FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Endor returned from the merchant's row to find his lady wearing one of the vilest dresses he ever laid eyes upon.

"Did you find dragon pearls?" the raven haired woman smiled hopefully. She was still tying one of the many laces dangling from her dress. Her exposed breasts would have stirred the blood of many, but they didn't attract the eyes of the only man present inside the small villa.

Endor forced a smile of his own and dug into his waist pouch. A collar of dark, sparkling beads caught the light spilling through the windows. It was almost midday. When had morning passed? It was a question suited for better rested minds. Endor eyed the crystal chairs surrounding Laeta's fabled glass table, a sharp thing with too many edges too count. She said it looks like a snowflake. To Endor, it looked like poor craftsmanship worth too much coin.

"Goddess bless you," the lady walked towards him, moving awkwardly in her woman shoes. She tripped two times before resting a hand on her man. A quick slash of hand, a tug, and the spheres were gone, replaced by an overly sweet perfume and strawberry-smelling lips. "And more. You earned more than their favor," the woman said, kissing Endor on each cheek. He waited for this.

"Better not," he said smugly. "Gods can take all manner of shapes. What if they are ugly?"

"You speak foolishness," the lady turned around. "They are fair," she giggled, looking back. "Fair like you, and the prince."

"Because we believe them so," Endor raised his eyebrows. The lady's shoes poked the wood as she walked. That was the only answer she offered. Or rather, the floor did.

"Giving up so soon, Laeta?"

"Get dressed. I do not want to linger. We'll have to pay extra coin to the cart master if he waits for you to fit into your garb."

"A lady's wish is my command," Endor whispered. Laeta's screams brought him on the verge of laughter. She was always insistent on those small, insignificant matters. Such pomposity served a single purpose: to be laughed at. Endor crossed the hall, climbed the stairs leading to the upper quarters, and secluded himself in his room. A fine, sapphire colored suit waited on the bed. Laeta really tried to make him a noble. Four months of living together taught her nothing but a false image of the man she knew.

The man she thought she knew.

Endor smiled and walked to his dresser. An array of fine dining suits fanned before him. He pondered on wearing the black one before he reconsidered. Laeta had to be pleased. Things worked easier that way. And if the plan worked, Endor would have the final laugh at the end of the day.

He dressed fast and carefully. Suit on, lizard skin shoes on his feet, perfume all over the place. Laeta liked him such, all scented and pampered. He walked a few paces and stared in the hall mirror. A fine prince stared back, with straight black hair and aquamarine eyes. The suit matched those very well, but who cared? The bed did, first to touch the serlavriam silk of his outfit. Half an hour offered no time to sleep, but spiting Laeta felt better even than the headache starting to expand inside Endor's temples.

How would the feast look like? Who will attend? How to execute the plan? Was he even going with it? All of the city guard would be there?

"But they'll be drunk."

Not all of them will,_a worry whispered. _Your plan will waver. Your courage will crumble. Your withering wit will not aid you anymore than that useless wife of yours.

The all came from all sides, barging like starving wolfhounds. Endor gripped the bed sheets and squeezed. He couldn't fail. He couldn't. He closed his eyes, opened his mouth, and wailed a deaf scream.

Not two heartbeats passed when Laeta's yell answered him. Endor brushed his raven hair aside and looked outside. Past gardens, roads and bustling buildings stretched the fringe of the royal forest. Sunlight bore upon his skin. Scents, wild as the trees, mixed in their flagrance. The buzzing of insects and the songs of birds were all he heard as he stood there, alone, with the only Sun he-

"Endor, my dove! The cart master is here!"

Endor blinked. He was still inside this wooden prison. The dream he thought of every day and night since the incident was only that. A dream. One of many, if it wasn't the king's name day.

The day Endor planned and expected since his Sun stopped shining.

He went down with a smile upon his lips and a storm inside his head.

"The prince himself will be envious," Laeta giggled, wiggly hair laughing alongside her. She smelled wickedly, with all those mixed scents latching her fine dress. Endor coughed, blaming the dust.

"All thanks to the vision standing beside me," Endor bowed and kissed her hand. The woman flustered.

"Oh, you gallant knight. Come, the carriage awaits," she extended her hand, smiling at her betrothed.

Endor's fingers surrounded Laeta's waist. Gods, she was small. Did this woman eat anything? Her petite form and slow steps were even worse than the headache. The ornate door at the end of the hall swung open. A respectable looking elder moved to welcome the couple and lead them to his carriage. The three walked slowly over the stone paved ground shooting through the entrance gardens. Laeta smiled, giggled, and made all sort of remarks about the golden arches of the carriage. If she had eyes, she would've noticed the mare's raised tail. Endor led her straight ahead. Water burst forth, sending droplets everywhere. Laeta screamed, almost stumbling on the way back.

"Woman..." Endor sighed.

"That's vile. I won't climb into anything carried by that animal!"

"Do you want to miss the king's name day because of-"

"No, you oaf!" She screamed, hands lashing in anger. She returned to the carriage, grimacing as she climbed the few stairs. Endor went after her, closing the door behind him. The last image he saw was of the cart master. The old man was on the verge of laughter, with a face red as a cherry and a stupid smile to cover his mirth and two missing teeth.

Endor shut the carriage door and rested near the window. Seclusion felt better than company. Hopefully his harpy would stay near the door, like she always did during-

An arm wrapped around his neck. Laeta giggled, leaned her curly head on Endor's shoulder and started humming softly. A long journey stretched ahead, and Endor had to endure every minute of it.

Buildings, large and small, passed by here and there. Endor blinked. Tiredness made his eyes heavy, and even those bothersome worries fled when drowsiness started settling. The small talk died before the carriage even left the city's outskirts. Laeta tried to coax more words out of her soon-to-be husband, yet that river turned to dust shortly after. Endor had to say, and Laeta refused to speak - being a listener more than a talker. The woman turned her head back, eyes closed. A walk from her villa to the carriage and two steps must have brought her on the verge exhaustion.

Endor rolled his eyes and sighed in disbelief. What sort of creature wanted to breed him? He knew the answer since his mother inflicted this disease upon him: Laeta, daughter of Krolir, cousin to Raelor, ruler of the realm. She was a high standing, well mannered, respectable young lady. Many in the realm looked upon her like hounds after a bitch in heat.

Endor merely spared a fugitive glance and grimaced. All he saw was a wide eyed, long-browed, clumped haired ugliness wearing golden rags. In short, a noble.

He turned eyes towards the window. Finally the city's grays gave way to more pleasant colors. The field of wheat turned thoughts towards the past. Endor's lips stretched into a weak smile when he remembered how he ran between the golden stalks, chased by his Sun. A year passed, and his lioness already seemed a distant memory. Endor sighed and leaned his head on something soft and cushy. He didn't want to think of that. Not now, when plans and scenarios were waiting for their chance to pounce within the confines of his troubled mind. Instead, he focused on the landscape, counting wheat and clouds until awareness slipped from him. The sound of hooves crashing stones sung endlessly until sleep took him.

Something brushed against his legs. Endor eyed the purring feline as it rubbed against him, eyes closed. The master shouted commands and he heard the novice beast handlers train in the sparring circle, but he cared not for them. The sun bore down upon his skin, inviting him to partake in something greater than the usual training sessions.

Endor disappeared inside the thicker vegetation. He jumped and ran far longer than his stamina normally allowed. Trees were a blur around him, a pale reflection of the radiant feline that surged ahead of him. She ran between trees and leaped over vines, often waiting for the slower human to catch up.

Endor stopped, drawing heavy breaths. Dropping on the cold soil, he eyed the glimmers of the sun poking through the dense canopy until a wet nose approached his face. He hugged that tawny head, chuckling at the rough strokes of tongue.

"Yes, yes, you won again," he dropped the cat on its back, scratching its chest. "What reward should you deserve?"

He picked a paw, squeezing the soft pads. The cat kicked and nipped at his arm, green eyes shining with playfulness. "You aren't ticklish, Sun,' Endor slapped her flank. "Unless you crave a deeper touch."

He went at the base of her tail and poked a finger between her waiting lips. The cat growled, but her clamping walls spoke even louder of what she desired. Endor probed her insides, pushing and tickling at the nibs of flesh. His feline tensed, paws embracing one another until the tips of claws emerged. Her insides throbbed and spasmed with delight. A spurt of liquid rushed past Endor's finger, wetting the ground below Sun's restless tail.

"Quick as always," he licked his finger, tasting the bittersweet flagrance between his lips. "I'll give you another one when we reach the river."

He gave her more than that. Standing above her, with two front paws wrapped around his neck and the other two pressing their warm pads against his belly, Endor thrust. His member became stone, throbbing insistently inside Sun's scalding depths.

"Chh," Endor grunted, burying his face in his feline's neck. She licked at the air, throat rumbling with delight. The master said this was wrong. By all rights, mating a beast went against any rule. Endor didn't care. Being inside his companion felt more right than anything in the world. Flesh poked and caressed from all sides, urging Endor to release his seed. He thrust again and again until he was on the verge of release. Endor growled, matching the feline's savage snarl. Tremors wrecked his body. The peak hit him so hard his vision blurred.

And then he blinked. The lights and shapes rearranged themselves, and all the feelings vanished. Endor blinked again, head swimming in confusion. He didn't hug anyone but Laeta, and his member found nothing but undergarments to ram against.

"We almost arrived" Laeta giggled in that annoying, excited fashion of hers. "Sprout from your sleep and think of the greetings!"

A dream. It was only a dream. Sun wasn't alive. She couldn't be. Endor bit his cheek, forcing his mind on the present. "Wha? Greet who?"

"The greetings, you oaf!" she gently slapped his cheek, then kissed it. "The nobles you can tell anything you wish, but the king deserves more. Compliment his..." she frowned, thoughtful. "Just say nice things about him and his son. I will keep the lady occupied."

"What lady, again?"

"His lady!"

Do this. Do that. Endor's mind felt sluggish and worn. Drowsiness made everything heavy, not only his eyelids. As he blinked a few times, he noticed the white marbled villas of the king's quarters and a sizeable crowd of men. They belonged to all kinds of classes, though beggars were the easiest to notice. They slapped and banged their fists against the carriage's window, showing rotten teeth and messy hair.

"Endor!" Laeta pulled his head back to her. "It's important!"

He barely resisted the urge to slap that bobbing head as it prattled on and on like a crazed desert fly. Endor hated those. They were just like Laeta, sucking life of anything they touched.

"I know what to say," he grunted. "You worry too much."

"Because I want this to be perfect," Laeta beamed. She grabbed Endor's hands in her petite ones.

"We will meet the king," she drew closer. "Hundreds of high nobles will attend," she approached more, until their noses met. "And we will dance and eat and dance all night!," she hugged Endor in a mighty embrace.

"As...as you say," Endor gently pushed her scented hair out of his mouth. "Lets not forget the bestiary."

Laeta drew back. "That filthy pen?" She threw him a nasty look. "I do not attend the king's name day to visit pigs and smell their shit." Her green eyes glimmered in the sunbeams under thin, curved eyebrows. Teeth gently pressed on a lithe lip, and a hand nervously played with some curls of hair hiding behind her ear. He expected her to get all worked up for nothing, though as much as it delighted Endor to ruin that brilliant mood of hers, he preferred to keep her temper in check. After all, she was part of his plan.

"There will be no pigs," Endor said calmly. "We will see all manner of great cats, wolves, dragons and predators from the farthest reaches of the crescent kingdoms."

"Pigs with different looks," Laeta snapped. "Turn thoughts from such filth. We will not take a single step towards that vile-"

"As you say," Endor conceded. Words would no longer be of any use.

On that subject, at least. Laeta talked about preparations and fitting words for each of the fifteen noble houses until the gardens of royal palace loomed before them. They were lush in green, speckled with all manner of flowers and vines. They tangled and twisted around special supports, giving shape to men and beasts alike. The king fancied diversity unlike the others before him, who carved only statues and representation of heroes past.

The carriage came to a stop soon after they entered the stone paved courtyard. Fountains and columns rose around the four moon shaped corners representing the crescent kingdoms. Though similar, each side bore the unique traces of its people.

Endor would have liked to see the Endor'el mountain men or the tall desert walkers of the west, but he caught sight of none. Nobles from the central kingdom were everywhere, blocking the sight with their colorful attires and refined entourage. Nobles always required a hand with everything, and their quick legged servants were here to obey.

Endor climbed down from the carriage, lending a hand to his clumsy lady. Several noble groups were already approaching, bearing dishonest smiles on their faces. A prod on the back of his neck made Endor wince. As a man and future husband, it was his duty to talk first and introduce his lady.

He heard names, talked some pleasantries, and found plenty of excuses to rid himself of what Laeta called 'friends'. Their words carried more hidden meanings than a dog had fleas, yet she still joked and laughed and giggled.

"I think they were rather nice," she said as the two walked towards the palace's entrance. Two sets of ornate doors protected the path to the palace, along with a sizeable number of guards. The Garden of Greetings was only a meeting place. From now on, they entered the domain of the king.

"Indeed," Endor agreed. "Though that fat one didn't favor your jokes."

"They were all envious, dove. What do you expect?" She grabbed his hand. "The goddess herself would be envious of our radiance. Wait until the king sees us!"

"We won't have to wait for long." The king's retinue was made up a dozen of guardsmen and other attendants, all bearing the azure colors of , the central kingdom.

"Let us hurry then!" Laeta rushed forward.

A large man with a wolf-shaped helmet greeted them before the first door. He inquired reasons and proof of invitation. Endor presented them with both.

"Plenty of questions," he said to Laeta as they passed onto the King's Path.

"Did you expect special treatment? It's the king's name day!" the woman answered.

They were less than a hundred steps away, but progress was slow. The crowd was something fierce, and the blabbering and whispering even more so. Servants had to be laid on the sides, mixing in a frenzied sea of scents and colors.

Endor looked around. The straight pillars had flowered vines coiling around them, but even so Endor spotted shapes and carvings in the stone. Marvelous work, that. And the trimmed bushes were even more eye catching, sprouting an efflorescence of life and suave scents. There were fountains left and right, and Endor thought he glimpsed a pond until Laeta pulled his arm.

"What are you doing?"

"Looking. I mean thinking," Endor said.

"As you should. We've only a few groups ahead of us!"

A few turned out to be more than thirty nobles and ladies and even princes from some small stretches of land nobody heard of. To someone excited as Laeta that didn't make any difference, but Endor had to tame his impatience every time the king waved another group through the palace's gates.

Be thoughtful,_Endor said to himself. You waited six moons. _You can handle a simple greeting. He could. He had to. Laeta's fears had no ground to support them. The nobles before him bowed and strode into the palace. The king, his lady, and their runt all turned their eyes towards the next in line.

"Sky's blessing upon you, fair attendants," the royalty spoke at the same time.

"Earth's boon to you, your majesty. High lady. Fair prince,' Endor and Laeta followed the custom, voicing their thoughts together. They talked about the feast, exchanging more pleasantries and blessings. Laeta kept the royal couple occupied while Endor kneeled before their runt, smiling. The lion cub he cradled in his embrace looked several times better than the boy himself. Still, he was approachable. Endor shared a few bits from his feline knowledge, leaving the boy's eyes shining with curiosity.

"Care well for your lion, and he'll be a better companion than any living being."

"I will," the boy giggled as he retreated to his parents.

"Enjoy the feast," the king said.

"We shall," Laeta answered.

"More than others," Endor added.

The king smiled, though Laeta's frown didn't instill the same amount of mirth. Endor finally stepped on the azure carpet and entered the palace, holding Laeta close to his side. Light spilled from the large windows, settling on the statues surrounding the central path. The metals glowed fiercely, reflecting warmth all around. Gods and goddesses, no doubt, though Endor noticed two crowned figures pointing their swords towards the king's seat, a gold-forged chair bearing the four symbols of the crescent kingdoms.

"Lets get closer," Laeta laughed, rushing between ranks of nobles.

"I see just- Gah," Endor had no chance to bargain. He pushed and breached his way through the sea of pristine attires until he stood at the steps of the king's throne.

"Enjoy the view?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," Laeta said, weaving a hand around. "This chamber has a history. The very ground we stand on was built by..."

Some dead king Endor didn't want to hear about. He looked from the shining throne to the rather mundane long-tables, then to a shield-faced man that pushed his way next to him. Endor faked a smile and then whispered something to Laeta to avoid an awkward conversation.

"...not long now. The king has to welcome all of his guests, as is the custom."

"All? You told me only the highest families-"

"I guessed. He certainly strikes me as the patient type, and the way he smiles and talks with his people..."

"It is enchanting, yes, but takes too bloody long." Endor said, scratching one ear. The air was stale and heavy with perfume. He could barely breathe. How could anyone live all their lives in this fancy cage?

After several dry and senseless talks with Laeta and other small nobles, the bells finally announced the ending of the greeting ceremony. Several guards appeared, directing the masses away from the throne and its surroundings. The king sat in his rightful place, surrounded by wife, child and other blood ties.

"My guests," the white king spoke on a grave voice. "Friends. Relatives. Travelers. Merchants, workers, common men and high nobles. I welcome you in my palace and at my table. Forty years ago, our lands were locked in a ravaging conflict that spanned..." the king went on. He talked of history, vanquished foes, and the prosperity of his kingdom. None mattered to Endor, save for the last bits.

"...and Elindor flourished, thanks to your ability and guidance. May this feast lighten your hearts, just as your presence lightened mine. The palace is yours to explore. My guards will be your personal guides. Let joyous celebration dawn upon us like the start of a bright, peaceful day."

A roar of applause followed, drenched by the sound of music. Servants rushed in, filling the rows of tables with fresh delicacies.

"He is such a kind man," Laeta sobbed. Was she...crying? "I wish he was my father."

"He is...a good man," Endor bit his lip. The early feast offered the distraction he needed. Some searched for proper seats, while others locked hands with their partners to dance. The music was loud, and the talk even louder.

And it was beautiful. Endor took his lady by the waist and led her between the tables.

"Aren't we dancing?"

"I have a thirst," Endor smiled. "Let us settle and wet our throats first."

She didn't object. The heat and the crowd probably had the same effect on her. Endor pushed his way through until his eyes fell upon a servant; a boy of scant years pushing a tray filled with soups and other liquid meals.

He leaned closer to Laeta, who was just wiping her nose.

"This is where we part ways," he whispered in her ear. "Forever."

"Whaa-" Laeta started, but the shove turned words into screams. Endor pushed with all his might, sending the woman crashing into the servant. Bowls tumbled down in a sea of startled cries, along with the page and his lady. A fitting match for dear Laeta.

Shouts followed in the wake of broken vases and the rattle of metal pots. Endor bolted towards the gates, pushing and shoving anyone rising in his path. A metal-clad figure caught his attention.

He rushed towards the guard.

"The bestiary," Endor rasped. "Where is?" His voice was quick, almost as frenzied as his heartbeats. He looked at a bald head, then down at the silvery breastplate, with its gnarled shapes and intricate symbols of the central kingdom. Thoughts flowed through is head like a river, each more creative than the last. How to part the man from his equipment?

The armored man crossed his arms, furrowing his busjy eyebrows, "honored guest, the feast is just starting. It is an offense to leave before-"

"Do as I say," Endor hissed. "Or were the king's words drained of truth?"

"I-," the guard nodded. "As you wish, honored guest. "

A breeze of relief cooled Endor's oozing skin. His charade attracted a dozen eyes, but he didn't linger. They left immediately. The guard led Endor to side hall, opening a tall oak door.

"The side hall," he said, inviting his noble attendant in.

Endor nodded with a smile and closed the door behind him. A wooden door now stood between him and those cloth-worshipping, perfume-breathing, backstabbing elegant fools.

The guard stepped forward, taking the lead. "The side hall earned its name after a new wing was added to the palace." He had a soothing voice for such a mighty brute. "It connects the servant's mess hall, the attendant's baths, bedrooms, the bestiary and the autumn gardens."

"Thrilling." Endor watched the streams of servants pass by. They walked briskly, carrying waves upon waves of drink and food. He counted fifteen now, and none spared a glance. A guard and a noble walking away from the king's feast a moment after its inception made for a dull sight, apparently.

"I apologize for spiriting you away so quickly," Endor said as they walked. "Excitement outweighs hunger. I heard many tales of the beasts residing within these walls."

The guard chuckled. "They're just beasts, honored guest. Not striking as a lady's gown, not smooth as the steps of a dance, and not varied as the meals crowding the great feast's tables."

He wasn't smooth, this one. Disappointment latched his every word. A few fragile oaths and whatever sense of honor this man was what stood between success and a total disaster. Endor's jaw tightened. He didn't like these odds. Why not end the man now? Why not trust his instinct?

"It is my desire to see those paltry beasts," Endor snapped. "What do you know of the Riverland cats? The plainstalkers or the packs howling from Godess' Edge to the FrostFangs?"

"Their stench," the guard laughed again.

A hand rushed behind his back, touching the small budge under the aquamarine vest. It had a small, plain hilt, and a sheathed blade that made walking uncomfortable. Endor's fingers lingered on its leathery hilt for a few seconds.

"Beasts have their cages, and we have our palace. It's the order of things," the guard said, acknowledging one of the passing servants.

Endor sighed. Air fled his lungs along with a small measure of bloodthirstiness. Carelessness was a poor excuse for impatience. Focusing on his surroundings, Endor followed through two more halls and even a kitchen before he emerged into another hall.

"Not long now," the guard's armor rattled with each step. The two walked in silence until a wooden door bound with metal plates stood before them. 'The royal bestiary' an inscription read. Several cats and other predators were carved upon the metal in varied poses.

"This is it. The royal bestiary," the guard smiled faintly. "Marvel at the creatures inside. I will return to the feast and-"

"You will do no such thing," Endor placed a hand on the man's cold metal shoulder. "I would have you linger. Come."

The guard froze. "Apologies, but I have no knowledge-"

"Your presence offers needed comfort," Endor smiled politely. "We are about to be surrounded by beasts, are we not? How am I supposed to defend myself if one escapes?"

"I...of course, honored guest."

Endor placed both hands on the door, then kicked it open. The guard muttered something.

"Heavier than it looks," Endor joked, stepping in first. The air bore a sizeable number of scents, including the slight flagrance of urine and waste. The heaviest was an overly sweet breed of fruity oil used in brothels. Endor coughed. Even here he wasn't free of nobles and their taint. Enclosures spread evenly on each side of the main path that forked and slithered the farther it went from the doorway. They took the shapes of domes or buildings, each bearing a small piece of wilderness inside. Rocks, grasses, weeds and even small trees inhabited the enclosures along with the animals themselves.

"Let us walk and glimpse these fine predators," Endor took the lead.

The guard simply nodded. Growls and other vocalizations filled the space of words. Endor left behind three Erthanya black bears and a pack of eight snow howlers. The wolf-like creatures pawed and jumped against the bars, barking and whining and whimpering.

"Any close ways to leave the palace? Endor looked towards a pair of giant black wolves.

The guard frowned in suspicion."What desire moves a fine noble to even leave before the feast is-"

"My own," Endor cut. "It is not your place to question."

The armored man uttered an apology. "Turn back the same way we came. Take opposite direction from the bestiary. Walk straight, and take the second right. Leads to the autumn gardens and the evening gate."

"Gratitude," Endor watched three sun cats resting under a log. Farther to the left, two male lions paced restlessly. Endor's blood quickened with excitement and apprehension. He was so close. More moons than he cared to count of plans and deceit were about to bear fruit.

"Beautiful cats, those," Endor pointed at the lions.

"Very big," the guard acknowledged with a nod.

"I wonder if there's a second entrance to this place?"

Shaking his head, the guard spoke. "Not needed. Few visit, and fewer linger."

"I have seen the prince carrying a feline cub."

"He is of a different mind, the prince. Favors the company of beasts more than his own kin."

"Bright lad, that," Endor chuckled. Four Riverland Stripedpaws came after the lions' enclosure. They had ferns and small trees in their enclosure, along with all manner of rocky outcrops. The cats themselves looked like they belonged there. With bodies slightly leaner than a lion and stripes dashed from neck to tail, they blended in the vegetation. Their tails bore specks and spots of the same shade of black as their nose, ending in a pale eruption of fur that made for a lion-like tail tip. Pawing, tackling and chasing each other, cats only noticed the men when they arrived beside their den.

"Stripedpaws," Endor said with delight. Two of the cats came near the bars, staring with bright amber eyes at the two humans. Endor approached the enclosure and crouched. The cats' nostrils flared, taking in scents. One bared its teeth, growling.

A third came, rubbing its ruddy coat against its agitated companion.

"It's doing that."

"What?"

"Turn around," he told the guard. Yet the cat was too quick. Its tail shot up, shaking like a cloth touched by the breeze. Two sprays of warm urine washed across Endor. He chuckled, while the guard grumbled and cursed.

"Vile beasts," the guard spat. "Peeing on me like savages."

Endor eyed the path. It knew no end, disappearing between the uneven enclosures. Farther ahead, even the light grew dim.

"No caretakers?"

"No," the guard snarled. "All at feast, as we should be. Even the servants have more common sense than you and I. We-"

"We are where we belong," Endor jumped from his crouch. He shattered the guard's nose with a punch. The man stumbled back, clutching his bloodied nose. Endor lunged for the sword resting at his hip. He gripped the handle, sending the guard stumbling with a powerful kick. The hiss of metal and the swing of blade saw the guard's head almost parted from his neck. Bones and sinews jutted out under the broken skin. The body dropped, shaking and quivering.

Endor quickly relieved the corpse of its armor. He equipped the breastplate and the leg plates, leaving the accessories behind.

"Takes too long to strap," he mumbled running back to the lions. The males rested in the short grasses, piled into each other. Paws and tails twined, twitching every so often. Endor's eyes scanned the enclosure. Some rocks, a lot of grasses native to the highplains, another lone male....where were the lionesses? The prince had a cub. That must've come from somewhere.

Endor cursed. He wanted a lioness more than anything.

"Sun," he whispered, mind flashing briefly to the young lioness he previously bonded. Hopelessness crashed with the force of a battering ram. The guard's blood painted the pale carpets with crimson slime. The rusty color of leaves. The stripedpaws!

Endor rushed to the Riverland cats' enclosure. They argued and growled over the corpse, claws reaching towards the guard's unmoving arm. Endor watched them, straining to single out a proper companion. He chose a young female. The sword poked between the bars, nipping the feline's flank. Endor cut his own thumb on the sword's edge and eagerly mixed his blood with the feline's.

Licking the mixture, Endor reached deep into himself. A spark blazed in the darkness, spreading its tingling flames, threatening to overwhelm his senses. Endor focused and reached towards it. The years of training came back with all the victories and failures he experienced. The dampening - the first part of the binding process- took all the willpower he could muster. Like taming ravaging emotions, he had to wrestle with the beast arising from the depths of his senses. Primal emotions surged within him. He wanted to scream, to kill, to run! Desires changed from one to another, cycling through each of the three primal needs- to hunt, to feast, to mate. These urges broke themselves against Endor's consciousness, fighting for control. Endor dropped on the ground, fighting with everything he had. Dots specked his vision for a few frenzied heartbeats, then vanished.

The man wiped his sweaty brow and chuckled. He succeeded, even though simplest binding had him on the brink of unconsciousness. He turned back to the cage, looking at his new companion. She crouched near the bars, tail flicking impatiently while her siblings played with each other, oblivious to everything else.

Endor focused and tugged at the newly formed bond. The basic influences were easy to tame. He just had to-

Colored dust started gathering before Endor's eyes. He reached for the bars, not trusting that unsteady floor. Rapid blinks tried to disperse the darkness along with calm, measured breaths. What was happening? Numbing weakness washed across him, followed by shivers. For a few moments, Endor only heard his heart pounding out of his chest. Air. He needed air.

Endor took a deep breath. After a few seconds, the haze started to clear. He didn't expect the weakness to ram so hard after a basic infusion. The simplest even. Stripedpaws were as intelligent as their duller cousins, the lions. Something as bland as a kinship infusion shouldn't have taken such toll.

Cursing, Endor propped on a hand and rose on trembling feet. This was no time for excuses. He brushed away the sweat from his stinging eyes and looked at his chosen companion, though he didn't had to. The animal's simple needs flowed across the newly formed bond. It wanted food and distraction from its bland, ordinary life.

"You'll have what you desire," Endor whispered. He moved before the locked gate, smashing the pommel of his sword against it. The repetitive motion allowed him to focus on the young bond. Tame as they seemed, felines killed novice beast handlers even after they bonded.

The lock gave in after five terse blows. Endor hesitantly gripped a cold metal bar between his fingers. He had to rely on the cat's training to lead it away from the palace. In such a green state, the bond wouldn't do much. There were ways of strengthening it, known only by the masters. Endor only knew a few basic ones, and even those couldn't shake the rust off his forgotten ability.

"Whatever," Endor muttered. "You follow," he pointed at the lazy cat. "Follow close."

Endor focused on submissiveness and sent it across the kinship link he created moments ago. His companion favored Endor a glance, then rubbed heads with an approaching sibling.

"Curses," Endor growled, backing a few steps away. There was no time for tests and half measures. He straightened his back, lifted his sword, and shouted a few commands at the snarling cats. He hoped the feline's partial training and their intelligence sufficed. The door slid open...

...and the cats spilled on the corridor. Three went straight for the corpse, while the fourth- his bonded feline- showed no interest. It looked at Endor, slowly placing one paw ahead of the other, approaching hesitantly. Endor waved his sword. The cat's gaze remained fixed, though its body lacked that rigid pose specific for hunting. It was just interested in him.

Endor slapped the cat with the side of his sword, testing for reactions. Slow reflexes, just as he expected from a bonded companion. Sighing in relief, he turned around, dashing for the entrance with the bonded cat upon his heel. It followed at its pace, growling and pawing at the other captive animals.

Endor sheathed his sword as he approached the door. He pried it open, took a quick peek, then pushed. The bestiary's door flung open. The hall stood clear. The bald guard had sense, after all. Every dimwit was in the throne room, stuffing themselves senseless.

"Turn back," Endor whispered, rushing back the way he came. "Then right." He ran past an opening to his left until the hall opened both ways.

"Then take the left?" He did, only to end up before servant's sleeping quarters. "God's shriveled cock, what did that bastard say?" He turned back, breathing greedily. The armor was heavier than it looked. He took the other path, looking back every third breath. The cat was still following, tongue lolling between canines.

"He said second right," Endor ran through the empty corridor. Second to the right. Second right, he kept repeating while keeping a measure of focus on his beast bond. The cat's needs and emotions were fickle, and Endor struggled to suppress them. A servant appeared from a side door, banging it shut at the sight of the great cat.

"Gah," Endor looked around. These halls looked so plain despite the carpets andthe cloths hanging from the ceiling in all manner of patterns. Fancy paintings of kings littered the walls every twenty paces. There was nothing he could use for guidance. Listening to his instinct, he kept moving. Down a flight of stairs he went, emerging in a bare hallway. At least the walls were bare stone here. The servant he ran into drew back, startled. Behind him, a dozen men stopped, talking, pointing, and looking around in confusion. Someone screamed.

Endor pressed his teeth together and ran along the corridor's length. The fools had the sense to flee from his path. He kept a close eye to the sides. The first right ended with more stairs, leading up. The next one then. His strides became forced, muscles burning with fatigue. Only a bit more...

...until a number of armored men appeared before him. They looked at Endor. No. They looked past him just as his arm gripped the sword.

"Halt!" A man shouted.

"Can't," Endor slowed to a walk, breathing heavily. "Headin' to the gate. I heard there's trouble with'a beggars."

"There's no-"

"Is that blood?" A second man interrupted.

"No. I ran into this servant and he-"

"What's that?" One of the guards pointed his sword at the cat.

"My pet."

"How't get free? It can kill ye!"

"It won't. Just let me pass and-"

"I ain't seen yer face. We'll take you to the barracks and see-"

Endor dashed forward. The guard's words caught as he parried two incoming blows. The third was a shove that went through his neck. His companions gasped and muttered words, eyes widening. Odds were better now. One against five. Endor clashed steel with steel, using everything he had to his advantage. He shoved and punched, parried and kicked. No guard was prepared for such carnage. They fell like beggars, barely putting up a fight. The last two even begged for their lives, but ended up in the same place as their brethren, soiling the fine carpets with their oozing wounds. Screams and shouts erupted from the terrified servants. Endor pushed himself towards the wing where the guards came from. Another hall, narrow and full of attendants. Two more guards were heading back from an open doorway.

He turned back. The windows offered no escape, but the door opening ahead of it spoke of a different promise. Endor shoved the emerging woman aside, then banged the door shut. The air was musty and the light dim, coming from a dirty window buried past shelves of bags and crates. Endor brandished his sword, hearing nothing but his and the feline's elevated breath.

"Stupid," he knelt, reaching a hand towards the cat. She sniffed his bloody fingers, licked them, and pushed her head into his chest. Endor dropped on his back, sword rattling against the tough stone. He wrapped both hands around the feline's neck, breathing in the savage scents hidden inside its silky fur.

"Shouldn't have killed them. They'll panic and-"

Endor shut his mouth, startled by the low, rumbling growl. His cat certainly cared little for words and concerns and more for rubs. It pushed its head, ears flicking. Endor scratched under the bushier fur of its chin and kissed its damp nose. She licked him in return. A shiver wracked his body. Barbs scraped against his sweaty face, warm and inviting.

Endor thoroughly enjoyed the few strokes, humming softly. The feline's intense purr dwarfed every noise aside from the feet rushing through the corridor.

"We can't remain here," he gripped his sword. "They'll come, and they'll be many." The feline sniffed the blade, licking at the blood. Endor drew in a long breath. He knew there would be more of that before he fled the palace.

***

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