FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The Kor'Ran. They were not supposed to exist. By all accounts, their parent races were not supposed to be capable of breeding. Yet, here stood over 40 of them, each wearing a sneer that would make any woman want to scrub her skin off. There was one, the blue one she had met in the hospital room not too long ago, who had mastered his sneer to the point of giving a serial rapist the chills. He obviously used it quite often. That was another thing. Every one of them was quite obviously male. Particularly evident from the lack of chest covering or breasts. Hell, they only wore the equivalent of a loin cloth. It certainly was a little more high tech but the concept was the same. Being over 7 foot tall has left their muscle development with much to desire though. Sam even was usually more muscular than that. Maybe it had something to do with her preference for meat and the lack of any underground. They still looked healthier than she did currently even without a meat diet.

"How nice of you to finally join us! Now won't you be a good bitch and come here? We have all been quite lonely."

"No, I think you will remain lonely for a while to come. I don't like getting close to people who don't introduce themselves and give their name." Sam's expression was so flat and deadpan that a rock would have been more interesting. Neutral apathy was all she felt towards these who are supposed to be her kin. From their expression, Sam figured they were expecting a submissive fuck toy. Oh how wrong they were. Just in case, Sam glanced around the spacious room and noticed some piping along the wall above her that could be used to defend herself. She would rather not but one against 40 is already bad odds even if she was at full strength. Talking herself out of a fight was probably not an option either.

The blue one's sneer faded to a frown, "I do not like having to repeat myself. Who do you think you are to deny my requests?"

"And who do you think you are to be making requests of me? You don't know me. You don't know what I went through to get here. You haven't even brought up what your name is." He was hiding something. Sam could tell that much. The way his eyes were darting around... he was thinking up retorts and he had information that could be used against Sam. Either that, or he did something to her.

"I can make requests of anyone I so desire! No one besides the Archiver is above Ishya! I can make anyone do anything I want them to. And right now I want you here in front of me, and on your knees!"

The sneer was back. Sam was not surprised. Jerks always thought they had the upper hand. Some of his entourage lost their sneers and looked concerned. They were probably going to stay out of a fight if it developed. Sam may be small, but she was fast and very deadly with or without a weapon, "and if I refuse? What do you think you could do to me?"

"Oh there are many things I could do to you. You see, your taste and smell are quite intoxicating. I do not think I will allow you to say no." Ishya snapped his fingers and five Kor'Ran stepped around Sam, "if you come peacefully, I won't have to rough you up." Sam glared daggers at the Kor'Ran around her. Sheep, the lot of them. But even sheep have teeth. Ishya walked up to her slowly, taking on a more pensive look, "when I heard that a female Kor'Ran had been found, I was very curious. They kept you under lock and key for weeks. I kept trying to find ways around it but it wasn't until yesterday that they deemed you on the mend and able to be taken out of the clinic. It was then I had found you. Freshly bathed and laid out on the bed like a fine dessert."

Sam was thinking now. She had been in the hospital for weeks. They had also bathed her, which explained why she did not smell like a swamp any more. What worried her was Ishya's statement about her taste and smell. She had a good idea about what he meant, but if that was true, then she was going to tear him to pieces.

Ishya stopped a few feet away from Sam. He held up his right hand and examined the fingers like there was something fascinating on them, "a female's essence can be an interesting cornucopia of smells and flavors. Yours are quite delectable. If not the finest I have experienced! Such a sweet substance. I've been contemplating not washing these fingers to savor it but with you awake we can get it from the source. What do you think?"

Ishya held out his hand, the two fingers extended out. Sam could see the matted fur from the dried juices and smell her odor from where she stood. As infuriating as it was, she dared not show her emotions yet. She took a tentative step closer to Ishya for better access to the offending fingers. She tried her best to appear submissive and intimidated as she leaned in to the hand. The closer she got and the stronger the smell, the more infuriated she became. She hid it well enough until it mattered. The moment she was a few inches from the fingers, she jerked forward and clamped her teeth over the fingers all of the way past the first knuckles. Ishya screamed out in shock and pain. As he tried to pull his fingers out, Sam twisted her head and bit down harder. She was rewarded with a satisfying crunch as the bones snapped and flesh pulled away into her mouth.

Sam loved the taste of fresh blood. Having a bit of flesh to chew on made her happy. It made her happier knowing the flesh she was eating had molested her while asleep. All of the Kor'Ran looked at her horrified while Ishya screamed in pain on the ground where he had stumbled to. Obviously no others had stood up to him before. Sam was just happily chewing away on the bones, getting them small enough to swallow.

Glen had moved away and closer to the doorway to avoid getting into the confrontation. That was fine for Sam. Having room to avoid injuring innocents made for a much easier fight. It looked like one was coming, too. Ishya was no longer in shock. His eyes shot up to Sam, blood glistening on her lips and chin, "don't just stand there, you idiots! GET HER!"

The ones around Sam hesitated for a brief moment before trying to tackle Sam. Everything slowed down for Sam as she ducked and stepped between two that were leaping for her. The last one to jump realized Sam was ducking out of the way and tried to compensate in his jump. He thought he had her but she spun around, aiming her foot for his chin. It was a solid and hard connection, shattering several of his teeth and his jaw on top of sending him flying up and over Sam, unconscious. Ishya tried to jump onto Sam as he watched his lackeys fail miserably, but Sam leapt up and out of his reach.

Ishya collected himself and looked up to where Sam had gone. He found her, 30 feet up and pulling on one of the 2inch pipes running along the walls. He was about to yell at her, saying it was a waste of time and that he himself could not make the pipes budge but the sudden groaning of metal and popping of joints made his ears droop. Sam ripped a seven foot length of heavy pipe from the wall and dropped down in front of Ishya. The pipe looked comically large for how small Sam was, and it bloated his confidence, "come on boys! Let's show her what a male can do!"

With a resounding cheer, a large portion of the Kor'Ran who had been watching leapt into action. The first ones to reach her were tossed away instead of pummeled by the pipe. Sam used their momentum to toss them up into the air and soaring across the room. Most of them, so shocked by the act of being thrown did not even consider spreading their wings to slow or stop their trajectory for walls or the floor. The ones who did catch themselves stood back and watched for an opening in Sam's defense. A few tried running in to throw a punch but they were met with solid blows from the pipe. The ones who took blows from the pipe usually fell away or were knocked unconscious. Sam never swung the pipe at any first attacks. She knew better than to injure anyone that badly. Mercy was preferred but if they tried again, all bets were off and they got clobbered. Sam's main target was Ishya. She knew he would not give up and waited for the moment he tried to attack again. The moment she waited for came up as he ducked under a tossed comrade. Her back was to Ishya but she was well aware of what he was doing. When he was within range, she planted the pipe and gathered her Qi into a pole vaulting kick into his chest. Ishya was completely unprepared for the vicious blow. He was hunched over from ducking and the kick came from below, connected directly with his sternum as Sam used her legs and arms to kick up into him. Sam hit so hard and fast that she moved with him up into the air. The ceiling was 40 feet up and her foot was still connected to Ishya's chest when he collided with it. Blood coughed up from his chest as the last of the air was forced out. His eyes connected with Sam's and he saw the cool collected air about her as well as the smile of conquest. The fight hadn't even been an effort for her, and that scared the hell out of him. It was in that moment he also noticed her eyes. The violet, slit pupil ringed in jade. It was a trait of the Drakorna and also a trait of the next ruler. When Sam was old enough, she would be strong enough to challenge the emperor. That told Ishya he was lucky she did not kill him outright. Blackness took him before his back left the ceiling.

As Ishya fell to the floor, Sam dropped a short distance away, ready for more. A few looked ready to try before a voice rang out, "whoa whoa! Hold up boys. She just beat the crap out of Ishya! Have some sense will you!?" All of the Kor'Ran stopped and moved aside. One with a vibrant orange coloration stepped before the crowd and bowed before Sam, "I apologize for your rough treatment, my lady. I am Troy. The fact you knocked out Ishya with little effort tells me you are one to be respected, and feared. Which do you prefer?"

Sam loosened her stance but kept a grip on the pipe, "respect. Though, fear will do in a pinch."

Troy laughed, the sound pleasing to Sam, "I thought as much! You are a wild one. Come, let us walk. We can share experiences. The rest of you," he gestured to those still standing, "you may want to tend to the wounded and get Ishya to the clinic. I saw that blow, he probably has multiple broken ribs."

Most of the Kor'Ran were looking at Sam wearily. They didn't want to stop the fight and Sam could see it in their eyes. Sam rolled her shoulders and threw the pipe at the wall where she pulled it out. It flew like a javelin and impaled a solid two feet into the solid stone wall, "keep in mind I can do that. If you want to fight me again, I won't hold back!"

The Kor'Ran grumbled while they picked up their wounded and unconscious. Sam on the other hand, walked off with a smile. Troy met her at the doorway and walked along with her through the facility. Sam was very curious and asked anything she could think of, "so how old are you?"

"One of the oldest. I am about 15,000 years old," Troy looked pensive in thought but Sam did not interrupt him, "me, Ishya, and Maza were the first three. Each of our parents were high ranking officials. Ishya's parents were generals, mine diplomats, and Maza's were the leaders. We were all close to a hundred years old when the emperor struck. Since we were still young, we fled. Most of the others were slaughtered. Some got away and we found them later but most died. There were hundreds of us then. My parents did not make it. Ishya's died fighting. Maza's were off doing something by themselves and both survived. His father, the Duke, died of old age a thousand years later. He had been in hiding, with the rest of the Ren'Dal that survived the onslaught. None but us Kor'Ran actually know that. Some of the Drakorna know, but they stayed with the Ren'Dal in hiding."

Sam nodded somberly. That was sad news. It did bring up more questions. Was Maza alive still? What happened to the Ren'Dal? Troy saw the gears turning in Sam's eyes, "no, I do not know what became of Maza. He disappeared a few days later. The Ren'Dal are still around but they are no longer pure blood. The last of the females died 5 millennia ago. They have survived by cross breeding, using some magic of theirs, but I have not seen or heard from one in centuries. Most of their offspring had become powerful generals. The strength and agility of the Ren'Dal mixing with the other race, making them faster and stronger than any could ever possibly be."

"How about you? Any children?" Troy looked down to Sam. She had an eyebrow raised and was expecting an answer.

"I... no. I have not had any. It is difficult for Kor'Ran to breed as is. It is even more difficult finding a female that doesn't want our genetics. Our offspring are strong, but not that strong. Our children get a little taller and stronger than they would have been but that's it. It is amusing seeing a Raklith that came from a Kor'Ran, though."

"Oh I can imagine! They come up to my height?"

"Indeed! And their tails get a little thicker. They actually lose some speed in the exchange but their arms become a tool for them more than with their kin. They actually get some strength for more than picking up small objects!"

"They are cute little fluffy things, the Raklith. It is a shame they all think I am Vey'Ral." Troy stopped and looked at Sam. Sam wondered why he stopped and saw the concern on his face, "what? Did I say something wrong?"

"No. Not wrong. It is a great insult they give you. Why do they treat you so poorly while the rest of the Kor'Ran are left alone? Even welcomed?"

Sam couldn't help but shrug and continue walking, "I'm not sure. It is not everybody who thinks ill of me, but it is a good portion. I think it is my height and coloration that does it. Dark coloration and short stature makes them think I am a Vey'Ral. You guys have bright vibrant colors to set you apart."

Troy hurried to keep up with Sam, his concern never leaving, "you sound like you have met many who dislike you."

"Well, not counting the planet I am from, I have orbited 18 and set foot on three. It takes a lot of convincing to let me land. Usually it is not worth it. I get customs scans every time. More problems than it's worth. So I stick to gathering my resources from the Vey'Ral I hunt."

Troy was suddenly intrigued, "you hunt?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. Lots of things. I hunt Vey'Ral because of what they've done, I hunt animals when I can. Sometimes I hunt criminals."

"Is that so? There are beasts above ground that make for excellent hunting! We should do that some time."

"Why not now?"

"I-- well, you need to prepare. You need weapons, protective gear, maybe some attracting oils. It takes a while before you can properly hunt!"

Sam couldn't help but laugh, "you obviously have never lived in the wild. I spent two years living off the land. Hunting and gathering on my own and usually without a weapon."

Troy looked aghast. How could this little thing survive in the wilds by herself with no protective gear? "I do not think that would be a good idea. The beasts here are quite strong and vicious!"

"Okay okay. How about I make you a deal. We will go out stalking and see if we can find anything. While were out there you can tell me what were looking at and strengths and weaknesses?"

"That I can do. It is not so hard to avoid detection when you are careful. We won't need protective gear for that. Come. The tunnel to the surface is this way."

They talked about random things for the walk towards the surface. They came upon a great elevator that went up through a hole in the roof. It was already on it's way up and Troy sighed, "well looks like there is a 30 minute wait now. Maybe we can do something while we wait."

Sam glanced up and saw a big enough gap around the elevator to fly through, "I'm not waiting. These wings aren't for decoration! Come on! Let's fly up and catch the elevator!"

Troy called after her but Sam was already gone. He had to shake his head as he took off flying himself. It certainly wasn't as easy for him as Sam made it look. When he finally got up to the lift, Sam was sitting there inspecting her claws. Troy couldn't help but laugh as he caught his breath, "you are the most reckless person I've ever met. That could have been dangerous!"

"Yeah yeah. Cry me a river. There was plenty of room to fly through. It may be dangerous for someone who doesn't fly much but it's second nature to me."

"Second nature? Just how much time do you spend flying?"

"I--," Sam had to give it some thought. She stood there thinking for a few minutes trying to figure out her average flying time. Sam just shrugged at the numbers, "I think I've averaged at least 7 hours of flying per day for the last 5 years."

Troy was dumbfounded. Most Kor'Ran couldn't fly for more than 20 minutes at a time, let alone hours, "that is incredible! What was the longest you flew without stopping?"

"Oh! I remember that trip. I flew for 18 hours. The only reason I stopped was because I ran out of food and needed to replenish. I had found a big {elk} and took it down. Dried all of the meat aside from what I ate then. Good stuff, too! Wish I still had some."

"18 hours?! Wow, I can't fly for more than 18 minutes usually!"

"Really? No wonder most didn't even think to use their wings to stop when I tossed them! They never use them! You guys need a better diet and exercise!"

Troy had a good laugh at that, "apparently! They all got their tails kicked by an adolescent girl!"

"Hey! What do you mean adolescent?! I'm 31!"

"31!? That's it?! We don't fully mature until we're 700 to 900! 31?!"

"Wait, what? I'm still growing?? I'm not an adult until I'm 700?!"

"Is that strange to you?"

Troy looked amused and it irritated Sam, "uh, yeah! Where I come from, a person is lucky to live past 80! Let alone a few centuries!"

"80 years?? That's it?! I don't know a single race that lives less than 300!"

"Welcome to being born on a backwater planet! The air is bad, there are diseases everywhere, and war is common. If I hadn't been overweight I probably would have died a long time ago."

"Overweight? You were overweight? That's practically impossible for Kor'Ran! How did you manage it?"

"Ugh. I wasn't born Kor'Ran." Sam was starting to get pretty irritated. Instead of asking, Troy was just assuming everything about her. She had to rub her temples to keep from getting snappy, "I also wasn't born female. And don't ask, I don't know how any of it worked."

"What do you know?"

"I know that none of this was my original destiny. Someone changed my fate and my genetics. I also know I'm getting tired of this lift. Are we there yet?"

"The top is just ahead. You may want to shield your eyes when we get to the top. The light difference can be brutal."

Sam just shrugged as the lift was nearing a large overhead door. She could deal with some pretty intense light changes. Troy was purposefully not looking up and had a hand over his eyebrow. As the doors started opening, an intense light filtered in. It was much stronger than Sam was expecting but not painfully so. She just kept watching while Troy grimaced from the intensity. Not being able to look up, Troy was starting to notice oddities about Sam that didn't add up. Things that were obviously different about her that no other Kor'Ran possessed. The moment the lift stopped, Sam was already walking off into the grasslands.

Troy didn't want to leave Sam to wander around lost but she was recovering faster than he could. She walked off like nothing happened and they hadn't just emerged from a dark tunnel. Troy was too confused about Sam. He wanted to ask her to do a DNA test and check for anomalies. How to broach the subject tactfully may be tough though.

Sam didn't wander off too far. She stopped 50 feet into the grass. From here she could feel the planet. The air felt warm and right. The red grass caressed her fur in a way earth's never did. The blue star enriched her vision and livened her soul. Here, she was home. She resolved to spend as much time above ground as she could. This was much better. Sam lost herself in the sensations until Troy stepped up next to her. He wasn't shielding his eyes but he was still squinting a bit. Poor guy spent too much time under ground. Maybe she could get him to spend more time above ground and in the air. A friend would be nice. Particularly one that would like to stick around.

"You look so serene standing there. What's going through your mind?"

Sam couldn't help her smile. It was automatic. She really hadn't been this serene in her life. Just something about the world that felt right. This was where her ancestors were from. And where her mother still lived. It was so strange thinking of someone other than the woman who had birthed her as mother. Ellen was her mom, through and through. This new woman may never be able to stand up to Ellen.

"Troy, have you ever been away for such a long time that when you get back you just feel... Home?"

"I've never left." Sam looked his way. Troy was hanging his head, like he was ashamed, "I've never had the courage to do more than leave the compound for more than a few days. I've never been beyond Ren'Indral lands. It is too dangerous for us. The Drakorna who are left hunt us. There is a prize for bringing back one of our heads. And the prize for a whole body is extensive. Any family that has a Kor'Ran in it is exterminated wholly. The "sins" of a few are taken out on the many."

A thought came to Sam. This could be her best chance, "I am not going to stay here long. As beautiful and peaceful as it is, there is a job that I need to accomplish. Would you be willing to join me? Through my ship you could see the many inhabited worlds. I travel long distances?" Sam felt like she was sounding desperate. She had never felt so fervent about wanting company.

"You have a ship? How did you get one so quickly? Even Ren'Indral who make the cut to be captains don't get a ship until they are around 100. What kind of ship is it?"

Sam wasn't sure she should mention the nature of her ship or quest. Troy may not take it well, "oh, well, umm. It's pretty big. I don't know what the classification is. I took it from some Vey'Ral a few months ago." Sam fidgeted around for a bit while Troy gave it some thought but the tension was killing her, "you don't have to answer right now. We can worry about it later. After the hunt."

Troy nodded his approval, "yes, that does sound good. We have plenty of time to decide what we want to do. The hunt is important, too. I hope we can find some interesting creatures for you."

Sam cursed herself. She had hoped that by saying he could take his time to answer he would answer faster, but her plan backfired. Now she would have to wait until he did make a decision. Sounding enthusiastic now may be a problem, "me too! This is my first time here. I have no idea what to expect from the beasts."

"Excellent! Then let's be off! The sooner I show you some beasts the quicker we can get back for some dinner."

Sam just sighed. Not only was he going to make it hard to get some meat, he was more concerned about getting back underground for his next meal than answering her request. On top of that, he decided he wanted to walk instead of fly. The walk was peaceful at least. They encountered plenty of small creatures as they approached a forest but nothing larger than a house cat. The smells had been quite interesting as well.

When they arrived at the forest, Troy stopped, concerned, "beyond the grasslands is out of Ren'Indral territory. It is old Ren'Dal land and generally devoid of any Drakorna. They feel it is haunted."

"Huh. I wonder if I'll run into the ghost of my father. So you said that the beasts are vicious and dangerous. I haven't seen anything large enough to even make a decent meal out of. Are you sure we would have needed armor?"

"Oh, don't you worry. The big animals are in the forest. They have grown in population since Drakorna stay out of this forest for the most part and the Ren'Dal aren't here to hunt them either."

"Oh good. I've been hoping to see something worth hunting!"

They were no more than ten steps into the forest when a group of large antelope like creatures ran past at an incredible speed. Ten minutes later and another group of animals, this time resembling boar, ran past. This happened quite a few times and Troy gave commentary for each group. They seemed to be very passive creatures unless threatened. Nothing more exciting than standing their ground and facing predators in a thick group. Certainly no reasons to need protective gear and it was driving Sam to boredom.

Sam really was not expecting to have her arm jerked hard enough to fling her to the ground. She had been a little lost in thought but not enough to have not noticed something dangerous. Troy tried to shush Sam but he immediately started sweating at the sight of her glaring daggers at him. Sam could tell he was nervous but whatever he was hiding them from must have made it worse. It took Troy a minute to peel his eyes from Sam for fear of being throttled but he eventually glanced over the bush they were behind. Sam couldn't help the thought that if she hadn't liked Troy that he would have never gotten away with pulling her to the ground. All she could do was sigh as she climbed to her knees to look over the bush. To Sam's dismay, the bush was taller than her on her knees. With a grumble she stood up all of the way and her head just cleared the bush. She really was not used to being around individuals two feet taller than her.

There, maybe a hundred feet in front of her, was a unicorn. Cloven hoofs, long tail with a flowing tuft of fur at the end, silver to opalescent fur, and the trademark spiraled horn. It was also much larger than she expected. It had a build closer to a deer than a horse but it was still easily 8 foot at the shoulder. "So much for being a creature of myth."

Troy looked at Sam like she had a second head on her shoulder, "what? There are myths and legends of these creatures on my home planet. They are called {unicorns}. They are thought to be creatures of great power and knowledge."

"Well they got that part right. Gilden are completely sentient, vastly intelligent, psychic, and coveted by the Drakorna. If anything attacks him, there will be 5 Drakorna here in minutes to kill the attackers."

"Does that six foot {cougar} know that?"

"The what?" Troy followed Sam's gaze behind the Gilden to see a huge feline creature with red and green stripes similar to a tiger, "oh crap. Sam, we need to leave now. Sam?" Troy looked around but heard nothing. There were no sounds he could pick up other than the Gilden eating leaves off the tree. "Sam?!"

Troy realized his mistake as soon as he called out. The Gilden looked at him as well as the large cat. The cat immediately noticed the easier meal and took off after Troy. To his credit, he tried to fly away instead of run. The creature caught up too fast to get away, though. Within two wing beats the creature was close enough to leap onto Troy. With a great roar the creature leapt at Troy.

Troy braced for the impact but was confused when the roar was cut off short just behind him. He felt his tail feathers get clipped but no contact other than that. He stopped and turned around to see Sam standing on the neck of the beast that was laying completely still with eyes still open. Sam was just looking down at the creature and feeling its fur. The sight made Troy want to leave all the faster.

As Sam slid down to sit across the neck of the beast like it was a mount, Troy slowly walked up to the scene. Sam gestured for Troy to walk around the head and he complied. It was then that he noticed it's eyes following him as he walked and the maw moving slightly. He was about to ask but Sam beat him to it, "she's not dead yet. Soon, but not yet. I only broke her neck so there is still blood keeping her alive. She is completely paralyzed though."

"That is a horrible way to die! Frightening too! Why would you do that to this creature?"

"Would you rather be dead?" Troy conceded and looked the other way, "I didn't do it because I wanted to. I did it because it was the only way I could stop a beast this size without a weapon."

Troy nodded and took another glance at the beast. It's eyes had glazed over and were half lidded now, as well as the silent snarl relaxed. Troy was still curious as to how Sam did it since he never saw the attack, "Sam? How... how did you do this? The Drakorna even tend to stay away from these. They..."

Sam held up a hand, "it's okay, Troy. I know that you're still a little shaken up. The moment I saw it tensing to go after the Gilden, I leapt into the air. I was about a half mile up when I turned around and sped back down. I wouldn't normally do this since broken bones are no joke, but I basically went into a free fall straight down, correcting just enough to land on its neck. At the last minute I opened my wings and turned around to land with my feet. If I had been a split second slower or faster, neither of us would have survived." Sam sighed and stroked the beast between the ears before closing it's eyes, "I just wish I didn't have to do it."

"Why? Why so much remorse, Sam?"

Sam looked off into the forest where the cat had come from. Troy could just make out a tear sliding down Sam's cheek, "because somewhere out there is the thing's cub. Stopping one death only ensured two more. It is not how I like to do things but I can't just let a friend die. That would weigh on me heavier."

It was that moment that Sam looked up and was face to face with the Gilden. Sam showed no fear, only intrigue. It seemed to be staring into Sam's soul when she remembered Troy mention Gilden are psychic. It seemed to smile before a voice penetrated her mind, 'thank you, young one. This Coran could have killed me before assistance arrived. Even though a troop of Drakorna are only two minutes away, even they fear these beasts for a reason. I will remain here, but if you wish, her cub is only a few miles the way she came. She is still young and would make a good companion for you. They are fiercely loyal and bond easily. Go, fetch her, and I will bless her for you.'

Sam wanted to reach up and stroke the Gilden's cheek but thought it may have been rude. As she pulled her hand away, she bowed instead, "thank you. I will be back shortly."

"Sam? Sam?!" Troy huffed as Sam flew off again. At least this time he saw her go. He marveled at how fast she was, though. In seconds she had flown far enough through the trees to be out of sight. He glanced over at the Gilden and felt very nervous. It seemed to be watching him. He had never spoken with one, let alone been near enough to see one before. It decided to fix both of those for him, 'Sam will return shortly. It is my understanding that your race is strong. Move the body away from here. The cub will not react well seeing its mother deceased. Do hurry, Sam is very fast.'

All Troy could do was nod and comply at hearing the Gilden's voice. It was a rich baritone and commanded respect. Troy was thankful that it was right about his strength. The beast was heavy and was going to take some effort to move far enough away. The Gilden had not specifically mentioned how far to move the body but somehow he just knew. By the time he had returned, he found Sam before the Gilden holding a wriggling Coran cub. It actually seemed to be trying to play with the Gilden.

The Gilden, for his part, was trying to accomplish something, though Troy was not sure what it was. His head was darting this way and that to avoid the cub and it's sharp claws that were swiping at his nose but still seemed to be trying to get closer. Sam adjusted the cub and it's paws went straight in the air and that was the moment the Gilden was looking for. He placed his horn on the cubs head as quickly as he could and it reached over to hold the horn as well. A soft glow emanated from the horn then the cub for a few seconds before dissipating. As the Gilden stepped back, the cub pawed at the air in front of it longingly, wishing for its toy to come back. Sam bowed to the Gilden and it did the same in return before they each turned in different directions; Sam to Troy and the Gilden towards the Drakorna territory. When Sam got close to Troy the Coran cub tried to bat at him as well as "Nya" a few times. Troy thought it was the cutest little hunter he'd ever seen.

"You know, I'm still hungry. Think you could let me swipe one of those smaller animals we saw earlier for dinner?"

"Wait. How are you going to eat it? You can't possibly mean to eat it raw, would you? You need to dry the meat and that takes days!"

"What? No no! I'm eating it raw! I've been eating raw meat for years! I'm not changing that now. Besides, Clara here needs to eat as well before either of us start looking tasty."

"Clara? Well I guess if you're naming it then we probably can't sell it when we get back. I hear they are worth a lot in the guard pet stores."

"I'm not even going to dignify that with comment. Wait... do you hear that?" Troy heard nothing but he couldn't help but watch Sam's ears swiveling a little side to side as they tracked something. Suddenly Sam handed the cub over to Troy, "take to the air. Now! Head back towards the grass! I'll meet you there. Go! NOW!"

Before he could make an objection he finally caught the sound. It was a deep rumbling that was getting closer. He knew it was a stampede. Why it was headed his way was an unknown but he wasted no time listening to Sam. He took a few running steps and took to the air, struggling a bit with the weight of the cub but he got above the trees in time to see a great cloud of blue dust rising into the air only a half mile away. He turned towards the grass but saw Sam flying through the dust above the stampede. He watched as she dove ahead of the stampede and came up with one thing in her arms as an explosion rocked the place she just came from. The dust from there took off in several directions but Troy got a good look at Sam's passenger. It was a Ren'Indral in the excursion suit. Someone had been sent out after them.

All of the dust trails went away from the grass so Troy was happy to touch down on the ground. Sam came up shortly after him and set the Ren'Indral down. He pulled off his helmet and dropped to his knees, overwhelmed with his near death experience. As Sam stood beside Troy, they both noticed who it was.

"Glen! What in the galaxy gave you the bright idea to go speeding through the forest on that noisy heap of junk?! You created a stampede a half mile long! You must have had every animal within a three mile radius chasing you! {Christ}! Are you alright?"

After a few deep breaths, Glen finally got his voice back, "Archiver sent me after you. Your mother is waiting for you at the compound. She is rather irritated that the others attacked you, though she seems pleased that most of them are injured. I need you to come back before she kills any of them."

Sam couldn't help but groan. This was not something she was looking forward to. Troy was giving her a strange look, "how could your mother be here this fast? None of the Drakorna who bonded with the Ren'Dal live on this side of the world."

"That's a good question. One that I am curious about as well. Could you guys wait here for one minute, I am going to get one of the animals that got caught in the blast."

Sam didn't wait for an agreement, she just took off towards the small stream of smoke floating into the air. She came back with the rear quarters of a beast that must have been six foot at the shoulders and well over 400 pounds. The rear section was only about 180. Sam was pleased with herself for finding it so fast. When she got back, she draped it over a shoulder by a leg and started walking back towards the lift. She could just make out the dome over the grass. Glen and Troy just stared after her for a minute until Clara squirmed too much for Troy to hold. The cub took off after Sam and tried to grab a hold of the meat. Sam heard the cub approach and played keep away while Troy and Glen tried to catch up. Even playing, Sam and the cub were both very fast.

The strange troop got plenty of stares as they worked their way back towards the compound. Sam and Troy both went to the main area as Glen hurried off to fetch Sam's mother. Sam had just dropped the legs on the table when the door opened behind them. Troy nearly jumped out of his skin as Sam just stared at the newcomer.

"Queen Arlan! Wh-- what brings you here?"

"I have come to see my child that has returned. And when did someone succeed in bringing a female into this world?"

Sam just stepped around the table to take a seat. She was starving and could care less who this Drakorna was, "if you're looking for Maza, he is not the one who you were called for."

"Whaaat? Then why was I called? This better not be a waste of my time! You people know what I would do if you brought me here on a hoax!"

"Que-- queen Arlan. Peace please. True... we did not call you about Maza. We called you about Sam here."

"I do not care that we have a newborn that is female! One in thousands is not good enough odds to bring back the species!"

"Please, queen Arlan, Sam is not some random Kor'Ran. She is your daughter."

Queen Arlan stopped in her tracks and stared daggers at Glen then settled on Sam. She looked ready to attack Sam but Sam just stared daggers right back at her.