FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

She stood silently in the dark room, looking at the oil painting placed above the fireplace. From there, through the smiling eyes of the portrait her mother was looking at her, dressed in a light green robe, sitting in a brown oak chair. Silver circlet with green stone adorn her forehead. Her snow white hairs, combed, were held in place by silver hair pins forming elegant chignon. Round her ears, wisps of hairs where joyfully tingling in the wind. In one hand she was holding a long eagle quill with black tip while her second hand was pressing a book against her chest, her diary. Mia slowly moved closer, beneath the painting on a small bookstand, between two flickering candles, rested leather bound, hand made diary. She carefully picked it up, she had never before touched anything of such value and fine craftsmanship. Untying the ribbon, she opened it and slowly read the inscription. "For my bellowed mate." It was written with this alien alphabet her mother once taught her. Although the following pages were filled by carefully scribed runes, it seemed that someone else had written it. Mia examined closely the runes on the first page, every line, they way they connected with each other, she could clearly see in them the skillful hand of her mother. She turned the page and saw the drawing of full moon rising above the mountains, 'Loneliness of the Night' stated it's title. With tears in her eyes she began reading.

_**Part 4

Tales of the Broken fang, blue feather and silver moon - Loneliness of the night.**_

"Well, well, well... look what we've got here. It's your good friend. The torch..." a male voice came from the darkness. I tried to move my head but i couldn't see a thing through the sack tied round my head.

"A, look at her, our guest's shivering, think she's cold?"

"Here, lets warm her up a bit..." I've felt the stench of burning fur and terrible pain as the flame began licking my skin.

I was screaming, my body arched, strong hand was holding me down, strange words i could not understand were coming from above, I looked around and saw those alien eyes fixed upon me, that gaze... it almost looked concerned. The daemon was kneeling besides me, holding me on the ground, it's soothing voice was calming me dawn. I turned to my side, I did not want it to look at me, i did not want it to see me like this, afraid.

It's been more than half a moon since I've meet IT or was it He or She? Does daemons have sexes as we do? Or maybe they don't? Well even if they didn't have genders at all, I've decided upon "She" since I saw its breasts a few days ago. Umm, at least i think those were breasts, it's chest was rather flat, and they seemed more square and harder then my own breasts but it definitely had nipples, a feature our males lacked. Besides, it being a she would explain a lot. For example she spend a lot of time grooming herself, a thing our males never bothered so much. She coked, the food was a bit overdone compared to what i was used to although it tasted quite good, what more, she washed the dishes after we ate. I've heard of no male who would do such thing, also she sew and this was something even i wasn't very fond of, despite the time my mother spend teaching me how to.

But the most confusing thing was that she actually was taking care of me. She tended my wounds, protected me from the wolfs, gave me a shelter, feed me with a spoon while i couldn't eat by myself, she was always near when i was in need. She cared for me like a mother would for her own child. Maybe she was Dia and I was dead after all? No that wasn't it. True, she was alien enough to be the goddess herself and the lethal wound i carried earlier was gone but somehow the idea of her being Dia felt wrong, also my painful, worthless body was giving me a hard time, proving me I was still more or less alive.

My body trembled as her hand brushed my cheek while she covered me with cape, it's cozy warmness slowly put me at ease. I sighed, again I must have been screaming in my sleep to wake her up. I felt guilty, i knew she will spend the rest of the night sitting nearby looking after me while i tried to sleep. Every night I prayed for a peaceful dream, instead every time a nightmare would come, sometimes I've screamed in my sleep, she always woke me up when i did... I wish i could say how grateful i was. Unfortunately i couldn't. I tried speaking couple of times but i don't think she understood me, neither i could make anything out of her alien, daemon language and i don't think i really wanted to. After all she still was a daemon...

***

He stood up and walked out from the cave, she finally fell asleep. Stretching himself he wondered what kind of horrors she'd been trough that made her scream like this. Considering the state she was in when he found her, it was quite impressive she hasn't gone mad yet.

The morning breeze was brushing his face, the sun was lazily climbing up the sky. He took a few deep breaths to get rid of the dizziness he got after spending so much time near her, her smell was making him sick. Gods, she stank! She desperately needed a bath, her body was in total mess, her fur wasn't groomed in... gods only knew how long ago. Couldn't she feel that stench? He stroke his head, considering the small amount of thrust she gave him, the idea of bathing her in the hot spring felt like a suicide. If he simply carried her there, she would probably try to bite his head off, or what more, got a heart attack, or maybe both. Well she was more used to his presence and allowed him to touch her from time to time, whenever it was absolutely necessary, however when he went a bit further than he was supposed to her fangs usually made him back off.

Damn! It seemed there was no other way he could clean her then to knock her out and wash just like a dirty cloth. He sort of couldn't force himself to do so after seeing her scream in her sleep just as if she was having nightmares, he didn't feel like adding more to what she already been through, although... He smiled, there still was a way, he could almost hear the voice of his master speaking in his mind.

'If you want to make people do something for you without forcing them, let them think they really want to do it...'

***

I woke up late this morning, or rather i was woken up. The demoness brought more firewood and tossed it on a pile under the wall. She saw I was awake and said "morning" or at least I hoped those sounds she made meant something alike. It's seemed she had sort of daily routine, every morning she started from grooming herself, then she put on more cloths and was gone hunting? I think so. Usually she was back around the noon, carrying a pile of wood or small animals which she then prepare and cooked or burnt should i say... She had a strange habit of burning meat in the fire and eating it afterwards. Well i think that some legends about daemons eating coal could be true after all.

When she finished feeding me, she washed the dishes... Yes, she washed the dishes... and yes she was feeding me since my own body was rather useless as i barely could move my head or my limbs. It was scary at first, being touched by those alien hands, eating that strange food she made... it took me a while to get used to it. A good while.

Another attraction of the day was... I don't know how i could call this, basically she was rubbing my body in many fancy ways. Strange huh? Strange yet very enjoyable. I purred as laud as i never did before, so good it felt. When i was younger, i did with Errina many 'interesting' things but none of them could compare with this and when i think I almost wet my self from fear when she did it for the first time... she pulled, twisted and stretched my limbs in many directions making me cry with terror. Gods, I haven't mewl so laud since I was a cub and now I was simply ashamed of how easily i was falling for it

I watched as she began preparing our meal, starting a small fire... she suddenly froze and began... sniffing? Yes, she was sniffing! She looked like some scent caught her attention! Strange, i couldn't feel anything unusual in the air, maybe her nose was better than mine? She was turning her head to left and right trying to determine the source of something i couldn't feel and strangely, step by step she was coming towards me! Finally she stopped her nose a few inches from my face, I froze, was she sniffing me!? I saw her nose move a couple of times (given that it was her nose?) and then she almost jumped away, covering her nose with her hands, muttering something loudly, i hissed in response and discreetly sniffed myself. I was annoyed, what she did wasn't very nice, true i didn't smell like a bead of roses but... d-did i really smelt THAT bad?!

"Well you should know it's kind of hard to groom yourself while you can barely move!" I hissed at her but she seemed to ignore me completely and was searching for something. She probably found it as she came back to me carrying something in her hand. she uncovered me, i tried to hiss in protest while she took my hand and gave me a small smelly bar of... soap.

Up to this day my nose never lied to me and now it was telling me that t-this was soap, it smelled a bit different from the one i used but definitely this was soap... With my mouth wide open i just stared at it, w-was she going to make me...

***

Good, it worked. She looked quite confused, but not hostile, she stared at the soap he gave her with such a big eyes, she looked kinda cute. He smiled and picked her up. She didn't protest, not a single sound escaped from her mouth. She just lie still in his arms, pressing the soap against her chest, trying not to look at him, while he carried her to the hot spring.

He found a pond with water of considerably pleasant temperature, lowered her so she could make sure it wasn't too hot for her. She touch the water, or rather she let her hand fell into it, she looked at him and slowly nodded.

***

She put me down at the edge of the pond and quickly undress herself. It was the first time i saw her do it, so i watched her closely. I was curious how does she really looked like without all those clothes, so as she stayed in her underpants i felt quite disappointed.

***

He stepped into the pond, the shallow water was barely covering his feet. She tried to protest at first as he pulled her in but quickly gave up, she had no other choice then to obey. Holding her up, he sat behind watching her clumsy attempts to clean herself, her body was still very weak. He smiled to himself, there was no hurry, they had all day, so either she will finally wash herself or she will ask for help.

Strange... she looked really dirty with dried blood and mud sticked to her hairs, although something was wrong... Brushing his hand against her fur, he pulled out a small black pearl, tearing out some hairs in the process. She shivered.

"Ummm sorry for that..." He brought the black pearl closer to his eyes to examine it and froze, how on earth could he overlook something like this?!

"What the... no way... impossible..." Crushing it with his fingers he made sure he wasn't wrong. He looked at the poor girl and cursed badly, most of her fur or rather the remains of her fur were coted with tar.

***

So, she knows?... Those words she said.... Her voice, the way she spoke. Those were not some good words. Considered at whom those were aimed, i did not care, they will get what they deserved...

I've tried to stop my tears but i just couldn't, my body was trembling as the memories were coming back.

They usually spread me on the floor or chained to the wall, then they left like this for a while waiting till i could smell the stench of boiling tar... Some people think that the first time is the worst, they are wrong, the worst is the second time when you already know what will happen and every second you wait for it to happen is even worst then the torture itself. I will not lie to you, I've screamed, i cried, i begged and prayed for it to end, i tried to knock myself out, but every time I've fainted, they pulled me back to reality before they continued. When the tar was ready they... they splashed it over my body, then waited till it harden and they ripped it off bit by bit, tearing out my fur in the process. I prayed for an end when they did so but it never came, they knew how to keep their victims alive for as long as they pleased or as long as they were ordered...

I was plunged in those dark, musky memories for so long i haven't noticed the demoness has gone somewhere, i realize it when she came back carrying something. A bucket, big piece of gray cloth and a small pouch filled with some utensils i could not recognize, nor i could assign any purpose to any of them. She took one of it, and opened it. I saw a shiny silver blade coming out of it, was she going to?! Well probably... I already knew where this was going, when i was i child i saw a worker who got tar in his fur while fixing a boat, they had to shave his whole arm to get rid of it.

"Let it be then..." I slowly dropped the soap and lowered my head, i did not want to look at her.

***

He wet her back with a bucket, took the soap and brushed it against her fur until there was enough foam covering it, then he took the razor and carefully begin. At first he was trying to shave off only those parts of her fur that were covered in tar but soon he gave up since it was hard to find a place on her body that wasn't tainted in any way.

She did not protest, neither she looked at him, her eyes were fixed upon the blade. He could feel her fear, an extreme one. Usually when someone is scared or terrified, a subtle changes happen to the essence surrounding that person, while in her case... what was happening with the essence he could only describe as a thunderstorm.

After he finished with her back and her arms he laid her down so he could begin shaving her chest and legs. Their eyes met in that moment, he froze, unable to move he just stared into them. Suddenly she closed her eyes and moved her head uncovering her throat, the final act of submission. He swallowed and gently brushed her beautiful neck with his fingers, she shivered. Now when the water washed away the dirt, he could see a definite border between clear and cotted fur, thankfully something had been covering her head so there was no need to shave it.

It took him more then three hours to shave her, and when it was finally done he dried her and warped her tightly in the cloth he brought.

***

Back in the cave she dressed me in one of her cotton shirts, it was so big it looked like a dress on me or a gown, covering me from my neck to knees for which i was grateful. Then she bandaged my tail and feet since i had no fur to cover them. It was then when she realized i had no claws either. No fur... No claws... Unable to survive on my own... i could see the compassion in her eyes. That moment something broke inside me, i could no longer hold myself, i began crying...

***

He yawn, lazily getting up. It felt like ages since he had a good night sleep and as it seemed it won't change anytime soon. Looking out at the sky he stretched himself, his back hurt... Yesterday he spent most of the night trying to clam her before she finally fell asleep. He looked at her, curled in a ball she was sobbing silently. Poor thing, tortured and left in the mountains for certain death, now shaved and ripped from the tiny bits of dignity she had left, will she survive it? Tremendous shock can kill much better then any sword...

***

Two days have passed and her condition changed from bad to worse. A fever came and overtook her body, she didn't eat nor drink, now she didn't move at all, the only indication she was still alive were feeble movements of her chest as she breathed. Soon even this became questionable as he could no longer feel the spark of life within her.

He brought his ear to her chest and listened, her heart was still beating... How much longer will this continue? He just couldn't watch it, he took her in his arms and pulled her close to his heart.

"I ain't risked my life for nothing sweetie, don't you even dare to give up now! If you do I'm gonna find you on the other side and kick your butt hard till it gets blue!"

With that said he closed his eyes, focused his essence and... for the first time in his life he prayed.

***

He woke up with the taste of blood in his mouth and one of the worsts hangovers of his life that, in his case usually accompanied booze or essence abuse. Since he was short on booze it probably was the second cause. Just what did he... a, thats right the girl or... the corpse, well that the time will show, quite now he kind of couldn't force his eyes open, his eyelids felt as made of stone. Finally they gave up and a blurry mixture of colors filled his eyes. He blinked couple times to regain focus and froze. From beneath his chin, two beautiful, light green jewels, each with vertical iris, were staring at him. A mixture of fear and curiosity filing them.

"Welcome back princess..."

***

Next couple of weeks went by without much going on, she either slept or eat, slowly recovering and he was spending his time taking care of her, from time to time making failed attempts on mastering her language witch proved to be more difficult then he thought. She on her side learned only two words from his language, "water" and "rub". The second one was probably her favorite since she seemed to really enjoy those back rubs he gave her. While the massages were meant to speed up the recovery process, the only noticeable effects of them were extremely horny look on her face and her loud purrs echoing through the cave, he began to wonder if he should stop doing it before she becomes addicted. Somehow he still hoped she will regain control over her tail, because it was rather sad view when it hanged lifelessly from her butt.

At least she wasn't so scared of him any more. Well he couldn't say she had completely get used to him but, she stopped hissing and growling at him. Also she didn't mind his company and sometimes he could swear she was happy to see him and that really was an improvement.

***

"...naaaaaaaaaaah! This is pointless, we ain't getting anywhere..." He stretched himself on the ground. Another attempt at her language failed.

"Nirryuu?" She moved closer on all fours, turning her head to the side, she watched him closely.

"Rub-Rub?"

" What? Again? No-no, no way... yrrrie" Well at least he knew how to say no...

" Meirru RRRUB-RRRUBUUUUUU!" She made big sad eyes, looking like she was going to burst in tears any second.

"Hey! Hey! Don't you even try that on me, I've already did it twice today, besides I'm drained... no more essence for today."

Making laud 'hmpf' she walked away to her side of the cave and turned her back to him. He smiled, she did that every day when he didn't want to massage her and the first thing he heard next morning was her sweet 'myorring' followed by 'rrub-rrub'... Damn, she really was an addict.

If there was only a way... he already went through all the scrolls he had taken from the village and none of them contained any spell he could use to master her speech.

A muffled growl came from her side, somebody was hungry.

He filled his wooden bowl with the remaining stew, making sure a big piece of meat would safely land in the bowl and carefully put it in front of her nose. Funny, it's been a while since he found her but every time he watched her eat a strange feeling was forming in his guts, one of those unpleasant ones, especially when he could hear bones crackling in her jaws as she bite them apart...

'Naaa... she wouldn't' he tried to convince himself, after all that they already went through, they even had to share the same bowl because he accidentally smashed the other one few days ago.

"...share?!..." A sudden realization hit him like a thunder.

"Holy shit! That actually might work!"

She stopped eating and looked at him, her eyes...

'Do not scream or interrupt her while she eats...' He added to his check list and mentally kicked himself.

One of the first things he was thought as a young shaman was the best and the most effective way of passing information, so effective that you could read every single scroll stored in great Heridian library without even walking inside. You simply had to find someone who had done so, and share your memories with him. Almost all the things he knew he had learned this way by sharing his memories with his master.

But would it work? Or should he even try? The mind share was intended to work for people willing to share, also both should have at least minimal control over their essence otherwise things could get pretty nasty for both of precipitants resulting in some severe brain damage or even death.

They watched each other as she licked the bowl clean.

"Damn at this rate, my winter supplies will be gone way before spring gets here..." and he was truly getting curious of how in the name of goddess she was able to stash all this food in her thin body.

A mind share with someone like her, it sounded so exotic, would it really be possible? The thought scared him and exited at the same time. He knew for sure she was an intelligent being, not just an animal stretched to a human-like frame but the differences in their bodies... Was her brain functioning the way human one does? Or was it at leas similar enough for the spell to work properly? So many unknowns... Should he even try? He pulled out the fake coin he was caring, sort of a talisman.

"Head or tails sweetie?" He smiled as he throw the coin.

***

I was purring loudly as she slowly massaged me, I-I have never experienced something so pleasurable, so stimulating, so, so... good! Oh gods i just loved it, the waves of pleasure she was sending through my body by simply touching it. I don't know why she did it and I didn't care since it felt so good, I willingly let her do it every day, although this time something felt differrrent.... much betttterrr then anytime beforrrre... I'm surre i was was flooding with juices alrrrready but I-I... Oh gods!

***

She was ready now, he found the right spot on her abdomen where nerves meet and forced his essence rapidly through it. She suddenly throw her head backwards and screamed, roaring like a wild beast, her body tensed and arched as an unimaginable pleasure exploded inside her, overwhelming all her senses as he continued to force the essence into her until she knocked herself out with the most powerful orgasm of her life.

He turned her lax body around and began preparation for the sharing spell, he had only few minutes before her mind will recover so he had to do this as fast as he could. The trick was simple, intense emotions weaken the defensive abilities of the mind, basic rule of the interrogation, brake the subject, and judging from the flood of her juices and the throbbing of her pussy he probably send her to the moon...

"This better work or else how the heck am i gonna explain you what just happened..."

He needed her mind to be in as wiling state as possible for him so he could safely extract the informations from her without making to much damage or even avoiding any damage at all.

"Now or never..."

Lowering his head he concentrated on the familiar feeling the way he did so many times before, then their foreheads touched, the spell fired, their minds were joined.

***

Strange... where am i?

"Am I?"

My body...

"I..."

Is it still my body?

'I feel..."

there is water beneath me...

"I float..."

The voice?

"why must i not touch the water?"

"WHO'S THERE? "

"... am i not alone?"

"...stay away from the water..."

"...I am alone... "

"You CAN NOT be here"

"... be?... are you? ...."

"YOU!? YOU MUST NOT DRINK THE WATER!"

" ... why? ..."

" IT IS MINE!"

"..."

The water reflects my body...

Those eyes...

IT is not my body!

"...you... YOU DRANK!"

"...it is fresh..."

***

I woke up so suddenly, knowing something bad had happened. My head... the pain was blinding me, someone garbed me.

"Here, drink this"

Something was touching my lips. I took a sip and almost chocked myself, it tasted awful.

"Drink!"

That was an order, my body complied against my will, whatever it was, it stank and burned my throat but i just couldn't stop drinking till i emptied the mug.

"Good, now easy... lay down..."

Somebody warped something around me, gods, i felt so cold, my body was shaking, i could feel the taste of blood in my mouth and... the pain in my forehead... where was I what just happened?

***

The pain eased enough for me to see again, the demoness was holding me in her arms, she moved another mug to my mouth, i turned my head away.

"... Drink..."

"..no.." one mug was enough for me, i did not want any more.

"..medicine.. it help...drink... Please"

I drank, and suddenly it hit me...

"Y-you talk?"

She brushed my cheek and said

"...yes... I... learned..."

I could not believe my own ears she really did speak.

"Please daemon do not hurt me..."

"Hurt? I am no daemon... no, not hurt... help."

I was shocked, she says she's not a daemon? This was way to much for me, i just stared at her with my mouth wide open.

"You need rest... sleep."

Indeed, for some reason i felt exhausted, i fell asleep.

***

That was... amazing, his head was still spinning afterwards. He knew she will be different but what he experienced was something more then just different. Her memories, her pain, her fear. The way she thought and lived, so different yet so similar... If she could only know. His own memories were coming back, a tear formed in his eye, then slowly slide down his face.

"No wonder you screamed in your sleep Sia... "

***

I woke up alone the following morning felling like i had drunk too much yesterday and today was one of those days when even "spiders stamp while walking" as Errina used to say. The "drunk too much theory" would also explain those weird dreams i was having all night, although there was only one thing that didn't fit... I haven't had anything to drink apart from water for the last few moons. Maybe there was something in that medicine she gave me? Yea that must have been it! A daemon made medicine.... Wait a second... didn't she said she's not a daemon? And most of all how in the name of goddess did she learned to speak so suddenly?! That was probably to much for my poor head as hundreds of blacksmith's hammers, yet again, begun playing their symphony... Hiding my face in my paws I've massaged my forehead trying to ease the pain.

Being distracted by the pain I haven't noticed when she came back and i almost jumped out of my self as one of the firewood feel off from the pile she was carrying, making an awful racket.

"I'm sorry, i didn't mean to frighten you"

I don't know what scared me more, the falling wood or her being able to speak. She put down the rest of the wood and came closer.

"I am Shern Feyn of Blue Feather and i swear upon the name of my clan and my own life that i mean no harm to you Sia Sherri..."

I've watched her as she bowed in front of me. How on earth did she know my name and what was i supposed to do now?! Finally i forced myself to speak, choosing every word carefully.

"I-I take your word Shern ai Feyn and i thank you for your kindness..."

My voice was trembling.

"...but i am no longer ai Sherri nor i have anything valuable i could offer to repay you"

I extended my open hands, palms up, and lifted my head exposing my neck.

"I... I submit to you..."

"Don't be silly, i am no god nor any lord, you do not have to act so lowly towards me, simple 'thank you' would be enough"

She picked me up from my knees.

"and I know there is no way you can repay me but don't be scared, i have never expected any payment from you nor i will. You may stay with me as long as you wish Sia, if i may call you that"

"H-how do you know my name?"

"We shared, I've learned"

I must have looked confused.

"I'm going to the hot spring now, if you care to join me i shall answer all your questions..."

***

The water was hot and steaming, the snow surrounding the pond looked so surreal considering the warmth of the water, we were sitting in the opposite corners of the pond with only our heads above the water. In the silence that feel between us, i could hear the river running near by. Shern ai Feyn, as she called herself, was definitely enjoying herself, i on the other hand couldn't see the purpose of sitting in hot water trying to... boil yourself? Umm, i admit it felt sort of relaxing but apart from that...

"...so?" She spoke, i almost jumped in water.

"I'm sure you have a lot of questions, just ask and I'll answer"

I've gathered all my courage to to push my voice out of my mouth.

"w-where am I?"

"In the mountains behind the mist"

Mountains behind The Mist? I shivered, I never heard of such mountains and as creepy as it sounded it could only mean one thing... w-was I...

"...am I... dead?"

"No. Why?"

"A... the name."

She smiled as she realized what it could mean.

"I do not know how you call them, from where i come, the mist lies before them. You must cross the mist to get here."

Somehow, i felt relived although there was still something that bothered me. I touched my side, i should be dead by now.

"my wound... it was bad..."

"I healed it"

The way she said it... as if... The highest priests are barely able to treat similar wounds and rarely anyone survives the treatment but she... she sounded as if this was so simple.

"How?"

"I have the ability"

My eyes got wider, if she really did that...

"w-what are you?"

"I am Human"

When I've heard it my heart nearly jumped out of my chest.

"...Hun'ahn the daemon..."

"No" She shook her head.

"I am Shern as You are Sia, I am Human as You are Fea'ehn, I live, eat and sleep as You do. I am no daemon..."

I felt confused, i just couldn't believe what she was saying, all those things i saw her do that no fea'ehn was able to do and all those stories I heard about Hun'ahns... What did she mean by "I am Hun'ahn as you're Fea'ehn"? This had no sens at all, there was no way on earth we could be similar.

"Are you afraid of me?"

Her voice pulled me out of my thoughts, this time she was looking directly at me, definitely waiting for an answer. I opened my mouth and closed it almost instantly, My voice was stuck in my throat. Suddenly she moved closer, never have i seen anyone move so fast in water, she stopped with her face several inches from my own, i had nowhere to run.

"Touch me"

I was shocked, did she just... Carefully i looked at her, her strange green eyes were fixed upon me.

"Touch me"

She said again. Suddenly i realized something, I never touched her, all this time it was she that touched me, feed me, clean me, carried me... I felt exited and scared at the same time, her request was so simple yet felt so strange... I looked at her face, i really was curious... Without thinking what i was doing i slowly stretched my shaking hand and put it on her cheek and slowly move it, feeling her skin beneath my paws.

"...you're soft..."

She smiled gently. I carefully continued to explore and brushed my paws through her hairs. They were as black as my own fur was, but they felt so different, so soft and silky. She touched my hand and guided it down to her chest, I... i could feel her heart beating peacefully.

"May I?"

I've nodded. She brushed my cheek with her hand, reaching for my ear, she scratched me behind it then gently pulled it's tip just like my mother did when i was younger. Somehow i felt relaxed by now.

"I am Human as you are Fea'ehn. We are similar inside but different outside. Do you understand now?"

"...yes i think"

She rubbed her cheek against mine and again looked into my eyes.

"Are you afraid of me?"

"... no"

I said, i felt... i don't know what i felt, fear it was not. W talked for what seemed ages, I asked and she politely answered every question I made, even the silly ones, and I made many of them...

***

"Is there anything more you would like to know or did I satisfy your curiosity?"

I shook my head as I could not think of any more questions since my mind was still overtaken by all the answers she gave me.

"Good, would you do something for me instead?"

She smiled pulling out the soap and showing it to me.

"D-do I smell?"

She laughed.

"No of course not, but i think i do... Could you wash my back? I promise that afterwards i will do yours if you want me to..."

I felt silly, we moved to shallow water where she sat showing me her back, i could see that this time she wasn't wearing anything. I took the soap and carefully began to scrub her when i suddenly felt something. Lower on her back she had a long thick scar, i traced it with my paw, i could feel that some skin was missing.

"A memento of very bad night..."

She sounded sad and for the first time i could see that she really was.

"I... I'm sorry"

"No need to, that's been a long time ago.."

Suddenly the soap slipped from my paws and fell into the water. I reached for it but then i saw IT and my hand stopped in the mid air. T-That w-was... _ BIG ... And definitely it shouldn't be _THERE!

She picked up the soap and handed it to me.

"Is something wrong?"

I couldn't take my eyes from IT. Was she... no... can't be... should I ask?

"A-Are you a male of female?"

I finally spoke. She looked at where i was starring and smiled.

"Well since when i can remember i always been male and I don't think that can change in this life, is something wrong with that?"

"B-but I.. I... I though... you where..."

"A woman?"

She... I mean HE laughed.

"What gave you that idea? Do i really look so different from fea'ehn male?"

"But you have those!"

"Nipples? It's completely normal, both human males and females have nipples"

"You both feed your cubs?"

"No, why do you think so?"

"Then why do you have them?"

"How should i know? I just have em. It's like asking why do you have tail? Now if you don't have any more questions can we continue before the soap melts completely because i have only one left, and those are really hard to make..."

***

That day I've learned about the the wonders of hot water. I end up washing his back, then he washed mine giving me one of his wonderful massages, by the end of which, my fear was gone, washed away by the water. We spend the rest of the day talking, Gods only know how i missed that, it was so comforting being finally able to speak with someone...

The following weeks we spend slowly getting acquainted, or maybe should i say I was learning about him since he seemed to know a lot about me and didn't ask much about my past, or maybe he just didn't care? As for him, Shern was a shaman, which meant he was able to use essence. As he described it, not every hun'ahn had this kind of power, those who had were send to "masters" at the early age, where they learned to control and use it. Those who shown the real potential were send to the holy city of Heridia for further education. Only the strongest ones could survive training there and thous were able to become mages, which basically was an advanced form of shaman with much more power and skills. His master also wanted to send him there although he refused. I learned later it had something to do with the scar he was carrying on his back but since i felt he wasn't keen on talking about it, i did not asked.

I also learned the purpose of all those so called "back rubs" I received, while he was massaging me he was doing some "fancy-magical-thing" to fix my tail but i could say that from time to time he was simply spoiling me with some additional back rubs for my own pure pleasure. I'm not sure if it worked or not but it felt so good... I must admit his clawless paws really could do miracles.

No claws, no tail, no fur... Strange creatures they are those hun'ahns. You think that's weird enough? Well not quite... they not only don't have claws or fur but they also shave and declaw themselves regularly! I once asked Shern why he's doing it. Guess what? 'Because it gets uncomfortable' he answered. Uncomfortable! Not having fur or claws, that is something uncomfortable! I wonder, it's been a while but my fur don't seem to be growing back, i hope it will. Shern says it could take some time before my body starts working properly since it was weakened by the wound and the spell he used to heal me. I hope... i don't want to look like him for the rest of my life and, well he looks different... He doesn't have fur but he's not completely bald either, he have black, beautiful hairs on his head, some hairs on his chest and legs, some under his armpits and some round his big boner... what was interesting he didn't have a sheath it just dangled between his legs. As much unusual as it was, it didn't bothered me as much as his size... and I'm not just talking about his thing (I've seen one or two that could be compared with his...), Shern was simply much taller then me and probably even taller then any male I've ever meet.

Compared to fea'ehn, he had very long arms and legs and the way they were built... maybe that was why he could walk without a tail? I just couldn't... not to mention that i could barely move at all. At least he didn't have to carry me everywhere now, if i wanted i could crawl here or there but without my tail walking was out of question. Sigh... I did try walking a couple of times when he was out but i always ended falling on my back after one or two steps, i just couldn't get the balance.

***

Some time later something strange happened, I was woken up by an awful pain in my back, it was getting stronger and stronger and suddenly it disappear when I was at the edge of crying. I looked around, Shern was sleeping peacefully in his place, what a relief he didn't woke up, he already wasted many nights because of me... I gasp suddenly and garbed my muzzle with my paws to stop myself from screaming, an army of ants was marching through my spine, wave after wave i felt the awful tingling sensation spreading down to my... TAIL! Oh gods that was impossible! I... I really could feel it! And then all of a sudden it twitched...

***

Shern yawned loudly, after so many years of getting up before the sunrise he still didn't felt like a morning person. Oh well, few more minutes won't hurt anyone, besides it was middle of the winter and there was completely nothing to do out there, maybe except for watching the snow falling. Suddenly something tapped his nose, he turned to his back annoyed. Yet, something tapped him again. A bug? At this time of the year it was rather impossible. Carefully he opened his eyes and saw a black furry face staring at him.

"...mmm morning?"

She didn't answered, instead something tapped his nose again. He looked down and saw something neatly warped in bandages banging against his nose.

"What the... your tail?!"

She smiled and nodded.

"But how? When?"

"I don't know, it hurt all night and then it was back alive"

He grabbed it, he could feel as it was wriggling in his hands.

"Come, i want to show you something"

Her tail gently slipped out of his hand. she grabbed his sleeve and pulled him to the center of the cave. Shern stood there yawing as she walked few steps away from him.

"Watch"

She said and slowly she rose from the ground, straighting her pose, standing on both legs she faced him, then she moved forward, with each step she took her tail swung from side to side. She stopped in front of him, smiled and began walking around.

"That's...wow..."

The way she moved, the allure movements of her hips hypnotized him... She chuckled.

"You stare like hungry male"

"I'm sorry i didn't mean to..."

"You don't like what you see?"

"Yes... NO! I mean I like... I... I... "

"Then why sorry?"

She leaned closer, her tail warped itself round his leg, its tip advanced towards his crotch. From this angle Shern could clearly see the beautiful valley between her round breasts with cute little pink nipples. The cotton shirt he gave her was way too large. She looked into his eyes.

"...you're feeling well? Your face's changing color"

"Argh...!"

He freed his leg, grabbed his towel, and left the cave mumbling.

"Hun'ahns are strange..."

***

I've warped myself tightly in the cape and buried myself under anything i could find that would provide me with some warmth, oh gods, how i missed my fur, being completely shaved in the middle of the winter... I assure you it is something you won't forget for the rest of your life, given that you'll survive it. Shern looked at me and throw another piece of wood into the fire. Exactly four days ago a blizzard came and well, it stayed longer then we thought. Let me be precise, it was getting worse with every hour and I'm sure that the only reason we were still alive was his magic.

I looked at him, Shern... It sounded strange, alien word from alien language. I began to wonder, all those things I've heard about hun'ahns, all those legends, was there any truth in them? Every legend i knew always described hun'ahns as cold hearted, savage beasts lusting for blood and destroying everything that stood in their patch...

I chuckled, he was trying to thread a needle in the dim light of the fire, much without success.

"...ha...ha...ha...very funny, i would love to see you try it"

"sorry..."

The needles he used were much smaller then the ones my mother used and i must admit i envied him being able to handle them so easily.

I saw the thread suddenly become alive and with a snakelike motion began climbing the needle, then went through its eye.

"...showoff..."

He smiled and returned to his work. That reminded me something, hun'ahns really were able to perform amazing things but would he... It's kind of hard to think about someone as heartless killer when all i got from him was help, kindness and respect. A lot of respect. For him i must have looked like a big talking animal yet he treated me like a person, someone equal and this was something really unusual. Most fea'ehns when they are superior to someone will try to show it at any possible occasion but he... somehow, i didn't feel so equal at all.

Shern worked peacefully, focused on the needle. He seemed to ignore the storm as it roared outside while I jumped at the sound of every thunder.

"My father was a craftsmen, we lived in a small village in the middle of a beautiful green valley. He could do wonders with leather and fur, his capes and shoes were famous in the nearby villages"

He looked at me.

"He made that cape you're holding..."

I looked down, my sent was all over the cape also... i... i accidentally put it on fire once... A part of it was burnt.

"I-i am sorry, i didn't know h-how important it was to you..."

He smiled.

"It's okay, it was an accident. Thankfully nothing happened"

An uncomfortable silence fell between us, i finally forced myself to say something.

"...so, umm what happened to him?"

"He thought me everything so i could take over his workshop when i grow up, he was so proud of his son..."

"I enjoyed doing what he thought me and i would probably took over his business but when i was ten something awaken inside me, i was marked with essence"

"Marked with essence?"

He nodded.

"Strange things begun happening around me. At first nothing serious, the chairs moved or pots and pans fell from the table while I walked near by"

"You did that?"

"Yes and no. I was unaware of the power i had and i was far from being able to control it so it was only a matter of time before someone had noticed what was going on"

"The village was scared but my father was proud, although i could see he was a bit disappointed that i won't continue family traditions..."

"I was send to the next village which had a local master by the name of Hexil Avern. I was introduced to him and after a brief examination i began my lessons..."

He sat there talking and i simply listened, i don't know how long we spend like that but the storm was finally moving away, thunders were becoming more and more distant.

"Now if you'll forgive me i shall take some rest, speaking your language is quite a challenge for my throat..."

"You speak very well"

He smiled.

"Good night Princess"

Strange he's doing it again.

"Why are you calling me that? I do not belong to the royal house"

"Because it suits you... besides it sounds funny in my mouth, Princess"

Well it really did sounded funny.

"Does that bothers you?"

"no, i just..."

"Then go to sleep Princess, tomorrow there'll be a whole new day for being silly..."

He covered himself and soon fall asleep, i could hear his breathing become slower and more regular. I on the other hand couldn't sleep, the fire burned out and the air was so cold... with each breath i took, jets of steam were shooting from my nose, my body was shaking, my feet were so cold they hurt and i barely could feel my paws. I couldn't take it any more, warped in cape i moved closer to Shern, I poke his arm couple times.

"...Sia?"

With sleepy eyes he looked at me.

"Is something wrong? You're shaking?!"

"...c-cold..." was all i was able to say.

He grabbed my wrist.

"Gods! You're ice cold! Why haven't you told me earlier!? Com on, get in!"

Pulling me, he lifted his covers. I slipped in, i did not care what he was, i felt so cold and his body was so warm... He pulled me closer, rubbing my back.

"Damn you! You could die out there, why haven't you told me? I would give you something more to cover yourself!"

I felt as his warmth was slowly spreading through my body, i nuzzled myself in his arms, i did not care, not any more...

***

I walked through the streets of city bathed in the night. Strange, the moon...

"A bloody moon... bad sign it is... bad sign..." voice of a beggar came from the shadows.

I looked at him, his face... it was... Hun'ahn.

I woke up abruptly, weird, that dream... i shuddered, it happened again, same dream, same place. Bad place.

Suddenly i realized something, my body... I felt as my body moved up and down in a slow motion as if I...I... Oh gods! I hold my breath, i could hear his heartbeat, i was lying atop of him! Last night, what the hell happened?! Oh... i remember, i almost froze to death, he warmed me up with his own body... we just shared warmth, nothing more. A wave of relief went through me. What a crazy thought... me and him... i frown, well he may be nice and all but he's definitely not my type... nor my kind.

I must admit, hun'ahns aren't so scary while they're asleep and ummm, they're so soft and comfy... just like big, nice pillows. Well at least Shern was, warm, soft and cozy.... I closed my eyes, somehow he reminded me of Errina... Maybe if he had some fur... and a tail... and a proper muzzle... What a shame he's not a fea'ehn and... and... Ow crap! Did he just? No way... Was it there all that time?

I let a gasp of surprise while his hand left my butt, brushed along my back and stopped at my shoulder, pressing me closer to him.

'Sia get a hold of yourself.. get a hold of yourself...'

I told myself as i dared to look at his face, his eyes were closed, his neck exposed... was he still sleeping? Thank goddess he was but why the heck did i felt disappointed?!

Should i move or should i not... Darn... Like I've learned already, life never makes it easy for you... Part of me was screaming to run away while the other part was trying to snuggle up to him at the same time.

"Ow! What should i do, what should i do..." it felt so good and... 'not proper' at the same time, just like my first time with Errina... She spread me on a bed and pleasured till a couldn't catch my breath, I was panting heavily, my eyes were foggy, I groped the sheets with my claws while she lay with her head between my legs, her paws trusting deep inside me, her sharp tongue licking my clit at the same time. My body was at her mercy, my hips moved up and down, back and forth, responding to her paws...

"...not interrupting am I?"

I froze, w-was he awake? I slowly lifted my head, our eyes meet.

"Morning princess, felling better?"

A 'nod' was all i was capable off.

"I'm glad, now... would you mind getting off me? A bit heavy you are"

I slowly slide off him, trying not to look at his face. Was he angry at me?

"Thank you, I'll be back in a while and make us something to eat so please stay covered so i won't have to defrost you... again"

He left... Darn you! Fea'ehn or not all males are the same! BIG ego and SMALL brain! Hmpf! Somehow i suddenly felt like screaming... I'm NOT heavy! And i don't need anyone telling me what to do! And i definitely don't need your company!

Then why does it feel so lonely?

***

Shern settled himself comfortably in the hot spring, he needed time to think and to calm down after what just happened. Was she really trying to hump him? Nah.. impossible he must be imaging it, but the way she moved her bottom... the way she rubbed her body against him...

"Damn! Damn! Damn! I knew there's gonna be troubles because of her.."

'Life ain't easy schmuck... every decision made carries consequences'

"Fuck... I should have left her there..."

'And what? Let her die in the snow? Is this the way you've been thought?'

"Oh gods i almost been raped by an animal!"

'First of all She's NOT an animal... She's a living, thinking being, capable of having and showing emotions... And secondly why do you think she would want to hump you moron!'

"but she did..."

'she was cold! She was simply trying to warm herself...'

"shit! I should know that without her fur she will need more covers but..."

'she almost froze to death last night and all you can do is mopping about her humping you? You're not her KIND! '

"...that could make sense"

'of course it does... for her you must look worse then anything, she mistook you for a daemon...'

He looked at the sky, the heavy clouds could only mean that the storm haven't gave up yet.

"...I'd better go back and stop talking to myself like an idiot..."

'We finally reached a consensus, you're an idiot...'

***

We ate in silence and practically haven't talk all day. I lay on my old place while Shern was doing something in his part of the cave, i don't know what since i was facing the opposite wall. I didn't feel like watching him, the last i saw him was when he helped me put on some additional cloths and cover me with this strange 'blanket' he made of those fresh wolf furs. I must admit it helped, i felt much better then yesterday and i wasn't shaking anymore but i still missed my fur. I wonder if it will ever grow back? You know regrowing fur isn't so easy especially when most of your skin is as violet as plum... A, I was a walking encyclopedia of cuts and bruises, with so many of them that i gave up on counting. Thankfully they didn't hurt anymore, given that i wasn't moving too much...

"night..." was all i heard in the evening. I did not answer, i didn't feel like.

***

"A bloody moon... bad sign it is... bad sign..." voice of a beggar came from the shadows. I looked at him, his face filled me with disgust, i was going to say something when a scream caught my attention, a womans voice...

Roaring thunder woke me up abruptly. That dream... again. What was it all about?

A sudden flash of light accompanied by an overwhelming thunder made me cover my head with my hands. I almost screamed... Back in the frozen lakes i slept through many thunderstorms since they were regular at this part of the year but this?! This was madness!

A yelp escaped my mouth as something exploded outside the cave.

"A close one, it hit nearby..." I was hardly able to hear Sherns voice through the rage of the thunderstorm.

Another explosion, even closer one, made the earth shake beneath me. I was trembling in fear, i was so terrified i haven't noticed when he moved closer.

"Sia, calm down, it's alright, there's nothing to be scared of, there's an invisible barrier surrounding the cave, like a wall surrounding the city, it will stop any thunder from entering"

he tapped my nose with his finger.

"they scream so laud because they can't enter"

"r-really?"

He smiled, suddenly i felt silly.

"you're making fun of me..."

"No, of course not and if you show me your hand we gonna make them shut up for a while so we could finally get some sleep..."

I sat up, and slowly extended my hand, he held it gently and began drowning something on the inner side ow my paws.

"it tickles!"

"almost done..."

He locked my paws in his, and suddenly i felt enormous warmth spreading through my arm.

"Done. Now, all you have to do is aim your hand at the entrance and tell them to shut up"

"That's all? Impossible..."

"well then why don't you try it?"

I lifted my arm and aimed my paws at the entrance, i felt silly, no way this gonna work... another explosion made me shiver.

"Argh! Shut up already!"

Suddenly i felt something, as if somebody was puling my arm, trying to twist it away and.... My arm! It felt like it was frozen, i couldn't move it! Then, all of a sudden bright, blue light filed the cave and... it was coming from my paws!

Finally my arm was released as the wave of relief went through my body. Now in front of me a ball of blue light which came out from my paws, formed a glowing sign hovering in the mid air, then slow moved to the entrance where it grown and covered it. The sounds of the storm were slowly becoming more and more distant until there was only silence left.

"d-did i do THAT!"

"yes... well, i helped you a bit but only a bit, you did the rest, you silenced the thunders"

"b-but how?! T-that blue thing... my hand... it came out... how?!"

"We call it Sign of Silence, it's nothing special, it just stop sounds from crossing it. We usually use it to secure rooms so the conversation that takes place inside cannot be overheard outside..."

"Now since those nasty thunders won't bother us for a while..."

he gently scratched my neck with his clawless paw, sending a pleasant shiver through my spine.

"...it's time to sleep princess"

We looked at each other for a while and then i noticed something.

"your skin... what happened? it changed"

"changed?"

I rubbed his forearm.

"it got bumpy..."

"A... those..." he smiled.

"We called it a goosebumps. It means I'm cold"

"oh... you want to share warmth?" Oh gods, why did i say that?

"I... I don't think i should...good night princess"

Shern slowly walked away to his side of the cave, in darkness I watched him falling asleep.

Suddenly a flash of light filled the cave, although this time there was no thunder.

***

It's been awhile since he had any dream, and even a longer while since he last dreamed about something like this... Not that he never had any erotic dreams but this? It felt awfully weird...

He was lying on his back bluntly starring at the ceiling, maybe that dream wouldn't be so disturbing if the probable cause of it and the main 'object' of his dream wasn't currently sleeping atop him, pressing her delightfully soft breasts against his body. What disturbed him even more, he kind of enjoyed the sensation...

"...I'm not heavy..."

She mumbled through her dream. She looked so cute while asleep, he didn't have heart to wake her up although a part of him was screaming inside that this was 'improper'... Should he get away?

Her tail somehow managed to warp itself round his leg, now he was trapped.

But why did she came to him now? A... the storm, was she so scared that she snuggled to him?

She stretched herself yawing, showing her impressive collection of fangs. Then their eyes meet, without a word she slowly slide off him although her tail stopped her from going away.

"Morning princess..."

She didn't answer, focused on untangling her tail.

"Sia... "

"I... I'm sorry i shouldn't..."

"it's okay i don't mind...." somehow, he couldn't believe he said it.

"you're not angry?"

"no, why should i?" he smiled.

"You make a wonderful comforter..."

She froze and looked at him terrified.

"y-you want to make a comforter out of me?"

"NO! Of course not... that was a joke!"

"...a joke? Hun'ahns have strange sense of humor... daemons joke... making comforters from people... not funny"

She managed to free her tail.

"never mind..."

He turned to the side, showing her his back.

"you may stay if you want, this way it'll be warmer for both of us..."

"but yesterday you ..."

"... I know. I owe you an apology, i misjudge the situation... "

"misjudge? ... A! You thought we? " She chuckled.

"What's so funny?"

"... well you're nice and all... but... well it just that... daemons are _ not _ my type..."

"oh i feel relived..."

"hey what that's supposed to mean?!"

"nothing... i just don't remember any girl i slept with having a tail poking out of her butt..."

She nudged him with her elbow.

"what was that for?"

"you're making fun of my butt..."

"no I'm not... you have a nice butt but I'm just not used to being so close to someone so... different from anyone i ever met, we come from two various species that according to our legends didn't like each other too much. Also if you look at the way we were raised... some things you may consider normal can be discouraged by humans or even treated as an insult. Same goes for me, i may do or say something i consider normal that might offend you. For example... human men and womans don't usually sleep together with strangers, especially not atop of them... for us such a situation has a strong sexual meaning so, you know, you scared me like hell last time..."

"... you really think my butt's nice?"

"...yes"

***

The storm finally gave up on us and went away, leaving us with completely no food, wood or drinking water. As the last one wasn't quite a big trouble since we could simply melt some snow, the other two were rather serious. Unfortunately the main reason we were out of supplies was... me. I don't remember eating so much in my entire life but somehow i felt constantly hungry. As for Shern, he went out almost instantly when the storm was over. Speaking of which, the day's almost over and he haven't returned yet. Not that I was worrying about him, it's just if he won't be back... I wouldn't make it alone in my current condition.

***

Well he did finally came back...

"food?"

"Oh, I'm too so happy to see you Princess and yes I got some food"

"Where?!"

"...You're holding it"

I looked at my paws, I was holding some roots I pulled out of his sack.

"That's no food, that's grass... I don't eat grass"

"First of all that's not grass, those are vegetables and secondly you already ate some of those, I've been giving you them since I found you"

"But... but..."

"Look I'm not gonna force you to it if you don't like it, just keep in mind that we don't have anything else since you already ate my whole winter supplies..."

***

Ow goods... so hungry I was. My belly growled annoyed by the emptiness it felt. Shern sighed and put a bowl of steamy, yellowish mess in front of me.

"Oh just eat it! It doesn't bite and it's really tasty..."

Easy to say for you _ daemon _... I poke it's surface with a spoon, well it didn't smell that bad. Another growl came from my insides. Okay, okay... but just a bit so you'll stop growling at me! I warned you! I took some of it and quickly swallowed. Hmmmm, it tasted... good? I ate another spoon...

"See I told you" Shern laughed as I cleaned the bowl with my tongue.

"I promise i'm gonna get you something nice tomorrow my princess, now you want some more?"

Okay, I admit I ate three more bowls, I really was hungry and... that thing wasn't so bad after all. And talking bout Shern's promise, he really did bring me somethings nice, I don't know how he did it but he caught so many fishes... When the spring got here, we ate so many of them, I just couldn't look at them any more.

Spring.... Has it been already this long? I've counted moons since my last time, I... I was late! Using my paws to count I recalculated the time and I... I was at lest one moon late. How could this be possible? W-was I? No, that couldn't be, I haven't done it... have I? I still couldn't remember much of what happened before he... I pushed all those weird thoughts out of my mind, I'm sure there was a logical explanation for why I was late, I hope so...

Imagine how surprised I was when my body answered all my questions next morning...

I woke up panting heavily with a terrible need burning my insides, my body was lusting for attention, my paws buried deep inside me. I froze, my muscles tensed, my body arched as first climax shook my body.

My sex was dripping wet, my thighs cotted with my glittering juices, Holding onto the wall I slowly walked out of the cave, leaving a wet trail behind me.

***

This morning brought him a little disappointment, just when he got used to his new lovely companion, sneaking in under his blanket and staying till the morning, sleeping atop him, he woke up alone this morning. Shame, he really liked her company. He yawned.

"Morning princess..."

Strange, she wasn't in the cave...

"Sia?" He called for her. Nothing.

Her beddings were cold already, the covers tossed away, and... that smell! Weird, heavy odor was filling the air. What was going on? He focused, he couldn't feel her presence anywhere nearby. He scanned even further. There! Far to the east, he could sense a faint trace of her aura.

***

"Sia!"

"Sia!"

He shouted as he walked through the forest, her aura was getting stronger she should be really close. He circled around huge, fallen tree and froze, she was there. She lay on her belly with her bottom high in the air, her tail up, uncovering her secret places, her hand rapidly trusting between her pussy lips, splattering her juices allover the place, suddenly she opened her eyes and stared at him.

"Sia?"

With the furry of a wild beast she charged at him, pinning him to the ground. He covered his face with his hands, trying to shield it from the attack. The spell triggered itself in the last second as she reached for his throat and her fangs closed round his neck, twisting and pulling it with extreme strength, trying to rip it apart. His body went limp and motionless, slowly her furry faded away, she let go of his throat and sniffed him carefully, then roared into his face showing her fangs and run away.

He lay motionless in the grass, covered in blood, his left arm bleeding heavily. Those eyes... he couldn't push away the image of her eyes, so empty... Those were not the eyes of the person he thought he knew, those were the eyes of a savage beast.

***

Ow... my head, nyaaa... I've been through many rough awakenings after countless nights spend pleasuring Errine but this? Ow, ow... my crotch ached as if somebody tried to fuck me inside out and judging by the pain in my wrist that somebody was probably me... Crap, that's what you'll get after spending your heat with no mate to take care of your needs. Sigh, Errine where are you when I need you?

Sight, I'm still leaking like a waterfall, looks like I'm not done yet, eh how ironic... It so easy to get raped those days but when you really need someone to screw you, you're being left with your fingers... that's so, so... eh, maybe I should get Shern and play with that big boner of his? Wonder how would that feel. Hmmm, grass? I don't remember grass in our cave... a, that's right, I went away on this little pleasure walk. Anyway, it's noon already, I think I should go back before he'll start looking for me...

***

"Morrning, sleept well..." I froze at the sound of sword being drawn. Inside the cave, with sword in his hand Shern crouched ready to strike, his eyes filled with anger.

"I-it's m-me..." He didn't answer, terrified, I asked.

"Did something happened?"

I backed away as he suddenly shouted at me.

"I-I'm... I-I don't understand..."

"... first you try to rip away my throat, and now after a week you show up asking if something happened?!"

He made a swift cut with his sword, making earth beneath me explode, I fell on my back screaming.

With his blade on my throat he stood above me, our eyes meet, he hesitated, his face... never in my life have I seen so much hate and disgust as in his eyes during that second.

***

He sat resting against the wall, hugging his left arm, a red spot was slowly spreading through the bandage warped around it.

"A fea'ehn wouldn't stop, why have you?" Her eyes were still wet from the tears, he didn't answer. Slowly, she left the cave.

***

They say that time is a great healer, well who knows, maybe he is but it's been two weeks now and his arm hasn't got any better. Fucking fae'ehn... if that spell haven't triggered he would be sightseeing her stomach right now... from the inside. He washed away the soap, trying to keep his arm dry. And why? Because he saved her life and tried to be "nice", sight, no wonder they say "nice guys die first". Where's the justice? Hiding under the rock? Buried deep under the ground? Left for the afterlife? Fuck! He's body was filled with anger, it's been the second time he almost died just because he tried to help someone. Yet after all he did, she didn't even thank him. Speaking of which, that presence...

"What do you want? You came to finish off what you started?" There was no answer.

"I don't have to see you to know you're there, get the fuck out of here or I'll make you leave..." She slowly walked out from behind a stone on the other side of the pond.

"If you really wanted to kill me I'd be dead by now..." She moved a bit closer and studied him, his face, neck and arms bore marks of recent attack.

"D-did I really..." His eyes... She backed away.

"I-I'm s-sorry... I... I don't remember anything... I..."

Suddenly she was lifted from the ground, her voice died in her throat as he squeezed her neck in his hand. Injured, yet he moved so fast. She didn't even noticed when he attacked her. She didn't try to defend herself, with tears in her eyes she watched him, her world slowly went out of focus and faded away into the darkness.

***

I woke up with familiar taste of blood in my mouth, dried blood was sticked allover my muzzle, I tried to stand up but my legs disobeyed me.

"Lay down, you'll be dizzy for a while..." Too late, I pucked all the contest of my stomach. Not that I had much inside...

"Tell me, what am I supposed to do with you princess? You almost bite my head off and now you come back telling me you don't remember doing so. Now what's irritating me the most is, judging from what I seen inside your fluffy head, you're telling me the truth... Tell me what should I do?"

"...scrach for schrach, bite for bite, so say the law..." was all I could say.

"Cruel law you have..." He stood above me

"Tell me, does it happen often? Do you always lose control of yourself during heat?"

"I... I don't know, it was the first time... I... It never happened before"

He looked at me then throw me the soap.

"Clean yourself..."

I watched him leave and pucked again, my body felt awful, I felt dirty, really dirty this time.

***

I eventually came back to the cave and Shern continued to share with me, although now I could feel the distance between us, like a wall separating our cave. Our cave? No, without the trust this was no longer my cave.

Time slowly passed, spring changed into summer, days were getting warmer but our moods were getting colder every day, I slowly begin thinking about leaving, I felt strong enough to travel on my own and I was ready to go but then life played another trick on me, one day something unexpected happened. Shern went fishing that morning, I don't know why but that day I followed him. He was standing on a stone with spear in his hand and suddenly he slipped! I rushed there but the water took him already, what worse the edge of the stone was covered in blood. I ran down the river as fast as I could. There he was! His arm got caught between two rocks. I don't know why but I jumped into the water... The current was very strong, we both could die, yet somehow I managed to haul him to the river bank and pull him out of the water before I fainted.

Strange wetness pulled me back to reality, big heavy rain drops were brutally smashing themselves against my face in the engulfing darkness, it was evening already. Shern lay unconscious, the cut on his forehead was covered in dried blood. I put my head on his chest and listened, his heart was still bitting, he was alive.

It took me ages to drag him to the cave, before we finally got there, the rain managed to drenched us already. Shaking from terrible cold I undressed myself then quickly stripped Shern from his cloths. I looked around the cave, there was no way I could light a fire without his help... unconscious, his naked body lay numb on the ground. So cold... I positioned myself atop him and covered us with that furry blanket he made for me. So cold... I pressed myself against him, I know I'm gonna regret this...

***

The day was dark and cloudy with occasional rain showers walking through the mountains, She yawn, the pleasant warmness was making her lazy. Was it morning already? So fast it happened, she could swear she just closed her eyes a second ago. Deep inside she felt she should get up already but... he was still sleeping and it felt so good, sharing warmth with someone she liked... Did she really liked him? What was that feeling?

"...thank you..." His voice made her froze, was he awake all this time? Gently he kissed her head.

"y-you're awake?"

"For quite a while, I had enough time to mule over some things and... I must say I'm very grateful, you saved my life although... " he lifted the blanket just to see they both were naked.

"... I'm not entirely convinced about the way you did it..." She tried to move away but he held her in place.

"... which doesn't mean I don't like it because... I kinda like it..." He let his hands slide down to her bottom and caressed it, then stroke her back just above the base of her tail.

Amazed she watched his face while his hands continued their travels over her curved rump, a familiar rumble slowly gathered in her throat and overtook it as her purrs became audible. Holding her head in his hands he slowly guided her muzzle towards his face and kissed her gently. At first their lips barely brushed, tasting each other, then he deeper the kiss, his tongue slipped inside her muzzle and danced with her tongue passionately, suddenly she broke the kiss and moved away covering her lips with her paws...

"that... was different"

"was it? Have you never kissed?"

"kissed? I... I did share my muzzle but not with a male. They don't usually bother with such things... they're too focused on pumping"

"they don't? " She shook her head.

"no. Why did you...?"

"To show you how grateful I was, although I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." This time she stopped him.

"No! That was... pleasant"

A silence fell between them.

"ummm... Do you dem... hun'ahns tend to show your gratitude in any other unusual ways?"

"well it depends... but I think I could come up with few other ideas..." Her eyes got wider, something poke her thigh while his hands were still occupied with her back.

"...but that only if you really want to" he whispered into her ear.

She turned away her head, that feeling inside her belly... He smiled pulling her closer, suddenly she was beneath him, spread on the ground. He rub his face against her chest, kissing the valley between her breasts, advancing slowly, climbing her neck to seal a kiss on her lips. His hand slide down her thigh from her knee as he deeper the kiss, her body arched, she broke away the kiss and moaned when his fingers found and played with her clit. She lay panting heavily, her tail banging rapidly against the ground, her laud purrs were muffling every other sound. He brought his hand to his face, his fingers were coted with shining liquid, she watched him while he sniffed it, looking into her eyes he licked his fingers clean, ashamed she turned her head away. He rubbed his nose against her cheek caressing her breasts. Her breathing become even quicker as the head of his shaft stroke her entrance, her body trembled. She grabbed his back and squeeze him, closing her eyes shut, she gritted her teeth and endured while his member slowly went inside stretching her pussy to it's limits. Resting on his elbows he waited till she adjusted and relaxed. When she was ready he started moving again, slower at first then staidly gaining speed. Their hips were furiously ramming against each other, her body couldn't take it any more, her mind was at its peek, with one final stroke he pushed her over the edge, unearthly pleasure exploded inside her abdomen overtaking her whole body, she screamed digging her paws into his back, her body arched, for while that seemed eternity all her muscles stiffened freezing her body, his member was squeezed inside her throbbing pussy making him climax at the same time, gasping from extreme pleasure mixed with pain he shoot his load inside her, filling her with hot fluid, her mind was blown away. They lay panting heavily, he tried to pull out but her clenched pussy lips trapped him inside, holding her, he turned them around, letting her rest atop him, her purrs made her whole body vibrate as she clung to him. He covered them with her blanket, it seemed her mind went for a walk while her body enjoyed the moment. Joined, they drifted away...

***

"ow! Ow! OW! Watch it! That hurts!"

"And so say the daemon himself? Sheesh... you're not very durable for a daemon..." She cleaned his forehead with wet cloth.

"OOOOOOOW!" She pilled off some dried blood.

"...and your not very gentle either. How does it look?" She leaned closer and sniffed.

"clean, you have a hole in your head but it smells clean"

"Wee-hee... rejoice I have a hole in my head... fucking awesome... no wonder they say a black cat brings m... AAAAA!" She rubbed his forehead angrily.

"Stop meowing already, you're crying worse than a cub... can't you just fix yourself?"

"I'm not meowing! And, well it's not that easy... healing spells doesn't work well on the one who cast them"

"which means?"

"which means I can't heal myself, I can only, to some extent, speed up the recovery process, yet it still gonna take some time..."

***

Mia paused for a while, the sentence ended abruptly and the next page contained only a small, roughly painted sketch and a three strangely shaped runes beneath it - "The seal of ai Sherri". Weird, it seemed... some pages were torn out! Did someone really could do something so horrible?! Tearing pages from the diary, destroying something so valuable! Filled with anger she turned the page.

Five years have passed, five strangest years of my life... Much have happened, some events I will cherish deep in my heart for the rest of my life, some should be forgotten and erased from this world. As much as I enjoy writing about my past I've decided all this should stay just between me and Shern. Dear reader, please forgive me for removing those few pages of my life, what I've written wouldn't do any good to any one, although I shall tell you how I became Feyn since it's probably something you're eager to know the most. Actually it all started the day when Shern learned to speak. Now when I look back at what he did to me that day I feel angry, he violated my privacy, peeked into my mind without my permission. The method he used did not differ much from rape, instead of my body he raped my mind. Yet, I do not hate him for it, without it all what came later wouldn't be possible, it had an unexpected drawback, something we weren't aware of by that time. The spell he used somehow backfired and a portion of his memories leaked into my mind. At first I didn't feel anything unusual but soon as time passed, his memories slowly begin resurfacing, then blending with my own memories, becoming my own memories... Before that happened, a strange bond formed between us, growing stronger every day and suddenly we were sharing our bodies. Why I did it? I don't know, maybe I was simply curios of how would it fell? Or maybe I simply needed it? So different... From that day he pleased me every time I needed it and I was taking care of all his needs. And then came his words one evening:"Sia ai Sherri, daughter of Sihini ai Arrdy and Fycon ai Sherri, we shared our time, we shared our strength, we shared our voice, we shared our home, we shared our food, we shared our warmth, we shared our joy, we shared our tears, we shared our minds, we share our way. By the laws of our fathers I claim you my mate" he took of his pedant and put it on me. That night we made love, no we didn't simply mated, we made love and shared our souls. What came next? To make a long story short, my fur finally regrown (much to my disappointment as hun'ahns tongues aren't made to handle it...), we realized I had Shern's memories since I could clearly speak his words, I trained. Oh yes I did, Shern made me two swords (a strange custom from his clan) and thought me how to use them, thought me how to fight. I won't go into details as it took me awful amount of time to master skills he considered natural. We also did many other amazing things but everything fell apart that day...

***

"Morning prin...-cess?" The cave was empty, there was no trace of Sia inside, just a strange smell in the air...

"...don't tell me it's that time already..."

"Rrroarrr!..." She pounced him to the ground baring her fangs, trying to hide away her smile.

"Ow my a horny kitty, you wanna eat me or hump me?"

"I'll let you guess this time" She turned around, with tail high in the air she nearly pressed her drenched pussy lips into his face while fiddling with his trousers belt.

"whaaa, no foreplay today?"

She licked his face.

"forreplay done... undress, now!" Grabbing his trousers she pulled them off.

"Ow boy..."

***

We walked arm in arm, enjoying the beautiful evening.

"{That was interesting, I didn't know humans enjoy such things, you think we could do it more often?}"

"{why not, theres ...}"

Suddenly Shern froze, his face changed, he was cautiously looking from side to side.

"{what is it did something happened?}"

"Come out, whoever you are"

Shern using his own words? ...was there someone else?! Suddenly the nearest bushes moved, a tall figure emerged from it and crossed our patch. Another Daemon!

"Finally after so many years I found you..."

"found me?"

"Are you Shern Feyn, the one who caries the mark of Blue Feather?"

"And what if I am?"

"Then prepare to die! I am Tyos Ashell, I came here to avenge my clan! I challenge you!"

Shern looked at him and sighed.

"No, I have no business with you"

"I said I challenge you! Draw your swords!"

"no"

"Draw your swords coward!"

I looked at him, he looked similar to Shern although his head was completely bald and he seemed younger, he was dressed in some sort of leather armor, round his neck... Impossible! That...that was...

"Go home kid, I have no business with you"

"That necklace! It belonged to my sister! What have you done to her!"

I tried to move closer but Shern's hand stopped me.

"{No Sia, he's dangerous, stay back}"

"{That necklace he's wearing, it belonged to my sister, she would never give it to anyone! She was wearing it when she disappeared!}"

"That thing, it can talk?!"

"First of all she's not 'a thing so better watch your mouth and secondly where did you get that necklace?"

"So there's more of those..."

"it seems that it's not the first time you see a Fea'ehn?"

"I haven't come here to talk with you, draw your swords or die!"

"very well then..."

I saw him reaching for his weapons

"Shern!"

"Stay away Sia..."

The other one charged at him screaming, Shern blocked his sword, crossing his owns. A sudden guts of air throw me away from them, I fell on my back.

"{Sia get away from here!}"

His words died in a loud explosion, I covered my ears and run towards the nearest rocks, I hide behind them and curled my self, closing my eyes I prayed. The daemons fight... I screamed as the earth shaken beneath me.

***

Tyos fell hard on the ground, his both arms were useless, broken and twisted in strange directions. He tried to stand up and puked with blood. Sherns kick turned him to his back.

"Give up, you've lost..."

"Murderer! You killed her!"

"...no, I did not. She was already dead when I got there"

"Liar!"

"If you don't believe me, ask Master Awern, he was there as well..."

"You both are.... "

His voice changed into scream as Shern stamped on his broken arm. Using his sword he took off necklace from Tyos neck.

"You've lost, now talk, where did you get the necklace?"

Nothing... Shern applied more pressure to his arm.

"I found it! I swear I found it!"

"Where?"

"Six years ago, on a northern cliff of that mountain, it's a moons walk from here..."

"how?"

"...i found it in the grass, there's been blood allover the place, beneath the cliff there's been two bodies of those..."

"fea'ehns"

"...probably a female and a child, both with sliced throats..."

"You did that?"

"no! They've been cold when I got there!"

He pressed his arm even harder, and looked into his eyes.

"Go home kid, I have no business with you..."

Shern took the necklace and walked away leaving him on the ground.

"..you're wrong"

Tyos tried to stand up

"You have very important business... Awern's dead, no one's gonna defend you now.... the gathering has begun, your clan shell be wiped out... DIE!"

He begun chanting a spell but Shern was faster, Tyos corpse stood upright for a while then collapsed sending fountain of blood from it's headless neck.

***

"From what he said this should be the place..."

They walked closer to the edge.

"Y-you think you can take us down there?"

"Do you really want to?"

Without looking at him she nodded. Shern picked her up, then quietly cast a spell as he jumped off the cliff. They landed peacefully on the ground, touching it gently like a leaf falling from a tree.

"I-I'll check this way, you can look that way..."

"Sia... " He shook his head and pointed towards the cliff wall. When she saw it she rush there with tears in her eyes. Beneath the wall, white bones shined in the morning sun. She dropped to her knees and cried as hard as she could, roared until there was no air left in her lungs. And the mountains knew why she cried, they watched, they saw, they understood her sorrow, they answered her with echoes of her cries and carried them far, far away....

***

"The bones... Those skeletons are not human, nor any animal I know... also, on the neck... That mark on the bone, I've seen many similar ones... Their throats been cut..."

"The smaller one... I'm not sure, if it was a human, I would say it was... a male, five maybe six months..."

"... it was"

"Sia... maybe it wasn't her?"

She shocked her head.

"Every female in my family had one fang smaller then the other... look at the upper left fang the right one is a bit bigger... It's an Err'kha, a blood mark of my clan..."

"this is Seira and her son..."

Sia eyes were empty, he could no longer guess what she felt... He embraced her, there was no need for guessing, he simply felt the same.

***

Using essence Shern cut the tomb in solid rock of the cliff wall and carefully moved there all the remains while Sia stayed outside and prayed till the evening.

"...Let the Goddess guide your soul and ease your pain, let her cape cover you from any harm, let her welcome you, let her voice bring peace to your mind..." Her voice broke for a split second.

"...let her hand guide you safely back to the essence" A she finished she bowed low to the ground, touching the earth with her muzzle.

"Forgive me my dear Seira... I... I have no wine, nor milk, nor honey I could offer you... please accept the light of this candle, let it show you the way to the Goddess"

Carrying the shoddy candle in her hands, she light it from the fire Shern made and placed it on small shelf cut in the stone inside the tomb.

That day she hasn't eat or drink at all, with her eyes closed she prayed.

***

Shern was sleeping exhausted, she covered him and let his head rest on her lap. Her mind wondered aimlessly trying to sort out the recent happenings.

"I'm sorry, I've fallen asleep..." She pet his hairs and looked somewhere distant.

"Can you seal off the entrance?"

He answered with a nod and stood up. She watched as he walked form rock to rock, touching it with his hand, looking for something. He seemed to be finally satisfied by a huge, brown rock. He put his both hands on it surface and closed his eyes, chanting rhythmically some strange words he waited. Slowly the stone begun resonating, falling into more and more intensive vibrations, then with a deafening shriek it disappeared in a cloud of white dust.

Finally the dust fell to the ground revealing tall, black monolith, its polished surface shine in the morning sun. Pointing his hand at the monolith Shern made a gesture as if he was telling it to follow him. Strangely, the monolith shuddered, rise from the ground and followed him hovering in the mid air.

When they reached the tomb entrance, Shern stopped while the monolith moved past him and with a rattling sound pressed itself into the entrance sealing it off.

"Can... can you write something?"

"Here lies Seira ai Surris, daughter of Sihini ai Arrdy and Fycon ai Sherri. With her rest her son, son of Raynn ai Suris"

***

We returned to our cave that day, we traveled in silence as none of us spoke, we both fought with our thoughts. During those six years I spend with Shern, I thought I learned to recognize what he felt but now? He's face carried no expression, his eyes... so lifeless. I've never seen him like this, he seemed different. Also... Deep inside me a terrible need was slowly forming, taking it's shape form my darkest thoughts, a need to go and avenge my clan...

I moved rubbing myself against Shern's naked body, none of us could find rest that night.

"You're body is tensed, will you tell me what's bothering you?"

"The Gathering has been called, the judgment day is coming"

"I... I don't understand"

"The man I fought said the gathering was called. It is, by an ancient law, when all clans gather to make a judgment upon a terrible crime. During the gathering, one that is accused of that crime must prove his innocence in front of the clan lords, or he'll be punished three times worse then the crime he committed. If he won't appear on the gathering, a judgment day is set. If he won't be captured before the judgment day, in the thirteenth anniversary of the crime, his whole clan will be wiped out and every warrior will kill him on sight..."

"the dream?"

"yes, it's all because of what happened that night... and if I'm not wrong they gonna start hunting for us by the next fall. Gods, I must stop this madness"

***

She lay atop him, listening to his heart. Now she know what to do, the burning need finally got her mind. She knew she can't go with him, she knew there was no way she could help him. The only thing she could do was... No! She won't wait. She can't, she also has something to do... Her family waited for long six years, she could feel the calling of their shattered souls, she could feel their pain. No, she won't wait, she'll go as the need was telling her...

"Shern, I... I'm going home" He wanted to say something but she stopped him.

"Please, don't get me wrong, you have family to protect and I have family to avenge"

"You share my memories, you know what they've done... "

"You gave me new life and new strength, before I couldn't do anything to save my clan, now I shall make them pay"

"Sia..." She silenced him.

"Let us not talk about it, please make love to me"

***

"Where do you think you're going?"

Shern's voice made me stop half way through to the entrance.

"I'm going to take a bath in the spring..."

"With your swords? Sia... "

"Please let me go. I must..."

"...Get yourself killed!? Sia please, it's insane, don't go."

"I... I just can't! I feel... I know i must go now!"

He sighed and hid his face in his hands.

"... can't you just wait three moons? Three moons it's all i ask. I'll be back and we could go together."

I look onto the ground and shook my head, something inside me was telling me I must go now before it will be to late.

"then come with me"

He was looking straight at me.

"You know i can't go, I am no match for anyone of your kind, we would both die because of me"

"I'll protect you."

"No you won't, even you can't fight with an army and protect me at the same time, i would be a burden... please let me go, I know how my people fight, i know what they are capable of, I can handle myself."

"... you won't wait?"

"...no"

He picked up his hauberk and bracelets then walked over and handed them to me.

"Here take this"

"But it's yours, you gonna need it"

He shook his head.

"I have other means of protecting myself while you will need any help you can get"

Hugging me he kissed my forehead.

"Don't do anything stupid, in three moons i shall follow you..."

I nodded and slowly began walking away.

"...and Sia, be careful you're everything i got."

***

Home... It's been six years since... I looked around the open field, when i was young this place was full of life but now? There was nothing more than dirt mixed with ashes, even the grass didn't feel like growing here.

Ashes... it was all that left from ai Sherri. I grabbed a hand full of dirt and smelled it. Ash... blood... burned wood... burned houses... broken laws... murdered families... pain... Vengeance... I smelt.

"Home... I've finally returned."

"...Sia..."

My hands grabbed the swords, pulling them in an instant even before i could think of it, my body took the pose, ready to counter any attack, Shern's memories and six years of training changed me more then i thought. I scanned the surroundings trying to determine the source of that sound. A hooded figure was kneeling in the shadow of nearby trees, holding the rosary. Her blue robe marked her profession, a priestess. I lowered my swords and walked closer, i knew that face, the one who made me dance...

"... She walks through the darkness carrying the holy light, seeking for lost and scattered souls..."

The old priestess prayed, behind her in strange pose stood her young apprentice holding a long wooden stick in her shaking hands, i could smell the heavy stench of fear in the air. But what were they doing here? I looked back at the Priestess and saw a silver plate and a candle standing on the grass in front of her. Did they came here to make the offering?

"...let her light enlighten our path and cast away the evil..."

The honey, milk and wine were mixed and spill on the plate. An offering to ease the suffering souls of murdered people...

"... as She brings peace to those who seek it."

She wasn't looking at me, her eyes were locked on her shaking hands. She finished the prayer and began chanting words i could not understand. Another prayer? Or maybe a spell? - Sherns voice from my memories was telling me. I rested the tip of my blade on her throat, her voice broke down for a split second but she continued chanting, then she stopped and looked straight into my eyes.

"Leave us in peace and begone to where you came from!"

So she thinks i am... True, for them my whole clan was gone...

I took the blade off her throat and dip it's tip in the mixture from the plate, then i touched my lips with it and trying to make my voice as much unearthly as i could, I spoke.

"Leave or be doomed like those who dared to mock my clan, thus they shall pay..."

I rapidly lowered my sword, the blade hissed and the gust of air blown away the candle.

I stood there watching as they run with their tails between their legs, apprentice helping the old priestess.

Run, run, as fast as you can... I smiled to myself, my mind was building already the craziest strategy one could think of but the more i thought about it... Sia ai Sherri was an outcast and an easy pray, but the daemon Sia ai Sherri who returned from the dead seeking revenge... Who would dare to face the daemon?

I worked fast, i had maybe an hour before they reach the village and at least another one before someone will come to check their story. I tried to remember the best as i could where the main building was. I looked around, one hundred steps from its south corner should be the second entrance to the secret storage, or at least i hoped there would be.

The main storage entrance was hidden in the floor of the cellar in the building and only four people knew where it was and how to open it. Me, my brother, father and mother. Also one or two of our servants knew that it existed but apart from that they knew nothing so there still were chances that if they just burned down the house without checking it...

Strange, did i missed something? There was nothing here, maybe i choose the wrong place? I fell on my knees, this was pointless, it's been six years now and my memory wasn't perfect, those buildings could be anywhere, also... what if they found it, took everything valuable and destroyed it afterwards?

I already lost all my hope and was going to leave when i saw something, a claw marks. Well it wasn't anything special to find claw marks on treas near village since all cubs spend most of their childhood climbing the tallest trees they could find but those marks... there was something strange about them. I walked closer, those marks, no, those were not left by cubs claws... also... those were too deep and too old... could this be?! Exited i slowly circled around the tree.

Nothing. I began losing hope again but then on the other tree! Same marks on the same hight! And another one! Three marks on three trees, a perfect triangle. I stood in it's middle and look around, there was nothing here only moss and... a small strange white stone? I picked up the stone and i froze, on it other side my clan crest was engraved. I dropped to my knees and begun digging furiously with my claws, under the thin cover of mos and dirt wooden lid was hidden.

I lowered my self onto the hidden stone well, inside, my feet touched old slippery stone steps leading deep into the darkness.

I finally reached the bottom of the well, there was small corridor leading to wooden doors. Near the doors in a hole in the wall there was a torch, i light it to examine the doors, they were locked.

Oh i knew this lock... The mechanism was old and complicated but the way it worked was really simple. On a steel plate in the center of the door there were three smaller, round plates, each with thin, long hole, big enough to fit a knife into it. To open this doors you had to put your knife into the correct holes and turn it in the right direction a few times.

I pulled out my dagger trying to remember the proper combination, a mistake would cost life as poisonous darts would shot out from hidden holes. But what was it?

I smiled... so simple... The story of the Eyk The Keeper, a short senseless story my brother forced me to recite countless times before i memorized it. Come to think of it, now it seemed completely logical.

'Eyk had a mate who baked him a cake, to make the cake what spices did she take? Three ounces of girht, a smelly one, one pinch of tefl a strange yellow dust, six parts of tirgh whatever that was. She mixed it all in a big silver bowl...'

I pushed my dagger into the first hole and turned it three times to the right, I jumped as i heard a low metallic click. I pushed the dagger onto the second hole and i turned it once to the left, another click. The last one i turned six times to the right, as i made the sixth turn loud "clung!" came from the door and made my heart jumped to my throat. Thankfully nothing happened.

I carefully pushed the doors and they slowly opened showing a big room filed with barrels, chests, jars, weapons, armors and many, many more items.

I picked up one empty sack and began filling it with items, jewels and gold mostly. If I'm supposed to do what i wanted to do, I'm gonna need a lot of it.

Done, I was almost ready, now there was only one thing left that i needed. I walked to the chest filled with old documents, on the bottom of that chest lay the key part of my plan.

In a small pouch, warped with white cotton cloth was a golden ring, the seal of the ai Sherri clan, given to my ancestors by the King himself. I've put it on my finger, now i was ready.

I knocked over one of the big jars, spilling the oil allover the place.

Back on the surface i stood wondering, holding the torch in my hand. The point of no return, i went so far, now there's no going back...

I let go of the torch.

***

Dame Shytana was the oldest priestess in the village and probably the only one who has seen the "big world" outside of the frozen lakes, and many, many mysterious things but even in her the word "daemon" aroused fear.

"Calm down you two, I'm sure there is a logical explanation to what you have seen."

"Shytana, i tell you it was _ HER _! Sia ai Sherri! She stood before me just like i stand in front of you!"

"Nonsense my dear, it couldn't be, she's dead, I commenced the mourning ceremony myself!"

"I know what i saw! It defiantly was..."

"Enough! Isryno you've disappointed me! You're almost as old as i am and i hoped you will become the Dame when the goddess call upon me. But now? You come to me, telling me some pitiful stories an apprentice would made..."

"Stories?! I swear on my tail I'm telling the truth! Estsaye saw her too! We barely saved our own lives! Ask her!"

Shytana moved her eyes to the young apprentice hiding behind Isryne, her tail warped around her legs, her hands shaking.

"Tell me, what have you seen?"

She slowly lifted her head and looked at Shtyana.

"I-I... I do not know what I've seen... " She shocked her head.

"I-It looked like fea'ehn b-but it w-was not..."

"What do you mean? Why you're so sure it was not?"

"...i-it didn't s-smell like one... h-her b-body... f-fur can't smell like that... i-it w-was.... alien..."

A knock on the door made her jump.

"Come in!"

"Mother" Another priestess walked in and bow her head in respect.

"A messenger from the village arrived"

"Can't it wait?"

"I'm afraid it's urgent"

"... Let him in then"

A middle age man almost run into the room and dropped to her feet.

"Mother save us! The Fire! The earth is burning!"

"What?! What are you talking about?!"

"In the forest, the old ai Sherri grounds, the whole place is on fire! Even the stones are burning!"

Shytana turned around, Estsaye hid her face in her hands and was crying, Irsyne eyes were filled with terror.

"Gods protect us..."

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Thank you for reading my story, i would enjoy any feedback from you so post your comments if you have em and rate the story @^-^@

v: 0.02

• minor reformating