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You would think by now that I'd be used to being in a prison cell. I guarded Jarred in his cell for a while, after all. Still, being the prisoner was a completely different experience. I'd been in the cell for about a week now. In all honesty, it wasn't nearly as bad as what Jarred had to go through.

Thinking back at the moment we were surrounded by his people, I guess Jarred did the best he could. At least they didn't kill me on the spot. Being alive was a plus I guess, even if it meant being stuck in a cell. The walls were made of large dull stones of some sort, and a small window let in a bit of light and air. A small cot with a ratty blanket sat underneath the barred window. Bars covered one wall that lead to the hallway out of the prison area.

I was sort of surprised by how big the temple was. There were numerous underground hallways that lead everywhere. I was in a cell underground. When I inspected the small window closely I saw that it was partly underground, almost like a basement window.

The cats didn't seem to mind the darkness. Their eyes were well adjusted for such things. Me on the other hand, I couldn't see more than a few feet in front of me when they brought me down here. I could see there were torches on the walls, but they didn't use them. I guess there wasn't much need really.

I sat on the cot just waiting. I wasn't sure what I was waiting for though. Jarred hadn't even stopped by to visit since I'd been down here. Had the leopard forgotten about me already? I thought about the snow leopard's features, still so clear in my mind. His perfectly toned body, his white fur, accented with those dark spots. He wouldn't forget about me...I hope.

I let out a sigh and looked at the guard standing outside the cell. He was a tall and sleek black panther. He eyed me cautiously...all the time. It was sort of creepy to be honest. He never seemed to take his eyes off me, or blink for that matter.

"Hey, so what's for dinner?" I said trying to keep my spirits up. He didn't reply. That's always been the reaction I got from the cats. I wasn't sure if they could even understand what I was saying. Jarred talked to them in his native tongue when we were captured. He told them something that seemed to make them want to spare me, at least for the time being.

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of voices coming down the hallway. It was the voices of two different cats arguing with each other in that strange language. As the sounds got closer, I became more and more positive that one of them was Jarred. I tried to hold back my excitement. I really wanted to see his face again.

Within a few moments, Jarred and a tall, majestic looking tiger came into view. The guard that was watching me broke eye contact for the first time since he started guarding me. He stood at attention as the pair came to the door.

The tiger was about as tall as Jarred but was more muscular. He wore a red robe that covered all but his arms and head. He had orange fur that shined in the dull light of the cell. Black stripes accented his fur while his muzzle was pure white. His amber eyes were locked on Jarred as they talked.

Jarred and the tiger argued back and forth to one another. I had no idea what they were saying though. What was clear was that they were talking about me. They constantly pointed or looked at me like I was some object they both wanted, but for different reasons.

The tiger suddenly looked at me. His piercing gaze made the fur on the back of my neck stand up. My mouth became dry and a lump formed in my throat. I tried to speak but couldn't. Suddenly my head started to pound. It was obvious the tiger wasn't simply just looking at me. He was using some sort of magic.

I looked over at them pleadingly, hoping he would stop. Jarred looked concerned but didn't stop the tiger. Then, without any warning, the pain suddenly stopped. I felt a little dizzy, but aside from that I was ok.

"There. Now I can get his story," the tiger said in a powerful voice.

I thought it was strange that he suddenly was talking to me in my language. It took me a moment to realize he wasn't saying it in my language. Yet I somehow understood every word he said.

I must have looked confused because Jarred said, "He cast a spell on you to understand our language Marcus. You can speak it fluently as any of us, as well as your own. It may take some getting use to."

The tiger looked at me and said, "Normally we don't force knowledge onto someone, especially an outsider. Unfortunately, under the current circumstances, we had no choice. I want to hear exactly what you did in order to escape your home."

I thought back to that day. It had only been a week, but it seemed so long ago. "I..." I stammered the words. Speaking the cat's language had a strange feel to it. It almost felt like I knew it my whole life, yet the sensation was so new. The vibrations in my throat and tongue were so different. "I helped Jarred escape from his cell. Then we left the prison and broke through the gate. Then we..."

"How did you break through the gate?" the tiger interrupted.

I looked over at Jarred. His expression pleaded for me to choose my words carefully. I looked the tiger in the eyes and said, "I made the ground shoot out and destroy the gate."

My words didn't have as much impact on the tiger as I thought it would. The panther in the back, though, shuffled on his feet. The tiger just looked at me with his amber eyes.

"So then what happened?" the tiger asked.

"We ran," I said simply. "We ran as fast as we could. Then we jumped off a cliff into a river and got away."

The tiger considered his story then asked, "What happened that night?"

I felt my ears get hot and a blush appear on my cheeks. I thought about how I had cuddled Jarred that night and slept with him in my arms. "I uhh...fell asleep," I said.

"And?" the tiger sighed.

Then I realized what he really wanted to know. Obviously Jarred had told him I had that dream. He just wanted to have me confirm it.

"I had a strange dream," I admitted. "I was in a cave with no way out. I could hear the faint voice of someone talking. He said something about how he thought I might be worth his time."

After a few moments in silence, Jarred said, "He could possibly be the only one alive that can use earth magic Lord Arisen. He's much too valuable to kill."

There were two things Jarred said that sent a shiver down my spine. First, this tiger wasn't just any tiger. He was the leader of all the cats. Second would be the fact that they're talking about whether I'm going to be killed or not.

"It could have been a fluke. It's clear he doesn't know how to use earth magic or this cell would be nothing to him. Besides, we have no one that can teach him to use a magic we don't even know how to use," Arisen said

"I could show you," I blurted out. I wasn't sure if that was a good thing to say or not. If they were going to decide if I lived or died, then I'm going to at least have some say in it.

Arisen considered what I said. He looked at me a lot like Jarred did. He studied me, trying to read what I was thinking. Finally he said, "Alright. If you can demonstrate that you can use and control earth magic in front of all my people, I will let you live. Fail to do so and I will think of you as nothing more than a spy for the enemy that needs to be dealt with."

I swallowed hard and nodded my head. It wasn't much of a chance, considering I had no idea how I would do it. Still, it was a chance at least.

"Tomorrow morning we will take you to the arena. Everyone will be there to witness, so there is no doubts about my judgment," Arisen said as he turned to walk away. He stopped after a few steps and said, "You may have this night with your lover Jarred. It could very well be his last." With that the tiger left, the panther guard following along beside him.

I blushed profusely. What exactly had Jarred told them while I was locked in here?

Jarred opened the cell door and flung his arms around me tightly. I held him close. I hadn't realized how much I missed him until I held him in my arms. Now that I wasn't about to be killed, I took a good look at the leopard. He looked much better than he had a week ago. Most of the bruises he'd received were gone or faded. The cut on the side of his face would scar, but it looked like it was healing nicely at least.

"I missed you," Jarred said trying to hold back tears. "I'm sorry it took so long. We debated for days about what to do with you."

I gave him a gentle squeeze and said, "It's alright. The guard kept me company."

Jarred laughed and gave me a deep kiss. I'd be lying if I said I'd gotten use to it. Every time I kissed him was like a new experience all over again. It sent shivers down my spine and made me moan lightly. His tongue slid over mine with a passion that drove me wild.

I held him close and let my paws explore over his lower back, sliding every so slowly to his butt. I gave it a playful squeeze. He let out a light gasp as my paws gently massaged his perfect back side.

We made our way to the small bed. I sat down on it, and Jarred, on my lap. He broke our kiss and nuzzled my neck. We hadn't been able to have a really caring moment like this in so long. It made me feel so alive again. It reminded me why we were doing all of this.

"So what would you like to do tonight stud," Jarred asked slyly.

"I...uhhh," I took a deep breath and continued, "Would it be ok with you if we just stayed like this? Well...I mean, we can lay down and stuff but..."

Jarred cut me off with a chuckle and said, "I know what you meant. That's fine Markus. Holding you has made the entire week worth it. I wouldn't mind doing it all night."

So that's exactly what we did. We laid down, him in front of me. I held him close, listening to his breathing. I would sometimes nibble his ear playfully or nuzzle his neck. He would respond with a purr. One of my paws held the leopard's paw that was lying on the bed. My other paw was warped around his waist while his free paw made slow, circular strokes in my thigh fur.

Time passed quicker than I would have liked. It wasn't long, before the moon took place of the sun. A cricket chirped somewhere off in the distance. A warm night breeze blew into the small window, and flew through my fur. The night was as perfect as I could hope for, given the circumstances.

"Do you think I can do it?" I asked. My voice was quiet and calm.

Jarred's paw stopped circling in my leg's fur. He thought about the question for a moment, and then said, "I don't know honestly. I think I'd be better off asking what you think."

"I feel like I can," I said finally. "I mean, lately I've been hearing that voice more and more. It's faint, but it's definitely his. The only thing is, what he's saying doesn't make sense. 'Fighting is meaningless, which is why you must fight.' He says things like that all the time whenever I think about how to use earth magic."

Jarred's paw went back to its idle circular motion which caused a light moan to escape my throat. "Maybe he wants you to end this war with your magic Marcus. He seems to like you because you don't want to fight, but not because of cowardice. You don't want to fight because you know it's pointless. Maybe he's waiting for tomorrow to test you. Hopefully you'll live up to his expectation."

I thought about what Jarred said. A lot of it did make sense. Maybe the spirit really was waiting to see how I would do at the trial tomorrow. It put my mind to ease at least.

"Thank you," I said and kissed his cheek.

He turned his head and his lips met mine. I closed my eyes and got lost in his warm kiss once again. My tongue slid into the Leopard's muzzle and kissed him deeply. My head spun in the sensation of Jarred's warm maw. He moaned softly which just made me want to kiss him even more.

I don't know how long we kissed before Jarred eventually pulled away. "Sorry, neck is gettin stiff," he said with a smile.

I chucked, "Oh, sorry about that."

With that I just warped my paws around his waist and held him close. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Jarred's scent filled my nose and I savored his wonderful aroma. It relaxed me and made me think of nothing but him. Before long I was fast asleep with him in my arms.

It felt like I only slept for seconds when I awoke. The sun was out though, so I knew I had been out all night. Two cheetah guards stood at my cell door, unlocking it. They looked almost like twins. It could just be because it was difficult for me to distinguish between the cats like I could wolves. Either way, they both came into the cell.

"Time to go," one of the guards said. "Jarred, Lord Arisen wishes for you to join him at the arena."

Jarred nodded and we both stood up. He turned quickly and gave me a warm hug before leaving the cell. That could have been the last time I'd be able to hold the leopard. That thought made me really depressed.

One of the cheetah guards came behind me and bound my hands behind my back with some sort of shackle. He held onto my upper arm and guided me outside the cell.

We walked down various twisting and turning hallways. I was thoroughly lost by now. Eventually I saw light up ahead. As we got outside, I had to close my eyes and wait for them to adjust. They began to water slightly at the sudden sunlight. The warmth on my skin felt amazing. At the very least, I would be able to stand outside one last time.

The arena wasn't a very far walk from the temple. It only took a few minutes and I wish it would have been much longer. The arena wasn't very large. It could hold a few hundred viewers at best. It was made of the same gray stone that the temple was made of. Carvings were etched into the stone, depicting various fighters and battles.

I was very nervous now. I tried to hide my fear. My heart pounded in my ears and I was shaking a little. I took a deep breath and tried to control my body. It eventually stopped shaking so much. We entered a small doorway which led to a room full of light weapons, staves, books, and even a few sets of heavy, metal armor.

The room had another doorway leading out which we continued through. I could see daylight not very far outside of the armory. We walked into the light and I was stunned at what I saw.

I was standing on the arena's dirt floor. All around me were cats of various species. Snow leopards, tigers, lions, cheetahs, lynx, pumas, panthers, and many, many others. I took in a deep breath as I looked around at the crowd. The two cheetahs removed my shackles and left the arena.

Nobody was cheering as I walked out onto the field. The cats only looked at one another. A murmur of voices filled the arena. My heart was beating fast. I had no idea how exactly they wanted me to prove my worth here.

I didn't have to wait long to find out though. On the other end of the arena, a lion wearing simple light armor stepped into the ring. He had a staff in his paw, but aside from that, nothing else.

"Brothers," a loud voice boomed. It was Arisen's voice. "We are here today to witness the judgment of the wolf inside the arena. He claims to be an earth user," the crowd once again started to talk. Once they had quieted down, Arisen continued. "He will fight in the arena against our warrior. If he can not prove his ability, he will die. Otherwise, he will train under us as our prisoner."

I didn't really like the fact that I would still be a prisoner even after all of this, but I didn't have much choice. I looked over at the warrior in front of me. He had cold, calculating eyes. It was obvious they didn't just choose a novice warrior to fight me. This guy could probably kill me in an instant.

"You may begin," Arisen said. With that, the lion raised his staff. Without warning a blast of fire shot toward me. I dived to the side. I felt the heat of the blast pass by me as I just barely dodged it.

I stood up quickly and looked over at the warrior. He was already about to shoot another blast at me. I panicked. I had only been in one other real fight, and that was with Relos only a week ago. Even then, I had a sword. Also, Relos couldn't shoot fire at me from across the room.

I didn't have much time to think about it though. The lion said some words under his breath and a large bolt of flame once again shot toward me. I ducked straight down and felt the hair on the tips of my ears singe.

I stood and thought really hard about making the ground shoot up and hit him. Unfortunately, nothing happened. Well aside from me looking like a total fool. Some of the cats in the audience were laughing at my pathetic display.

The lion must have wanted to show off or something though, because his next spell took much longer to cast. I started to run toward him. If I couldn't use earth to beat him, maybe I could just use my fists. I was too late getting to him though.

The lion finished his spell and with a flash of bright light, a fiery, red dragon stood in front of me. If I was afraid before, believe me, I was pretty much terrified now. A million thoughts ran through my head as to what I should do.

The dragon roared and shot a wave of fire at me. I ran back as fast as I could. I could feel the fire following me. My tail was getting hotter. I didn't want to look back and see how close the fire had gotten. A small flame hit my tail and I winced in pain.

In that very moment, I looked out into the crowd. Of all the cats I could look at, and all the places he could be, I looked directly at Jarred. His face showed he was clearly in pain watching this.

As soon as I saw him, all fear left me. I remembered why I was doing this. It was to be with him. It was all to help him. I stopped and turned around. It seemed the dragon needed to breathe in before he could shoot another blast of fire my way.

I charged toward him. I knew I couldn't make it in time, but I didn't care. I wasn't going to run away anymore. I would face this head on and whatever the outcome, I would at least know I didn't run away.

I had cleared half the gap between me and the dragon when he shot out another blast of fire. Just as the fire got close, time itself seemed to stop.

I heard a voice in my head that said, "You fight, even if you don't want to. You know the reason you fight and you do so to protect others. Are you sure you wish to do this?"

"If it means protecting him, I'll do anything," I said simply.

I heard a laugh resonate in my head and then the voice said, "I haven't heard an answer like that in a long time." He paused for a moment then said, "Alright mortal, here's a small taste of my power, use it as you wish. It will be interesting to see what you do with it."

Just then, everything seemed to start back up, the jet of fire shooting from the dragons mouth quickly came toward me. This time though, I didn't even have to think about what to do.

I pointed my hand to the ground and lifted it up. A wall of rock shot out from the ground and shielded me from the blast. I pulled both my paws back and threw them forward. The wall of rock shot toward the dragon and hit him with a thundering sound.

When the dust had settled, the dragon was gone, leaving a stunned looking lion behind it. He gathered himself quickly though, and began to cast a spell. He was too slow. While he had to cast an incantation, I just simply had to think what I wanted to happen.

I raised my paws into the air and four rocks jutted up out of the ground around the lion, caging him inside. I had won, it was over.

Suddenly, the stones started to move in slowly onto the lion. I hadn't caused this. At the rate the were going, they would crush him.

"No!" I shouted, although I wasn't sure who exactly I was shouting at.

The voice echoed into my head once again. "He is your enemy, he would do the same to you!" the voice boomed.

He was right. Given the chance, the lion would have killed me where I stood. I said, "That may be, but I don't want him to die."

"Why not?" the voice asked furiously. "He's just one mere cat. Your people would honor you for a lifetime for this. You could be their leader. My power is great enough to destroy all these cats where they stand!"

The walls slowly closed in more. The panicked voice of the cat could be heard from inside the walls. He was banging on them, and trying his best to stop them.

"Because I don't want that!" I shouted. "He may have been my enemy, but I've won. There's no need to kill him now. Please stop it!"

The voice laughed once again, but this time he was much gentler sounding. The rocks crumbled to the ground and he said, "You've passed my test. I will allow you to use my power...for now. Know that if you ever let your rage consume you, or become bloodthirsty, I can just as easily take it away."

"Thank you," I said. It wasn't for the power, it was for the fact that he stopped.

The lion looked over at me, confused. He held up his staff, ready to cast another spell when suddenly Arisen's voice boomed out over the crowd once again. "That's enough. The wolf has proven what he set out to prove. This fight is over."

The crowd was in stunned silence. I wasn't sure what to make of what just happened. I had won a fight against a dragon, with magic I didn't even know I had.

"Bring the wolf to the council room. We will discuss what to do with him," Arisen said and walked out of the arena.

The two cheetahs from before walked out into the arena with shackles. I put up no resistance and let them bind my paws together again. I felt the metal against my wrists and instinctively knew I could make them crumble if I willed it. I decided that would be a bad thing and just let them lead me away.

We left the arena the same way we came in and went into the temple once again. We walked through the dark corridors and I expected to get that lost sensation again. Instead, I felt more at home then I ever had. It's hard to describe, but I could almost feel the walls. It felt like if I wanted to, I could walk around in this building, in pitch black and find my way out with ease.

We entered the council chambers and found that the torches on the walls were lit. I wasn't sure if they were doing this just for my sake or not, but I was grateful all the same.

The council room was fairly simple. There was a plain, wooden table with six chairs around it. A few papers and maps were scattered out about it. Aside from that and the torches, the room didn't have much else.

Inside the room were three cats. Arisen was in the middle and on either side of him stood Jarred and the lion I had just fought. Now that I wasn't in the middle of fighting him, I had a chance to get a good look at him. He had the typical look of a lion. Light brown fur covered his face, while a dark brown mane covered his neck and head. He had small scars along his face. Clearly he had been fighting for a long time. His cool gray eyes looked me over.

The two cheetahs removed my shackles and left the room.

For a moment, nothing was said. Arisen looked at me with his deep, amber eyes, studying me. I looked over at Jarred who smiled at my warmly. I blushed a little.

The lion was the first to speak. "What he did was no mere parlor trick, my lord. He could have crushed me if he willed it," he said grudgingly.

"Agreed," said Arisen. "Which actually brings me to my first question. Why did you stop?"

I looked Arisen in the eyes and said, "Because he was no longer my enemy. I had won. There was no need to kill him."

The lion growled but Arisen said, "Mind yourself Bane."

Bane straightened up and simply said, "Sir."

Arisen continued, "It's rare to find one of your kind that doesn't want to shed blood. You seem very level headed...for a wolf."

"Not all of us are war crazed beasts you know," I said. It was probably the wrong thing to say, but I was angry.

"So it seems," Arisen replied simply.

The room was quiet for a moment. The silence was starting to drive me crazy. Finally, Arisen said, "You didn't kill my warrior, so I guess I owe you a debt of gratitude. You are welcome to stay in my village as a guest. Know that if you cause any trouble, I will have you killed on sight. My men will keep a very close eye on you."

Bane grumbled but said nothing. Jarred, on the other hand, threw his arms around me. I held him tight and looked over at Arisen.

"Thank you," I said to him. He nodded and he and Bane left the room.

Now that they were gone, all my energy flooded out of my body. I sat on a nearby chair, shaking. Jarred rest his paw on my head. He gently stroked my headfur, trying to calm me down.

"You actually did it, Marcus," he said. "You managed to not only use earth magic, but you beat Bane. No one expected that. That dragon isn't the most powerful spell a fire user can use, but you still took it out very quickly."

"I...don't know how I did it. I just felt like I could. Is it always like that? To be able to just use magic like that?" I asked.

"Well, no. There aren't many magic users that can cast powerful spells without an incantation. Only very experienced mages have been able to do something like that. Normally the spirit rarely talks to the user as well. It's strange that you hear him so often," Jarred said.

I thought about it for a moment. Why was I able to do what I did? What made me so special? I guess it didn't really matter why. What mattered was what I would do with it. I hadn't really thought about exactly what I would do with my new found abilities.

Almost like reading my mind, Jarred said, "The spirit must have given you those powers for a reason. They are far wiser and more powerful than any of us. We just have to trust that they know what's best."

Jarred had a way of calming my nerves. I felt at least a little bit better and I stood up. "What do you say we get out of here? I could use some fresh air."

We walked through the dark passages of the temple. Jarred led the way, holding my paw. I knew where I was going, but it was nice to hold his paw so I didn't argue. We gradually came to the blinding light of the outside world.

Once my eyes had fully adjusted, I saw something I hadn't expected. There were simple canopy tents spread out all across the grassy plain surrounding the temple. The sun shined brightly on the simple brown tarps that shaded the cats inside them. "How did they set this all up so quickly?" I asked.

Jarred didn't have to reply because as I said that, a cat showed me exactly how. He stood around a pile of sticks and the brown tarp of the tent. He said a few words, and then pointed his paws toward the various items. A gust of wind, seemingly with a mind of its own, picked up all the pieces and placed them exactly where they needed to go. The tent was complete in mere seconds.

"That's a cool trick. You'll have to teach me that some time," I said to Jarred in awe.

"I can't teach you that Marcus. I'm a water user" he said as if that were just common sense.

"Why not?" I asked.

Jarred looked at me. I guess he was making sure I was serious. When he realized I was, he said, "Because you can only control one element. There are no casters that can use more than one. You use the earth element, so that's all you can use. Just like me, I can only use the water element. That guy," Jarred said pointing toward the mage that just made the tent, "can use air magic."

"Just how many different kinds of magic are there?" I questioned.

"There's a lot," he said simply. "There may even be some we don't know about yet. The elemental spirits vary from fire, earth, water, air, light, darkness, even more obscure elements like the cold. They're all what keep the world going. Without one, the rest can't exist," Jarred said.

My head spun. There were so many different elements that I never thought about. I was really curious to see how some of them could be put to use.

Finally, after I had some time to digest all of that, I asked, "So what's with all the tents? Is there a celebration today?"

Jarred laughed and said, "Nope, we do this ever day. We pitch the tents by day, and take them down at night." Jarred looked at my puzzled expression and laughed again. "What? Did you think we just stayed cooped up in the temple all day? That would be rather dreary don't you think?"

Before I could answer, Jarred took my paw again and lead me into the tented city. As we walked, I saw that the tents were used mostly to sell and trade goods. There were a few set up for spell casters to show off their unique abilities, while others showed a more artistic side, with dance and music.

It was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. Jarred led me into one canopy after the other, showing me the goods the cats had to offer. It was surreal to see it all. One shop had pelts of animals for sale, to keep warm, or decorate a home with. Another was selling food that made my stomach rumble.

When Jarred heard that he said, "Oh! You've only had that prison food! I'm sorry, let me get you something."

Before I could protest, Jarred was reaching into his simple blue robes and pulled out a coin purse. He retrieved two gold coins from the bag and put it back. He brought back a pair of large turkey legs. My mouth watered from the smell, and I tried my best not to drool.

Jarred handed me one of the legs. "Thanks," I said blushing. I quickly took the leg and bit into it. My eyes widened as the flavorful, juicy meat hit my tongue. It was amazing. I couldn't remember the last time I had something so good. I quickly took another bite, then another, before I realized I was making a mess of myself.

I looked over at Jarred who was grinning. I blushed harshly at his gaze. He just simply took his thumb pad and slid it on the side of my muzzle. A small piece of turkey sat on the tip of his thumb, which he ate.

We continued walking through the market, eating as we went. I can't remember a better day than this one. The warm breeze blew through my fur as I took in the sights and sounds of a culture I had never seen before. It was so foreign, and so beautiful.

The longer I walked, the more difficult it was for me to figure out why my own people wanted to fight the cats so badly. Why were they fighting one another? Even as I walked through the tents, I didn't see hate in the eyes of the cats as they looked at me. I did see fear, maybe even mistrust, but that was to be expected.

My thoughts were interrupted by a loud bang. I about nearly jumped out of my fur, but it didn't seem to affect any of the cats at all. When my nerves had settled I said, "What was that?"

"What?" Jarred asked. "Oh! The loud noises? Those are some of our warriors, training. Most cats can use magic, it's rare when one can't. So the warriors fight one another to hone their skills."

I looked over in the direction Jarred was looking and off in the distance, by a lining of trees, was a group of cats sparring with one another.

"That's where you will be training soon I'm sure. I'm gunna be honest with you Markus. Our leader wants you to fight with us. He looks at you as a powerful asset, if you join us. If not, well, lets just say, there isn't much choice sadly," Jarred said.

I felt like a heavy weight had just been put on my shoulders. I mean, I guess it made sense. The only reason the cats have for letting me survive is to use my power. I felt a bit of resentment for that.

"So they think of me as some tool? Or a weapon?" I asked with a bitter tone.

"Well...yes," Jarred said honestly.

"And you?" I asked, and regretted the words as soon as they came out of my mouth.

Jarred's looked at me, clearly hurt. "Of course I don't think that! You know how hard I tried to keep you alive? Do you even know how close you were to dying in that cell? The best I could do was convince them of how useful you could be to them! I put my neck on the line for you, and I hope it was worth it," Jarred shouted and started walking ahead of me.

I felt horrible. I was upset at the news I had just herd, but lashing out at Jarred like that was stupid of me. He had done so much for me. I followed behind him, not really saying anything. I wanted to wait until he cooled down a little.

Eventually we circled back around to the temple. Dusk was starting to come over the village and the tents were coming down as quickly as they went up. It was amazing to watch the mages use magic in their every day lives. I had only seen it in a combat sense until now. I didn't realize how useful it could be. How gentle it could be.

Jarred walked into the temple and I followed close behind him. He led the way through more twists and turns than ever before. I could feel that we were going deeper and deeper underground.

Suddenly, Jarred turned toward a simple wooden door and opened it. "Well, this is us," he said simply. I walked into the room in complete darkness. I slammed my knee into a table and quickly realized that if it wasn't made of earth, I didn't know it was there.

I heard in the darkness the scratching sound of a match against a rough surface. The room's darkness gave in ever so slightly to the light of the match. Jarred moved the small stick up to a candle and lit it, then put out the match. He took the candle and moved it to another, then another, until the room was fairly well lit.

I got my first view of Jarred's small home. It had a simple dining table for two people, in the middle of the room. It was that which I ran into when the room was dark. There were also some furs hanging on the walls as decoration. A small wardrobe sat to one side, and a bed rested in the corner. Furs lined the bed and it looked very warm and comfortable.

I looked over at Jarred, his expression showed he was still angry at me. I sighed and walked toward him. I gave him a big hug and said, "I'm sorry about earlier. I was just upset. I know you've done so much for me. I'm sorry."

At first Jarred didn't move. I wasn't sure what he was thinking. Eventually, he wrapped his arms around me and held me close. I took in his scent. The pleasant aroma filled my nostrils.

I suddenly remember I hadn't bathed in a week and pulled away from Jarred. "Sorry, I probably reek," I said.

"A little," he admitted with a grin.

I blushed and said, "Oh, thanks!"

Jarred laughed and said, "Wanna go get cleaned up?"

Before I could answer, Jarred took my paw and led me out of the room. We once again walked the twisting and turning halls of the temple. "Just how big is this place?" I thought to myself.

Eventually, we came to one of the very few rooms in the temple that was actually lit. Torches stretched across a large room with several pools of water. The water was letting off steam, although how they were hot, I wasn't sure. Aside from the torches, there wasn't a fire in sight.

Only a few cats were in the pools at the moment. They watched me as I walked in. Their eyes followed my movement. I wasn't sure why they watched me. Maybe they were curious about what was under my clothes. The thought made me blush profusely.

Jarred led me to an empty pool in the far corner of the large room. He began stripping out of his robes. I watched him, as his well toned body was released from the confines of the baggy robes. His chest and abs glistened in the torch light.

I swallowed hard, mesmerized by the sight in front of me. Jarred looked over at me with a grin and I blushed before looking away, busying myself with my own clothing. I tried my best to suppress my growing member. By the time I had my simple linen pants off, the tip of my member still poked out of my sheath.

Jarred didn't notice, or didn't say anything about it. He was now fully naked and slowly stepped into the warm bath water. He lowered himself down and was soon up to his shoulders in the water.

He looked over at me with a puzzled expression. "You coming?" he asked.

I snapped out of my daze and quickly walked over to the edge of the clear water. I stepped in and was greeted to the warmth of the hot liquid as it surrounded my leg. I let out a sigh as I continued to enter the pool. I finally came to sit next to Jarred in the large pool.

"Feels great. Doesn't it?" Jarred said with a grin. "I remember when I first got back. Feeling that water again was like heaven after my imprisonment."

"Yeah," I said simply. The water felt amazing as the warmth covered my body. I rested my head on the ledge of the bath as I let out a relaxed sigh.

Jarred leaned over and rubbed a paw on my exposed belly fur. I let out a muffled moan as the leopard gently moved his paw back and forth over my rounded stomach. As if the bath wasn't nice enough, getting the extra treatment just made it all that much better.

Eventually Jarred stopped and turned toward a small basket I hadn't noticed before. From it he produced a small bar of soap. He dipped the bar into the water before starting to lather my torso with it. The pleasant scent of the soap filled my nose as I leaned back and let Jarred do as he pleased.

He gradually worked up my torso to my shoulders and neck. He moved the bar slowly and precise. I tried my hardest to suppress the growing erection I had but I was only delaying the inevitable.

Suddenly, Jarred pushed down on my head and I was submerged fully under the water. He let go and I came back out of the water. I gave him a dirty look but he just grinned.

He continued to work my head with the bar, the soap dripped down my muzzle and I tried my best to keep it out of my eyes. Finally Jarred pushed me under the water again. This time I was grateful to have the soap removed before it could get in my eyes.

I once again resurfaced and Jarred wasted no time. He moved the bar back down my body. A small moan escaped my throat as the moved over my belly, slowly going lower. It was then I realized just how hard I really was. I blushed when Jarred's paw brushed against my fully erect shaft.

Jarred chuckled and said, "Well now. I guess I know what's on your mind."

I just blushed and said nothing. Jarred slid the bar around my inner thighs and my lower stomach. He teased me by just barely avoiding my shaft that longed for his touch. He continued working the area with the bar, probably far longer than was necessary.

After what seemed like an eternity, he moved the bar over my balls. I gasped and tried to keep my voice down as best I could. The other cats in near by pools could probably very easily hear my sounds if I didn't silence them.

Jarred moved a paw over my shaft and my eyes shot open. I looked over at him but he just had a devious smile. He gently rubbed my shaft causing me to squirm under the immense pleasure he was providing me.

He moved his paw downward, giving my knot a squeeze. I gasped and bit my lower lip as he continued to masterfully rub my shaft. I leaned my head back and tried my best not to let on about what was happening.

Suddenly another cat came to the pool. It was Bane, the lion I fought earlier. He cleared his throat and Jarred suddenly stopped.

"You know the rules Jarred," Bane said eyeing us both. "No fooling around in the pools."

We both blushed profusely and Jarred removed his paws from my shaft. Thankfully the water was well soaped now so Bane couldn't see just how excited I was with all that was happening.

The lion removed the towel that was covering his body and slowly stepped into the opposite side of the pool. It was big enough to seat several more, so it wasn't all that strange that Bane would join us since we were the only two in this one.

Once Bane had fully submerged his well toned body into the water, he looked over at me.

"So," he said casually, "I guess you get to be a guest in our village. For now."

"I guess so," I said trying to not sound as tense as I felt.

"I think our lord is making a mistake. We have no reason to trust you wolves. All you've done is attack us for no reason. Besides, someone like you wouldn't stand a chance in a real fight," Bane said.

"I managed to beat you," I said coolly.

Bane frowned and said, "I'll admit I was surprised by your attack. You keeping me alive was a mistake though. It's weakness like that, which will get you killed on the battlefield."

"Not wanting someone to die isn't a weakness," I replied.

"This is a war pup. We don't get the luxury of deciding who will live or die. Destroying your enemy should be your only thought," Bane countered.

"That's a very barbaric way of thinking," I said simply.

"Well, it has kept me alive all these years. I think I'll stick with it," Bane replied with a grin.

Jarred put his paw on my shoulder and I suddenly realized just how much Bane was getting to me. I tried to relax a little.

"Let's go," Jarred said as he stood up.

I agreed and stood out of the pool. Bane watched me as I stood and I became very self conscious. I quickly grabbed a towel from a pile that was placed near the pool and wrapped it around my body. Jarred did the same and we grabbed our clothes. He led me out of the pools and back into the dark hallways.

As we walked I said, "Is he always like that? Always so aggressive and bull headed?"

Jarred said, "Well, yes. He's a fire user after all."

I looked confused and Jarred must have noticed because he said, "The elemental spirits pick their wielders based off of their personal characteristics. Fire users are typically aggressive and ready to fight at the drop of a hat."

"So what kind of traits does a water user have?" I asked curiously.

Jarred smiled and said, "We're usually smart and cunning. We always try to think three steps ahead and think of the most tactically sound approach."

As I thought about it, that really did describe Jarred very well. It would explain why he always studied me. He was always thinking of the best way to deal with a given situation.

"That's also why our leaders are typically water uses. Lord Arisen is a water user himself. That's why he was able to give you the gift of knowledge. It's an old water user spell that only a few mages know," Jarred added.

It made sense now why the earth spirit had chosen me. I was a pacifist at heart, but wasn't afraid to fight if I had to. It was a trait that the spirit liked. Apparently he was very picky as to who he gave his power to though. I still felt weird to be the only one.

I was distracted and hadn't realized we were already at Jarred's home. He opened the door and walked inside. The candles were still lit from earlier but didn't seem to have burned down at all. I found it strange, but quickly forgot about it.

I walked in behind him and closed the door. Before I could say anything, Jarred turned on me and pushed me against the door as he kissed me deeply.

My now flaccid shaft quickly sprung back to life at Jarred's sudden surprise. I held him close as I slid my paws all over his slightly damp body. I moved down to his butt and slid off his towel. He was now fully exposed to me as I grasped his perfect, round cheeks.

He gasped into my mouth as his tongue slid all over mine. I became lost in that wonderful texture of his tongue. It felt so amazing every time I felt it and I couldn't get enough of it.

My growing member was now pitching a large tent behind my towel. Jarred worked his paws over the soft fabric and it fell to the floor. He wasted no time and reached his paw between my legs, giving my shaft a gentle squeeze.

I let out a moan that was muffled by his warm, inviting muzzle. I lapped at his tongue and massaged his muscle with mine. Jarred slowly began to stroke my now fully erect shaft. A small drop of pre escaped the tip.

I hadn't been able to even paw off for a week and now my body practically begged for this. I gasped as Jarred slid his paw over my sensitive head and collected the pre that had formed there. He slid his paw over it and used it as lubricant for his stroking.

I was in absolute bliss as waves of pleasure flooded my body and sent shivers down my spine. The fur on the back of my neck stood up in excitement as I lustfully kissed the leopard in front of me.

I continued working Jarred's round butt. I spread his cheeks apart, squeezing them both, one in each hand. He gasped as I worked his soft flesh.

Suddenly Jarred broke our kiss and led me toward the bed in the corner of the room. He pushed me onto it in a sitting position. I watched as he slowly slid down my body, resting his knees on the floor. He licked and nipped at my torso as he moved his head down toward my anxiously awaiting shaft.

Jarred moved one paw to my shaft and slid it to the side as his head moved between my thigh and balls. My eyes shot open as I felt intense pleasure at the spot that had never been licked before. It felt so foreign, and absolutely amazing. Moans easily escaped my muzzle as he worked this new found spot. He licked at the area as he slowly worked toward my balls.

Gradually he made it up my balls and I gasped when I felt his warm tongue touch my pulsing shaft. He slowly licked up my shaft, tasting every inch I had to offer. I gripped the furs on the bed with both paws as waves of immense pleasure flowed through my body.

I instinctively bucked my hips slightly as the leopard expertly lapped at my long, red cock. My knot started to form and he began to lick over that as well. I moaned loudly now that Jarred's muzzle no longer blocked mine.

Jarred seemed to like hearing me moan. He grew more excited every time I let out a sound to let him know what he was doing was giving the desired effect. Finally Jarred reached the tip of my cock.

I looked down at him as he took one paw around my knot and gave it a squeeze. I gasped and he took that as a sign to continue on. He opened his maw and slowly slid it down my shaft. I was in heaven as I watched the leopard's head slid up and down my eager wolf cock.

He took in almost my entire shaft, his tongue reaching my knot. He continued working up and down taking me in as deep as he could. I tried to hold back my hips but they would sometimes buck upward into Jarred's warm muzzle.

I could feel Jarred's tongue slide and swirl around my cock head as he went. Pre shot out of my cock and Jarred eagerly lapped it all up. I put a paw on Jarred's head and gently pushed him down deeper onto my member. He tried to adjust to the invader poking at the back of his throat.

Eventually Jarred was taking in my entire shaft, and a bit of the knot. I could feel my tip push back to the end of his throat, as it rubbed the upper part of his mouth. I gasped and moaned with every thrust into the leopard's warm muzzle.

I could feel my orgasm welling inside me and I knew at this rate I wouldn't last much longer. "S...sss...stop," I finally managed to say as I was on the edge of shooting my load.

Jarred released my cock from his muzzle and looked up at me with a grin. "You liked that wolfy?" he said slyly.

"Get on the bed," I said with a lustful growl a grin on my face. "Wolfy?" I thought to myself.

Jarred did as I said and came to rest on the bed on all fours. He looked back at me to see exactly what I had in mind. I positioned myself behind him and leaned down. I spread his cheeks and exposed his tail hole. I leaned in and lapped at it, giving it a teasing lick. Jarred gasped and shivered at the sensation.

"Ohhh, never had that before," he said with a gasp.

I began to explore his tail hole with my tongue, licking and getting it slick. I reached around and grabbed his fully erect shaft. He moaned as I began to stroke him while I continued licking his tight, warm hole.

I started to move my head down and began lapping at his balls. Jarred just moaned in pure ecstasy as my tongue slid over his fuzzy sack.

I changed positions and got on my back, putting my head between his legs. His shaft dangled just in front of my muzzle. I took his cock into my mouth and tasted the salty pre that had built up at the tip. Jarred began to buck his hips in sync with my sucking.

I moved a paw up his thigh and towards his tight hole. I gently pushed my finger against his well slicked hole. Gradually it gave in to me and allowed my finger entrance. Jarred gasped as his warm insides were invaded by my thick digit.

I continued to push until my finger had reached the knuckle. I gave Jarred a moment to adjust, and then started to slowly slide the finger out. My tongue slid over his cock head as I moved my finger back and forth into his hole.

After fingering him for a moment, I gently slid a second finger in. I could feel his tight muscle push against my fingers as they slid in and out of his body. Every time I pushed in, my muzzle was greeted with a spray of pre cum from Jarred's cock.

I could tell Jarred was on edge now as his breathing began to pick up and he moaned louder and louder. Suddenly I stopped, not allowing him to finish just yet. Jarred let out a sigh as he caught his breath.

Now that he was loosened up, I figured it was time for the main event. I slid my fingers out of his hole and sat up. I positioned myself behind him, lining up my dripping cock to his prepped hole.

I began to push forward slowly. Jarred gasped as the new, much larger intruder began to move itself into his body. My tip gained entrance as I slowly, but persuasively move my hips forward.

Inch after inch slowly slid into the leopard as I watched my shaft slowly disappear into the tight warmth below me. I was in heaven as my cock was enveloped by Jarred's cavity.

Finally my hips rested against Jarred's back side. My knot pressed against his tail hole begging for entrance. Slowly, I started to pull back. I went until just the tip of my cock still remained inside, and then pushed back in. I kept the pace slow at first, wanting the moment to last.

Instinct gradually took over and my hips began to move faster and faster. The bed rocked as I hammered in and out of Jarred's tight hole. Jarred just gasped and moaned with every thrust. His head rested against a pillow while his paws gripped the fur that covered the bed.

After some time, I decided that we should change things up a bit. "I want to see your face," I said. I stopped thrusting and pulled out. Jarred looked back at me, and nodded.

I then flipped Jarred over, onto his back. I picked up his legs and rest them on my shoulders as I leaned down, over his body. I positioned myself again and pushed in.

Jarred gasped as he felt my shaft slid into him again. I leaned forward and nipped at his neck as I began to thrust back and forth. The slaps of our love making resonated through the room as I began to breed Jarred with vigor.

I could feel I was getting close and started to really push at Jarred's hole. My knot begged to be let in and was starting to spread the leopard's tail hole more and more. I continued to thrust lustfully into the warm hole below me. I felt Jarred's body gradually giving into my knot's insistence.

I gave one final, powerful thrust and my knot slid into his hole. This was all Jarred could take as he shot his cum all over his chest and face. Waves of seed shot out all over the leopard as he came harder than he ever had before.

As Jarred came I felt his inner walls contract onto my knot. This sent me over the edge as I moaned loudly and shot my seed deep into him. I made small thrust as I continued to unload a week's worth of cum into his inviting cavity. Some of the cum managed to leak out and slid down Jarred's inner thigh and balls.

I leaned in and kissed Jarred's messy face. I tasted a bit of cum that had landed on his lips. I lapped it up eagerly, tasting the warm, salty fluid on my tongue. I broke our kiss and began to lick Jarred clean of his seed as best I could. He was still sticky, but it would do for now.

Finally, I was too exhausted to stay like that and gently fell over to Jarred's side. We were knotted and wouldn't be going anywhere for a while.

I held Jarred close, my chest pressed firmly against his back. We both were breathing heavily and I could feel his heart pounding in his chest.

"That was...amazing Markus," the leopard said in between breaths.

"You're amazing," I replied simply.

I nuzzled the back of his neck and closed my eyes. I was exhausted and knew I would be asleep soon.

Jarred cut through the silence and said something that made my heart skip a beat. "I love you, Marcus."

I had never been told that before from someone that wasn't my family. I never had someone love me with the passion that we had for one another. "I love you too, Jarred," I replied, trying to hold back tears.

We stayed there like that and I fell asleep holding the man I loved with all my heart.