FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

It was general advice to all travelers that the Brisbane Wildlands be avoided during early morning; the farther west one traveled, the more dangerous it often became. Whether it was the sylvari Nightmare Court, the asura Inquest, or human bandits, there was no shortage of risk in traversing the region. It was even suggested that more dangerous creatures and monsters lurked in the deeper, darker jungles, well past the swamp. Even in its southern areas, closer to the asuran outposts, it was advised to stay on the paths and never go alone. Whether they knew it or not, the two asura making their way west were all the safer for it, with nearby fauna thinking better of attacking them.

"Someday," Kajjex said, "the Grawl tribes throughout Tyria are going to evolve into an intelligent, science-capable primate species, and do archaeological studies in this region. And when they find my thick skull buried in this valley, I hope they write a dissertation attempting to theorize a better reason for an idiot like me to end up here - something less shameful than the truth."

Preeke gave Kajjex a frown, keeping in step as they exited a valley and into an open field. "Come on, kid, you gotta stop beating yourself up over this. Every genius spills a beaker a time or two in their life."

"I didn't spill a beaker, I shattered the aquarium and now the piranhas are feeding on my corpse!" Kajjex groaned. "This is just one more day of getting screwed over by a cog in the Eternal Alchemy!"

"You know better than that," Preeke said soothingly, patting the younger man's back. "Everyone has a place in the Eternal Alchemy. I'm willing to bet double-digits in platinum that yours will be a big part someday."

Kajjex sighed, shaking his head, yet still felt a little better. "Thanks, I guess. I don't know why you think that, much less why you're even following me here, but... I guess you're the one upside to all of this nonsense so far."

"I'm glad you think so. Anyway, you need to look at this from another perspective instead of the one that just looks bad. Not many people can charge at a dragon minion and actually destroy it, not even those that fight every day, like the charr or norn. Every other dust-bunny in that room took cover and hid; and then you went and handled the situation like you were an axe-wielding Blood Legion berserker! Tell me the truth - were you using the techniques you developed for that?" he asked, stopping to put a hand on Kajjex's chest to keep him in place.

The younger asura winced and hissed in slight pain, holding a hand over the bruise the Risen had left the day before. "Yeah, but I've never put the training into real practice. I built a rudimentary training dummy to help practice maneuvers. I know where to hit a human for the best effect, and part of my studies also involved dragon minions. I was ready to book it out of there with everyone else, but I didn't want to just leave Lenkk behind, so I took a risk. I just wasn't expecting to get hit."

"Sorry about that," Preeke said, following Kajjex again and digging into his satchel. "I never would have guessed that was your first real fight."

"Heh... well, maybe I should take that as a compliment," Kajjex said uncertainly, though appreciative of the vote of confidence. "Honestly, I feel like a moron for doing it. What was I even thinking? I could have died there!" He shuddered. "Anyway, you still haven't told me why you came along."

"I guess I feel partly responsible for what happened, so I wanted to make sure you got here alright. Rumor has it that the Inquest has labs in the deeper swamp areas." He gestured to a dense jungle behind them, near a tall hill.

"Ugh, Inquest," Kajjex spat. The name of the amoral megakrewe put a furrow in his brow. "I hope the swamps swallow them and their research up."

"But other than that, I wanted to invite you to the club after you're done here, assuming they don't run you ragged," Preeke continued, handing him a business card. "Preeke's Peeks, down on the Lambda-level, Indigo sector. I'll meet you near the asura gate into Rata Sum and bring you there, you can take a load off. You sound like you could really use a place to unwind."

Kajjex looked over the card with mild interest. It bore a gold border on cream-colored paper, with a pair of black eyes as its logo. "Hmm. Alright, color me interested. I'll meet up with you after my shift." He looked back up, his stomach feeling hollow at the briar-lined valley leading towards the lab. "Assuming I'm not exhausted before then."

"Well, then you might want this," Preeke added, pulling a bottle from his satchel. "I had one of my employees mix it up last night, it should relieve most of the pain and help heal the bruise in a few hours."

Kajjex held the elixir bottle up, staring at it. "You didn't have to, Preeke," he said slowly. "Thank you."

"Nah, no need to thank me," he said with a smile and a dismissive wave. "I just figured it would help make the day easier. But hey, you'll be fine. They'll probably just have you do crystal calibrations," Preeke told him. "Mind-numbing but safe."

"I take it back, I don't want to be bored to death," Kajjex admitted with a chuckle. "Thanks for the elixir and company, Preeke. I'll catch up with you later."

"Stay safe, kid," Preeke said, thumping his back before heading back the path to Metrica Province.

Kajjex gave him one last wave, a minor sensation of loneliness setting in as he headed into the valley. He'd known Preeke for less than a day, yet he seemed closer than any other asura he'd known, and without him around things already seemed strangely quiet. He shook himself from the feeling, approaching a waypoint with a Peacemaker guard standing near it.

"What can I do for you?" the armored asura asked pleasantly.

"I'm Kajjex, I'm here for the..." He paused, wincing. "For the fifteen-hour shift."

The Peacemaker whistled. "Hoo boy, so you're the one the old man sent us. Professor Torkk gave Tekki an earful last night. Is it true there was a Risen creature hidden in a lab?" he asked, gesturing for Kajjex to follow.

"It is," he said.

"How'd they kill it?" he asked.

"I did," Kajjex said simply. "With a shovel."

"Oh come on, what do you take me for, a pre-college juvenile?" the guard scoffed. "That's ridiculous."

"That's the only answer you'll get," Kajjex said firmly. "It's not that hard, it was probably there for a century and it had a trio of golems to knock it around. More than enough time to weaken and rot."

The guard seemed to consider this, shrugging. "Well, when you put it that way, I guess it sounds possible. Follow me, we'll talk to Tekki and see what it is she wants you to do."

The guard led them into a rocky enclosure, where no fewer than three asura gates were immediately visible against the walls. Ahead of them were a series of polyester tents and lab tables made of stone. Every ten feet or so there was a holo-panel, each of which looked remotely connected to the nearby gates; and littered in crevices and against the natural stones were clusters of sparkling blue crystals. Most of the gates were inactive, though a few still pulsed with energy, ready to teleport at a moment's notice. The krewe itself was busy tinkering with the gates or analyzing their collected geodes, though a lone asura female with her hair put up in a pair of buns was looking over their shoulders as she jabbered on.

"These samples are almost all flawed, I want them polished and ready to install in an hour!" she told them sternly. "Primary testing will take place at the main gate, but I want all Peacemakers on alert at the other active portals!"

"What about the main gate?"

"What about it?" she snapped back. "I purged the corrupted code from the trans-spatial matrix just an hour ago, there's no need for security there. It's the other gates you clods are overseeing that I'm worried about." She looked up at Kajjex and the guard, her brow furrowing. "What's he doing here? He's not authorized personnel."

"Tekki, this is Kajjex, the intern Professor Torkk sent," the Peacemaker explained. "He's here for the fifteen-hour shift."

"Oh, that nonsense," she sighed, looking frustrated. "Leave it to Torkk to hand out unreasonable punishments that we have to deal with. Well, I have a krewe that can handle that. Glaxx!"

One of the asura handling a crystal jumped in surprise and dropped his geode, the piece shattering on the floor. "Er... yes, Tekki?"

"Show the new guy what we do here and make him do... I dunno, have him handle geodes or something," she grumbled, waving him off dismissively. "I have to get the real work done. And make sure to clean that new mess up!"

"Right away, Tekki." He waited until Tekki was gone before approaching Kajjex. "Well, let me bring you up to speed, without revealing the inner workings. Classified, you know."

"Naturally," Kajjex said. "What is it you do here?"

"We're on the cutting edge of asura gate technology," Glaxx explained with more than a hint of pride. "By using the crystals in this canyon we've been able to amplify the distances by which our asura gate network can extend. Some have even managed to possibly weave through dimensional fabric, opening us to completely new worlds separate from Tyria! Some of our studies this week have focused on that."

"Not surprising given the advancements of gate tech, but still no less impressive," Kajjex said, hoping a compliment would garner a favorable opinion of him. "Though I guess it runs its share of risks, right?"

"Oh absolutely," Glaxx sighed, gesturing to where the krewe leader had gone. "Tekki was most insistent on running untested modifications on our latest gate models. The results are promising, but some of the effects have brought us unwanted visitors."

"Incoming gate breach!" a Peacemaker called out, raising his rifle at a nearby gate. Several other guards ran to his side, holding their firearms at the ready while the gate hummed with energy. A bright flash lit the area for a moment and out hopped a jackrabbit,h the critter blinking before realizing the danger it was in and scampering off the ramp. The guards all let out a sigh of relief. "Ugh... false alarm..."

Glaxx shook his head. "It's not always like that. We've been inadvertently bringing wildlife here, including some elder dragon minions. Thankfully, something about the gate frequencies seem to sap their energy and weaken them, so they haven't been that hard to deal with. But it's still not very safe." He pointed to the wall-mounted holo-terminals. "So what I'd like you to do is start recalibrating the lattice configurators for each gate, to make sure we filter out Risen, Branded, Icebrood, and so on."

Kajjex nodded. "I can handle that, easy. Anything else?"

"If you don't mind getting your hands dirty you can also chisel out a few crystals from the clusters here; just pick the ones in the shady areas so you don't get sunburned. Other than that, if you have a decent swing behind those arms, keep a heavy stick handy in case we need a little extra muscle to 'pacify' any visitors," Glaxx suggested.

Kajex's brow furrowed. "Torkk seemed to suggest I'd be armed with a rifle."

"If you were a part of the krewe, yes - because then you'd have signed a legal form absolving the krewe and its directors of any liability from injuries received during work-hours, blah blah blah," Glaxx sighed, shaking his head. "You get the idea. If something serious turns up, though, I'll grab a gun for you myself."

"As long as I have your word on that," Kajjex said, nodding.

"Absolutely. And that's about it, then. Feel free to take frequent breaks, too. We won't tell Torkk or count it against your shift."

"I appreciate it," Kajjex replied, glad that he was treated with a modicum of respect for once. "I'll get to work."

By the fifth hour of the shift, Kajjex had to admit that the punishment was not as bad as he had been anticipating. He made no attempts to talk to the krewe other than to inform them when a lattice configurator had been recalibrated, or to direct them to a box of new geode clusters he'd dug up, but at least they didn't seem to view his presence as an annoyance. They also seemed to have no reason to antagonize him, causing him to wonder if their isolation away from Rata Sum were a key reason for being unaware of his reputation. Had it been his choice he would not have spent his weekend cooped up in the wilderness, but this was his only real complaint.

It helped that the infrequent gate breaches provided some limited entertainment, as the Peacemaker detachment scrambled to subdue whatever hostile beasts made their way into the gate. Like Kajjex had learned during his interviews with them, they were still lacking in terms of combat, and so watching them struggle with even minor threats gave him something to enjoy. So far the worst they had to contend with were three harpies in the middle of their heat; a half dozen light-fingered Skritt who nearly absconded with a container of harmonic crystals; and an ornery coconut crab that had latched on to one guard's ear and sent him into sprinting hysterics while the rest chased him, trying to pry it off.

Kajjex had helped with the last one with a well-aimed blow from a hard (and now broken) branch he'd found, and soon after he'd settled into a steamed-crab lunch break, while the guards assessed their injuries and detached its claw from the still-blubbering Peacemaker. He had just finished up when Glaxx approached him, looking fidgety.

"Can I get a hand from you?"

"What with?" Kajjex asked, licking his fingers clean.

"Tekki is going to do another round of tests at the main gate, but I get the feeling she's going to try something risky and I want someone around to make sure things don't get too nuts. You seem like you know how to handle yourself, and one of the Peacemakers said you took down a Risen."

Kajjex raised an eyebrow. "And you believed him?"

"You're the only person who kept his cool when the crab showed up," Glaxx said, gesturing to its remains on his plate. "Let's just say that our guards don't inspire much in the way of confidence." He held out a small coinpurse. "Consider it a commission. I'll bump the pay up ten gold if you agree."

He snatched the bag almost reflexively and hopped to his feet. "Deal. Lead the way."

Glaxx escorted him to a small cave in the northern part of the small canyon, where Tekki had set up a much larger asura gate, its outer arch pulsing brighter than a smaller model. On the opposite wall, closer to the entrance and behind reinforced glass, was a control booth where the krewe leader was busy punching commands into the panel, briefly glancing up at the pair.

"I thought I told you to bring a Peacemaker, not the intern," she huffed.

"They're still recovering from the previous attack -"

"From a hermit crab! I swear, you guys are such skittish bunnies..."

"This guy knows how to handle himself," Glaxx continued. "I can grab one or two more guards if you tell me what you're trying to open this time."

A grin flashed on her face. "We're going extra-dimensional, this time. This array of crystals should let us synchronize with the Eternal Alchemy and thread through the dimensional fabric, then lock on to the nearest mass of ambient magic - we'll get a good look at an entirely new world!"

"Are you serious?" Glaxx said, looking very alarmed. "We agreed to have all precautionary measures in place before we attempted that, and it wouldn't be today! You could end up introducing a powerful creature or plague from another world!"

"Oh hush, the calculations are perfectly precise. Besides, nobody ever made advances in science by playing it safe," she countered, yanking back a lever. "If you're gonna be such a baby, then go fetch a couple of guns and bring them here to handle whatever nightmares you think I'll find."

"I'll do one better and arm everyone in the lab," he muttered, quickly jogging towards the entrance. "Kajjex, stay here and keep an eye on things!"

"Er, right," he replied, still unsure of what to do without a weapon. "So... I don't suppose I could convince you to not run a potentially destructive experiment until everyone is ready?"

"Relax, intern," Tekki said. "And be grateful I'm letting you sit in on this, since you're not even supposed to be here! You get a front seat to a possibly historic moment, where I will breach the cosmos and merge realities!"

"Oh, lovely. That sounds positively world-ending," Kajjex remarked uneasily.

She yanked back a second handle on the console and the gate's frequency-hum changed pitch, the swirling breach in space-time going from a soft violet-pink to a deeper blue with white streaks. A brief sucking sound could be heard, and with it a shift in the cave's air as it seemed to shift into the gate, and then back out, bringing with it the smell of the sea and gunpowder. For several long seconds nothing happened, the gate's etheric energy swirling gently like any other gate. Suddenly, a crack and a flash sounded, along with the howl of wind as the overhead lights went dim. Kajjex held a hand over his eyes as the gate flashed again, and when he lowered them he spotted three large figures standing in front of the gate.

The lights returned and illuminated the new arrivals, and for the next few seconds Kajjex had to process what he was seeing. One of them was human, or at least seemed to be human, as his loose robes did not match any style of clothing Kajjex had ever seen in Kryta or Ascalon. To either side of him were what the asura could only have described as tall, bipedal, blue-scaled reptilian brutes, one adorned in a simple bronze breastplate, frayed trousers, and holding a spear in his armored claws; the other in a green coverall and vest, a pair of goggles, and a portable cannon hanging from a shoulder strap. All three of them scanned the cave, clearly new to the environment, until the pikeman spotted Tekki on the other side of the room.

"Boss, over there! That 'im, innit?" he said in a deep and slightly slurred voice, before noticing Kajjex. "Or wait, mebbe dat one there?"

The human's brow furrowed as he looked between Tekki and Kajjex. "That's not him, you idiot! You said he went in this portal, right? Then where is he? Where are we, for that matter?" he said angrily. Kajjex stepped forward cautiously, halting when he drew a curved longsword from his hip and pointed it directly in his face. "That's close enough, foot-rest. Tell me where we are."

Kajjex frowned at the insult, but held his hands up. "You're in an asuran lab in the Duskstruck Moors, in the Brisbane Wildlands."

The three visitors stared at him. "... We're in a what in the where the hell, now?" the goggled reptile said, turning to the human. "What's he goin' on about, Logan?"

Kajjex turned his gaze to Tekki. "Looks like you got what you wanted. These guys are clearly from out of town."

"Success!" she cried out, pumping her fists up in victory. "This discovery is going to put me and the krewe in the annals of asura history! I'm the first asura to bridge a connection from Tyria to another world!"

"'Tyria?'" Logan repeated with a puzzled expression. "You've brought us to another world? We thought it was just a portal that the moogle made!"

"Then how do we get back!?" the other lizard snarled.

"It's as simple as walking back through that portal behind you," Kajjex said quickly, pointing to the asura gate. "We're not keeping you here, you can go."

"No, not until we find the little bastard that got away from us," the human said. "Cuss, Russ, spread out and look for him! And you!" he barked at Kajjex. "Did you see a little runt run through here, besides you and your friend? Brown fur, yellow pom-pom, tiny wings on his back?"

"You're the only ones who came through," Kajjex said.

"Don't lie to me, you little rat," he warned him. "We know he came this way, and we're not leaving until his head is on a pike! If I find out you've been harboring him, I'll gladly add your skulls with his." He stabbed the sword towards the cave entrance behind him. "Did he leave through there?"

"Nobody has come in or out since the last asura who left," he replied calmly, despite the threat and insult. "I've been standing here since before the gate opened."

Before they could continue the sound of footsteps carried through the entrance, with Glaxx and two Peacemakers looking in at the scene. All three asura stared blankly at the visitors, but the Peacemakers acted first, raising their rifles and taking aim.

With a speed Kajjex didn't expect, the human's left hand slid across his weapon, the blade glowing with a surge of energy that Kajjex could feel even from several paces away. The asura leapt out of the way as the swordsman slashed the air before him, a powerful gust of wind blasting towards the entrance just as the Peacemakers opened fire. Their shots went wide, wavering in the whirlwind as it blasted the three asura back through the entrance. From his prone position Kajjex watched as the goggled lizard drew his mini-cannon, firing a single shell at the roof of the entrance. Kajjex shielded his ears just in time, the blast nearly deafening him as the entrance crumbled, sealing them off from the rest of the lab.

"Careful, you fools!" Tekki shouted angrily. "You'll bring the entire cave down on our heads!"

"Relax, we're leaving that cave-in to be your problem," Logan told her. "Just stay out of our way while we search for the moogle, and then we'll leave."

"What's so important about this 'moogle' creature you keep talking about?" Kajjex pressed, getting back to his feet.

"That's our business!" the cannoneer snarled at him.

"If you must know, the little bastard owes us money," the human told him. "He tried to run when we caught him hiding out in Targ Wood." He jerked a thumb to his reptilian partners. "These two said he entered your portal. Most moogles are said to be lucky, but his luck's about to run dry."

"I see," Kajjex said, dusting himself off. "And where is this 'Targ Wood,' then?"

"Ivalice," he replied. "A kingdom and a realm, the name of our world. But that's all you'll get out of me. You'll have to go through your portal if you want to find out more. Now stay where I can see you, rat. Our prey can't have gone far."

Kajjex glared back up at the human, not at all appreciating the insults, but said nothing, deciding it would be more pragmatic to analyze their guests silently instead of backtalking. From what he could gather, the goggled reptile was using a single-shot hand-cannon, loading shells from the satchel on his side. The pikesman seemed a dull sort, easily distracted by the blinking lights around him, yet not so dull as to not continue searching every few seconds, and clearly possessed more than enough brawn to make up for his apparent lack of brains. His eyes flicked back to their leader, who had sheathed his curved sword. The design seemed similar to a Canthan katana or Elonian scimitar, yet this human lacked the physical features of either culture. It was clear he could use magic, however, and the way he comported himself combined with his agile build suggested he knew how to handle the weapon, enough that it justified having a second sheathed blade strapped to his side.

He paused, a moment of clarity hitting him. Wait, why on earth are you tactically analyzing these ruffians? Have you gone insane? You can't fight them!

He looked between each of them, certain they were no strangers to fights, nor winning them. The swordsman had only just knocked back three adult asura through the air like they were flies caught in a crosswind using only a single blast of air magic; the cannoneer's weapon, meanwhile, was destructive enough to blast the cave walls to smithereens. To even think about defending himself when he didn't even have a weapon was nothing short of lunacy.

"'oy! Open up in 'ere!" the lancer barked, pounding on the reinforced glass in front of Tekki. "Lemme 'ave a look!"

"This booth isn't enclosed, there's a hatch in the back!" Tekki said in an exasperated tone. "Go around, you simple-minded lizard!"

Both reptilian men jerked up at that, their snouts curling into expressions of rage while the human brought a palm to his face and sighed. "What was that, you little rodent?!" the cannoneer snarled.

"That rat 'ere called us lizards, Russ!" the lancer growled. "I'm gonna break in there and eat 'er!"

"Ignore her!" the human shouted. "She didn't mean it! Focus on finding the moogle!"

But the reptilian warrior did not seem to have heard him, jabbing his spear into the reinforced glass with a roar. Tekki yelped and stumbled back, knocking over several stacked crates behind her as the lancer started stabbing the glass repeatedly. The topmost container popped open and a small, fluffy being fell out of it, bouncing off the stone floor with a squeak.

Kajjex stared at the new being, dimly recalling that there had been two flashes before the trio had shown up. How he had not noticed the first visitor was a mystery, as it was quite unlike anything he'd ever seen before. He was smaller than even an asura, barely three feet in height, with a green coat and brown pants, light brown fur, a pair of rabbit-like ears, two small, pink wings, and a curious-looking antenna jutting from his forehead, from which hung a glowing, fluffy yellow ball, not unlike the lure of an anglerfish. He rolled to a stop and looked up at Kajjex, blinking, before bringing a finger to his lips.

Not that it mattered, as Logan had spotted him too. "There you are you little thief!" he roared. "Thought you could skip out of the jagd without paying us back?!"

He darted over to the tiny being, grabbing the collar of his jacket before he could get away, but even as he was lifted off the ground it seemed he was not going to go quietly, swinging his tiny fists around with a growl that was too cute to be threatening. "I don't have to pay anything! My clan already paid you louts the last week, now lemme go!" The creature spotted Kajjex, his eyes wide. "Please, I need your help! These thugs are trying to bleed me dry!"

"Oh I haven't even started with that!" Logan said menacingly, holding his katana up to the creature's throat. "By the time I'm done with you this cave will have a new paintjob!"

It was a whirlwind of violence and noise to Kajjex. Cuss was still trying to break through the safety glass Tekki was hiding behind, though she had ducked into one of the toppled containers and armed herself with a rifle while the lancer was in his bloodlust. Russ, on the other hand, had taken the krewe leader's advice to heart, loading a shell as he made his way to the back of the booth. No matter how Kajjex looked at it, two people were likely about to die in only a few seconds, and at least one of them was completely innocent. A flare of adrenaline rushed through him as he squared up his shoulders and stepped towards the swordsman.

"Alright, that's enough! Call off your men! You have who you came for, you can leave now!"

Logan thrust the point of his sword back in Kajjex's face. "Your associate should have known better than to refer to a bangaa as a 'lizard!' Don't think I won't skewer you for getting in our way, you little rat!"

It was that final slur and mixed-in threat that caused something in Kajjex to snap, whipping his palm out to slap the blade away and darting in close to Logan. The human clearly hadn't expected him to do something so reckless, slashing wildly and well above the asura's head as he tried to backstep, but the desperate attack had left him wide open, and Kajjex took his shot. His fist sank right between the brigand's legs, hitting his mark dead on and winding him. The moogle yelped as Logan dropped him, hitting the floor and scurrying behind cover quickly.

With Logan reeling and completely open, the asura slammed his head into the human's unprotected solar plexus, depriving him of the air left in his lungs and dropping him down to one knee. Kajjex quickly grabbed the second blade on the thug's hip, but even while reeling Logan managed to grab his wrist. With a grunt Kajjex hopped onto his knee, planted his foot in Logan's chest, and whipped his other leg up into his chin in a flip-kick. The blow sent Logan flying backwards, leaving the asura with his second blade in hand.

"You should have known better than to refer to me as a 'rat!'" Kajjex snarled back, quickly jumping back onto Logan's chest. "Now call off the bangaa brothers!"

"Get off me you little rodent!" Logan shouted, swinging his weapon up. Kajjex turned and angled his weapon in a block, expecting to catch the incoming blade, only to get caught in the mouth with the hilt, sending him staggering away. Despite the pain the asura had enough awareness to side-step the human's next slash, getting back into a defensive stance and holding his ground. Logan swept again, but this time Kajjex was ready, springing off the floor and slashing at the same moment. The human's blade swept below him, while Kajjex's borrowed weapon caught him across the chest, drawing blood and making him stagger back.

For a moment Kajjex nearly forgot the grave situation he was in, stunned by this achievement. Never before had he put his sword technique into practice against an armed foe ready to kill him. "It worked?" he muttered, his heart surging with adrenaline and elation at the words. "It worked!"

"Well, don't just stand there gawking!" Tekki shouted from behind the glass, taking a wild shot at the cannoneer. "Do something about these lizards!"

"You heard 'er again, Russ!?" Cuss howled. "She called us 'lizards' again!"

"Stop calling them lizards!" both Kajjex and the moogle shouted at the same time, as the asura re-engaged Logan. As he suspected Logan was a skilled blade-handler, on par with any Seraph from Divinity's Reach, but he appeared to have limited experience in fighting a smaller being in close quarters. Their blades connected and rang through the cave, and despite being the shorter fighter Kajjex found that he was able to match the thug's arm-strength, pushing his sword aside with each parry. Logan dashed in again and went for the head; the asura leapt and flipped over the blade, bringing it down and cutting his leg.

"Damn you, you hairless hamster!" Logan shouted angrily, bringing a pair of fingers across his blade. The weapon shimmered with a red light and the air around it warped with heat, as he began slashing at Kajjex.

The asura defended as best as he could, struggling to block as heat swept over him, but the flurry was faster than he'd ever been trained against. One strike bypassed his defenses and cut across his wrist with a shallow cut; another sliced just above his right eye, making him cry out and step back. The human brought his sword down in a final cut, clearly meant to cleave through the asura's head, and it was here Kajjex managed to dodge away, bleeding and panting, but high on adrenaline.

Logan charged in again, his blade still burning red, but this time Kajjex charged in as well, quickly stepping into the human's attack range and forcing him to stop short as his attack went too wide. With the momentum shifted Kajex swung his blade around, aiming the flat of his blade at the back of his knee and causing it to bend, bringing Logan off-balance. Hot with anger and pain, Kajjex launched his own flurry of blows, leaping through the air and spinning around, his blade cleaving and cutting through the thug. He landed, tensed, and leapt again, spinning and carving repeatedly; and again, shearing through his robes; again, leaving a gash on his face - and with a final leap brought the sword down across his body. The blow sent him staggering back several paces before toppling over, his blade clattering next to him.

Kajjex gasped, his nerves on fire from the pain and the adrenaline, turning to face their reptilian assailants. Tekki was still trading fire with the cannoneer, but while it took him longer to load his shells he was clearly doing more damage - she would run out of cover soon. Kajjex was sure that if he landed a shot at the console, the asura gate would fail and leave all of them trapped. The lancer, meanwhile, had finally managed to breach the window and was just about to crawl into the booth. That only left the moogle, who was now busying himself by rummaging through the container, causing Kajjex to wonder briefly if he was in fact a thief. He gave it no further thought, sprinting to the lancer and grabbing him by the tail with his free hand.

"No you don't!" Kajjex growled, digging his heels into the floor and yanking back with as much strength as he could muster. It was enough to jerk the bangaa back, and make him chuff in annoyance.

"'ey, leggo you lil runt!"

Cuss climbed back out and swung his spear at him; Kajjex ducked and hacked at the bangaa's leg, his brow furrowing as his blade gouged a moderate cut across the reptile's scales, but drew no blood. Another swing convinced him to put more distance between them as the bangaa spearman jabbed his weapon through the air around Kajjex's head; it quickly became apparent that most of his brainpower had been devoted towards the study of his weapon, as he aimed deadly blows at the shorter fighter's head and joints. The only thing that saved the asura was his greater speed and acrobatic agility, melded with minimal defense from his borrowed sword.

Cuss stabbed again directly at his torso and the asura twisted to avoid the blow. It barely saved his life, the abrupt turn preventing the spearhead from penetrating his chest and instead tearing a clean hole through his bloody workshirt. The bangaa yanked the weapon back and the spearhead tore the shirt off of Kajjex without leaving injury, but the katana caught in the sleeve and was ripped from his hands. Before he could regain his balance the bangaa spun and swung the shaft across, catching the asura in the temple and sending him flying.

Stars danced in his eyes as he reeled from the concussive blow, his eyes watering from enduring so much pain in so little time. With a groan he struggled to get back to his feet, nearly panicking as Cuss lunged in with another stab. He backed up and tripped, managed to avoid the attack, but the dizziness was so bad he almost felt ready to vomit. He had only just sat up when the bangaa finally reached him, holding his spear high and ready to impale the injured asura to the floor with it.

Out of nowhere a blast of cold air buffeted against the both of them, Kajjex covering his face and bare chest as it swept over him. When he looked up it was to the sight of the bangaa wide-eyed and frozen in his pose, falling forward. Kajjex rolled out of the way just as Cuss landed face-first with a thud, kicking up frozen particulates, and now he could see the frost that had accumulated on his scales. The fall had apparently been enough to knock out the bangaa completely, or perhaps he was too frozen to move; either way, he remained where he fell.

"Woo, this rod's pretty darn powerful!" the moogle said, examining an asuran scepter with interest, the focus at its end covered in ice. "That's my thanks for stepping in, my friend!"

A blast caused both of them to flinch, drawing Kajjex's attention back to the cannoneer and Tekki. The krewe leader was firing wildly at her assailant, casting a desperate glance at Kajjex. "Help me out here, new guy!" she wailed.

Rather than waste time questioning the moogle's skill in elemental magic, Kajjex got back to his feet, staggering towards the booth. He was almost to Russ before he realized he was completely unarmed. Russ didn't fail to notice his approach, swinging his weapon around and firing. Kajjex swore and dove to the ground as the shell exploded behind him, then staggered back to his feet and lunged at the bangaa, latching onto his chest. The bangaa swore and tried to pry him off, yet Kajjex clung to him for dear life, knowing the moment his grip failed the cannoneer would kick him off and blow him to pieces. What he wasn't prepared for was the reptilian brigand to punch him in the ribs with his free claw, winding the asura and causing him drop to the floor, leaving him open to a kick that sent him sliding several feet away.

It was a wonder he hadn't thrown up from the blow, but he was in far too much pain to care. His head still felt muddled, and his eyes struggled to adjust. Through his blurry double-vision he could see the moogle firing another blast of frost in the bangaa's direction, but the shot went wide and he was forced to take cover as another shell exploded near him, shaking the cave once more.

The bangaa swore and ducked another shot from Tekki's rifle, spotting Kajjex and loading another shell into his launcher. The asura struggled to get back up, failing and rolling onto his side, unable to do anything but await the inevitable as the bangaa took aim. Tears that had as much to do with fear as they did with pain streaked down Kajjex's face as he resigned himself to his fate.

A flash erupted in the room and for a horrible moment Kajjex thought he had been blasted apart, but when the light cleared he saw the bangaa shielding his eyes. A female voice he'd never heard before called out behind him.

"Put the weapon down, Russ!"

The bangaa snarled and raised his weapon, taking aim somewhere above the injured asura, but a rifle shot rang out and clipped him in the shoulder. The sound of an arrow being fired followed a half-second later, a dart sinking into the brigand's weapon and shattering its trigger. A second arrow hit him square in the arm, causing him to drop the busted cannon with a shout of pain.

"Aagh! Okay, okay, I give up!" he growled, holding his one good claw up in surrender.

"Elise, Kris, get the bangaa and human tied up. I'll see to the injured."

"Yes, Shara!"

"Boy am I glad to see you, Shara," Kajjex heard the moogle say with a relieved sigh. "I thought I was a goner until this one decided to stick up for me."

Kajjex let out a pained wheeze, the adrenaline tapering off and leaving him cold and shaking from the agony of so many injuries in such a short period of time. His ears picked up the sound of delicate footsteps approaching from behind, but he could not summon the energy to do much more than remain curled in a shaking ball. Soft hands touched his shoulder for a brief moment, before he felt himself being lifted carefully off the floor, carried in the arms of someone much taller than himself. He let out a cry as the shift in his body weight made his nerves explode with pain, but the voice spoke again in a soothing tone.

"Be still, little one. I'm going to help you."

The asura did not ask, biting his tongue and stifling his groan as he was seated upright against the wall of the cave. The same soft hands touched his head, the voice murmuring soft words in a language Kajjex did not recognize. In seconds, the pain in his head evaporated and his eyesight cleared, returning to normal and giving him a clear look at the one healing him.

She looked like a young human, with a beautiful dark-skinned face and deep blue eyes, framed by silky white hair. A pair of lapine-like ears jutted from the top of her head, somewhat similar to the moogle's. By the asura's exhausted calculations she seemed to be a little below six feet tall, with a thin, agile body adorned in the dress of a wilderness sniper, a longbow and a quiver strapped to her back. Their eyes met and she smiled at him.

"Is that better?" she asked.

"You're beautiful," Kajjex said reflexively.

Her eyes widened in surprise and she laughed. "Thank you for the compliment, and your courage."

"Who are you?" he asked.

"My name is Shara," she told him. "I am a viera hunter from Ivalice. I was searching for my moogle companion, here."

"You saved my hide," the moogle said, kneeling next to Shara and holding out his hand to him. "I owe you for that."

"Oh... yeah, glad to help," Kajjex replied awkwardly, shaking his paw - somehow the physical contact made the experience so much more real. I can't believe this. I'm shaking hands with an extra-dimensional being. "The name is Kajjex."

"How is he?" Tekki said, running over to them. "Is he still alive?"

"Yes, he'll be alright," Shara assured her, placing her hands on his chest and channeling magic through them. The aches and pains of battle dulled into nearly nothing, making it easier for him to breathe. He looked around, spotting two other viera busy binding the subdued brigands.

"Who were they?" Kajjex asked.

"Criminals from a jagd, a lawless city in our lands," Shara told him. "They operate by having rival clans pay tolls to stay in their city or cross through their territory. Falling in battle on their turf is often a death sentence, particularly without the influence of a Judge to oversee the region."

"It's why I had to run," the moogle explained. "If they'd knocked me out they would've just dragged me back to the jagd and ended me there unless I paid, which I can't. Of course, I doubt a Judge's influence would extend to... 'Tyria,' did you say?"

"I agree. I can't sense the presence of a Judge's magic here," Shara noted, looking around. "Are we truly in another world?"

"You are," Tekki said, failing to hide the pride in her voice and face. "Using our knowledge of magic and the Eternal Alchemy, we penetrated our world's reality and bridged a connection to your world."

"Impressive though that is, such a high level of magical intervention is no doubt fraught with risks," Shara said. "Still, even if it was unintentional, your actions have saved a friend, and I thank you for that much."

The cave entrance stirred and the heaviest of boulders fell away, drawing everyone's attention back to it. A sturdy construction golem stood at the other side, scooping massive armfuls of stones from the ruined opening, allowing Glaxx and several Peacemakers to run into the cave with their rifles raised. "Hands up, all of you!" Glaxx ordered.

Tekki was the first to react. "Put them away, Glaxx, we're okay!" She pointed to the bound thugs. "These three have been subdued, these other four are friendly!" She paused, looking to Shara hesitantly. "... Right?"

"I believe so," Shara replied, getting to her feet and gazing curiously at them. "Forgive us for this intrusion into your world, but our companion here ran afoul of these criminals from a jagd in ours, and we were coming to his aid when we nearly lost track of them. Fortunately, we located the other side of this portal and followed in the hopes that we were on the right track."

"Thank the Eternal Alchemy you showed up when you did," Kajjex said shakily. "I thought I was done for."

"Perhaps so, though you seem to have held up well against these brutes. Not many could stand against a pair of bangaa and a paravir," Shara said kindly. "We would have departed immediately, but I wished to tend to your injuries before we did. If you are well enough to move, and so as to not inconvenience you and your companions, we will take our leave now."

"Wait wait wait!" Tekki said quickly, getting in front of Shara with her hands up. "Let's not be too hasty, here! This represents a tremendous opportunity for exploration and diplomacy! We've bridged the gap between two different worlds, each with their own races of sentient beings - this is a chance to learn more between us!"

The three viera looked to each other. "That may be," Shara said. "But although we are prominent members of our clan, we cannot officially speak for them. Even if we could, only the strongest clans speak for the regions they control."

"Tekki," Glaxx cut in, "we should probably not keep our visitors for very long. Kajjex may still need medical attention, and we should ascertain if there's any damage to the gate. If you have the coordinates saved, you can re-open it and follow later. We should really inform the Arcane Council about this."

"But they'll probably have this site locked down to investigate!" Tekki protested. "You know they'll try to co-op credit for this! We have experiments to run, and the Arcane Eye will put that to a halt!"

"Tekki, this is not a situation where it's easier to beg forgiveness than to ask permission," he warned her. "They'll do it sooner rather than later, and you don't want to mess with the Arcane Eye."

"Oh very well," Tekki grumbled. "I'm sorry to have troubled you, ma'am."

"Not at all, it is we who apologize for this inconvenience," Shara said with a bow. "And thank you very much for your help, Kajjex," she added, turning and giving him a bow as well. "Should we meet again and you require our help, you need only ask for it."

The other viera began to move the brigand trio toward the gate, while Glaxx helped Kajjex back to his feet, giving him support as they moved. "Let's get you a shirt, and check your condition at the first aid station, then you can call it a day here. As far as I'm concerned, you put in a fifteen-hour shift with what you did."

"Torkk won't see it that way," Kajjex groaned, still feeling unsteady on his feet even with Glaxx him walk. "And I have a mandatory check-in with him at the end of the shift, no matter when it is." He paused. "I know him better than most. He's not going to cut me a break."

"Well... no, probably not," Glaxx admitted with a sigh. "But you're in no condition to do work right now, either. If it helps, I'll double the pay to twenty."

A rumble rolled through the air, the scent of petrichor following after; the light outside the cave seemed to dim, and with it, Kajjex' morale.

"Let's... just get me to Rata Sum," Kajjex said, feeling sick and defeated.

As they slowly made their way to the cave opening, Kajjex heard the moogle speak.

"Well, I guess that'll teach me not to wander into a jagd without the rest of the clan there," he chuckled.

Shara clicked her tongue. "That'll be the day. I'll announce it to all Ivalice: 'Hey everyone, Montblanc actually learned from his mistake - for once.' Come now, let's get you back to the clan before you raise hell here as well you do at home..."

Stripped of his ability to use the waypoint network, Kajjex was forced to trudge back to Rata Sum for an hour in the warm rain. His purse was heavy with coins, as Glaxx had made good on his promise to pay, yet the moderate sum of gold did little to improve his mood as he was soaked from head to toe mere minutes after leaving, even after getting a new shirt to replace his ruined one. Much as he loathed having to report in to Torkk after the rough day he'd had, he headed towards to old man's office in the Synergetics sector the moment he arrived back in the city, feeling things couldn't possibly get any worse. As far as he was concerned, he was about as low as a Statics-graduate could get.

He was swiftly proven wrong.

Torkk stared out at the rain-slick stones of Rata Sum's upper level, his back to the utterly-soaked asura. "You were slated for fifteen work-hours for your failures and outbursts this entire week. Now you come back to me having only completed five work-hours, with Ulta Metamagicals locked down, and with the Arcane Eye delaying further experimentation."

Kajjex stared at the floor. "Yes, Professor." There was a heavy silence to accompany the feeling of dread he felt; Torkk was unusually calm, where he would often be in the middle of a conniption. Still, he was not foolish enough to say more than was needed, waiting for the older asura to speak.

Torkk's knuckles cracked as his fingers flexed and squeezed around the head of his staff. "Tekki sent word that she made a connection to another world, piercing the fabric of reality. Interdimensional travel was within our grasp, the chance to study an entirely new world and its species was only a hair's breadth away from being realized. We were days away from having access to new compounds, new materials, new forms of sentient technology. And somehow, your presence ruined it. Your insistence on banking upon your moronic studies and 'techniques' has led to an incident that will delay those opportunities."

"Professor," Kajjex started to say, "I only did what I was asked to do."

"You were told to fight?" Torkk asked.

"N-no," Kajjex admitted, his ears burning with shame. "I was told to protect Tekki and make sure things didn't get out of hand. I did the best I could alone, without a weapon, but they still decided to attack her when she called two of them 'lizards.'"

Torkk said nothing for a few moments. "Tekki contacted me before you arrived, informing me of your intervention. She sounded grateful. In any other circumstance this would have been a positive look for you. But had you done nothing, the thugs would have eventually found their quarry and left. If you had done the smart, diplomatic thing and aided their search, we'd be sending scouts and surveyors into this new world immediately."

"They were going to murder an innocent sentient!" Kajjex told him, trying to get the old man to see reason. "I wasn't going to help them take the life of someone who did nothing wrong!"

"They would have killed a non-asura," Torkk countered. "Who gives a damn what they were or if they were innocent?"

"I'm not going to compromise my morals just for the sake of scientific progress!"

"And that is why you are a failure."

Kajjex's ears drooped, unable to answer. That single word felt like a dagger had been thrust into his heart.

"I thought by giving you the chance to prove yourself in the lower level expeditions you'd demonstrate some use to me." He shook his head. "I even gave you an opportunity to make up for the loss. You came back with nothing."

He finally turned away from the window, giving the younger asura the most hate-filled glare anyone had ever given to him. "Your acceptance into all three colleges was by way of approval of your VAL-A golem by High Councilor Flax, so he alone can persuade the Arcane Council not to have your credentials revoked and publications removed. He is currently on holiday in Southsun Cove, and cannot be contacted. But I have been known to be very persuasive. If, due to your incompetence, I should be elected to fill the vacant spot on the Arcane Council, my word will carry more than enough weight to see that he accepts my demand to see you disgraced, once he returns."

With every word, the dagger seemed to turn in his chest, a hollow feeling of loss flooding the void. It was no idle threat. Torkk was a tyrant - and also one of the most accomplished geniuses in Rata Sum. There were few places in Tyrian academia where his word held little sway, his influence reaching as far as the Black Citadel of Ascalon. It was nothing short of a death sentence being passed upon his career as a researcher.

"Professor--"

"I don't want to hear it," Torkk said in a cold voice.

"Professor... f--"

"As far as I'm concerned, you have already cost me quite enough." He turned back to the window. "Get out of my sight. Don't ever sully my reputation with your presence and ideas ever again."

The young asura trembled, fighting back emotions, fighting back the urge to lunge at Torkk and throttle him, or to appeal to him. His breath caught in his chest and he turned away, refusing to let Torkk see the tears begin to streak down his face as he walked out of the older Asura's office. His vision was blurry, yet his feet carried him where he needed to be - anywhere else but there.

Several times he bumped into other Asura, blindly stumbling into the rain and out the asura gate into Metrica Province. It was getting darker by the moment, such that most krewes were no longer working in the jungle, sealed up in their labs away from the rain. The plaza ring was virtually empty save for a few golems doing labor tasks, and so he stopped at the steps leading down, sitting at the top step and burying his face in his hands, trying to prevent tide that threatened to spill out at any moment.

His only consolation was that when it finally did, punctuated by scream of despair, nobody was there to witness it.

How long he sat there, he didn't know; only that it had been long enough for the warm rain to turn to a bitter cold that chilled him to the core. Even then, though, he felt no urge to move until a voice behind him spoke.

"Kajjex...?"

He recognized the voice, but did not stand to face it. After a few moments, Preeke knelt next to him, putting his hand on his shoulder.

"Kajjex? What's going on?"

He did not look at him. He couldn't.

"It's over," Kajjex whispered bitterly. "All of it."

"What are you talking about?" Preeke asked. "What happened?"

"I... it's too much," Kajjex said, feeling the despair growing again. "I can't--"

"Then don't," Preeke said quickly, holding him by the shoulders and helping him up. "It doesn't matter right now. Just come with me, I'll get you somewhere warm."

The younger asura lacked even the will to refuse, allowing Preeke to walk him back up to the Rata Sum gate.