FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter XVI - Flight into the Desert/A Lion's Claws

Joseph breathed out calmly. The human was laying on his front with several cushions underneath him. Wearing only a basic garment around his waist, his back was exposed to the air. Chiba was studiously on lookout for whoever was going to meet them, and Sahabah was busy with something else. Downstairs he could faintly hear all of the people, namely mothers and their young children who were taking refuge in the two story nurse building. It was a rare sanctuary within the city that had managed to avoid all of the destruction and upheaval.

"Aww... He is so cute!"

"Just adorable." Across the end of the room, seated beneath a window, two female nurses were playing with a happy infant in their lap. A fennec vixen smiled as the babbling baby jackal looked around. A female cheetah kept her chest covered with an arm because of Joseph's presence, but leering at females was the last thing on the human's mind. His eyes lazily shifted to the right. Within his sights rested a black soled foot with claws, as well as black and grey furred legs. Sitting beside him, and keeping him company, was the female raccoon who mentored Sahabah.

At the moment she didn't have an infant or child under her care, and it was the only time he had seen her fully dressed. Cream and blue colored clothes loosely hugged her curvy figure with comfort in mind. Earlier she had cleaned his back with the utmost care, something that came with being an experienced wet nurse. His back still hurt, but the aching stings had subsided. She was exceptionally gentle, and the softness of her hands matched her demeanor. Reaching out without thinking, he touched the sole of her foot. Just like her hands the skin was leathery, soft, and warm to the touch. The raccoon didn't say anything about it, and simply sat there while he started petting her foot from heel to toe. Joseph didn't know why, but it felt nice to touch something warm and soft. It made the human forget about the wounds in his back for a brief moment.

"You aren't saying much." She finally mentioned. "What is on your mind?" He gave her foot one final pet before retracting his hand without an answer. The silence passed as she looked ahead once again. "Well Joseph," the pudgy raccoon spoke again, "if we ever ran out of food, you know that we can nurse you." She teased him for an answer, and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Um." He cleared the roughness from his voice. "No thanks." He kindly declined, but hid nervousness in his voice. "Will the city run out of food?" The human wondered.

"I hope not." The raccoon answered. "If that happened then things would become dire here." Her grin faded briefly. Looking up at her, something crossed Joseph's mind.

"I never asked you what your name is." Joseph suddenly realized. The raccoon laughed with a hearty tone that was almost musical to hear.

"My name is Rebecca." She told him.

"Rebecca? That's an unusual name."

"My parents aren't from here, but they ended up here by the time I was born."

"Well, you already know who I am."

"I think everyone here does." She agreed with a smile. "Sahabah must've told everyone about you." Joseph smiled contently. Out of all the things he had accomplished in the city, helping the mouse made him the proudest.

"How does my back look?" He asked.

"Hmm..." The raccoon shifted onto a hand and peered down. "It's very... raw." She quietly spoke. Joseph felt a hand carefully touch him. "It will take time to heal completely." Her honest assessment gave him some much needed hope. "What does your front look like?" She placed a warm hand on his shoulder. Joseph shifted, and with her help he managed to sit up without much pain. Colorful bruises covered a few areas along his sides, but they were only minor injuries. Her hand carefully traced over one mark as a studious eye checked him over. "They don't seem bad to me..." Rebecca looked up as they heard quiet padding of someone approaching. Joseph was unable to twist around to look over his back, but a white mouse came into view. Sahabah eagerly sat down before Joseph.

"Are you feeling well?" She quietly asked.

"Better..." He plainly spoke.

"He played with my foot." The raccoon giggled. The mouse looked at them humorously.

"That's good, I think."

"Laundry taken care of?" Rebecca asked.

"Yes. Everything is folded and put away."

"Good. Well, Joseph is healing up. It will take some time though." The raccoon explained. The mouse placed a delicate hand on Joseph and looked at his wounds and bruises. He was glad to see that the skin on her hands wasn't flaky or damaged from the sun.

"I worried about you." Joseph said, remembering when he brought her to the building to work with the wet nurses and midwives.

"I will be fine here. Everyone has taken good care of me." The quiet mouse smiled.

"If anyone here treated Sahabah poorly then I would protect her." Rebecca smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Thanks." He managed to smile.

"You should worry about yourself for a change." The raccoon told him. She did have a good point.

"Chiba will take good care of you. She is a kind person." Joseph was surprised to hear the mouse tell him.

"Joseph!" A familiar voice called out, startling them. Chiba quickly entered the room with someone behind her. A short caracal dressed in simple, but spotless garments.

"Oh my..." The feline's eyes widened at the sight of the human's back. "You're Joseph?" He questioned. The human gradually turned around.

"Yes. Who are you?"

"I work for the Ghisolfi family, and I was sent to tell you that the Cioffi contacted us about helping you."

"They did?" Joseph was surprised to hear that two rival merchant families were working together.

"Mauro will meet you two at the Tuareg stable by the main gate tonight." He explained. "Everything needed for your journey will be packed onto two camels."

"That's great to hear." Joseph and Chiba felt elation. They finally had a chance to leave.

"Mauro wants to know if you are planning to meet him, and leave tonight."

"Are you going?" Sahabah asked as she held his hand. He glanced at Chiba. The lioness's unwavering gaze was a definitive 'yes' regardless of what he decided. As much as he would've liked to stay with them, he couldn't hide inside the nurses' building from Bulus forever. They would suffer consequences for hiding him.

"Yes. We're going to leave tonight." He nodded in affirmation.

"I will let him know." The caracal nodded before departing.

"Thank you." Joseph called out.

"We will help pack everything you two have here." Rebecca rose to her feet without hesitation. "And I will give some you some ointment to take." Sahabah helped Joseph to his feet. Her innocent eyes looked up at him with happiness, but also sadness.

"I'll miss you two." He hugged the mouse tightly. They had cared for him dearly during his brief stay. Sahabah and Rebecca had slept alongside him during the night, and stayed with him during the day.

"Mmhm. I will miss you dearly." The mouse softly spoke. With a heartfelt sigh, he undid the embrace. Rebecca stood before him next.

"You know that we will be fine." She wagged a finger before giving him a hug next. Her embrace was comfortingly warm.

"Thank you for taking care of her." Joseph whispered, holding her tight. The raccoon nodded and patted his shoulder.

"I hope to see you two again someday." He promised.

It was the dead of night and the city was virtually silent. The night air was cool. The streets were empty, enforced by a strict curfew under the order of Bulus himself. Only a few bands of guards were patrolling the city of Al Lishbunah, but running into one would spell instant punishment, possibly death. Despite this, two shadows avoided the torchlight of a passing night patrol. A human face and a feline face patiently watched the patrol exit the street.

"Let's go." Joseph nudged Chiba. The lioness nodded and walked with him towards the special meeting place. They had just said goodbye to Sahabah, Rebecca, the other wet nurses, and midwives. It was tough to leave, but they had to do it. Pausing by a building, Chiba crept forward to an abandoned stable. The outlines of the building were visible but the interior was dark.

"Mauro?" She quietly called out. A figure emerged from the shade. Stripes that resembled the darkness itself were visible in the low glow of starlight. The Ghisolfi family's head was present.

"It's me." The tiger waved for them to approach. "I have your supplies packed and ready." He walked over to the two camels resting nearby. "But I need to say that I never expected a member of the Cioffi family to approach me with a request to help you two. Never in my wildest dreams."

"We can't thank you enough for helping us." Joseph spoke with gratitude.

"For someone who understands merchants, and is a friend, I should be helping you two."

"How will we get out? There are guards and the gates will probably be locked." Chiba pointed out.

"I have that taken care of." Mauro nodded with a brief grin. "A little bribery fixes all things."

"Thank you." Chiba blew a little sigh of relief.

"You never bribed me." Joseph said.

"Why would I if you lowered my taxes?" The tiger countered with a little joke. "So where will you two go?" He asked. The lioness and human looked at each other wondering the same thing.

"The only good plan we have right now would be to travel west, towards the land of Sa." Joseph told the merchant. "We might be able to hide there for a while."

"Anywhere else is safer than here." He agreed. "We will pray for your safe passage." Mauro told them.

"Save your breath. We will be praying for your safety." Chiba told him. He merely shook his head and watched them mount.

"Take care you two." Mauro grinned and waved goodbye. Joseph gave a final wave, but held his breath as they approached the gate. True to Mauro's word, it was open for them to pass through and leave.

'I don't see any guards.' He thought to himself despite a few torches being lit. Chiba led the way and they passed through. The brighter torchlight dissipated as they reemerged at the dark grassland outside the city walls. A sense of relief passed through Joseph that they had finally escaped the unfolding nightmare. However, as the distance between them and the walls grew, the human felt sadness. He had to leave the city he worked so hard to reach. But at least now they were both out of Bulus's clutches.

The heat of the desert was mitigated somewhat from the faint coastal breezes. Endless dunes existed all around them as they trekked through the edge of the parched desert. Their westward journey avoided the coastline and more populous urban centers, but also the richer grasslands and coastal forests. The sight of so much sand and scrub vegetation depressed Joseph, but he was ultimately thankful to be alive. Just ahead of him, Chiba was riding steadily. The sun's bright golden rays illuminated her fur, as if her entire body was eclipsed by a golden halo. Joseph rubbed his eyes.

'Maybe that's the heat...' He told himself. The lioness suddenly looked back at him.

"Let's stop here to rest." Chiba called back.

"Ok!" He trotted up as she dismounted. A break was needed from the constant riding. Night was only a partial reprieve since Chiba preferred setting out at sunrise. Slipping off the camel, Joseph started removing the top of his robe. "Can you check my back?" He sat down.

"I'll get the ointment." She quickly offered. Joseph breathed a deep breath and folded his robe in his lap. Chiba knelt down behind him and clenched her teeth at the gruesome sight. The red slashes were healing, albeit painfully and slowly.

'I wish I could've killed Bulus...' She thought to herself and dipped her fingers into the small jar. Keeping her claws sheathed, the lioness reached towards the human's injured back. As soon as she made contact with the human's skin, his back tensed.

"Agh!" He broke into a sweat and twisted away from her hand.

"Hold still." She placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I know! I know..." He settled down again. Clenching his fists, Joseph endured the pain while the ointment was applied. The lioness was as gentle as she could be, but his wounds were still very raw.

"There. Done." Chiba sealed the jar.

"Thank you." He gratefully sighed. The human took a few minutes to relax. 'This is horrible.' Joseph thought to himself about his pain, but he didn't have to endure it alone. Chiba was standing nearby. He watched the lioness stare out into the desert with her back towards him. Her tail remained motionless as she scanned the desolate horizon.

"You're not going to leave me in the desert again, are you?" He asked. The lioness stopped and paused for a brief moment before looking over her shoulder.

"No. I'm not leaving you." She answered. "We will need each other to survive."

"That's a relief..." He blew a soft sigh. 'I don't think Giuseppe will arrive to save me again.' He thought to himself.

"I'm starting to believe that nothing can kill you." She admitted.

"It doesn't feel that way to me." The human admitted and silently stared out into the hot desert. The lioness took a moment to walk around, check their map, and eat.

"You should walk around some before we move on." Chiba advised, but his gaze didn't move. He didn't even answer her. "Why are you so quiet now?"

"I feel guilty..." He admitted. The lioness paused and spun around to face him.

"For what?"

"The city..."

"Are you stupid?" The harshness in her voice caught him off guard. "There's nothing anyone could've done about what happened to the city." She had a fair point. What could one human do?

"I don't know..." Joseph merely stared off into the desert. An impossible question lingered in his mind about how the invasion had happened, and what were the signs? Chiba's tail swayed impatiently.

"Come on." She blew a sigh. "We aren't sitting here for the rest of the day." With a little reluctance, the human pulled his arms through his robe.

'My legs are sore.' He stretched some and double checked what was packed onto his camel. Joseph noticed that the feline's eyes were intently staring at something to his side.

"I thought we were going?" He spoke and followed her gaze. Towards the horizon, but close by, a figure was walking in their direction. Approaching them from a slight northward angle, it was a gold and brown furred canine. There wasn't a single thread of clothing on his body except for a thin belt around his waist holding a curved dagger. A rounded belly softened the stern gaze on his face. His stride was well regulated, and he didn't seem to care that his dark brown nether regions were visible for all to see. Over his shoulder, Chiba and Joseph noticed that he was carrying something in a sack.

"I don't know of any desert tribes out here. Didn't you find something while studying?"

"No." Joseph shook his head.

"He could be a rogue or a bandit." Her gaze sharpened as he passed within several steps of them. The knife resting against his leg wasn't crude in the slightest. It was sheathed in sleek metal. The handle was ornately decorated in the shape of a roaring feline, and a finger guard was visible at the hilt. Why on earth someone with higher statuses of wealth was completely naked was beyond Joseph's comprehension.

"Who are you?" Joseph called out. Chiba glared at Joseph for calling out to the unknown stranger. The mysterious canine halted and turned his head. "Are you from a tribe?" A moment passed before they heard a response.

"Yes." His voice was deep and scruffy.

"We are going west if you wish to follow us for a while." Joseph offered.

"Okay." He nodded as they mounted their rides. Chiba glared at the human as all three began moving. He could feel her gaze on him like a second sun.

"I don't trust him." The lioness quietly warned Joseph. "If he's with a tribe then why is he all alone without anything?"

"He could be on a short trek for a day or two."

"This far from the coast?"

"The coast isn't a safe place." At an impasse, neither mentioned anything to the canine as they continued westward.

***

The canine walked alongside them for the entire afternoon and evening. He never spoke once since they resumed their journey. Joseph looked over his shoulder, but the nude male never seemed to tire or lessen his pace. When they decided to stop, the sun was already setting, and darkness was quickly falling over them. The mysterious golden and brown furred canine sat down a short distance away from them in the sand. Chiba retrieved a blanket for them for sleep on.

'He has not said anything.' Joseph glanced over at the canine facing away from them. He was starting to believe that Chiba's caution was warranted. A mild soreness and ache drew his attention back to himself. Reaching around, he carefully felt his back. Everything felt tender and warm to the touch, but the raging pain had since dissipated thanks to the ointment the nurses had provided him.

'Ow.' He touched a sensitive spot and winced.

"If you keep touching your back, it won't heal." Chiba brushed past him. The lioness laid out a blanket for them to sleep on. Joseph sat down as the lioness began undressing right in front of his face.

"You know..." Joseph mentioned as he watched the lioness untie her robes.

"What?" She slipped her arms out.

"Sahabah seems really close to you. She likes you."

"So?" Chiba placed one hand on her hip and held her clothes in the other.

"What did you do with her at our house? Not many people see you as a caring person."

"Let me lay down. I'll tell you." She held up her robe for him to use as a blanket. Joseph scooted over to make room for her. Even though she was naked, Chiba had no qualms laying on her back right beside him. The lioness folded her hands across her tummy and exhaled with some sense of relaxation.

"Do you remember the day when you had to go to the docks early?" Her golden gaze looked up at him.

"Yeah. That was early in the morning."

"After you had left we finished eating, and then I bathed her again. She was very quiet and never made a sound. I was careful and looked over any spot of her skin that was visible, because I wanted to know where she had sun damage. The obvious areas were her hands, feet, and ears of course, but I checked everywhere through her white fur. I remember mentioning that her nipples were very pink. I told her that if her skin was unnaturally dark there, then she would have a difficult time conceiving, and nursing a child."

"Why would you say that?" Joseph didn't understand.

"Because it is a Kakuyid saying, but I don't know if there is any truth to it. My mother told me when I was an adolescent. Sahabah gave me a funny look like you just did. I told you that there is a Kakuyid saying about bathing in small company."

"Oh. I do remember that." Bathing with a lioness was a different experience for the human. 'I hope my cheeks aren't red.' Joseph thought to himself.

"I didn't think much about it, but I guess that's when she began to trust me. I wasn't there to be her overseer or anything stupid. I was there to help take care of her like you had asked. Every day I would bathe her, and then bathe myself. We dried our fur together and talked. I took her shopping after we dressed, and sometimes we would go to the beach. I would tell her stories about when I was a child, growing up in Sham. Then we would cook. She always thanked me for bringing her food. It didn't matter if it was a crumb or an entire meal, she would thank me for it."

"I didn't know that you two had bonded so much." Joseph never saw the lioness as caring towards strangers. "That was very nice of you to do all of that for her."

"Mhm." Her tail tapped the blanket. "I could've easily been in her position. You bought me and her, easily saving us doomed to a life of servitude."

"I wasn't sure what I was doing." He shrugged. "You were very upset when I brought her home." The lioness had a temper that startled him.

"I shouldn't have been angry." She plainly admitted. "But when you returned from work or meeting people, her eyes would light up. She was very excited to see you." The human couldn't help but feel proud.

"You did all the work..." He mumbled.

"You bought her! I never would have done what you did." She drew up a leg to nudge him with a knee.

"That is true..." He gently pushed her leg back down. A brief moment of quietness passed between them. A claw discreetly tapped his leg.

"Is he still there?" Chiba whispered. Joseph's eyes glanced over at the canine still laying by himself.

"Yeah."

"Good." She said before giving a tired yawn.

"You never told me a lot of stories about your childhood." He mentioned. The lioness half grinned and looked away briefly. Her ear flickered.

"Maybe another time." She seemed to like the idea, but rolled onto her side, facing him. Joseph laid down and snuggled up to the lioness. Her white chest fur provided a little hiding place from the harsh, unpredictable world that they lived in. Chiba's ears fell flat against her head. "You've been sleeping closer to me." She stiffened momentarily at the close touch and held an arm up.

"I... I just do." He didn't have a good excuse for her. The lioness thought for a moment about what she should do. Glancing over her shoulder, their guest companion was already laying down with his back turned to them. Looking back at Joseph, she relaxed. Chiba's arms loosely wrapped around his back, careful not to brush against his wounds.

"Just don't roll around much." She closed her eyes.

"I won't." He remembered Chiba telling him the same thing when they traveled to Sabha and slept in the same room. That had happened less than one month ago, and here they were, sleeping on a blanket in the sand together. The human had experienced some of the craziest situations while living in the city of Al Lishbunah, and he would miss the extravagant city life.

"Hey, Chiba-"

"Go to sleep." She mumbled.

"I'd go through everything again." He softly spoke. The lioness opened her eyes and stared into the darkening desert. A reassuring hand patted the human's shoulder.

"I would too Joseph." She whispered. "Now go to sleep." With a little nod he did just that.

Chiba awoke with Joseph still in the loose grip of her arms. The human was fast asleep and nuzzled up to her front. He hadn't moved an inch from where he fell asleep. He was still clutching part of her folded robe in his hand. The lioness shifted and made herself more comfortable, but he didn't stir in the slightest.

'He's such a heavy sleeper.' The feline half grinned. She liked that trait about him. Rather than immediately get up, the lioness chose to snuggle with Joseph for another minute. A little grin overcame her muzzle as she secretly enjoyed their intimate position. 'Wherever we end up Joseph,' Chiba thought to herself, 'I hope we can sleep together like this.' The peace was short lived however. Her ears perked up detecting soft breathing from somewhere else. Looking over a shoulder, Chiba eyed the dusty golden furred canine. He was sprawled out in the sand still asleep. Her brow furrowed as her eyes narrowed.

'Him...' She thought. Carefully extricating herself from Joseph's sleeping form, she sat up and rose to her paws. The lioness didn't bother putting on her robes and quietly approached the stranger. She briefly wondered what was inside the sack, but decided it was best not to know. Chiba crouched down beside the equally naked canine and swiftly snatched the knife from his side. Detecting movement, the canine stirred.

"Huh?" His eyes blinked open and widened finding Chiba looming over him. He looked over the naked lioness for a split second before reaching for his knife only to find empty sand. Chiba adroitly held the weapon to his throat.

"Do not say a word... You're not from a tribe around here, are you?" Chiba's harsh words scarcely made her sound doubtful. He shook his head. "Take your knife and get out of here." She tossed the weapon away before standing back up. The mysterious canine quickly gathered his few possessions and turned tail to leave. He hastily went northward towards the coast. Chiba watched the canine hurry off through the desert until her eyes could no longer see him. Only then did she breathe a soft sigh of relief. The lioness looked over her shoulder at Joseph, still asleep. She relaxed her stoic stance and quietly approached to not disturb him. Chiba knelt down by his side and watched him sleep, completely unaware of anything else. The lioness started feeling protective over him, her only true companion.

'I don't know how you sleep so well.' She thought to herself about how they were on the run from anyone possibly hunting them down. 'Especially when I, a murderer and betrayer, watch over you.' The lioness did not even begin to think about those who were tracking them down, or the dangers and uncertainties that they would have to face. A little grin curled into her muzzle seeing her robe still draped partially over him.

'I wonder if you'd stare at me wide eyed.' Chiba realized that she was crouching over him naked. 'Or are you used to seeing me this way?' After all, the lioness was never shy about being naked around him. She reached down and touched his warm cheek with the back of her hand. The human eventually stirred and woke up. She smiled and stood up. Joseph barely noted the figure beside him stand up and move while he rubbed his eyes.

"Huh? Morning already." He yawned. A sudden pull on the blanket helped his eyes open up faster.

"Get up. We can't be slow." Chiba started folding up the blanket he was laying on. Joseph quickly shook off any lingering sleepiness and jumped to his feet. He looked around the empty sand while the blanket was rolled up.

"Where's the strange guy?"

"He left." Chiba stated.

"Oh... Without saying anything, or why?"

"No. He just left." She looked over her shoulder at him impatiently. "Hand me my robe." Chiba said as she placed the blanket over the camel's hump.

"Oh!" Joseph hadn't realized her garment was still in his hands. "Here."

"Let's move." She quickly dressed. "We can't sit here forever."

"Right. Right." Joseph helped her gather anything else while the hazy morning glow of the rising sun brightened.

"Ready?" Chiba approached a camel and swiftly mounted it.

"Yep." The human quickly mounted the other. "Although wish I knew what was in the sack that he carried."

"It was probably a severed head or a skull." Chiba grimly guessed. "He was not part of any tribe."

"Ugh. I'm glad you're joking."

"I'm not joking. He didn't carry anything with him, not even clothes. You do not understand. He had every reason to kill us and take everything we had."

"Sheesh..." Joseph shuddered at the thought.

"He didn't seem right..." She looked around before commanding the camel to move. Peeking over the horizon, the sun was only partially visible against the desert backdrop. Another day had only just begun.

The sun was close to setting, casting long shadows across the desert. The low dunes and ridges were not entirely barren. Small trees, durable grasses and bushy plants dotted the area. Joseph liked the change of scenery from the endless dunes they were accustomed to seeing. They had initially moved a little more northward due to seeing a few dust devils form before their eyes the previous two days.

"I think we are too close to the coastline." Chiba called out.

"We can move south again." Joseph didn't mind. 'Although, I will miss seeing the small trees and plants.' He silently wished that they could've taken the coastal road where orchards, green grassy hills, and farms were plentiful; but their safety came first. Taking a turn, they moved across the flat field of sand and sparse grass. Their shadows stretched out like giant versions of themselves. Looking up, he caught sight of a new shadow.

"Uh oh." He caught sight of someone on the nearby ridge. Chiba quickly noticed too. Atop a horse and armed with a long spear, the mounted figure wasn't a simple traveler like they were. Riding up to them, Joseph and Chiba could see a bright blue garment wrapped around the person's neck, but nothing else. A mane surrounding a feline face meant only one possibility.

"Are there Kakuyids this far west?" Joseph was surprised.

"No." Chiba frowned. "This isn't normal."

"Should we run?"

"No. He wasn't following us. Running will give him reason to chase us down." She explained. The lion rode up and halted them. He appeared equally surprised to see them.

"Who are you two?" He asked.

"We are travelers." Joseph quickly answered. That much was definitely true. The lion stared at Chiba, not sure what to make of her presence.

"You're a Kakuyid." He stated.

"No. I am not." Chiba firmly answered.

'He can't find out who Chiba is or neither of us will reach Sa alive.' Joseph feared. Over the ridge, they spotted another figure. A young Tulunid panther quickly rode up to them next. Obviously male, his dark fur was sleek and well kept. Akin to the lion, he was nude except for a necklace, quiver strap, and matching leather armbands.

"Who are they?" The feline didn't acknowledge Joseph or Chiba.

"They say they are travelers." The young lion reported. "One lioness. One human."

"They could be spies." The panther glared at them.

"We are not spies!" Joseph spoke up.

"We will find out." The feline simply stated and led them in a different direction. The human feared being tortured and killed. Joseph looked at Chiba but the lioness was stoic. Her calm demeanor kept him calmer. They were taken over a small nearby ridge of sand and earth where small encampment was being prepared. Blankets and small rugs were spread out for most to sleep on, but more important individuals had basic tents erected for privacy. Many lions and panthers were sprawled out, either half asleep or finishing the day's final meal. A ring made of rope and sticks was constructed in the sand amongst the feline warriors. The area was visibly disheveled from lots of activity.

'The Kakuyids thoroughly enjoy wrestling.' Joseph thought to himself. It seemed natural that the tough felines would enjoy the physical sport. As they entered the camp, both were told to dismount. The gaze of many eyes was easily felt.

"What do we have here?" A commanding voice questioned.

"Sir!" The panther and lion answered in unison. Joseph and Chiba found themselves face to face with an imposing feline figure. He was a big lion, heavily built and exceptionally strong through appearance alone. In Kakuyid fashion he wore a scarf piece that only scarcely covered his upper chest and back, leaving his assets proudly on display. His thick, bushy mane traveled down his chest in a furry line to his equally large groin. The only other items on the otherwise naked lion were two meager leather string armbands. The other lions and panthers accompanying him were dressed no differently. His sharp feline gaze was warm and welcoming compared to some of the others.

"Neshir found these two nearby. They say they are travelers." The panther quickly explained. The lion smiled at Joseph and Chiba.

"I am Naran." He politely introduced himself. "I'd be honored to have you two as guests for the evening." His deep voice spoke calmly. Not having a choice in the matter, Chiba and Joseph followed him. The human felt his gut tighten at whatever laid in store for them.

"Shouldn't we run?" Joseph whispered. Chiba shot him a glare.

"He doesn't know who we are."

"Who is he?" Joseph whispered.

"Bulus's half brother." She quietly growled.

"You didn't tell me that he had a half brother." His heart sank.

"Wealthy Kakuyids marry more than one female, among other love affairs." She reminded him. They were taken to one of the tents. Inside was a small living space of wealth. A fine carpet with intricate sprawling designs was spread out in the middle. Bolts of silk were stacked on bags of grain beside other fabrics. Other small rugs were spread around or simply folded in a corner beside more eccentric items. Various weapons lined one section of the wall: large curved swords, thick spears, and mighty bows indicated that the Kakuyid had a proficiency in many styles of combat.

"Welcome to my little home for the time being." The Kakuyid took off his scarf piece and set it aside. He took a seat on a small stack of bags covered with a large blanket. The definition in his muscles was more than enough to out fight anyone that Joseph knew, even other lions like Chiba. 'Would a blade even pierce him?' He wondered.

"I am in such wonderful mood!" He boasted with a hearty smile. "Please join me!" He waved for them to take a seat. With less enthusiasm, Chiba and Joseph sat across from the burly lion. The other lions and panthers remained outside if needed immediately by their leader. "Would you care for something to eat? I already ate, but as my guests anything I have is for you as well."

"Uh. No thanks. We have eaten as well." Joseph said.

"Splendid. Although, you two might be wondering why I brought you to my tent." He guessed. Joseph nodded.

"Well, I'm always excited to talk about this... even to complete strangers. These lands along the western coast have just been conquered by my half brother Bulus and the crusaders. He has made me the Atabeg of all the western lands!" The mighty lion slapped his hands on his legs with a loud clap.

'So that's why he is here...' Joseph thought. The invaders had spread westward towards the coast with ease as the Emir had predicted.

"Bulus is ambitious, even for a Kakuyid." He spoke proudly and pointed up with a finger. "I think the sky only has heights that he cannot achieve. Although I never thought it would be my business to leave the land of Sham." He admitted. "I don't even care much for governing the urban and cultivated coast, but I'm excited about it anyway. Now I want to know... what is a lioness and male human pair are doing out here?" He asked. Joseph felt chill bumps rise all over his skin.

'We don't know Bulus, or anything happening in the city.' The human told himself to avoid saying something too revealing.

"Well?" The lion glanced back and forth between the two.

"Uh. Um." Joseph gathered his thoughts. "I worked as a blacksmith's apprentice..."

"We're travelers heading west through the desert." Chiba answered more concisely.

"A lioness is very rare in an urban environment." He commented.

"We are traveling through the desert." She reiterated.

"True." He acknowledged. "But we are merely two days away from the coast where there are grassy fields, hills, and orchards. A blacksmith's apprentice should work in a city, not the desert. Are you avoiding something?"

"Would we ask you the same question?" Joseph meekly replied with a nervous grin.

"Hah!" The burly lion laughed with a brief, but booming roar. "You have a smart head attached to your shoulders." He pointed at the human. "But you haven't answered my question. I'm very curious."

"Well..." Joseph glanced at Chiba and quickly thought of something to say. "We want to pass all of the people on the coast because of the armies invading. It's too dangerous."

"Ah, that's why I am moving through the desert as well." He hummed. "I grew up in the deserts of Sham, and that's what I prefer. I have heard nasty tales of people being robbed and killed during invasions. Years ago, when I was younger, I visited a desert town that was recently overtaken by a faction. During the late evening I was alone between two narrow buildings, returning to a guest home. Someone grabbed me from behind and tried choking me." He demonstrated with his hands. "But I managed to grab him and throw him over my shoulder." Naran suddenly jumped to his feet and mimicked a spear throwing motion. The sudden burst put them on eye level with his crotch.

'Too close...' Joseph didn't like how Naran's male hood bounced close to his face. Chiba looked equally irritated, but she held her stoic face well. The male lion didn't return to his seat though. His stance widened, letting his furry package dangle openly before their eyes. Joseph felt anger boil inside him.

"And that is when I-"

"Ok! We get that you're well endowed!" Joseph suddenly burst from his quietness. An awkward silence ensued as everyone stared at the human.

'Did he just say that?' Chiba gawked at him.

'Did I just say that?' The human felt the color drain from his face.

"HAHAHA!" The lion suddenly burst into laughter. His deep voice echoed throughout the tent, and possibly the entire desert like a booming drum. Joseph held his nerves as the moment seemed to last an hour, despite how brief it actually was. The lion gradually sat back down with a pleasant sigh. "I haven't laughed that hard in ages!" He rested a hand over his stomach and blew another satisfied sigh. His fingers ruffled through the thick mane of hair trailing to his nethers. Joseph's heart raced, wondering what he would do to them. From his periphery, he could see Chiba trying to glare at him. He didn't want to imagine what choice of words she wanted to yell at him. Despite her contained anger, Naran was pleasantly joyful.

"You are a funny human." The lion chuckled. A moment passed where nothing was said at all. The Kakuyid simply sat there as if basking in a warm ray of sunlight. "I have a feeling that you two don't want to spend the night here or the following day with me." He heavily purred. The lion stood up in a relaxed stretch before motioning for them to stand as well. "Do not feel shy about what you feel. I can easily tell that you two would rather be going somewhere else."

"You are allowing us to leave?" Joseph didn't know what to say. Chiba held her tongue with patience.

"Yes, it is obvious that neither of you are spies. I do not know where you are heading, but both of you will be welcome in my tent." His arms opened wide and hugged both of them simultaneously.

'He is strong as-!' Joseph winced as the lion patted both of their backs and bid them farewell. Holding in a yell of pain, the human breathed as soon a the pair of strong arms released them.

"Please bring their camels here!" Naran called out. Two guards immediately carried out the order. In moments Chiba and Joseph were mounted on their dromedaries like an unusual dream. "Goodbye!" The lion waved farewell to them as they left the encampment of Kakuyid lions and Tulunid panthers. Campfires became distant until disappearing altogether. The starlight became their only source of light in the desert. The peaceful silence was deafening. They didn't say anything at first and processed what had just happened. Neither were quite sure how close they had come to being taking prisoner and sent back to Bulus.

"Chiba?" Joseph mustered his voice.

"Hmm?"

"I think we just avoided death." Joseph swallowed at the fact that they left a senior member of the Kakuyid tribe without harm. The lioness didn't say anything as they continued along. She knew the truth in what he had just said all too well. "He was looking at you funny." Joseph added.

"I was afraid that he would want to have more than a cordial relationship with you." Chiba retorted. The human shuddered at the thought.

"Why do male lions flaunt their nudity at everyone? No other desert tribe does that."

"Kakuyids are proud of our bodies to the point of annoyance." Chiba answered. "Male or female, but a male's genitals are the symbols of his pride. They are also in the social arena more often than females to be noticed... To them it is normal."

"You don't flaunt yourself."

"Females do not have what males have, but I'm not afraid to be naked." She glanced at him. "But I guess I could cover myself more if you want..."

"You're fine..." He mumbled under his breath. "I'm thankful that you're nothing like Bulus."

"Humph. Don't joke like that." She huffed. A peaceful silence ensued between the two once again. Joseph could see the last glimpses of the sunset ahead. A quick look over his shoulder brought him great relief.

'No one is following us.' He returned his gaze to the lioness riding her camel beside him. "Don't you think we're far enough?" He asked.

"I guess so." Chiba answered and stopped her camel. He stopped as well and they dismounted. It took little time for Joseph to lay out a blanket, partially disrobe, and lay down. He would've fallen fast asleep but the space beside him remained empty. Joseph blinked and noticed Chiba sitting alone on the end of the dune. The lioness was tightly wrapped up in her robes, tail by her side as she remained vigilant.

"You can go to sleep." He spoke up. The feline didn't move, or even flicker an ear. Joseph waited a moment for her to come to him before leaving his robe and deciding to go to her. Her round ears dialed slightly hearing footsteps approach. The feline's eyes glanced over a shoulder.

"You're naked." She mumbled. The human grinned softly.

"You sound like me." He sat down beside the feline. Her tail softly thumped in the sand. A moment of quietness passed between them as the human gazed at the starlit sky. "Are you looking for something?" Joseph noticed her unwavering gaze eastward.

"It isn't like Bulus to just let us go." She finally broke her private silence. "I know he sent someone after us."

"We only ran into his half brother, and that lion didn't know who we were."

"And that jackal." She reminded him. "But someone else will meet Naran and find out." Chiba insisted. "You don't understand what kind of a lion Bulus is." She frowned.

"You're right. I don't. But," he placed an arm around her, "you should sleep. You'll need it." She wiggled her nose in reply but didn't move at first.

"Fine." She sighed and stood up. Joseph felt some relief as well. Chiba noticed something on the human's skin. "Now there's sand all over you." She didn't hesitate to brush his legs clean.

"I'm fine. I'm fine." He insisted but didn't move until she finished. Chiba loosened her robes and set them aside before laying down with the human. They settled close together.

"Goodnight." He placed an arm around her front and snuggled against her furry back.

"This time," Chiba grabbed ahold of his hand and held it to her chest, "you wake me up in the morning." A grin emerged on her feline lips when she closed her eyes.

Chapter XVII - The Desert of Thorns (Lion's Claws)

The middle evening sunlight was bright, but not blinding like the late morning or afternoon. There was no sound to listen to, except for the soft steps of the camel Joseph was perched atop. Nothing but sand was within their sights from horizon to horizon. It all felt oddly familiar to Joseph. Despite knowing how far away they were, he half expected an oasis town like La Selva to appear on the horizon next.

Glancing to his side, the only living person with him was Chiba the lioness. She was dressed well in light robes with only her head visible. The strong, well built feline was normally silent during the entire day, but having someone else to rely on was a huge benefit. They helped make decisions as a team, look out for each other, and survive in the harsh world of northern deserts. She kept him calm and focused since they hastily departed from the city; and it was comforting being able to sleep close to her. He had grown to like the Kakuyid a lot since they crossed paths again in Al Lishbunah more than half a year ago. The golden furred beauty suddenly locked eyes with him. Without realizing that he had been staring, Joseph blinked.

"Uh. Sorry-"

"Do you want to hear a story I heard as a child about something?" Chiba suddenly asked him.

"Um. Sure." He readily accepted the odd request. It wasn't very often that the lioness opened up to him about anything.

"I think I should call it the guard fooled by the boy." She thought aloud. "My mother once told me a tale that long ago there was a small village near a salt flat. A guard kept watch over a building that housed the local ruler's treasures. One day a poor adolescent came by and asked to borrow a small pouch to carry water in. The guard loaned it in exchange for a bow, as a token of goodwill. However, the guard didn't notice that the poor adolescent was simply looking around to see what valuables could be stolen. In the evening the pouch was returned. The following morning the guard awoke and found many valuables missing from the building, including the ruler's precious gold and silver. When the guard was found by other soldiers in disarray with many valuables stolen, the ruler banished him to the desert. He was only allowed to carry a bow." Chiba finished.

"Goodness..." Joseph remarked at the ending. 'One mistake, and you sealed your own fate.'

"When I was little I believed it was true."

"Were you scared of thieves or potential robbers because of that story?"

"Not scared." She answered plainly. "But maybe I became cautious towards strangers seeking favors or odd requests."

"That reminds me of your offer in that jail cell to escape with me." Joseph half grinned. The lioness briefly frowned.

"It reminds me more of you, and how easy going and trusting you are towards everyone." She pointed out. "You should be more careful, the things I have to do to protect you are... numerous." Chiba humorously said.

"Hey, what do you mean by that?" Joseph challenged. The lioness merely grinned without a word as they traveled westward.

The human happened to look over his shoulder and spotted figures meandering through the sand.

"Hey, there are people behind us." They looked back. Several more individuals, all mounted atop camels, appeared along the horizon. However, the group wasn't moving straight towards them, but close at an angle. Observing from a distance, looser robes were visible rather than tighter fitting clothes. However, the turbans they wore covered their entire faces, except for their eyes. Unlike a caravan traveling in a single line, they were spaced out. There were no large baggages of goods. Armed scouts kept watch along the outer ring for the entire group's safety.

"They're nomads." He watched the camels slowly plodding along the horizon. Although, he couldn't tell what tribe they were part of.

"Looks like it." Chiba agreed. They briefly watched them slowly move to the west, the same direction they were headed. An idea popped into the human's mind.

"Shouldn't we follow them?"

"Why?" Chiba looked back at him and asked. The lioness was more than wary from the last two people they had crossed paths.

"They are likely going somewhere, and we're not going to catch any rain or food out here." He pointed out. "And we would be safer in a larger group."

"Hm..." The lioness appeared unconvinced.

"They won't know who we are, and I doubt they like the Kakuyids or crusaders." He added. The lioness thought about what he had said for a minute.

"I'm fine with that." She agreed and they changed course. They approached the slow moving tribe and were soon met by one of the outer scouts who detached from the group. Armed with a bow, two feline eyes gazed at them sharply. A light brown furred hand reached up and uncovered the cat's muzzle from the dark cloth. Large feline ears reminded Joseph of a fennec, but a rounder face of fluffy cheek fur indicated a desert dwelling feline.

"Who are you two?" The sand cat asked.

"We are travelers from the east. Are you part of a desert tribe?"

"We are part of the small Toba tribe." He answered.

"The Toba?" Joseph looked over at Chiba, but the lioness blankly stared back at him before holding her hands palms up. "Neither of us have heard of the Toba tribe before." Joseph spoke.

"What? You haven't?" He seemed genuinely surprised by the fact. "We are a tribe of sand cats who migrate from east to west below the coast."

"Sorry. Um. Where is your tribe going?"

"We are traveling to Sokna, a little desert town beside an oasis in the land of Sa." The feline answered. Chiba and Joseph looked at each other with optimism.

"We are traveling to Sa as well." Chiba spoke. He looked at Chiba curiously.

"Are you a Kakuyid?" He warily guessed.

"Well, yes and no." Joseph looked between the felines, much to the Toba cat's confusion.

"I am a lioness, but neither of us are part of them." Chiba answered.

"We just avoided running into a band of Kakuyids a couple of days ago." He explained.

"You too?" The feline spoke with a hint of humor and understanding. "The Kakuyids are everywhere now. They only roamed Sham and adjacent areas until the crusaders invaded.

"Can we travel with all of you to Sokna?"

"I believe so, but I will ask to make sure." He motioned for them to follow.

"Do you mind if we stay with your group for the night?" Chiba asked as they approached the traveling group.

"I can ask about that too." They approached the center of the traveling feline tribe where three elders were dressed more fancifully. Lengthier robes of finer materials like silk or rich cotton blends decorated their bodies; but the two males and female were obviously tribal despite their clothing. Turbans tightly covered their heads where facial fur was heavily ticked with aging silver, among subtle scars of living a nomadic life. Scimitars and short swords were strapped to their waists as well.

"Elder Banti. We have two travelers who wish to stay with us until we reach the land of Sa." The younger sand cat spoke openly with the elders. "They have escaped the invaders along the coast like us." Three sets of old eyes looked over at Chiba and Joseph. The human couldn't help but tense at their keen gazes.

"They are permitted to stay." One of the elders finally spoke. The other two nodded in agreement.

"Thank you." Chiba and Joseph bowed gratefully.

'What a relief.' The human was glad.

"Excellent." The sand cat bowed as well, and slowed down towards the back of the tribe. Curious felines looked at them as they passed by.

"Thank you." Joseph said to the sand cat.

"I am pleased that both of you can stay with us." The sand cat remarked. "I feel much safer with a lioness at my side than at my back!" He laughed. Chiba merely flicked her ears.

'I know how he feels.' Joseph thought to himself. "What is your name?"

"Qasim. Who are you two? Where are you both from?" He asked in turn. Joseph looked at Chiba for a second.

"Well, it is a long story." The human admitted. "I am from Fez and I traveled to the city of Al-Lishbunah."

"Fez. That's very far away from here. That must've been a dangerous journey."

"It was dangerous, but I managed to reach the coast. I miss my livelihood there, although it required a lot of reading."

"You don't seem like a person who reads, although, I cannot read." He admitted before turning his attention towards Chiba. "You aren't one to talk much, ma'am." The sand cat prodded the silent lioness teasingly.

'Do not get her started...' Joseph kept to himself.

"I can tell that you're a Kakuyid-"

"I do not belong to the Kakuyids." Chiba cut him off with a stern growl.

"How is a lioness not a Kakuyid? I have never heard of such nonsense."

"Well... Chiba was banished from their lands, and that is how she met me." Joseph skipped over the details. "Neither of us are on good terms with them."

"Ah, well at makes sense." Qasim nodded. "So how long have you two been married?" His abrupt question made their eyes widen.

"We are not married." They said in unison to the sand cat's surprise.

"But you two are traveling... Oh well. My apologies." He briefly bowed to them. "So you two are escaping the crusaders and Kakuyids as well." Qasim recapped.

"Yes. Everything changed because of them." Joseph had achieved a life he felt was worth living. Earning a good sum of money and residing in a beautiful home was something he could only have dreamt of while living in Fez.

"You are right." He nodded. "Things have changed with the crusaders invading all of the land that they can walk on. We were staying on an orchard outside of the town Ishbilin where the hills are green and grassy. We weren't concerned at first, but when people were fleeing through the countryside everyone agreed to leave. It was as if a wadi had flooded before us." He remembered.

"Why weren't you concerned?" Joseph didn't understand.

"Usually when tribes in the desert grow powerful enough, they take control of an oasis town; but rarely kill any inhabitants. When I was a young boy, I was in a town when it was captured by a large group of Harsusi fennecs. There was little violence towards anyone, except those armed and supporting the local rulers. That's how the desert has always been, but as I said the crusaders have changed that."

"Do you know who these crusaders are? Why did they invade?"

"I don't know who they are. You might as well ask why any tribe or army invades. I have no idea." To the sand cat it was simply part of an every changing world.

"Hey!"

"Right here!" Calls were given out ahead of them, and everyone came to a halt before gathering loosely together.

"What's happening?" Joseph watched the outer ring of scouts returning as well.

"We are stopping for the evening and night." He explained. "We will tend to your camels." All three dismounted.

"I think we can trust them. They're treating us well." Joseph whispered to Chiba while Qasim set aside his bow and quiver full of arrows. The lioness quietly nodded as their camels were taken away. Not too far away they could see the elder female disrobing while having cool water patted onto her neck and chest. Two other felines, likely her family, were tenderly caring for her. It was easy to see the desert made traveling particularly difficult for the elderly. Qasim returned wearing a bright smile.

"Since neither of you have heard of the Toba before, I want to take you two around the camp." The human and lioness looked at each other.

"Okay." They answered together. Walking around the unfolding encampment, the sand cats were very friendly towards them, although one was not in a happy mood.

"I told you not to tie the rope that way!" A female close to them was chastising a male unpacking a camel, presumably her husband. Her robes were open, only covering her sides while leaving her lighter brown and tan furred front entirely open.

"Matem! Close your robes. We have guests." Qasim jokingly told her. The feline gave all three a peculiar look only to resume berating her husband. Nearly all of the Toba wore loose robes that covered themselves, unlike their desert neighbors, the proudly nude Kakuyids. However, a single stride or gust of wind could leave one momentarily exposed, but it was taken as normal. A joke was sometimes shared about it in good fun.

The many aspects of living on the fringes of the world came back to Joseph. A tightly knit community with the same goals in mind contrasted with the sedentary lifestyle of the town and city. Life was matter-of-fact compared to the cosmopolitan and often philosophical people of the city. There were no streets or roads to guide people in the endless sands, only wit and determination.

Distant family members were sitting close together, smiling and laughing while sharing stories. They had likely been with other bands of the Toba tribe and had recently reunited. Adolescents and children were eager to play games with meager sticks and balls of cloth while they were briefly encamped for the evening and night. Although, they managed to keep themselves from roughing each other too much while parents kept a distant eye on them. Precious water was being passed amongst a few young adults, likely ready to tell stories about past experiences, daring adventures, and mystical ghosts. Beside a resting camel they saw a more intimate scene. A bare breasted mother was nursing her toddler, an age that many urban goers refrained from doing themselves. They left the task entirely to wet nurses.

"Little Gora is growing every day." A male standing nearby smiled. Compliments were given to the mother for nursing her child to the age of three rather than disdainful words. The toddler seemed oblivious to their words while he faced his mother. His large ears flickered from the sound of their voices but felt no embarrassment for eating at the breast. Quiet clacking sounds and joyful voices caught their attention next.

"What is that?" Joseph asked.

"Come look! Some of our warriors are dancing and singing." The sand cat quickly led them to a small group of variously aged Toba sand cats who were dancing around a quickly constructed fire. Beaded necklaces, anklets, and bracelets matched the natural brown markings on their arms; chiming in their own unique tunes. Hand drums were ready in the laps of seated onlookers. "Please watch them dance." Qasim called out while walking away. "It is a great tradition of the Toba. I will get you two some food."

"Thank you." Joseph gladly accepted the offer and took a seat on the blanket.

"I think you made a good decision, Joseph." Chiba sat down beside him. Her shoulder lightly bumped into his.

"It's my special luck." He grinned wittily.

"Don't get arrogant with your luck." She teased him with a half smile. Sitting together, they watched the Toba sand cats dance around the fire. Some were completely naked, others clothed, and many far in between. What was most apparent wasn't their nudity, but the happiness on their faces. They lacked any signs of worry despite everything that was happening along the coast. Their world was ever changing, and that was the only constant in their lives. Never fixed to a particular city or even building, the Toba viewed dancing as a motion akin to wandering.

'I am sure Giuseppe would love to watch them dance.' Joseph thought to himself about the cheetah merchant. Suddenly, the mood changed as drumbeats began. The sand cats paused before reciting a song to the sound of the drumbeats.

Many days of travel,

I am thirsty and hungry.

The sun is brightly hot.

Unrelenting red heat,

burns my eyes while

sand burns my feet.

Through endless white and brown sands,

my hope is to reach those distant lands.

It rains there day and night.

I have never heard of that place.

Take me there.

I would never leave.

Other Toba cats watching cheered and clapped as the warriors danced around the fire beneath the glow of the rising crescent moon, casting moving shadows like clouds in the sky.

The night Joseph and Chiba spent with the Toba was eventful and enjoyable; but also a much needed change since they left Al Lishbunah. Not having to watch over their backs even for one night was a blessing. Their luck appeared to be turning around. A few murmurs of approval passed through the group as the first sight of buildings came into view. The felines covered themselves out of respect as they approached the town.

"Is that the town of Sokna?" Joseph asked.

"Hmm..." The sand cat beside him wasn't enthusiastic. "Something isn't right." Qasim spoke with displeasure.

"What do you mean?" Joseph asked.

"Sokna is supposed to be a little desert town beside an oasis." He remarked. "Look at all of the tents assembled." As they neared, the sight was unmistakable. An influx of refugees fleeing the crusaders and anyone aligning with them was plainly evident. Dozens of tents were set up outside the modest dwellings of adobe. As they entered the fray of refugees, the scene was cramped and noisy. Many species; canines, felines and foxes among others were mulling about the dusty edge of town. Former farmers, craftsmen, seamstresses, herders, merchants, and other professions were present by the tools at each tent. If there was a hope to return to life before the invasion, then Joseph couldn't see it.

"The town's stable is already very overcrowded, so we will have to dismount and keep our belongings here." A passing feline told everyone. Instead of heading into the town, the Toba were directed to a corner just outside of the first buildings.

"Don't worry. You can keep both of your camels with ours until we leave." Qasim told them as they dismounted. "A few will stay here to watch over everything."

"How long will you be staying here?"

"For a day, but no longer since it is crowded here. If you ever need help from the Toba then all you need to say is 'Qasim of the Toba tribe knows us' and everything should be taken care of." He told them. "In case we don't meet again, farewell to both of you." The sand cat waved.

"Thank you for your generosity! Goodbye." Joseph and Chiba called back. The human and lioness pair entered the town together. The meager buildings were old and worn, markings of a centuries old desert town. Each short street was teeming with activity and noise. Carts had difficulty moving down narrower lanes, and the few guards that they spotted were hard pressed against buildings. Joseph and Chiba kept to themselves, but it was easy to bump into someone by accident. The constant movement of colors from awnings to clothing reminded him of the waves along the sea. The long lines at wells was a glaring warning sign to both.

'I don't see how we are going to stay here very long...' Joseph thought to himself. A tug in his robes brought his attention back to Chiba.

"How much money do you have?" She whispered.

"Some. Why?"

"Just in case we need to use it. A lot of people stare at me." The lioness glanced to her right where several refugees stared at her nervously with suspicion.

"If I can find a place, we can go inside somewhere." He resumed navigating through the small desert town. Although, Chiba's presence was attracting more attention than either of them wanted.

"A lion..."

"She's a lion. Watch out." Low murmurs and whispers were easily heard.

'Just ignore them.' Joseph kept walking and didn't pay them any attention.

"A Kakuyid!"

"Get off me!" A familiar voice made Joseph turn around. The lioness who had been by his side was gone. A small circle had formed behind him.

'That's Chiba!' He watched as the lioness shoved people aside and kept walking.

"There is a lion here!" Another voice cried out as the crowd followed her. The second someone pushed her, the glint of a knife came into view.

"Wait!" Joseph yelled. Everyone froze and looked at the human, but he was staring wide eyed at the dagger before a cheetah's throat. A great sigh escaped the human as disaster was averted, but an uproar ensued.

"Call the guards! She is a Kakuyid!" The voices yelled.

"She's attempted murder!"

"No! She isn't a Kakuyid!" Joseph grabbed ahold of Chiba. "Stop! Or we will both be killed!" He whispered into her ear. Several armed guards filed into the scene and surrounded the human and lioness. Among the shouts and yells, the armed soldiers were more reasonable by comparison.

"You two are coming with us." A serval spoke. Their wrists were bound together with rope.

"Take her and the human." A human guard ordered. The crowd was cleared as Joseph and Chiba were brought to a modest building. The front was guarded by several scimitar wearing males. Glancing above, Joseph could see archers perched on the rooftop, scanning the streets below.

'Where are they taking us?' He feared being jailed again. Barely a year, if that, had passed since he was jailed with Chiba. He never wanted to return to a dark place like that. The door was cleared as they marched inside a quieter building. Several well dressed officials and more guards were present in a front room, but they were led into another entryway. The large back room was cluttered with valuables ranging from precious stones and gold to fine vases and garments of fine silks. Food was also in good supply, stacked in several places. They were brought before a short jackal dressed in fine robes. Wearing golden necklaces, the well groomed canine had a round stomach from living a comfortable life. A servant beside him was waving a large fan to keep him cool despite the heat.

"Captain. What is going on? Who are these two people?" The jackal demanded to know.

"Sir! We have found a Kakuyid lioness and a human causing trouble in the streets. We believe they are spies for the Kakuyids and crusaders." The serval explained.

"We are not spies for the Kakuyids!" Chiba roared as two guards had difficulty holding her. The irony that they were accused of spies by the Kakuyids not long ago, and now by the very people who fled the lions and crusaders made the human sick to his stomach.

"Who are you?" Joseph managed to ask the pudgy jackal who looked far too wealthy to live in a meager desert town crowded with refugees and nomads.

"I am The Lord of Sa, also known as the Atabeg of Sa." He calmly introduced himself.

"You're the Atabeg?" Joseph was surprised as he stared at the pudgy jackal.

"Of course I am!" The canine declared.

"The Emir told me that you would be able to help us."

"The Emir?" For a moment the canine was confused. "How do I know that you are telling the truth?" The human wasn't about to be jailed on false charges again.

"I was on his council! The Safaviyya!" Joseph pleaded with his life at stake. "He is married to the white tigress Bashira, and he loves his private garden. We had to flee after Bulus and the crusaders invaded Al Lishbunah!" The human was breathless when he finished making his case. A brief silence passed as he held his breath, awaiting judgement.

"Release them." The jackal ordered the guard. Joseph could hardly believe it as the rope binding his hands was cut. Chiba growled and clenched her fists as they were immediately freed. "I am very sorry for not believing you!" The jackal was quick to apologize and deeply bowed.

"Thank you for believing us." Joseph breathed a huge sigh of relief, although Chiba was less willing to accept forgiveness.

"The Emir is my good friend. Where is he? Did he manage to flee the invasion?" The jackal's eyes were wide with interest.

"No..." Joseph shook his head to the canine's dismay. "He is being held within his own palace as a prisoner." The jackal's burst of enthusiasm instantly deflated. "I can't believe that all of this has happened. Until recently I lived in a fortified town by the sea, and now I'm here... I'm afraid that I cannot help either of you." The jackal admitted. "I might be The Lord of Sa tonight, but I will be lucky to keep my own head when the invaders or the Kakuyids catch up to me."

"What?" Chiba and Joseph were stunned.

"You control Sa, don't you?" Joseph didn't understand.

"Well... This part." The canine shrugged. "The coast, just above us to the north is already being overrun as we speak. There are small bands of armed people hiding in the little forests and hills, but they cannot stand up to those monstrous armies... I fled to this town, hoping that they would not pursue me into the desert." The refuge Joseph and Chiba had been searching for turned out to be a mirage.

"Who are these crusaders? Why are they invading?"

"The coast is wealthy, so they wanted to take it." He shrugged. "They're from the lands across the seas where some foreign merchants are from." The jackal didn't know much about them either.

"Is there anywhere that is safe from invasion?" Joseph wondered where they could go.

"Unless an army is raised against them, I don't see how any city will be defended or retaken." He shrugged. "The desert will delay their advance, but the Kakuyids they are allied with are ruthless."

"We know that." Chiba plainly spoke.

"Do you know what is beyond the west?" Joseph asked.

"Beyond Sa? Nothing but a desert called the Neb, and mountains of rock beyond that." He answered. "I have never heard of anyone venturing there, except thieves on the run. It's dangerous."

"What about the rest of coast?"

"That will be overrun with those armor wearing crusading bandits." He reiterated. The human looked at Chiba, and the lioness was equally dismayed at the news. Turning towards Chiba, Joseph looked at the feline for an answer.

"What do you think we should do?" He quietly asked her. The lioness was without words for a moment. Her ears were laying flatly against her head, gaze lowered, deep in thought.

"I don't know. This isn't a good place to stay." She spoke truthfully.

"You're right." He nodded. If Sokna was going to be taken eventually, then they would have to leave at some point. "We will have to keep going." Joseph admitted. The lioness seemed to agree.

"Thank you for your help." Chiba told the jackal.

"We can provide you two with some supplies, although it may not be much. I'm sorry for not being more helpful." The canine appeared genuinely displeased at their situation. "Be careful." He bade them farewell. Their future had become even more uncertain than when it had begun.

Several days had passed since they departed from Sokna. The loud and cramped town was distant in their memories. Before them was the typical sand of a desert environment. Distant rocky hills were occasionally in sight towards the southern horizon, but the land they trekked across remained mostly flat and free of dunes.

'How did that song go?' Joseph thought about one of the songs of the Toba felines. 'Where did the rain fall? No, that's not it.' The human couldn't remember any of the songs. 'I think it was... The land where the rain falls and the sun sets...' The words in his head seemed to blur, losing their original composition entirely.

"Are you paying attention?" Chiba's voice interrupted.

"Huh? What?" Joseph looked at her.

"I think there's something ahead." She told him. The human's eyes squinted to see past the hazy ground. Along the horizon buildings became visible. As they neared, each became more visible and defined. It wasn't a mirage.

"It looks like a town."

"Do you know what town this is?" Chiba asked.

"No." Joseph pulled out the map and looked at their traveled route. "West of Sa..." He traced a finger, but didn't find an answer. "Meksah? No, that's too close to the coast." Joseph scratched his chin. "I don't think this place is on the map." The lack of activity explained why the place was not on their map. House after house lined the edge of the urban environment, but there were no sounds or sights of any inhabitants. There was an eerie feel to the place.

"Is it... abandoned?" Joseph noted the utter silence.

"Looks like it." Chiba murmured. An empty town wasn't unheard of or even very rare in the desert, but the lack of decay and erosion was unfitting. "It must have been abandoned recently." The lioness noted the lack of worn walls and missing building materials.

"Do you think there is a well somewhere nearby? We need more water."

"There could be. Do you want to look, or do you want me to look?"

"I will look." He offered.

"Fill mine. I'll wait around here." Chiba tossed him her water pouch, and he retrieved his own. After dismounting, he wandered down a random street to search for a well.

'This place gives me the creeps.' Joseph looked around the ghost town. All he could hear was the soft sounds of his own footsteps against the grainy ground. 'I should've let Chiba get the water instead.' Although it made more sense for her to guard their belongings. Passing by the empty houses, the human couldn't help but imagine ghost stories that he had overheard from parents telling their children. Treacherous demons and ghosts of suffering souls tricking and terrorizing innocent people made his skin crawl. Inside one house he could clearly see an old clay pot. The dull sun bleached side hinted that years had passed since the entire town was inhabited.

'What made everyone leave here?' The human wondered. Changing trade routes, an invasion, disease, drought, or something else? The mystery only added to the overall feeling of creepiness. Walking all the short streets, an abandoned central square held what he was searching for.

'Thank goodness!' He smiled brightly at the sight of a well. "There are no dumb ghosts here!" He triumphantly ran up to the valuable source of water. Setting one of the water pouches down, he froze noticing something odd. "What the..." He noticed the edge of the stone was wet. Looking close to the ground, several dark spots were wet from where water had already messily dripped. Feeling an odd sense that he wasn't alone, Joseph looked at the houses around him with a renewed sense of fear.

'Where is Chiba when I need her?' He retrieved fresh water from the depths, and quickly filled their two hefty water pouches. As soon as both were filled the human quickly trotted out of the abandoned town. The sight of both camels couldn't come soon enough for him. Turning a final corner he was glad to see both resting idly, but a small figure dressed in ragged clothes caught his attention. The person was quickly digging through their supplies. Dark paws revealed by her clothing indicated an intruder.

"Hey! Get out of our belongings!" Joseph yelled. The startled figure jumped and ran into the abandoned town. A flash of golden fur sprang after the hooded figure.

'Chiba!' Joseph dropped the water pouches and ran after the two. The chase was brief as it led down a wide street. Chiba lunged and grabbed ahold of the person. The lioness showed no mercy in pinning the thief to the ground. Winded, the hooded figure coughed feebly in the dust. The struggle ended as Chiba loomed over the mysterious thief.

"Stop! Please!" A definitively female voice croaked as she shielded her face from Chiba.

"Hold on Chiba!" Joseph hurried to the lioness.

"I'll need a good reason-" Chiba was cut off.

"Mom!" The sharp crying of a child caught everyone off guard. Looking up, a naked dark furred child no more than a few years old was crying in the doorway of an abandoned home. The figure managed to slip out from under Chiba during the confusion, and dash over to the whining toddler. Joseph and Chiba looked at each other in pure bewilderment. Crouching down, the figure wrapped her arms around the toddler and hushed her.

"Don't cry. It's alright..." The mother calmly spoke despite visibly shaking. She looked up only to find Chiba and Joseph looming over her.

"Why did you try stealing from us?" Chiba demanded to know.

"Who are you?" Joseph added. The figure merely clung to the youngster for a moment before pulling the hood back. A dark colored muzzle contrasted with a lighter face and small ears.

"We are spotted hyenas." She looked up at them. Chiba's hardened gaze softened with understanding.

"Do you live here?" Joseph wondered.

"No." She shook her head. "No one lives here. This town is abandoned."

"Then why are you here with her?" Chiba looked at the younger hyena.

"We were separated from our band during a raid from a large group of bandits a few days ago. We wandered into this town and are waiting for others to find us."

"Who attacked you?"

"I don't know... It could've been any tribe." She shrugged indifferently. Joseph remembered the coyote family during his brief stay in Ghat. The old beggar had unkindly mistaken him for a hyena.

"Why are hyenas persecuted so much?" He asked. "I have never seen one before."

"You're so naive..." Chiba mumbled. He cut her a glare before looking back at the hyena mother.

"It's because spotted hyenas are different." She stood up and parted her clothes. Joseph blinked as she revealed her naked body. Her spots covered a lighter dusty brown fur, but her body was an anomaly to the human. Everything appeared normal; her breasts were small but had a small sag of fullness because she was still nursing; slim shoulders contrasted from her characteristically slightly pudgy belly. However, wide hips and modest thighs couldn't hide something else.

"What?" Joseph found himself staring at a dark skinned phallus that was thicker than most males'. Even a small pouch mimicked male genitalia.

"Spotted hyenas are believed to be hermaphrodites because males and females look almost identical, except for our chests. There are plenty more unkind things that are believed about us... We're sometimes permitted to enter towns after nightfall for menial jobs, but even most desert tribes avoid us... The only ones who do not persecute us are Kakuyid lions." She looked at Chiba. "They're our only allies."

'Wow.' Joseph didn't know what to say. It was hard to believe that the Kakuyids had a good side, not to mention the sight of the female standing before him.

"Stop staring..." Chiba growled and nudged the human's side.

"Sorry." Joseph snapped his gaping mouth shut.

"It's fine." She covered herself and sat down. "Staring is a compliment compared to what normally happens to us." The grim truth was apparent due to the fact that she was hiding in an abandoned village.

"So you were trying to steal one of our camels to leave?" Joseph guessed. The mother hyena looked away.

"We're starving. We need food." She explained.

"You can come with us." Joseph offered.

"What?" Chiba nearly hissed as she glared at the human.

"I appreciate the offer, I really do, but I will wait here for the rest of my tribe."

"Are you sure?" He asked again, but the hyena still nodded. "If you stay here, I'm afraid you may starve to death." Joseph admitted. The hyena mother stared at the dusty ground bleakly, but nodded.

"I know." She admitted with a low voice. "But I will wait here. I know they will find me." Seeing that her mind was set, the human had another idea.

"I'll get you something." Joseph quickly offered and rose to his feet. Chiba followed him to the camels right by his side.

"What are you doing?" She asked as he dug through one of their supply pouches. "That's our food!" She watched him collect a few things.

"I'm giving her some food. She can't live in this deserted town forever."

"Your kindness will get us killed." Chiba warned him in a low voice.

"It saved your life, didn't it?" He retorted. "Trust me." The lioness didn't say anything more and looked away. The human returned to the spotted hyena mother. "Here." Joseph presented a few things for her to eat. "This should keep you fed for at least a couple more days."

"Oh my... Thank you." She started to cry. Her hand shook as she accepted the food.

"You're welcome. Take care of yourself and your child until your tribe returns." As soon as he finished, the hyena lady stood up and hugged him. He patted her back consolingly. His nose couldn't help but detect an odor on her. 'I hope I don't smell from being in the desert so long...' He found something humorous to take his mind off the seriousness of the situation.

"Thank you." She quietly said again and undid the embrace. Looking over his shoulder, Chiba had already mounted one of their camels, and was waiting for him to leave.

"Take care." He said a final time before leaving. The hyena wiped her eyes and nodded as he left. Joseph quickly returned to his camel and mounted. Chiba once again led their journey westward. 'Please stay safe.' He felt sorry for her plight, and hoped that his food would save her life. Looking over his shoulder, he wondered if they would ever see her again.

Sand mingled with clay and dirt, occasionally giving rise to small trees and dry underbrush. The land occasionally rose to a small plain before flattening out again. The Neb was scruffy and inhospitable like they had imagined. There were no wells, towns, or even people. That kept potential dangers from others at a minimum, but Mother Nature was certainly to be reckoned with. Chiba as usual was leading, keeping a silent watch for anyone or anything that could be a potential danger. To pass the quiet time, Joseph was daydreaming about the city he briefly lived in.

'I knew riches in a lavish city. The streets were so loud from merchants, priests, shopkeepers, soldiers, and children that your own thoughts were silent.' He briefly thought to himself. 'But the coast where everyone was connected by sea, was just as busy...' The sounds of a noria churning with sloshing water, hungry seagulls, and busy vessels along the harbor were distant memories between his ears. However, all he could hear at the moment were the lumbering steps of his camel across the grainy sands. But he could easily see mothers or servants tending to laundry through windows; excited kids playing around one of Al Lishbunah's many fountains or wells; and local merchants making deals by funduqs that only they could imagine. However, the human was very far away from his old home...

"Hey Joseph!" His distant thoughts were halted by the lioness in front of him.

"What?"

"Look." She pointed ahead. The human's eyes squinted from the heat and strong sunlight. Joseph's gaze looked across a dry hot plain. Far ahead in the distance a large expanse loomed above the horizon. It was no mirage either.

"Mountains?" Joseph guessed and dug through their supplies. He retrieved a map and unfurled it. "Do you know where we are?" He asked.

"No. Didn't you bring a map?"

"I did." He scratched his head looking at the unfurled paper before him. "I wish I had taken another map though."

"Where exactly are we?" She impatiently leaned over from her camel.

"The Nafusa Mountains..." He read the old letters carefully. "They are the last thing I can read."

"There's nothing behind them?" Chiba looked at him in confusion.

"We've traveled west but haven't run into the chain of mountains touching the coast." Joseph pointed at the clearly defined area on the map. Beyond the rugged barrier the land extended northwest where a land unknown to him laid beyond the reaches of the Emir's former country, and beyond the claws of Bulus.

"These hills don't count?" Chiba looked around them.

"Only if this map is incorrect." He pointed out. The lioness thought for a moment.

"I guess we can set up camp in the brush." Chiba motioned to the immediate foothill. "Then we will figure out whether to follow the hills to the coast or climb this ridge."

"That sounds good to me." He agreed. They descended into the flat expanse. Upon reaching the base of the steep hills, they quickly dismounted. Dust puffed into the air as they set foot onto the cracked and caked dirt.

"This must be a dried up wadi." The lioness pressed her paw into the caked earth of the dry riverbed.

"Where would the water come from?" Joseph looked around.

"Seasonal rains... So maybe from the mountain?" She guessed. Looking up, the human wasn't sure how the area would receive any rain, seasonal or not. A hand touched his shoulder. "Let me clean your wounds." She slipped the robe off his shoulders.

"I like how you ask for my permission." He scoffed. The lioness flicked an ear as she looked over his back. It was healing well despite the beating that he received from Bulus' thugs.

"You are healing well." She mentioned and traced a finger down one line on his back. There was no lingering sense of fresh pain anymore when she touched him.

"Do you think my back will scar?" He asked.

"I don't know. I'm not a doctor." The lioness plainly answered.

"At least give me your honest opinion."

"I honestly don't know." She half answered much to his annoyance. Chiba dabbed a little of the ointment onto his back before carefully rubbing it over his afflicted skin.

"Ohhhh. That's nice." He hummed feeling her hands soothingly rub his back. Soft, yet firm to the touch; Joseph enjoyed it almost as much as the wet nurses caring for him.

"Alright. Don't fall asleep." Chiba abruptly finished to his dismay and stood up. "I'm going to look around." She decided.

"Ok. I can look around for a spot to sleep when my back dries." He offered.

"Just don't burn your skin." She told him before departing.

'She really is blunt when she cares...' Joseph half joked to himself and stared ahead at the mountain. Further away, Chiba blew a contentious sigh. The lioness felt her tail swaying. Looking over her shoulder, she kept a close watch on Joseph sitting by their two camels.

'I am not far.' Even at a short distance, she reminded herself that they were still close to each other. Looking up the mountainside, the lioness felt like the root of a tree gazing upwards. She crept up the dusty hillside where small dry brush grew. Small stones and rocks skittered down as she climbed. The lack of flat terrain concerned her.

'We might have to sleep at the edge of the wadi.' Her nose wiggled. She wasn't concerned too much about a flood, but it was still a possibility. The lack of cover was also an issue. In case a robber or band of thieves came to the area, they needed a place to hide. Checking through the dry shrubs, the lioness prowled through the rocky foothill.

"Are there no places to lay down?" Chiba grumbled as she combed through several places to no avail. The ground was rough and the terrain only seemed to worsen the further she looked. Parting a bush beside a sheltering stone, an odd color of white entered her vision. At her paws was the scattered bleached white bones of a canine skeleton. Chiba covered her mouth in a silent gasp as her eyes widened at the ominous sign. A deep instinct told the lioness to flee, but she carefully crept away from the bush instead.

'This is a dangerous place.' She didn't want to stay in the area. 'Where is Joseph?' Looking through the hillside brush and stone, she spotted the human wandering among the bushes and low rocky ledges. The lioness quickly climbed over to where he was.

"Hey. What did you find?"

"Nothing." She flatly replied. "Did you?"

"Only a few spots where we might be able to sleep." He looked around without much confidence. "It's very rugged around here, but I don't think we should risk sleeping in a wadi."

"Do you think this mountain receives a lot of rain?"

"It doesn't look that way." He couldn't see the cracked ground anymore from their position, but the dry dusty dirt indicated that water was rare. "I don't know what we can do for the time being... Our camels can't climb this area, so they will have to stay down below." He said as Chiba's head snapped to her right. Her eyes widened.

"Get down!" She suddenly hissed. Joseph ducked as she placed a hand on his shoulder. Chiba's head peered around the rocky pile only to dart back hastily. Her eyes and pupils were wide with fear, and her ears laid flat against her head. She peeked up discreetly.

"What's going on?" He peered over the rock beside her. Chiba didn't answer through her unwavering gaze. Looking down, he froze as four figures on horseback rode up to their camels. Joseph couldn't believe what he was seeing, but he could only watch what was happening below. Faint clouds of dust followed the speedy group as they quickly surrounded their two camels. One jumped down revealing that he was a male Kakuyid lion wearing only a typical upper body scarf. The other three big cats were dark furred panthers, more than likely Tulunid bandits hired by someone. Either way, it was bad news for the pair. One motioned to the others and pointed in their general direction.

"They're looking for us!" She hissed. Joseph slumped down the rock wondering what to do. "This is bad!" Chiba crept back into the brush. They desperately needed to reach higher ground to hide from the small band of felines. Heart racing, Joseph felt panic overcome his entire body.

'Go! Move!' His mind shouted. A sudden pull snapped the human from his stupor. His vision cleared finding himself face to face with Chiba as two hands picked him up.

"You're too slow!" She hoisted him over her back and ran. Joseph clung to their bag of supplies in hand as shouts pierced the quiet air.

***

Hiding, climbing, and running; they scaled the rocky passes, ascending higher into the dry mountains. Bushes, small crags, and large stones were used to momentarily rest and seek cover at the same time. The voices of their pursuers gradually grew quieter, and dissipated altogether. At a particular spot, Joseph found himself sitting with his back to a large stone along the mountainside. No one beside him, Chiba was gone yet again. He caught his breath while he waited. His heart was pounding in his ears like a maddened drum. Without impending doom breathing down his neck, the human felt his body catching up to him. His hands, legs and, feet ached from clamoring over loose rocks and the difficult terrain. His throat was sore and dry. His mouth and lips were dry as well.

'I don't think I have the energy to fight back if we are found right here.' Joseph thought. He hope that wouldn't be the end to their long journey. Pebbles quietly skittered beside him as golden fur came into view. Glancing over, he exhaled a held breath.

"Chiba..." He mumbled gratefully.

"I don't see them." The lioness crouched down beside him. Exhausted, Chiba leaned against the stone.

"We lost them?" Looking back, he couldn't even glimpse the desert anymore. Shrubs and small trees blocked much of the rocky path they had taken, not to mention rocky hills and large stones.

"Yeah. I think so..." She breathed. There was a brief sense of relief coupled by a feeling of anguish. "We lost everything..." She muttered and wiped her face with a hand. Frustration was evident in her voice, but neither had the energy to waste to complain. Their only mode of transportation, their camels, was taken from them. Any desert was now impossible to cross.

"I have our supplies." He contently patted the large blanket tied together.

"Good." There was one piece of good news despite their current situation. "Now where do we go?" Chiba asked herself. The human found himself staring up the mountainside. There was only one direction left to go... Up.

Chapter XVIII - The Land of Hot Lakes

The rocky ledges and cliffs were odd sights to see for the desert travelers. Normally Joseph could see the horizon far away, but in the Nafusa mountains the human couldn't see very far... except down below. Joseph crept towards the edge of a rocky cliff. Pebbles, dirt, and rocks crunched beneath his cautious steps. He looked down and immediately regretted it. Joseph felt dizzy and leaned back. A swift hand caught him.

"Are you feeling alright?" Chiba asked.

"Y-yeah." He closed his eyes for a moment to regain his composure.

"Don't look down." She told him. He nodded and leaned against the stone mountainside. "I'm going to look ahead. Just wait here." She disappeared along another potential pathway. Joseph stared ahead at a nearby cliff face. They had climbed the steep mountains for days. The sun made the face of the first mountains so hot during the afternoon, they had to find any little sliver of shade to avoid overheating. However, the air was cooler past the first ridges and closer to the peaks. At night the air became cold, and a strongest of wind could easily cut right through their clothes. Joseph had to sleep nestled up close to Chiba for warmth. The lioness didn't seem to mind much though. The only wildlife they had seen were mountain goats, and birds, but little else. The heights were full of shrubs, small trees, and occasional sprigs of dry grass. For most of the morning they had descended from the highest parts of the mountains, but it was still a long way down.

"Joseph!" Chiba's voice caught his attention.

"Yes?" Looking up, the lioness had suddenly returned.

"You're not going to believe this." Chiba waved for him to follow. Keeping his gaze averted from the first steep drop, he walked along a narrow crevice between two steep sides of stone. Emerging on a narrow path, he followed Chiba around a corner where a bush was growing in the sunlight. The lioness stood before a steep drop, but as Joseph approached he could see why she was excited. Down below, nestled between an expanse of the mountains was a valley full of greenery, but it was a long drop without a way back up.

"Are those... trees?" Joseph blinked. He realized that they had reached the other side of the unknown on the map, or at least what he knew. However, the dense canopy made it impossible to see the ground below.

"Looks like it." Chiba was equally surprised.

"Is there a way down?" He looked around.

"Maybe there." She pointed to their right. Where the mountains curved outwards, the slope wasn't as steep. It was likely navigable to the bottom without a sudden drop.

"How are we going to get there?" Joseph traced his vision back to where they were. A potential path was charted, but one section would require them to inch along a very narrow cliff that hovered over a steep decline to the treetops.

"Do to want to go back through the mountains and find another way or try to cross this?" Chiba asked.

"No." He shook his head. "We need to leave these mountains. There can be many other drops if we go another way. This way should be the fastest."

"Okay." Chiba led the way to the narrow precipice. It was their last visible barrier to reaching low ground again. 'There are trees right there. We just need to pass one more ledge.' Joseph reminded himself. Chiba securely held their supplies in hand and stepped onto the beginning of the ledge.

"Alright. It feels solid." She held out her arm for him. He merely nodded and looked away from the drop. It wasn't a vertical drop, but the distance from them to the tallest treetops was dizzying to him. "Well, if we do fall then we can always grab onto a limb." Chiba tried comforting him.

"Don't say that." He frowned. 'Why is a drop there?' Joseph tried to prepare, and took several breaths to calm himself.

"Hold onto me. I don't want you to fall." She waited. He nodded and placed his hands on her waist and arm securely. Taking one step at a time, they edged along the narrow pass. Joseph kept his gaze steady and refrained from looking down. The little sounds of tiny rocks skittering down the steep incline from their steps made him all the more aware of how high up they were. A sudden soft crumbling noise made his heart stop. The loose rock and soil gave beneath their feet, causing the two to skitter a few inches before falling down the steep slope.

"AAHH!" Scrambling to catch something, hands and claws fought to grasp the soil

Hitting a snag, Joseph's head spun as he hit a thicket only for it to give way. Falling further, the world tumbled in his vision as they reached the bottom. Joseph heard a splash as he suddenly tumbled into a deep pool of water. With a loud gush he sprang up and gasped for air.

'Water?!' Hart racing, he wiped his eyes clean. The sensation around him was unmistakable. Chiba emerged beside him and coughed. The lioness spat and wiped her mouth. Both had wide eyes. Looking around, they were chest deep in dark, murky water. Vines, trees, and shrubs were also around them. The canopy above prevented them from seeing where they had fallen from.

"Where are we?" Chiba wondered aloud.

"Ugh. I don't know." Joseph shifted his feet, able to feel mud and silt beneath him. The lioness touched her shoulder with a worried look. Turning around, the water rippled quietly.

"Where's the pack?" They looked around the wooded area.

"There!" Joseph pointed up the steep slope they had fallen from. Their supplies were caught on a branch above them. Climbing up definitely wasn't an option.

"Aargh!" Chiba roared slapped the murky water in frustration. Joseph looked up at their belongings out of reach.

"If you lift me up I think I can reach it." The lioness waded towards him without a word. She hoisted the human up and onto her shoulders. Joseph's arms flailed and grasped a thin branch.

"Careful-!"

"We're already soaked." She pricked his leg with a claw. Water dripped all around her.

"Right." He steadied himself and reached up. "Almost..." His hand stretched out. Luckily his finger managed to pluck it free, but he lost his balance simultaneously. Chiba's swift hand caught it just in time as he fell into the water again. Joseph resurfaced from the murkiness and wiped his face. "Come on." Chiba waded ahead of him to dry land. Joseph nodded and waded behind her. They reached shallower waters and onto a dry patch of land. The sound of water dripping off them reminded the human of rain.

"We're soaked." He couldn't believe it.

"We need to get these clothes off to dry." Chiba yanked her robes off. "This water doesn't smell normal." She wrinkled her face and shook her hands. "It's been sitting here."

"You're right." He began to disrobe as well. Their clothes ended up on low branches, strung out to dry and they ended up seated beside each other on the ground. Both were dripping wet, catching their breath, and soaked to their skins. Their eyes glimpsed the other's naked body, partially out of curiosity but also to make sure they were ok.

'We are a pitiful sight...' Joseph ruffled his wet hair. His companion was in a similar situation. Chiba's clinging wet fur outlined her fit body. Her arms, legs, back, and torso were well built for a female, but she was a Kakuyid lion. The muscles beneath her fur, and the feline's sturdy rope like tail all seemed very outlined. He had almost forgotten how strong the lioness actually was since they reunited in Al Lishbunah. Despite the strength that she possessed, the lioness was undoubtedly feminine and possessed a natural beauty. Petite breasts were dwarfed by dark skinned nipples, but they were still breasts. Her smooth downy furred white mound below was easy to see. For a terrifying feline who had committed murder, she was a beautiful sight to see. Their eyes accidentally intersected and a flush of red appeared on his cheeks.

'We have more important things to worry about...' Joseph internally sighed and glanced away, despite feeling a pair of feline eyes still looking him over. Her hands suddenly seized his shoulders.

"Joseph." A feline face seriously stared at him nose to nose.

"Sorry!" He realized that he had been staring a little too long. The feline's deep golden eyes widened at the human, startling him. "Chiba-!" She pulled Joseph closer and kissed him. Fuzzy lined lips caressed his face, seeking entrance past his own. His mouth opened in shock from the full furry lipped smooch. Her prickly tongue dipped and entered his mouth. 'Kissing?!' He held onto her arm while the feline's rough tongue caressed his own. Sturdy teeth bumped against his skin until she pulled away. Both were panting when their mouths finally parted.

"Have you gone mad?!" Joseph exclaimed. "What were you doing?!" He spat and wiped his mouth. A strong hand seized his arm. The feline's expression had changed. It was softer, more caring than he had seen. His eyes searched her golden ones for an answer.

"Joseph..." Her voice was surprisingly soft. "I don't want to forget today, and if we die out here in a miserable swamp then at least-"

"Don't say that." He interjected. "We're not dying out here."

"At least I'll die happy." She finished.

"What?" Joseph could hardly believe his ears, but Chiba meant every word. The swamp seemed to blend into the lion's golden irises. A golden furred hand reached over and cradled his cheek. The leathery pads on her palm and fingertips were supple and warm despite the brute strength she possessed. Joseph grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand away only for another to touch his other cheek. "What are you talking about?" He searched her face for an answer.

"Every day I regret leaving you in the Aurum desert to die." She told him. "When you of all people ended up buying me at that slave auction, I felt relieved and guilty..."

"Chiba..." He could hardly believe his ears.

"You had every right to use me as a slave, but you never treated me like I had treated you." She leaned closer, her voice becoming softer like a whisper. "We did pretty well living together." Joseph's hands held her wet sides, but nothing prevented her from inching closer. His heart thudded passionately, but she went around his lips this time and chose his cheek. The short fuzzy hairs around her mouth teased his skin. A prickly tongue lovingly swept over his cheek, making bumps form over his skin. "You of all people did the most to help me without asking for anything in return." Chiba's breath washed over his wet skin as a hand slowly trailed over his leg. Joseph shuddered under her caress, eliciting a warm purr from the feline. "Are you scared?" She lightly teased.

"N-no." He cleared his voice. The lioness wasn't a nervous person, but it definitely made the human nervous. "It's... Well, you uh..."

"Me?" She sweetly perked her ears up.

"You are beautiful." He lightly traced over her side, relishing the sensation of her warm and wet body. The feline's fur was still very damp from their drop into the water. Her lips bloomed into a soft smile.

"You're a good looking human, Joseph." She murmured. "But I'll admit that I hid my feelings for you because of my pride... And maybe..." Her voice tapered off. "Maybe you wouldn't have believed me."

"I believe you." He quickly answered to her surprise.

"Do you... like me?" She hesitated to ask. Joseph stared into her deep golden gaze. She was opening her most intimate feelings to him.

"I've always liked you too Chiba." He spoke. "You are beautiful, but I was scared of you for a while. You're strong and quick witted wherever you go... When I bought you, I needed your help. Maybe that's why I bought you when I reached Al Lishbunah... But I like being with you."

"I only needed a yes." She softly smiled. Her hand suddenly dropped lower. A single padded digit explored just above his groin. She half grinned and played with his curly patch of hair. "I prefer more fur on a male, but this is fine... You have a little mane." She grinned and trailed her hand through the human's messy pubic hair, curling and uncurling her fingers through it.

"I love how blunt you are when you care." He whispered. They leaned closer and shared a deeper kiss while she helped him to full arousal. Hands began to explore in mutual passion. The sensual passing of fur against skin felt divine. He had to break off the kiss to quietly moan. Looking down he watched her hand stroke him slowly. The feline's padded palm felt so smooth. She grinned at his reaction and touched her forehead to his.

"All the times you've slept with me, I have never awoken to this." She grinned and teased his rigid length.

"I was afraid that you'd cut or bite me." He tensed at the thought.

"Don't think about that anymore." The feline rose to her knees and straddled across his legs. A hand gripped his shoulder before smoothly trailing dozen his upper back. Joseph stared at the sea of white fur in front of his face before looking up. Chiba's brow raised expectantly. His eyes settled on her small breasts and the dark skinned nipples mere inches away. He leaned forward and breathed in through the fur in the center of her chest.

"You smell nice." He murmured and nuzzled her chest. The odd compliment caught her off guard, but a warm swipe returned her focus. Chiba blinked and watched him lick her nipple while his hand rose up and began kneading her other breast and side.

"Ahhhh..." She exhaled with a shudder and puffed her chest out for him to love her all the more. His tongue swirled over her hardened bud of flesh with care until she directed him to her other breast. The pleasure for her spiked. Her body rocked against him, struggling to stay still. A soft cooing voice encouraged him to continue, but his length brushed against her thighs where she desired him the most. A set of claws pricked his shoulder to stop.

"Lay back for me." A single nudge moved him. The human watched two arms plant on the ground by his side. Looming on all fours above him was a beautiful lioness wearing a predatory expression. The wide grin excited him as much as it unnerved him. She sat up again and lined up with him. Her sex brushed over his tip teasingly before engulfing his entire length into a hot vice. With a husky groan, feline and human were intimately joined together. Joseph shifted, finding that a lioness sitting on him felt really nice.

'She's... Smooth.' He thought to himself while his eyes took in the lovely feline atop him. The human's blank stare didn't go unnoticed.

"What?" Chiba's round ears fell back.

"Nothing!" He exclaimed. "It-This feels nice." His hands rested on her hips. Her thick rope like tail batted his legs lovingly.

"Don't just lay there. You can still touch me." She kept her arms open for him. With hesitant hands, the human ruffled over her hips and legs. She watched his hands begin to explore her with a pleased eye. "You're not going anywhere." Chiba smirked at his bottom position.

"I have nowhere else to go." He fervently rubbed her rump. The feline's tail flicked up before swatting his legs.

"I want to take the lead." She playfully growled and leaned forward. Joseph felt his length jerk inside her as the big cat began grinding her hips.

"I should've known that." Joseph grunted and held on. Everything began as a simple rocking motion with both adjusting and literally feeling everything out. But passions formerly held at bay were unleashed. Both let their bodies do all the communicating. Joseph could feel his muscles becoming sore, especially his back; but the strong beauty atop him didn't seem to tire. He wanted the moment to last forever, but his body was reaching a peak of pleasure.

"I'm close-!" He told her, but claws pricking his front made him stop. "Careful with your claws." He huffed. The lioness slowed down without stopping, but shook her head.

"If you finish first," she breathily answered, "then I'll be stuck with a worm inside me... Unless you're willing to put that tongue of yours to good work." She hotly licked her lips. Joseph decided to play her game and take it easy, allowing her arousal to catch up with his. Her face gradually reached an expression of heightened pleasure, and her motions became erratic.

"There... Ah... Ah!" Her fangs bared themselves. "Harr... Haaah!" She moaned, but didn't stop. "Oooh! Joseph!" Her voice reached a high pitched roar. Her arms shook as she dropped down to her elbows. She clutched him tightly while her hips jerked, pounding his own. Joseph held onto her and endured, reaching his own bliss. Her body squirmed over his before calming down.

"Can't breathe." He huffed. The lioness clawed the dirt beside him once before rolling. The human ended up on top of her panting front. The feline's face gradually relaxed from its passionate contortions. Joseph laid his head on her and went limp.

"That was... great." Joseph managed to say. Her hands stroked his back in agreement. The elated look of tiredness on her face brought him a deep satisfaction. After everything they had been through, the human had never seen such happiness. Through their afterglow the sounds of the new world around them gradually came back to their senses. The odd chirps of insects and croaks of frogs could be heard past their breaths. Their reality was settling in too soon for Joseph. He rolled off Chiba and laid beside her. A strong hand gripped his own causing concern to stir within the human.

"Aren't you tired?"

"I could do you all day, but I know a male isn't capable of that." Her tight grip made him worry for a moment, but thankfully she relaxed. Chiba turned her head and looked at him with a kind smile. "Let's take a nap." She rolled onto her side, and brushed her leg against him.

"But you just said-" A claw pricked him to silence. "Yeah, a nap." He snuggled up close to her as their limbs tangled together into a connected mass. The lion's front was warm and soft despite a lingering dampness. A soft rumble from her throat helped lull him to sleep. 'She's... purring.' He could hardly believe it.

'Is it morning?' He blinked awake. The lengthy nap felt like an entire night of sleep. The sensation of bare earth beneath made him realize otherwise. His eyes widely opened feeling something rough touch his neck. Chiba was laid beside him, but her wide pink tongue was licking him! Goosebumps formed along his skin wherever she touched. He tried lazily squirming away, but a steadfast hand hugged him close.

"Don't all men like this?" She chimed and gave a lengthy lick from his collar to cheek.

"It's like wet sand!" He remarked with a laugh. Her whiskers and fur added a softer sensation to the otherwise prickling appendage.

"It sounds like you miss the desert." She purred and nuzzled him instead. Joseph never saw the lioness as gentle and affectionate, but it was a pleasant surprise nevertheless. If he hadn't known her for so long then the closeness and everything else might have intimidated him. Her fingers unclenched, and the pads on her fingertips and palm warmed his skin. Joseph relaxed and held onto her arm like a lover rather than a prisoner. Her golden eyes danced in the dim afternoon light. "Not so eager to get away from me now?" She grinned. The human shook his head and nestled towards her so that their fronts were touching.

"You're soft and warm." He enjoyed the contact of the lion's fur against his skin.

"Mmm. Thanks." She purred. They simply laid on the ground together for a moment, staring at each other. Her golden eyes shined playfully at him with a happy smile. "Back in Al Lishbunah..." Chiba broke the warm silence. "You told me that you felt guilty about sleeping with someone."

"Oh." Joseph awkwardly nibbled his lip. 'Why would she want to talk about that now?' He wondered. "You mean the lady from the brothel?"

"Mmhm." She nodded. "Tell me about her." She simply asked. Her leg rubbed up and down his leg while her thumb traced over his cheek. Despite the affectionate rubs, Chiba was listening intently. Her golden eyes were unwavering in their gaze.

"Her name was Raina, and she was a beautiful fennec vixen." Joseph described the brothel lady. "Nice eyes, a soft demeanor, soft breasts, lush fur, a smooth tongue, and the rest... But she isn't you." He finished.

"And you find me more attractive than a lady like that?"

"Well..." He paused and ruffled a hand through her creamy white fur. "Yes." The lioness grinned at his answer. Never before had Joseph seen her golden feline eyes gaze at him so lovingly.

"Wow..." Chiba whispered before raising her voice. "After everything that we have been through, we like each other... We're both pretty strange." Her hand fanned out across his chest.

"I guess so." He watched her fingers lightly flex, revealing sharp claws. But they retracted so she could harmlessly trace over his skin.

"C'mon." The lioness suddenly stopped the intimacy and sat up. "We can't lay here all day."

"What about before the nap-?" An elbow to his side halted his questions.

"I meant every word that I said." She stated. "And did." A grin emerged on her lips. Joseph sat up and stretched beside her. A hand brushed the debris and dirt off his back. "Get mine next." She turned around for him.

"You've got a strong back." He could feel the feline's muscles as she reached for the sky.

"I'm a lioness, not a vixen." She smiled and waited for him to finish before relaxing. The lioness liked his gentle exploratory touch. She reached for her robe, but a hand stopped her.

"Don't put them on yet." Joseph scooted forward and sat between her legs.

"Why not?" She asked. "Is there a-?" The human suddenly hugged the lioness.

"I want to feel your fur again." He quietly answered and leaned on her. Chiba blinked.

"That's something a human would say." The lioness half grinned and returned the hug. She rested her chin on his shoulder and nuzzled him affectionately. The warmth that their bodies created together was cozy. "I think you just like my breasts squished against you." Chiba joked.

"They're not that big."

"You still like them." She could feel her nipples pressing against his skin. They simply sat in the dirt of an unknown swamp, insects noisily blaring around them for a full minute. It was comforting to have each other after going through so much.

"Ok. I'm ready." Joseph finally scooted away.

"Good." Chiba patted his shoulder and stood up. "My legs were getting sore."

"Mine too..." Joseph waited a moment and looked up at the nude lioness standing before him.

"Enjoying the view?" She offered her hand.

"Yeah." He hastily admitted as she pulled him to his feet.

"I knew you did, but as long as you aren't so bashful about it anymore, you should get used to it." Her muzzle lifted into a warm grin. They felt over their clothes that thankfully dried despite the impressive humidity. Both dressed with the other's aid. "I appreciated the hug." Chiba softly admitted. "Thank you."

"Sure thing... Now where do we go next?" Joseph looked around the swamp. Dark still water covered most of what he could see. Small patches of land covered in undergrowth and endless trees filled their sights. The land couldn't have been more dismal to the pair.

"I don't know..." Chiba gathered their meager supplies, and gazed around the motionless water. "But you're following me." She grabbed his wrist before following the sliver of dry land that they were standing on.

'Headstrong as ever...' Joseph thought to himself.

***

The odd, swampy environment was unlike anything either had encountered. Joseph normally loved the presence of water and rain, but at this moment in time, he wasn't so enthusiastic about it. Rain began to fall in the afternoon and poured off and on for an hour much to their disdain. The sky was only half the problem too. The ground was more water than land, and wherever there was dry land a tangled mixture of trees, shrubs, and vines obstructed their path. Their steps waded through water or plopped into mud more often than not.

Chiba had abandoned her clothes yet again, but for good reason. Her fur was wet and spiky from the constant rain showers. Joseph wasn't far behind with most of his garments in tow. Dead branches and fallen sticks were broken or snapped as they trudged through without an end in sight. At times they were nearly knee deep in murky water, unsure of what rested in the thick silt and mud below. Their steps squelched, and even splashed on occasion.

'How far does this place go?' Joseph scanned the swampy wetland from a small perch of dry land. Beside him, Chiba seemed to wonder the same thing. Having just eaten, they wanted to go a little further before stopping for the night.

"Let's go this way." The lioness pointed across a brief section of water that led to more land.

"Okay." Joseph followed her as they felt their way along the shallowest part. Just as they reached the other side, the lioness tripped and fell. But before falling face first into the murky shallows, she caught herself with a single hand. "Aah!" Chiba leaned back onto her paws and clutched her wet hand with a grimacing expression. She hunched forward with a contorted expression of pain.

"What's wrong?" Joseph quickly reached her side.

"It hurts!" She stood up, yowling in pain. Staring at her wet hand, he couldn't see anything out of place. Chiba drew in several calmer breaths and slowly let go of her hand.

"Is it broken?" He watched Chiba moved her wrist a little only to freeze.

"I don't know." She grunted through clenched teeth. "But if I don't move it, then it's ok."

'This is not good.' He worried. An injury out here could cost them their lives. A light patter above drew their attention to the hidden sky. Chiba's ears flickered in annoyance.

'It's raining again?' He couldn't believe the sudden weather change. They headed for cover under the largest tree where there was a sliver of dry land. Looking around, they had no place to go, and darkness was setting in. "Let's rest here for the night." He started unpacking their things. Chiba sat down, holding her afflicted wrist. Joseph hung their clothes wherever there was just enough dry space to do so. They still weren't completely out of the rain, but it was just enough to stay dry. Joseph knelt down beside Chiba.

"Is it feeling any better?" He reached over and touched the afflicted joint. She winced.

"No. Not really." A growl was evident in her voice. "I don't think it is broken, but I can't move it without a lot of pain." Chiba laid down with a tired sigh. Joseph protectively loomed over the lioness. She was his entire source of strength, but right now she needed a little bit of his strength. Grabbing one of her half wet garments, Joseph reached down and dried off her legs the best he could. A light purr came from Chiba until he stopped.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." Placing a hand on her arm, he lightly rubbed the muscle underneath. Her gaze was blank as she stared through the veil of rain, and into the odd place they had ended up. The numerous trees, bushes, and funny smell of water didn't feel real. Maybe one of the two had a dream, and would suddenly wake up?

"I'm glad we mated like animals earlier." She murmured.

"I am too." Joseph laid down behind her. Chiba felt him against her back as an arm rested on her side. "You were loud..." He lightly rubbed over her front and side.

"No one else heard." She said with more than a hint of pride in her voice. Joseph smiled and stopped rubbing her.

"But we need to rest while we can."

"You're right." She murmured with a sigh. Joseph nuzzled her neck and held her close. Being with someone he loved, even in the pouring rain within a dangerous swamp, was a feeling not even the richest cities could provide.