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Alright, this is the second chapter in the Lasalem series. For those of you who do not remember, the first chapter was The Tales of Lasalem: Hoshi and Kara's Beginning. I have worked tirelessly to bring the second chapter to yiffstar in a timely matter because I truely wish for this story series to pick up and for more people to read it because of the amount of effort and creativity I put into it. So now, without further adeu, please carry on to the story.

Chapter 2- Tragedy

When Hoshi finally awoke there on the roof of the Golden Chalice the morning, or rather afternoon following the special night he and Kara had shared, he knew something was not right. He couldn't feel his arms, nor his legs, and no matter how urgently his mind urged them to move, they would not. He tried to open his eyes, and he felt them open, but his vision remained black. He could feel panic setting in, had he become paralyzed and blind in his sleep? He tried to call out for help, yet only a dry whisper came from his throat. Frantically he thought of things that could cause such symptoms...a broken spine, a partial neutralization spell which could stop all censory functions and motor functions, but that would call for his attacker to be near, yet he sensed noone. Then it hit him, he had most likely been drugged with Fengrweed, a medical drug used in the torture of prisoners which kept them helpless while great harm was done to their body. Hoshi also realized that if he concentrated hard enough, his index fingers and big toes would move slightly, which meant he had at least two hours left before all function would be returned to his body. Then something else crossed his mind.....Kara! Was she alright? Had whoever had drugged him taken her? More and more questions like those stormed his mind and drowned out all else. He had to know what had become of her, and more importantly, why he had not been killed or taken in the process. But as he was...he was resigned against his will to wait for his body to awake from its artificial sleep.

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An hour and a half later, Hoshi came limping down the stairwell from the roof of the Chalice, limping only because his right leg had less movement than his left. when his vision had returned to him, he had been able to see only blurrs at first, but even with such poor vision he could tell that Kara was not there. as he felt hot tears stinging at his eyes, he had hoped that she had not been drugged and just left...or even that she had drugged him as a joke in hopes that someone may find him naked and be able to spread the story around town....as far fetched as it was. But it was glaringly obvious that the worst had probably happened. As he got more and more of his movements back, and his voice had returned to him, he called out for her but noone answered, and he also crawled around the roof just searching for her. Still no sign of Kara. So now he stood there with his pants on and his vest draped over his shoulder in front of everyone in the Chalice, panting from the effort it took to remain standing. The usher from the night before swiftly made his way over to Hoshi and helped to keep him steady, studying his face with worry.

"Hoshi lad....whats wrong? Whats happened to you?"

"Don't......w-....Don't worry.....about me.......Kara....shes....shes been taken!"

There were startled gasps from the others who had now gathered around the two, and one male within the group shouted "Who took her Hoshi! I'll gut the bastard with my own blade!"

"I don't....know....drugged....Fengrweed...." he replied as his vision flickered a moment, and he stumbled to the side, yet the usher's grip held.

"Fengrweed!" exclaimed the usher, hurrying to move Hoshi over to a nearby bench, "Lad you shouldn't be standing just yet if you're on that stuff! It's a nasty drug Fengrweed."

Then another shouted from the chittering crowd of furs, "Someone run to the town council! Tell them the situation and have a searchparty rounded up! if shes in the vicinity of Duballock, we'll find her!"

"I'm on it!" another shouted, a cheetah clothed in naught but a pair of jeans, as he took off out the door before anyone could object.

Then the usher turned his gaze back to Hoshi's eyes, which were still very dialated. "Hoshi...don't you worry one bit....we'll find her...and the bastards who took her from you."

Still panting, Hoshi clasped his paw over the usher's left shoulder and shook his head. "No...Empire.....they....they took her...."

"What!? How could you know that lad? Out with it! quickly now!"

Hoshi nodded and rolled over as best he could to reveal the back of his left shoulder, into which the insignia of the Empire's Death Knights had been cut, and the blood was slowly trickling from the wound onto the bench. No sooner had he seen it than the ushers face went white, and he turned to the crowd.

"Someone follow that boy to the council...tell them we will have no such luck here as to find Kara.....the Death Knights have taken her."

More gasps and startled cries came from the crowd, and again someone took off, headed in the direction the cheetah had gone minutes before. Then the usher shooed everyone away from Hoshi, stating that he needed his air and to be left in peace for a while. So they all did as he said, and they returned to their respective tables, though the news quickly spread from table to table and then, into town. By the time Hoshi felt he could stand again, the Marqui had come rushing into the chalice and knelt by his side. With a sad sigh, Hoshi turned his gaze upon him and felt more tears stinging at his eyes.

"Kal.....Kara.....they took her from me..."

"I know Hoshi...I know....I have heard much of the details from my advisor who was out in town when the word first spread from the Chalice. But I should like to hear the story from you again if you don't mind."

Hoshi nodded and proceeded to recount his experiences since he had woken up and what he had been able to decipher of what had happened so far. When he had finished, the Marqui nodded and patted him on the shoulder with a half-hearted smile, his eyes flashing slightly as if he had just come to a descision.

"You did well to realize what it was that ailed you, and even more so to recognise the insignia of the Death Knights. As for what happened to Kara...you must not blame yourself Hoshi, for it would have happened no matter what you had done. But also realize, that the Empire has made your choice for you. You must go out into the world and recover the other six Ancient Ones and use their power to rescue Kara from the grasp of the Empire."

With a frantic look about his eyes, Hoshi stared down at the Marqui and shook his head, more out of indescision than anything else. "But Kal! I don't even know where to start! And moreover, where will I find the necessary number of companions to accompany me along the way? You should know as well as I do that even the powers of the Lasalem aren't enough to take on EVERY beast that stalks the lands between the great cities."

With a large grin, the Marqui stood up to his full height, now towering over Hoshi and pounded his right fist against his armor chestplate. "Leave it to me Hoshi, O great Lasalem! You have one companion in your company already, for I shall go with you, and I shall assemble a few more of the finest warriors in Duballock to go with us on our quest."

With a stunned look that was constant on the faces of all who had heard Lord Kallu, Hoshi stared up at the Marqui, no, his friend and said. "But what of Duballock? What of your position? You are far too important to this city to be cavorting about with a would be legend on a quest to save his lover."

"Fear not Hoshi, for I have already made that arrangement, and a few others. all you need do is prepare yourself to depart. As for my importance to this town, i go wherever the Ragorn Fageire goes, for it is my duty as Marqui of this town to protect it from all who might attempt to take it."

With that he turned to everyone else in the Chalice and opened his arms wide, as he was accustomed to doing when he addressed a large crowd. "So you heard it, so shall you tell the rest of the townspoeple! you shall all address my son Nephalic as the new Marqui for now and he shall handle all matters of state law, and affairs afar."

His announcement was met by cheers from the large crowd in the Chalice as many stood and clapped, and shouts of "Yeah! Our Marqui is no coward to the Empire!" or things along the lines of "Aye! go get em' Lord Kallu! May your sword be swift and your mind keener than Alglarona, the Goddess of Chaos'." came to their ears.

Then he turned back to Hoshi and extended his paw down to him with a warm smile. "Now let us depart Hoshi my friend, for as much as we might wish it to be, time is not at our sides. Kara is in very real danger and we must make haste so nothing too terrible befalls her."

Without hesitation, Hoshi took Kal's paw and allowed him to heft him up. He only swayed once as his balance faltered, but he kept his footing and shook his head, then nodded to Kal, indicating he was ready. "Lets get to it then, my fiance' is waiting."

With a bit of a shocked nod in return, Kal led Hoshi out the door and they darted off towards his castle.

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Roughly an hour later, Hoshi was perusing all the books in Kal's study after the Marqui had told him to remain there and await his return. Supposedly he was off recruiting the few companions who would also accompany them on their quest, and of course, since Hoshi had just recieved a large bonus to his magical energies, he was looking through Kal's books on magic and also the books about the Ancient Ones. He found several spells that may prove useful in combat, and he wrote them down on pieces of parchment, though the one he knew he wanted to try first was the one to form the "Lightning Edge". As for the books about the Ancient ones, he found most were on the Ragorn Fageire, whose powers were, until recent events, all based on theory. The ones that were not on the Ragorn Fageire, dealt with a specific Ancient One in a specific city. Something told him that his time was growing short by the time he had found the book about the city of Krael'Naen and its Ancient Relic, which happened to be where they were headed first, so he took the time to read a little about it.

According to the book, Krael'Naen had always been the trading capital of the entire world, and it also had many vast deposits of gold, silver, iron, and steel ore in the mountains which surrounded it, and that was only the ones that had been mined so far. It had also been the home of may very famous black smith's such as Faulkner Aires or Gunter Shival because of the sheer number of resources there were to practice the trade upon. As for its Ancient Relic, the Gil-lock, it was written that it had the power to grant one the power of any three elements that they chose upon binding it.

"Hmmm...that could prove useful..." Hoshi mused to himself as he continued reading.

Apparently, the Relic had the appearance of a simple orb with the entire ancient history of the city inscribed upon its surface, and its resting place was in the center of the town upon a pedestal which stood 23 stories high. At night, the Relic displayed Resonance, which meant that it lit up with the most fantastic colors, and it had earned it the title "The Beacon of Krael'Naen".

Before he could read any more of the town or its Relic, he heard footsteps down the hall and turned to face the door just as the Marqui and two others made their way into the study. With a small inclination of his head, Hoshi acknowledged them both, one a male german shephard, who was adorned in full body armor with runes scribed in the ancient language etched into every inch of it. Each separate plate of the platinum colored armor was lined with gold plating on the outside, and as a whole, the armor looked as if it had been polished tirelessly for days on end. On his back, he carried a large two-handed sword concealed within a sleek, sapphire blue sheath that had more gold runes etched into it. The hilt of said sword was made of a well polished form of black wood, which was partially wrapped in leather for grip, and had gold bands scattered here and there along the rest of it. The males eyes were a shade of dazzling violet, and his body itself was of a very muscular build, which gave him the air of a seasoned warrior.

The other was a female Husky. She wore black, form-fitting full body armor which appeared to be of the same design as the German Shephard's. On her armor, each individual plate was outlined with steel plating that had been painted purple, and polished to a perfect shine. Her body build was very lean, with muscles that were merely well defined and toned, and her breasts were a C cup, a good size. At her side, attached to her combat belt, was a thin, one-handed sword concealed within a crimson sheath. The sheath itself seemed to be made of extremely high quality cherry-wood and had been enchanted to be pure crimson in color, and along the length there were steel plates in the shape of never-ending vines with many leaves that formed the rune for fire near the top of the sheath. The hilt of her sword was made of a smoke-grey wood that was polished to perfection with silver rings at each extreme end of it . It had black leather on the handle for grip, and a rather large sapphire on the end of it which glowed with an air of....cold, which was the only way he could describe it. The husky's fur was a beautiful shade of baby blue, and she had cream-colored fur that ran from right under her chin, down her belly, and along the underside of her bushy tail. she had completely black ears with stars of white fur on the back of them, a coincidental birthmark that signified fire as well. It was normally only found on those who were born with fire elemental magical energy.

The both of them nodded to Hoshi and knelt before him as the Marqui took his place beside him. Hoshi wasn't used to this kind of treatment, especially from warriors so high up in the ranks, so he found himself blushing embarrassedly.

"Greetings Lasalem, we are at your service." the husky said, her voice as calm and soothing as the sea on a windless summer day.

"Please..." Hoshi replied, placing a paw under her chin and slowly lifting her back to her feet before turning his gaze down to the German Shephard and motioning for him to do the same. "You need not bow before me...I am not royalty like Kal here, and as such I need only to be treated as an equal and a friend."

"The same goes for me." Kal added quickly, raising his left paw slightly as he let a smile cross his muzzle.

With hesitant nods, the both of them smiled and replied. "Yes Lasalem Hoshi, and Lord Kallu!"

"Will you not forgo the terms of status?" Kal asked with a slight shake of his head.

"No Lord Kallu, that we will not do..." the German Shephard said. "We will forgo being respectful, but we cannot address you as a mere friend."

When the husky shyly nodded in reply, her gaze never leaving Hoshi, the Marqui reluctantly nodded and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Fair enough. Now, i do believe introduction are in order, Karo! Alyona!"

Both nodding, the two then formally introduced themselves to Hoshi, the German Shephard being the first to speak.

"Lasalem Hoshi, I am Karo Grimstboro, wielder of the blade "Helmsplitter", at your service..."

Next the husky spoke, as Hoshi nodded to the German Shephard. "And I am Alyona Fareith, the Fire Enchantress know as the "Crimson Edge" to those outside of our town...." Upon finishing her introduction, she extended her paw formally to Hoshi, and he took note of a reddining on her cheeks, possibly from shyness, or embarassment.

Without delay, her took her ungloved paw and kissed the top of it as a gentleman would have, smiling softly. "It is a pleasure to finally meet the fabled Fire Enchantress whose beauty knows no bounds...I heard much of you from the higher-ups when they would fill their bellies with too much liquor."

At his comment, and his action, her blush only deepened and she pulled away from him, retaking her place beside her companion. The Marqui eyed her suspiciously, then looked to Hoshi with an amused smile. She noticed his inferred statement and merely looked down, her tail lowering slightly. Once that non-verbal display ended, Kal turned to face Hoshi and grinned.

"This, is our team Hoshi! Alyona and Karo are two of my most trusted warriors, and their abilities will not fail us on our quest." he stated, looking back at them for only a moment before returning his gaze to Hoshi. "Another reason I chose them is because they may be able to teach you a few useful things along our journey, especially Alyona here. She is very adept in the magical arts."

At this, Alyona looked up and interjected meekly. "Yes...Lasalem Hoshi....I...well...do you know your elemental magic type yet?"

Hoshi shook his head slightly and crossed his arms. "No, I can't say I do...I was always more of a brawn guy myself because my magical energy was weak. But...since acquiring the Ragorn Fageire, I find that I am now a very capable magician, so i could use whatever you may have to teach me Alyona-elda."

Alyona found herself blushing again as he used the respectful term for elder, or teacher, and nodded slightly with a warm smile. "My knowledge is your knowledge Lasalem Hoshi."

With a satisfyed smile, Kal continued. "As for Karo here, he can teach you how to better hone your swordsmanship....Which reminds me, Karo, did you bring Hoshi's gift?"

At this, Karo stepped forward and nodded, pulling a second sword out from against the wall behind him, where he had obviously placed it after he had entered. This sword, was also a one-handed sword, and it was encased within a well-polished crimson sheath like Alyona's, though his had pure silver plating which formed not vines, but rather the shapes of hundreds of tiny crosses, each embedded with small rubies in their center. the hilt of the blade was made out of the same polished black wood that Karo's was and had yet another, larger ruby at the base of the handle, along with the gold rings at each extreme end. He could not sense an air about the jewel in the hilt of that sword though like he could with Alyona's. He knelt again before Hoshi and held it out to him, his head bowed low.

"Our gift to you Lasalem, a blade forged from the enchanted metal Magi-steel. It will never dull no matter how hard you beat at your enemies defenses, and it is ressistant to most, if not all magics." said Karo with a smile as he turned his gaze up to Hoshi.

Alyona spoke next with a soft giggle. "It has yet to be named Hoshi, we leave that task to you."

As Hoshi took the sword, he felt a deep sense of gratitued, but also a sense of confusion, and though he felt it to be rude, he asked. "But...what use have I of another sword when I have the Ragorn Fageire?"

At this, Kal spoke up with a soft voice, his paw coming to rest on Hoshi's shoulder. "Ah yes Hoshi, I forgot to mention that it would be dangerous to travel while wielding the Ragorn Fageire....after all, what might happen if your enemies should recognise the sword and attempt to ambush us in our sleep? Therefore, it is necessary for you to wield this blade, or the Ragorn Fageire when the situation calls for it."

"I see.." Hoshi said, undoing his belt so he could attatch the new sword to his side.

At this, Alyona fidgeted nervously and looked away, muttering something that noone could decipher to herself. When Hoshi had successfully re-latched his belt, he admired the blade while it was still within it's sheath, and then slowly drew it, revealing the swords actual body. It was the color of ordinary steel, also polished to perfection, though in any reflection of any object, Hoshi could see a blue flame surrounding it, which he guess was its own magical energy, or residual magical energy from spells cast long ago. The sword was very light, and he was able to handle it with grater ease than even the best of normal swords. In fact, it even rivaled the Ragorn Fageire. with a satisfyed smile, he resheathed it and looked to everyone else with a smile.

"It is an exquisite blade! Finer than any I have ever had the pleasure of holding aside from the Ragorn Fageire."

"Aren't you going to name it Lasalem?" Kal asked with an amused smile.

"Ah! R-right!" Hoshi said as he quickly re-drew his sword and gazed upon the blade, admiring it again. "But...what to name you...?"

The sword seemed to humm in his grasp, and as he gazed at his own reflection, he saw a quick blue streak flash up the blade and fade into nothiness. Startled, he looked about to see if anyone else had seen it, but it did not appear so. So again, he looked at his own reflection, watching it intently....and again it happened. it looked as if lightning were streaking up the blade of the sword in response to his own energy...as if giving him a hint. Then, it hit him, and he grinned wide as he knew what to call his newfound "partner" in his journey.

"Alright sword of the Magi-Steel...I, Hoshi, lasalem of Duballock, do hereby christen you.....RAI'KIRI!" he cried as he thrust the blade into the air.

To his surprise, as soon as he had uttered the name, the blade erupted into a glorious display of electricity which filled the room with a loud screeching, like the chirping of 1000 birds. At that same moment, he began to feel an unknown force zapping at his strength, and he quickly shouted "Orega!" to stop whatever magic this was. The blade then resumed its previous state and awaited to be put away.

"What on earth...? Why did it do that?" Hoshi asked breathlessly.

"It would seem you discovered your sword's true name Hoshi...." Kal replied to him with a grin. "That is a feat not easily done when you first meet your sword...and whats more, it is a fitting name, is it not Alyona?"

"That it is Lord Kallu!" she replied with a grin that was hardly containable. "Hoshi! Your magical energy is lightning based! I am very impressed that you were able to let your swords properties lead you to the discovery of its true name, "Lightning Edge", and the discovery of your own magical nature!"

"Which means, Hoshi..." Kal said. "That all of your spells that you can use will begin with some form of the prefix, Rai, which means lightning in the ancient language."

"I see..." Hoshi muttered, placing a paw to his chin. Then he pointed at a vase just above the fireplace of the study. "So if I say something like....say....Raivorto!"

No sooner had he said it than a bolt of lightning shot from his finger and struck the vase, shattering it into a hundred pieces and scorching the wall behind it with a pitch, black mark, which promptly began smoking and sizzling quietly.

"Nice!" he cried, staring at his finger in amazement. "It is amazing to have that kind of power at your finger tips..."

"Do not forget though, Hoshi, that every power has its cost...this is no exception. Spells such as that will feed on your magical energy until there is none left to feed upon, at which point you die..." Kal stated gravely. "It is NOT something to be trifled with whenever you may please, however great your magical energies may be."

"Ah right...I'll remember that Kal.." he said with a slight blush.

"Good....now then, Karo, will you please call the guards in with my gift to Hoshi?" Kal asked with a grin. "I do believe he will be needing to make use of it soon enough."

"Yes Lord Kallu!" he said with a crisp salute before walking out the door and calling to two of Kal's armed guards.

A few moments later they came staggering in, hefting pieces to a suit of body armor that kal had ordered be made especially for Hoshi. As they laid the pieces out before hoshi, he took note that the armor was made of a crimson metal which, like Karo's platinum armor, had each piece outlined by thin plates of gold that had been polished to perfection, as had the rest of the armor. On the chest plate though, he noticed the crest of the royal family, a large wooden shield outlined with gold standing behind a mighty gryphon, one of the extinct beasts of old. This was something that only the knights assigned to guard the Marqui himself got to wear, so as you can imagine Hoshi was left both dumbfounded and speechless. When kal caught sight of his face, he laughed heartily and clapped him on the shoulder, causing his entire body frame to shake slightly.

"I'm glad you seem to like it Lasalem Hoshi! I had all six of my finest smiths up all night making that for you...though I must say that I did not expect you to be needing it on a quest that i would accompany you on." he said before gesturing to the pieces as a whole. "Each piece is made from a mixture of the hardest metals found on this planet which were enchanted to turn the dazzling crimson color you see before you. Then of course the gold was added simply for show to add to the splendor of the armor. Inside you'll find padding which will cusion most any blow you take upon the armor itself, though be warned, no armor can stop all injuries so do try to take hits with caution Hoshi."

Hoshi was still so awestruck by the gifts that he simply could not find the words to reply to Kal, or anyone else who may have addressed him at the moment, so all he did was nod slightly. Kal then looked up to the other two and gestured for them to leave.

"Alright then, let us leave Hoshi to change into his armor...and after that, I'd like you to walk him around the castle and teach him of the arts of magic Alyona....alright?"

"Yes lord Kallu..." the replied in unison as they allowed him to pass and then quickly followed him out, letting the door close behind them.

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Twenty minutes later Hoshi had changed into his splendid armor and was now alone with Alyona, who seemed to be distracted and looking at the many assorted portraits on the walls of the castle. As they rounded a corner which led into a long, narrow hallway, Hoshi spotted a window which led out onto a balcony and stopped. It did take her a moment to notice that he stopped, but once she did, she hurredly backtracked her steps and looked at him curiously. Rather than say a word, Hoshi opened the window and stepped outside, letting the orange light of the setting sun catch on his beautiful fur and armor briliantly, his crimson eyes gazing out over the vast countryside beyond the walls of Duballock as a soft wind ruffled through his facial fur and tail fur. Alyona quietly came up beside him and rested her hands on the railing, also gazing out at it as well. She was careful not to hold her gaze on him for too long, for fear he might notice the faint blush that burned beneath her cheeks, and because of this it was unnaturally quiet for a long time. Hoshi was the first one to break the silence that had settled between them.

"I've always wondered what it would be like to take an extended trip around the country to visit all the cities..." he said in a distant voice, as if his mind were focused on memories of his past. "Now it appears I shall get my wish whether I like it or not."

With a meek voice, Alyona said. "Well...try not to think of it as a bad thing Hoshi...it is a rare thing to get to live out ones dreams, no matter what the circumstances."

It was then that he turned to face her and smiled softly, his crimson eyes holding on her face. "You're right you know? I'm very grateful that I am going to get to live my little dream....But what of you Alyona? What are your dreams? Your hopes?"

"Ah...well I uh....." she faltered a moment, as if searching for the right words. "Well I suppose my dream is to one day rid myself of this armor and have a family of my own with a handsome man....I want that more than anything else in the world...and....I think I may have found the man I want to go for..."

Hoshi really didn't think anything of her comment, or of how she was blushing as she said it. He figured that she was just embarrassed to be talking about her dreams.

"Well that is a very noble dream Alyona..." he said with a warm smile, touching her cheek softly with his right paw. "It is a dream I share very strongly...and I know someday soon...after all of this is over it will come true....for both of us."

Alyona whimpered under her breath and closed her eyes at his touch, turning her head away from him slightly as she nuzzled against his paw. He was so handsome...and his touch was as soft as that of a silken sheet against her fur. Oh but surely he had a mate already! Surely! Who would not want a man so handsome and beautiful as he was? It was true...Alyona did not know of Hoshi's commitment to Kara. All she knew of this mission was that she was to accompany he and Lord Kallu to the six other Great Cities to bind the Ancient Ones. Without a word she suddenly pulled him into a soft hug, their armor clanking together as their bodies came together and she rested her head against his cheek for a moment.

"Thank you Hoshi....." she whispered to him. "Thank you...I truely needed to hear that..."

Her action had totally caught Hoshi off guard, and he found the embrace to be quite awkward. Nevertheless however, he smiled and patted the back of her head gently. "You're most welcome Alyona....now, shall we get back to speaking of magic? That is what Lord Kallu asked us to do after all, and lets not forget that tomorrow is the big day when we set out to the other six Great Cities."

With a gentle nod, Alyona agreed and released him, turning her gaze away from him again as they returned to the hall and continued down it and many other, talking for a good hour or more about magic and its subtlties, after which they part ways and Hoshi reported to the quarters that had been left to him for the night. Once there, he stripped off his armor and took a seat on his bed, sighing heavily as the toll of his emotions finally caught him. Kara was out there somewhere...and he didn't know if she was alive or dead at the moment. What was more, he would be travelling with an admittedly attractive female husky on his quest, and should his confidence that she was alive ever falter....well...he feared that he may not be able to help himself. bearing those thoughts in mind he lay down, and after what seemed like hours to him, finally fell into a deep slumber...in which he would find the greatest surprise yet....

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It had been 4 hours since Kara had last been drugged with a dose of Fengrweed, and she knew she had about a good hour left before she regained any use of her limbs. But she did not hold her hopes high in that aspect, for her "escourts" as they had repeatedly introduced themselves as to strangers who might be passing by, kept her under the influence at all times. They were alternating using a magical spell which made her walk and move without her minds accord between one another so as not to tire themselves out and to not arouse suspicion that she was their prisoner. After a bit more walking, and when her sight was returning to her once again, they stopped and made camp for the night. The one who had been controlling Kara's body let her fall to the ground carelessly and she bumped the back of her skull on a sharp rock, which made her vision flash red for a moment. She would have cried out...but her voice had not yet returned to her. The two who had kidnapped her were draped in nothing but mere leather armor for speed and agility and were both grey wolves, twins, if she was correct. Though their frames were not so much muscular as they were skinny, she was not decieved. These two were soldiers of the Empire's Death Knights and as such they were most likely very formidable spellcasters. Just then one of them spoke up as he was tying the last knot to the tent.

"Gah...what does his majesty want with such a weak little girl anyway?"

"That I cannot say brother....but she must be important."

"Even so....she's an attractive little bitch isn't she?"

"Brother...do not get any hasty ideas....we are supposed to make sure she does not get a single scratch on her."

"Unless she attacks us! Then we are free to do as we may! But even then...we do not have to restrain ourselves from reaping the pleasure her body may give us....no?"

What! Were these two actually considering raping her? The thought made Kara want to cry. They couldn't rape her! Not like this....she was unable to even put up a fight...and now she was scared out of her mind.

"Brother! Control yourself!" the second cried, looking at the first in a disgusted way.

"Oh come now.....can you honestly tell me you do not wish to reap the benefits of her body yourself my brother?"

"Yes I can...I do not wish to take a female at the same time as my own brother...it disgusts me."

"Mmmm...then you may have her first brother...so long as you don't ruin that tight little tail hole of hers...leave that to me!"

The first just sat there a long time, considering his options in silence. The silence was unbearable to Kara, she had to know what he was thinking! After what seemed like forever, the first spoke up with a sly smile.

"Brother...you flatter me...you remembered that I dislike the tailhole....and your offer is hard to pass up...she is the fairest little vixen I have laid eyes on in a while."

"Then you wish to take her brother?"

"Yes...yes I do."

NO! Kara screamed in her mind, her eyes tearing up as she heard his final descision. She was forced to watch from her place on the ground as the male wolves armor fell, revealing his lean body, and sheathed member, whose head was poking out already. The wolf had glowing yellow eyes...terrible eyes that now appeared cold and malicious to her as they eyes up her barely clothed body. They had only dressed her in a bikini bra and bottoms and had passed her off as an exotic dancer if the strangers inquired about her state of dress. He undid his hair from its ponytail and shook it loose until it fell over his eyes slightly, and then he reached down and jerked Kara's only two pieces of clothing away, revealing her naked body. Kara was helpless laying there on her back, her eyes fixed in a horrified stare as the wolf smiled down at her. He was really going to do it.....he was really going to use her for his own pleasure! That bastard! She had to stop him some how...she had to--! Her thoughts were cut off by a sharp pang of pleasure rocketing through her paralyzed body as the wolf brushed against her nether lips with his right paw, while his left began feeling up her little breasts.

"N-n..........oooo......." she managed to say weakly, her eyes closing as she tried to imagine herself in another place and time.

"Ohhhh...looks like the girl finally has use of he voice back..." the wolf who was fondling her said.

"All the better to hear her moans of pleasure brother!" said the other with an evil grin.

"Yes my brother........so it seems she does not want me to be fondling her...shall I grant her request?" he asked as he looked up at his brother with a malicious grin.

The other seemed to think about what his brother could be implying, but the he grinned a toothy grin and nodded hurredly. "Yes brother! Grant the little bitch her request!"

"Alright...you asked for this you little whore..." he growled down at Kara, moving to reveal his member as it fully engorged itself and began bobbing up and down slowly before her eyes.

No wait! Was he going to skip the foreplay altogether? that wasn't what she wanted! She was actually glad he had been fondling her because it bought her time...but now he was going to just brutally fuck her. Damnit all! Hoshi! I need you! She screamed in her thoughts as the male easily glided over her and lowered himself against her, his hot erection warm against her white fur, where it left a sticky trail of pre. With a grunt he lifted his hips back and lined the head up with her hot entrance, then without warnning just slammed all the way home, spreading her folds wide with his massive girth. Kara felt her entire body twitch involutarily as her maw opened in a silent scream. Here mind had exploded in a world of pleasure, which should not have happened in regular circumstances unless.....those bastards! They had planned this all along, hadn't they? They must have infused her last dose with an aphrodeisiac of some kind, which she would not have been able to feel at first. Oh gods did she feel it now though! It was hard to keep a steady coherent thought going in her mind as the wolf began to roughly take her, his hips slamming up against hers again and again and making sickening squelching noises. Above her he moaned out his contentment and began to suckle on her petite breasts gently while his brother began getting himself off behind him, careful to keep his word and let his brother have the little bitch first. Suddenly Kara felt the males speed increase, and she was being rocked with the sheer force of each thrust. it wouldn't be long now, she knew, for she could feel herself quickly reaching that high of orgasm. Sure enough, two minutes later, she cried out for the first time, loud and clear as a body-shaking orgasm rocketed through her nervous system and her vaginal walls clenched and milked at the wolves member, betraying her as if they wanted his seed and not Hoshi's.

"Ohhhh! Little bitch can't last long eh?" said the wolf who was fucking her. "Don't worry you horny little vixen...I'll be done soon!"

Kara didn't hear him though. She was lost in the blissful cloud that was her orgasm, which she welcomed as it was a nice retreat from the harsh reality. Deep inside of her mind she called out for Hoshi though. She was curled up into a tight ball in the back of her mind and weeping softly. She was all alone and noone could help her. Reality was cruel and unyielding, and it would never stop making her a target of its harsh wrath. Suddenly she saw something in her darkness though...a light...a strong light. Quickly, she rose and rushed towards it, eager for a way out of the misery that had become her reality. The light was so warm, it was like the sun, and it felt so familiar...like something she had come into contact with before. as she neared, the light began to fade, revealing Hoshi asleep in a bed somewhere. She could feel his conciousness all around her, enveloping her, worried for her. With a silent sob she stepped over to the bed and touched his forehead gently with her soft lips, a tear falling upon his right cheek.

"Hoshi my love...if you can hear me....lend me your strength....for I shall throw off these wolves and escape...or die trying." she whispered.

It was then that memories of that day rushed into her mind, and she saw all Hoshi had seen and experienced, including all about Alyona. Somehow she didn't find herself mad, but comforted by the fact that Alyona seemed to like Hoshi. At least if she died, he had someone to turn to. Then she felt something else, the power within Hoshi, and it rushed into her own body at an alarming rate, energizing her. It was then that she heard a voice in her head.

"I give you my power Kara of the Lasalem....use it well and fend off your rapists.....should you fail, the gods have a position for you above, of this I am assured." said the voice.

"W-wait...who...?" she began.

"Do not ask questions in a time such as this!" the voice cried. "Know only that I am the one who now watches over Hoshi from within."

Kara nodded quietly and then returned her gaze to Hoshi with a soft smile, touching his forehead with her paw.

"Hoshi...my final gift to you is my mermories of this event...and a temporary link to my mind. May my reality be your dream so you will know what has happened tonight."

With that, she turned away from Hoshi, and gasped as her reality came into being again. The wolf was now panting as he lay there atop her, obviously having just came inside of her. Kara found herself struck by a pang of disgust as she growled below him, the power of the Ragorn Fageire, which she had determined was the voice in her head, coursing through her. She no longer felt paralyzed, not at all in fact, and the wolf above her looked down with a smirk.

"Awwww....did I make the little bitch angry by cumming inside of her?" he asked.

"Yer damn right you did you BASTARD!" she cried, tears streaking down her white cheeks as she suddenly kicked him off and rose to her feet before either could react. THe first wolf had landed several yards away with a look of absolute shock upon his face.

She growled again and allowed the extra energy from Hoshi's Relic to energize her muscles and her mind as the both of them stood facing her, looks of disbelief marking their faces.

"Impossible! You should still be under the effects of the Fengrweed!" they cried in unison.

"Guess I'm full of more suprises than you two originally thought!" she said through gritted teeth, glaring at the both of them.

"Well what now little slut? Are you going to try and take us both on at once?" said the one who had been violating her loins.

"Oh theres no trying involved...I AM going to take you both....and I'm going to win and return to my love!"

"Well lets just see if you can back up such talk little lady..." the second who had been awaiting his go at her said.

"You asked for it! Scynthera Gnurlo de Svera!" she cried, as she darted towards them, her claws extending out as far as they could go.

The spell she had uttered meant "Blades of Wind", and Gnurlo had enchanted the spell upon her claws, which made her paws her deadliest weapons. The other two obviously understood her spell and immediately jumped high into the air to avoid her strike, while muttering incantations of their own.

"Twin spell strike! Goro Borfrimst De' Valya!" they cried in unison, joining their respective right and left paws together as they were surrounded in an orb of fire.

Kara skidded to a stop as her strike with her claws missed them and then she quickly focuses more energy into her legs. "Carry me swift and true..." she muttered softly just as that massive orb of fire shot outwards and expanded at an alarming rate, engulfing a full 100 yard radius in searing hot flame. As the two descended from their jump, the spell ended and they smirked at the scortched landscape.

"Pity...I don't think she survived brother...." said the wolf who had violated the now seemingly vaporized vixen.

"Too bad...I was hoping for a go with her after our little battle..."

Just then Kara's voice came from behind them, where she stood with a paw placed upon her hips and a toothy smile upon her face. "Awww...even though I'm still here I don't think I'll give you that chance..."

"So shes better than we thought eh brother...?"

"Apparently so, we'll have to do better."

"Not a chance!" she growled loudly as she extended her left arm fully infront of her and aimed it at the two wolves. "Sjoras Scyntr!"

Instantly a blast of loud, rippling air burst into life around the two and sent them flying acrossed the landscape at high speeds. But Kara wasn't done with them yet! She transferred more energy into her legs and darted after them with such speed that she beat them to a boulder they were about to smash into and spun to face them, already chanting another spell.

"Goronaas De'Scynterr!"

As she said that, she flung both arms forwards and this time twin orbs of the loud, swirling, booming air hurtled towards the two wolves, blasting the both of them off in differing directions as they cried out in pain and landed a matter of 30 yards apart with many assorted cuts from Kara's shearing wind magic.

The one who had been standing by while his brother violated Kara was the first to slowly sit up and curse under his breath. "Damn it all! Where does her power come from?"

Kara responded to him not with a peaceful response, but with a long incantation in the ancient language, her words echoing through the air as if they could be heard for miles around. Simply put, the incantation went like this in our language. "I call upon the Goddess of the wind, Cerra! Lend me your will of the wind to strike down my foes, or die trying! In return, you may do as you see fit with me, I shall remain your servant for so long as I am useful!"

As she finished, and the echos of her words vanished into the silence of the dusk setting in around them, the wind suddenly began to pick up, and she smirked evilly at the two wolves who were now watching her with snarls of rage upon their faces.

"You're in for it now pups....." she growled, insulting them by addressing them as mere children.

"You were bluffing with that incantation slut! No one but a direct descendant of the order of the wind could call upon her powers!" they cried, fear resounding in their now quivering voices.

"I bluff not! For I am a descendant of the wind! Now face the fury of the gods!" she cried as she struck out against thin air, her blow aimed towards the one who had tormented her body so.

There was a whistling sound followed by a sound similar to a blade being returned to it's sheath as a wide cut was ripped open upon his chest and he howled out in agony. The other did not wait for a similar strike against himself and he charged at her with all of the speed his legs would allow....but all Kara did was close her eyes and twitch a finger at him. It was like he had run right into a stone wall of a castle...though nothing was there, and it blasted him backwards hundreds of feet until he skidded acrossed the earth and yelped as he felt a gash rip open in his back from the sharp rocks. The first one she had stricken was on his feet again and he hurried over to his brother, glaring at Kara.

"Brother! It's all or nothing! We have to take her down now or we will fail in our mission to keep her away from Hoshi!" he cried.

"Yes brother...we have to---"

"You will NOT keep me from Hoshi! I swear it!" Kara interjected, growling so fiercly that the winds around them all picked up to alarming speeds and made the fur on her naked body quiver and dance irratically in the harsh wind.

The second stood and joined paws with his brother, grimacing in pain as he struggled to remain straight-backed. "That is a vow you won't live to fulfill my dear....Brother! Now! Use my energy!"

The other nodded and smiled. "See you on the other side my dear brother....Gjor'Vaskrgh!"

With his spell, the second fell to the ground, dead instantly from the spell zapping away all the magical energy he had left, and the last one remaining formed a ball of...what looked like electricity but was not. It was pure red and sparked with ever increasing intensity until the last wolf was shrouded by it entirely. With an evil laugh he called to Kara.

"Behold our unique spell, Devil's Lightning! Now die and let my brother be avenged!"

With that said, he charged towards Kara with that deadly attack drawn back, indicating that it was a close-ranged attack. Was he mad? Kara could easily slay him from far away with a blade of magical wind.

"You are a fool!" she cried, thrusting both paws forward as hundreds of the shearing wind blades lashed out towards the wolf.

But as she did, he thrust his palm forwards and his spell seemed to deflect all else that was in his path. By this time, he was far too close and Kara had used to much energy to continue running at extremely high speeds....so she had but one option left.

"Hoshi..." she whispered in the back of her mind. "Forgive me..."

As the wolf came near enough to strike, he kicked himself forwards and his spell ripped through Kara's soft flesh, searing it to a blackened husk. It went through bone, through muscle, through vital organs, and finally out of the other side of her chest. Kara had not even the breath left in her to scream out in pain, but with a determined slice of her claws, her Blades of Wind spell decapitated the wolf, and his body went limp and crumpled to the ground....just before Kara's did. Her death after that was quick in coming, only seconds after the shock of the impact on the ground rippled through her body.

Kara....Hoshi's sweetheart....was no more.....

***********************************************************************************************

"KARA!" cried Hoshi as he sat upright in bed, drenched in a cold sweat, his heart racing. "no.....no No NO! She's gone! GONE!"

He frantically beat at the bed with his right paw in a blind fit of anguish, his body quivering as tear after tear ran down his silvery cheeks. He had seen it so vividly...he had heard her speak to him....he had felt the strength that his Relic lent to her leave his body. It was real...much too real. He had been forced to watch his love die right before his very eyes in his dreams and there was nothing he could do about it! It took him forever to come down from his fit, and only then did he notice Lord Kallu sitting in a chair acrossed the room from him. With a pitiful whimper Hoshi fell to his chest and sobbed.

"Kal...K-Kara....shes.....it's...........IT'S ALL MY FAULT DAMNIT!" he screamed at the top of his lungs.

His body felt as if it were on fire and his heart felt as if it were tearing itself out of position. He was a broken fox now...he had lost the most important thing in the world to him and he would never have her back. With a soft sigh, Kal stood and walked over to him, letting a gentle paw rest upon his upper back. As he was about to say something, Alyona and Karo came bursting through the door, fully equipped with armor and weapons ready to strike at the foe who was making Hoshi scream in such a way.

"Lord Kallu! What has happened here?" Karo demanded.

Kal looked up with a solemn expression and shook his head. "Kara has just passed into the void."

"Kara?....Whos...?" the German Shephard began, but he quickly held his tongue as Kal shot him a glare.

It was too late though. With a soft groan, Hoshi sat up and stared out at them all with an almost hollow stare, his eyes very dull and listless....as if he had retreated to a very dark and desolate part of his mind. "She was.....my love.....my wife to be.....my fault....captured........" his voice trailed off to nothing as he held his arms limp in front of himself, his gaze now fixed on the floor.

At his words Alyona gasped and felt incredibly guitly for her actions from before, though she couldn't help but want to go to him now and comfort him in his time of need. Without a word she quickly went to his side and pressed his head against her neck, letting her free paw stroke through his hair gently. Kal watched her with a very stern gaze at first, but decided that her actions were more to comfort Hoshi than anything more, so he looked back to Karo and sighed.

"It appears that Hoshi will have some explaining to do when the sun arises...but I do not doubt that Kara is gone. His grief is far too real for it to have been a dream, so she must have shared thoughts with him before her death." he said

"Lord Kallu....if I may......perhaps we should leave them alone?" said Karo, motioning to Alyona and Hoshi. "I mean....I think she can do more for him than either of us can for now.....especially since she told me that they were quick friends."

Kal seemed to hesitate for a moment as he decided upon what to do, and he let his paw come to rest under his chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps.........ehhh...but Hoshi should be the one to--"

"Go ahead Kal......I'll be fine." Hoshi said, cutting him off.

"As you wish Hoshi..." he replied, bowing slightly to him before accompanying Karo out of the room and shutting the door behind them.

When they were gone, Hoshi flopped back against the bed and wiped the wetness from his crimson eyes as he kept his gaze focused upon the ceiling. Alyona just kept her place at the foot of the bed, allowing her paws to clasp in her lap as she stared at the floor nervously. Hoshi was the first to speak after a long, awkward silence.

"Why.....?" he said simply.

Alyona looked rather taken aback at the single word and eyes him quizzically with a tilt of her head. "Why......? Why what Hoshi?"

"Why would Kara tell me to go to you in the event of her death...." he said, more of a statement than an actual question. "It doesn't make sense to me....I mean.....why you in particular...?"

At this, Alyona even looked surprised and she could only shake her head silently in response. Hoshi sighed again and sat up, watching her with his eyes, which had acquired a glow in the dark ever since he had bound himself to the Ragorn Fageire.

"She seemed to think you were the best thing for me in the moments before her death...and she openly told me to go to you....and I don't even care if this is catching you totally off guard to be honest. The point is, it happened, and she had a reason for it."

"It's not catching me too off guard Hoshi..." she said meekly, keeping her gaze off of him for fear of becoming too embarrassed to speak. "I mean...I will admit I have been thinking of you all day and night since I met you...but only because I thought you were so very handsome."

"I see...." he said, chuckling softly. "Well then I think I may just understand a bit better....Kara sensed my attraction to you when she touched my mind.....but i'm not ready for anything yet...not after this...i just lost my fiance'..."

"I understand Hoshi..." she replied softly, finally looking up at him as she moved up beside him and rested a paw on his thigh. "But...if you will allow it...I want to stay and watch over you for the rest of tonight.....I'll be you're shoulder to cry on should you have any more bad dreams...or visions."

With a gentle nod, Hoshi agreed and lay back on the bed again, while Alyona moved to the chair Kal had been in when he awoke. They made small talk for a matter of about ten minutes, talking of things like how Kal had come to be in the room when he woke, which was apparently because he had been shouting for Kara in his sleep. They also spoke a bit about what he had seen...but not for too long, for it only seemed to sadden Hoshi even more than he already was. Soon he had fallen asleep again, while Alyona dutifully remained awake and watched over him, thinking of things that were now possible between them...but also of ways to help Hoshi come to terms with his loss.

The next day was sure to hold more trials for Hoshi...but thats another story...for another time.

-to be continued?-