hilt of a blade Jacob never noticed before.

Neat.

Gale flung the blade out, a short oriental blade that looked like a wakizashi.

"Breeze Counter!"

Jacob immediately disengaged as the long, thin, curved blade swung out towards him. His heart gave a leap of fright as one of Gale's blades of wind surged out of the wakizashi's path and hurled straight towards him. Time seemed to slow as the golden crescent sliced through the black ash, drawing closer with each millisecond that passed as he was still in midair, caught as he leapt back from disengaging. Plenty of time to think.

He spun Requiem around so he held it in a forward grip and crossed both his blades in front of him, pulling their respective triggers. The wind blade slammed against his guard, shaking him from head to toe and hurling him back ten metres more, his feet, skidding across the ground.

A bit of numbness was emanating from his paws but he shook it off and flipped Requiem back to its normal reversed grip.

"Why are you even doing this!?" Gale bellowed, sheathing his wakizashi again. "I understand why you would try to escape MODD but why do you have to help people only to leave them!? Don't ties of friendship and family mean anything to you!?"

They do...

You think it's easy leaving people behind?

Jacob took pains to make sure anyone who crossed paths with him never followed the same path he had taken... It was why he never once mentioned Taylor or the others to Gale... It was why he surrendered instead of fought the first time they me.

If it became obvious he had ties to others... Then MODD would go after them too...

"It's our nature to find connections with one another whether we like it or not," Jacob replied with that same, cocky coldness he had adopted so often. "Some people do it just for the companionship. Others because they just can't help it. We all bind to one another whether we like it or not. I don't want those connections but since I have them anyway, I might as well use them."

Gale reached into his coat, pulling out several diamond-shaped knives - kunai, if Jacob wasn't mistaken. "You use people!? Are you telling me you just used Shana!? Used Darren!?"

How quickly you forget I stole for them...

"Yeah. MODD was hyperactive after the attack on the train. I needed somewhere to stay low. Shana offered. I took it."

"You're despicable!"

Gale threw the kunai straight at Jacob, the knives empowered with the power of the winds. Each one looked like a miniature tornado turned on its side as they picked up more momentum around them and zoomed across the ashen fields, turning their ghostly drill-like cones into black spears.

Jacob quickly spun Radiance in his hand and levelled it at the oncoming projectiles. He fired a beam at each, the lasers instantly burning through the knives and hurtling towards Gale. The ExIT Commander leapt out of the way -

CLANG!

Radiance_slammed right into Gale's weapon, Jacob crossing the field between them just as fast as before. Gale immediately reached for his wakizashi and lashed out in a counter attack. Jacob drove Gale's main weapon to the ground and somersaulted over the chimp, spinning in the air and lashing out with _Requiem.

BOOOM!

A tremendous sonic shockwave send ash in all directions and Gale crashing to the ground.

That confidence was starting to become justified.

Heh... I guess I've got speed over him.

Gale snarled and propped himself to his hands and feet. "I can't believe you'd use anyone like that... Did it ever occur to you that Shana or Darren might have cared about you?"

They probably do in a weird, detached sort of way.

They're people who have taken it upon themselves to take care of other people...

... I bet they care a lot for those they look after especially after all they'd lost and since they take care of small groups at a time.

"Yep," Jacob answered dismissively. "But that's their fault. They forged a connection with me. I didn't reciprocate the emotion."

"You're a monster!" Gale flung around, his bladed-bow unfurling again back into its full ranged-form. He pulled at the invisible bowstring and unleashed a quick arrow. Jacob easily sidestepped the projectile -

WHOOSH!

... and was instantly thrown backwards by the following_delayed_ blast of sharp winds. He felt many cuts slice through his clothes and fur, filling him with a multitude of tiny stings. Grunting, he leapt to his feet just in time to see Gale shoot another arrow.

Jacob pulled out all his speed and bolted away. Gale's delayed wind-blasts were strong and he couldn't afford to get hit again. Unfortunately, Gale was a deadly shot. One arrow shot right past Jacob's nose - mere nanometres - away and he was hit by the wind-blast, sending him hurtling to the ground. Jacob drove his swords into the ashen planes to stabilise himself and quickly flung around, shooting a laser from Radiance towards Gale before continuing his flight.

Gale began running parallel to him, the two of them speeding across the Ashlands trying to pin one another with a good shot. Lasers and arrows - followed by wind blasts - were exchanged between them.

Suddenly, Gale pulled out three individual arrows.

Hey! No fair!

The three arrows shot at him.

Thinking fast, Jacob levelled Radiance towards the ground and pulled the trigger -

WHOOSH!

He shot into the air, barely dodging the barrage of wind-blasts.

His left shoe was actually torn asunder and his foot cut multiple times.

It had been that close.

Jacob froze.

Gale was suddenly level with him, their eyes locked.

"Bad idea to jump into the air when fighting the master of the winds," Gale snarled. "Breath Control." The chimp exhaled and Jacob instinctively inhaled. Golden winds swept out from the chip's lips and dove down Jacob's muzzle.

Suddenly, all of Jacob's limbs locked up.

He found himself unable to move!

CRAP!

WHAM!

He hit the ground hard... with every part of his body frozen.

Gale landed softly beside him. Jacob couldn't even move his eyes to look up at the guy!

"One of my better techniques," Gale snarled darkly. "You're lucky I'm not an executioner. My other technique, Death's Breath, allows me to instantly kill someone through their breath."

Dang... I lose...

Strangely, Jacob didn't feel at all disappointed... Well, maybe a little. He had expected there to be a lot more wounds, a lot more heated words and maybe a flashy explosion or two. That would've been quite epic.

Oh well...

Guess that ends my story...

Gale raised his foot. "Goodnight, Jacob Reaper."

WHAM!

... all went black.

*****

For someone who carried around a broken pocket watch that said, 'One day, we shall all die', Jacob was a little confused over his own demise. He had envisioned some sort of fiery pit of hell where all the people he had tormented would come up to him and take their turns inflicting bodily harm on him while he was bound down by burning meat hooks attached to all portions of his body.

And yet...

... here he was standing on a plane of wild flowers that must have been what Bloomcrest looked like before it all went to hell...

Oh wait...

"I get it," he said, crossing his arms firmly. "This is one of those 'Hells of Ironic Punishment', isn't it? Where you guys torture the bad guy with scenes of happiness, rainbows and ponies."

"Who are you talking to?"

Jacob forced down his cry of shock and turned to his right where Gale Winthrop stood.

Oh great... So he's going to be tormentor, huh?

I get it... So we'll steadily go back through my past with everyone I've affected torturing me slowly...

Poetic.

"Let's get this over with," he sighed. "Eternity is a long time and honestly, I can't be bothered with pillow talk."

"What!?" the chimp exclaimed, raising his hands in surrender. "Whoa dude, we just met and I definitely don't swing that way."

Jacob raised an eyebrow and stared at Gale... or... rather... it wasn't Gale. This chimp was a little scruffier than Gale... Skinnier. Gale looked quite fit and more than able to fend for himself. This chimp looked quite lean but nowhere near as built as the athletic Wildwind. Appeared younger as well...

A younger version of him...?

Not sure I affected Gale somehow when he was younger...

... Unless I'm actually the one that started the Pollenburn Plague...

Though I don't know how since I wasn't born then...

"Um... Okay..." he began hesitantly. "Can I get your name?"

The chimp smiled, showing crooked teeth that Gale definitely didn't have. The Ninja of the Seven Winds looked like he had braces at one point. "My name is Danny! Danny Winthrop!"

"Winthrop?" Jacob repeated, hiding his surprise as well as any other time he had lied through his teeth. Though all things considered, he wondered just how much worse he was making his stay in Hell by lying. His tab was probably already really monumental. "Any relation to Gale Winthrop?"

"He's my little brother!"

Wow... Gale's big brother is in Hell...

... with me...

Wait...

"Didn't you die in the Pollenburn Plague...?"

Danny blinked at him in surprise. "The what?"

Jacob was officially confused. If this was indeed Hell, then it only stood to reason that the person know exactly why they were suffering. Unless that was part of the torture... not knowing why you were suffering. In retrospect, Jacob had no idea why he was in these planes of flowers either so it could be that kind of Hell...

"Never mind," he said hastily. "Erm... How long have you been here? And where's your brother?"

Danny shrugged. "Don't really know. We were playing hide and seek for a while. I just lost track of time."

"Right... And... where are we exactly?"

Jacob half-expected Danny to suddenly sprout horns, a pair of webbed wings, gain a fiery-halo and the world to explode in a devastating conflagration of fire... the other half expected the chimp to grin at him with thorny vines erupting from all over his body, reaching out to consume Jacob.

Both scenarios ended with Danny saying, 'You're in hell!'

"We're in the Flower Planes of Bloomcrest. Duh. Where have you been living? Under a rock?"

Jacob scratched the back of his neck. "Apparently so..."

"You're really very strange..."

"I get that a lot..." Jacob turned fully towards his odd companion. "Hey, quick question: has there ever been anyone here apart from myself?"

"Oh yeah! There's Zack!"

"Who?"

Someone tapped Jacob's shoulder and he turned to see who his newest visitor was.

Despite having expected to be in some sort of Hell, Jacob was still horrified at the sight of the seven-foot tall, muscular, snow-white wolf who was standing right there beside him with a big, wolfish grin. He had to mentally press defibrillators to his heart to restart it. The guy was huge... but not at all demonic. Quite welcoming actually. He possessed jet-black hair with a golden forelock and a pair of bright, sapphire-blue eyes that seemed all too familiar. The guy was also dressed in white and gold armour from head to toe. There was also a pair of jet-black wings sprouting from his back.

He kind of looked like Spectre only bipedal.

"Hi!" the creature said, holding out a paw. "I'm Zack!"

Jacob took the paw gingerly and prayed his paw wouldn't get crushed. Zack's grip was strong but not at all that threatening. "Hi... Do I know you?"

Zack stared at him curiously. "Sorry?"

"Nothing."

Zack let go of his paw and ruffled Jacob's hair, something Jacob hated and growled at. He swatted the angel's paw away -

He froze.

Wait...

... 'angel'...

Jacob leapt back in horror, almost knocking over the smaller Danny. "Oh my god!? Are you telling I actually made it to Heaven!? Me!? The Reaper!?"

Zack threw back his head and laughed, a cheerful, tenor note that belied his build. "Oh no, you're just unconscious! You're far from dead!"

Shaking his head in confusion, Jacob glanced from Danny to Zack. "What? But then... What the hell is all this?"

Zack turned to Danny with a bright smile. "Say, don't you think it's about time that you kept looking for your brother, Danny? I'm sure he misses you."

Danny broke into a smile and nodded. "Hey, yeah!" He waved at Jacob and Zack. "See you two later!" The chimpanzee ran off, bolting towards the distance.

Jacob waved back, a little puzzled. "I am officially lost..."

"I'll say." Zack was suddenly holding a baseball bat in his hand. "Trust me, things get a lot weirder later on." He turned to Jacob with a smile. It was full on cheer and happiness. Jacob didn't like it. "Anyway, I can't tell you how to live your life but you got to know that Gale did have a brother. He died because of the Pollenburn Plague. One of the first victims actually. The two were playing hide and seek. When Gale turned around, he found his brother lying face flat in the flowers, bleeding from his eyes, ears and mouth, the plague taking root. Gale dragged hid dying brother all the way home and by the time he got there, Danny was long dead."

"So I am dead..." Jacob whimpered, his ears flattening against his head. "And I am in Heaven..."

"Why does the idea of being in Heaven make you so depressed?"

"Because I don't deserve to be here!" Jacob shouted, throwing his paws into the air in aggravation. He flung around, letting his frustration fly out. "I've murdered, stolen, lied and cheated! Are you telling me that despite all that, I deserve to be here!?"

"Well... that really all depends. Do you think you do?"

"Of course not!"

"So what are you going to do about it?"

Jacob narrowed his gaze at the distance, his back still turned to Zack. "You know what? I'm going to find those goddamn Pearly Gates, march straight past whoever is guarding it and throw myself down into the fiery pits of Hell where I belong."

"Great. Now hold still."

"Huh?"

Jacob turned around...

... just as the baseball bat came flying at him.

WHAM!

*****

Jacob started awake. His heart was pumping in his chest and the smell of wildflowers were still in his nostrils before it was taken over by the stink of his sweat and that 'wet dog' smell he got from being canine and sweating.

He was lying naked on a bed... from all appearances... his bed... the one he used when he was staying in Shana's farm...

What the...?

"Hey! You're finally awake!"

Jacob glanced towards the windowsill where Spectre was resting, tail wagging excitedly. "Umm... Yeah... I suppose... where am I...?"

"The McLeod Farm."

"Huh? Shouldn't I be dead somewhere? Or maybe in a prison cell awaiting execution?"

"You're such a drama queen,"_Spectre said, waving a paw at him and gliding over. The Animus wrapped himself around Jacob's neck like he always did. _"Gale took you back here. I guess he has other plans than turning you over to MODD."

"Not if I can help it," he growled, swiping the quilt and wrapping it around him.

Gale didn't know about his ability to teleport using doors. With so many doors around, it would be easy to escape and just make his way over to Albert's place.

"Erm... Don't you think you should at least say goodbye?"

"What?" he snapped.

"Seriously... Taylor is someone special to you, right? I mean, it may not be as a 'boyfriend' or a 'mate' or anything... but he is_special, right? He's your first. Don't you think you should_ at least_tell him you're leaving...?"_

Jacob was tempted to just find some paper and scribble down a note... but that would be just as bad as breaking up with Taylor - not that they were boyfriends - via a text message. It was cowardly and dishonourable. Ironic that despite all he had done, he couldn't bring himself to leave Taylor in the most distant and cruel fashion.

Plus there was the idea of Gale's brother...

He just got the feeling that he was supposed to use that information somehow...

"Okay," he muttered. "Let me find some clothes first and then I'll go tell Taylor I'm leaving..." He headed for the door of the cabin. "Stupid guilty conscience."

Spectre just grinned at him.

Before he could reach the door, however, it suddenly flung open.

Christy and Kerry were standing there with a pile of clothing in their paws.

"Oh dear lord!" Kerry exclaimed, averting her eyes. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry." She was obviously blushing.

"Yeah... So am I..." Jacob muttered.

There goes my escape plan.

For some reason, seeing the predatory grin on Christy's made a sinking sense of despair flood straight into him; one that banished all hopes of ever leaving this place.

"You're up!" Christy shouted, immediately running inside. "Great! Now you can try on your new outfit!"

"My what?"

The swan seized his arm and pulled him back towards the bedroom where she promptly pushed him to his bed and unfurled the clothing she had in her arms. It was a white coat of some sort with black markings on it. Jacob noted that the markings in particular appeared to be just like his Brand. There were three designs, one on each of the arms and one on the back. The one on his arms was almost like his brand but had a silhouette of a wolf dancing around it. The one on the back was a larger version but had two wolves instead of one.

"Your other clothes were pretty beat up after you and Gale fought," Christ said, urging Kerry inside. The doe still averted her eyes, blushing profusely under her russet fur. "I figured that since you'll be needing new clothing anyway, I might as well make them for you!"

Make them...?

Jacob regarded the attire... it all looked quite expensive and... and very fashionable. "You made these...? How much did it cost? How long did it take?"

Christy winked at him. "You got your three swords, I've got my needle."

"I only have two swords."

She reached over and seized his groin, freezing him in shock. "Not by my count."

_"You walked straight into that one,"_Spectre snickered.

Shut up you.

"Now get up and try these on," Christy said, taking the clothes from Kerry.

"Fine. Let me just take these to the bathroom -"

"No. You stay here and put them on."

"What?" Jacob protested. "Look, I know you've got sex on the brain but -"

She placed a delicate finger against his muzzle. "I'm dead serious about my clothing, Jacob. I want to be a professional fashion designer. I can't do that if I'm flirting with all the models. Besides, there'll be plenty of time for hormones later. Put them on."

Sighing, Jacob proceeding to cover up his naked body. He was grateful Christy had opted to give him boxer shorts instead of briefs - he liked the extra room. The attire was quite comfortable. He had a nice, blue shirt with a hood - not quite a hoodie - with the design of two crossed blades arrayed with spread wings on his chest. Not that it really mattered because the floor-length white coat was securely closed across the chest by a pair of black, leather belts that crossed his chest in an 'X' shape, hiding his shirt. The ends of the coat were left to flap at his feet so that his mobility wasn't hindered. A pair of black cargo pants concealed his legs but they were those cut-off versions where he could easily remove the lower half to make them three-quarter shorts. White flames were drawn onto the pants for design. A new pair of red, yellow and white sneakers were waiting for him as well. They were strap-sneakers so they didn't need to be tied down.

As a finishing touch, she gave him a black side-back that hung on his hip with two long belt straps that billowed whenever he moved along with his coat. The hood of his shirt hung over his coat so he could pull it over his features if needed. It was deep enough that it would almost be impossible to see his face completely.

"Wow... These aren't bad," Jacob said, running his paw over the fabric. "I thought it'd be hot under here with all the layers and my fur but it's surprisingly cool..."

"That's because that's not actually cloth or wool!" Christy replied cheerily. "Hold out your arms to your sides." He did as he was instructed. "It's actually mythril-V5."

Jacob glanced at her in surprise as she examined the space around his armpits, making sure they weren't too tight. "What? Where'd you get stuff like that!?"

Mythril-V5 was, as its name suggested, the fifth version of the synthetic material, mythril. In its normal state - V1 - mythril was a light, luminescent, white metal that was lighter than steel but much tougher. V2 saw it sacrifice sturdiness for weightlessness and flexibility, almost becoming like rubber. V3 saw it to be stronger but heavier and almost like leather. V4 was a full-on metal armour that was one of the toughest materials in the world - nearly unbreakable, heatproof, laser-proof, freeze-proof and waterproof - but it was as heavy as any other material. V5 was the latest development. It had the same consistency and weight as cloth but was highly resistant - not as much as real metal but still very resistant - fireproof, laser-resistant, freeze-proof, waterproof and as an added ability, it could absorb electrical currents and repair itself.

Needless to say, mythril-V5 was very hard to procure.

"Gale told me to make you some new clothes and he said he'd give me anything. I never worked with metal before so I decided, why not!"

"Gale?"

Kerry, who was clearly relieved Jacob was wearing clothing again, said, "Yes. He brought you back here after your battle with him."

Oh... I see...

"Is there an army of MODD troops waiting out there for me as well as a whole bunch of media monkeys?"

The doe seemed a little shocked at his bitterness. "No. Actually, he said something along the lines of enlisting your help."

Jacob spun around, whacking Christy across the face with the tails of his side-pack. "Oh no! I am a lot of things but I am not a MODD grunt!" He grabbed his clothes and began tearing them off. "You can tell him that he can take this goddamn costume and -"

"And what, Jacob?"

All eyes turned to the window above Jacob's bed. Gale was leaning against it, a confident smirk on his face.

"Run halfway across the country, unable to escape Rillotia naked?"

"I can find clothes," Jacob growled.

"Right..." Gale answered, rolling his eyes. "As much as I'd love to see that, I brought you back here instead of Skystorm Tower because I've had a lot of time to think about what you said and I believe you when you say you bear no grudges against MODD and what they did to you."

"Great. Did you want a hug?" he muttered sarcastically.

"But," Gale continued, ignoring his comment, "I don't believe you when you say you don't have feelings for the people you've made connections with. I think you do care. You're just too stubborn to admit it."

"Oooh! Busted!"

I'll bust you!

"That doesn't even make sense..."

"So here's the deal," Wildwind said. "While you may not want to go after Balthazar, I do. What he did was wrong and there's no telling what else he has up his sleeve. Clearly, you've got powers. A hell of a lot of it. I also heard from Christy and the others that you were able to break a Lock Seal. I believe your Brand has a lot of potential and I also believe that Balthazar will come after you. What I hope is that you'll help me bring him down."

"By using me as bait," Jacob finished, one eyebrow raised.

"In essence, yes." With a bit of embarrassment, Gale bobbed his head from side to side. "You're what Balthazar wants. He's gone to extensive lengths to get your power and silence anyone involved. We need to use that against him. If we can gather enough evidence of the lengths he'll go to get you, we can get him out of MODD. Not everyone in MODD is a tyrannical dictator, you know."

...

Heh... I think I'm starting to believe that...

"No. The rest of them are either dumb idiotic grunts or manipulative, blackmailing bastards like you."

"Then you'd feel right at home with us since you're a manipulative, blackmailing bastard too."

Spectre laughed. "Oooooh! Burned!"

Quiet!

"Touché..." Jacob grumbled. "And what's stopping me from just leaving, huh? I've avoided MODD for all these years and better men have gotten a lot closer to catching me than you."

"I know," Gale answered, that cocky grin returning. Jacob felt like he was completely cornered now. "That's why I'm offering you an incentive to help me."

His eyes narrowed. "What?"

"Balthazar is really your one and only tie holding you here in Rillotia. There are plenty of other countries out there that MODD doesn't have a foot in. If you help me oust Balthazar, that will be the last thing holding you here. I can get your name cleared and I can give you a nice, free pass out of Rillotia to anywhere you want."

Anywhere I want...?

Jacob couldn't honestly think of anyplace he wanted to go... He just wanted to be 'away from Rillotia'... He never could get out, however, considering how MODD had such a tight stranglehold on all transport in and out of the country... but with Gale's help...

"I don't suppose the other side of the universe is an option, is it?"

Gale chuckled. "I'll try my best."

You'd think someone capable of manipulating one of the primary elements of all existence would be capable of displacing you on the other side of one universe... but I guess not...

A strange sensation was filling him... it was one he hadn't felt in a long time. A sense of stability and a goal... a destination that he could definitely see. It wasn't just one town or city... It was a job he had to do... Something he had to accomplish and at the end of it was a substantial reward.

Hope...

Wow... so this is what it feels like to have hope...

"Then I guess you have a deal."

Christy let out a high-pitched squeal and threw her arms around Jacob, hugging him tightly and flailing her legs excitedly.

"Why are you so excited?" Jacob muttered.

She pulled away, giving him the widest grin he had ever seen. "Because this means you'll be going around fighting bad guys in my designs! Oooh! Think of the exposure!" She glanced away, making a waving gesture with her left hand. "Jacob Reaper, Hero of Rillotia, dressed in an original Christine von Krueger!"

'Hero of Rillotia'...? Eew...

"I think it's cute."

"You do realise there's a high likelihood of your costumes getting destroyed, right?"

"Then that just makes it better!" Christy replied, squealing like a little girl - which, in many ways, she was. "That means you'll keep coming to me to get a new outfit! You'll be like a living billboard for me!"

"You must be kidding. What's stopping me from finding another designer?"

For some reason, despite being a swan, Christy could pull off the puppy-dog pout surprisingly well. It was a little creepy. Especially how that look was actually getting to Jacob.

Gah!

He immediately turned away... but found himself staring at Kerry instead who was giving him the 'Sparkly-Eyed Doe Stare'. The kind of with big, shining eyes that somehow brought up images of flowers, twittering birds and dazzling butterflies.

Double-gah!

He flung away -

... and instead found Gale giving him the puppy-dog pout...

How does that even work!?

"Come on! None of you are even canine!" he cried incredulously.

Spectre was rolling on his shoulder laughing before falling over the edge and hitting the ground hard. Despite the small, winged-wolf's painful moans, he was still snickering.

"I can't believe any of you!?" he shouted. "Don't any of you care that I'm probably going to put the greatest demon in Hell to shame!?"

The trio exchanged glances... then turned to him and shook their heads at the same time.

"Nope," they answered in unison.

I'm surrounded by people who are crazier than I am...

"You know what?" he muttered, regarding Gale. "The sooner we get Balthazar, the better. What's our first step?"

"Get some rest," the ExIT Commander instructed. "You've only been out for a couple of hours and there's still a lot to be done before we can move on Balthazar. We can't go in charging head on. We have to get the people on our side first. I know it kills you but we have to get most of MODD on our side."

Jacob rolled his eyes. "Great... For some reason I'm not comforted by that..." Sighing, he sat back down on his bed and crossed his arms. "Okay... I guess I'll sit still for a while." A thought crossed his mind. "Since I'm here anyway and since everyone knows I might as well have a Seal, I'll see what I can do to improve this farm. Maybe help Shana out so she can get back on her feet easily before Darren gets out of his little coma."

Gale's expression brightened. "That's a great idea! Exactly what does your Brand allow you to do anyway?"

Smirking, Jacob leapt back onto his feet and turned to leave the cabin. "You're just going to have to find out, monkey-boy."

As he left the cabin, he found Taylor, Joanna and Max hard at work in the fields. It was late in the day and all they were really doing was picking any ripe fruit from the orchards or checking the crops for degradation. Jacob made a beeline for Taylor but stopped when his left arm began to itch.

"Something the matter?" Gale asked, coming to stand beside him.

His eyes were drawn towards the farm entrance where two figures were making their way casually towards the farmhouse. Even if Gale possessed a Prime Elemental Seal, he held it in check and didn't let the powers of the Seal permeate the very air around him. Even with a good three hundred metres between them, Jacob could sense the power of the Seals coming from those two figures.

"One thing my Brand can do," he explained softly, "is sense the presence of Seals when they're active." He jerked his chin towards the approaching figures. "Whoever they are, they're either flaunting their Seals, using them right now or their Synch-Rate with their Seals is so low it's about to consume them."

Gale narrowed and shaded his eyes to get a better look at the silhouettes who were female... at least Jacob thought they were female. One of them seemed too wide to tell from their distance and the other one looked like she had a really big head. "Oh no... Not those two."

"You know them?"

"Dorothy and Caroline Boswin," Wildwind answered grimly. "Winston Boswin's daughters."

"Oh... So that explains why they look so fat from this distance..."

Gale actually chuckled at that and gave him a light nudge. "Be nice..."

"Why? From the sounds of it, they aren't."

"Trust me, they aren't."

It was a bit of a surprise seeing such venom in Gale's words. Jacob had taken the man to only use venom against people who were breaking the law and even then, he spoke with contained venom. Whoever these two were, they had done something to seriously piss off The Ninja of the Seven Winds.

"So what did they do to get your tail in a knot?" he asked casually. The two were about two hundred metres away making it evident that the one with the 'big head' actually just had a parasol.

"The Boswins were one of the people who survived the Pollenburn Plague relatively unscathed. Lillia Boswin died from the Plague, however."

Jacob gave the chimpanzee an incredulous look. "That's 'relatively unscathed'?"

"She was Winston Boswin's wife and it was no tragic loss. She was a big a pig as he is."

Okay... ouch...

Jacob mentally changed the word 'venom' to 'molten lava' because the hatred in Gale's words were seriously making him feel very uncomfortable. Considering how Gale did just beat him, he was a little wary of being around the ExIT Commander.

What I wouldn't give for the power to teleport at will without using a goddamn door...

"Before the plague, they were already trying to buy out other farms and force people to work for next to nothing," Gale growled. "They were even getting poor families to live in shacks on other people's farms, pay rent, work for the farmers and expect them to attend their stupid 'galas' in their enormous mansion-like farmhouse. They claim it's so that they can bring 'equality' to everyone but really it was just so that they could laugh at those 'below them'."

Jacob crossed his arms and gave Gale an expectant look. Even if the chimpanzee wasn't looking at him, it was obvious Gale was aware of the smug look he was wearing. It was one of those, 'You're just as bad as me, aren't you?' looks.

No doubt the instant Gale rose to the rank of ExIT Commander, he couldn't wait to rub his success into the faces of the Boswins. It didn't take a genius to see where Gale was going with his story. Before the plague struck, Gale Winthrop was a poor little farm boy who was under the Boswins' thumbs. Seeing Danny Winthrop was evidence enough of that.

Gale refused to succumb to Jacob's smug stare and merely continuing narrating his tale.

"When the Pollenburn Plague hit, the Boswins bought their way out of quarantine. Didn't matter that they might have been infected. They left everyone else to either die by the plague or to burn. It didn't matter if those people were once 'friends' or 'family'. They just left them to their fates and started rebuilding again. They've been trying to take over Pollenburn again just like they used to but Shana is the only one who stands in their way of total agricultural domination."

"Thanks to you, no doubt," Jacob said with a growing grin. "Been supporting Shana from the sidelines?"

Gale bristled and lowered his voice as the two Boswins came within a hundred metres. "I've only been supporting my family. Shana and Darren took me in when I had no one else. If that somehow keeps them aloft of the Boswins, then so much the better but I did it to help them not to beat the Boswins."

"Sure and people buy video games for the educational merit and not the blood and gore."

Any further conversation was cut off as the Boswins came within earshot range. Jacob could get a good look at them and he had to admit, they looked just as slimy and underhanded as their father.

One of them was rather large with about two or three inches over Jacob with immensely broad shoulders and a rounded body that was half-muscle and half-fat. There was as excessive amount of makeup on her face and she was dressed in a long, green and white frilled dress that was in no way suited for travelling in the ashen planes of Pollenburn. She wasn't the one bearing the parasol.

Her smaller, skinnier sister was the one with the parasol and a big, white bonnet. Jacob briefly wondered if the woman's extremely slim figure was because of a corset but it seemed quite natural that the swine actually had that figure. Like her sister, she was dressed in an expensive dress that was almost a match for her sisters but had a big, bright, blue bow that was tied against the small of her back. Despite the fading sunlight, she still twirled that parasol in her fingers.

The closer they got, the more agitated Jacob's Brand became to the point when it was almost burning slightly. Spectre was also extremely agitated, standing on Jacob's shoulder, tail out straight, hackles raised and lips pulled back in a feral snarl.

"You know what Seals they have?" Jacob asked quickly and softly before the two were fully within range of conversation.

"Dorothy, the big one, has the Deadwind Seal and Caroline, the smaller one, has the Frigid Draft Seal. Dorothy uses the Deadwind Seal to bring their crops more sunlight and Caroline uses hers to protect their crowds from cold weather. Both are subsets of their father's Seal, the Gust of Prosperity Seal."

"Good to know."

They both immediately fell silent when the two came within two metres of them, both girls were grinning - and expression that sent chills down Jacob's spine.

"Good afternoon to you, Lord Winthrop," Caroline said in an extremely high-pitched squeal that Jacob likened to claws running down a chalkboard. She even did a little courtesy. Dorothy gave a deep, idiotic guffaw and followed suit. Caroline's beady, dark brown eyes flicked to Jacob and her smile faded a little. "And you must be that Joshua fellow my father told us about. The distant relation to Mrs. Shana McLeod."

Oh right...

"No. That's someone else," Jacob replied before Gale could voice his confusion. "My name is Jacob Reaper."

Caroline's eyes sparked with interest. Whether it was because she recognised him or just some deep ambition, Jacob wasn't sure. Whatever it was, she kept it to herself as her grin broadened again and she turned to Gale.

"Is Mrs. McLeod home? We would like to offer our condolences about what happened to poor Darren lately." Despite the fact she tried to sound sincere, the big grin on her face betrayed her. She wasn't there to offer her condolences.

"She's resting right now," Gale replied gruffly. "She's been by Darren's side all day and only recently got home. I'm afraid I can't let you see her."

"That's a pity," Caroline said, making a mocking pout. "But it's understandable. Do tell her that if she had any problems with paying for the bills required to see her son back to full health, we of the Boswins are more than happy to shoulder the costs. Naturally, we will expect the money returned but we can work out a payment plan."

"A long-term payment plan..." Dorothy chuckled.

Jacob clenched his fists, resisting the urge to drive that parasol right up Caroline's ass before cooking her on a spit and force-feeding her carcass to the already large Dorothy before killing her gruesomely too. Instead, he grinned in return and folded his arms across his chest smugly.

"No need to worry about that. Shana recently found some extra money lying around. More than enough to pay for Darren's recuperation."

Caroline raised one meticulously maintained eyebrow. A stark contrast to Dorothy's huge caterpillar of a monobrow. "Is that so? I find it hard to believe that agents of MODD would just willingly give to the needy. Has some charity been formed for farmers who have recently come into financial troubles? It would be unfair of you, Lord Winthrop, to show favouritism to one particular farm."

Jacob saw Gale's left cheek twitch in agitation. His own blood boiled as he realised what Caroline was hinting to and why Gale had been unable to support the McLeod's openly. If he did so, then it would show that favouritism that Caroline mentioned and thus bring his status into question. How could an ExIT Commander be taken seriously when he was doing favours for people? It was like a judge offering leniency to a criminal because the two were somehow related. It irked Jacob that Caroline had somehow turned the tables on them and no doubt was going to mention their recent loss of money to get compensation from Gale.

"It saddens me to report that we recently lost quite a lot of funds ourselves," the Boswin said, making an exaggerated sigh. "It has left us quite crippled..."

"Nothing you can't handle, I'm sure," Gale murmured, trying to force down a growl.

"Oh, of course. We Boswins will always get back on our feet. However, the other poor farmers under our care... unfortunately, they may suffer because we will simply be unable to support them."

"That bitch!"

Jacob had to agree. Caroline was practically threatening Gale to hand the Boswins more money or the other farmers would suffer!

Gale barely contained his frustration. "We'll -"

An idea hit Jacob.

"... take them off your hands."

The Boswins and Gale stared at him in shock.

"I beg your pardon?" Caroline exclaimed incredulously.

Jacob was slowly starting to grin as his mind was working fast. "If Boswins are having trouble keeping so many people under their employ, then the State Temporary Farmer's Union is willing to take charge of them and their property. Naturally we'll pay you for their contracts but we'll ensure that they continue to maintain their livelihood and keep up with the demand for the resources they provide to the rest of the country."

"What are you doing?"

Trust me.

Caroline looked mortified. "The 'State Temporary Farmer's Union'?"

"Yes," Jacob replied, grinning broadly now. "STFU."

"We never heard of this before."

"It's a recently formed MODD initiative that was made in conjunction with Gale's Division," Jacob replied, turning to Gale with that broad grin. "After all, being a farm-boy himself, Gale knows firsthand the problems farmers can face and has decided to formalise an aid effort for the people of Pollenburn and other farming communities in Rillotia."

Gale was lost but maintained a steely facade. "That's... right..."

Turning back to the Boswins, Jacob said, "STFU is formed to temporarily take charge of the financial needs of any farm until such a time that the farm is capable of turning a profit again. If indeed the Boswins are having trouble keeping up many of their farms, STFU is more than happy to take them off your hands. Naturally, we'll be buying the contract and land from you at a reasonable amount."

Gale caught on and gave the Boswins a firm nod. "That's right... That's what we're here for. That's what STFU is for."

Caroline was clearly very agitated that her plan to catch them in a verbal trap had been turned onto her. "Well... I am sure we'll be able to manage. We'll keep... STFU in mind should our finances come to that."

"Great," Jacob replied, clapping his paws delightfully. "Now was there anything else? We were having an STFU meeting before you arrived."

"Here in the McLeod farm?"

"Oh yes. Shana is the head of STFU."

Gale looked about ready to burst out in laughter but kept himself in check. "As the only independent farmer in Pollenburn we though it - hurk" - he almost completely lost it but managed to keep himself from laughing - "... it prudent that she be the head of this movement."

"Of... course," Caroline answered. She looked about ready to start beating them with her parasol. "Well, I shall not get in your way any longer..." She gave them that creepy, broad grin again. "I'm sure that Mrs. McLeod will do a fine job despite her own crops and farm being in danger. I bid you both a good day."

Jacob's grin instantly faded.

What did she mean by that...?

The two Boswins turned and started marching away rather stiffly. Jacob's suspicious side started kicking in. He recalled Shana mentioning someone or something had been attacking her livestock recently and he couldn't help but suspect the Boswins for having a hand in it.

Hmmm...

Before the girls were out of earshot range, Jacob cupped his paws over his muzzle. "And that was a fantastic painting of your mother in your hallway by the way! Very slimming in that ballroom dress!"

The two Boswins froze... before continuing their march even more hastily.

Once they were completely gone, Gale turned to Jacob curiously. "What did you mean by that?"

Jacob narrowed his gaze at the two fleeting pigs, the itch of his Brand vanishing with them. "They have a big portrait of their mother in their hallway. At least I suspect it's their mother. Looked more like a man really. Could've been Winston cross-dressing. Point is, I couldn't have know about it unless I was in their home."

Gale took a second to understand before nodding slowly. "Ah... I see... Was that really necessarily though? You could've just provoked them to openly attack Shana."

He turned and headed back towards the farmhouse. "I'm counting on it."

"What!?"

"Shana mentioned that her livestock has been attacked in recent times. Now, I'm not too sure about the details but if you think about it, Shana's farm is the only one not under the Boswins' control. You said it yourself, the Boswins want to control every farm here and thus control basically all of Pollenburn. Now, I'm willing to wager they'd do anything for that opportunity." Jacob pushed open the farmhouse door and he could hear the sound of metal clanking as the others were preparing dinner. "Probably even sabotage the competition. Wouldn't surprise me if that's exactly what they've been doing."

"You're saying that the Boswins are sending someone to strike at Shana so she'll be forced to sell to them?" Gale asked.

"Right."

"Then why provoke them? We basically put up a shield around Shana by making her the head of an imaginary farmer's relief organisation tied heavily with MODD and you just tore it down by painting a big target on her back!"

Jacob stopped in the dining room where Taylor and Christy were setting up the table. The two froze to regard them.

"Exactly," he said. "Even if we make Shana immune, we're leaving other farmers out there at the mercy of the Boswins. I never took you for one to let people suffer, Gale. So what I'm hoping is that the Boswins will get desperate and try to attack Shana. With the two of us on guard, we can capture whoever is behind it and pin them on the Boswins. Then we'll have evidence against those pigs, bring their empire crumbling down and then use STFU to help people back to their feet."

Gale blinked in surprise and regarded him curiously. "You thought up all that in the twenty-seconds while Caroline and I were exchanging words?"

"More like she was bombarding you and you were whimpering in the corner," Jacob muttered. "And yes. You have to think pretty fast if you're going to avoid the spies and soldiers of an international super-corporation."

Gale shook his head in surprise. "You should be working for ExIT... That's brilliant..."

Jacob gave the chimp a devilish grin. "Think I can replace Balthazar?"

"To start your own reign of terror?"

He crossed his arms smugly. "Would be fitting, right? Balthazar screwed my life over so I get to screw over everyone else's. For the glory of MODD of course."

The chimp's face showed he was highly doubtful. "Right... So how soon after you're instated will you try to bring MODD crumbling down around you?"

"The first second. Give or take a few nanoseconds."

Rolling his eyes, Gale said, "God save us all if this man becomes the Director of ExIT."

"Not even God can save you from that," Jacob said with mock-menace.

Dinner was pretty simple fare. Shana was still a little distraught at what had happened to Darren and both Jacob and Gale had opted to keep her in the dark about their plans. Not that she was really all that responsive. During the dinner, everyone tried to cheer her up - even Max - but she just sat there looking dully at her mashed potatoes. Jacob even catapulted a few peas her way with his spoon but they bounced off her forehead harmlessly and she ate them a second later without any recognition of where they came from.

It was clear she was still in shock.

Even news of Darren's recovery didn't seem to brighten her mood or that one of the cows in the pen was due to give birth soon. Gale volunteered to deliver the calf and both Jo and Kerry were very excited to see that happen. Max and Taylor just looked sick.

When dinner finished, Jacob helped with the packing. Shana immediately set out to wash the dishes while the others headed over to pens to watch Gale deliver the calf. Jacob opted to aid Shana as he always did. He watched her closely as she washed the dishes and set them absently on the dish drainer which he promptly picked up and dried.

He tried poking her with a fork at one point but she was still extremely unresponsive.

Wow... I would've thought she'd have snapped out of it by now...

"I think she's more in shock at the thought that someone would come after her than anything else,"_Spectre answered. _"She's had her suspicions about the Boswins but I think it's really come down as a shock when someone close to her was harmed. I bet she's wondering how much easier it would be if she just gave up."

You mean she thinks that if she just surrendered to the Boswins, no one will get hurt?

"In a nutshell, yeah."

Right... Make sense...

Jacob picked up a large dish, wiped it clean then held it out at arm's length away from him. His eyes firmly locked on Shana, he let the dish drop. There were a few seconds when he actually thought Shana flinched but those quickly faded when the dish shattered on the ground.

"What are you doing!?"

Therapy.

Shana jumped and stared at the dish in horror. "What are you doing!?" she cried.

"Breaking you out of your stupid attempt to make yourself feel numb to dull the pain," Jacob replied, picking up another dish. "You think that trying to keep yourself from feeling any emotion will make you more rational and thus help make the better decision? Well you're wrong. Doesn't work that way."

He dropped the dish. Shana dove for it and caught it. Too bad Jacob had picked up another dish and threw it to the ground before she could react.

Smash!

She flinched.

"Do you know why we feel pain?" he asked. "It's our bodies telling us that something is hurting us and we have to do something about it. If you couldn't feel pain, you could be walking around with a ten foot pole stuck up your ass and only end up dying of anal haemorrhages then when you go up the Heaven, every stuck-up bastard up there will be laughing at you because you didn't know how or why you died and that pole will still be right up there giving your colon explorative surgery."

"Fine advice coming from you," Shana murmured, getting to her feet with the dish in her hands.

Jacob swiped the dish and smashed it against the kitchen counter. "You think I don't follow me heart?" he snapped. "Think again. I do all the things I do because I want to. I blow things up because I personally love it when I can act really cool and say something as simple as 'boom' and a big explosion occurs at the same time. I love seeing people's shocked faces when I instil terror in them or playing on how stupid people can get when I'm the one with the gun and they run off after the guy that I planted ten thousand kilograms of plastic explosives on.

"I feel just like everyone else, Shana. I experience pain as well. It's how I know when to run and when to fight. Now granted, I'm not the best example to live by but for every screwed up psychopathic mass murderer out there like me, there's a billion of you" - he jabbed a finger at her chest - "who should follow their hearts but keep thinking that doing so will just bring them more pain.

"Fact of life milkmaid: an anaesthetic doesn't get rid of the source of the pain, it just gets rid of the pain. No matter how numb you try to make yourself, your problems are still going to be there. So either you try to move on from your problems or you solve it." Jacob picked up another plate and smashed it on the ground. "I wouldn't recommend the former by the way because right now, your problem is that you've got about a hundred shards of broken porcelain on your kitchen floor. Moving through all that is only going to cause you more pain and eventually, you're going to have to come back here."

Shana blinked in surprise.

"Wow... Brutal... symbolic... and very deep."

I just wanted an excuse to smash something.

I'm still pissed I lost so badly to Gale.

"So I should pick up the pieces..." Shana murmured softly. She chuckled and regarded him with raised eyebrows. "You're not as evil as everyone says, Jacob."

"Oh no?" Jacob replied. "Then how's this?" He set the tea towel down that he was using to wipe the dishes with. "I'm done. I'm going to go see if I can mentally scar a newborn calf."

He turned and jumped over the many scattered pieces of porcelain on the ground and left the farmhouse. The instant he was away from Shana's eyes, he couldn't help but smile as he heard her start picking up the shards. In his heart, he knew she was going to be fine.

Spectre floated in front of him, a big grin on his face.

Not a word.

The winged wolf merely remained silent and hovered beside him as he headed away from the farmhouse and towards the pens. The entire farm had gone deathly silent. Not even the animals were making a ruckus... which was odd. It was about time for them to be fed as well and he thought Gale and the others would be feeding them...

Something was wrong.

He sniffed the air and flicked his ears, searching for any disturbances. His Brand wasn't itching so it couldn't be a Seal...

Still... Jacob bolted for the pens and jumped off the ground, leaping onto the fence before kicking off and landing on the roof of the barn with a soft thunk. Quietly, he snuck across the roof of the barn, pressing himself across the crimson tiles.

The barn doors were wide open and he could detect the metallic tang of blood in the air.

A large figure emerged from the barn, claws dripping with blood. There were multiple markings across the creature's brown fur and Jacob instantly thought 'Unsealed'. He immediately stood up and summoned his swords. The figure's big ears twitched but before it could turn towards him, Jacob jumped off the roof and dove downwards at supersonic speeds.

BOOOM!

He landed right in front of the creature, sending it crashing to the ground and back into the barn to bar its escape. Jacob stood up, readying his blades. Beyond the figure were the shapes of Gale and the other guests of the farm. They were lying unconscious but otherwise unharmed.

"Wow... How the hell did you manage to knock out an ExIT Commander...?" he wondered aloud.

The figure slowly stood.

Jacob gulped for two reasons.

The first was the creature wasn't actually an Unsealed.

Just a wolf... A huge wolf that rose up to almost seven feet in height and was bulging with huge, lean muscles. The guy was probably another fifty pounds of pure muscle over Jacob!

The second... was that the guy was almost naked.

He - it was definitely a he - wore only tribal garments from one of the islands of Oxis. One of the 'primitive civilisations' as people called them or Tribals. It was merely a rather crude, brown loincloth - more like a jockstrap really - with a few feathers adorning it. The man had a necklace made out of fangs and some beads around his neck and a pair of leather wristbands but apart from that, he was completely nude. His body was covered in some fur-tattoos in traditional, Tribal design. His face in particular had three horizontal blue bands across his cheek.

Oxis was one of the few places that MODD didn't truly control but only because of humanitarians. The primitive culture was shamanistic and a little warlike compared to the rest of the world using only rudimentary tools like sharp rocks attached to sticks. They had only a basic concept of metallurgy, no concept of electricity and had never touched the Seals except for what the missionaries and aid teams that were sent to help them. Because their home 'continent' consisted of multiple islands, they were never really united as one and as such development was quite stagnant. They warred with one another more often than not.

Interference from MODD was held back because people said that the Tribals of Oxis had to develop on their own and couldn't be forced to evolve.

Judging by the fact that the guy was a wolf, he must have come from the White Fang Tribe.

What he was doing so far from home however...

"Out of my way, domesticated runt!" the titanic wolf growled. "I have done my task and now will be rewarded by the Boswins" - his voice suddenly cracked slightly - "to fulfil my Pilgrimage!"

Another two things made Jacob pause.

First... this guy was working for the Boswins.

The evidence they needed was standing right in front of them!

Second... The guy's voice just broke... So unless he was permanently stuck in that state of pre-pubescence... he was actually just a kid!

Wow... What do they feed them down at Oxis...?

"Sorry, can't let you do that," Jacob replied calmly. "Whatever your reasons for helping the Boswins, they need to be exposed for the monopolising, greedy bastards that they really are."

"Out of my way!"

The huge wolf charged at him, a massive, lupine battering ram. Jacob took one step back and kicked the barn door in front of him, slamming it right into the wolf's face. The lupine staggered back, blood spewing from his muzzle. Lightning-fast, the wolf was back on his feed and charging again.

The guy was fast, Jacob gave him that but Jacob was way faster - perhaps not as agile but faster. He moved to the side, easily slipping past the wolf and lashing out with both his blades, hamstringing the lupine and sending the young wolf crashing to the ground again with a terrible howl.

"Don't make this harder than it already is, kid," he said. "I'm way out of your league."

Though I still wonder how you managed to beat Gale...

"Do not let your Seals drive you to overconfidence!" the wolf growled, leaping back to his feet and jumping at the nearest wall. Jacob stared as the wolf dug his claws into the wooden walls and actually ran up the sides and disappeared into the rafters of the barn.

Whoa...

"Jake!"

I know.

The wolf came charging back down at him from behind. Jacob was still faster, however, and dove forward, rolling up in a crouch. The Tribal unleashed a ferocious combo of punches and kicks that flowed easily into each other and would've caught any normal person in their deadly flurry. However, Jacob was no ordinary person. He dodged the first two attacks before seeing an opening and dove forward, driving his shoulder into the wolf's gut and sending the guy sprawling.

He lunged at the wolf, slamming hard against the guy's diaphragm and crossing his blades against the lupine's neck.

The wolf's sky-blue eyes were wide... but not in shock of defeat... In something else...

"You... You have gold and black fur..."

"Thanks for noticing," Jacob growled, pressing his swords against the guy's neck. "Now start talking, how'd you take out Gale and the others?"

"O - Of course, Alpha..." the wolf said, suddenly breaking into a joyful grin. "It was simply some sleep powder I made from naturally occurring herbs! Oh wow... I cannot believe I found you!"

...

Huh?

Fear suddenly struck his heart as he realised this Tribal might actually know who he was! Maybe he was sent by MODD!

"Found me? How do you know me!?"

"I have been looking for you for only a week and already, I have found you!" the wolf exclaimed in pure joy.

"What the hell are you talking about!? Who are you!?"

"My name is Leonardo Custer, Alpha!"

"Why the hell are you calling me that!?"

"Because that is who you are! You are my Alpha!"

*****

Apparently, young Leonardo Custer - who was only eighteen years of age - was indeed from the White Fang Tribe in Oxis and was sent on a Pilgrimage to find his identity. Where most Pilgrimages required young wolves to go out and have a 'spirit quest' in the wild, young Custer - who was the chief's youngest son - was sent by the tribe shaman to explore the world as his destiny apparently rested outside of the islands of Oxis.

Custer found some MODD missionaries who were more than happy to get him out of the islands to help him integrate into the modern world. However, Leonardo got lost shortly after arriving at Central - the global hub of all transport - and had made his way through Rillotia on his own. He came to Pollenburn just a few months ago and made contact with the Boswins who hired him on as a farmhand for a short while before they told him they'd help in his Pilgrimage if he 'destroyed a corrupt farmer's livestock'.

"Mystery solved," Jacob said, regarding Leonardo who was fascinated by the lamp. The wolf was gnawing at it.

"The mysterious attacks were caused by this young Tribal..." Gale murmured softly. "I can't believe the Boswins would stoop so low as to abuse the innocence of a young man for their own goals... Well, the sheriff will learn of this and we'll but the Boswins in their place. Leonardo's testimony should be enough."

"Let's hope so." Jacob regarded Gale who had a bandage over his left eyebrow. "You okay?"

The chimpanzee gave him a faint smile. "I'll be alright. It's just a scratch. Thanks for helping out, by the way."

"Just make sure to keep your end of the bargain," Jacob answered.

"Right. I'll go get the sheriff now. We should be able to wrap this up fairly quickly then we can move on and go after Balthazar." Gale clicked his fingers. "Which actually reminds me. If we're to go after the Director, we have to get the support of the other Elemental Lords."

Jacob raised an eyebrow while lowering the other. "Huh?"

"Think of the Lords like a Board of Directors in a company. While the CEO is Balthazar, the Board still holds the ultimate power. If we can get the other Elemental Lords on our side, Balthazar can be kicked out of office fairly easily."

It sounded good to him. Besides, if he got the Lords on his side, that several powerful Seals he didn't have to worry about chasing him across the world. Hell, they might even be able to combine their powers to send him to the other side of the universe...

"Sounds like a plan."

Gale began listing off where the Elemental Lords had their bases of operation and where they should head off next. With Gale on his side, it would be easy to secure private transport to those locations and to convince the Elemental Lords once enough evidence was gathered.

Rocky Groundwater, the Elemental Lord of Earth lived in Graesham - just the next town over - and that would obviously be the next stop. Then it was a choice between Sierra Dockings the Elemental Lord of Water who lived in the port town of Angelsea, Brock Trailblazer the Elemental Lord of Fire who lived in the mountain city of Reinengard or the Elemental lords of Light and Darkness, Aurora and Anton Shademan who both lived in Novaria. Their last stop would definitely be the Elemental Lord of the Stars, Rex Nebula who lived in the town of Edge.

"We'll come up with a schedule once we're done here," Gale said, heading towards the door of the cabin where they had opted to secure Leonardo.

"Right. Get the sheriff. I'll keep an eye on our guest."

Gale turned, took one last glance at Leonardo and left. Jacob pressed his back against the door and watched his rather big prisoner curiously regard a dresser, opening the door and shutting it constantly. It was like the guy had never seen anything modern at all... which really wouldn't surprise Jacob considering where the massive wolf came from.

There was a rather adorable innocence to Leonardo and Jacob couldn't help but wonder if that was how he acted when someone gave him a belly rub or an ear-scratch.

Leonardo began examining an alarm clock, pressing the buttons randomly and watching the display change with gasps of awe.

"It's an alarm clock."

The wolf looked up at him, blue eyes sparkling in admiration. That look sent a different type of chill down Jacob's spine from the one he received from Caroline and Dorothy Boswin.

"What do it do, Alpha?"

"It tell you the time. You can set it to emit a loud sound to wake you or tell of certain time."

"So it's like a rooster?"

Jacob scratched the back of his neck. "Uh... I guess so..." He crossed the room to where the wolf was curiously sniffing at the mattress. "You really have no idea what Rillotia is like, do you?"

Leonardo sniffed at Jacob's bed, his ears flicking around in curiosity. "No. I have only been here for a few months. It is a really nice place. But people keep staring at me and some people scream when I try to ask them for directions."

The wolf ducked his head beneath a pillow and began wagging his tail excitedly. Jacob couldn't help but check out the larger lupine's ass and had to admit it had a very nice shape to it. With little more than that 'jockstrap' on, there was nothing left to the imagination... well... one thing...

He shook the thought from his mind.

"Could have something to do with the fact you're barely dressed. Didn't you get any clothes before you left?"

Leonardo let out a soft whimper and got up, putting on a slightly depressed face. "Unfortunately, I lost all my belonging when I got separated from the missionaries at that port..."

"So you went right by baggage claim and straight out the door, huh?"

He got a look of common canine curiosity, one where Leonardo inclined his head to the side and lowered one ear. Jacob couldn't help but feel a pang of 'cuteness'. Part of him just wanted to pull off a 'Christy-Squeal' and start petting the larger wolf. He threw that thought out of his mind with a sharp inhale. Unfortunately, he got a rather large whiff of Leonardo's rank odour. Obviously, the guy hadn't bathed in a while.

"When was the last time you bathed?"

"In Oxis, it was not necessary to bathe unless one was to hunt or when we need to preset ourselves to the Elders," Leonardo replied brightly. "It was quite a bit of trouble to repaint ourselves."

"And I thought you had terrible hygiene..." Spectre muttered.

Quiet.

"I'll say..." Jacob removed his coat and draped it over Leonardo's shoulder. "Look, you can't go around walking half-naked everyone. I'll bet Christy would love the opportunity to dress you but for now, let's make sure you don't give anyone an eyeful especially when you're about to testify against the Boswins."

Leonardo beamed brightly and regarded the coat, fingering it. His tail was wagging from side to side very quickly. "Thank you, Alpha! And why are the Boswins your enemies? What have they done to you?"

"Not to me specifically," Jacob answered. He gestured at the cabin around them. "This place we're staying in belongs to Shana McLeod. She was kind enough to give us shelter and the Boswins are trying to ruin her so that she'd be forced to sell to them. That's what you have been doing." He poked the bigger wolf's chest and couldn't help but admire how rock-hard the guy's pecs were. "You've been attacking Shana's livestock and costing her quite a lot."

The Tribal ducked his head and began whimpered. "I did not know it would upset you, Alpha..."

"And another thing. Why do you keep calling me that?"

Leonardo's mood instantly brightened again. "Because that is who you are! You are my Alpha!"

"Your what now?"

"Alpha, Jake,"_Spectre explained with a faint snicker. _"In the wild, feral wolves form groups called 'packs'. The 'alpha male' is the biggest and strongest of all the wolves and thus the leader."

Like the leader of a pride of lions?

"Yep."

Wait...

Jacob stared at Leonardo in surprise. "Whoa! Hang on! How the hell did I become your Alpha!? Don't you have an Alpha back home!?"

Leonardo shrugged. "Part of my Pilgrimage is to find my Alpha. Often, we merely return to our tribe but the shaman told me that my Alpha would have 'hair the colour of the richest gold, eyes of the deepest, most precious sapphire and fur as black as the night'."

Hair... eyes... fur...

Oh crap...

"Whoa! You're kidding me!" Jacob exclaimed, leaping back. "I can't be your Alpha!"

Leonardo slid closer. "Of course you are! You clearly bested me!"

"He's right... Wolves in the wild fight each other for dominance. You beat Leonardo so now he's submissive towards you."

"Hold on a minute here," Jacob said, lifting a finger. Leonardo was grinning broadly and practically bouncing on the bed, their muzzles mere inches away from each other. "I can't be your Alpha. I'm not even part of your Tribe and another thing -"

All further protests were cut short when Leonardo suddenly wrapped his lips around Jacob's, sending fireworks shooting somewhere inside Jacob's head and his cock to suddenly stand erect. Some primal instinct kicked in inside of him and his thoughts instantly shifted to dominating this pup and claiming him. Jacob was halfway to opening his muzzle and diving straight into Leonardo's when he caught himself and pushed the bigger wolf away.

"What are you doing!?"

"What is right," Leonardo answered, removing Jacob's coat and pulling off his loincloth. Jacob's jaw dropped when he saw the ten foot, erect, bright-red rocket that was poking out to greet him. The bigger wolf suddenly jumped on the bed, back to Jacob and tail lifted. "Please claim me, Alpha, so that I can be part of your pack."

The animal in Jacob screamed 'Yes!' but the rational side of him silenced it immediately and he shook his head.

"What!? Are you completely gay!?"

"Gay?" Leonardo asked, still with his tail lifted. "What does that mean?"

Jacob seized that tail and forced it down. "It means that you prefer to company of men instead of women."

"Hmmm..." Leonardo shrugged absently. "I have never given it much thought. My Tribe has many rituals that require coupling before two males. When I came of age, I was required to drink the semen of my father and older siblings as part of a ritual to help me grow."

Crack!

Jacob's reality just shattered completely... partially because he couldn't believe Leonardo was talking about homosexual activities so dismissively not to mention there was an entire culture based on such actions... but mostly because he was really turned on at the thought of drinking the cum of other men to 'grow'.

"Oh, and when I was initiated into the Hunting Party, my older brother mounted me so that we can share a true bond and work perfectly as we hunted."

CRACK!

Jacob tried to push his imagination into submission but it was too strong. He imagined Leonardo and an even bigger wolf rutting in the forests of Oxis, completely naked, covered in war-paint to 'prepare for the hunt'.

"D - Did you have t - to do that before every hunt?"

"No."

Oh good...

"I was the Hunt Leader's younger brother so I mounted the younger ones."

CRACK! CRACK!

Suddenly, the image of Leonardo and his older brother was further populated by a ring of other wolves, cocks out and stroking themselves wildly.

"S - So... I - I - I have to mount you to b - become your A - A - A...?"

"Alpha, yes," Leonardo answered, lifting his tail again and a big grin on his face. "Please, Alpha? I am very lucky to have someone as strong and as intelligent as you to be my leader."

Jacob tried to swallow but he was shaking from head to toe, trying to keep himself from jumping on the big wolf and shoving his dick - which was straining painfully against his pants - right into Leonardo's ass. Not only was the idea of mounting the huge wolf a major turn-on but the animal in him simply loved the idea of being an Alpha... of dominating this wolf day in and day out...

I... I can't...

_"Why?"_Spectre asked curiously.

It's... It's too weird...

"Because Leonardo doesn't have a concept of 'homosexuality'? Because to him, it's a ritual of manhood and for you it's like a cardinal sin or something? Jacob, if anything, this should be a lesson. 'Gay' is just a label. In other cultures, it's actually holy..."

So you're saying that I should mount him? But what if I don't turn out to be a good Alpha? For crying out loud! I'm a criminal! What will happen if I take him under my wing!? He'll grow up to be just like me!

"Aww... Isn't that cute? You're actually worried about how you're going to lead and raise him. You really are_Alpha material."_

GAH!

Jacob immediately spun and bolted straight of the cabin.

"Alpha?"

He couldn't respond and just threw open the door and leapt out of the cabin, slamming the door shut.

Unfortunately, he was far from alone.

Taylor was standing right in front of him, their bodies pressed up next to one another and with Jacob's cock pulsing through his clothing, pressing against Taylor's chest. The cougar looked like he was halfway to a knock.

Slowly, a smile crossed Taylor's face.

Uh-oh...

"So... Is that a pen in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?"

Interlude: Left Breathless

"Relationships are funny. If movies and romantic comedies have taught us anything, it's that they pop up when we don't want them to."

Othello Goodhusband

Talkin' 'bout You

It was probably the corniest line I could think of but it was the only thing I could think of on such short notice.

Not that there was anything 'short' about Jacob.

I wasn't really expecting Jacob to rush out and greet me so... warmly but I wasn't about to complain. A little coyly, I wrapped my arms around his waist, sliding my paws down his huge thighs, licking my lips in anticipation.

"Um... Can we not do this right now?" Jacob asked shakily. "I... I kind of have a lot on my mind."

Despite expecting that, I was still a little crushed. Considering all that had happened, I thought I should have at least helped guard the Tribal with Jacob. He did sort of save me alongside the others. I had a tiny scratch on the side of my face from where the Tribal's sleeping powder bomb had exploded on my face and one of the sharp shards in it had cut me.

I had been the idiot that found it.

"Did you want me to watch the Tribal while you sort things out?" I offered.

Jacob glanced over his shoulder nervously. It was weird, the only time I had seen him this nervous was after we had sex the second time...

Did he just have sex with the Tribal?

That question burned me a little. Okay, I'll admit that Jacob and I weren't exclusive. Hell, this 'relationship' would only last until the end of our little holiday and as it stood, he was probably going to leave in the next day or two. But I guess I had hoped that he wouldn't be sleeping around... Not that there was anyone to sleep around with unless he found someone in the city... or he was sleeping with Gale...

But I guess that Tribal was pretty hot as well...

It was stupid, I know, but really... I couldn't help it.

To me... sex meant something... even if it was very small...

"Um... No, I think he's pretty harmless," Jacob muttered. His eyes - those beautiful, sapphire-blue eyes - flicked back towards me. "Hey, you wanna go for a walk?"

It was the middle of the night and there was barely anything to see but I guess if he needed to talk, I might as well go along for the ride.

Seriously, what was the worst that could happen?

"Sure."

He practically ran away from the cabin and I had to hurry to catch up to him. We cut through the farm and started heading out into the orchard. Shana's apples were coming in nicely. It was that time of year were there was a good mix of the apple blossoms and budding apples as well so even in the starlight, it was pretty beautiful. The moon wasn't out this evening - a new moon, I guess so it was pretty dark.

Strangely, even in the near-darkness, I could make out Jacob's eyes... They were almost glowing.

Man, I loved his eyes.

I caught myself quickly, putting a slight stop to my pace. I had to scramble a little to catch up with Jacob.

By 'loved', I meant of course 'really like'. I didn't actually love him. I mean, he's a mass murderer, right? I had a thing for bad boys, yes, but Jacob wasn't someone I'd want to spend the rest of my life with. Our goals were very different and what was I going to tell my parents!?

'Hey mom and dad, guess what? I'm gay and this is my boyfriend, Jacob Reaper! He's also a serial killer and a world-renowned criminal!'

...

Actually... that didn't sound half-bad.

I might actually scare my parents into accepting me orientation...

Jacob suddenly stopped and let out a soft sigh.

"You okay there?" I asked worriedly.

"Yeah... Fine..."

I decided to breeze over the fact that he just had sex with that Tribal. I mean, we weren't a couple after all. "What's wrong? Didn't he put out?"

Jacob jumped away in horror. "What!?"

"The Tribal," I clarified. "Wasn't he a good lover?"

"You think I slept with Leonardo!?"

Now I was confused.

Didn't he?

"Didn't you?"

"No! I mean, sure he offered because he's got this weird notion that I'm his 'Alpha' and I have to mount him to 'claim' him but I'm not some raving sex-beast!"

I wasn't really paying attention. For some reason, the thought of the whole 'Alpha' status being added to the mental image of Jacob mounting that Tribal really turned me on.

"Yo!"

I blinked as Jacob clicked his fingers in front of my face.

"Oh... So you didn't sleep with him?"

"No!" Jacob growled angrily.

"So what's bothering you then?"

Jacob's laser-like eyes narrowed at me and I felt like I was about to spontaneously combust there and then... It probably wasn't a good idea to piss off a mass murderer. "Firstly, that anyone would consider me their leader. I'm a terrible example unless you consider mothers using me as a warning to scare little children to behave. And secondly, that you'd think I'd be so hormonal that I'd sleep with some guy I just met!"

I shrugged and smirked a little. "You and I just met."

"That's different! You and me -"

He stopped, his muzzle hanging open.

I realised he was about to say something that probably would've rocked my world.

"What?" I pressed.

I felt a bit of fear knowing that he was probably going to tell me he and I had something special. I feared the idea because he and I could never be together. We had promised that we'd make the next few days count but make sure we didn't develop any further than that. In all seriousness, he and I were totally different people and outside of this place, I was straight.

I could never reciprocate any feelings he may have had for me.

"Never mind," Jacob muttered, turning around.

I mentally let out a sigh of relief.

"Okay..."

"You know what?" Jacob said. "I'm probably just overreacting. Leonardo is going to testify against the Boswins and probably get sent back to Oxis and I'll never have to worry about him or his 'Alpha' ever again."

I decided to make light of the situation since we obviously weren't going to get anywhere. Placing my paws on my hips, I said, "Unless he somehow convinces Gale to sponsor him for citizenship here in Rillotia and then he'll have to travel around with you two."

Jacob went rigid and spun towards me, jabbing my chest with a finger. "Don't you dare jinx it!"

I grinned at him and lifted my paws, wiggling my fingers tauntingly. "Jinx! Jinx! Jinx!"

"Gah!"

Jacob spun and made to bolt away. I immediately snatched his paw.

There was something electric in our touch and I think he felt it too.

Slowly... we turned to each other, our eyes meeting.

Suddenly, I was hoping there was something special between us... Alright, it was probably going to end in heartbreak but you know what they say. 'Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all'. I wasn't sure if I was ready to love again but I guess I'd kept myself from loving for a while and I was willing to give it a shot.

I guess...

"Jay..."

"Wanna sit down?"

"Sure..."

We sat down beneath one of the larger apple trees, our paws still intertwined but with a sizable gap between us. For several seconds, he just sat there quietly, he was staring at the ground and I was looking up at the stars. We were both trying not to look into each other's eyes. Many times he tried to pull away but something was gluing our paws together. I was trying to resist it as well but whatever it was just filled me with this... overwhelming feeling of warmth and comfort like I was sitting in front of a fireplace with his arms wrapped around me.

"I wanted to say goodbye..."

"Huh?" I asked, turning to him. He still kept his eyes cast down.

"Before I left... I wanted to say goodbye. I didn't want to leave so abruptly... It didn't feel right..."

A small smile touched my lips. "I'm glad you stayed."

"Not that I really had a choice."

"Fate?"

Jacob scoffed and that broke the no-staring rule between us and we locked gazes. "I believe that we make our own path in the world. 'Fate' is just what weak people blame when something happens that's out of their control. Destiny is the roads made for us, Fate is the path we carve for ourselves and free will is our power to choose which route to take."

I raised my eyebrows in curiosity. "Wow... Who told you that?"

"I had to figure it out myself," Jacob muttered. "If I just let people decide where I'd go, I'd be long dead by now or some brainwashed MODD crony."

Gale had told us Jacob story after he had brought the wolf back to the farm. I was mortified that someone would actually do that to Jacob especially at such a young age. Max had defended MODD claiming that Balthazar had his reasons... and even if he didn't and it was just a bid for power, Balthazar was just one man and it wasn't right to blame all of MODD.

I wasn't so sure.

That revelation sort of put all of MODD into question for me.

"So... Where's Fate going to take you now?"

Jacob winced. "Travelling all over Rillotia to convince the Elemental Lords that Balthazar is evil and crooked so we can take down the bastard who ruined my life so that Gale can get some sense of justice out of all this."

I noted that he really didn't mention he was doing it for himself... He actually didn't sound like he wanted to do it.

"You don't want to do it...?"

"My past is behind me," he answered. "Buried like the ashes of Bloomcrest. It's just this strain on the face of Mortaelis that's fun to visit every now and then, laugh at and to take pictures of but ultimately never to really be mentioned beyond idle conversation. I don't hate Balthazar for what he did and frankly, I really don't care. I'm only going along with this because they obviously need me to help them convince the other Elemental Lords that Balthazar is a bastard."

It didn't pass me that we were still holding paws.

"What'll happen after you bring down the head of ExIT?"

Jacob sighed heavily. "I'm getting a one-way ticket out of Rillotia." He snickered a bit. "Hell, I might even check out Oxis and see what being an 'Alpha' is all about."

"Never gonna come back to Rillotia?"

He gave me an evil grin. "Well... Maybe once... As an evil dictator bent on world conquest."

I rolled my eyes. I knew he wasn't really 'evil'. Just... misguided.

"Will you spare me for old times' sake?" I asked, batting my eyes playfully.

He wrapped his arms tightly around me, grinning from ear to ear and with our noses pressed against one another. "Depends if you put out tonight."

I noticed he was still hard. I reclined playfully against his arms. "Oh, won't someone save me from the terrible conqueror!"

He bent forward and gently kissed my neck, growling a lustfully. For a second, his growling stopped and he just held me in his strong, muscular arms. I wondered what he was thinking as his breathing had slowed immensely.

"Hey... Tayl..."

"Hmmm?"

"Will you come with me?"

My heart instant stopped.

Was he asking me to go with him... really?

Me!?

I wasn't anything special... At least I didn't think I was.

Seriously, what did he see in me!?

"Jay... Why...?"

He pulled his muzzle away from my neck, regarding me intently. "I... I don't know..." Jacob turned away. "It's stupid... I'm sorry I asked."

I immediately seized his face and turned it towards myself, wrapping my lips around his muzzle and plunging my tongue deep down his throat. I was the first to pull my muzzle away from his.

"I'd love to."

This time... I meant 'love'.

I never gave consideration to leaving my job and going with Jacob... My life was extremely boring as it is and very depressing with the constant 'gay-bashing' I participated in. I was tied down by a lot of chains, a lot of expectations and a lot of lies. The freedom Jacob had... I wanted that too... but I didn't want to be free alone.

I wanted to fly alongside Jacob...

Figuratively, of course.

I hate heights despite being feline.

"Really?" Jacob asked, his eyes wide. It was obvious he was shocked but also very excited. His tail was wagging really hard. "You'd come with me! You do realise that I'm probably the worst guy to go around the world with. We'd be constantly on the run and we'll never have a stable place to live not to mention the fact that we'll be seen as a couple and -"

At the word 'couple', I was sold.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled us close together, our muzzles intertwining in a glorious dance to freedom. I knew what I wanted. I wanted Jacob and I wanted to be right beside him as we fled the chains of this country. Part of me likened the experience to some war-time drama where we were two prisoners of war bound down by an oppressive government, finding love with one another and fleeing the borders... only we were fleeing a semi-oppressive super-corporation and we were gay...

I didn't care.

All my plans for the future had always revolved around stability and the same depressing monotony that sapped you of all hope. But suddenly, hope came back in the shape of a tall, handsome, muscular, smoking hot wolf who was Jacob Reaper.

I ran my paws over his highly defined chest, marvelling at the meticulous work Christy did. The shirt was tight so that it showed off all his muscles. I could still feel his thick chest-fur. I reached for his pants, swiftly removing his belt and lifting his shirt over his head to reveal that glorious chest that I loved so much.

I contemplated giving him a belly rub... but then I decided against it.

This wasn't just some holiday romance anymore.

I was leaving my previous life for Jacob... We were going to actually be together!

I was excited... and horny.

"You know... you might be in a bit of danger..." Jacob murmured, as he removed my shirt off my back. "I mean, for one thing, you'll be coming with me across the whole country and we'll be running into Unsealed, maybe a few MODD soldiers... Maybe it's best if you go back to where it's safe first then I'll come pick you up after I'm done...?"

I was a little insulted as I sat up, regarded him with a bit of a hostile edge. "Hey, I'm not fragile flower! I can defend myself!"

Jacob gave me a challenging look. "Oh really?"

Okay, now he was asking for it.

I'm not a top. Never have been. But there are ways of being on 'top' but still getting a cock in your ass. I let out a low growl and pounced on him, pushing him on his back while I lay on top of him.

"Yeah," I snarled, kissing his cheek tenderly. "Watch me take charge."

I growled lustfully and slipped his pants and underwear off him, freeing that glorious, foot-long cock of his. It sent shivers down my spine that I would get to take that monster beyond just the few more days of this little holiday. My friends would have to be told but I decided to leave that for when the situation actually came up.

My hormones were taking charge and Jacob had just made me the happiest cat in the world so I was inclined to follow my cock's desires. I swiftly removed my own pants, tossing them over my shoulder as I wrapped my lips around his, cupping the back of his head in my paw and tilting into the passionate kiss. I rubbed my chest against his, relishing the hard muscle of his abs and pecs against my own and loving how I could feel the veins of his pulsing member even through my fur.

Precum was squirting from my cock as dotting the golden fur that covered his chest, my body. My scent mixed with his. I simply could not get enough of him. I broke our kiss and rubbed my muzzle against the thick fur on his chest, taking in his scent, his arousal and every part of him that made him so goddamn sexy. A shudder ran throughout my entire body as I felt those thick, golden strands tickle my face.

I felt him try to get up but I immediately sat on his chest and pressed him back against the trunk of the tree. I was practically sitting on his lap, his huge cock sliding up behind me and teasing my ass with its precum-dripping length.

Jacob looked a little surprised. "I thought you -"

"I do," I growled, leaning forward and running my tongue over his thick, muscular neck. "I'm on 'top'."

Slowly, I lifted myself up and gently guided his cock into my quivering ass. I shuddered as the pointed tip pressed through the muscle, the molten flesh sending waves of pleasure through me with just that one gesture. I moaned softly, throwing my head back in ecstasy. I pushed that cock deeper and deeper into myself. Jacob bit his lower lip, his entire, enormous body quivering beneath me. He was trying hard not to thrust into my despite all his instincts.

I reached over and gripped his large, plump pecs in my paws. Jacob grinned at me and bounced his left pec... before bouncing the right. My cock squirted precum against those muscular mounds, creamy fireworks to a spectacular show. I felt those muscles tightening and relaxing beneath my paws and I can't tell you how much I love it when guys bounce their pecs.

It's a total turn on for me.

Yes, I'm a total Muscle Fag and I'm not ashamed of it.

Not when I have a total stud like Jacob deep inside me.

What I wouldn't give for Jacob to be able to tie with me and to give me a mating bite.

I knew we weren't really a couple but I could see it in our future... Wow... Seriously, Jacob Reaper as my boyfriend... Damn... Just the thought of him mounting me, his cock buried to the knot inside me and his fangs buried against shoulder...

I lost my control and pushed myself down onto his waiting member.

"Oh yes!"

I was surprised when I felt his furry sac beneath me. I didn't think I could take all of him! He must've loosened me up after the last two times we had done it.

Jacob let out a mounting moan as he began thrusting into me. That volcanic, pulsing rod pulling in and out of me sent shockwaves of sheer pleasure through my entire body. With each thrust, more and more of my precum splattered against his chest, slowing coating his body in its clear embrace that mixed with his sweat. Each thrust made my precum thicker and thicker, bringing me closer and closer to climax.

My cock was slapping hard against muscular chest as I bounced with each of his thrusts. I was lost in a haze of lust, my mind completely clouded over not only at my immanent orgasm but also with the possibility of being with Jacob.

Through that cloud of hormones and heat... I saw something...

... Me and Jacob... Wrapped tightly in each other's arms in a big, broad, king-sized bed... having just mated wonderfully with Jacob's cock buried deep inside me, knot and all. We just broke from a kiss... and Jacob whispered three magical words into my ears.

The cloud consumed my beautiful delusion and I realised I had bent over against Jacob's chest, my face buried deep against his thick chest-fur and his hard pecs forming a comforting pillow for me. I could sense the clouds clearing again but at the same time, I could feel my orgasm rapidly approaching. My hot cum was actually pumping up my cock and was just on the verge of exploding from the tip.

I held back, gritting my teeth but Jacob's feverish thrusts weren't helping.

I had about ten seconds before I lost all control...

The clouds cleared... and suddenly I was taken to a world where Jacob and I were sitting on the porch of a farm, our paws connected and the sun gently basking us in its warming glow...

Nine seconds...

Jacob turned to me, his sapphire-blue eyes shining...

Eight seconds...

_"Taylor,"_he whispered, his voice sending shockwaves throughout my entire body and pulling at my heartstrings.

Seven seconds...

In reality, Jacob wrapped his powerful arms around me, holding me tight. I could feel his chest rumbling with the howl he was building. He bent over and kissed me, his hot breath merging with mine.

Six seconds...

"Yeah, Jacob...?"

Five...

Jacob suddenly thrust hard into me and I felt something push open my ass wide. I gasped and pulled away from his kiss as I felt that nice, plump, hot orb of a knot push deep into me. He didn't stop trusting, his tongue flapping against his muzzle as he pounded into me like a wild animal. I was completely lost as well. I was grinding myself against him just as hard as he was thrusting into me.

Four... Three...

"Oh god... Jay... Jacob!"

Two...

One...!

I threw my head back as cock jerked violently against Jacob's abs, white, sticky fluid shooting from the tip and splattering all over Jacob's chest. Each burst was stronger than the last, splashing my seed up and up his chest until it reached his muzzle, catching him right between the eyes and even a bit fell into his hair.

Jacob tilted his head back and let out a joyous howl that tore through the night. I could feel the very earth move for me and the infinite warmth of his seed flooding deep into my body. I was shaking but his firm arms held me still and kept the cold of the night away.

I collapsed against him, his back pressed against the trunk of the tree. Still panting, I could see his eyes start to glaze over and sleep start to take him. Slowly, ran my tongue over his chest, lapping up the messy trail I had made, sometimes rubbing my seed deep into his fur. When I came to his neck, I noticed there was a nice little pool of my cum that had formed against the muscles there. I grinned and lapped it up gently. He giggled and our lips met.

I felt complete... Complete after such a long time of being fragmented...

I wormed my paw over to his head, running it through his golden hair, rubbing more and more of my cum into those golden strands.

When we broke our kiss, it was mutual and we just stared at each other.

I couldn't believe he had actually managed to tie with me.

Nothing needed to be said.

He reached over beside me and grabbed some of our discarded clothing, wrapping them around us to keep away the night's frigid breeze. He wrapped his arms around me and I cuddled up against him, feeling safe... secure... and for the first time in a long time...

... like myself.