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_ _ “You're a king?!” Rick almost shouted.

_ _ “I am no king,” Julius denied flatly.

_ _ Carry's brother had decided to visit and see how matters were faring. To his surprise, he found a second Arkon present and quite the load of information to absorb.

_ _ “Then what is Carry talking about?” Rick pressed, his tone bordering on that of a parent scolding their child.

_ _ “Dante may have control of the throne,” Accretia cut in calmly, her words directed at the blue tiger, “but he claimed it in your absence. There was no challenge of ruling. You are the rightful heir to Iyos.”

_ _ “I don't care,” Julius growled.

_ _ “How can you not care about something like that?” Carry demanded.

_ _ “Wait a minute,” Rick interrupted, turning to Accretia, “Didn't anyone go looking for Julius? If this happened two hundred years ago, surely someone must have made an attempt to find him in that time.”

_ _ “When Dante announced his claim to the throne, none supported him,” Accretia explained in a solemn tone, “When his right to rule was challenged, Dante decapitated his challenger and sowed fear into the hearts and minds of Arkons for the first time in history. Nobody knows how he did it, but for the first time ever, an Arkon was killed. Murdered. Very few dared challenge Dante after that display and although no body was ever discovered, it was assumed and believed Dante had killed Julius just prior.”

_ _ “So, you ran away and hid on Earth for two hundred years?” Rick accused, turning his attention back to the brooding feline sitting on the couch, his back to the rest of the group.

_ _ Julius sighed and said noting for a short time. Finally, he said “No. I have only been here for the last forty years,” deflecting the actual inquiry.

_ _ “Wait, what?” Carry caught his words.

_ _ “There are other civilisations,” Julius stated matter of factly, “Planets, races, empires spanning entire galaxies. Arkons may have been created here, but Earth is far from the only place an Arkon can go.

_ _ Rick and Carry just stared at their blue and black-striped friend, blinking and trying to process what he had just said. Created here?

_ _ “I... think I need some air,” Rick eventually stated, purely as a reason to leave. All these revelations were too much to handle and needed time to be absorbed.

_ _ Feeling irritation grow at the interrogation he was receiving, Julius stood up from the couch and excused himself as well. “I'm going out,” he simply said in his usual, emotionless tone.

_ _ Carry just looked back and forth between Julius and her brother, her mind swimming in befuddlement. Just what the hell was going on?

*****

_ _ It was late in the evening when Julius left the apartment, heading out into the early darkness that followed the sunset. Down every street and inside every building, lights were beginning to turn on, chasing away the shadow of night. And within the shadows that those lights could not reach, began lurking foul intents and greedy desires which Julius hunted.

_ _ “Come on, lady; giv'us a look-see what's in that there purse o' yours, ay?”

_ _ “Help, HELP!”

_ _ Though the city boasted one of the lowest crime rates in the world, there was always someone daring, greedy, or desperate enough to take their chances. After all, the city's defender couldn't be everywhere at once, and there was over half a dozen square kilometres to cover. But what most people didn't realise was just how good the tiger's hearing was, or just how fast he could actually move.

_ _ An audible thump was heard behind the thug, not to mention a physical vibration passing through his body from the concrete beneath his feet. Darkness seemed to descend over him, blotting out what little light shone into the alley from the nearby empty street. Most muggings happened too fast for Julius to actually prevent them, but this one had been close by.

_ _ Spinning around instantly, the thug's fears were confirmed as he saw the hulking visage of the seven foot tall, muscled beast standing just inches away. The switch-blade the thug had been brandishing clattered to the ground and Julius growled menacingly, causing the front of the man's pants to become soaked as he wet himself and fled in terror. With the crook taken care of, Julius shifted his gaze to the distraught woman. Although she was thankful, she took a wide birth around Julius before continuing on her way, walking quickly.

_ _ His first good deed of the night done, Julius returned to the rooftops. There, he listened to the sounds of the city, watching with his ears for signs of trouble. Atop the city's rooftops, Julius could cross from one side of the city to the other in barely a couple of minutes; there were no corners to turn, no alleys to navigate, and no traffic to slow him down. Much of the city's buildings were relatively the same height, which created a smooth landscape for Julius to traverse. Even for an Arkon, the shortest distance between two points was still a straight line.

_ _ Eventually, the late hour of the night began to show itself. More and more lights went out as more and more people retired to bed. Even the unsavoury elements that concealed themselves in the shadows revealed their presence less and less. And in the silence, the tiger's stomach started to growl at him. Near the centre of the city, one of the tallest buildings had a digital, scrolling marquee that encircled the entire structure. Occasionally, it had general messages and announcements on it, such as “SPECIAL EVENT THIS SATURDAY NIGHT!!!” or “MERRY CHRISTMAS”; but it always had the current temperature and time. Looking up at moving display, Julius saw that it was a few minutes past midnight and then turned to make his way towards the docks.

_ _ Shortly after arriving in the city, the Arkon happened across a small, out-of-the-way cafe close to the warehouse district at the docks. It was owned by a foreign man that had inherited it from his father, and hoped his sons would continue running the place after him. The leather on the stools and seats was torn and tattered, and the polished surface of some of the tables was chipped, but the food was pretty dam good and the prices didn't drain your wallet. Since moving in with Carry, Julius hadn't eaten there, but tonight, the tiger didn't really feel like going home. At least, not yet.

_ _ “Ah! My best customer,” the owner called out as the large, humanoid tiger entered, “I was beginning to think some rival business had stolen you away from me.”

_ _ Julius actually allowed himself to smile at the man's wisecrack, but only for a brief moment. He said nothing in response, however.

_ _ As the Arkon sat down, the foreigner started busying himself in the kitchen area behind the counter. Looking back as his customer, he asked, “The usual?” to which Julius responded by simply holding up two fingers and nodding once.

_ _ Just being in the cafe lifted Julius' spirits. It made him feel like things were back to normal, before Lechester, before the other Arkons. How had things become so upturned in such a short time? The smell of the food cooking filled the tiger's nostrils and for a moment he even felt relaxed. Closing his eyes, Julius let his mind wander as he listened to the sizzle and pop of the frying ingredients. But his mind didn't wander for long. Soon, a plate with two rather large burritos was placed in front of him; and before digging in, Julius said to the lone man behind the counter, “Thank you.”

_ _ But the peace and quiet wasn't to last. Following Julius' entrance, two men got up and left, keeping their heads low and the mouths shut. Several minutes later, the two men returned, with reinforcements.

_ _ “We've been waiting a long time for you to show up, here,” one of the men said, standing at the front of the group.

_ _ There was almost twenty in all, filling the small space of the cafe like sardines in a can. They blocked the entrance and most had some form of implement in hand that could be used as a weapon. Julius slumped on his stool and a low, irritated growl began to emanate from his throat. Slowly, the Arkon set down the last couple of mouthfuls of his meal and stood up to face the men who'd gathered to take him on.

_ _ “It doesn't matter how strong you are; you can't take us all on at once!” the leader boasted.

_ _ “You're assuming that I am not considerably faster than any of you are,” Julius growled.

_ _ The men exchanged glances, clearly not comprehending the meaning of the tiger's words. Then their leader spoke, barking commands like he owned them. “GET 'IM!” he demanded.

_ _ The men swarmed around Julius, moving between and over the tables and chairs. One of them had a wooden baseball bat, another had steel knuckles. One man had a chain, and one even had an old fashioned cudgel. Like a pack of vicious dogs, they encircled the city's defender, intent on stopping him from interfering with their criminal night life. They hoped to overwhelm him by striking together. Superior numbers over brute strength. But, like so many before them, the men underestimated just how outclassed they really were.

_ _ Together they lunged, each of them brandishing their weapon of choice. The man with the baseball bat held it aloft, hoping to bring it down over the towering tiger's head, knocking him senseless in the process. But Julius was too fast. In a heartbeat, the city's defender gripped the middle of the bat and connected his forehead with the man's. In the next heartbeat, as the man's grasp on the bat loosened, Julius swung the rounded wooden object, driving it into the side of a second man's neck with a dull but audible crack. In the third heartbeat, Julius turned to his side. Dropping the bat and lifting his foot high, Julius kicked outward, catching another man in the chest and sending him crashing backwards, knocking down others behind him. In the fourth heartbeat, the tiger turned once more. Ducking down, he hoisted one of the still standing men onto his shoulders and, in the fifth heartbeat, hurled him on top of his fellow assailants.

_ _ Broken and disoriented, the men barely had time to register what had just happened to them before they bore witness to a sight none of them would soon forget. His would-be attackers lying scattered about the cafe floor, the black-striped blue tiger inhaled deeply as his wings suddenly appeared and spread out behind him, their non-corporeal form clipping through counter, table and man. Then, like an eruption from the very Earth itself, Julius roared with all his ferocity. Fear enveloped the men, making them feel like helpless children. His massive black wings, each just over two meters in length and reaching down to his knees, seemed to amplify the display, further emphasising their now obvious differences. They were tiny and weak, he was enormous and powerful. Before the men stood a force none of them could ever hope to compare to.

_ _ All throughout the city that roar was heard. And in the cafe, anything that was small and not nailed down rattled about. Trembling in fright, the men scrambled over the furniture and each other in a frantic attempt to escape. They left behind only their weapons and the stink of piss and shit.

_ _ With the mob of crooks gone, Julius' roar faded and he sighed as his wings folded behind him and vanished once more. Even his favourite little corner of fine food and peace wasn't free from these unsavoury elements. Taking the last of his burrito, the Arkon turned to the cafe's owner who was staring at him in wide eyed astonishment.

_ _ “I'm sorry,” Julius said softly before walking out the door.

*****

_ _ The scent of arousal hung thick in the air inside the nightclub Euphoria. Droplets of sweat and various other, more intimate, bodily fluids mixed together on the dance floor. As the loud, upbeat techno music throbbed and multicoloured laser lights cut through the darkness in blinding flashes, the nightclub’s patrons escaped their daily lives. Hands roamed freely over the exposed skin of strangers, fingers digging and squeezing. Bodies rubbed together, hot and wet, as fabric was pushed aside or discarded entirely. Nobody cared who touched who, where, or how, as long as it felt good. Like a single living mass, the throng of people moved and danced, their only purpose being to allow the music and atmosphere to sweep them away from the troubles and worries to a place of indulgence and bliss.

_ _ Amid the crowd, a familiar redhead could be seen. Topless, her ample breasts bounced lightly as she moved her body in a sensual way. Sitting low on her hips was a loose, short skirt that was barely a few inches in length. As it too danced and bounced about, the skirt gave frequent glimpses of what the redhead wasn't wearing underneath.

_ _ Together with the redhead was a brunette, sporting a halter style dress with a neckline that plunged down to her waist. Ordinarily, the dress would've covered her hips, but tonight it sat high on her waist, deliberately hiked up to show off her equally absent underwear and smooth shaved sex.

_ _ The two ladies seemed enthralled with one another. They moved their bodies for the benefit of the other, while their eyes fed hungrily on the sight before them. As Julius watched from his usual corner, the redhead pulled open the front of the brunette's dress, exposing breasts a cup larger than her own, but no less perky. With a giggle and a playful smile, the two moved closer, rubbing their nipples together for a few moments before finally pressing into each other and locking lips.

_ _ Eventually, the redhead noticed the large, blue tiger watching them. She smiled slyly and then whispered into her friend's ear. A moment later and the redhead was lowering herself down in front of her friend, balancing on the balls of her feet as she spread her legs wide. The brunette stopped moving and widened her stance a little, allowing her friend to lean forward and drag her tongue slowly up between the brunette's wet folds. As the redhead reached the brunette's clit, she stopped and suckled it, making her friend gasp and moan aloud, arching her back as she lifted her face to the ceiling.

_ _ Her little show now done, the redhead stood up and took her friend by the wrist. The brunette was practically dragged across the interior of the nightclub and soon stood beside Julius' table.

_ _ “Haven't seen you here in a while,” the redhead commented.

_ _ “I've had to stay away,” Julius replied. He then inquired, “Who's your friend?”

_ _ “This is my cousin,” the redhead replied, a cheeky smile on her face, “She's only in the city for a couple of weeks.”

_ _ Julius looked the brunette up and down but she didn't reply. She seemed shy.

_ _ “Don't suppose you're up for a little... fun?” the redhead asked the tiger, posing playfully.

_ _ The Arkon thought for a moment before sliding his fingers up between the redhead's thighs.

_ _ “I could do with some fun, yes,” he finally said. “Does your cousin wish to join in?”

_ _ The redhead turned to the brunette, not even reacting to the hand now pressed up against her bare sex. Then she looked back to Julius and said, “She's a little shy, but I'm certain she'll... come around.”

_ _ Getting up from his seat, Julius led the two ladies towards the door beside the bar. Along the way, they passed by a couch which had several people seated on it. One of them was an attractive young woman with a considerably large bust and a pink dyed ponytail. She wore a low cut tank top that barely managed to contain her breasts and a long skirt with a split up one side. Pausing for a moment, Julius leaned over the side of the couch, slid his hand into the woman's top to squeeze one of her breasts, and whispered into her ear. The guy she had been snuggling against watched in surprise and rising irritation as his next potential conquest left him without hesitation. Following behind Julius, she and the other two ladies passed through the door beside the bar and made their way to the tiger's personal room.