FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Astaroth part 5- False Expectations and hopeful dreams.

Disclaimer: Astaroth Ankh the bat-morph© (and the world and concepts in which this series will develop is my creation, so no stealing). May contain adult situations. If you are a minor you should not be reading this or where this material is forbidden, so don't read below this disclaimer. Contains violence and mature themes. Enjoy furry readers!

Peace at last...

Having barely escaped from that nightmarish place called the Dragon's citadel, the Dickinson family got stuck in the middle of the great dry grasslands as a torrential rain poured incessantly for over three weeks. The intermittent flooding has stalled the wolves' pursuit, as well as the Dickinson's travel to their home completely. The conical, mushroom-shaped log cabin in which the foxes lived was covered with a concrete-hard mix made out of clay, straw and cattle excrement. It was an ideal shelter against the sudden rainstorms and the extreme humid heat of the grasslands. Katherine and Amanda were busy cleaning and doing house chores while William was cooking fish. Suddenly, the wooden door slammed and Aster's face was pale beneath his fur and with an expression of horror.

Katherine spoke: 'Aster, what's wrong?' 'Is there any wolf soldiers nearby?' Aster ran to his stepmother and hugged her fiercely as he whispered nervously: 'I saw a dead lion-morph near the lake'. The females gasped when they knew this and William pulled the cub's arm forcefully and yelled: 'Were you getting into something dangerous?' Aster shook his head: 'I was picking up berries near the lake when I saw a group of cranes feeding on a carcass. I believed it was only a dead animal so I walked away. The birds got scared by something and flew away, and when I saw clearly what it was, I...

Katherine interrupted: 'You ran away?' Aster nodded and said: 'I didn't dare to touch the body, because I didn't know how he died. I'm sure he wasn't executed because he didn't have any stab wounds or marks indicating that he was crucified'. William apologized to the cub and the cub said: 'Don't worry Dad, sometimes I do stupid things'. William: replied: 'But I should be more calm when a situation like this arises'. Aster said: 'If you forgive me, I'll do the same'. Then father and son hugged each other, and saying everything without even speaking, went to investigate the corpse.

When both father and child came to the place were the corpse was supposed to lie, they found nothing. All they found was a dirty, faded scroll case and some bloodstained, commoner's clothing and strangely, an expensive looking pair of boots (?). When the males came home, the foxes discussed what to do with the scrolls. The foxes saw the scrolls and concluded that it showed an investigation methodology that went against the quantitative and qualitative basis of the scientific method. This document evidenced an investigation procedure, which clashed with Earth's scientific philosophy, because it interpreted and derived conclusions based on an arithmetic formula that predicted completely the nature of the studied phenomena, instead of using the obsolete controlled observation, with all its placement limitations. Imagine what anyone would create if he or she would comprehend and manipulate at whim the basic elements of the universe instead of figuring them out on a theoretical level? William and Kate were getting goose bumps. Then why these 'furries' lived like in the dark ages? Was this some sort of scientific blackmail to enslave them into subservience? This document's scientific protocol was worth its weight in platinum!

Amanda took snapshots of the whole scrolls with a small microcomputer that she brought from planet Earth. After everyone went to bed, the cub unrolled the parchment papers and climbed to the ceiling. When Aster reopened the scroll and looked at the yellowish papyrus, a small medallion fell. It looked like a round talisman with the stylized image of a flaming eagle. It has an inscription on the other side, which reads: "Eleventh Division, named 'Divine Vision of Light", "Commander-Kitsune Tanaka". Aster muttered: "Weird, It's like I fell the presence of a living being just where I am, but there's no one here!' Suddenly, both the ancient artifact and the cub began to glow with a blue light, and in a few seconds, the cub's bright aura changed to a multi-colored pattern. A blue string of light began to form between the cub and the medallion as a glowing "eye" formed in the cub's forehead. Aster was speechless: 'Weird. I feel like this copper amulet is alive, but that's impossible!'

Aster went inside the house and crawled upside down on the ceiling to avoid tripping with any furniture and waking up his parents. He went to the straw bed were both Amanda and him were sleeping. He shook her as she woke up groggily and yawned: 'Why did you wake me up?' She gasped when she though Aster was giving her the semi-precious relic: 'Were did you find that? It's beautiful! May I keep it?' Aster sighed: 'Stepsister, this is not a jewel, but a psychic artifact. Tomorrow, I'll call Mom and Dad and tell them about this thing!' She was very disappointed but silent.

The next day both children went into the routine of bathing together, brushing their fur, and making themselves presentable. Aster picked up the amulet from his shirt pocket and came running to his parent's room. They were embraced together and both woke up with yawns and groans as Aster showed them the medallion. William spoke: 'Aster, there did you find that?' Aster told him: 'I found it hidden in the scroll case, but that's not important!' He added: 'Dad, I'm certain that this medallion has some telepathic abilities!' Both foxes had a startled look and Katherine asked: 'Are you sure about that?' The cub nodded.

Suddenly, an orange-red, flame-looking aura enveloped the little bat, as he screamed and fell unconscious. A ball of flame exploded around the cub, which burned the curtains and several scroll pages. William and Amanda quenched the fire with buckets as Katherine helped Aster stand up. The bat screeched happily as he played with and suckled the milk bottle. William said to the cub: 'This device is dangerous. Tell me child, do you know what else can do this device?'

Aster stammered: 'Dad, I am sure that this medallion is alive and has some powers that I can sense, but others I'm not sure'. 'However, if this medallion is part of the original scroll, it must be centuries old. Perhaps from what I've read this scroll was made during the late monarchy, before the religious uprising that produced the false utopia'. Amanda spoke: 'How did you manage to read and translate these wedge-like characters for Daddy when he bought this papyrus from the swamp?' Aster quipped: 'My grandmother told me how'. The foxes were speechless. If the cub's family came from this world it could explain his powers and family background.

William changed the conversation: 'This device cannot stay here because it can hurt us and we do not know what it can do, or how can we handle it safely. Also, we do not know who's the owner and if he's searching for the medallion'. The bat replied nervously: 'But Dad, this amulet is more powerful than fifty "Shadow horde" bats, maybe a thousand of them put together. Remember that a bunch of lions tried to sell me, "a puny little bat" with psychic abilities, into slavery. Can you imagine what that dragon would do to get an artifact that could destroy everything into ashes? What if those monsters would be tempted to use it?'

Aster said: 'Father, can we destroy this thing before they hurt somebody with it? This relic can only bring trouble.' William said: ' I'm troubled because we have no way of telling if this artifact is used for protection against the Dragon, or if this relic is owned by the Dragon himself. We must know who owns this artifact before delivering it to it's rightful owners or disposing of it.' Fear took over the cub as he saw the medallion on the table. He knew from experience that if anyone knew about the whereabouts of this medallion his family would get hurt or killed.

In a small fortified town near the Dickinson's shelter...

An adult raccooness was pacing back and forth on a rickety old wooden floor, in an equally rickety, rat-infested room waiting for the spy who would bring her a powerful artifact. She muttered angrily: 'I can't stand it! That stupid lion was supposed to bring me the scroll today. I have to admit that I'm worried, not because of him, (although I'm not heartless), but because if the Dragon's soldiers catch and torture him, all our resistance movement is doomed. Many of our people can't believe we are enslaved in a miserable golden cage! All our physical necessities are satisfied but there is a feeling of despair in all of us. The tyranny has a steel grip on the brainwashed, mindless drones that inhabits in this continent. We have lost all hope and the birth rate in this city is lower than it has been in nearly three centuries ago. There had been rumors of killings, suicide and random violence. Now they are placing their hope into an old priestess, hoping that she will give us the leadership that we desperately need. Most of us are so weak and messed up that we preferred to let our enslavers take control of our own volition, instead of fighting our uncertainties and taking control of our own lives. Others might think it's better to live safe but afraid, but I DON'T. I do not have the patience to listen to that old, lunatic hag again, but I feel like she has a little bit of truth in all those delusions and craziness.'

A gaunt, rag clad old possum opened the door and said: 'There are no news about the courier that we have sent seventeen days ago to steal the last remaining scrolls from the Stonecutter's library in the Dragon's city. Fortunately, the authorities do not know about the existence of this artifact. An internal fight caused by the rebellion of the now deceased Second in command, over a small slave bat caused an internal fighting which distracted the guards and just made our effort a lot easier. The talisman told us about a planet, much younger than ours and thriving with life. Strange looking creatures called humans inhabit this planet. If we are able to summon a portal to that world we would be able to colonize it and use the artifact to create a plasma energy storm to deal with the bothersome natives. Oh, things will be easier when we get rid off a few million ugly bald apes (humans).'

The possum then spoke with an angrier and defeated tone: 'We aren't strong enough to fight with the dragon's soldiers and we must be careful. They have telepathic spies everywhere. I still remember when the monarchy fell and those lion cultists promised us a perfect world. It was a lie, because we are enslaved by this régime, just as we were in the monarchy. This theocracy has blinded everyone's mind with irrational hope and a self-proclaimed Dragon "god" has replaced whole kingdoms with bloodthirsty commissars. Dragon cultists have ordered horrible massacres and banished whole villages into the Gulag. My own brother and his family were killed under the excuse that they were loyal to the monarchy. I've lost also my friends and my high position at the government because they found out about my brother. I was expelled and accused of being a traitor to the theocracy. We will some day avenge my beloved brother or else he will never rest in peace'. 'I will canalize the people's anger and despair to move them into achieving our objectives, just like it happened when the monarchy fell. Hatred can be such a useful tool. We will find our own place and prosper, and I could become the new "dragon" for saving our community. 'I know this would appear by some as a cruel decision but who cares about those "ugly bald primates". After all we have suffered a "sea of tears and blood" though all these years. This is the safest way to achieve our goals without any danger of being discovered or endangering our people. If the ritual goes correctly, we could even travel back and conquer our world'.

At the same time in secluded part of the market...

With a blue spark of light, a diminutive winged figure stepped out of a dimensional portal and crawled upside down on the warehouse ceiling. He had open ears, and all the telepathic senses on alert for any potential enemies or onlookers. Not feeling entirely secure, he landed on a pile of straw and buried himself in it. He didn't want to be chased in the city like the last time, so he waited until nightfall so he could move more freely. In this way, he could avoid using portals that could pinpoint his psychic signature and whereabouts when he opened them. The streets were bursting with activity during the day, but during the night a curfew was imposed and the streets were as desolate and silent as a cemetery.

Only the mace-wielding wolves patrolled the streets and alleys in pairs. Aster had to rely mostly on his ears to avoid being spotted. He felt like a fly in the spider web, as the tension and his own fear began to play with his mind. He thought that at any moment, a bystander would alert the neighborhood, or a soldier's arrow could pierce his skull and kill him. He shuddered as he imagined himself impaled in a cross, while the crows were feeding on his eyeballs. Any crevasse in these "thrown on top of the other" buildings, or in this confusing labyrinth of twisted dark alleys would be a refuge for a stalker. He silently crawled as fast as he could from one ceiling to the other. He was desperately escaping from those "eyes" that were following him at every corner. His hearth was running so fast he could almost feel it stuck in his throat.

Suddenly, he saw that a medium furry was hiding and evading skillfully the patrol guards. He forgot about his fear as he swallowed the rank, coppery taste in his mouth and decided to follow him (or her). Who was this person, which decided to risk being caught by the wolves? The cub decided to crawl closer to this person, who knocked the door three times in a rhythmic sequence.

The door opened and the cloaked figure hurriedly went inside. Were they subversive elements... or criminals? Aster knew he shouldn't be so close from people who might hurt him believing he was a "Shadow Horde" cub, but his childish curiosity threw cautiousness to the garbage. He saw an opened window that was used to unload charcoal, so he went into the narrow passage. The charcoal-covered bat hid inside a dumpster as he heard a conversation between a female raccoon and a tall, chestnut- colored mare. The mare asked: 'Did they followed you?' The raccoon girl shook her head.

The mare said: 'One of our informants told me that a group of fishermen discovered the severed arm of the courier'. The female raccoon was shocked: 'Where? Did he find the scrolls?' The mare replied: 'No, apparently some dogs or wolves ate the corpse and the river carried the remains to the shore. The body was half naked and the amulet could be anywhere. I've interrogated telepathically and tortured the fishermen to death but they didn't give us any information'. The cub realized in what kind of danger his family would be, but what could he do? If he sends a telepathic message or open a portal where he stood, any nearby psychic would spot and kill him.

An hour earlier...

Amanda couldn't believe it! She emptied the scroll case and found that the stupid bat took the medallion. Oh, well. That medallion wasn't worth that much but she wanted it to buy things for herself. She began to read a papyrus when the scroll began to transfer to her some residual energy as the artifact granted precognition abilities to Amanda for a brief time. She gasped with horror as she envisioned a group of hyenas coming by. But how could she see them? They seemed to be at least five kilometers away. She bolted thru the door and called for her parents, who were picking up mushrooms. They hid themselves inside the outhouse as the wolves wrecked the house in search for the scroll, picked up the remaining pages and galloped away on bipedal dinosaurs. Amanda silently prayed thanks to the heavens as she embraced her mother.

When the group of hyenas passed near a platoon of wolves, the wolf leader shot two flaming arrow to a soldier on top of the hill. The signal was spotted and the wolf recruit used a giant mirror to give the place and direction where the hyenas were going. A scarred Aardvark saw the luminous Morse code and ordered his troops: 'Advance. The scouts have spotted the subversives and confirmed that they are carrying the relic. Order all groups to suspend the surveillance and send messengers to warn the city's garrison to keep track on them. We have orders to locate and kill the outlaws as well as recovering the manuscript. Do not take any prisoners!'

Back at the fortified village...

Aster pondered what to do. He wanted to warn his family but he didn't know if they were safe or not. He didn't know how to use the artifact as a weapon, and he didn't have the strength to fight a wolf soldier. A female skunk came in and said: 'I have new orders from the Priestess Possum. She said that we will be prepared tonight for portal opening to the Planet Earth'. The raccoon girl said: 'But what if we meet with resistance from the natives. I was told that those barbaric creatures are powerful'.

The female skunk said: 'The Priestess said that she will use the amulet to kill all the humans with an energy storm' Aster had a mixture of desperation and seething anger when he heard this. He had to restrain himself to avoid screaming and attacking the females. Those "furries" wanted to exterminate the entire human race so that they would steal their home. He took a piece of dried excrement and threw it at a nearby window. The noise distracted the females and Aster bolted thru another window as he summoned a portal from a safe distance. He would go to the nearest furnace he could find, and destroy both the amulet and the scroll so nobody would misuse the relics to hurt anyone.

Suddenly, he felt somebody calling his name. But how, he was alone in this place. Unless... He took the amulet from his back pocket and saw that it was glowing with a bright multi-colored light. His own name reverberated in his mind like someone was yelling on his fuzzy ears. Aster thought: "Medallion, are you the one who is calling my name?' The voice said: 'Yes young cub, I am the spirit who is inside this medallion like an ionic mixture inside a battery. My function is to modify the genetic and cellular structure of any creature so they would enhance their psychic abilities. I am also a living library and function as an energy portal as well. If you want, I will help you gain your objectives in exchange for my liberty. I have just felt thru the ether that the cultist have the scroll and they will use it '. The cub asked: 'How am I going to find those "furries" before they open the portal without endangering myself?' The voice replied: 'I will help you get some help if you want. I would make you more powerful, but that would require a lot of time that we don't have'. Aster asked: 'Will you help me stop the cultists from opening a portal to my adoptive home?' The amulet said: 'I will help you with that by giving you the power to send for help in alternate dimensions, so you can summon "furries" to help you deal with your task ahead. But only if you destroy my physical form so I won't be used by the enemy'. Then Aster asked: 'What would happen to you if the medallion is destroyed?' The voice replied: 'My spirit will take possession of the nearest creature alive'. Aster grinned as he flied and placed the medallion at the edge of the furnace. Then he tied the relic to the end of a rope as he placed a piece of white-hot iron slowly burning the rope. The medallion spirit wondered what was he up to, since he blocked his mind thinking about unrelated things. Why was the cub carrying a clay pot? Aster waved his paw as meaning "Good-bye". Then he flew away with a mischievous grin as the spirit yelled him to come back. The cub didn't listen to him.

Aster began to wonder about the motivations that the medallion spirit had when he began to concentrate to open the portal. Six portals appeared in mid air, and in each of them stepped out... a crippled replica of himself and five of his older version? He could not believe it! He had the surprise of his young life when he saw five adolescent bats and a dwarf bat of his same age. Apparently they were six duplicates from separate alternate realities. Except for two of them, the others were replicas of him before he was rejuvenated, but his younger "brother" was scarred with marks of torture all over his body. This fact made Aster wince; thinking that he almost suffered the same fate. The small one had also shackle marks in his arms and legs, and a leather collar around his neck. The little bat has a wounded leg and had a partially blind eye. The first adolescent was a fisherman like Aster once was. The second and third ones were both commoners, one was the son of a merchant and the other an aristocrat in an alternate reality. There was a female, which was named and had the appearance of his sister back on Earth. Aster felt nervous and glad at the same time when he looked at her. He wanted to kiss and hug her, but he made a supreme effort to remain calm. The last one lived on Planet Earth's Green Bay main island as a pickpocket. Their names were Lilith, Dumah, Aiwass, Crowley, and Muriel. The small cub had no name and it was obvious that he was an enslaved prisoner.

Aster wondered if his destiny would be the same if he weren't rescued with those "Shadow horde" bats. Aster's mind focused as he saw his "brothers" auras. The older ones had psychic abilities that were insignificant, but his "twin brother" had abilities that were the same as his own. Aster addressed to his "brothers": 'I know that you do not know me, or any of the persons present here. All of you are kin and blood to me and, I called you because I need your help to sabotage an incoming invasion. Please, I desperately need your help!'

The older bats scorned and began to raise their voices in protest: 'Are you crazy or what?' 'How are we supposed to stop a whole army?' 'None of us volunteered or know how to fight'. When the protests and yells became unbearable for the smaller cubs, until the slave spoke: 'It seems that only my "twin brother" here has some understanding about the dangerous situation that we are facing. I know that I will not convince all of you with words. So I will give you a glimpse of my home world'. The dwarf bat's body began to glow as he gave them a mental projection of his former life.

All their senses became blurred as they felt like they were in an altered state of consciousness. Their minds were hit by an image "wave" that crossed their minds like a hammer that hit their heads. In a flash all their senses were flooded as the young bats looked, heard and smelled a desolated wasteland. The wind carried an immense dust cloud that chocked the young onlookers. At the distance, a series of square-shaped buildings bellowed columns of suffocating, putrid black smoke. The whole place stood like a silent witness of a parasitic realm that drained the land of it's resources. A siren broke thru the silence of the night as a multitude of slaves walked slowly like condemned inmates marching to their execution. Indeed, anyone would think of them not as people but mere hollow shadows that appeared and disappeared as they lived and died, not remembered or even prayed as they finished their lives. The slaves' eyes were filled with despair, as they are waiting patiently to welcome death. The workers pulled immense stone blocks to the factory that barely moved, like these inanimate objects would try to defeat into submission the gaunt, consumptive bodies. The whole place and bodies reeked with decay and feces as some slaves died from exhaustion. The fur hanged from their skeletal bodies like a coat too big for their owners. Suddenly, three figures hovered over the captives but the multitude didn't bother to look up. The taller figure uncovered his hood to reveal... a purple squid head. One of the squids pointed at a pregnant vixen and threw her a vicious-looking knife. The vixen gratefully took the knife and slashed her stomach as she fell forward. She had a faint smile like she had spared her kit a cruel destiny. Another fox took the knife and severed the neck artery. The squid took the knife wielding fox's head, which yelped in surprise. The squid snapped his neck breaking it and festered on the brains of the dead foxes. When the squid finished his meal some other foxes began to kick the vixen's stomach until the squirming fetus came out and they began to eat all the bodies as the rest of the column slowly marched forward, NOT bothering to look back. The cannibal foxes didn't spare even the feces of the dead (or the living).

The crippled bat nodded as he has proven his point. The rest of the bats not only agreed that they would never let that dimensional door open, but they will never let their own worlds share the same fate as the world in which their youngest "brother" came. So they got separated and started to search for the cultists' reunion place. Aster knew that he had to find the place and steal the remaining scroll to shatter the religious followers' plan. The hours passed and the cubs thought they would not able to locate the gathering site on time, until Dumah spotted an abandoned house, which emanated with an unusual aura glow. Dumah communicated with the crippled bat and told him were the gathering was. It seemed like the bats would have enough numbers to steal the scroll from the cultists and win the day. When suddenly, Dumah saw that two garrisons of soldiers and a garrison of archers were surrounding the whole building and cutting off all escape routes. In ten minutes they would break inside the house and start a massacre. Dumah sent a telepathic message to his "brothers" which told them about the situation. Aster felt a pang of fear as he told them to retreat from the building. That morning, Aster told his father about what would happen if the dragon got his claws on the scroll and there was NO way in which six young bats would distract or deceive two hundred eighty wolf soldiers and steal those scrolls without getting killed. Gripping his crescent sword, he teleported to the house. He was surprised when he stepped out of the portal as some anthropomorphic hyenas tried to hit him with war hammers and quarterstaffs. He disappeared and reappeared in the flicker of an eye. He was ducking, giving blows, and reappearing behind his enemies, "multiplying" himself a thousand times at a phenomenal speed as he flew, teleported and furiously tried to knock out the sentries. A parrying blow from a hyena was enough to freeze him in his tracks as he disappeared. He wasn't badly wounded, but they knew that he was hurt. He couldn't fight one to one with no armor and his speed greatly reduced.

The priestess began to recite the scrolls as the hundred of congregation member's began to chant inside the derelict building. A blue light began to grow in size as the chanting became louder and it began to change colors. Aster felt exhausted after using his last ounce of energy to escape thru a portal when he felt that a squad of soldiers was near. He cursed again knowing that with those warriors near him he wouldn't be able to defend himself. He wouldn't be able to steal the scroll and stop the portal from opening. He cursed silently in frustration when the amulet told him: 'Aster, before the burning rope sends me to the furnace, I must tell you something. Do not engage in any fight. Trust me, the cultists' rite is doomed to failure'. The bat asked the relic why did he said that, but the bat received no answer from the spirit. He reminded himself that even with the help of his peers there was little they could do now. Aster played his last card when he gave a false mental image to a sentry who ran inside the building. The sentry yelled to the possum: 'Three garrisons have spotted our position and blocked all escape routes. They will come here in twenty minutes'. A few minutes later, the wolves stormed in and the carnage began. The Aardvark pulled out a sword and with one clean blow he cut a bruin's head off. The crowd began to panic as the old possum finished the ritual and a door opened shedding a black-purple light. The surrounded crowd panicked and began to enter the threshold of the colossal dimensional portal even if they weren't sure if it was safe or if they knew about their destination. A few of the unarmed "furries" perished when they tripped and were trampled to death by the hysterical mob. The soldiers dispatched a dozen sentries and soon followed the huge, panicked mob. In no time the legions of wolves followed the multitude and tried to finish their grim task.

Soon, a luminous white tunnel took shape and surrounded the mob, which passed thru the threshold. The panicked multitude began to scream as they felt an excruciating pain, and after that they felt like they were floating in a haze. The mob knew something was quite wrong when they felt that they were slowly being devoid from all their senses as a high-pitched whistle was heard. It was like a surge of energy disintegrated their bodies, but their "bodies" seemed to be intact. After the pain, there was the most absolute silence... and strangely, everything in and outside the house was completely frozen in time. There was no rustle from the trees or wind, and the birds, rainfall and clouds were all paralyzed in mid-air. Everything slowly turned pitch black like in a pit, as a series of blue lights appeared in the sky. The multitude's attention was drawn to an object in the horizon, which marvelous beauty captivated them. They saw a citadel they have never seen before, not one made out of stone, adobe and timbers. But a whole citadel made out of light. It glared like a mirror in midday, so much it hurts, and it's appearance was beyond any description, defying the most vivid imagination. Could it be that they have reached the elusive promised paradise that was described in the sacred scrolls? The mesmerized soldiers and religious followers dropped their weapons and were drawn closer to the city like insects attracted to a burning candle. As they came closer to the city, it began get brighter as it throbbed and faded away repeatedly, like the pulsing heartbeat of a living creature. The Aardvark and the female possum were surprised to see that the beheaded female bruin that was killed moments before was sitting near them. How in the name of the ancestors did she came to this place if she was supposed to be...DEAD?! Then they were no longer in the realm of the living? The leaders of the group saw how their souls and the souls of some people around them turned into a group of dumb, semi-transparent black silhouettes. Their faces were contorted with panic and disbelief as their souls and consciousness began to fade and disappear like a snowflake under the sun. They knell and covered their heads in pain as their anguished, frozen faces tried unsuccessfully to scream in horror and disbelief. Their torture would be eternal.

Astaroth was glad that the disaster never struck planet Earth but he sensed that he had failed miserably. The ruse that he used was the key to crippling both groups since the amulet told him just before being destroyed that, if the portal weren't opened correctly it would not lead to planet Earth, but to a random place anywhere. He supposed that the portal would lead to another part of the Dragon's country, not to a deathly void. He went inside the house and burned the remaining scrolls before anyone could find them. He considered himself lucky because none of the groups were able to invade his adoptive home world and his "brothers" weren't hurt. But Aster felt guilty because he couldn't warn them about the incoming danger. He knew from what he saw that both groups would stop at nothing to destroy the world he loved, but he couldn't help to think that he would do something better to avoid all those deaths. He promised himself that he would bring justice to this people and prayed for the void's victims a happy afterlife.

Soon Aster went home as Katherine punished him with a cold dinner for leaving home without permission. Katherine scolded him harshly as she felt tempted to use the paddle on him. To her surprise Aster hugged and kissed her, telling her that he was sorry and that he could never let anything bad happen to her. Sensing that this was something she wasn't sure she could handle, she told him to go to bed early. He kissed her again and ran to his room. She sighed as she went to his room to tuck him and give him a goodnight kiss. She began to think that this bat was becoming too much to handle. When the vixen came to his room with the Amanda close by, both gasped in surprise when they saw a dark gray and a light brown bat sleeping cuddled against each other. They had painfully worried expressions as they realized feeding and changing diapers to a pair of psychic little devils would be the least of their worries. Suddenly they woke up and began to smell the air. They chorused: 'Milk!' The vixen fainted and Amanda tried to wake her up.

Aster and his companion were engaged in a pillow fight when Amanda gave them two plates of porridge, which they devoured. She threatened them with a switch as she tried to restore some order inside the room. The crippled bat stopped feeding and asked Aster: 'What happened with our "brothers"?' Aster replied: 'I gave each one copies of the Stonecutter's scrolls before sending them to their respective homes. It wasn't so hard since I used some of their energy, but it was quite a task'. He added: 'They promised that they would read the scrolls to augment their psychic abilities and get some weapons training so they could be able to protect themselves'. Katherine came in: 'Aster, I think I'm going to get your little relative to a psychic healer from a nearby village. The vixen said: 'She will heal his arms, legs, wings and left eye'. Katherine carried Aster's "brother" to give him a bath and diaper him. Aster then called Amanda and whispered something to her as he sent her thru a portal. It would be easy for him to simply escape to his home world with his family, but these "furries" deserve their justice and something far better that this.

Two hours later...

"Phew! I'm tired of trying to jump off this clay pot and feed on sour crumbs. I never realized everything looked so big from down here. The ageless entities will never forgive me, because I can sense their wrath and my punishment would be harsh." "I fell so betrayed. Cheated. I never thought that those weak fools that I brought from other dimensions would succeed. I thought they would be giving the alpha cub a false sense of security so I would catch him. I was counting that he would be near me when I broke free from my metallic imprisonment so I could posses his body and carry out the orders of my superiors in exchange for my freedom. I guess I spoke too much and now I'm stuck in the shape of a mouse. Well, it's the least of two evils and the spirits in the void won't torture me but I paid the price in full. Wait! That noise?! It sounded like a cat. Oh, ancestors! I pray that my demise will not be in the maw of such a filthy creature. Noooo!!" Amanda giggled as the mouse squealed panicky. She said: 'Such a cute little critter. My stepbrother told me that you are the medallion spirit. You are not so powerful now, eh? If you behave I will buy you some cheese. Let's go home'.

********************************

The End (El Fin) Did you like it? (¿Les Gustó?)

Thank you (Gracias), for reading this story.

Dedicated to Professor Bob.

Readers, please rate this story.