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It had been almost two years since the Century War, and mercenary work was few and far between. Not that I didn't mind a vacation, but I couldn't keep stealing my food. I was starting to give merc's a bad name.

Anyway, the Century War, not unlike normal wars, lasted, not that this needs explaining, one hundred years. Well, it actually lasted a century and one year, but who's counting? I was doing the mercenary thing for the Midland army; usually the stuff their regular soldiers were either too good for or were afraid of. That, most commonly, consisted of killing enemy mercenaries like me, who had a certain quirk which made them 'harder to kill'.

Now, I know what you must be thinking. "Midland must be the 'good guys,'" or something along those lines, but I assure you it isn't true. First of all, who am I to judge who's good and who's bad? Second, it was just a simple matter of me choosing the lesser of two evils. That, and they were the ones who asked me first.

My story with them was brief and uninteresting. Although I gotta say, it was a hell of a lot more interesting than this. I fought with them, or rather, for them, for almost ten years before the war ended, and I made some pretty good money from it, too. Although the sweet life ended with the war.

Now, I keep mentioning the end of the war as if it was some life-changing event. I suppose, for the royalty, it was, but for the normal folks it was just another day. The war ended fairly quickly, and if you were to ask me, I'd tell you they just forgot why they were fighting to begin with. But ask anyone else, they'd tell you Maldad finally surrendered. And naturally, if you ask anyone in Maldad, they'd tell you Midland surrendered. There wasn't anything extraordinary about the end of the Century War, other than it actually ended.

I like to think I made some kind of difference, but to be honest, I didn't do squat. For the first year on the job, I was stationed at Hell's Gate to protect the main armoury. It was obviously a redundant job not quite fit for Midland's army, but it was coin and a place to stay. Most of the battles took place at or near the border between the countries, save for the few enemy campaigns to overtake Midland outposts and barracks.

It wasn't until a year after I started when I was finally stationed elsewhere; one of Midland's furthest outposts, actually. On my second day Maldad sent in Canavar, a monster of a Grizzly. He was one of Maldad's champions, and if it wasn't for me, they'd have taken the outpost with ease. The massive brute, clad in inch-thick plated armour, used an enormous iron ball on a chain to plow through any normal soldier. And if he wasn't using that, then he'd slice his enemies in two with his huge battle axe he liked to call Bruiser. An odd name, since his balls did more of the bruising.

We heard his small army coming from a mile away and soon enough they arrived. I wasn't expecting Canavar himself, but I promptly strapped on my armour and equipped Kraftig, my sword. Unlike most soldiers' swords, mine was about as tall as me -- almost seven feet -- and was incredibly thick. It was more like a large, blunt slab of metal than a sword, and it had to be strapped to my armour. Needless to say, Kraftig kept my in very good shape. With me as their leader, Kraftig and I swiftly took Canavar down, shattering both his balls and his axe. Hailed a champion, I was eventually let into the Midland army, rising quickly through the ranks to Captain.

Of course, I never let that sort of thing go to my head. Sure, I lived in Midland's fortress-city Midgard comfortably, but I had been fighting all my life. No amount of bloodshed or glory could change who I really was; a mercenary and a warrior.

Myself, I grew up around soldiers. A band of merc's, actually. I never knew my mother, or my father, but I was pretty much born with a sword in my paws. A sword too big, I might add. Our band never fought directly in the war, but one night, on duty for Duke Steinworth, Maldad raiders attacked and slaughtered everybody. To this day I still don't know how they got the drop on us, but somehow they came in hard and fast. I spilled more blood that day than I had in all the years leading up to that -- ten years, if you're counting. Maybe it was the adrenaline or maybe the ale, but either way I was stabbed through the chest by one of the raiders and lived to tell the tale. I was on my own then, with only a gold coin that had been left behind, and of course my sword.

That, I suppose, is when I really became a mercenary. I was just a kid, but I was good as any adult. Better, even. I eventually left the mainland in search of my own way, finding nothing but fights. I'm not sure how I managed to survive all those years until I finally decided to join the war effort.

Midland, I guess, was always my home, so naturally I chose her side. Not that I have any kind of pride in my country, or anything like that. It was probably those Maldad raiders; trauma has a funny way of making up peoples minds.

Anyway, after the war ended I was quickly forgotten and thus I was on my own again, desperate for work. Midland's never been the same since the war, which frankly makes me wonder how it really ended. Although Midland was at peace -- as much peace as there could be -- there always seemed to be this looming darkness over the land, especially over Midgard. I haven't seen the end of a war before, so maybe it's just natural, although I hadn't heard anything unusual from Maldad. I mean, there were nice, sunny days with cool, refreshing breezes blowing through your fur, but still, if you sat around long enough, you'd get a particular chill up your spine.

Life was tough for a mercenary, which brings me to a small pub in Concord called the Tiger's Tail a year and eleven months after the Century War. It was my favourite pub, despite the filthy riffraff thinking I'm their mascot. Concord is a very large village, not quite a city, right on the border of Midland and Maldad. A lot of mercenaries hung out in Concord, although I'm not sure why. I guess because if there was any work to be had, they'd be right in the middle and eager

to run to either side.

Suddenly, in amongst the dregs, a lone wolf slapped me on the arm. "Eh?" was all he said.

"What do you want?" I asked him, not turning my head. I kept my glass close to my chin, ready to drink when he spouted some nonsense. Passive-aggressive always seemed to work well for me.

"You lookin' fer work?" the wolf asked.

I turned my eyes. The old bugger was missing all but one fang and looked like he hadn't washed himself in years. His fur was scraggly and had several patches missing. His breath reeked of mead, too.

"Everybody's lookin' for work," I quickly replied. I set my glass down on the bar and sighed. "You got some work?" I couldn't help but be gruff in this place.

"Yeh, I got some. But'cher gonna hafta come with me first, stripes."

The old coot seemed to be excited about something, but I shrugged anyway and followed him. He led me through the dark, filthy streets, lit only by the quarter-moon, to a ramshackle wooden hut built on the side of the stone of Concord's castle wall. Looking at it, I was certain I was taller than the structure itself, and about a foot too wide for the door. However I managed to squeeze in and got down on my knees, so as to not cramp my neck. Looking about, the dirt floor was surprisingly tidy, as far as dirt floors go, and there was a good-sized bed and a poorly-made, rotting table.

"So, what do you want?" I asked, now at eye level with the wolf, who was kneeling on his dark, disgusting bed.

He then reached out a paw and squeezed my deltoids.

I looked at his paw then back to him. With his paw between my arm and my shoulder-armour, I sighed and batted his arm away. "Don't you have better things to spend your money on than a tiger? Like, food for example. You look like you could use some of that. In fact," I said, reaching into my satchel. Although I was interrupted with a paw on my wrist.

"I dun want'cher food, boy. At least, not'cher eatin' food. Bet a cat like you's got a fine piece of meat on yah."

"Oh god," I said aloud. "Listen, old man, I'm not that kind of mercenary. Never have been, never will be. If you want me to protect you, or fight for you, or something like that, then I'm yer tiger. Otherwise, we have no business together."

As I turned to leave, his paws gripped my tail, pulling. He was very weak.

"Please," he begged, whining almost, "I haven't felt the touch of anuder fur since the war ended..."

I sighed and turned back around. He was wearing some dark, tattered robe and likely nothing else underneath. "Take off yer robe," I told him reluctantly.

Excited, the old wolf shakily removed his robe and sat back on his modest bed. He was shaking terribly, obviously uncertain of what I was going to do.

At first slowly, I reached out a paw and gripped his ever-growing shaft. It was bright red and amazingly firm. Warm, too, and slick with precum; another surprise. With a gentle smile I stroked his old shaft, which was kinda ridged and smelly, but I've felt and smelled far worse. As a last surprise, I felt my own sheath swelling a bit, still under my armour, which probably could have been accounted for by the haggard wolf's pitiful howls. He was clearly having the time of his life, or the life he had now. He squirmed and writhed on his bed, panting with his flat tongue dangling out the side of his upturned maw, paws gripping at his filthy and torn bed sheets. I couldn't help but laugh at him, and still I persisted.

A few moments later, however, the whole affair ended with the wolf seizing up then suddenly yelping then howling as his dangling balls seemed almost to suck up into his body. With a wide, satisfied smile, the old wolf had finally climaxed and was thoroughly pleased. He just sat back murring and enjoying the brief afterglow of a job well-done. "Th-thank you," he said hoarsely. "The moneh's...on the table."

I just shook my head and patted his shoulder. "Buy yerself some food, old wolf," I said as I left his shack. Walking slowly, I wiped my paw off on the next building and continued back to the Tiger's Tail, eager for another drink. However it wasn't until I saw a wagon full of young furs, momentarily catching the gaze of a dirty young child and his fiery red eyes through the large hole in the wooden buggy, roll down the main street, leaving Concord, when I decided now might not be the best time.

"Stop them!" someone suddenly cried out, running madly after the wagon.

I just stood outside the pub and watched the decrepit fox suddenly get knocked down by a couple of the castle guards.

"Hey!" I said, walking forward. "What's going on here?"

"None of your damn business, tiger. Now leave before we force you to."

With a smirk I gripped onto the thick hilt of my sword and unlatched it from my armour. Casually, I just slammed the end down into the cobblestone below, amused by the guard's reactions. "There's two ways of doing this, boys, and either way I'm gonna get answers."

The two bulldogs suddenly stood up straight, looking up at me. I could hear the fear in his voice as the one spoke. "We will let you off with a warning for now, peasant, but if you persist, no amount of...bullying...will keep us from imprisoning you."

I couldn't help but scoff at the fools and take the old fox with me.

"Please, sir," he begged as I reattached Kraftig, "you must help me."

"Is it about that cart full of kids?" I asked as we walked. I already knew the answer.

"Yes, those poor children are from the orphanage I run, with help from the church. I-I am a man of the cloth."

"Ain't really the God-fearin' sort."

"Then please, sir, if not for the Lord, then do it for a poor old fox who has lost his flock."

I rolled my eyes. "You know I'm a mercenary, right? My services come with a price."

The fox hesitated, apparently at a loss for words. "Th-the church... I mean...no one, really, has any money in Concord. Not enough for what I'm asking. But please, they are just children; innocent in the eyes of the Lord. They do not deserve this."

Deserve what? "Where exactly are they headed?"

"Oh yes, of course... Th-the King of Midland, his 'highness,' has a most unusual appetite for...young flesh. He...he performs unspeakable acts upon them... After they enter Midgard's holy walls, they are never seen or heard from again."

Something in my stomach just turned. "And what do you expect me to do? Barge into Castle Midgard and demand he return the kids to this shit hole of a village?"

The old fox hesitated again. Clearly that's exactly what he wanted.

Now, I'm a tough tiger, and a damn good fighter, too. I've seen countless battles and tore through an even greater amount of furs to get to this point. Needless to say, I could handle any guard. Any knight, even. But not only did Castle Midgard, let alone the city itself, give me the creeps, but busting into the King's chambers is just plain suicide. I mean, I can only bleed so much blood until I can't move another inch. God only knows how many sentries are hiding in and around the Castle's walls, never mind inside. And yet, staring down at this frail, trembling old fox, I found his proposition was quickly becoming more agreeable. It maybe wasn't him so much as it was the kid with the red eyes I noticed. There was a particular spark in his eyes, a deep flame burning bright. I know it sounds lame, but in that instant we somehow connected.

"Those poor children," the fox continued muttering to himself, "they don't deserve this..."

The two of us stopped just on the outside of Concord's walls, watching the flickering lantern of the buggy slowly dim within the fast-approaching fog.

"Odd weather," he muttered again.

I let out a long sigh and rested my head on my forearm, which was leaned against the wall. "So, you've got no money and no services to provide, correct?"

"Eh..."

"And yet you want me, out of the kindness of my own heart, to chase after that wagon and somehow save the children?"

The fox nodded. He now seemed to be fondling a small black book of his, likely a Bible.

I rolled my eyes and sighed again. Looking back out into the dark foggy night, I held out my large paw. "I'm certain I'll regret this later, Father, but I'll do what I can to get your kids back to you."

The fox's eyes lit up instantly and he seemed more lively than I've seen him yet. "Blessed be thee, O kind mercenary," he said as he jumped about. "Please, take this."

The old fox pulled a long string of rosary from a pocket, with a small wooden cross danging down, and forced it into my paws.

"N-no, this isn't necessary. I told you, I don't believe--"

"Take it," he begged, "as it has brought me to you. I can only pray to the Lord it will help you as it has helped me."

Staring down at him, I could easily see just how serious he was. I'm not above taking jewellery as any kind of payment, but I was almost positive those wooden beads were next to worthless. However with a sigh and a roll of the eyes, I shoved the rosary into my satchel, after pulling out my large dark cloak and wrapping it around me. "Well, I'd just love to stay and chat with you, but I've got a wagon full of children to save."

"Wait, sir... Maybe I can get your name? I must know for whom the Lord may bless on this journey."

I just smiled and turned, putting up my hood. "My name's Luca... and if someone asks, I'm for hire." With that, I quickly took off along the well-travelled path and ignoring the Father's thanks. Although the fog was thick, following the main road was easy. My brisk walk eventually turned into a light jog then into a slow sprint. Although my armour was heavy, and my sword even heavier, I managed to keep up a fairly constant pace. Of course, it didn't help that attached to my right forearm was a somewhat large piece of my old sword, Crusher, which had been smashed to pieces. The largest shard was from near the tip, and acted now as a nice, inch-thick piece of gauntlet. Finding I was going to quickly run out of breath, far before reaching the wagon, I remembered just how windy this road was. In an instant I ran off the path and darted quickly through the woods. The thick trees and almost ghastly braches made for a frightening sight for most furs, not to mention the thick fog now, but when the adrenaline starts pumping, those things just vanish quickly.

Having to slow my pace somewhat, although still making better time, I took a better look at my surroundings. With the moon piercing through the canopy and adding a greater, uncalled-for spooky mood to the thick forest, my heart raced faster and I took off. That isn't to say I'm afraid of the dark or of ghosts or some silly thing like that, but I figured there was no sense in sticking around in one spot forever... At least, that's what I kept telling myself.

Finally back onto the main road, I sprinted quickly down the main path again, away from that horrid forest. My heart was pounding, most likely due to exhaustion rather than, say, fear of the dark, until I was coming up to a small group of furs. At first I thought it was the buggy, as I had just spied a flickering lantern, but upon closer inspection I noticed it was nothing more than a few furs. Got my damn hopes up for a moment. I slowed my pace and replaced the hood over my eyes, as it had brushed back from the branches, and walked briskly toward them, trying not to draw any attention to myself.

"Oi!" one of them cried out, "looks like we got a lost kitty out 'ere."

"Eh, I think yer right! Ooh, and he looks like a tough one."

"God dammit," I said under my breath.

"You got any coin on yah?" another asked. Whether I did or not, I knew how this was going to end.

The three tough-looking hyenas cackled in the way only hyenas could and moved closer, starting to circle around me. Their paws were now on their swords and pulling them out.

I just stood in the middle of the trio, not moving a muscle. Despite my size, I knew I was faster, and definitely stronger.

"What're yah doin' way out in the woods?" one asked me.

I just continued to ignore him.

"Eh? What've we got here, a mute 'er something?" he giggled.

No, he didn't have a mute. He had a seven foot tiger who was starting to get pissed off. I was just biding my time, waiting for one of them to make the first move. It was going to be so simple. None of them looked like trained soldiers or even trained swordsmen. They looked like dirty, desperate beggars who had found no interest in a cart full of children. "I need to pass," I told them sternly.

"Oh, you need to pass, huh?" the one giggled again. "Well, you pay the toll and maybe we'll let'cha pass."

A deep growl escaped my throat. "I don't have your toll, and if I did, I wouldn't give it to you. If you don't back off now, then I'll just push through. I'm in a hurry."

"Pay the toll!" another hyena cried. I had no idea what gave them the impression that I had money. Just then he lunged forward.

I easily moved out of the way of his attack, swinging my heavy right arm around to slam him in the back of the head. Then like a spring I swung my left arm around the other way, slamming the back of my paw into his mate's muzzle. I could almost feel the bones shattering around my paw, and his warm blood spilling onto me. It was a satisfying feeling. The last hyena was standing behind me and as I turned to strike him down, I suddenly caught a whiff of a sharp stench. I stopped myself just in time to notice he had wet himself. With a mocking smirk, I just shoved him back and continued along the path.

Again as the road started to curve, I knew it would be faster to cut through the woods. But it was dark and the moon was now hidden. Feeling my heart start to race yet again, I stepped toward the dark and foggy trees, hesitating. I mean, who knows what could've been lurking in there? But as my thoughts drifted to the old fox and of those piercing red eyes, I forged on ahead with my eyes closed. Moving quickly, I opened them periodically so I wouldn't hit a tree, and when I did it was complete tunnel vision, focussing on the end of the woods. I moved swiftly throughout the trees, sweating profusely. My heart was racing and I grew more anxious and excited the further into the woods I got, and closer to the exit. Within my heavy panting, a long string of small noises sounded out; what most would describe as whining or whimpering. Now, what sounded like frightened whimpering to most could easily be explained by those rough branches scraping along my face... They hurt.

Soon enough, though, I reached the end of the dark woods and I was dashing quickly away from them. I stopped for only a moment to catch my breath and to let my heart slow down. However that didn't last long as I heard some faint crying and a dim light passing through a strip of trees. It had to be the buggy. Almost re-energized by this, I took off along the main road. This forested area was going to end soon which would take my advantage away. I started pumping my legs extraordinarily quickly, moving with much more speed and swiftness than a tiger my size normally could.

Soon enough, I could see the back of the buggy, and with a deep growl I worked my muscles harder than I could ever remember working them. I was so close, and yet with every long stride it inched closer to the end of the woods; to smoother land and a straighter road. My head was telling me to call out, but I couldn't risk the horses bolting. However it seemed luck was on my side, as I noticed the wagon had stopped just at the edge of the woods.

Slowing a bit, becoming quieter -- my armour wasn't exactly made for stealth -- I managed to sneak up behind the wagon. It would seem the driver was relieving himself at the side of the road. I had to act fast. Looking about madly, I found a thick lock keeping the door shut, however I was still without a means of entry. I lock was too thick to use my dagger, and it wouldn't be practical to use Kraftig. If I was a smarter tiger, I would have brought -- and learned to use -- lock picks.

"Hey!" someone called from behind me. "What do you think you're doing?"

I turned, ready to attack, until I noticed a crossbow pointing directly at me. Then a few more joined him. "I'm on a mission," I simply said.

"I think you'd better just back away from the wagon and head on back to where you came from."

"That's not an option," I said, moving slowly away from the wooden buggy.

"Then you leave us with no choice..."

Just as I noticed a small movement in the crossbow, I quickly raised my paw in front of my face and caught the bolt, it piercing my large pad. It hurt, yeah, but this wasn't going to stop me. I lowered my paw, revealing a terrifying grin, and bent my fingers to snap the bolt. I quickly gripped onto the end of Kraftig and spun around, using the momentum to detached and continue swinging my massive sword around. As I let it fly, I gripped with both paws down, despite the pain in the one, and dashed forward. With my huge muscles burning, I lifted the massive slab of iron over my shoulder and slammed it at an angle down on the soldier who had shot me, slicing the armoured wolf in half and leaving a terrible, bloody mess. I then growled as I spun around, Kraftig trailing behind me and I gained speed in order to lift it and obliterate the other two guards.

"Run!" one of them cried, "get them out of here no--!"

He was quickly interrupted by Kraftig, slicing him and his partner in two. However just as my sword smashed into the ground, the wagon took off.

"No!" I cried out as I pulled my sword along with me, chasing the wagon. At a final, desperate attempt, just a few feet behind the buggy, I swung my sword around and managed to take off a huge chuck of the back, however from the spinning momentum of Kraftig, I was forced to let go. I took off toward wagon without my weapon and managed to reach the back, clinging onto a broken piece of wood. Hearing the terrified screams inside, I gripped as tightly as I could. Just then a small paw appeared and I reached my other paw up to hold onto it. I could see his face; two glowing red eyes staring helplessly at me. Just then, the wagon hit a rock and the wood I was gripping finally broke. As I fell away from the wagon, the young child held onto me tighter and was pulled out. Acting quick, I held him as close as I could as I fell, tumbling and rolling to a stop. I just lay on my back panting, finally releasing the child from my grip. He was sitting on my chest, trembling.

"You...okay?" I asked him between breaths.

The young child just collapsed onto me and wrapped his arms tightly around my neck, crying. I hadn't even gotten a good look at the boy yet.

Eventually I sat up and held him close, sighing as I got to my footpaws. I started back toward Kraftig slowly, the pain of that bolt suddenly becoming more obvious. "You alright to walk, kid?"

The boy ignored me. I just got to my knees and slowly put him down. The young black panther, as I could clearly see now, wiped away a tear and looked up at me.

"What's your name, kid?"

"Kai," he said with a sniffle. "What about you?"

"My name's Luca."

"That's a pretty name," he said with a bit of a smile.

I just smiled back and pet him on the head, quickly retrieving my sword and reattaching it to my armour. Although just as I did that, I looked off to yet again see the lantern vanish, now uncertain of what I was going to do. I couldn't storm Castle Midgard with the kid here. "Do you know how to use a weapon?"

Kai shook his head.

"How old are you?"

"Almost twelve," he said almost proudly. "My older brother is still on that wagon..."

"There's no way we'll be able to catch up now. It'll be a least a few days, though, before the wagon reaches Midgard -- probably more -- so the horses will have to rest at some point. I suggest we do the same for the time being."

Kai seemed disappointed, and I could see tears starting to form.

I let out a long sigh and bent down so I was eye level with the boy. "We'll go rest below that ridge there and continue in the morning. I promise I won't let anything happen to your brother, or the other kids. You have my word."

"Okay..." he replied reluctantly, sniffling again.

As we were walking, I was somewhat surprised to feel his paw against mine, holding tightly. Standing only to about my waist, head actually somewhere around my navel, I held his much smaller paw back. The wind started to pick up, blowing most of the dense fog away. Now off the main path, we made our way through the cold, dry grass, past a couple dead trees until we were at the base of the ridge. "You stay here, kid, and I'll go get some wood for a fire."

The boy nodded and I went back to the dead tree, looking up at it. Should be simple enough. I raised a footpaw and gently placed it part way up, then positioned myself more appropriately. A moment later I raised my footpaw and slammed down on the tree, cracking it. With a growl I bashed it again, then one final time before I pushed into it hard with my body, toppling it over. Tearing off a few large branches and nabbing some larger chunks, I went back to where I had left the boy. However when I got back, he was missing. Dropping the wood quickly, I gripped onto Kraftig, ready for a fight. "Kai!" I called out. I whipped my head about desperately, trying to see who could have taken him.

Suddenly, from behind, I sensed a presence, but before I could turn around, someone cried out and latched to my head, growling and biting my ear. I shook for a bit, but quickly figured it out. I just let the kid chew on my ear for a while as I recollected the wood, setting it up to make a fire.

Finally Kai climbed down, giggling to himself.

"You shouldn't sneak up on my like that."

Kai just smiled and nodded, obviously ignorant to my words.

After a long, frustrating while, I finally got the fire going. Having already detached Kraftig, I began to remove the rest of my armour, placing it neatly beside the small blaze. I sat with just my pants on, as well as the thick leather leggings which help protect from my chafing armour. It actually felt kinda good to feel the cool breeze blow through my fur.

Kai then came up to me and, standing, stared at eye-level with me. He was smiling, then moments later removed his shirt. With a giggle, the young panther sat between my legs, leaning his back against my body and murring quietly.

Taken aback somewhat, I lowered my paws and wrapped my arms around him, holding him close and keeping his small body warm. The kid was surprisingly fit for a twelve year old, and a poor one at that.

"Thank you for saving me," he spoke quietly, rubbing his back into my abs. His head now rested against my chest.

"It was nothing," I responded stupidly. One thing I never learned in life was how to deal with children.

"Your fur is really warm," Kai commented. "So soft..." He then turned a bit and nuzzled into me, arms starting to wrap around my body, rubbing a bit at my ribs.

I just lifted my paws for a moment to let him turn, but quickly placed them back down onto his back. Cute kid.

"You're really muscular, too," he giggled.

I couldn't help but smile. With him constantly rubbing his body against mine, I couldn't help, as much as I tried to deny it, but feel kinda attracted to the boy. That isn't to say I'm some kind of sick pervert, like the King, but at that moment, I felt a little something. With a sigh, I loosened my grip and leaned back on my paws, letting Kai rest on my body. It seemed he was starting to fall asleep.

Warm by the campfire, my eyes, too, started to become heavy, and so I shifted the boy just enough so I could lie back, but still let him use me as a pillow. Staring into the dark, starry sky, I closed my eyes again and drifted to sleep.

---

I was suddenly woken from the most wonderful dream by a dull pain in my side. And then another. I slowly opened my eyes and saw a dark cat looming over me. "Huh?" I said groggily.

"C'mon," he said anxiously, holding a piece of my shoulder armour, "we have to rescue my brother."

Slowly I sat up, yawning. "I gotta rescue the other kids, too, you know."

Kai flattened his ears. "I know."

I sighed and slowly got up, retrieving my armour from the young panther. "Alright, I guess we should get movin' then. You wanna help me get my armour on?"

Kai seemed more excited than most usually are to help. With a shrug, though, I slowly walked to my pile of armour and began to explain how it works.

"I usually start from the bottom up," I said, picking up my footpaw armour. "It's all pretty much strapped on together, but if you could buckle me in behind my legs, that'd be a great help." As I placed the armour against my body, Kai eagerly got to his knees and strapped me in. It was clear which hole to use, so it wasn't too tight or too loose. "Okay, now this armour goes on my thighs. You'll have to get in there again to tighten the straps."

Kai was catching on quick. With a smile, I watched as he pushed my legs further apart so he could tie me in, until the smallest of gasps escaped my maw from his paws stroking at my inner thigh. I looked down at the boy, and as the leather straps tightened, his paw very clearly ran up my thigh and grazed across my crotch, which was covered at the time, to the other leg. Again he gently rubbed my sensitive thigh before doing up the strap. Cheeky little cat.

"There," he said calmly.

I could see through his dark fur a bit of blush. Was this actually happening?

"A-alright," I continued, "let's get this one on." I picked up my chest and back armour, which were attached at the shoulders but separated at the bottom so I could easily slip it on. I put it on over my head, my ears springing back up as the two halves closed snugly around my body, though not before slipping into my black, sleeveless leather top to prevent chafing. I lifted my arms, now feeling the ends of the black, metal already-attached pauldrons scrape along my triceps, as Kai diligently did up the straps running down my ribs from my armpits. When he finished, he looked up at me with an admiring smile, paws rubbing against my armoured chest, and I couldn't help but smile back.

Quicky I put my right arm armour on, the remnant chuck of my old sword, and threw my satchel around my shoulder. Just as I attached Kraftig to my back and threw on my dark cloak, the two of us were off again.

The pair of us, somewhat surprisingly, made fairly good time along the main thoroughfare, running into few people and making small-talk.

"So, how'd you get to be so big?" Kai asked me.

"I'm not really sure," I answered. I was carrying the boy on my shoulders now, and he seemed to enjoy rubbing or tugging at my ears. I seemed to enjoy that, too. "I've been fighting my entire life," I continued, "so I guess constantly swinging a sword that's way too big for you really builds up your muscles."

After hearing a childish giggle from the panther, I smiled again. "I never really knew my parents, so I suppose my height could have come from them." I then winced as Kai pulled on my ears again.

"So, you're a pretty good soldier then, huh?"

"One of the best."

"Can...can you teach me how to fight?"

Everything the kid said seemed to make me smile, not that I minded. It had been a long time since I had a good companion. "Yeah, I could show you the basics. Although I didn't really learn in a traditional sense. I was mostly protected when I was just a cub, until I was around your age. I had gotten a bit of training, but nothing helped more than being on an actual battlefield."

"Is that how you got all those scars?"

My body was covered in small, usually very thin scars, mostly hidden by my fur. However there were a few that stuck out easily, like the one running diagonally down my abs. My arms, too, held quite a few of the larger scars, as they mostly went unarmoured.

"What about this one?" he asked, pulling on my right lip. His thumb was running gently up and down my lip, like feeling the texture of a bolt of cloth.

When Kai finally let go, now just patting the scar, I answered, somewhat embarrassedly, "No, that one's not from battle."

"Then what's it from?"

"Someone hit me."

"Who?"

Inquisitive little runt. "Just someone I knew."

"Why did they hit you?"

I hesitated. This really didn't seem like an appropriate conversation I should've be having with a twelve year old. "We were playing a game." Clever, tiger. Clever.

Kai then kicked my chest with his footpaws, getting excited. "What kind of game?"

I just growled quietly and held onto his ankles. "Just...wrestling, that's all. Got a little rough, and I got a good claw to the maw."

"Really?"

He didn't believe me. I could tell. "Yes," I answered plainly.

"If you say so." Kai then resumed pulling on my ears.

I growled to myself, wondering what he really thought it was. After a short while, my curiosity got the better of me. "And how do you think I got the scar?"

Kai giggled. "Did you get it during yiff?" He giggled again.

My cheeks turned unexpectedly red. I figured a twelve year old boy knew plenty about yiff, so there was no point in playing dumb. But I couldn't think of a way to skirt around the question. "Wh-why do you think that?" I asked stupidly.

Kai giggled again, as if mocking me. "First of all, you hesitated just now, and you hesitated before. Plus," he went on, placing his paws on my cheeks, "you're blushing."

What else could I do but sigh? The panther was more clever than I'd thought, and much more mature than he'd led on. We continued on briskly along the dirt road, Kai just admiring the view. Occasionally he would press his body harder into the back of my head, which made me a little uncomfortable. I could feel his young goods grinding into my fur, and it was clear he was getting some pleasure out of it.

"So," Kai said, "how many guys, exactly, have you yiffed?"

I sighed again. Why did he assume I preferred guys? "That's really none of your business, kid. Why are you so interested, anyway?"

"Cause I'm a curious little kitten," he replied all cutely. "So..."

I hated when he said 'so.'

"How many..."

The kid stopped, for whatever reason, and I just kept my maw shut. We were coming up to a small hamlet anyway, which meant food and shelter for the night. We had been walking all day, and my pawpads were getting sore. Not only that, but I was carrying a panther on my back as well as my sword and armour, which made for one tired tiger. We arrived at the hamlet after a long bout of silence, and just in time to watch the sunset.

Settling down at the small inn, we got a small, single room, as it wasn't cheap for an out-of-work mercenary to rent two. I quickly removed my armour and sighed in relief as it thumped to the wooden floor. I also removed my top and my leather leggings and just sat on the edge of the bed in my normal cloth pants, stretching my back muscles. It felt nice to be rid of my armour once and a while, despite it feeling more like second skin to me by now. I then just lay back on the bed, paws above my head, and sighed in content. I wasn't sure if I should have been as relaxed as I was, seeing as how that wagon full of kids was probably about half way to Midgard by now, while I was just barely a quarter. I had no idea how long I'd have between when they dump the kids off and when their 'duties' would begin, but despite my relaxation, I was thinking about them a lot. But as usual, my thoughts were interrupted by a young panther. This time he was kneeling beside me and resting his head on his paws, elbows resting on my chest. The kid just stared into my eyes with a dopey grin on his face.

"What?" I asked, leaning my head up.

"You've got very pretty eyes," he said innocently.

"Uh. Thanks." Unamused by the interruption, and his seemingly boundless energy, I rested my head back on the straw pillow and sighed.

"So when are you gonna teach me to fight?"

"I don't know. Tomorrow. Get some rest."

Kai sighed and let himself slump onto my chest, arms draped over me. He, too, seemed unamused by that.

"So," I started, not even sure why I felt compelled to talk to him like this, "tell me about your brother."

Kai sat up, cross-legged and to my right, then drew circles in the torn bed sheet with a claw. "Well, he's four years older than me, for one thing. But he's also tall, and strong like you, and he always sticks up for me when the others pick on me. He's always been there for me."

"The other kids pick on you? What for?"

"Well...for lots of reasons. I...I've got this small patch of white fur on my hip that they all make fun of me for. They say it's because my parents are brother and sister, and they say me and my brother make love, too."

My ears suddenly perked, inadvertently. I had to resist asking further questions. "That's not very nice."

Kai flattened his ears and looked at me. I could see the pain in his eyes.

"I'm sorry. It must have been difficult."

The boy shrugged. "I guess so. That's not the only reason..." he stopped himself again.

"What is it?" He clearly had something to say. Intrigued, I sat up in front of him, cross-legged as well. "You don't have to worry. You can trust me."

Kai sighed. "That's not...the only reason why they say me and my brother make love."

I could stop powerful armies in their tracks with the swing of my mighty sword, but I could not, for the life of me, stop my ears from twitching. "Oh?"

Kai appeared ashamed and turned his head.

"Did you two..?"

He nodded slowly. "A couple years ago, Raivo protected me from some of the bigger kids, and beat them up, too. He licked the blood off my face, then I dunno... It was weird, but when he kissed me on the lips...it felt really nice. Kinda...natural. Am I sick?"

I wasn't really sure what to tell him. However it was clear by my flicking tail and my tingling sheath that I didn't think he was sick. I just continued to sit in awkward silence, waiting for him to continue. What else could I do?

"P-perhaps...you'd like to see the white fur?" I could see the kid blushing madly, more so as he leaned forward and placed a paw on my leg.

I just shuffled about awkwardly. "Only if you're all right with that."

With an almost devilish grin, Kai stood up on the bed and removed his top quickly, throwing it toward my armour. He untied the string around his pants and let them slowly drop, revealing his very slim, slender body, amazingly toned.

Very clearly, I saw the white fur. I just kept my eyes fixed on the obvious contrast, forcing myself not to look at his young sheath. I think by now it was obvious what I was feeling. "S-so, what else did the kids tease you for?" His sheath was right at eye-level with me.

Kai sat down slowly, on his knees, and scratched his arm embarrassedly. "They also liked to tease me -- and don't laugh -- because I'm afraid of the dark."

A smile crept onto my face. As much as I tried to deny it to myself, I was glad I wasn't the only one afflicted with that ridiculous fear. Although I wasn't about to tell him that.

"I said don't laugh!" he cried.

I giggled and patted his shoulder. "It's alright, bud. Everybody's scared of something."

"You're not."

I suddenly felt bad for not revealing the truth. "Well, then I guess I'm the exception to the rule."

Kai sighed with a smile, now using one finger to rub the small white spot. "It's funny... I've never felt as comfortable being naked as I do right now. Even with Raivo, I've never felt quite so...good."

"You and your brother get nude together?"

"Well, we used to... But we used to a lot. It all kinda started when I started to 'discover' myself, as the Father would say. Two years ago, I guess it started... I mean, we had been naked together before, but it was different somehow. Before we would just lie close to keep warm, but after...there was a lot more touching."

"Touching?" I was starting to get excited, despite every fibre of my being telling me it was wrong.

"Yeah. It would start off, usually, with him undressing me...then kissing me on the lips. He liked to touch my sides a lot, and rub his paws through my fur. It felt really nice. Then he'd bring me to his bed and we'd get under his sheets to keep warm, but it was hard to sleep because his paws were always rubbing me. One time, he..."

Although my mind knew what he was going to say, I just had to hear it. "Wh-what is it?"

"He...he put himself inside me. You know...yiffed me. Except it hurt...at least, at first. We didn't get naked together very often, but most times he'd do the same thing. It always hurt at the beginning, but felt kinda nice after a while. It was hard, though, 'cause we had to be quiet."

Was what he was telling me real? Moreover, was I really as turned on as I was? Looking at me, there would be no denying it. But, that just isn't right. None of this seemed right at all; his story, especially, and my sheath becoming hotter and fuller just listening to it. My eyes almost constantly ran up and down his body, checking out his small yet defined muscles, as well as trying to sneak peaks at his sheath, which he was unfortunately covering at the time with his paws. He then looked up at me again. What was I supposed to say? "That's...some story, kid."

"Yeah..." Kai then lay down on his side and sighed. It would seem he was finally out of energy.

I then carefully got out of bed and blew out the big candle, now removing my pants. Back on the bed, I moved the panther aside a bit and joined him in lying on my side. Although I had originally intended on making him sleep on the floor, at this point I didn't dare. With my eyes closed, my ears twitched at the sound of a shuffling cub, then made an odd noise -- one I had never heard myself make before -- as Kai moved his body close against mine.

After a short while, he whispered my name several times, to which I remained silent, and his paw rested on my hip and slowly felt up and down my upper leg. It seemed as if the boy was trying to survey my body for clothes. He wasn't going to find any.

A long moment later, and with my heart racing, Kai finally stopped with his paw and just draped it over my waist, purring quietly as he gave me a squeeze. And I'd have been lying if I'd told you I didn't enjoy it. The fact of the matter was, I couldn't keep my mind off his story, about him and his brother. Did they really have such a relationship together? And was I really this aroused by it? Although I was an orphan, I never knew life in an orphanage. Suppose when you're fourteen, you need to give in to particular desires, but with your younger brother?

Try as I might, however, to sleep, these thoughts, plus a restless cub, were keeping me up. I just stared into the darkness of the small room, feeling somewhat comforted by the warm touch of the panther. Where I would normally close my eyes tightly and think of anything but what was lurking beyond the pale moonlight, I instead gazed into it as if captivated by the void. With this child clinging onto me, barely asleep, I felt at ease with my obscure surroundings. Content with that, I snuggled back into Kai and finally closed my eyes, quickly drifting off to sleep.

---

Again I was woken from my deep slumber, this time with a sharp pain in my lower back. Opening my eyes slowly, I whipped my paw behind me and grabbed onto a small, furry wrist. "I'm up," I said bluntly.

"The sun's coming up," Kai informed me. "We have to get going."

I sighed and slowly got up, sitting at the edge of the bed with the thin sheets draped across my legs. Just as I felt the kid jump off the bed, I leaned my upper body forward, arms pointed outward, and stretched my muscles. I then lifted my arms above my head, paws loosely clasped, and stretched my muscles again, my legs straight out and toes curled. When I finally finished, I noticed Kai standing in front of me, still naked, and staring. I just tilted my head curiously. Why hadn't he gotten dressed yet?

"You've got..." the kid started. He seemed to have stopped himself, though, appearing embarrassed. He then just ran up to me and wrapped his arms around me, murring quietly.

Surprised by this, I just hoped his body didn't press close enough to feel my sheath, amply full with morning-wood. When he finally pulled away, I still stared at him curiously. "What was that for?"

"Just because," he said. I noticed he kept rubbing the small white patch as he stared up at me, still seeming kinda embarrassed.

"You gonna get your clothes on, or what?"

"Oh...oh yeah." After a long moment of him just holding his pants, he turned to face me, the right pant-leg covering his crotch. "Do you...I mean...do I, um..."

"What is it?" I wasn't sure what he was trying to ask, but I had a fairly good idea.

"Would you ever..." Kai stopped himself again.

We just stared at each other for what seemed like ages, myself just waiting to see if he'd finish his question. Any of his questions, really. Finally I just stood up, letting the bed sheet fall partially to the floor. As I did, Kai comically dropped his pants and just stared.

"Woah," he said quietly, very clearly staring at my crotch.

Unlike Kai, however, I turned and actually put on my pants. When I turned back around, he was still staring, but had his ears flattened. With a grin, I threw him his shirt and continued to put on my clothes, then my armour, again with the panther's help.

Quickly we were on our way and just as we left the hamlet, the sun was starting to rise. I could smell the sweet dew on the grass as the new day began, however worried the wagon would be even nearer to Midgard than I'd have liked it to be. However Kai and I continued along the rough thoroughfare now, making fairly good time. Like the previous day, the sky was clear, the weather warm, and a lovely, cool breeze blew through my fur. And again, like the previous day, it became noon and after eating the panther was on my shoulders.

"Is this as fast as you can go?" he asked me.

"It's as fast as I'm going to go."

"So, when are you going to teach me to fight?"

I sighed. "I don't know. Whenever we have time, and if you want to save your brother, then we have very little."

"Alright," Kai replied, disappointed.

I felt bad for having to be so blunt, but he needed to keep his mind focussed. That, alone, was a difficult task, as the midday sun continued to become hotter. Especially with a black panther on my shoulders, I was heating up terribly and sweat was just pouring off my nose. I just knew my fur would be all knotted and clumpy by the end of this. I walked for another straight hour in this heat, panting heavily and barely saying a word to the kid. While he was singing some nameless tune, happily enjoying the view, and kicking my armoured chest with his footpaws, I was walking briskly and sweating heavily. He had no idea what it was like to wear this much armour on a day like today.

Deciding it was about time, I took my canteen from my satchel and before the end even reached my maw, it was suddenly snatched from my paws. "Hey!" I shouted.

"I'm thirsty," Kai whined.

I just growled. "Then you ask for a drink, you don't just take it." I was suddenly surprised to feel the cool water splash down my face, but not so surprised to hear the kid giggling. I just growled again and lifted my paws up, gripping him by his slim sides and putting him down, making sure to be rough about it.

Kai stumbled back then fell over, spilling even more water.

Quickly I bent down and capped the water, putting it back into my bag. It was surprisingly refreshing, actually, on my face, but I was still annoyed. "If you're gonna waste my water, then you won't get any."

Kai whimpered and frowned, rubbing his behind as he got up. "I was just trying to have some fun."

I stopped and turned around. "Listen, kid, I'm going out of my way to save those kids, including your brother. They're probably about a day away from Midgard, so I think you should be just a little more concerned than you are."

A tear ran down Kai's face, and despite the heat and my irritation, I still felt kinda bad. "I'm sorry," he whimpered. "I won't do anything fun again."

All I could do was sigh. I wasn't normally a sucker for young furs, but this one seemed to have a hold on me. That, and the buggy more likely a couple days away. And so I bent down and picked the kid up, holding him against my chest and patting his sore bum with my paw. "I didn't mean to be so rough on you, alright? I just get irritable in the heat."

Kai wrapped his arms tightly around my neck, then kissed me on the side of the muzzle. I was taken aback at first, but just figured he was being affectionate. His body still pressed up against my chest armour, he leaned his head back and just stared into my eyes, smiling widely with a tear still in his eye, our noses nearly touching. A moment later, he really surprised me by pressing his lips firmly against mine.

I almost gasped, however managed to stop myself as his small maw started to open. Although I wanted to stop myself, something inside me forced me to continue. Complimenting his moves, I tilted my head just slightly to the left and opened my maw in return, closing my eyes as his did, and I was strangely delighted to feel his warm little tongue press against mine. I could feel his small claws scritching fondly at the back of my neck, as well as his muzzle pushing even closer into mine. I wasn't sure who taught this boy to kiss -- likely his brother -- but he was very good at it. Much to my surprise, I was kissing him back quite passionately, getting a fairly good feel for the inside of his maw; it was more spacious than I had imagined, and tasty, too. A low growl emanated from within my throat as I felt his tongue slide around mine and along the roof of my muzzle. His little moans were adorable, and despite the heat, I wanted this amazingly passionate kiss to never end. However it did, as apparently he had decided that was enough. I just stared at the kid, a look of slight bewilderment on my face. Neither of us said a word for a long while.

Kai was just blushing intensely, and I could feel his heart beating quickly. "Th-that...was fun..."

Finally I put the kid down, slowly and carefully. It was a very good kiss, especially for a cub.

"Let's go," he said cheerfully, holding onto my paw and dragging me along. The sun didn't seem quite so hot now.

We kept walking in the heat, again making very good time. We took some shortcuts across the grassy fields, and a few farmer's fields, which helped in at least a small way of catching up. The buggy would have no choice but stick to the roads, whereas two furs could go just about anywhere. And in this heat, I figured, the horses would have to stop to drink more often, if they were to keep up their strength.

Our trip continued mostly in silence, save the random questioning periods and small talk. Somehow he had roped me again into carrying him on my shoulders, and of course I reluctantly obliged. As always, while on top of my shoulders, he flirtatiously pulled and bit my ears, however this time he added some soft cheek rubbing and nuzzling to the mix. Although it was awkward at first, I quickly became quite comfortable with his amorous stroking and petting and pulling. The kid, as it was becoming very clear, seemed enamoured with me, for whatever reason, and I didn't not enjoy it.

We passed through several small villages on the way to Castle Midgard, stopping only briefly to get more food and water, which I was in dire need for. I had asked several people if they'd seen a wagon pass through recently, and sure enough they had. Most of the villagers, however, kept their maws shut; they knew what was in the buggy and where it was headed, and why they shouldn't talk openly about it. The few that had spoken to me spoke very quietly, and mentioned they had passed through the evening before. Apparently the heat was effecting the horses more than I'd thought, as they weren't nearly as close to Midgard as I'd assumed.

Once again, as the sun started to set, Kai and I looked around for a good place to settle down for the night. With him just holding my paw, we noticed a small bridge ahead, which meant a good place to set up camp and to wash our fur, mine especially. The two of us just leaned on the stone railing of the bridge for the time being, watching the beautiful blends of reds, oranges and yellows swirl and twist together, covering the setting sun. I looked to my right just as I heard a quiet sigh, then shifted over, putting my arm around the boy. Holding him close, I rubbed his shoulder and purred quietly.

"I miss my brother," the panther said quietly.

I could tell he was starting to tear up the more he thought about this. The long, hot day had apparently given him plenty of time to consider the situation. "We're gonna find your brother and we're gonna save him, I promise you that." Although under normal circumstances this situation would seem pretty grim, I wasn't about to start making promises I couldn't keep now, that's for damn sure. Maybe it was just the serene beauty of Midland's landscape, or perhaps the smell of the murky pond nearby, but I was feeling more confident than ever about my mission. Even though Castle Midgard scared the shit outta me now, something in the air made it seem less ominous than usual.

Finally I stepped away from the ledge just as the last bit of sun was finally buried by the earth. "C'mon," I said to Kai, holding out my paw, "let's set up camp."

"Okay," he replied, head lowered and clasping on.

Together we walked along the edge of the shallow stream and found a spot to set up a fire. Quickly I gathered wood from some recently felled trees and got the fire going, much to my frustration. Flint and steel wasn't the easiest way to start fires, though it was all I had. However I eventually had it going and quickly removed my armour and my top, placing it neatly under a bunch of bushes. Then almost immediately after sitting down, I felt the warm body of a young panther press against my back, murring quietly. I just smiled and turned my head. "Something on your mind?" I then started to feel his exposed bits pressing between my shoulders blades, and it became very clear something was, in fact, on his mind. I couldn't help but blush.

"No," he said sweetly, nipping at my ear. His arms were wrapped around my neck, firmly but not too tight, and was just barely on his knees. "So...when are you gonna teach me to fight?"

I just let out a sigh. "Honestly, I don't know if I could teach you."

Kai whimpered. "Why not?"

"Because...I dunno. I've never taught anyone before. I'd always just figured it out myself. Besides, you don't have a weapon."

"We could use these sticks!" he responded excitedly as he drew away from my body. My back was cold now. "See? Right here," Kai continued.

I turned my head and laughed. "You really want me to teach you?"

Kai nodded excitedly.

"Well, first you should put on pants," I said, and quickly he did so. "Next, you need to find a weapon that's right for you. Since they're just sticks, though, I guess this shorter one will do."

"No!" he cried, "I want the big one, so I can be big and strong just like you."

I couldn't help but laugh again. Something about this kid just kept me smiling and laughing, no matter what it was he said. With every passing hour, it seemed, I was becoming more and more attached to him. "Alright, well you can have the big one then. And since it's bigger, you should hold it with both paws, okay? That way you can swing it harder, plus keep your strength."

"Got it," Kai nodded, gripping the stick tightly.

I just held the smaller stick with one paw and held it toward him. "Now, I want you to attack me as if I was the King, okay?"

"R-really?"

I nodded. "I'm your enemy, and if you want me to teach you anything, you have to strike at me like you really want to kill me, got it?"

"Y-yeah..." he said.

The boy was clearly nervous, however in the first couple strikes, which I had easily avoided, it was clear he was starting to enjoy himself; perhaps a little too much. I blocked each of his attacks easily with my stick, parrying or stepping aside as I needed to. However with each blow, Kai was clearly becoming comfortable with trying to hit me, and I could feel in his attacks he was focussing his strength and his mind. The kid was gonna make a great swordsman.

"Raah!" Kai cried out as he swung his big stick downward.

I just held out my weapon and blocked it, then pushed the boy back. "Again," I said. "Focus, Kai, focus!" I blocked each of his attacks again and again, feeling his strikes becoming stronger. I finally stepped to the left and held out a footpaw, tripping the panther and pressing the end of my weapon into his back. "You gotta watch for these things, you know."

Kai then started to whine. "No fair! You're not giving me a chance."

"And will your enemy give you a chance? C'mon, you're smart enough to realize that."

"B-but...you're not my enemy."

I then sighed and knelt down. "Kai, if you want to become a better swordsman, I can't let in a single strike. You won't learn anything otherwise, understand?" I was then surprised to feel a sharp pain strike me across my right cheek.

The panther grinned at me, holding the stick there. "Gotcha," he said confidently.

Again I smiled. "Not to ruin your fun, but you won't kill an enemy the way you just killed me." Just as Kai sighed and rolled his eyes, I stood up and started back toward the fire, then turned to prepare for another attack. However I was surprised to find the panther had already gotten up and lunged at me, roaring timidly as he clung onto my back. Laughing, I stumbled forward a bit and growled in response. He had his arms tightly around my neck how, as if trying to choke me.

"You shouldn't've turned yer back to me!" he said gleefully, squirming to keep himself up.

Looking back, I smiled at him, then giggled as he kissed me on the cheek. I finally bent down and shivered when I felt his soft fur brush against mine as he slid off. "Well, you got me there, kid," I said supportively. Of course, that wasn't a move to be proud of, if it could actually work, but I gave him his moment. However it was back to work, and so I picked up my stick again and faced him. "C'mon, Kai, come at me again."

The kid came at me surprisingly fierce, and I actually started having to step back with each attack. I wasn't sure where he learned to fight, but he was catching on shockingly fast. I then started to get more aggressive, so instead of just blocking each attack, I countered. Just as the boy swung his stick up toward my ribs, I blocked it with my one-handed stick and elbowed him in the cheek, instantly regretting it.

Kai fell down, dropping his weapon, and cried out. "Why'd you have to hit me like that?" he shouted, holding his cheek. "You're mean!"

Assuming it was another trick, I just stood there. However, very quickly I figured out it wasn't. Good going, stripes, you just made the kid cry. I quickly bent down to comfort him, only to receive a hard foot in my face. "Ow, damn it," I said stupidly, holding my nose. I wasn't sure yet if it was bleeding, but amazingly the blow made me fall back on my bum. "You know, you're gonna encounter a lot worse on the battlefield."

"But we're not on a battlefield," Kai argued, his face full of anger and tears. "You're bigger and stronger than me... You didn't have to hit me so hard!"

I sighed loudly, just as the fire crackled and a log fell, throwing multitudes of sparks into the blackened sky. The two of us watched the sparks fly up, and as they vanished I realized just how dark it was outside our campfire. Feeling somewhat anxious, with a bloody nose, I inched closer to the fire. Kai, I noticed, was trembling somewhat. "Come here," I said, offering a paw.

The boy just turned away, crossing his arms. Damn it, tiger, look at what you've done now.

Slowly I got to my footpaws and took a step forward, and before I could really react, the kid had gotten up and cried out as he ran toward me with his stick, swinging it downward. Instinctively I caught it with one paw, and just stared down as he punched at my stomach. I could see in his face he was honestly trying to injure me, which hurt far more than his swinging fists. "I'm sorry," I said quietly, somewhat annoyed that he was taking it so hard. He then caught me off guard as he started to shove me, which caused me to lose my footing and stumble back past the fire and over the small ridge and into the pond, soaking my fur in the surprisingly clean water. When I opened my eyes, I found Kai had fallen with me, growling loudly. It would seem he disliked being so damp. Moments later, however, he regained composure and pounced on me, biting my ear and pulling on it. That kinda stung, actually; the panther had damn sharp teeth.

Finally he finished. "You jerk!" Kai said, still sitting on my lap and pouting.

I was sitting in the pond leaning back on my paws, waiting for the boy to get off, although it seemed that wasn't going to happen.

"Now I'm cold," he whined, one paw across his chest and the other holding his cheek.

"Hey, it's not my fault we both ended up in the pond. I'm sorry I had to hit you, but it was a valuable lesson." That didn't seem to help. What was I supposed to say? When I started to notice Kai shivering, I got up and carried him to the fire, placing him down. "Take off your pants and stay by the fire to dry off. I don't want you to get sick."

"Like you care," Kai muttered, tossing his pants aside. He inched closer toward the flames and sat with his knees to his chest.

I just sighed and put a few more logs on the fire, then removed my own soaked pants and sat behind him with my legs spread out, so he was sitting between them. Despite his trying to fight it, I put my arms around his belly and held the panther close to my body to keep him warm. It didn't take long, though, for the boy to become comfortable, and he nuzzled into my fur. We were both pretty wet, and although I probably would've been fine, I truly wanted Kai to be safe. Together we sat close to the blazing fire, drying our fur and keeping warm.

"I'm sorry I hit you," I finally said. "Do you want me to...kiss it all better?" Did this actually work?

Kai looked up at me with a smile. "Yes," he said, turning his head slightly.

With a grin I lowered my head and gently kissed his cheek, then rubbed his head. I'm not sure what it was, exactly, but that seemed to be just what the boy needed. He smiled happily and snuggled even closer, murring quietly. Eventually I laid back and turned myself so my front was facing the fire, continuing to hold the panther close to me. He had turned, however, so his paws rested around my waist. Moments later, as he had dried off already, the boy began to become more active, squirming and shifting about more often.

"You alright?" I asked him, removing my paw from his back.

"Yeah," he blushed, although it was hard to see. Kai then looked up at me with an almost devilish grin and tried to roll me onto my back; I did, but on my own accord. He quickly swung a leg over my stomach so he was sitting atop, leaning forward on his paws, which rested on my chest.

"Uh... Something on your mind?"

Kai blushed even more and nodded, pointing his eyes downward.

Much to my surprise, the bright pink end of his shaft was poking out of his inky sheath, and was growing slowly. 'Oh man,' I could remember thinking. This wasn't going to lead to where I thought it was...was it? I didn't know how to react, however managed to resist every urge in my body telling me to touch. I could hardly believe it.

"I just really wanna thank you for saving me..." Kai said timidly.

"Y-you did already," I stupidly replied. I seemed to give a lot of those responses to him.

"I know...but I didn't really thank you."

"N-no...I guess not." I could hear the words spilling from my maw, but I didn't actually know what they were. My fingers twitched and my ears flicked as my eyes darted all around, trying unsuccessfully to not stare at his growing shaft, which was probably mostly hard by now. "L-listen, kid... I'm not sure if I can do with you what you want me to. It just...doesn't seem right."

Kai tilted his head, wearing a face almost of bewilderment. "What do you mean?"

"You're just a little kid, Kai, and I can't take advantage of you like that," even though I really wanted to. Wait, what was I thinking?

"But...why?" He was starting to whine again.

"It's just...that's how things are. I dunno..." In the back of my mind, I knew. But no one was around, and wouldn't be around for a while. It was just me and him, together naked in front of a campfire and the moonlight. While his paws scritched my chest fur, I quickly realized that I, too, was starting to poke out. I gasped slightly as the cool air caressed my damp, pink organ, and I just wished it would go back. I couldn't do this with him...could I?

"I just...I really like..." the boy stuttered, not really certain of what he wanted to say.

A few tears then formed in his eyes, and oddly I felt really bad. Maybe...I could do this with him. "Kai," I started, sitting up, "are you absolutely sure about this? Because at your age, things can be kinda confusing for you."

The young panther looked away, then back at me again, his fiery red eyes piercing my gaze. It was strange, but as I stared into his eyes, I felt such unbelievable emotion suddenly pour into me, some of which I wasn't even sure I'd felt before. "Yes," he finally said, "I really wanna thank you..."

Somehow, I could tell his words were true. The next question was, though, did I really want to do this? I mean...the boy's only twelve years old. My sole mission, in fact, was to save a wagon full of similarly-aged children from this exact thing. Every instinct in my body was telling me this was wrong, but as my right paw drew upward, rubbing up Kai's left thigh, something else was telling me it was all right. My heart was beating quicker than normal, and I felt something more unusual in there, too. This strange, powerful sensation beating along with my heart only intensified as my paw ran upward further, and more so as I heard him moan slightly. It was a cute moan, actually; not very deep but clearly a sound of pleasure. It very much emphasized his age. Finally my paw cupped gently around his balls and sheath, and I started juggling his warm, fuzzy orbs along my digits. Hearing those adorable little moans even more pushed those doubting thoughts further away, and everything about this seemed okay. I think I might have even felt something for the kid, too.

Kai suddenly put his paws on my wrist and pulled it away, panting a little. He then surprised me a little when he lay his small body flat against my chest and kissed me square on the lips, wrapping his arms around my neck and really pushing in. His tongue pushed in almost right away, and I offered no resistance. The cheeky bugger wouldn't let me push him away either, as he had his paws firmly clasped behind my head, although I'm certain I could have had I really tried. Our sensual kiss seemed to last a long while, quiet murrs and moans escaping both our maws. I ran my paws up his slim, kinda sexy sides, tickling his back a little with my claws, which made him giggle a little while we kissed.

Finally the black feline broke the kiss, pulling away slowly and both our tongues trailing away from each other, neither of us daring to close our maws. He just stared down at me with a glazed look in his eyes, smiling and blushing. I didn't know what the kid had in mind, but I was certain we were both going to enjoy it.

Before I could say anything, though, Kai had already turned around so his cute little bum was almost right in my face, and with his knees down around my sides, I felt his warm paws both grip onto my hot, cream-coloured balls and a rough little tongue glide across the end of my poking cock. I just closed my eyes and lay my head back, murring quietly and finally relaxing, letting my shaft grow to its fullest. I heard quiet little giggles come from the boy as he nuzzled my meat and stroked it gently, as if coveting it. This particular sweetness the boy carried with him was very refreshing from my usual bedmates; the typical sluttish sort, with no real emotions behind their actions. But something about Kai's sexual desire seemed so...innocent.

"It's so warm," the panther commented, stroking both paws slowly up and down now.

I just lay on my back and let the boy do what he wanted. After all, he was thanking me; it wouldn't be right to tell him what to do. I did, however, raise a paw up, looking into his small tailhole, and rub his balls from behind, as well as his rump. I smiled at Kai when he looked back at me, as if curious who was touching him, and he smiled back sweetly and got back to work. It felt nice, what the boy was doing; very relaxing. The sensation ran through my body, and although it wasn't particularly intense or overwhelming, it did have a certain therapeutic feel to it; pleasurable and constant. Suddenly, then, as his tongue graced me with its presence, a spike of pleasure shot up my body, and I couldn't help but moan. This kid was good.

Kai giggled. "You liked that, huh?" he said devilishly.

Who was this panther? It couldn't have been the one I was carrying on my shoulders the past few days. Before I could give that another thought, though, Kai put his lips around the head of my throbbing meat and started suckling away while his small paws stroked up and down. I was surprised, actually, at how easily he managed to put his lips around, and more so as his head bobbed a little. Needless to say, the boy impressed me. Although I wasn't clear on what all he and his brother had done together, it seemed Kai was well-learned in the art of yiff.

What else could I do but lie there? The kid was sucking my cock better than most of the guys I've been with, which admittedly hasn't been very many. I let out a few good moans before leaning up on my elbows and pushing my head toward his rump. "Nngh...my god..." I muttered inadvertently as I put my paw around the base of Kai's tail. As I pulled his bum up, I was again surprised to see just how easily he changed positions; at first he was just sitting on my stomach and leaning down, but now his chest was almost flat against my abs, arms forward and gripping the base of my shaft, while his adorable rump stuck up and out toward my face, back arched. Before doing anything, I just stared at his small, slim body arching beautifully above me, his small muscles subtle but emphasized by the glowing fire against his onyx fur; it was absolute perfection, especially for a poor boy his age. He thrust and moved his body so subtly, but it was enough to drive me crazy. I then felt a quick spurt of precum suddenly shoot onto Kai's muzzle, then again and again. I moaned much louder as I squirmed, trying not to overwhelm the boy. I usually had a preference for slim yet well-built furs, though it was hardly exclusive, but something about Kai's smooth, lean body nearly put me over the edge.

Finally coming to my senses, I stroked the boys' tail a few times with my paw before leaning forward a bit and sticking out my tongue; he may be thanking me, but there was no reason I couldn't thank him back. With that, I slowly licked Kai's small tailhole, from his scrotum up to his tailbase. I let out a quiet giggle when I heard, and felt, him moan, but that didn't seem to stop him from sucking and stroking my meat. With another stroke of my tongue, I forced another moan out of the boy, then another. When I licked again, I made sure this time to really push in with my tongue. I could feel the wet muscle starting to poke through, but not quite. Continuing with my attempts, I quickly realized that I was starting to make a lot more noise than before, both from licking Kai's young behind and, of course, from his apparently expert mouth. Each lick brought my tongue closer to the boys insides, and with one final stroke, I felt him loosen the muscles and my tongue graze somewhat along the inside. Not quite satisfied enough, my tongue quickly went at it again, this time slower, making damn sure the kid felt this inside him. I made as good a seal as I could around his tailhole with my lips as my tongue speared forward, and I could definitely hear Kai's reactions.

The kid was moaning and murring like you wouldn't believe, and of course it was still those cute little childish moans I loved so much. Even though he was getting at least half my rock-hard cock in his little maw, bobbing almost constantly, that didn't hinder my strong tongue at all. I stuck it inside his body and licked upward, then all around before pulling it out and streaking it over the entire hole again, doing this every so often to keep him crying. Soon enough, though, my tongue found its way back inside Kai's warm body, getting a good feel, and taste, for the butt-end of his bowels.

Kai then began to just suckle on the end of my shaft while his paws massaged the rest of the length, his tongue hitting all the right spots. That, of course caused me to moan very loudly, which was awkward because my tongue was inside the kid's body. I was starting to find it harder to concentrate on what I was doing, and so inevitably I took my tongue back, my head now grinding into earth under me. I was probably making way more noise than I normally do, but I tell ya, the panther gives good head.

Before long, Kai was bobbing his head again, now managing to take a little more than half my shaft. Although I couldn't be sure, it would seem he was gonna try to take all of it, which was surprising. I was resisting the undying urge to thrust upward, as I could hear him gagging on the end of my cock already. Obviously wasn't gonna go much further, at least, not easily. After a bit more moaning and groaning, I lifted my paws again, this time rubbing up the back of Kai's legs and gently feeling up his rump, my forefingers getting dangerously close to his tailhole. I suddenly let out a much higher-pitched moan than I meant to, then carefully wormed a finger into his hole. "H-how's that...feel?" I asked between breaths. I just heard a groan of affirmation from the boy and decided to inch my finger in further, feeling all around. A grin crept onto my face as his noises went up, too, all around my cock.

"Ooh, oh God!" I cried out, my body twitching under the small kid. My paws were back to just feeling his sooty rear, the sensation almost unbearable. I was certain he was getting most, if not all, of my lionmeat in his maw -- and his throat -- but he seemed to be taking it well, now. My slick cock was sliding amazingly easy down his throat, and it made me wonder just now much practice he had gotten before now. Kai then suddenly pulled his head completely away, leaving my length wet and throbbing. Panting and no longer moaning, I leaned my head up to see what was going on. "I-is something...wrong?"

Kai shook his head, at least a paw still stroking my meat. But that, too, was pulled away. The boy did, however, turn himself around on my belly, paws now clinging to my chest. He was looking down at me through extremely glazed eyes, and his maw open just a little, a bit of precum dripping off his chin.

"What...is it?"

"I just...want more..." he simply said. Kai then moaned loudly as his rump pressed into my rear, and I quickly figured out what he was doing.

I had felt his tailhole, though, and I was certain there wasn't gonna be much fit. "A-are you sure? There isn't...much room..."

Kai just nodded slowly and as the end of my cock gradually opened him up, his eyes closed to a sliver and staring lustfully at me. It was unnerving a little to see such a young child appearing like this, so full of lust and desire. In fact, the handful of guys I'd been with before didn't show nearly as much sex in their faces and in their movements and their voices as this young panther did. He was either far beyond turned on by me, or he was just so used to looking like this. Personally, I think it was the former. Just then, I heard a loud cry, the sound of a child in pain. Although it felt fantastic, this was clearly hurting him. "S-stop," I told him. He didn't listen.

The panther just clutched onto my white chest fur tighter, which stung a bit as he pulled, and slowly forced his body down, which was becoming harder to enjoy as his yelping and moaning became louder. Although his extremely tight tailhole drove my cock crazy, slowly sliding into his silken passage, I was still worried he was pushing himself too far. I could have stopped him easily, and yet I didn't. The only thing I did was just moan and hold onto his arms for support, while my head once again ground back into the soft earth. I was breathing somewhat heavily, my eyes shut tightly, as I felt his insides constrict and massage my tigermeat to the highest degree. Spurt after spurt of precum made somewhat of a difference in sliding upward, but I could tell the further down Kai went, the harder it was.

Kai stopped for a moment to take a breath then really ground into me, somewhat forcefully getting the rest of my comparatively massive cock inside his body. The boy cried out loudly this time, ending with a few good whimpers, and yet he persisted.

I wasn't sure what I could do to help or support him, but I did rub his arms in what was probably a vain attempt at comfort. With each thrust downward of his little body, intense waves of pleasure filled my nethers, forcing a moan from me every time. Although I wasn't sure just how much of my shaft was inside him, it seemed like there was quite a way to go. "Y-you don't have...to get it all...in there..." I told the panther, still worried he's pushing himself too far. The last thing I wanted was the blood of a child on my paws.

"Nngh... B-but I...wa-aah!-nt it..."

The kid was tenacious, I'll give him that. It was clear what his goal was, and I couldn't help but admire his persistence; the pain was not gonna stop him. Somewhat content with that, although still worried, I nodded and let him go at it. He had to be close by now.

Panting heavily, Kai wailed as he pulled hard on my cream-coloured chest fur and gave one final attempt at getting my length all the way inside. Although slowly, I could very much feel his warm, wet, and very tight insides gliding over the rest of my shaft until finally he was mostly sitting on my hips, his tail brushing against my large, dangling balls. The panther was breathing very heavily, and whimpering as he breathed out. Indeed, my cock was inside his body but good. All I did was rub his paws with mine, mostly for him to release my fur but also to comfort him. He was clearly in some pain, but even more clear was his pleasure.

Kai was sweating quite significantly and his eyes still just open a crack. His grip on my fur finally loosened and he just scritched gently, smiling. "This is...much nicer...than Raivo's..."

Did he just compare me to his brother? I couldn't help but giggle and took the compliment. "Good to hear," I laughed, pushing my hips up a little. When I did, the panther made this pathetic squealing noise, so I did it again.

"S-stop," he said quietly, likely trying to get used to having such a large object shoved up his rear.

I just smiled and held his paws, waiting for his next move. My eyes gradually met up with his and in that instant, something strange happened. I couldn't be certain what it was, but when I stared into his glazed, lust-filled eyes, something connected. I couldn't seem to look away, even though I sorta wanted to. The boy had me paralysed and he was not gonna let go. I didn't know exactly what this feeling was, that I felt, but I knew I liked it. I knew that now, more than ever, I would have to protect this kid with my life, no matter what. There seemed to be this intense connection between us, as I was still captivated by his blazing red eyes. That gaze wavered somewhat, however, when I felt his tiny body start to lift up, firmly massaging my shaft again. I couldn't help but let out a long, loud moan as his insides stroked amazingly at my throbbing, precum-shooting cock.

Kai, too, was making a hell of a noise as my girth was pulled from his rear. He no doubt felt intense pleasure, more so as his tailhole began to relax, with every inch. His paws continuously gripped then ungripped my chest fur with each tug until finally I was mostly out; just my cockhead remained inside his body. The pair of us were panting quite heavily with a slight grin on our faces. Just then the boy leaned down, gripping my fur again, and slowly pressed his lips against mine.

Our lips firmly locked, we kissed very passionately and Kai began pushing his rump downward yet again. We both found it hard to maintain the kiss properly, our tongues not really sure where they were going, as the pleasure began to mount yet again; my shaft was being extraordinarily pleasured while his tailhole, likely very sore, was being delightfully stretched. It didn't take long, certainly not as long as before, for me to hilt him again, but instead of leaving my shaft up there, the boy continued straight out again, moaning cutely all the while. It would seem his tailhole was good and stretched by this point.

As Kai worked up an awkward pace, I helped him along by slowly using my legs to thrust upward into his rump. I wasn't sure if that was really doing anything, but it felt great all the same. Soon enough the two of us found a slow yet steady rhythm, the boy ululating loudly and myself emitting deep and very audible growls and grunts, the occasional moan slipping through. I had never felt a male's passageway quite as tight as this, understandably, and I never would have guessed it would feel this incredible; it also helped that the panther had an exceptionally sexy body. With every pump of my cock, I felt a good squirt of precum moisten his insides, which made for much easier riding. Gradually our pace quickened, and I could tell by the look on Kai's face, he was in heaven. Even in the throes of ecstasy, I was still surprised my cock could fit all the way inside him.

After a long while of yiff under the bright, blue moonlight, our fire now just a heap of glowing embers, I could feel the boys' tight passageway squeezing the climax out of me. Although it was hard to tell if he was tightening the muscles or not, I was definitely close. Already his cock had grown about half way, or so it appeared, and he had already squirted copious amounts of his own pre all over my abs, as well as a fair amount coating his pink member. My paws were locked firmly with the ground as I thrust upward, head thrown back in ecstasy. I was moaning and growling like we were the only two people in the county, and I think Kai was, too.

Soon enough, though, it became too much. Just as he pushed his rump down on last time, I felt myself go. My paws shot up and gripped onto his hips tightly as I growled and pushed up as far as I could go.

Perplexed, Kai just went with it like a good kitten.

A couple more pumps later and I felt that incredible surge of pleasure fill my cock and my body. I roared loudly as I crammed every inch of my tigermeat inside the boy, the overflow of rapture exploding into his bowels. Again and again I pushed upward, hearing his loud cries, as if trying to bring it all back again. Instead I just packed my hot, sticky seed deep inside him, both the pleasure and my lusty roars starting to die down. I just rest my body on the cool ground, breathing and murring heavily. That was unbelievable. When I opened my eyes, Kai was still sitting atop me, my full meat still within him, whimpering.

"I feel..." he started, rubbing his belly, "so...warm..."

The boy then collapsed on top of me, arms draped down around my sides and my cock finally popping out of his rear. I could feel my own cum leaking from his tired ass and onto my pelvis. It was then, I realized, Kai was still full and hard, and although seemingly very satisfied, likely still lusted for more. "You alright?" I asked in sort of a raspy voice.

Kai just nodded. "Yeah," he said quietly. I could feel his young meat pulsating against my abs.

Slowly I leaned up, holding onto the tired panther. He was hardly moving a muscle, so I just placed him down on his back, staring into his shaft. I wasn't sure what to do for him, but I had to do something. I leaned over the boy, front paws resting on either side of his ribs, and lowered my head, using my big strong tongue to lick all up his entire length, starting from his balls.

"Nnnngh..." Kai squirmed under me and opened his eyes slightly. He seemed almost surprised that I was doing this for him.

"Just relax," I said. I gave his shaft a few more good licks then stroked it gently. I felt kinda bad for wanting to rush this, but we were both pretty tired. I could tell he wanted it, though. Kai kept squirming as my pawpads grazed up and down his twelve-year-old shaft slowly, and kept making those cute cooing noises. "How's that feel?" I said quietly.

"Mm...nice..."

I just smiled and decided I would finish him off in the way he started with me. With a few fingers now holding his shaft up, I put my lips around the end and began bobbing quickly, my textured tongue running along the underside and scraping up over the head. There was no way he could last very long like this.

Kai started moaning yet again, only this time he was squirming a lot, too. He tried to formulate words, but he couldn't quite manage it. What ended up coming out were phrases like, "Ooh...tha-sni...ce...nnh..." and other such mumbled words.

Then I sped up, sucking on his small shaft diligently and using my tongue to the best of my ability. A couple digits accompanied my lips up and down Kai's cock, making it that much more potent. With an awkward smile, I just closed my eyes and continued like this, enjoying the sound of his pleasured cries and squirming movements.

"T-tiger," he moaned, "I can...I can feel..."

I knew what he was gonna say. I made a noise, confirming what he had said, and left his cockhead in my maw, suckling away at it while my paw beat him off quickly. The boy was breathing hard and scratching at the dirt, his back arched, growling heavily. It didn't take long before I felt his cock dancing in my mouth, throbbing madly as warm spurt after spurt of panther-cum splashed into the back of my maw. Murring loudly, I sucked the remainder of his surprisingly sweet seed as I gently massaged his balls, my paw now just stroking slowly and gently. The kid had made an awful lot of noise when he came, moaning loudly and cutely. I think I was falling for this panther.

When I finally finished, I raised my head and just smiled at the boy, rubbing his belly softly. He was just lying on the ground, breathing heavily and murring constantly. Seconds later he sat up, myself now just kneeling in front of him, and wrapped his arms around me, nuzzling into my chest.

I put my arms around the panther and murred in response. Holding him, I quickly realized the fire had gone out and it was very dark out, and yet I felt relaxed and unafraid. The bright moon cast eerie shadows of the trees and bushes, stretching across the grassy field in ghastly, dark forms. Together the two of us lay beside the smoldering ashes, neither of us speaking but still holding on close. Our eyes closed, Kai and I slowly drifted to sleep in each others arms, sharing our warmth and our passion.

That unusual beating in my heart returned, which kept me up, although it hadn't really gone anywhere, and the more I concentrated on it the more intense it became. But what was this feeling? It wasn't bad-feeling at all, either. In fact, it made me feel even warmer, and extremely content, more so as I held the panther. Was it...love? Were my feelings for this boy truly that profound? I was horny, yeah, but I know there was something else driving me. I had never thought this sort of love for Kai would be possible, but perhaps it was. Perhaps something deep inside me was telling me this was the one soul I had been searching for; the one I could spend the rest of my life with. But he's so young... Did that really matter, though? It was clear he was experienced beyond his age, and I could sense no sort of trauma from him; after all, he came on to me. Kai was sleeping as soundly as he had before, if not more so. Whichever the case may be, there was no denying my powerful feelings toward the boy. I did love him, probably more than a tiger my age should. Content with that, I licked my lips and gave Kai a squeeze, finally falling asleep.

---

Just as the sun hit my unopened eyes, the sweet cool air filling my lungs, I felt a sharp pain on the top of my skull; likely a panther eager to go. I groaned and sat up, rubbing my ear. Looking around, however, I saw Kai wasn't the only one with me. Surrounding me was a group of older furs, and not one of them looked pleased to see me.

"Wh-wha..?" I said confusedly.

"Is that him?" some fox asked a coyote.

"Y-yeah, that's 'im. I saw him with my own eyes."

The group looked like a bunch of villagers, wearing dirty linen clothes and carrying small, crappy weapons. What concerned me most was what the coyote said he saw.

"What's going on here?" I asked, starting to get up. I was then kicked back down onto my back.

"Stay down, cat. We ain't through with you."

This fox seemed to be in charge. I just growled, looking around for Kai. I found him standing with another fur, a husky, talking by a tree some ten metres away. He had his clothes on now, unlike myself.

"Carmine here said he saw you and that boy last night."

Uh-oh.

"Says you were doin' unthinkable things to 'im."

What the hell was I supposed to say?

"Is it true?"

"N-no, of course not. Why would you trust that filthy bugger, anyway?"

A couple furs growled.

"Your words say yer innocent, but the doc over there says yer guilty. So what do we do with a depraved tiger such as yourself?"

"I say we hang 'im!" someone shouted.

"No, burn the fiend."

"Hang 'im, then burn 'im!"

I just groaned and shuffled backwards, but before long, a Rottweiler and a Great Dane picked me up, one of them punching me in the gut. It was surprisingly powerful, as it had knocked the wind out of me. I managed to notice, though, Kai looking over and suddenly appearing very concerned. "Don't hurt him!" I heard him shout. Cute kid.

"Yer comin' with us," the fox said, then I was dragged and thrown into a wagon. All my clothes and gear was already loaded up; they were probably gonna try to melt it down or salvage some of the parts. The pair who had dragged me over there then crawled into the wagon with me, and then we were off.

I was still a little dazed from having just woken up, but it would seem that coyote saw Kai and I last night and now I was gonna be persecuted. We were heading in the opposite direction from where I'd come, so obviously it was a town I hadn't been to yet. "I have to go...save Kai's broth--"

"Shut up!" the Rottweiler barked, striking me across the face. He must have been the one who'd hit me before.

"We're taking you back to our village," the blue-black Great Dane spoke, having a deep, soothing voice, "where you'll probably be killed."

"You don't even have proof."

I heard the Rottweiler growl.

A soft pair of lips then brushed up against my ear, then faint words were spoken. "If it were up to me, I'd let you go..." It was the Great Dane.

I wasn't sure if it was because I was more or less incapacitated, but the after a long, bumpy ride, the wagon finally stopped. What annoyed me the most about this situation was that a buggy full of young children was likely still on their way to the castle, and this was nothing short of digressing. I was then lifted out of the wagon and thrown into what appeared to be the centre of the village, where lots of furs just stared at my naked body.

"We have retrieved the one Carmine spoke of," the fox said. He had apparently taken a different wagon back, or something. On my paws and knees, I looked up at the poor villagers. I wasn't sure who this Carmine was, really, or why these people trusted him so much. Or why, more importantly, they cared so much about what Kai and I had done. I could understand their disgust, but to go to such lengths?

I was picked up again by the two large canines and pulled further toward the centre, and in front of me stood a wooden structure with a pillory attached; this was definitely not what I needed right now. If I was gonna be put into this old wooden thing for what they all think I did, then I was in for some trouble. The hinges didn't look particularly sound, though. I had to get out of this, but I couldn't see a way. Not yet. I then heard Kai's desperate cries as they unlocked the pillory and swung it open; the kid was trying to rescue me, but was easily held back. My head and paws were then fixed in place as they closed the top half, and I was stuck in the middle of the village, naked and helpless.

Finally the fox spoke up again, which caused some furs, who already held rocks in their paws, to lower their paws, as well as some to poke their heads out of their windows. "Good people of Bolt," he cried, "late last night, our good friend Carmine spotted this fur performing the most despicable of acts against this young child while out on his daily scouting, and for that he must be punished."

Looking around at the people, it was clear what their intentions were. However, looking into their eyes, I noticed one thing in common with every one: a cold, vacant stare. Not one of them seemed to have that spark of life I had noticed in the towns along the way. With my senses coming back to me, ignoring the foxes' speech, I noticed most of the homes in this village were filthy and ramshackle, closely resembling their tenants. Not only that, but the entire place was devoid of any plant life. All around were dead trees and shrubs, and the grass dry and brittle. Plus there was an unearthly overcast which only served to add to the overall creepiness of Bolt. I could sense something was very off in this eerie, macabre village, and it no doubt had something to do with its proximity to Castle Midgard. Death seemed to loom in the air in this place, which sent cold chills up my spine.

"I saw it with my own eyes," Carmine attested again. "I was walking by the river when I saw him violating this young boy."

That couldn't be; I would have seen him, or heard him at least. This didn't make any sense. Did it not even occur to these people why he was out so late? What sort of hold did this dishevelled coyote have on this village? Something was definitely off here.

"Show this tiger no mercy," the fox continued, after some garbage about how it's their duty to punish me. This was starting to get ridiculous. It would seem, however, the fox was done with his speech, as he and the other canines stepped away.

The crowd cried out, shaking their rocks at me and shouting things like, "monster," and "sick bastard." I then suddenly felt a rock strike me in the face, in the eye, which forced me to snarl. It didn't take long for more people to start throwing whatever they could find at me, shouting each time. The most common projectiles were rocks, which hurt as they pummelled my face and my body. I started growling madly and trying to break my bonds, which seemed to be useless. Other people threw rotten vegetables at me, when they ran out of anything harder.

"He is getting what he deserves," I heard someone say from behind me. Not one of these people knew what I had done for certain, but instead blindly trusted the words of that wretched coyote. I had no idea how he found me, or why it bothered him so much. Suppose if he was a holy man, he would be more than disgusted, but if he was a holy man, than I was a gallant Knight. No, there had to be something amiss in Bolt.

"Take this, demon!" some old woman shouted as she threw a bunch of small stones. They hit me right in the face, and stung a lot. I thrashed about as much as I could, trying to break this damn pillory, until someone struck me hard in the back, with something that couldn't be any smaller than a piece of lumber. Trying to stay on my footpaws, I groaned and received another beating, then again and again until I could no longer stand. Again and again I was pelted with rocks, and I'm pretty sure someone was slashing at my back with a knife. All this pain seemed to meld into one sensation until I heard Kai crying from somewhere behind me. I opened an eye, one that had somehow avoided being hit, and looked around.

I noticed the panther being held back by that husky still, until something caught the canine's attention. He was moving through the angry crowd with relative ease until he left my field of vision.

All of this was happening so fast. No more than an hour ago I was lying peacefully with Kai, and now I was trapped in a pillory in a dark, twisted village and being cut and beaten, probably eventually to death. It wasn't until I heard the coyote, however, until my situation become even more dire.

"Get the kid in the wagon," Carmine ordered. "I'm taking him straight to Castle Midgard myself."

"What?" I said aloud, then managed to get back to my footpaws. "N-no..." I growled loudly as another stone struck my face and I began thrashing madly back and forth. Using every muscle in my body, I twisted and wrenched myself violently, trying to rend the wood from the ground. I was not going to allow Carmine to take my panther. I then began to use the pain of the villagers weapons to fuel my strength, pulling up frantically on the wooden structure; it was just like on the battlefield, finding strength in the most desperate situations. Just as I heard Kai's cries become muffled and carry off toward where the wagons had been parked, I roared ferociously, now beginning to hear the wood crack. I was doing it. Just as I felt the lumber strike my back again, this time unmoved by it, I gave out one final roar, and slowly I felt my head and wrists lift off the bottom half. My muscles burning, there was no way I could give up now. I was so close. I shouted out the name of my love just as the wood cracked and splintered above me, finally free of that damned contraption.

As my fur was showered with wooden splinters, I let out a terrifying roar and swung my left paw around, striking a villager and literally sending him flying over the crowd. Then to my right a kangaroo leaped at me, and like a spring my left fist slammed into his chest, levelling him in an instant. I let out a fierce battle cry as a challenge to any who dared oppose me. Just then, the Rottweiler and Great Dane appeared behind me. I turned to face them, and an eerie silence filled the air. People had stopped throwing things and just watched, the tension rising.

I stared fiercely at the two, then past them to Carmine who had already gotten into buggy and was watching carefully, as well as the boy. It would seem he had a zest for a good fight.

My attention quickly snapped back to the two large canines as the Rottweiler ran toward me, striking me across the face. As I staggered back, surprised at his strength, I felt another blow to my ribs, then to the other cheek. However, when the dog came at me again, I just barely avoided his attack then clasped my paws together. Bent down, I sprung up quickly and struck him square in the jaw, knocking him back. I cried out and burst forward, punching him in the face, then used the momentum to grab his muzzle and slam the back of his head into a thick wooden post. Almost blinded with rage, I gripped his thick muzzle tightly within my paw, claws digging into his flesh, and slammed his head again and again into the post until the loud cracks turned into mushy thuds. In my rage, however, I couldn't stop myself; it felt fantastic. I continued to cry out ferociously as I coated the wood in the canine's blood and flesh and brains, not stopping until his cries became nothing short of his last, gurgled breaths. I just held the Rottweiler in my paw, head held low and solemn, his body completely limp and brains leaking down the back of his neck. Finally I dropped the dark-furred dog and, not moving my head, glared up at the Great Dane.

The other canine looked at me, frightened. Like a good dog, he backed down.

I then glanced over at the wagon, and just as my eyes met with Carmine's, the coyote frantically got to the front of the wagon, ordering the horses to go. I growled deeply and ran forward, shoving the villagers away as if they were feathers. Just as I approached the moving buggy, I noticed Kai shuffle himself as far from the back as he could. With a growl, I ran as quickly as my sore muscles would allow, and easily caught up. I gripped on tightly to the back of the wagon just as it passed the last building of Bolt, and along the dirt path it was likely cutting up my footpads. However I clung on tight, as if trying to halt the buggy myself, and finally managed to drag myself up. In an instant I gripped the back of Carmine's neck and threw him out the back of the wagon, enjoying the sight of his body tumbling along the ground. I pulled fiercely on the reins, stopping the horses immediately. The unintelligent, slave-like equines didn't appreciate that, and certainly told me so.

Seething, I then got out of the wagon, pulling Kraftig, my massive metal sword, with me, dragging it along the ground as I approached the coyote. Just as he started to get up, I let out a fierce roar and swung my blunt blade up and around my shoulder, slamming it into his legs.

Carmine howled madly as his knees were utterly demolished, crushed beneath my sword.

"Tell me who you are," I shouted loudly at him, my voice very deep and raspy, almost demonic. "Tell me now!"

The pathetic canine just whimpered, ear plastered against his skull.

I then slammed my footpaw down on his stomach, causing the coyote to disgorge blood and puke all over his face. He groaned loudly and writhed in pain. "This is only the beginning of what I'm going to do to you," I told the bloody bastard. "How did you find me?"

"I jus- I just..." he tried to say, crying between words.

I bent down and put my paw around his neck, squeezing tightly. "What?"

Carmine choked. "Th-the king..."

I growled and gripped tighter.

"I'm just...just his...servant. He told me...where to find-erk-you."

That didn't make any sense. How could the king know? "Explain."

"I...I don't know...how he knows such things... Something...not of this earth..."

I growled again. "What do you mean?"

Carmine was sobbing. "I don't know," he cried, "I've told y-you everything I know... He has this chamber...which no one can enter... I have no idea what goes on in there... But I hear...odd noises..."

"Odd noises?"

"I-I dunno...what they are...or what they come from..."

"Then you are no longer useful to me." I got up and, with an agonizing groan from below, pulled my sword from his shattered legs and held it over my shoulder, ready for one final strike.

"N-no..." Carmine whimpered. "P-please..."

It was then, from the corner of my eye, I noticed a group of villagers, plus that fox, watching me. They looked in horror at the sight of myself and the mutilated coyote.

"He is a monster," one of them said, all of them approaching slowly.

"A demon tiger!" another proclaimed.

This was foolishness. Surely they had witnessed far worse during the Century War. I had. Then I heard a noise from behind me, from the wagon, and I turned quickly.

Kai was still inside the buggy and watching me with terror on his face. He had likely never seen anything like this before, much less from me. Staring into his less-than-fiery red eyes, I snarled and lowered my sword, allowing this coyote to live a little longer. I no doubt showed nothing but anger and regret in my face as my mind slowly came back to reality. I approached the wagon carefully, finally dropping my sword after dragging it several feet, keeping my eyes locked on Kai's. The anger gradually washed from my face as only regret remained, realizing quickly how I must have appeared to the boy. He knew I was a good fighter, but had never witnessed first-hand just how brutal I can be. My stomach started to turn.

A couple feet from the buggy I stopped, almost crying at the sight of Kai trembling at the farthest end. He was terrified of me...

Just then, as some of the villagers had approached, an old wolf spoke to me. "It is you, isn't it... Nosferatu, Death on the Battlefield."

I gasped slightly, more so at the fear of Kai hearing this. I hadn't heard that name for a long time. "I..." I didn't know what to say.

"It is no surprise you could not be contained by such a primitive device," the old wolf, likely an ex-soldier, said with a sly grin. "Is it true you once cut down a hundred men in a single battle?"

I was trembling slightly. "Q-quiet, old wolf... This isn't the time."

Kai then made a noise, a sort of crying noise. The boy couldn't stop shaking, and I wasn't sure if I should try to hold him.

"Y-you still..." that fox said, stepping forward, "need to be pun-punished for..." He couldn't finish his sentence.

I turned around and growled.

"You have no idea if anything even happened," the Great Dane said, stepping forward. He was carrying Kraftig over his right shoulder, bringing it to me. "It's just Carmine's word against theirs. If you value your life, and the lives of the villagers, I suggest you let the tiger go."

The fox frowned then reluctantly backed off.

"Thank you..." I didn't know the Dane's name.

"The name's Keefe," he said, putting my sword down. "You lug that thing around with you everywhere you go?"

I answered the canine by retrieving my sword, then turned back to Kai. He wasn't cringing as much, but was still trembling. That guilt suddenly rushed back, and I wasn't sure what to do. Just then, Keefe stepped closer, holding out his paw.

"C'mere, bud," he said in a soft, deep voice. "I'm not gonna hurt'cha. Just wanna give the tiger some room to change."

Kai looked up at me, then down to the Great Dane, shakily taking his paw.

Keefe held the boy close and stepped back. "Get your clothes on then get the hell out of here."

Most of the crowd had already dispersed, save that nosey fox and a few others. It would seem the doctor was now attending to Carmine, too.

"I'm not leaving without Kai," I insisted. This bastard was starting to bother me.

"Where is it you're headed to in such a hurry, anyway?" the fox asked me.

"None of your damn business, fox," I spat.

"We're lettin' you go, scot-free, tiger, so I think considerin' what you did to the poor boy, it's a damn fair trade."

"I am not leaving without my panther," I said gravely. We were at a standstill.

"L-Luca...is going to save my brother..." Kai said quietly.

All eyes were now on the boy.

"He was taken...to the King... We both were, and Luca saved me..."

Standing by the buggy, I noticed the few village furs looking back and forth between each other, then up to me. Now they knew where I was headed.

Finally the fox spoke. "Then perhaps you should take the boy..."

I also noticed Keefe didn't appear quite like the rest of them. He had a particular air of purity, or perhaps just sanity, to him.

"Then I will accompany the tiger and the boy, to see they get there in one piece, and perhaps even to help save the brother."

As unsettling as Keefe's words were, something about him seemed trustworthy.

"Yes," the fox snickered, "I think that is a good idea. Go save the young boy..."

I looked at Kai then up to Keefe and slowly nodded, not entirely pleased by this. "Fine," I finally said. "But I'm taking this buggy."

"Go right ahead," the fox said slyly. I wasn't entirely sure why he was so eager to let me continue with my journey, especially with Kai, but it was very unsettling. Did he want me to take the boy with me?

Even his words, and the way he spoke them, seemed suspicious, as if he knew something I didn't. But there was no way I was ever going to get a straight answer from this slimy fox, let alone with Kai around. I decided it would be best, however, to put my unease aside and get on, as this was nothing short of delaying.

I just grunted at the remaining villagers and got in the back of the wagon, scrounging around my armour for some pants and, while Keefe and Kai got into the front of the buggy, slipped them on. Within moments the three of us were off, headed again toward Castle Midgard.

Once we were clear of that dreary village, the dark, gloomy clouds seeming to disburse a little, Keefe told the horses to continue along and he turned around, watching as I strapped my armour around my thighs; Kai liked to help with this especially, but right now it seemed he wasn't quite in the mood. Finally the Great Dane said something. "I know Carmine was telling the truth."

I glanced up at the interloper. "And?"

Keefe sighed. "You no longer deny it," he commented.

"I'm not ashamed of what we shared together, and I'm also not particularly afraid of one fur," I said, now strapping the last of my leg armour on. I was still yet to put on my shirt, but figured it wasn't necessary quite yet. "So, tell me, why are you coming along? What's your story?"

"My story?" Keefe scoffed. "Not much of a story. I'm Keefe McCree, a holy knight."

A holy knight? "You don't look like a knight."

Keefe smirked. "Indeed. I happened upon this village many years ago, and noticed a strange darkness looming over it, similar to that of the castle. I decided to stick around for a while, after the war ended, because there was always something very...unsettling...about that place."

So he felt it, too. "And what'd you find?"

"Nothing of great import, really. However, the people there seem almost dead inside, like their souls had been torn from their bodies. Especially those of the males, of whom there are a great many more than the females. They have no records, or books or anything, to indicate any sort of curse or plague, so it's a complete mystery."

That didn't make much sense; none of it did. "Carmine told me the king had told him where to find me, and when. Do you think the village has some sort of connection to him? Maybe that's why the castle's so creepy all the time, too."

"Perhaps." After a long, somewhat awkward pause, Keefe turned back around and retook the reins.

I just watched Kai, becoming more upset the more I thought about what I did. The kid had been through so much, being torn from his home then his brother, and now this... I wasn't sure if I was ever going to be able to make it up to him. Right now, this so-called holy knight was his savior from me. That did little to ease my pain. I just continued to stare at the boy, sighing loudly. That seemed to get his attention, which wasn't my intention. It was hard to tell if he could see the pain in my eyes, but we did continue to gaze at each other. Neither of us moved for the longest time, until finally he rubbed his cute little nose, which made him sneeze. I couldn't help but smile, and the boy smiled back, blushing a bit.

I didn't make another move, however, for fear of spooking the kid. It was good to see him smile, though. Even better, then, to see him inch closer to me, awkwardly getting himself into the back with me, being careful not to stumble over my chest armour. Soon enough, Kai was sitting cross-legged in front of me, holding my chest armour in front of him and blushing.

"Everything alright?" Keefe asked cautiously from the front, steering the wagon.

"Yeah," I responded. "Everything's fine. Just drive."

The Great Dane huffed and turned back around.

I felt like I had to say something to Kai, but I didn't know what to say, or where to begin. My mouth hung agape, though, as if ready to speak, but I couldn't for the life of me formulate the words. Not only that, but I could still feel the cuts and bruises all over my body in pain, although I think most of the bleeding had stopped. My paw then found its way to my sore cheek, where I had been struck several times with rocks, glad at least that my eye hadn't been permanently damaged. It still hurt to open, though.

The panther then stirred a little and looked up at me. "H-how come...that guy called you Nosferatu?"

Oh, great. Of all the things he had to ask me, it was that. "Uh..." I said stupidly. What was I supposed to tell him? That my once gruesome fighting style was the bane of Maldad's existence? "It's just...a nickname they gave me, during the War."

"Death on the Battlefield..." Kai said to himself, as if pondering those words.

"I...I'm sorry, Kai," I finally said, reaching a paw forward. I held onto his tiny paw tightly. "I'm sorry you had to see that, before..." I could feel the boy starting to shake again, just barely.

"You were scary," he admitted. "D-did you...kill that guy?"

Now I was shaking. "Yeah...I did. If I hadn't, he'd have done the same to me." I doubted severely that that would actually help.

"There...was so much blood," he quivered, quite obviously becoming more upset as his mind recalled the fight. "It was all over the place."

I promptly moved my armour aside and pulled Kai in, holding him close against my chest, rubbing his back. "I would never, ever do anything to hurt you, Kai, never... No matter what happens, I need you know that you'll always be safe with me."

Kai sniffled, trying not to cry. "I...I know..."

I then let out a big long sigh, trying myself not to tear up, hugging my panther tighter. "I...love you, Kai. And I'll do everything within my power to keep you safe. What I did to that guy... it was to save myself."

Kai looked at me, somewhat stunned at those words. He was blushing heavily under his dark fur. "You...love me?" he said, then flattened his ears a little.

I nodded. "Yes, I do. More than you may know." I could see Keefe moving out of the corner of my eye, no doubt disturbed by this. But I didn't care. It was none of his damn business, anyway. I just held my panther tight, comforting him as best I could.

"I love you, too," Kai uttered into my chest, and I could feel an intense warmth coming from his face. He nuzzled in closer and purred quite loudly, resting on my lap.

It was relieving, somewhat, to feel him squeezing back, now curled up a little in my lap and holding on, starting to fall asleep. I purred quietly with him, trying my hardest to enjoy the loud and bumpy ride. And soon enough, I, too, began to drift to sleep, the pain of my beatings finally starting to fade. Although I had cut the boy deep, he impressed me with just how quickly he healed, and I was more than grateful for that.

When I woke up, the wagon had stopped and both Kai and Keefe were gone. Confused momentarily, I got out of the buggy and looked around. Like much of Midland, we were surrounded by a hilly and rocky plane, few trees to be found close by. I couldn't see either fur anywhere, so I figured I'd try my luck with the horses.

"You see where those two went?"

"Which two?" one asked, pulling on his restraints.

"The young panther and Great Dane. Where did they go? Why did they pull over?"

"It's just us two here," the other said. This one almost seemed to enjoy his bonds. "Plus you."

I growled. No self-respecting equine would ever allow himself to be used for such demeaning labour, which is why they started breeding some of these creatures long ago for this particular sort of servitude. These ones, in particular, were very powerful, very strong, but incredibly dense and simple-minded. They knew their place, and would never know any other; it would never even occur to them.

"Thanks for nothing," I said, now walking away. I heard a noise from behind me, and the pair, despite still being tied up, were making out quite voraciously. At least there was some pleasure in their servility.

The sun was starting to hang quite low in the sky now, filling the sky with a beautiful blend of yellows and oranges. As I kept walking, over a ridge, I finally saw Keefe and Kai bent over a small circle of rocks. It appeared they were trying to make a fire, and would probably try to make some food later. I just shook my head and continued toward them.

Kai looked up and smiled at me, while Keefe just gave me a confirming nod. Soon enough, the Knight had a tiny fire going, and Kai managed to keep it going. It was clear the canine wasn't too used to this sort of living.

"What are you going to do about the buggy?" I asked the dog.

"Hm?" he said, standing up.

"You're just gonna leave it on the road like that?"

"There's no one 'round these parts that'll take off with it, if that's what you're thinking. Besides, with your sword and armour still inside it, we'll hear anyone trying to rob us. I was about to go get the horses, anyway, so if a normal fur can pull a buggy with your sword inside, well I would be very impressed."

"Whatever," I said, taking a seat on the ground. Watching the canine go, I then turned to Kai, and placed a paw on his. "How're you feeling?"

Kai looked up and smiled. "Good," he said, then leaned up against me and planted his soft lips against mine.

Surprised somewhat, I kissed the boy back, feeling up his slim body. The kiss didn't last long, however, as a couple rowdy horses came barrelling over the ridge, followed by a tall, dark-furred Knight.

"Why did you have to bring them along?" I asked Keefe.

"Because," he explained, "as dim-witted as they are, they still deserve a nicer place to rest than strapped to a wagon."

I just shrugged and sat with my panther in my lap, paws clasped around his belly and holding him back against my chest, murring softly.

Keefe just stared at us for a moment, as if expecting some sort of response, then sat across from us, on the other side of the tiny flame.

Eyes closed, I began to hum some nameless tune as the sun began to set, setting the sky aflame. The boy and I swayed gently as I hummed the tune, feeling at peace with the modest fire grasping softly at our fur.

"We'll probably reach Castle Midgard late in the evening tomorrow," Keefe said suddenly, breaking the silence. "And we should probably get some food."

I sighed. "So go get some."

Moments later, Keefe stood up. "Fine." He seemed upset at something. I just watched as he walked off, not likely certain of what he was doing.

"Where's he going?" Kai asked.

"I doubt he knows, but I'm gonna go help him," I replied, standing up. "Will you be alright with the horses?"

Kai nodded.

Then I addressed the horses. "If either of you so much as lay a hoof on this panther, I promise you, you won't live long enough to regret it. Understand?"

The horses, both of whom wasted no time at all in removing their leather straps, lay naked beside each other, near the fire, becoming even more friendly with each other. They had, admittedly, surprisingly large cocks, bigger than an average horse, which I suppose was one upside to their otherwise useless minds. The pair just nodded in unison.

"Aye, kitty-cat, not a strand of fur."

I shot the two a threatening glance then walked off, quickly catching up to Keefe.

"Oh," he said in surprise. "It's you."

"Figured I could lend you a paw. No offence, but you don't strike me as the worldly sort."

"It's that obvious, huh?" he said with a smile. "I haven't spent much of my life out on my own like this, fending for myself. I do what I can, though."

"You get used to it."

The two of us continued along, not really searching for food, in horrible, awkward silence. The cool grass felt nice between my toes, and the breeze relieving on my injuries, and I enjoyed it while I could. It didn't take long, though, for Keefe to start talking again.

"I heard about you, you know, though I never put too much faith into rumours."

"Oh? And what exactly did you hear about me?" I was sorta curious, actually. Despite my skill, I was always a humble tiger.

"They said you were a living nightmare," the canine said quickly, "like Hell on Earth; that none could best you and you would win no matter the cost."

I guess that was true.

"What you did to Valo -- that Rottweiler -- was brutal and unnecessary. It takes a certain kind of beast to fight like that, and from what I've heard, you fit the role as if you had written it yourself. Death on the Battlefield..."

"And why are you mentioning all this?"

The canine shook his head. "Just making conversation, I guess. It's curious, though, how you can earn such a ghastly reputation, and yet hold that young boy as if he was sown from your own seed. I think that's what frightens me the most about you."

I laughed and patted the knight on the back. "You have nothing to be frightened of, dog."

"I saw those eyes," he said, "when you finished with Valo. Those were not the eyes of a Human fur. Those were the eyes of a demon."

I couldn't help but scoff. "You're being dramatic."

"Am I?"

Another long silence, this time caused by my lack of retort. I did manage, however, to get out of the silence as our ears were filled with the calming sound of a flowing stream.

"Think there's fish in there?" I asked the dog, hoping he'd forget about this.

Keefe shrugged. "Probably." I guess it worked.

The two of us walked slowly toward the stream, but it was hard to see any fish, if there was any to be seen. The small amount of light still in the sky quickly vanished, and despite our best efforts, neither of us had caught anything we could eat. Looking around, we were defeated.

"Let's head back," I said quickly, starting to realize just how dark it had gotten. "I don't trust those horses alone with Kai." The moon was hidden behind some clouds, and so didn't brighten the field as much as I'd have liked.

"Agreed," the canine said confidently.

As we walked, I tried my hardest to stop myself from breathing heavily, but it was impossible. It didn't help that my heart was racing, either.

"Is something wrong?" Keefe finally asked.

"N-no, nothing's wrong," I said. What could possibly be wrong, anyway..? I could tell he didn't believe me...

"You're breathing awfully heavy, like you're nervous or something."

I suddenly heard a noise, so I turned around, able to see nothing at all. At least...I thought it was a noise. "I don't know what you're talking about."

I could tell the gears were turning, and I think he was starting to figure it out. "Are you..?" The bastard was trying not to laugh.

"What?" I then felt a warm, comforting paw on my arm.

"You have got to be the most enigmatic feline I've ever met."

Enigmatic?

Finally we reached the campfire, and the two horses were fast asleep. Kai, luckily, had managed somehow to find his own food, or rather, he was gnawing on some meat-stripped bone.

"Where'd you get that?" I asked him, somewhat annoyed.

"The horses caught it for me. It's pretty good, too."

With a frown on my face, I sat nice and close to the boy, putting my arm around him.

Gripping the bone with both paws, he pulled it away from his maw and looked up at me with a cute smile, then cuddled close, murring softly. He promptly set the bone aside and linked his paws around my waist, getting closer.

With a smile I pulled him in, leaning back on one paw. I just watched as Keefe sat between the horses and myself, closer to me than them. He let out a big sigh and rested his chin on his knees, with something clearly on his mind.

"You alright?" I asked him.

Keefe looked over. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Sure?"

The canine hesitated. "No...I'm not sure. To be quite honest, I kinda envy your relationship with Kai."

"Oh?"

Keefe nodded. "Despite everything today, you two still show the same affection for each other as you had the night before. That sort of love, I guess, is something I'm yet to experience."

I kinda felt sorry for the dog, although I wouldn't have admitted it outright. This, of course, made for an awkward moment, but I had to say something. "You'll find somebody," I said stupidly, "someday."

Keefe sighed again, turning his gaze back to the flames. "I suppose so."

The three of us, plus the horses, sat, or lay, in front of the blaze in silence, until nature started to take its toll and the rest left awake slowly began to fall asleep. I finally lay on my back, bottom armour removed, with a small, adorable panther atop. I almost asked Keefe to join, but I figured he wouldn't go for it. Nevertheless, with my cat in my arms, I quickly let my body rest and finally go to sleep.

Again I was woken by a sharp pain, this time in my right ear. Opening my eyes, my senses very slowly coming back to me, I looked up to see a small dark-furred paw hover over my eyes then grab onto my lip, then that pain in my ear again. I growled quietly and sat up, a set of small teeth still attached. The sun was just starting to rise and I assumed, since the horses were gone, Keefe was off getting the wagon ready. So help him if any of my shit was missing.

"C'mon," Kai said between his teeth and my ear, then finally spat it out. "We gotta get going. Keefe says their wagon is probably already there by now..."

I groaned then got up, not yet having an appreciation for the situation. It didn't take long, however, as the sun burned my eyes, for me to realize just what was going on. "Okay, Kai," I said, picking him up. "Let's go."

I walked quickly back toward the buggy, having noticed my armour had already been taken, and hopped in. Keefe was already sitting down and waiting.

"You got everything?" he asked me, and I just nodded my reply.

Then we were off, and I was still pretty tired. The bumpy road did little to let me rest, and I especially didn't feel like strapping my armour on. I did, however, lay on my side, resting my head on my bag, which still had my dark cloak in it. It wasn't great, but it beat rocks. When I opened my eyes again, which was moments later, I saw a dark-furred feline looming over me, with a big grin on his face.

"What?" I asked him.

"Nothing," he replied sweetly.

I gave him a final stare then closed my eyes again, shifting in a vein attempt to get comfortable. Less than a minute later, however, I felt a couple warm paws gently stroke my cheek, as if petting me. I smiled a little and purred, that is until one of those little paws took a firm hold of my right lip and tugged. With my eyes still closed, I frowned and stirred, turning onto my back. That didn't stop the panther, however, as he giggled and climbed onto my chest, now using his paws to hold my maw shut. Finally I opened my eyes and looked up at the kid, who was leaning over me a little. Of course I tried to speak, but it was only muffled noises.

Just then, Kai leaned down and kissed me on my closed lips, then gently rubbed his nose against mine and lay on my chest, finally letting go.

I couldn't help but smile at the boy, and so I murred quietly and raised up both paws, clasping them loosely behind his back. "You're not gonna let me sleep anymore, are you."

The boy shook his head proudly, then gave me another kiss, this one lasting much longer.

I opened my maw for him and our tongues promptly met, curling around each others as our lips locked firmly together. I murred into his maw quite loudly, and he into mine. I loved the way the boy kissed me, as it was passionate and meaningful. Feeling his warm tongue glide across and around mine... It was wonderful. But of course, like all good things it came to an end, and now Kai was just lying on my chest, resting his head beside mine and paws linked around my neck. I nuzzled my cheek against his and got a paw under his shirt, rubbing his smooth back softly.

Kai smiled and nuzzled back, purring in delight. "I love you, Luca," he said quietly, into my ear.

I then murred louder and raised my head a bit. "I love you, too, sweetheart." It had never occurred to me ever before to call someone "sweetheart," and yet for some reason it felt all right. It seemed to be the right word to use, anyway, as after saying it I got an excited squeeze from the boy. I felt so good at that moment, despite our dire mission, and I could tell Kai did, too.

"Just so you two know, I'm still sitting right here," Keefe suddenly said, interrupting us. "And I reckon we'll reach one final town before Midgard at around noon, so you two had better get comfortable."

"Gotcha," I responded, rolling my eyes a bit. I knew his intentions were good, the canine's, but I never liked being interrupted.

"I'm thirsty," Kai whined, sitting up.

"Yeah? And what do you want me to do about it?"

"I dunno... Gimme something to drink."

I sighed and sat up, being careful to not drop the boy too suddenly. Rummaging around my gear, I finally found my canteen and handed it to Kai. "There you go."

"Thank you," he said cheerfully and chugged nearly half of it.

"You gonna save some for me, or what?"

"Nope," he replied happily, taking another drink.

I growled and snatched the canteen away from him, popping the cap back on. "You can't be that thirsty."

"You don't know that," Kai pouted. It didn't take long, however, for the boy to become distracted, and he started looking around my armour. "Can I try your armour on?"

I laughed as I put the water aside, looking at the boy. "Are you serious? It'd never fit you, plus it's way too heavy for you."

"I'm stronger than I look," Kai insisted. "See?" he then crawled up toward the handle of my sword and tried to lift it, barely making it budge.

"Ah, yes, I see now," I said mockingly.

"Shut up!" he said, crossing his arms and frowning.

I just giggled and rubbed his shoulder. "If you really wanna try it on, I'll help you, but don't expect it to be comfortable. This stuff was made specifically for me."

"Okay," he said with a happy grin.

"Which did you want to try on?"

Kai looked around, uncertain. "Hmm..." Finally he pulled on my chest armour, on one of the attached pauldrons.

"Ordinarily you would have to be standing to put this on, but given our current situation, it's probably much safer if you just kept kneeling..." I said needlessly. I lifted the armour up and held it in front of me, now on my knees myself. "Now, usually these side straps would be undone and the front and back half would sorta close together, but obviously you don't need to worry about that."

"Don't those shoulder pieces come off?" Kai asked.

"Usually, but mine are affixed. I'm a lazy tiger, I guess."

Kai giggled and curled his arms against his body, ready to slide into my armour. I couldn't help but think how silly this was, seeing as how under normal circumstances, there would be no way you could slide your arms out of the holes without the sides being undone, and yet as Kai's head popped out of the top, his ears flicking back into place, he managed to do it with relative ease. I held the bottom of the armour, not letting its weight drop fully on his shoulders. There was at least a few inches, if not more, of room between his body and the inside of the dark, metal armour, but the boy was still excited. I just shook my head in amusement.

"Let go!" the panther cried.

The end of my chest piece, when I was wearing it, would end somewhere around my belly button, but on Kai it ended just below his waist. "If I let go, you'll be crushed."

"No I won't," he whined, "let go."

I shook my head. "If you say so." I released my paws from the armour, and grinned as he tried to keep his balance. He managed surprisingly well.

Kai was murring as he rubbed the outside of the armour, seeming almost turned on by it. This would usually surprise me, as well, but in retrospect, it didn't really.

"You like that, huh?" I asked teasingly.

"Can you get me some of my own armour?"

I giggled. "Armour isn't cheap, unless you're part of Midland's army. Or unless you're good friends with a blacksmith. My blacksmith, and old Shepherd, gave me my armour for free 'cause I saved his kid's life. It was completely accidental, too," I laughed. "I lucked out, I guess."

Kai then whined and started squirming. I think the armour was starting to hurt his shoulders.

"Had enough?" I asked, gripping the bottom of the armour again.

The panther nodded, and so I quickly lifted it over his head and set it aside. He then flattened his ears and rubbed his shoulders.

"I told you," I said, turning him around. My paws then began to massage his shoulders gently, and the boy quickly forgot about whimpering. "When we're finished saving your brother and the other kids, I'll collect whatever payment the Father can give us, which will likely be nothing more than a prayer, then we'll go see Wayland."

"Your blacksmith?"

"Yeah." Then I thought for a moment. "Keefe...where's your armour?"

"Hm?"

"If you're a knight, then where's your armour? And your weapons?"

"I have many friends 'round these parts, those who haven't been corrupted by the unsettling darkness around Midgard. Although I have no home to call my own, they take me in as if I was their own child. Having said that, a husky I know has been keeping my armour for me in the next town."

"Why don't you just wear your armour?"

"It's not easy to investigate such a melancholy, macabre village when you don't look the part."

"What were you investigating, exactly?"

"The people, I suppose. Unlike the next town, Abell, Bolt is vastly different. The souls who inhabit Bolt are almost completely lifeless, save that one whose legs you destroyed. He works for the King, that much is known, so there has got to be a connection."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, Bolt is a relatively new village, especially given its proximity to Midgard. How can a village like that fall through the cracks so quickly and so easily? If you ask me, I think the town was built for these lifeless people, years ago, but where they come from I don't know. If that's the case, then Carmine was likely sent there to keep an eye on things, which makes me think the people came from Midgard. But why? What happened to these people, specifically, which lead them to Bolt? And did you notice there were no children around?"

I hadn't noticed, until he mentioned it. Obviously my feeling of disturbance wasn't completely unfounded.

"So what are you suggesting?"

"I have only theories, tiger."

"Such as..?"

"Well, the absence of children leads me to believe, as I said before, that these soulless furs were sent there specifically, likely from Midgard, rather than being born into such misery. The village is barely even one generation old, anyway. That suggests, to me at least, that either they did something to be sent there, or perhaps a more paranoid suggestion, something was done to them and they were dumped there; a way of disposal."

"'Done to them?'"

Keefe nodded.

"Like what?"

"Like I said, I only have theories. But every person in that village appears as if they are without a soul, like the life had been taken from their bodies and only husks remain. Perhaps a dark project is in the works somewhere in Midgard."

I scoffed. "Now you sound like a crazy person."

"You didn't notice their lifelessness?"

"Well, yeah, I noticed it. But I also noticed their lousy living conditions."

"And you didn't feel a particular evil in the air?"

I sighed and nodded somewhat. "Yeah..." I had felt it, and I know I did. Could there really be some mystical goings on here? I mean, the guy called himself a "holy knight," and I never went for that spiritual crap, anyway.

"How do you know they all aren't just broken prisoners or war survivors, or something? Suppose they were just tortured enemies and despite the King's bestial weaknesses, he granted them some mercy by giving them their own little shit hole to live in?"

"That's another theory, of course..." Keefe said, unconvinced. Of course he'd go for the most bizarre explanation.

I hadn't ever met the King in person, but as far as I knew he had always been a just ruler. Midgard was a very safe place to live, both from criminals and from outside enemies. In fact, some say he's the fairest king this country has seen in centuries. While I wouldn't know about that, I hadn't heard much to defile his name, besides his well-known taste for young, male furs. And given my circumstance, was that really such a bad thing? But even so, after the Century War, I had spent many sleepless nights here in Midland, an unexplainable fear coming over me. Suppose Keefe's theories weren't that far off.

I looked down at Kai and he was just kneeling down, starting at the two of us curiously, not really certain what to make of all this. Clearly he had no opinion one way or the other. I just sighed and sat back, considering such theories. The rumours go that the King takes in these young boys by the wagonful and makes them his own personal servants, of course with some very special benefits. At least once a year he gets a whole new set of boys, and God only knows what happens to the old ones. Perhaps they're given to some of Midland's many Lords as second-hand servants, no longer fit to attend to his particular needs.

Thinking about this, I pulled Kai in close to me and gave him a long, loving hug. Although he didn't know why I was hugging him, he accepted it just as well. Having gotten to know the boy, I was so grateful he hadn't been taken directly to the King himself. A life of servitude was not one I would wish upon anybody, especially not my little panther. I had to save those kids, no matter what.

Hours passed in near constant silence, and I think by the time we reached Abell, Kai could sense the seriousness in the air. I was driving the buggy by that point, and we stopped somewhere near the stable. The three of us got out and I just followed Keefe to the husky's house, whose name he still hadn't revealed. Suppose I was going to find out shortly, anyway.

"Ah, Keefe McCree," the husky said happily, embracing his friend, "it has been too long. How goes the investigating?"

"It's going fine, my friend."

The husky, smiling, looked up at me then down to Kai, curious.

"These two are my," he hesitated, "friends. They were passing by Bolt when we met, and they're making their way up to Midgard."

"Ah, by the looks of you, tiger, I'd say yer looking for work, eh?"

"The name's Luca, and I have a meeting with the King."

The smile then drifted from the husky's face as he looked up at Keefe. Apparently the husky was well-informed of the Dane's theories.

"Indeed, he has promised to return the King's latest to their proper owner, a Father in the border city."

"A noble quest," the husky commented. "My name is Calix." He then turned to Kai, bending down slightly. "And who are you, young one?"

"Uh. I'm Kai. Pleasure to meet you."

"Aye, and a pleasure to meet you, too. Please, won't you all come in."

The four of us got somewhat settled, Keefe still standing, and the husky came out with a pot of tea, which as he informed us was already on before we arrived. Great timing, I guess.

"So, to what do I owe this pleasure?" he asked Keefe.

"I'm here to collect my armour."

"Oh?" the husky said, now pouring a second cup.

"I'm helping Luca on his quest, and I can't really go unarmed, can I."

Calix chuckled. "No, I suppose you can't. And what of the boy?"

I hadn't really thought of that. In my mind he was always there with me, but when I really thought about it, there was no way I could let him come to the castle with us. Having remained silent long enough, and all eyes now upon me, I set my tea down. "I...I'm not sure."

"For his own safety, I think it'd be best if he stayed here," Keefe commented.

"Probably... What do you think?" I asked Kai, turning to face him.

Kai appeared worried. I could tell he didn't want to be left here. "I wanna go with you," he said.

I then knelt down in front of the panther, speaking with him at eye level. "I know you do, sweetie...but you really would be safer here. There's probably gonna be a lot of fighting, and even though I trained you that one night, you're far from ready. If anything were to happen to you..."

"But nothing'll happen to me," he replied optimistically, "'cause you'll be there protecting me, right?"

I sighed loudly. "Kai...you don't understand. If we're swarmed with guards..." I wasn't sure how to finish that thought. I knew exactly what would happen, though, and I didn't want Kai to be witness to my ferocity again. "...there's no telling what'll happen."

"Oh..." Kai replied, flattening his ears. "But...but I wanna go with you."

"I know you do...but what if I can't protect you? What if I lose sight of you? Or one of the guards behind me catches you? It's too dangerous, and I just don't want to risk your life like that."

Kai sniffled and whimpered a little. He was very good at making me feel guilty.

"Don'cha worry, lad," Calix cut in. "I'll keep ya entertained 'til your Luca comes back. Ya won't even know he was gone."

"Yes I will," Kai pouted.

"Thank for trying," I told Calix. Then to Kai, "I know it's difficult, but you have to trust me that it's for your own good to stay here. I know I look like a jerk, but I'm sure you'll forget all about it when I bring your brother and all your friends back to you."

"I don't want to stay here!" the boy suddenly cried, pushing into me and wrapping his arms tightly around my sides.

I just held Kai in return, letting out a long sigh. It was tough for both of us, more so for him, but I knew I wasn't going to leave this building with him. Keefe and I were going to leave this village and enter Midgard under the cover of night. Although I had no idea where exactly to find the kids -- Castle Midgard is by far the biggest in Midland -- I did know it would be tough to get in, and even tougher to get back out.

I backed away from the boy a little and dug around in my bag, finally pulling out a long string of rosary, dangling the cross in front of Kai's face.

He just stared into it, with tears in his eyes, captivated.

"The Father gave this to me before I left, as some sort of good luck charm, I think. Kai, I want you to keep this with you until I get back, okay? I promise you I'll come back, and come back alive with your brother. May the Lord give you strength in these dark times." I had no idea what the hell I was saying there, but it sounded holy.

Kai, who was trembling a bit, cupped his paws and took the rosary, holding it to his chest. "I'll keep these for you," he said somewhat reluctantly. "And I'm gonna pray for you..."

I didn't know he believed in God, let alone prayed to him. Suppose it makes sense, growing up in a church-run orphanage. I then stood up and rubbed my panther gently on the head, smiling down at him. I shot a quick glance to Keefe, letting him know I was ready, and he nodded and walked into another room.

I gave Kai one final, great big hug, and whispered in his ear, "I love you, panther."

Kai giggled a little, the rosary wrapped around his paw, and replied, "I love you, too, tiger."

Then we parted and I exited the small house, telling Calix to tell Keefe I'd be waiting out side for him. There was a small crowd hanging around our buggy, many of the younger ones in wonderment of my massive sword sticking out the back a little. Walking toward them, they finally noticed me.

"Is that your gear?" a young black wolf asked, probably in his mid-teens.

"Yeah, it is. What's it to you?"

"N-nothing," he replied. "How do you swing that giant sword?"

I shrugged. "Very carefully."

They all then turned as someone else exited the building, in awe of Keefe and his brilliant armour. I then turned, not nearly as impressed as they were. Although admittedly, I could see why it would grab so much attention.

The armour was, while not full-body, brilliant and bright. It seemed to shine, almost, a great contrast against his blue-black fur. He just walked over casually, as if not noticing his admirers.

"Are you a Knight?" a small, cute little cheetah asked, even younger than Kai.

Keefe smiled down on him. "Yes I am, son. A Holy Knight, from the sacred lands of the Holy See. I do the Lord's bidding, and from time to time, I help out some friends."

"So you two know each other?" the black wolf asked. He seemed amazed at that.

Keefe then looked at me, then back to the kid. "Yes, we do. Although we follow different paths, a common goal has brought us together."

"Are you a Knight?" the cheetah asked me, as if surprised to think I was. He was right, though, to doubt my knighthood.

"No, kid, I'm not. I'm just a mercenary."

The kid then back away a bit.

"Mercenaries 'round here don't tend to be particularly 'noble,'" Keefe explained quietly. "They tend to be the brutish sort, not unlike yourself, but in a much less...civilized...way."

I just shrugged. "Don't worry, I don't bite," was all I could think to say. Witty was never my strong suit, especially with children.

"Can we see your armour?" the small cheetah asked timidly.

I smiled at the boy and patted him on the head. "I'm sorry, but we really don't have time right now. Lemme catch you on the way back, though." The cheetah giggled and nodded, taking a step back, then I looked over to Keefe.

The canine nodded reluctantly, rather enjoying all this attention, and got up behind the horses. I climbed into the back and within moments, we were off again. I just watched out the back, staring into Kai's eyes as he watched me from the doorway. They were just as fiery and intense as always, until finally we turned a bend and I could see him no longer. The two of us were still being trailed by a small group of young admirers, but they quickly stopped. I just sighed and climbed into the front beside Keefe, resting my head on my paws, which were propped up on my knees.

"Don't worry about the boy," the canine said. "He'll be fine with Calix. Although that husky may not look it, he's quite skilled with a blade."

"I know, but still... I'd rather not leave him behind."

"It's for the good of his own health."

I rolled my eyes. "I know why we left him behind and why it was a good idea, but that doesn't make it any easier." The dog just didn't understand.

The two of us just continued along the road, quicker than a normal buggy would go, in almost dead silence. Only the sound of the horses odd noises and the wooden wheels grinding against the rough, bumpy road filled the tense air. It was captivating, almost, to the point where it was nearly deafening. The sounds would eventually grow and grow, until all you hear are each individual noise on its own. From the high and low pitched pops and gnashes of the rocks clattering together to the dull grinding of wood-on-wood, the noises, while each ear-splitting on their own, somehow managed to come together in a symphony of otherwise irritating noises. And by the time mid-afternoon rolled around, the sun high in the sky, the horses added their awful panting and groaning to the mix.

The closer toward Midgard the wagon got, the more desolate the scenery became. The sun was covered now, which brought some relief to the horses, but over the city itself, which was still hidden beyond this thick, dense forest, was in complete cloud cover. Above us now, the sky was grey, which only darkened closer and above Midgard. The inky black clouds could be seen from where we were, which were just starting to swirl and form. It wouldn't be long now until we were under that terrifying black sky, heading toward what could end up being a ghastly fate.

I wasn't too worried, though. Keefe was, I could tell, but I've been through more than just a few dark clouds and an old king before. Standing at the frontline on the grassy battlefield before an army more than twice the size of yours...now that's nerve-wracking. But even then, I was always confident I would come out on top, and sure enough, I always did. Of course, I couldn't ever do it without suffering some major cuts and bruises, but it was never anything fatal. The only thing that's ever truly frightened me is, as silly as it sounds, the dark. And I don't mean your metaphorical dark, like grim or gruesome situations, I mean the pitch, can't-see-your-own-paws-in-front-of-you dark. That frightening unknown, I guess is what it is. Although Midgard is pretty dark nowadays, nothing in that city has ever really scared me. In fact, it's probably the darkest place in all of Midland that I've ever felt comfortable in. Even the slums don't unnerve me that much. Of course, I've been offered up plenty of advice before, about my so-called noctiphobia, but to no avail. As long as I could see a good distance around me, however, I was usually fine.

As the pair of us finally left that enormous stretch of heavily forested area, the serene dread of Midgard could be seen on the horizon, the castle appearing in the centre of the enormous city. In reality, it was at the farthest end of Midgard, but from our perspective it was simply an overbearing presence somewhere within the city walls. Above the wickedly magisterial and rather intimidating castle, blackened clouds swirled violently outward, made all the worse by the setting sun. Midgard was far more dismal than I ever remember it being.

"There she is," Keefe said, not particularly to me.

I finally sat up from in the back of the buggy, having just napped after taking the reigns for several hours while the dog slept. I didn't say anything, but just stared in awe of Midgard's fearsome might. This plan to rescue Kai's brother and the other kids was suddenly becoming much more improbable.

"Where do you think they'll keep the kids?" the canine asked me.

I shook my head. "Beats me," I told him, unable to keep my eyes off the city. It surprised me greatly at how terrifying the city had become in the five or so years I'd been away from it. "I'd imagine they'd be taken directly to the king, first, assuming he's not in some kind of meeting... His bedchambers, perhaps."

Keefe scoffed. "There's no way in hell we'll get even remotely close enough to the King's chambers without alerting his guards."

"Maybe we could bribe someone into telling us where he keeps the kids. You know, one of his close servants, or something... Maybe even one of the other kids."

"Bribe them with what?"

The dog had a point. We had no coin between the two of us, and little persuasion power. At least, civilized persuasion. "Perhaps 'bribe' wasn't the word I was looking for."

"So threaten, then?"

I climbed into the front of the buggy, feeling more nervous than I'd expected I would. "If need be, yes. The kids were probably dropped off sometime yesterday, probably in the morning, so who knows where they'll be now. I can't imagine they'd be too formalized with the castle yet, so it's doubtful they've been 'used' at this point."

I inferred Keefe's agreement with the noise he made, a sort of low-pitched grunt. "At any rate, we know absolutely nothing about their location within the castle. Logically they'd have a sort of dormitory next or close to the King's bedchambers, but again it's all speculation."

I just shook my head. We could point that fact out all evening and it wouldn't help us. I'd been to the castle before, on many occasions, during the Century War, but I'd never been given the honour of meeting, or even talking in the same room with, the King. The castle itself was a sort of twisted place, with nonstandard arrangement of rooms and towers. From the outside it was not unseemly, and yet inside, especially the further toward the centre, the hallways twisted and turned in sometimes unpleasant ways. Several chambers, which I had happened into, seemed as if some mighty force had just tilted or compressed them just slightly, and some were even completely upside-down. There were doors, even, that were kept locked and yet only opened to a brick wall; never mind how I broke the lock.

Besides the maddening structural layout, bizarre plant life, vines mostly, grew abundant in both the halls and creeping under the doors and through cracks, plus several passageways deeper in were small and cave-like -- long rocky tunnels covered in mossy plants. The castle housed many small, indoor arboretums, so the vines and such aren't really too much of a surprise, although I had hardly a chance to explore; some areas of the castle aren't meant for unroyal eyes. I've only ever heard about the rest of the castle, many of it likely to just be rumours.

I have heard, though, of exotic, and sometimes alien-seeming plant forms -- some even deadly -- that seem to have almost a life of their own, as well as bizarre, twisted rock formations appearing to grow from the plants themselves. While most of what I'd heard was likely to have been embellished in some way, I can't help but recall the words of that coyote, about the King's so-called "secret chamber." Just what does the King do in that chamber? Perhaps these rumours spawn from more than just wild imaginations. In any case, it was irrelevant; Keefe and I weren't gonna do much touring. Admittedly, though, I wasn't sure exactly what we'd be doing.

"Couple hours, I'll bet, 'til we reach Midgard," Keefe informed me.

I paused before saying anything. "Assuming for a moment we did know where to go, how are we supposed to get inside the castle to begin with?"

Keefe's turn for a pause. His pause, however, was followed with silence.

I just sighed. "Did you think I still had some sort of connection with them?"

The canine shifted, then sighed. "I figured you may still have some connections, yes. I mean, you were Captain of their army for a few years, weren't you?"

"Yeah, I was. But not of the whole damn thing."

"Well, no, of course not..."

"I lead a small team called the Brutes, which was just a fraction of that section of Midland's army. 'The Dragonkin Army,' it was called, and we were the 'Dragonkin's Brutes.' The Brutes were disbanded five years ago by the King and I was out on my ass, just like that. Then it was back to mercenary work for a few years until the war ended."

"Well, thank you for that useless information."

"It's not like you said anything useful," I argued. "Suppose if your idea didn't work you'd expect me to just bust down the door and walk on up there myself, huh?"

Keefe frowned. "No, that'd be stupid. How was I supposed to know your connection with Midgard was severed those years ago?"

"Well, you seem to know enough about me already."

"Those were just rumours, tiger. It's not like I was spying on you all those years ago. Besides, you were infamous in Midland, especially in Midgard. It was impossible to avoid them. Moreover, I don't exactly hear you denying it."

"I deny it."

"You're lying."

I sighed.

"At any rate, we're no closer to finding a way inside," the canine pointed out. "Are there any entrances other than the front gate?"

I shrugged. "There's the back gate, but that won't be any easier. I can remember though, me and my first officer, Blade, would sneak though the castle's sewers to go drinking at night."

"What, they didn't have booze at the castle?"

"Oh, yeah of course they did. But we weren't interested in the castle wine. We wanted something you could brawl to, you know? The real dark, filthy bars and pubs...serving nothing but ale and hard liquor. We would get so drunk..."

"Pleasant," the Knight replied sarcastically. He's probably never been drunk before in his life.

"He was my first, you know..."

"Hm?"

"My first...experience." I was waiting for a response, but the bastard just kept staring at me clueless. "With a guy..?"

"Oh," he said finally, "of course. Your first officer?"

"Yup," I replied proudly. "Although we were both pretty drunk at the time. Man... He didn't like me at first, you know, when I rose quickly through the ranks. I thought he was gonna kill me in my sleep, the day I became Captain of that company. He was never my superior, but he had been with the Dragonkin Army for ages. We used to fight and argue a lot, especially when August was around. August was the High Commander of the Dragonkin, a huge white lion. And intimidating as hell."

"So..?" Keefe interrupted, the bastard.

I growled. "So, eventually one of our arguments broke out into a full-on fistfight, ending with us both covered in mud and blood in front of both the Brutes and the rest of the Dragonkin. As a punishment, August made the two of us clean each other off by the well, in front of anyone who wanted to watch, as a way of humiliation I guess. Of course, we both quickly discovered just how enjoyable washing the other was... Anyway, we both got along very well after that, drinking together and the sort."

"Which inevitably lead to..."

I nodded. "Yup. One night," I started, ignoring the canine's eye-roll and obvious disinterest, "him and I snuck out through the sewers and went to a tavern called Lady Luck, one of the more laid-back places. We ordered up some ale and, like many nights, drank together. Except that night I guess we had a bit too much, and before I knew it he had me in the back and was fucking me like there was no tomorrow. Best night of my life... It was weird at first, though, to be taken like that; I ruled absolutely on the battlefield, and yet in that moment, I was his bitch."

Keefe glanced over at me, clearly observing my size. "I find that hard to believe."

I just shrugged. "That's how it happened. Of course, that was nine years ago."

"Really? It happened that late in your life?"

Again I shrugged. "Apparently, yeah. Why? When did you lose your, uh...virginity?"

"I was fourteen when it happened."

"Really?" That sorta surprised me.

Keefe then sighed. "N-no...not really. I guess there's no use lying to you; you'd eventually figure it out."

"So, what, you've...never?"

The Great Dane, eyes looking ahead, shook his head.

Well, this was awkward.

"So, whatever happened to Blade? After your group disbanded."

I then sighed long and loud. It had been a long time since I last thought about Blade. "He was killed on the battlefield, actually, a few months before the Brutes were finished. He was caught off guard by enemy cannon-fire... I really miss that skunk."

"I...I'm sorry." Keefe then put a paw on my shoulder, rubbing gently.

I couldn't stop myself from smiling a little and, despite our arguments, move closer to the canine. His touch was much warmer than I'd have expected, especially with his armour on; mine was still in the back.

"Thanks," I told the dog, turning my head. I was surprised, however, to see his nose so close to mine, then suddenly our eyes met. My heart skipped a beat, and yet we stared, both of us probably thinking the same thing. Our lips slowly drew closer, and as if struck by the same thought, we parted quickly. What the hell was that?

"S-sorry," Keefe said hurriedly, a slight blush seen through his dark fur.

My eyes pulled as far away from the canine as they could, and I'm pretty sure I was blushing, too. Did we almost kiss? Did we want to kiss? My heart was pounding suddenly. "It's okay," I responded dumbly.

The two of us sighed as the horses pulled us along. We sat in the silence of the setting sun for a long while, making nary a sound. Whenever we moved, though, in even the slightest bit, it was agonizingly loud. I just prayed he would say something first, 'cause there was no way in hell I was gonna break the silence.

Finally Keefe did, by clearing his throat. "About an hour, I'd guess..." he said quietly.

The sun was now thoroughly set, and with my attention brought back to reality, I suddenly realized our buggy had no lantern. I started to shiver, even though I wasn't particularly cold, and was becoming anxious. God damn this darkness...

Just then, though, Keefe looked over at me and shuffled closer, handing me the reigns. "You wanna take over?" he said with a smile.

"Sure..." I took the leather straps in my paws and after a while began to realize this got my attention off the choking darkness. I concentrated on steering these damned horses, which wasn't particularly difficult. I found more comfort again in the feel of Keefe's warm paw on my shoulder, and we sat close together. It was clear he knew of my embarrassing affliction, and did what he could to console me. It seemed to work, too.

"You know," he said softly, "despite everything I've heard about you, and despite your fight with Valo...you really are a sweet guy."

Was he being serious?

"I can see why Kai looks up to you the way he does."

I didn't know what to say. I didn't even know he liked guys.

"Uh..." I managed to say.

Keefe laughed, more at himself. "I don't know why I'm saying this. I guess that if things were different...I could really see falling for you. Even if you are a brute."

Oh God... Why was he telling me all this? Why now? It was strange to hear him speak to me like that.

"K-Keefe," I finally managed to say, "I..." really didn't know what else to add.

"I know," he said, lowering his head. "You and Kai have a thing going, and it's not right for me to impede. I just...surprised myself with these feelings, that's all."

Surprised me, too.

The dog then sighed, I think feeling incredibly embarrassed. He didn't loosen his grip, but I could tell he wanted to.

"You're not a bad guy," I told the Knight. "I'm not sure why you haven't managed to find a suitable mate yet, but I know you will. I mean...God forgive me for saying this, but I think if Kai wasn't involved here, you and I just might..." I couldn't manage to finish that sentence, but he knew what I was gonna say.

Keefe smiled a little and rested his head on my shoulder. It was strange feeling such affection from the Dane, but I didn't hate it.

The following hour passed mostly in silence, and we were finally on the last stretch of road before the front gates of Midgard. Looking above, the sky was black as pitch, and the city even darker -- metaphorically, of course. Although many lights could be seen in the windows of the buildings, a particular uneasiness filled the air around Keefe and I. Finally I stopped the wagon, before the outposts could see us coming; if the King knew where to find me before, he no doubt knew where I was now, and probably wanted to stop me.

"Why are we stopping here?" the canine asked.

"Well for one, I need to put my armour on. Also, I don't want them to spot our wagon. The less attention we draw to ourselves, the better."

Keefe shrugged. "If you say so."

"I do say so..." I muttered to myself, hopping to the ground. I went around the buggy to the back, pulling out my leather bottoms and quickly slipping those on, then my leg and shin armour, strapping myself in at the back. I then put on my tight leather shirt, now lifting my chest armour up and poking my head through the top, ears flicking back into place. I strapped the sides together tightly so the armour fit snugly against my body, and made sure the shoulder pieces were firmly in place. Confident they were, I secured my weapons belt and threw my bag over my shoulder, making sure to pull out my black hood. I unfurled the cloak and threw it over my shoulders, securing it at the front and pulling the hood up and nearly over my eyes, then pulled the rest down and forward to cover my body. I always liked having this cloak with me, as it added a certain darkness or mystery to me. Really I just enjoyed the peace it brought me, as most furs try to avoid certain characters. My last piece of armour, of course, was the long chunk of my last sword, which I strapped firmly to my right arm. Finally, I pulled Kraftig from the back and, using the chain and leather holster on my armour, secured the blade to my back, mostly covered now by the cloak; only the handle stuck out. Certain I was now ready, I looked out from under my dark hood at Keefe, whose metal garb greatly contrasted mine.

"Ready?" he said, somewhat mockingly.

I frowned. "Yeah, I'm ready," I replied, walking past him.

Within seconds the dog caught up, and the pair of us were walking briskly toward Midgard. I could almost begin to feel the tension rising as we approached the lanterns of the front gate, toward the guards. If they didn't see us, they no doubt heard us by now. I could see them, but neither seemed particularly alert, nor interested.

"Who goes there?" one of them said unenthusiastically.

Neither of us said a word. I noticed, though, that the lovely green ivy which used to climb the thick stone walls were now dry, brown, and leafless. What on earth happened in the time I've been gone?

Then one of the guards sighed. "C'mon, we don't have all night..."

Keefe and I stopped. Who were we?

"We're simple travellers, seeking refuge for the night."

The bulldog looked up both up and down, unconvinced. "Travellers, eh?" he said to me.

I nodded.

Both guards shrugged and opened the small rectangular wooden door, tiny in contrast to the enormous arched wooden gate. "Go right ahead," the one said, in his usual unenthusiastic voice. "There's a lovely inn at the crossroads, and several taverns along the way and to the east. Should you encounter any problems or if you get lost, don't hesitate to ask your local civil protection agent. Please enjoy your stay." He sounded like he was reading from a script.

"Easy enough," Keefe said to me, after we entered the city.

The streets were mostly dead, save the few deadbeats looking for either cheap booze or cheap love; they could find either easily in this area. The homes, while not entirely derelict, seemed dirty and one can only assume what's happened in them. The best thing about this area, though, is that like the people and the buildings, the front gate was just as run-down, or rather, they just don't care. The main gate, no doubt, would have been significantly harder to get into, especially at night. But in this part of the city, almost anything goes.

It was common, in fact, to see naked furs on the street, or nearly naked, and not so common, although it still happens fairly frequently, to see fornication right on the street, or at least at the sides of buildings. While not the cleanest, more refined area of Midgard, it was much safer than you'd think, and the people know each other. Despite the drinking and the sex, you'd still be treated like one of their own, and if need be, they'd take you in. No one has any secrets and they're not ashamed to admit them; unlike the richer parts of the city, people here are very close-knit, and loving if you can believe it.

Suddenly, a small fox stumbled into the street and straight into me. He wasn't wearing any clothes. "Woah," I said, grabbing onto him. "Careful, kid."

"I'm sorry, sir," he said, lowering his head immediately. I then looked to the building where he had come from, and a mean-looking wolf appeared. I think he used to be a soldier, but was likely discharged due to his missing leg.

"You lit-le brat!" he shouted out the door. "C'mover 'ere and lemme fuck you again! Or I'll cut'cher little throat off..."

I then stood up, and like the few other furs who were standing around, they took a defensive stance, walking closer.

The young fox looked up at me. "He paid me my money," he cried, "but wouldn't let me go! He held a knife to me neck..."

I growled at the soldier.

"Eh, stripes! Gimme my boy back and nuthin'll happen..." The wolf was obviously drunk, too.

Before I could draw a weapon, though, a large lion, almost as big as me, approached from behind me and pushed past me and Keefe, rather politely I might add, and stood before the doorway; I couldn't tell what sort of building it was, but I assumed it involved yiff. The lion was only wearing his tight undergarments, looking pretty good in them too, likely interrupted from his own pleasure.

"You've had your fun, wolf, now get the fuck outta here. Yer disturbin' the peace."

"Peace my ass!" he shouted, spitting all over the lion's chest.

The lion growled and grabbed onto the wolf's unbuttoned jacket, pulling him out of the house and throwing him into the muddy street. He then walked over to him and kicked him in the gut then lifted him again. "Beat it," he said bluntly, kicking him in the ass, away from the small crowd.

The wolf barked and snarled a few times, but gradually stumbled off.

The lion then held out his paw and the small fox ran over, picking the kid up and holding him against his chest. "You can stay with me tonight," he said, looking over at another doorway with another smaller lion standing in it, smiling warmly; likely his mate. He then turned to Keefe and I. "You two new 'round here?"

We nodded.

"Your armour tells me you came in the wrong door," the lion said to Keefe.

"Aye, but I'm with the tiger."

"And you, stripes, I've seen before. Haven't seen you in years..."

"It's been a while," I said with a smile. "How're you holding up, Rit?"

The lion shrugged and put the boy down, patting his bum and suggesting he go inside. The small crowd slowly disbursed, the people going back to whatever they were doing before. "Same old shit, you know? Finding much work?"

"Not really, no. I'm doin' a freebie for some Father back at Concord, saving his flock from the King's filthy habits." I then heard a noise from Keefe.

"And what's your deal?" Rit asked Keefe.

"I'm a Holy Knight, and I'm helping our mutual friend here."

"Why do you wanna save a bunch of kids, anyway? You never really cared before."

It was those red eyes which made me agree. "One of 'em, a panther named Kai..."

Rit knew, and I didn't need to say the rest. "So you found 'the one,' eh?" the lion laughed.

I smiled. "Yeah, I think so..."

"Who'da thought, huh?"

I shrugged.

"So, you need an extra sword, stripes? 'Cause I still have all my gear, you know."

"I don't doubt it, but I think I'll be alright. My original plan was to go in alone, anyway."

"You sure? It's not like stormin' the castle's gonna be easy."

Maybe I should enlist his help. "Well..."

"Then it's settled!" he said aloud, pulling my arm back toward his home. "I'll get my gear and you can wait inside. You still haven't met Skye."

Skye, I assumed, was that other lion who took the boy fox in. The three of us gathered into Rit's home and within moments he pulled his stuff out of a small closet, it clattering to the wood floor.

"Just as organized as always, huh?"

"Quiet, you. It works for me."

I just shrugged, then eyed Skye as he and the fox came down the stairs, seeing what was going on.

"What're you doing, sweetheart?" the other lion asked. He was naked now, and still was the fox.

"I've got a mission," he said quickly, sorting through the pile of junk; not all of it was his gear.

"I thought you were done with that."

Rit stopped and turned his head. "More like helping out an old friend, hun. Don't worry, I won't be too long."

Rit, as he began to sort out his armour, quickly clothed himself with tight leather garments, like me, to prevent chafing, then slipped on his thick metal armour over his legs and his arms, and finally his chest.

Looking up at Skye, one could easily see he was very aroused. "I love you in your armour," he said quietly, making no attempts at covering his pride.

"Well, when I get back, you can bet your sweet, kitty-cat ass I won't be takin' it off."

Skye giggled and roared playfully. "Hurry along, then, sweetie."

Rit winked at his mate and grabbed his sword, then finally the three of us were off. We walked down the street in silence, save the sounds of our armour rattling, until, as usual, Keefe spoke up.

"So you two know each other?" the canine asked.

"Luca 'n I go way back, dog," he started.

"My name is Keefe."

"Right. Well anyway, Luca 'n I were mercenaries together durin' the war, when jobs were plenty. But I gave that up years ago when I met my Skye. Beautiful feline..." Rit seemed to be reminiscing.

"So you both worked for Midland, huh?"

I couldn't help but giggle, especially when Rit and I shared glances. I knew what he was thinking. "Not exactly," I said.

Rit giggled, too. "We met in Concord, of course, but the first time we ever actually worked together was on the battlefield for opposite countries."

That seemed to get Keefe's attention.

"Since we were just mercenaries, Luca and me were in the frontline in the battle for Castle

Dauldrie, one of Midland's big outposts. We saw each other from afar and sorta waved at each other before the battle started, but sure enough we both kinda met in the middle."

"So what'd you do?"

"What do you think we did?" Rit continued. "We fought."

"It was a little strange at first," I told the dog, "but we got used to it pretty quick. That was back when I used Crusher, which is similar to Rit's sword now. Anyway, the two of us were pretty evenly matched, and the rest of the soldiers knew, I think, that whoever won, won Dauldrie."

"Eventually our pawpads got sore," Rit cut in, getting excited, "to the point where we couldn't even hold our swords. So then teeth and claws were swingin' madly around, punchin' and kickin'... That was a fight to remember, I tell ya."

Keefe appeared amazed, which was kinda cute. "So who won?"

I didn't like to admit it, but I had lost that fight. I don't know what it was -- whether it was his beautiful blue eyes, or if I was just over powered -- but I'd reached a point where I just couldn't continue. The only time in my life where I'd ever fallen.

"I won," Rit said proudly. "Yup. Maldad won the battle for Dauldrie and the Midland forces were drawn back. After a prompt celebration, though, Luca 'n I met again in Concord, and I sorta helped him lick his wounds."

The lion smiled sweetly at me, and I smiled back. "At the time, we sorta hung out at Concord a lot, and one night when we were really drunk -- or maybe it was just me -- the two of us..." I could tell I was blushing.

"We made out," the lion said proudly again.

"Ah..." Keefe said uncomfortably. "But...didn't you say Blade was your first?"

I giggled. "He was. About a week after me and Rit made out, that being all we did, I was offered a big job back in Midland, and for years and years we didn't see each other. But after the Brutes disbanded, I was back doing the mercenary thing, and sure enough my lion was there..."

Rit murred. "Yup. We were probably the sorriest looking mercs there, if you can believe it, and soon enough we caught glances. I hardly recognized the filthy-looking tiger at first, all shabby and dishevelled... But I knew it was him."

"After a warm embrace," I went on, "we caught up and after a few more drinks..." I was blushing even more, I think.

After a bit of a pause, Rit finally continued. "We fucked harder than we swung our swords."

That comment, although making me giggle, took Keefe aback.

"It was...amazing. I mean, I was totally overpowered by the lion, and I didn't mind one bit."

"I find that hard to believe, considering your reputation on the battlefield," Keefe commented.

"Well, what can I say? Although it could've been the liquor, I did not have the strength to take 'im."

"He was under my complete control," Rit said devilishly. "That night, though, was so passionate... I was rammin' him like I was trying to rend his body in two, and he cried like a little bitch."

He didn't have to mention that part.

"Until, after all those years, I finally got to pump him full of my sweet, sweet lion juice. And if I recall...you creamed all over yer stripy self, too."

I just shrugged. "It was flowin' like a fountain..."

"Thanks," Keefe interrupted, "for all the images."

"That's when I got this," I said with a smile, holding the right side of my lip, where that visible scar was; the one Kai was so fond of.

Rit laughed. "Oh yeah, I remember that. Guess I was a little rough on the tiger, huh?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

The three of us were drawing much closer to the castle walls now, feeling strangely calm. We were out of the slummy part of the city now, walking the cobblestone road quite casually. It was the only way we could avoid suspicion, anyway, any more than we already were. I was trying to remember, though, where the sewer was that Blade and I had used. It had been so long...plus I was usually already drunk.

"So how're we gettin' into the castle?" Rit finally asked. He was never really one for plans, and neither was I, for that matter.

"We're going through the sewer," Keefe said, in sort of a disgusted tone.

"But I can't remember...where the hatch is..." I said, looking about. I was certain we were close to it, but at the same time I had no idea. "It was near some bushes, I think...but maybe not."

"There's some bushes over there," Keefe pointed, at the side of an inn.

"Worth a shot," I commented, the three of us heading quickly in that direction. There were a few guards wandering about, but most just avoided us. Finally we reached the bushes and tried, as casually as we could, to look around for a drain or hatch leading downward, but we were so far out of luck. It was so dark out, too, especially behind these buildings. I remembered, vaguely, having to stick close to Blade when we left the sewer...so it must have been someplace dark. Perhaps even...

I walked closer toward the back of the inn, toward the castle wall, until my footpaw fell upon something cold; something metallic. I promptly bent down and felt around the bush and the moss, finally finding some sort of grip, and I pulled excitedly. "Over here," I said quietly, lifting the gated hatch to the sewer. I quickly jumped in, instantly regretting that choice. Although the sewers were thoroughly waterlogged, the stench of furry waste was still potent in the bricks and the mortar.

I heard two splashes behind me and looked forward, quickly realizing just how deep, dark, and perilous this sewer was. Suddenly I was frozen, petrified with fear. Unable to move, I could feel my heart pounding heavily beneath my armour, certain my friends could hear it, too. I was shaking uncontrollably, until finally I felt a paw squeeze against mine; it was a loving paw. I turned and could see, from the dim torchlight barely pouring through the small openings, a friendly smile from the Great Dane.

"You're among friends," he simply said, taking the lead.

"Th-thank you..." I said quietly, almost ashamedly.

"C'mon, then" Rit said from behind me, giving me a bit of a shove. He knew of my affliction well, and I knew it frustrated him to a certain extent. And yet he was an understanding lion; patient and caring...usually.

Paw-in-paw with the Knight, together we continued through the wet, rank-smelling sewer, on our way to the castle.

In what seemed like an eternity of wading through furry refuse, finally we reached beyond the castle walls and within its eerie perimeters, which was sheer guesswork on my part. With a bit of a boost, I was the first out of that God-forsaken corridor and trying my damnedest to rid my fur of that stench. When we were all up, we looked around the dark basement chambers, quickly realizing this is where we could likely end up; the dungeon.

Chains and restraints lay scattered across the floor and hung from the ceiling, as well as many bloodied and lying upon the tables. By appearances alone, however, it seemed as if this particular chamber hadn't been used in some time, or rather, the three of us were now alone. A set of stone stairs at the end of the dark, nasty chamber appeared to be the only way out.

"So where the hell do we go from here?" Rit asked quietly.

"I have no idea," I answered.

"What? Are you serious? Do you even know where the boys are held?"

"N-not exactly..."

Rit now took a more irritated stance. "I went into this thinking you had at least some idea what the hell we're doing."

"I know what we're doing, I just...don't know where."

Rit shook his head, annoyed. "What kind of stupidity would bring one to storm a King's castle without a clue of where to go, huh?"

"Well," I started. However the heated lion interrupted me.

"This is just like you, isn't it, stripes. You go ass-first into situations you know nothing about, swinging that god damned sword of yours and not thinking for a second to ask questions. Now I'm stuck with you, liable to get my fucking head cut off!"

"Calm down," I shouted back, as quietly as I could. "Neither of us is gonna get killed."

"It's fucking Stormbringer all over again, isn't it, stripes. This is why I left this mercenary shit behind, because of you."

I had spent years of my life with this lion, loving him like no other, and for him to blame his retirement from the mercenary life solely on me... I was starting to get angry. He, too, had an incredible temper, which took a lot to bring out of him. Apparently breaking into a frighteningly dark castle with almost no plan whatsoever was one of those things. Needless to say, it took great restraint to stop myself from knocking him out cold.

"I have half a mind to just head back, and let you cower here in the dark."

That did it. I suddenly found myself crying out, with tears in my eyes, swinging wildly at my former lover. I could hear Keefe shouting, trying to break us up, but he wouldn't. The lion, despite his size, avoided my attacks fairly easily, both of us growling and snarling at each other. Finally I felt a hard, metal foot strike me across the face, and I stumbled to the left, into a table.

The metal restraints clattered together and banged to the floor, and I simply took another swing, missing just barely. But like a spring, I swung again with my other fist, landing a punch square in Rit's jaw.

Rit, however, countered much faster than I'd anticipated, as seconds later I found myself flattened to the cold, stone floor, blood gushing from my nose. Before I could get up, the lion pounced on me and struck me in the face, but before he could strike again his mighty fist was restrained by a desperate Knight. All three of us were breathing heavily.

"This is madness!" Keefe cried, trying hard to prevent Rit from striking another blow. "What the hell's gotten into you two?"

The two of us growled and slowly calmed down.

"We're not gonna save anybody if you two keep this shit up. What the fuck is wrong with you?"

I think that was the first time I heard Keefe swear.

"H-he expects us...to save the King's pleasure-boys...in totally uncharted territory?"

"Like you haven't done the same."

"I can't say that I fucking have," Rit exclaimed.

"Stormbringer was your damned idea to begin with," I said, still breathing heavily. "Neither of us knew where the Duke's daughter was, nor did the asshole who hired us. Suppose if I was paying you for this, we'd be halfway to the King's bedchambers by now..."

Rit sighed heavily pulled his arm away from the dog, finally getting off me. "I guess," he said, holding his paw out to me, "that's not the only reason why I stopped doing this shit..."

I grabbed his paw and he helped me to my footpaws, still holding on a bit. His face moved closer to mine before he spoke.

"I guess a lot of it was...not wantin' to see you get hurt...'cause o' my poor planin'... And I wanted to spend my life with you."

Now I sighed, feeling some regret. I'd broken things off with the lion not only because of his ability to suddenly snap, but because as far as my work was concerned, he was holding me back. "I...I'm sorry..." I said, lowering my head. I then felt a reassuring lick on my cheek, then several more, cleaning up the mess on my face.

"You had good reason to leave me, stripes... And for better or for worse, we've both long since moved on. Now...let's go rescue those damn kids."

With that, Rit walked past Keefe and I, toward the stone steps. He was stopped partway, however, by the opening of a door. Light suddenly shone down the steps, and slowly a creature emerged. Momentarily stunned, the three of us plastered ourselves against the wall adjacent to the door, which was above us, so as to give us enough time to assess the situation. Already I had my paw on Kraftig, and we just waited.

Within moments, though, we were somewhat relieved to see but a boy-servant, rather than the dungeon's master. Slowly I approached the boy, whose back was now to me -- he was scrubbing the blood off the table -- with my knife drawn. And before he could take another stroke, I had the boy in a headlock, knife to his throat.

"Make a fucking noise and it'll be your last," I said quickly and harshly.

The boy barely put up a fight. He instead dropped the scrubber and leaned back against me, trembling. "What do you want?" he said eerily calmly.

"Tell me where the King keeps his servants. His new ones."

"H-he received a new group...not more than a full day ago."

It would seem this boy was going to be very cooperative, with or without being threatened. I cautiously sheathed my knife and backed away from the young cougar, getting down on a knee to look him in the eyes, which were completely devoid of life. "Go on..."

"The new ones...are held beyond the King's chambers, and beyond prying eyes."

"That door Carmine was talking about?" Keefe suggested.

I nodded. "Probably." Then back to the boy, "Can you tell us where the new boys are now? Or how to get there?"

"There is a door with a demon face... Through there, the castle becomes a twisted mass of stone and plants. In the centre is where we were taken -- my lot -- and where the King performs upon us...unspeakable acts."

"Where is this demon door?" I inquired further. I was disturbed, almost, at how easily the boy complied. The King was going to pay for doing this to them.

"At the furthest end of the castle, on the main floor. Most halls eventually lead to it..."

That was all the information I needed. Satisfied, I slowly stood, patting the boy gently on the shoulder. "Thank you a thousand times, couger."

"Rin," he said.

"Rin?"

"My name is Rin. I will be released from this castle in a week's time, as I have been replaced by a few younger than me."

I wasn't sure how to reply.

"I don't want to live with the others."

"What others?"

"The ones in Bolt. That is where we are sent when our time with the King is served."

"Explains the lifelessness," Keefe commented. Suddenly that whole village started to make sense; the kids who either grew too old or were otherwise useless to the King were thrown into that village to live out the rest of their lives. Seemed kinda obvious, in retrospect.

"Please," Rin begged, "take me with you... The others have resigned themselves to their duties, but...I no longer with to live this life."

It was then I noticed long, straight scars against Rin's little wrists; I guess a brush with Death could also help take the life out of ones eyes.

"All right," I said, holding out a paw. "You can come with us, and when we rescue the others, we'll take you with us."

A small tear formed in Rin's eyes, and he followed along closely.

Admittedly, I figured we could also use his help navigating the area of the castle that I had accidentally stumbled into once upon a time.

"The castle sees very little activity this late into the night," Rin said, now being carried in Keefe's arms. He couldn't have been too much older than Kai; fourteen or fifteen years old.

The four of us slowly, and often times very cautiously, made our way through the halls and courtyards of this massive castle, just barely avoiding detection countless times. Avoided, however, because of Rin's help. Although still very young, it would seem he, contrary to the other boys, was sent on errands all around the castle, at any and all hours of the day; he knew this place well.

Although it had been many years, the castle was not much different than I remember. The courtyards were still grassy and filled with leafy trees, which we observed from the covered walkway leading past it, and the ivy grew even more abundant, contrast to the ivy on Midgard's outermost walls. The architecture, of course, hadn't changed one iota, save a few cracks here and there. Inside the castle the halls were dark, lit only by torchlight, and eerie, which I would imagine were vastly different during the day, as light would shine through the brilliant glass windows.

Finally the four of us arrived at the so-called demon doors; two large, crafted-metal doors in an impressive, deadly-looking archway. The stonework, even, appeared arcane in some ways, or rather the etchings did, and one may even wager pagan in origin. The doors themselves, a pair of heavy double-doors, closed to create a single image of an undefinable demon, with fiery patterns surrounding it. It was no wonder this set of doors required its own separate antechamber, kept separate from the rest of the "normal" castle by a modest wood door.

"I...I am not sure how to gain entrance," Rin finally admitted, and I heard Rit sigh in annoyance.

Just as Keefe put the boy down, I sighed as well, however more out of thought. "How does the King get in here?"

"I do not know," Rit said. "I have never followed him in, but have only observed this demon door from behind that one. It has always appeared to just open for him."

I tried the door, but it was definitely stuck, or locked at least.

"Well now what the fuck are we gonna do? Are you sure the kids are in there?"

"I am certain. That is were all newcomers go."

"Well," Keefe started, "there's got to be a way in."

"Of course there's got to be a way in," Rit said, still annoyed. I never could enjoy the lion when he got like this.

After a long silence, finally Rit spoke up. "Gimme your sword, stripes."

"Huh?"

"Your sword, lemme have it."

"Why?"

"'Cause I just thought of a way in."

I unlatched Kraftig and set the end down, holding it out to my friend. "You can see it, so long as you don't--"

Before I could finish that thought, Rit swung and slammed my sword into the metal door, creating a hell of a noise, but also creating one hell of a dent.

"Are you mad?" Keefe shouted, covering his ears. "You'll wake up the entire castle!"

"I'm not gonna stand here," the powerful lion said, taking another swing, "contemplatin' the meaning of life," then another, "like you two. I'm gonna," he continued, taking a final swing, "get us the fuck in there."

Just as my sword struck the doors again, the ornate metal slabs burst open, as if struck by a cannon. Feeling very pleased with himself, and also fairly exhausted, Rit handed me my sword back and the four of us promptly, if not extraordinarily cautiously, walked into the room.

The first chamber beyond the demon doors was very unique, indeed. The entire floor of the room was covered in grass and moss, and a small stream seemed to split the room diagonally in two. A few trees, too, grew in this room, despite the obvious lack of windows, although some very unusual glowing orbs floated aimlessly around the room, perhaps providing them with the nourishment they would otherwise not get.

"What...kind of castle is this?" Keefe asked no one in particular.

Although the walls were still stone, as well as the passageways leading out of this room, the floor was very thoroughly grass and dirt, although some stones did protrude. The phrase "enchanted forest," seemed to be the only that came to mind, crammed between castle walls.

When we walked in, the sounds of crickets and small animals could be heard echoing though the chambers, even though we couldn't see any. Walking single-file through the short passageway, the next chamber was very much the same as this, except with a large hanging wood structure above us, flowers and vines dangling down. The large wood platform was hanging from chains from the ceiling, which was very high up, and above this dangling flowerbed several more of those steaming, glowing orbs floated.

"It's kinda cool, in a creepy forest sort of way..." Rit said to himself.

None of this seemed familiar to me, when I was last in and around these parts. Torches still lit up the chambers and hallways, though, and there were few guards; the ones that we saw we avoided easily between some wild bushes and bizarre pillars of rock. What was most striking about this section of the castle was the seemingly ceaseless ambient noise, a sort of humming, which grew louder the further in we travelled. Despite the strangeness of these inside chambers, we walked through, mostly aimlessly, without interruption. At least, not until we entered what I assumed was the inner-most chamber, outside of which the four of us stood in awe.

This chamber, circular in design, was, like the rest, grassy and filled with various forest life. However, a stone-rimmed moat ran around a dark, overbearing stone tower, seeming to erect from the water. It ran up high, possibly sticking right out of the ceiling, and there was only a few entrances, only one on our level. Much higher up the tower one could clearly see an eerie red glow coming from through the tiger-sized windows, and all sorts of strange noises. It was creepy to say the least. And between the windows, four I assumed, were lengths of black chain, it appeared, curving up and attaching to the inward-sloping walls, the purpose of which I could only imagine. However what got my attention the most was the two huge stone statues standing outside the entrance to this tower, plus the four guards lining the small arched bridge over the moat. The most striking thing about these enormous statues, though, was not their bizarre, almost grotesque appearance, but how lifelike they were. I felt if I walked too close, they would suddenly come to life and crush me, as crazy as that sounds.

"What're we gonna do?" Keefe whispered.

"How should I know?" I said.

Then Rit spoke up, in all his brilliance, "We could jus' kill 'em."

When he said that, though, it sounded more and more like a good idea the longer we thought about it.

"What choice do we have?" Keefe shrugged.

"For a Holy Knight, that's not very holy," I pointed out needlessly.

"The longer we stand here, the more likely it is we'll get caught and have to fight them anyway," the Great Dane argued. "So why not just get it done and over with?"

"The dog's got a point," Rit said. "We gotta get through there one way or another. Besides, since when are you one to turn down a fight?"

"I'm not turning it down," I said, "so much as I am trying to figure out all our options."

"Yeah, and our options are pretty damn limited, stripes. Besides, you could take down three times those many guys without breakin' a sweat."

I noticed Keefe nodding out of the corner of my eyes, and I sighed.

"C'mon, Nosferatu," Rit went on, "quit bein' such a softie."

"Don't call me that," I told the lion. "And I'm not being a softie."

"You could tear this whole castle apart if you wanted to," Rit continued. "Why not let that demon out for just a minute? Show those bastards who's in charge."

"For God's sake, Rit... I don't fight like that anymore." I then heard a noise come from Keefe, and again I sighed.

Rit was looking at us, no doubt starting to realize something like that had happened, and recently. "All right," he said, stepping away from us, closer into the arched doorway. "I'll just go it alone. I can take 'em."

Suddenly, before I could persuade the lion from stepping any further out, all four of us jumped at the sound of an alerted guard.

"Who the hell are you?" one of them cried, causing all four to turn and draw their weapons.

"Uh," was all Rit thought to say. "The messenger?"

"You don't look like any messenger I've ever seen," that same one said again, the four starting to move closer; I could hear their armour clanging around as they stepped.

"Well then I must be a killer," Rit said, drawing his sword and dashing forward.

"God damn it," I cursed, turning the corner with a paw on Kraftig. Just as one guard fell by Rit's Dragon Slayer, his larger-than-normal sword, I detached mine and cried out as it swung downward, cutting a guard nearly in two and slamming hard into the grassy, rocky floor, chunks of earth flying all over. I could still hear the guard crying out in pain as he lost massive amounts of blood at once, but without wasting any time I pulled Kraftig from the floor and swung it around, completely demolishing the remaining two guards, and just barely missing Rit's head.

"Watch it!" the lion roared, falling to his rump, as the entrails and gore of the final two guards showered down on us. Luckily I was wearing my cloak, so it didn't appear so easily. Rit, however, wasn't so lucky. Just then, as the noise of dying furs finally ceased, Keefe and Rin came shakily from around the corner.

I approached Rit and extended a paw, quickly helping the feline to his footpaws.

"Just like old times, eh?" he said with a bit of a giggle. "Not that this needs sayin', but I'll betcha the King's in that tower. So who's goin' first?"

"Well, you went head-first into an outnumbered fight, so why not do the honour?" I suggested.

Rit grinned proudly. "I'd love to."

We all followed as Rit crossed triumphantly over the bridge, all of us stopping suddenly as we heard a cracking noise, then froze as it continued and a bit of rumbling started.

"Wh-what the hell..?" Keefe said to no one.

Then suddenly, something from the corner of my eye. "Rit, watch out!" It was too late; the lion had been struck hard and thrown away from the bridge and crashed into the stone wall behind him. Looking up, the remainder of us backed off quickly as those two monstrous statues stepped away from the wall, as if finally free from their restraints.

"I knew it!" I cried, grabbing Rin and dashing toward the exit of the room. "Stay here, got it?" I commanded frantically, then turned back to the stone monsters, sword tight in my paw.

"Th-this...is not one of God's creatures..."

"What the fuck is going on?" I said, watching at the farthest end of the round room as these beasts finally freed themselves from their stone encasement, moving toward the three of us; Rit had barely managed to get up and drag himself toward us.

"How is this possible?" Rit asked, rubbing his shoulder.

"I have heard stories," Keefe quickly explained, "of unholy Elemental beings, created by those called Adepts, masters of the arcane. Although they don--" The canine was suddenly cut off as one of these so-called Elementals began to charge, and we scattered.

I jumped to the right of the beast, pulling Keefe down with me, noticing Rit hadn't the strength to completely dodge. "Fuck!" I spat, watching his body go limp.

"Keefe," I said, pulling the dog up, "get the kid far from here and let me take care of them."

"You can't handle these yourself," he started, but was quickly cut off by another attack, which we managed to just barely avoid.

"Go, now!" I barked, showing my teeth. I was not kidding around.

Finally the dog agreed and took off, leaving me and what I hoped was just an unconscious Rit in this round chamber. I stood up, Kraftig still tight in my paw, and jumped backward, avoiding what looked like either a huge stone hammer, or a huge stone fist. I had no idea how to destroy these unholy beasts of nature, but if they fell like anything how I imagined, I would destroy them with several powerful swings of my sword.

I jumped to the right again, dodging another attack, and ran back. These things were surprisingly fast in their attacks, but slow moving. Logic told me to disarm the bastards first, but how? No doubt my blade would hold out against stone, but if I didn't swing hard or fast enough, I'll end up like my friend.

There was only one way to find out how to kill these freaks, and so I ran forward, Kraftig trailing behind my right shoulder ready to swing forward. Keeping up with this momentum, I swung my blade as hard as I could over my shoulder, just barely meeting the enemy's massive fist.

A huge chunk exploded from where Kraftig had struck, however it didn't slow the monster down. Although it could have easily been the second one, I was suddenly struck in the chest with an extremely powerful attack, sending me flying back and skidding through the grass and dirt until the wall stopped me; lucky for me, my head missed the wall. Groaning, I shakily got up, quickly realizing Kraftig was still stuck inside the giant fist of the beast I attacked, which didn't hinder its movements.

"What the fuck..." I said to myself, coming to my senses. I knew I was fast, and it was quickly becoming clear that may be the only way to defeat these things. That thought, however, disappeared instantly when I noticed a bunch of vines grow upward into the monster's fist, covering it in dirt and rock until it was totally regenerated, now more of my sword stuck inside of it.

Just then, a small vine started to inch up my footpaw and I kicked it away, tearing it from the ground, then heard one of the beasts cry out. Starting to get an idea, I ran quickly toward the beasts, taking an immediate dash to the left as the closer monster, the one with my sword, swung downward with a rocky roar, thrusting Kraftig into the ground. Seeming stuck for a moment, I ran forward and up its arm, suddenly slamming my one armoured arm down into what I assumed was its head, cracking it at least. The Elemental cried out in what I assumed was pain, finally pulling its arm from the earth.

Suddenly to my left, I caught an attack from the corner of my eye and so leapt up frantically, getting much delight in seeing an enormous chunk of the first beast blown to pieces, after landing gracefully on my front of course. I got up and scurried away as fast as I could, so as to assess my situation.

The Elemental with my sword shook for a moment, but regained its composure, turning around slowly. It stood still, however, as vines and rocks climbed its leg and started to rebuild its main body, which gave me an opening. I ran forward with all my strength, paw on my knife, for whatever good it would do, and leapt up, avoiding the attack from the so far untouched Elemental, and drove my knife as deep inside the beast as I could, finding that totally useless. Before I could regret that decision, though, I was promptly smacked off and I tumbled and rolled to a stop. It took mere moments, however, to realize just how much damage that had done, as my chest was in severe pain. I could feel my warm blood oozing down my chin, and yet somehow I still managed to stand. And I was starting to get pissed.

As I watched the one monster slowly regenerate itself, the situation seeming futile, the other came charging full-force, giving me little time to move. I just barely jumped out of the way, not nearly far enough to avoid the other stumbling clumsily forward and smashing its sword-stuck arm, more like a club, into my back. I cried out in pain as my black armour cracked and smashed into my back, crushing me. Again and again I was struck, barely even able to make a noise, much less stand. It would seem this was one enemy I just couldn't best. But still... Something inside me kept me conscious, a feeling I had felt many times before in my life.

Just as the damaged Elemental raised its fist to strike me again, my bloody eyes seemed to burst open, feeling re-energized. My body was in constant, broken pain, however as I focussed on that physical distress, I found my second wind. Mere moments before I was struck again, I cried out in agony, paws clasped, and using my armoured forearm, slammed my swinging arms into the rocky fist, knocking the beast back a little. Growling malevolently, I stood up, my body in searing pain, and roared loudly as I punched the beast again. I could feel the flesh on my knuckles tearing as I struck its rocky surface, but I had the upper hand now; I had to continue. Nothing would stop me now.

I struck the monster again and again with my paws and as it stumbled, I gripped tightly onto Kraftig and pulled away. It was stuck good, but I was too close at this point. Bloody and dirty, my paws gripped tighter on my sword as I pulled again, muscles burning from overuse. However, with one final pull, I felt my blade slowly slip free, as well as the Elemental's rocky flesh tearing and crumbling, dirt pouring out where blood would be. With the earthen blood now coating my stinging, bloody paws, I bared my teeth and growled almost evilly, finally retrieving my blade with gory, rocky results. The dirt-blood and guts splattered all over my face and my chest and arms as the beast cried out in agony, and I felt alive. This feeling...it felt so good. I hadn't felt this kind of zeal in a long time, and as the warm, filthy blood coated my fur, gently caressing my face, I quickly remembered how I had earned that nickname. Pushing that thought aside, I grinned devilishly and raised my sword over my shoulder, roaring primally as I ran forward, swinging Kraftig downward. In a single, final cut, the arcane guardian was cleaved in two, long ropes of deep brown earth spraying and oodling out onto the grass.

Now bathing in this monster's "blood," nothing could stop me. Seconds later, I snarled and turned, swinging my sword around and upward, slicing a huge scar in the second one's chest and face, and again the bastard stumbled. Keeping up with my pace, I ran forward, my tired muscles managing to bring my sword upward then down again, striking the Elemental square in the face. The beast just stood there, as if stunned, its face cleaved in two by my mighty sword. Leaving Kraftig jammed in there for a moment, enjoying the sight of its oozing dirt running slowly down the edges of my sword, I started to laugh.

It started off as a slight giggle, but quickly turned into wicked, almost hysterical laughter. That was cut short, though, as I was struck again in the chest, falling hard onto my back; Kraftig was with me this time. I snarled and shook it off, getting to my footpaws. Sword in paw, I ran to my left, to avoid another attack, and struck the beast in the back, slicing a significant gash down its back. With my sword now stuck in the ground, I looked up through my squinty, evil eyes, and quickly punched upward, stumbling back a bit but still having contested an attack. Punch after flesh-biting punch, I continued for a moment defending myself in such a manner, until I found an opening; I dashed forward with my knife in-paw and, sliding under a downward-swinging fist, jammed the small blade into the side of the monster's knee, leaving the weapon in there. As the Elemental cried out, I turned on my back and slammed my foot into the knife, splitting the knee. I struck once more and finally blew the knee out, dirty blood spraying all over my legs. Before I could enjoy the feeling of being coated in its warm life force, I quickly realized this beast was seconds away from falling on top of me.

Scrambling like a madman, I got away with only my left leg being crushed. I cried out in agonizing pain, feeling at the very least one of my bones shattering. Pulling hard, it was clear I would not free myself this way. Turning a bit, I suddenly looked deep into the eyes of the beast, the glowing orb seeming to ease my tension. Seconds later, though, my eyes gaze turned to the enormous cleft down the centre of it's face, and as if on instinct, both paws grabbed either side of the rocky face. With all my might, I pulled and pulled on both sides, trying to force the wound wider. The beast roared in harrowing pain and scrambled mercilessly as its face was slowly torn apart. Breathing heavily and roaring along with the monster, my muscles burned for relief, but they would find none. Finally, as if in a final burst of vicious strength, I managed rip the Elemental's face in two separate, bloody parts, my arms falling away from each other with both halves in grip. Slowly the monster's bitter cries turned into muddy, bloody gurgles and then silence.

Breathing heavily and thoroughly coated in Elemental blood, or perhaps just plain mud, I rest my body, arms spread, barely able to move. Slowly, though, the rocks began to crumble and my leg was now free, however I still found it impossible to move. Finally opening my eyes, I was greeted with the worried face of a Great Dane and a young cougar; their faces seemed more frightened than worried, however. I just looked up at them with a relieved smile, closing my eyes again.

When they finally reopened, I found I had been propped up against a wall and this time Rit was alive and seemingly well, despite his bandaged head. He, Rin, and Keefe all looked at me, wearing faces of fright and concern.

"You alright?" Rit finally asked.

"Y-yeah..." It hurt a little to talk.

"Nosferatu..." Keefe commented. "Never thought I'd see it with my own eyes. Truly terrifying..."

"You did in Bolt..."

The dog shook his head. "It was nothing like this."

I just frowned and looked away, toward Rin. He was just sorta sticking behind Keefe, keeping his distance. And Rit was just holding my paw.

"In all fairness," the lion said in my defence, "his psychotic bloodlust saved all our asses."

Psychotic bloodlust? Rit was always good and getting straight to the point.

"Think you can stand?" the feline asked, tugging on my paw a bit.

"Yeah, I think so..." Slowly I stood, and despite my broken leg, I had suffered through worse. I wobbled a bit toward the tower entrance, with a bit of help, but with an extremely painful limp, I managed on my own; a quiet growl squeezed through my teeth with each step, even more so with Kraftig attached to my back.

"You sure you're okay?" Keefe asked, quickly figuring out my leg wasn't just badly bruised.

"He's fine," Rit said. "On the battlefield, he used to fight off dozens of men with a thousand arrows stickin' out of him."

"I doubt that much," Keefe rolled his eyes. "If you're walking, though, I doubt it's broken, so that's good."

Okay, so maybe my leg wasn't broken, but it still hurt like a bitch.

The four of us finally got inside the tower and were somewhat surprised to see it was actually a house for an enormous, downward-spiralling stone staircase, a huge, seemingly endless hole in the middle. And, of course, no railing. The odd, ambient noise was clearly coming from below, though. What the hell was down there?

We all slowly walked onto the stairs, taking a look down the hole before continuing along with surprisingly no interruptions; it was just a huge staircase.

"Why on earth would the King need a place like this in his castle?" Keefe said to no one in particular. "Is it some kind of dungeon, I wonder? Or torture chamber?"

When I thought about it, though, this section of the castle really was mystifying. Beyond those so-called demon doors, the castle very quickly turned pagan-ish; trees and plants and fuzzy animals and the like. And although this staircase was simply a dark, dank, dungeon-like staircase, it had a particular pagan atmosphere about it, or an aura or something. Just a sense of something mystical or arcane wafted up from the chambers below, something that chilled you right to the bone.

"What the hell is that noise?" Rit asked rhetorically. "I've been hearin' it since I busted down those doors."

We all sort of looked toward Rin, though we could tell he didn't know.

Finally reaching the bottom, the tension rising, the four of us simultaneously noticed the heavy wood door on the opposite side of where the steps ended.

I peered through the small, gated hole in the door, noticing just how huge the chamber was; long stone pillars held up what I could only assume from here was impressive stone-vaulted ceilings, plus the deep red glow of the room appeared to stretch back into darkness. Just what I needed... Besides the size of the strange chamber, most noticeable was the shady, cloaked figure performing some sort of ritual around what I assumed was an altar of some kind, and possibly blood smeared all over it. I couldn't see much from here, but I did manage to catch a glimpse of a few young bodies, at least, standing naked around the altar, as well as several skull-laden staffs hanging out of tightly woven baskets before I was shoved out of the way by Rit.

"What's goin' on in there?" he asked impatiently, now staring into the room. "Holy shit... Who the fuck is that guy? Are...those the kids?"

"I don't know, I didn't get a good enough look," I replied, annoyed. I assumed that was them, and could only think of one course of action.

"Does any of this seem familiar to you?" Keefe asked Rin, lifting him to the hole in the door.

The boy just stared through the door, frozen; probably a "yes." Slowly he nodded. "Th-the red... I remember the red. And that man...he did something to us. I...I don't know what, but it changed us... Changed them."

"You mean...the yiff?" Keefe asked cautiously.

Rin, surprisingly, shook his head. "Before that... He spoke in some language and touched us all over... Afterwards, there wasn't much disagreeing with what he said, or what he wanted, and soon, one-by-one, he fucked us and we were sent up to the King's chambers, where our duties began..."

Suddenly, the kid was cut off by a loud crying from within the blood-red chamber, and I shoved the Dane out of the way. Peering through, I saw someone shove a boy into a cage then quickly depart, revealing it was that of my dear panther. In that instant, I was filled with incredible rage. I growled deeply, that pain in my leg almost gone now, and prepared my sword.

"Woah, what're you doin'?" Rit asked. "You just bustin' in there?"

I whipped my head toward the lion, the fierce intensity no doubt getting across. As I unhooked my sword, the three backed off and I stood back. Just as I looked up through the small hole, I realized I had somehow caught the dancer's gaze, and that was my cue to attack. I cried out and with all my strength, rammed the thick door with my sword, busting through easily and heading straight toward the hooded fur. The bastard leaped out of the way, but I skidded to a stop and with straining muscles I twisted by body and swung my massive blade, knocking the pagan shit back into a pillar.

"Luca!" Kai cried from within the cage, tears running down his face. "They took me from Calix and then blindfolded me and put me in here..."

"I'm gonna get you outta there, bud..." I looked around frantically for the lock, and upon finding it, smashed it again and again with my knife.

"You're interrupting a very important ceremony," the hooded figure said, pulling back his hood. And much to my, and everyone else's, surprise, it was the King of Midland, slowly approaching with a staff in his paw.

"I'm taking these kids back," I told the royal ram. "I made a promise to the Father that I'd bring back his flock."

The other kids, who were all naked and chained together by their metal collars, stood far back, shivering and afraid. Kai's brother was among them.

The King growled. "I knew you'd be coming, tiger, and I knew what you were doing."

"Then this shouldn't be any surprise."

The ram shook his head. "It isn't. Unfortunately for you, there is no stopping me. Your caged friend here has the brand, you see, on his hip. The boy and I are bound by fate, much like your being here."

I just scoffed; brand, my ass. "I'm not a big believer in fate."

"Believer or not," the King continued, inching closer, "fate is the one constant in this world. It is what guides us all and determines our roles in this mortal realm. There is no escaping our fate."

I just held up my sword, pointing it toward the King. I didn't care whether or not this was treason; I was going to save my panther.

The King, however, just chucked and raised his free paw. I could hear him uttering some inaudible words, then as he traced a pattern with his finger, a strange, fiery red glow was traced into the air. "I have more power than you think, tiger. Allow me to demonstrate." With that, the King thrust his paw forward, blowing the symbol away like sand and just as he did, his paw set on fire. Taken aback, he whipped his paw forward, throwing one of those fireballs at me.

With barely any time to react, I just barely dodged, feeling the intense heat pass under my arm and singe my fur. When I looked back up, he had already thrown a few at my friends then drew another ancient symbol in the air, this one green, and then a rumbling all around. Just as I got to my footpaws, though, I heard the stone floor crack and large vines suddenly burst upward, wrapping quickly and tightly around my legs, crawling up my body.

The vines ventured under my armour and clothes, constricting me tightly and eventually lifting me off the floor, as well as the others. Slowly, the vines poked out of my armour and began to diligently unhook and unstrap my armour, gradually being stripped naked. Again, the same was happening with the other three. "What the fuck is this?" I cried madly. I hated nothing more that being bound uselessly like this, especially on the battlefield; Rit being the only exception.

"Just a few elemental runes I employed to disarm you. I admit, tiger, I do not compare to you in physical strength, but when it comes to the powers of the arcane, I reign supreme."

I struggled as hard as I could, but soon enough I was disarmed and stripped of all my clothes, then was lined up close to the altar, forced to watch the King perform his sick ritual.

The ram stood with his back to us, laying his staff flat on the stone tablet. "The Prophecy of the Ancient Ones dictates that in order to link our worlds, one must extract the souls of six hundred, sixty-six innocents, then release the amalgamated spirits by spilling the blood of the Branded. It's pretty simple, actually, if you get the timing right. The moon and the stars are aligned perfectly, and so this will mark the day of Their dark rule."

"The Ancient Ones?" Keefe said somewhat mockingly. "No one has believed in them for centuries, and those who do are just fanatics. You don't honestly believe there is another dark world beyond this one, do you?"

The King chuckled. "You Holy Seers are such simple-minded creatures... I am Their Dark Liaison. I am Their only link to this world, and soon I will tear open a rift between this mortal realm and Theirs, high above the castle, and Their Unholy Darkness will spread across Midland. This city will burn, tiger, and I promise you won't live long enough to see its destruction."

"That's it?" I cried out, ignoring this threats. "This is your excuse for killing those kids?"

"I never once took their lives, tiger."

I scoffed again. "You know what I mean. All you do is kidnap these sweet, innocent kids from their homes and rape them, and this is the best excuse you could come up with? Blame it on the 'ancient ones,' huh? Yeah, you got some nifty tricks, but all you are is a sick, old bastard who can't quite cut it with a real bedmate." Despite my severe rage, I had no idea if taunting the King would work. It did something, anyway, as all he did to respond was start laughing like a madman.

"You stupid, stupid tiger!" he shouted, turning around, another flame in his paw. "You have no idea exactly what you stepped into here, but I guarantee you, I am going to enjoy the look on your face when I tear your boy apart and unleash the souls from the Altar. But more than that, I'm going to enjoy seeing you get torn limb from limb by my Dark Masters." Just then, the King thrust his paw into my chest, burning me.

I cried out in desperate pain, struggling madly to free myself, as well as my friends. I could hear Kai screaming from within the cage, thrashing about.

Finally the King pulled his paw back, breathing heavily, and regained his composure.

I just groaned and twitched a little, the stench of burnt fur nauseating. Looking up and to my right, I quickly realized I may have gotten here too late, as the boys, whom I'd only now started paying closer attention to, already appeared abused and lifeless. Most noticeably was the tall, thin panther, likely the oldest, who appeared to have been raped the hardest, as he appeared in worse condition. I then looked back up at Kai, past the King -- who was busy muttering some old, forgotten words -- staring into his fiery red eyes. I could see the disappointment clear in his eyes, as well as heartbreak and fear. He, too, had noticed his brother, and likely blamed me for it. I tried as hard as I could to convey my deepest regrets to him, but it was hard to know if he understood. My panther was unusually calm, though... Perhaps his tears had simply dried up.

The King then began to wave his staff around a little, and carved some more ancient runes in the air with his finger, this time the trail appearing an even deeper red. Shortly after signing each rune, the symbol would promptly dissipate, as if blowing away in preparation for the next one. It was impossible to tell how far along in this ridiculous ritual he was, but either way the longer I was held useless here, the closer Kai came to death.

"I have to admit," the King started, probably talking to me. "In my old age, my stamina isn't quite what it used to be; this lot has worn me out somewhat. But I think spreading the blood of this particular young one will fill me with a particular...enthusiasm, that would otherwise be lost."

"You sick bastard!" I shouted.

"It's not much worse than the acts you performed against him, tiger."

The King had a point, though I was never going to kill the boy. I struggled and struggled, though, as my rage built, but I still couldn't free myself. I cried out desperately, snarling and roaring and clawing the air, but again it was useless. I was only tiring myself out.

The King then stopped what he was doing and approached the cage, snickering as Kai backed away. The ram promptly opened the cage and, much to my surprise, got a hard, panther footpaw in the face when he reached in.

My little panther snarled and elbowed the King in the gut and ran past him, toward me. "Luca!" he cried, trying to tear the vines away. "Let's go!"

"My knife, Kai," I said frantically, watching the King get back up.

However, it was too late. The ram caught onto Kai angrily and forced him down on the altar, despite the thrashing, growing a bunch of vines as restraints. He manipulated the growth so Kai's rear was high in the air and his face mashed down into the stone.

"Ordinally, I'd just kill the little shit, but given the circumstances, I think I'm going to enjoy watching you crumble far more than the boy himself." With that, the King unhooked his long cloak, revealing a surprisingly muscular, white-furred thin body, his sheath already full of life.

"Luca!" Kai continued to cry, clearly understanding what was going to happen. He no doubt witnessed the others go through the same thing, including his brother.

In that instant, I realized I had already failed my mission. My promise to the Father, and to Kai, had been broken, and there was no telling if I would ever be forgiven, or if by this point it would be an issue. I had to get that off my mind, though. As the King inched closer to my panther, there was only one thing I had to focus on.

I struggled and struggled, and I could see my friends were, too, as I watched the King place is filthy paws on Kai's hips, and slowly his sheath expanded, the tip of his shaft poking out and growing steadily. He just stared me in the eyes, an evil stare, positioning himself behind the boy. Licking his lips, the King thrust slowly forward, his gaze unchanging.

Kai, on the other hand, cried out madly and thrashed about, tears streaming down his face and calling my name, telling me he loves me.

At that point, I think something inside me snapped. My eyes were so deeply focussed on the King, and my extreme, growing hatred for him, that all else seemed to vanish. My muscles felt as if they were on fire, but I was unceasing in my attempt at escape. Slowly my arms moved forward, the vines gripping exceptionally tight around my wrists, but hearing some of the strong foliage breaking seemed to fill me with some desperately-needed energy. Sounding more like a fur in torture, I snarled and roared, drool sloshing about crazily.

Just then, the King caught my attention by holding out a small knife, waving it above Kai. Still staring directly at me, he brushed it through his black fur and suddenly cut him in the ribs. With a bit of a lusty growl, the King continued raping my kitten, and cut him again.

As Kai's blood dangled and finally dripped onto the stone tablet, strange, runic symbols began to appear, glowing in the same colour of the blood. With more and more cuts, this massive chamber seemed to get darker, though the altar glowed a deeper red. Kai cried out desperately at each laceration, as well as being fucked by that monster.

Now seething, my left arm was finally pushing forward faster and easier, and now it was free. Snarling again, I reached up and tore the vines from my right arm and from the rest of me, and just as the King pulled out, gasping somewhat, I grabbed onto him and threw him into a pillar, hearing the satisfying smack of his skull against the stone. I then walked up and picked the ram up by the neck, kneeing the bastard in the gut and throwing his limp body to the floor, snarling as I did. Hearing Kai's faint cries, however, prevented me from doing much worse.

Staring at the King's naked body for a moment, I turned to look at Kai, noticing the vines receding. I turned my panther around and held him tightly against my chest, trembling a bit and rubbing his back. "Are you...all right?" I asked him quietly. The others, now free, were attending to the row of chained boys.

Kai just groaned.

"I'm so sorry," I cried again and again.

Kai groaned again. "He...made me watch," he cried, "as he yiffed them all... Even my brother."

I couldn't help but shed a tear. Looking over at the boys, who were now free of their metal bonds, they looked like every other; lifeless and cold.

"Forgive me..." I begged, holding Kai tighter.

The boy didn't respond, which admittedly upset me a little.

Something then caught my attention, which was the glowing altar. Slowly more runes appeared until finally the whole tablet spelled some ancient words. "Wha..?"

Suddenly, a noise to my left. When I looked, the King was getting up, shakily but grinning. I growled as he drew another rune in the air, and he began uttering some more words.

"Shut up!" I said, stepping forward.

The King just looked up at me, not moving his head, and continued to speak.

I put Kai down and growled, quickly gripping the ram by the neck and shoving him into a pillar. It only angered me more to see the bastard smiling, still speaking his damned words. I squeezed his neck tighter, and just as he uttered a few final words, he stopped. However, something extremely uneasy hung in the dank air, and I dropped the King.

I could feel and hear a faint rumbling all around, but couldn't tell exactly what it was. Turning to Keefe and Rit, I snarled, "Get out of here, now."

"Good idea," Rit said. "This place is creepy enough without the glowing shit..."

The group of us slowly filed out of the room, myself last. Just as Kai exited, I felt something enormous strike me in the back, sending me flying.

"You foolish tiger," the King said, his voice a little different. "Did you truly believe there was any stopping Fate?"

I groaned and shakily got up, telling Kai to get back; Rit had to hold him back. Looking around, and down at the floor, I saw crimson, ghastly faces swirling beneath the stone. When I looked back up at the King, he appeared larger, and his tail immense. "What...the fuck is this?"

"The world between worlds," the King explained, seeming to grow larger.

"Run!" I told my friends, "get the fuck out of here."

"But what about you?" Rit cried.

"I'll be fi--" I was suddenly cut off by a blindingly-fast tail-whip, striking my gut and smashing me into the wall. The swirling faces seemed even redder now, and more apparent, and before I could do anything, the monster King smashed an enormous back-paw toward the door, not just shutting them but crumbling the stone around it, making reentry impossible.

I got up again and shook my head, taking a better look at the King. He had grown several feet taller, mostly his arms and legs, plus his tail. Even his massive horns grew, now misshapen and twisted.

"You will be the first to witness the mighty power of the Ancient Ones, as They have granted me a more suitable form. You cannot kill a Disciple, tiger, but I will enjoy your attempt."

Taking that as a cue, I quickly leapt to my left, avoiding an attack; his thick, whip-like tail shattered the stone, and out from it oozed a thick red liquid, as if those infernal souls had been broken free. I could almost hear moaning from them, and quickly the crimson spread. I looked around desperately for my sword, and found it next to the King, who had already grown several more arms and now crawled high above the floor like some sort of armed, worm-like monster. Staring at his twisted form, I was almost paralysed with what I could only assume was fear.

"Y-you...you can't be real..." I said, staring up at his transformed face. His horrifyingly twisted body quickly spread around the room, multitudes of arms and tentacles worming about, and his face was long and frightening; demonic even. "You can't exist!" I shouted, my mind literally unable to believe what I saw.

"I exist, tiger," the monster said in a deep, demonic voice, "and shortly I will tear you apart! Midland will know what fear is, as my Masters descend upon the land. They will rule with a dark, iron grip; Their laws, absolute."

I just barely dodged another attack and when I looked up, I noticed a strange mandible -- growing off what I assumed was his neck -- point toward me, and suddenly a long stream of fire blew forward. I scrambled away, unable to avoid burning the end of my tail, ducking behind a pillar. How the hell was I supposed to defeat this beast? I was naked and disarmed, plus that eerie thundering only grew. Seconds later, though, I was forced from my cover, as the stone behind me shattered to pieces. I rolled along the stone floor and quickly got up, seeing that tiny knife the King had close by. I lunged for it, avoiding more fire and burst toward the King, jumping up to avoid a downward-hammering fist. Cleverly, I ran up the arm and jumped slightly to my left, toward the King's horrible, twisted face; although his face looked mostly the same, it appeared as if it was simply a mask on the forehead of an even greater beast, whose jaws were immense. Sprout-eyes were now its way of seeing, even though the King's former eyes were still open.

Flying through the air, I held the knife downward and struck the beast in the eye, the King's eye, before I was struck again. I slammed into the ground and before I could get up, a fist pounded me in the gut, again and again. Each time I coughed up some blood, now starting to black out. A couple of those fire-spitting mandibles, however, kept me awake.

Despite that alertness, my footpaws were pinned down, and it would seem the monster intended to burn me alive. However, my paw suddenly landed on something that felt all-too familiar; Kraftig. With all my strength, only really able to use my left arm, I swung the massive chunk of metal upward, bludgeoning the King in the face, leaving an enormous gash in his lower jaw, too.

The monster cried out and my legs were free, however some more fire was spat at me. I held up my sword and turned my body in an attempt at creating some sort of shield, though my fingers were still horribly burned, as well as part of my shoulders. I managed to push my sword forward, though, tilting it to divert some of the flaming energy, burning part of the King; anything would help. Just then, I felt something strike the flat end of my sword, then again, this time losing my foothold and tumbling back.

"You are becoming a nuisance!" the King shouted angrily.

I could see several more of those flame-throwing tentacles sprout from all over its horrifying body, and I knew I had to think fast. On my footpaws again, I leaped back a bit and quickly swung my sword into a stone pillar, shattering it. And just as the stone crumbled, that deep-red ooze spilled out, and I covered myself in it; it was warm, like blood, and despite the startling faces, it seemed to protect me a little from the fire. Just as the flames struck me, my blood-drenched fur managed to hold off being burned away, long enough for me to swing my sword, breaking up the flames, and run forward.

Part of me still on fire, I emerged from the intense blaze snarling like a mad-tiger. The King seemed to have been taken aback by my appearance, as he left a wide opening for me to attack. Crying out, I slammed my sword down, slicing through one of his arms and smashing nearly half of its huge, thick, worm-like body in two.

The King cried out as his demon blood spewed all over, drenching me further. I looked up at the monster through hate-filled eyes, enjoying the stench of his blood as it soaked into my fur. I felt warm and indestructible. I then ran forward, swinging my sword and slicing into the demon's face, shattering the other side of its jaw. Snarling still, foamy drool whipping about uncontrollably, I swung Kraftig upward, finishing the slice and punching the red, torn lower jaw away, and laughed wickedly as I heard the monster King cry out in pain, his nasty tongue dangling down uselessly; it was music to my ears.

A fist then came down and stuck me in the gut, and I simply skidded back on my footpaws, not yet fallen. I growled and looked up, and again the King hesitated. Crying out madly, I burst forward, leaping out of the way of another attack and swinging my sword downward, incising a huge, long wound along his body.

The floor was now slick with blood, and the demon King was in even worse shape than me. Right after making the enormous incision along its body, I wasted absolutely no time at all in turning around, using my claws so as to not slip, and swung my blade up then downward, cleaving what I assumed was the King's torso in two.

The King's bottom part, the more snake-like bit, was writhing about as that portion slowly died, the blood making a satisfying splatter against the walls, floor, and myself. The top half, still living, used its few arms to shakily pull its body away from me.

Growling and breathing heavily, the thick stench of blood still fresh in my nose, I walked around to the King's face, which was much more animated than it had been; perhaps he was reverting back to his previous form. I just stepped down on his eye, shoving the small knife in deeper, and grinning at his pathetic, gurgled moans.

"I-it is...impossible..." the King said, "to kill...a Disciple..."

I just grinned my teeth and stared down at the King, looking him devilishly in the eyes. I ground my footpaw on his eye one final time, then found my own knife in the blood and rubble, cutting right across his face. "Monsters like you should not be allowed to exist."

After groaning, the King spoke again, in a shaky, frightened voice. "You...are the monster...Nosferatu!"

I snarled and shoved my knife deep into his other eye, this time tearing it out. I licked my blade and growled with satisfaction. Tossing it aside, I lifted Kraftig above the King's head, possibly his neck, and pressed down a little. Just as I held my sword up, I paused for a moment, contemplating his words. Standing there, drenched in blood and enjoying the warm... No. No, I was not the monster. His fright came from death, not of me... I just snarled as swung my blade down, ending the King's life. Breathing heavily, I dropped my sword and fell to my knees.

My whole body was in pain, and extraordinarily tired. However after a long moment, I got up and gathered my bloody armour, sliding into the blood-slicked leather and metal. With almost a frightening calm, I reattached my sword and walked to the door, which had just been pulled off by my friends outside.

They looked up at me, horrified at the sight.

"My...God..." Keefe said, either staring at me or the bloody mess left in the room behind me.

The children all backed away from me, Kai included. They wore faces of horror.

"What the fuck happened in there, stripes?" Rit asked.

I just looked at him, and he hesitated.

"Y-yer eyes, stripes... I ain't never seen 'em like that..." the lion said, taken aback.

I had a pretty good idea what he meant, and an even better idea what I looked like. It's happened numerous times in my past, and each time it leaves me feeling more hollow inside. I slowly walked past my friends without a word, continuing up the stairs; I wouldn't even attempt holding my panther now.

The King was dead, however, and the children saved, at least, from a life of servitude. And it would seem the ancient gods were real after all, and if any of what that monster king said was true, Midland and her surrounding countries would now enter an age of darkness, as their rule would no doubt be absolute. Continuing out of the castle, the guards just frightened of me, and distracted by the calamity outside, I had no way of knowing what the future would hold for any of us. One thing I was certain of, though, is Midland's dark days were far from over, and it would take more than just a mercenary to bring things back.