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Laura was absent-mindedly wrapping her long white hair around her fingers as she watched the train she was riding sail silently over the turbulent river. The downtown core of the city loomed in the distance, the skyscrapers rapidly growing larger in her vision.

"I always love this view of the city," she sighed. She glanced over at her childhood friend, and grinned. "I'm so glad you decided to come shopping with me, Matt! With school, and work, and Ameranth we really haven't had much quality fun time recently."

The fur around Matt's icy eyes wrinkled as the husky smiled back at the white wolf. "And thanks for inviting me. You're right, we haven't been out in forever. You sure you don't mind Jay meeting us there?"

Laura shook her head, her long hair cascading over her muzzle before she brushed it away with a paw. "I like him," she declared happily. "Really Matt, don't worry so much. I approve," she sang, winking at the other canine. "So, it's been three months, eh?"

Matt nodded morosely. "You seemed to take it a bit more in stride than Kael did. He yelled at me when I first told him."

"Oh, I didn't believe either of you at first," Laura laughed. "Honestly? I thought Kael was doing it to try and get a date out of me." The husky made a strangled noise and began coughing. Laura looked on in curiosity and concern. "He wasn't trying to get a date out of me, right?" she asked, a bit more seriously, running a paw up and down the black triangular stripes dyed into her white fur on her arm.

The husky leaned in and whispered fiercely, "Uh, no. You've seen me get injured in my sleep. You must realize we're totally serious about this, Laura!"

"I know! I know! I believe you now, I really do! That first night I was on watch was terrifying when you just started convulsing and yelling. I'm thankful that Kazar had opted to just bruise you rather than slice you up or something equally bloody."

"Oh, yeah. Kael was visiting his parents that weekend. And Kazar had figured that if I was going to learn to fight with a staff, he'd give me a few extra lessons. I'm pretty sure he doesn't use the same techniques the Japanese do, but they still hurt like hell."

Laura turned to stare out the window again. The train slid into the downtown area, the pair hearing the constant "ding ding ding" of the warning lights that stopped traffic. It was busy in the core, even for being noon on a Saturday. Furs crammed the sidewalks, and the train itself got really crowded after the first stop in the area.

They watched as thirty-story buildings passed by them. Groups of kids were hanging out in the convenience store parking lot, trying to look like they were up to no good. A small park was nestled between a pair of buildings, an elaborate set-up of waterfalls and tiny ponds shaping the landscape.

"So when should I let Jay into our little posse?" the husky asked. Laura turned back to Matt, seeing his ears drooped a little. "I mean, you approve, and Kael seems to like him okay. But yeah, I dunno. I'm really tired of having to make excuses to be but not be with my boyfriend, you know?"

The white wolf shrugged, then readjusted her sleeveless shirt after it rode up with the gesture. "That's ultimately up to you, Matt. We're your friends, we'll support your decision, either way. Just don't jeopardize everything you've worked for because you're impatient." Laura stood up and brushed down her white tail. "And this is our stop!"

"Third street west station!" announced the feminine pre-recorded voice as the pair pushed their way off the train, and stretched on the platform.

Laura watched Matt as he looked around, searching for his boyfriend. The husky's face lit up with joy, his ice blue eyes sparkling in the midday sun as he waved to the athletic cougar approaching them. 'Matt really doesn't know just how lucky he is, sometimes,' the white wolf thought wistfully.

"Hey there, good looking!" Jay walked up to Matt. The husky held out his arms, but the cougar walked past him and hugged Laura, giving her a wink as he did. She wrapped her arms around the cat, laughing at Matt's indignant expression and sticking her tongue out at him in response. "Oh, hi to you too!" Jay announced as he extracted himself from Laura and turned to Matt, winking at the husky as well.

"You're such a tease, Jay!" Laura stated in a sing-song voice. The cougar just gave a bow in response before returning to Matt and giving the husky a proper hug. Laura could see Matt's paws grip the cat's back tightly, wrinkling Jay's white muscle shirt. "So, I wanted to go visit La Maison first!"

Matt scrunched his muzzle in distaste. "Ew. Really, Laura?"

"You're just jealous that all the boys in there dress better than you, Matt!" the white wolf teased, as she hooked her fingers under her bra straps through her shirt and strutted around the train platform.

Jay giggled as his paw played with the studs in his left ear. "I like that place, c'mon, it'll be fine Matt. We can go somewhere you like after."

Throwing his paws into the air, Matt grinned at his friends and yelled, "Fine!" before leading the way from the train station.

The trio chatted amicably throughout the day as they shopped. Laura got to visit La Maison and bought a bright green sleeveless blouse, and Jay bought some new jeans. Matt just griped about how out of place he felt until Jay silenced him with a kiss. Laura was pretty sure she saw Jay grope Matt's butt, too. Afterwards, they visited a few other shops, and then grabbed some cinnamon buns and slurpees.

While enjoying the sun and company in a crowded park near Center Street, the sun still high in the sky, Matt suddenly choked on his slurpee, red beverage spraying the sidewalk in front of the group.

"What the? Rhisanth?" the husky stated in surprise. "How the hell?" he shouted as he took off without warning, leaving Jay and Laura behind.

The cougar stood for a moment, staring after his boyfriend. Laura was shocked as well, her jaw hanging open and her slurpee forgotten. "Who's Rhisanth?" Jay asked, "Some ex or something?"

"Oh, oh no! No, he's not an ex. It's a long story!" Laura dropped her drink and grabbed Jay by the paw, who was dodging the red and purple spray as the cup hit the ground. "You'll get to hear of it soon, I'm sure, but we have to keep up with Matt!" she urged, suddenly realizing the possible danger to Matt if he slipped into a narcoleptic attack by himself. She ran off, trying to pick out her friend's form in the crowd. It was easier to follow the path of angry pedestrians.

Matt pushed his way through the crowd, trying to keep an eye on the very tall lion who was wearing a white suit and sported a grey mane. The lion was elderly, but held himself tall and confident. Matt pegged the lion at almost seven feet in height, and it was pretty easy to track him as he towered over much of the crowd. The husky just couldn't close in because of the crowd of increasingly agitated furs.

Eventually, the white-clad lion stopped at the edge of the street, waiting for the traffic light to change. Matt nearly caught up, yelling Rhisanth's name. The big cat turned to look at the husky, as did everyone else in the vicinity. Then he shrugged and crossed the street as he had the light.

'That was definitely Rhisanth! But he's not stopping, or responding to his name.'

The light changed again, and Matt was trapped on the wrong side of the stream of noisy traffic. He watched as the lion waved a white card over a door handle, and disappear into an office building. ''I'll never find him now!'

"Matthew!" Laura's voice prompted the grey-blue husky to turn around. "You know you can't go running off like that! What the hell were you thinking? What if you...what if..." she yelled as she shook Matt by the shoulders until she noticed Jay staring at her, wide-eyed. She stopped and breathed deeply.

Matt stared at the ground, his feet shuffling below him. "I'm sorry, Laura, I know, just in case. But still, that was him! It looked exactly like him!"

"Really? Is that even possible?" Laura asked, wondering.

"Wait a second!" Jay stepped in between the pair. He put his paws on Matt's shoulders and looked into the husky's icy eyes. "What's going on here? Who's Rhisanth? And I know narcolepsy can suck, but why is it freak-out bad if Matt rushes off? I'm missing something here, and I think I need to know."

The childhood friends exchanged a glance over the cougar's shoulder before Matt wrapped his arms around the cat and hugged him close. The slightly musky scent of his boyfriend filled the husky's nose, and he sighed into Jay's chest. A few furs gawked at the pair, but neither Matt nor Jay noticed. "Let's go get a coffee, and I'll explain everything," Matt whispered in the cream-furred cougar's ear.

* * * * *

Kael sat at his desk, his big feet tapping out a beat against the floor. The computer monitor in front of him was turned off, for once, as he was flipping through pages of paw-written notes. He wasn't taking any summer courses, but this was far too fascinating not to study. He pushed his shaggy black hair out of his eyes and took a deep breath. Over the past few months, Kael had asked Matt to get details on the world of Ameranth. Anything that Rhisanth or Kazar would volunteer, or from the husky's own experiences. Though he preferred using his computer for just about everything, Kael thought it more fitting to write these notes on paper.

"Hmm," Kael thought out loud, as he rested his head on one paw while the other kept flipping pages. "What to look over today? Magic; no. Monsters; naw, did that yesterday." The 'roo scratched his black goatee for a moment as he deliberated. "Species; maybe later. Geography; need to draw a map, or get Matt to look at one and draw it for me."

Another page turned over, and Kael's green eyes lit up. "The pantheon!" The concept of a world where deities really did exist drew Kael in. Years ago, when the 'roo's parents took him to church, he was a devoted monotheist. However, the death of his father shattered his faith. 'No! I won't think about that right now!' Kael shook his head free from the memory, and opened the section.

"Ameranth has eleven active gods, and one banished god, each master of their own domain." Kael glanced up, conscious that he was reading aloud in an empty room.

'I wonder why one of the gods was banished? How? Where did he go?'

"Nearly every deity lives on their own plane of existence, and each plane represents their sphere of influence. Dias, the god of good and life, lives on Eden. His opposite, Apollyon, god of evil and death, resides in Under Eden. There are four deities representing what we call the Greek elements: Aurochs, Valin, Solo, and Bronze, gods of water and oceans; wind and travel; earth and agriculture; and fire and destruction, respectively. They each have their own plane corresponding with their element. Mannaz is the god of animals and courage, while Sigel, his consort, is the goddess of nature and the sun. They both live on the plane of Life."

Kael stretched his arms, and his thick tail thumped unceremoniously against Matt's desk. The kangaroo cursed the small room for what felt like the thousandth time this school year. 'Hmm, a different plane for Life and Eden....what's the difference?' Kael puzzled. He shrugged to himself and continued reading.

"Tewaz is the god of the moon and the night, and lives upon the plane of Death, but only because it is perpetually night there."

Kael read that sentence a second time. 'Under Eden and Death, Eden and Life. Why does it seem like there are two planes for each of those concepts?'

"Uroboros is the third most powerful deity, next to Dias and Apollyon. God and creator of the dragons, he lives in Eden, and allies himself with Dias if the balance of the planes is threated. Onargo, weakest of the gods, rules over m'veri and their kin, and lives on the plane of life."

Here the word 'goblins' had been crossed out and replaced by 'm'veri'.

"Finally, the twelfth and banished god, Metallus, is imprisoned in his own plane, also named Metallus, a plane made of metal and machinery."

'A plane of metal and machinery. Maybe the gods think technology is an evil force? But that can't be if Apollyon is still around. Perhaps it threatened even the god of evil?'

The section ended with that. Kael stood up from his chair and paced the room, his arms crossed in front of his chest. He was far from satisfied with what he had gotten out of Matt on this area. The 'roo scowled, heaving a sigh of frustration. 'If there really was a god in our world, my father would still be here...'

Shaking his head vigorously, Kael returned to his desk and flopped down on the chair. Still scowling, he turned to the section labelled 'Species'.

* * * * *

"And yeah, the reason why I seem to have avoided my narcoleptic attacks is because Kazar doesn't really summon me for training except when I would be asleep anyhow." Matt stated quietly. His ears were at half mast, and he kept his eyes on Jay's clasped paws. They were a dark cream color, almost brown. Matt felt like he could count all of the hairs on his boyfriend's fingers after staring at those paws for so long during their discussion. "So that's how it is. That's why I couldn't just tell you about my narcolepsy in the first place."

Laura nodded slowly, the white wolf having been silent for most of the discussion, except for interjecting a few small stories about keeping an eye on the husky while he was asleep.

Jay sat in silence, just staring at Matt. He studied the older fur's face: his small black nose, a grimace on his muzzle, and grey-blue fur framing his icy blue eyes. The cougar breathed deeply and relaxed. He hated seeing Matt anxious like this. Reaching across the table, Jay grabbed Matt's paws in his own. "Don't worry, you'll do fine," the cougar stated, a smile on his lips.

"Wha?"

"I'm sure you can help them in Ameranth. You're kind and smart, and you work so hard, Matt. If anybody can, it's you."

Matt's ears perked up and twitched. "You believe me? You're not angry?" The husky peered into the cougar's light brown eyes tentatively.

The cat shrugged, pulling his paws back and putting them behind his head. "I don't think I would've three months ago, when I just met you. Even now, if Laura weren't here confirming the story, I might've though you'd lost it completely. But the story does explain a couple things, like how you keep getting new scars."

The husky looked at the pads on his right paw, the scars from the sapphire shards still an angry red across it.

"We probably should get going, guys," Laura suggested, standing up and stretching her tall, lithe body as she did. It was nearly eight in the evening, and the trio could see the light waning outside. "You guys may not be taking summer courses, but I am, and I need to get homework done."

The husky nodded. "We've been here for quite a while, I bet the coffee guy's getting kinda mad at us." He glanced over at the counter, where a young doberman - with a blue streak dyed in his fur like a scar across his eye - was glowering at the trio.

"Matt," Jay started, still sitting in his seat.

"What?" Matt asked, turning back to his boyfriend, his head cocked to the side quizzically.

The cougar hesitated, then just shrugged. "Never mind."

"No, what?" Matt pushed.

"Well, I was just wondering if you kinda, would like, you know, to come stay at my place, tonight, maybe?" Jay stammered, staring at the table. "My parents have been wanting to meet you and all, and even though it's late, we could have dinner there, and then watch a movie!" The whole proposition flooded out, as if the cat couldn't stop it.

Matt glanced over at Laura. The white wolf just smiled and gave the husky a wink. He stood up and walked over, behind Jay's chair, and put his arms around his boyfriend. Leaning in over Jay's shoulder, Matt said quietly, "I'd love to."

"Really?" the cougar smiled and looked up, seeing the husky's grinning face upside-down.

"Yeah. I just need to call Kael and let him know." Matt straightened out and pulled his cell phone from his pocket. Taking a quick glance past Laura, he saw the doberman pouting at the group now, rather than angry. 'Yeah, I'd be jealous of me, too,' the husky thought wryly as he carefully used his dull claws to speed-dial his roommate.

"Hey dude, I was beginning to worry about you," the kangaroo's deep voice came across the line. "What's up? Where are you guys?"

"At a coffee shop, downtown, with Jay and Laura. I'm gonna stay the night at Jay's." Matt winked at the cougar, causing the cat to blush under his light-colored fur.

Kael hesitated. "What happens if...?"

"He knows, Kael."

"You told him?"

"Laura and I both did. He understands."

"All right, have fun, dude."

"Thanks." Matt pressed the red button on his cell, ending the call.

"So?" Laura said with a smirk, the dyed black tip of her bushy white tail swaying behind her faster than her grin would indicate.

The husky's tail was wagging just as furiously as he gave her a thumb's up. "All clear!"

Laura's smile turned wistful as Jay jumped up and pulled Matt close, giving the husky a big smooch on the muzzle. "Well, you guys have fun, but not too much fun! I have to take a different train. But you keep in touch too, Jay. We have to go shopping again, sometime!"

"You got it, Laura!" Jay said, laughing as Matt nuzzled his shoulder.

* * * * *

Rhisanth stood in the center of the great marble hall that housed the Council. The members were whispering amongst themselves as Lord Lucent considered the most recent piece of news.

The muscular lion rubbed the scar above his nose with one paw. "A tall building made of glass, in the middle of Westmarch?" Lord Lucent's voice boomed across the hall, hushing the Council members.

The elderly lion nodded. "No furs in Westmarch know how it appeared. It was ethereal, and disappeared shortly after. It was not as graceful as a construct of the Lunar Angels, but just as impressive."

The Council began murmuring once again, and a white-clad mage spoke up. He was a young rhino, about twenty-five years, the youngest anyone had ever been on the Council. "Where do you think this building came from? Does it have anything to do with the encroachment?"

Lord Lucent's gaze bored into the elder lion standing in the middle of the circle of seats. "Rhisanth? Theories?"

Rhisanth looked solemnly at his brother. "It is from Earth, where young Matthew is from. And yes, I believe this has everything to do with the encroachment."

"No proof!" wailed a black-robed tigress. She had been on the Council longer than anyone else in the room. Rumor had it she was hundreds of years old, unheard of for anyone else, including the other powerful magi in the room. "You have no proof that this has anything to do with your prophecy, or Earth, or anything! The simplest explanation is that it may have been an illusion to scare the populace of Westmarch."

"True," Rhisanth started.

Kazar's hissing voice interrupted the elderly lion. "Why not ask the pup? He is from Earth, no? Recognizing the architecture from his home should be easy enough."

Lord Lucent looked curiously at the normally obstinate mage, quirking an eyebrow at the dark jaguar. "Agreed," he stated carefully. "Rhisanth, you shall ask young Matthew about the building, and anything he may know about this. In the meantime, everyone here should be on the lookout for further such incidents and report them back to me immediately. I will attend to this investigation personally."