FSE

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formerly SoFurry search engine

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CHAPTER 7

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I awoke laying on a soft bed in a dimly lit room. I looked around and panicked for a moment when I didn't recognise my surroundings. Sturdy stone walls surrounded me on all sides. Simple wooden furniture filled the room, a table and chair, a chest in the far corner. The light in the room came from a orange orb that floated several feet off the ground over by the curtained doorway.

I climbed out of bed and left the room. I entered a much larger room with a fire pit in the center. Around the fire pit sat the three Guardian Deities. Callen, Jan'Zar and Kunsel all turned to me as I stepped through the curtain. Kunsel and Callen rose and approached me.

"How do you feel Malakye?" Callen asked with a slight tone of concern but he was still smiling. Apparently what ever was meant to happen had gone according to plan, judging by his demeanour.

"I feel good actually." I did feel good. Surprisingly good.

"Then the mingling went well." Kunsel smiled. "You will suffer a few after effects for the next few days. If you suffer at all don't try to hide it. Rest and be assured it will pass with time."

"Thank you." I bowed respectfully to Kunsel.

"You are most welcome." He bowed back. "Now eat breakfast before you go. You will need your strength.

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We returned to camp shortly after midday. As we approached I could smell the scent of a vegetable broth cooking. Garr was sitting by the fire pit with another fur, they were sitting with their backs to me. It wasn't until I got closer that I could make out that they were a wolf. They heard our approach and stood up.

"Lords Jan'Zar and Callen. Welcome back!" The wolf bowed respectfully. When he looked up his eyes met mine and he recognised me; just as I did him. "What the fuck are you doing here!"

"Long time no see Khaine." I growled back. Memories of the last time we had seen each other came flooding back to me.

He was there the night Kaleb decided to try and kill me in Rovarian Village. I had fought with Khaine and the rest of the pack that Kaleb had gathered that night. He was the one who had left the scar over my right eye. But I noted with some satisfaction that he also bore a scar on the side of his muzzle from where I had beaten him bloody during that same attack.

"Calm yourself!" Jan'Zar barked at the wolf. Khaine immediately calmed down but he continued to give me the stink eye as I moved to sit across from him. "My Lords! Why is he here!?"

"He is like you Khaine." Callen explained, placing a paw on his shoulder. "He is a wolven k'tan just like you."

I felt like slapping myself for not realising that fact myself. He was here because he was a k'tan! Why else would he be here? I had been taken so completely by surprise by his sudden appearance I hadn't even considered that fact!

"Bullshit!" Khaine cursed. "There's no way!"

"He is half wolf." Garr pointed out. "And I can assure you that he is most definitely a wolven k'tan."

"We have kept your presence hidden from each other for all this time." Jan'Zar said. "We needed to assess and teach you the relevant skills individually. But now we feel you will mature faster by training with each other."

"You are essentially polar opposites from one another." Callen added.

"What do you mean by that!?" Khaine asked.

"Your talent in the spiritual arts is far superior to Malakye's." He explained, I didn't miss the smugness that radiated from Khaine from the comment. "And Malakye is a far stronger fighter than you. Not to mention he has already learned how to use his nen effectively."

"Nen?" Khaine asked.

If he didn't even know what nen was, then he had not yet learned how to draw on his nen at all, let alone use it. I had experienced teachers to teach me in Zangar. He would have had no such luck. The only other wolf I knew was capable of using nen was Zaraki Kamir; Kaleb's father. He was a living legend among the wolves, and a living nightmare to his enemies. The wolf had almost been given all the credit for sacking Zangar, despite being accompanied by hundreds of warriors. While it's true that Kamir lead the attack, he also fought three grand-masters, slaying two of them in battle. I had seen him many times while growing up in Rengilar. Not once did I ever see him teaching the younger wolves how to fight; despite numerous requests.

"I can beat him! I've been training!" Khaine stated defiantly.

"Sit down!" Jan'Zar growled at him. Once he had sat down she continued to speak. "I understand your pride as a warrior. No one likes to be told they are weaker than another. But in this case Malakye is the superior fighter."

"I want to prove myself!" Khaine declared defiantly.

"Very well little wolf." Jan'Zar grinned menacingly. "I will admit that there is a chance you may be able to beat Malakye. But I don't like being contradicted, so I shall have to prove to you the difference in your skill levels. I shall test your resolve! Come with me! Both of you! Garr, join us."

"Of course my Lord."

Garr grabbed his war-hammer, which had been propped up against the log behind him, and we all followed Jan'Zar to the training area next to the river where I had met Garr for the first time. Callen had remained at the camp. He never did like watching me fight with Garr. And I doubt he wished to watch me fight with Khaine either.

I still had questions of course. How long had Khaine been in Aaru? Suddenly Callen's and Jan'Zar's absences made sense. While one trained me the other trained Khaine. That much was obvious now. However I had no time to worry about those questions, I needed to focus on the task at paw. I was willing to accept that Khaine was better than me at the spiritual combat that Callen had been trying to teach me. But he was not willing to accept I was a better fighter. I needed to prove myself here, to be worthy of the praise, and to put him in his place! Even back when I lived in Rovarian Village I considered myself stronger than him! The only reason he ever got the better of me was because he had never fought me one-on-one!

"Now here is what's going to happen!" Jan'Zar declared as she leapt atop a large boulder and sat down, looking down at us. Garr stood on the ground next to her. "You are both going to team up and fight Garr!"

"What?! We're not fighting each other?!" Khaine asked. I admit that that was what I had been expecting as well.

"You will fight Garr!" She repeated with a growl. Khaine flinched under her gaze and backed down. "You will see the difference in your levels by fighting together! Now grab a weapon and prepare yourselves!"

We both stepped over to the wooden racks that had been built for the weapons. We both remained silent, but I knew we needed to discuss how we were going to fight Garr if we wanted to have any chance of beating him. I had come close to landing a decisive blow a few times during my time fighting him, but now I had someone fighting at my side we might actually be able to beat him this one time! I grabbed a spear and Khaine took a sword and shield.

"We need to coordinate our attacks." I whispered, so that Garr would not be able to hear us.

"I don't need your help!" Khaine sneered.

"Have you ever fought him?!"

"No!" He admitted. "He's big, but he'll be slow!"

"He's faster than you think! Trust me! I've fought him plenty!"

"Have you ever beaten him?"

"Unfortunately not." I admitted.

"Then watch and learn half-breed scum!"

Khaine turned and marched to the center of the clearing where Garr was waiting patiently for us. I stood three yards to Khaine's right. As we stood there I felt a strange sensation build in my head. A wave of nostalgia washed over me and images flashed across my minds eye.

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I was standing across from Garr just as I was now, only we were not in the forest, but fighting atop a cliff. The rocky ground was wet from the rain that poured down around us. To my left there was a wolf. Not Khaine, but I recognised him immediately and I trusted this wolf with my life! We had fought together against the demon hordes in countless battles now. And now we would face this test together!

"Are you ready Tau'ruc?" The wolf next to me asked, a confident grin on his muzzle that made me smile back at him.

"As always Dalton!" I replied.

Suddenly I realised that it wasn't me that was speaking. I was reliving one of Tau'ruc's memories! One where he had fought against Garr after becoming a k'tan! This was the day k'tan first existed, the day when Asurmen had granted them the power of the runes. Tau'ruc and Dalton were testing their new found powers against Garr as Jan'Zar herself witnessed the fight.

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I was unable to react as Khaine was the first to move, distracted by the sudden vision I'd just had. By the time I had taken my first step Garr was already charging towards Khaine. Khaine raised his shield in an attempt to parry Garr's hammer blow. I immediately knew what was about to happen. Garr's hammer struck the shield with incredible force that Khaine was blown backwards off of his foot-paws, the shield he was holding badly dented as it flew from his grip. He landed on his back and scrambled up onto his foot-paws. Before he could catch his balance he received a powerful back-pawed strike across his muzzle, knocking him flat on the ground.

I roared in anger, a strange foreign anger, at watching Khaine fall at the paws of Garr. I lunged for him with my spear poised to strike. He turned to face me, twisting his body to avoid my incoming thrust. My spear bounced harmlessly off his armour. I dived forwards into a roll immediately, narrowly avoiding Garr's fist as he attempted to counter-attack. I rolled into a crouch and then spun round and immediately lunged towards Garr once more.

I ducked beneath the swing of his hammer, and thrust my spear towards the section between the plates in his armour on his left side. With impossible speed he grasped the shaft of my spear before the blade could come close to piercing him. With one arm he raised his hammer and brought it down, I leapt back to avoid the swing, releasing my spear in order to do so. The hammer struck the spears shaft and bent it; it was now just scrap metal.

He tossed it aside, and readied himself once again. I was now unarmed against such a fearsome opponent. But if there was one thing I had learned when fighting Garr, and that was to never back down! The moment I tried to run away was the moment I lose this fight! I steeled my resolve and he smirked. I was amusing him. He was confident, but he had reason to be, I had never come close to beating him despite fighting him so many times.

I drew on my nen, allowing its power to flow through me and into the air around me. I felt stronger somehow. More than usual. But I didn't dwell on those thoughts, I went on the attack. I lunged forwards, watching his movements for an opening. His hammer swung at me, I leapt back, narrowly dodging the attack, the head of his hammer in front of me by a few inches. Garr swung his hammer at me once more. I dove forward, the rush of air from the hammer brushed my wings as I narrowly avoided the blow.

I rolled into a crouch and spun round to face Garr, and fired three powerful wind bursts at him. My attacks struck him in the chest, but they didn't even stagger him! My attacks broke harmlessly against the heavy steel of his armour.

Wind bending wasn't going to cut it here! Another flash of memories, but this one was suppressed by the imminent danger I was in. Garr lunged towards me and I leapt to the right, avoiding being tackled by him. As he passed me by I swung my paw at his muzzle releasing a narrow burst of nen which struck the side of his head.

Garr came to a stop and reached up to where my attack had struck him. To my own disbelief he was bleeding! A small gash under his eye was bleeding freely from that last attack! I remember what I did, even though I wasn't aware of doing it. My body had reacted to the memory that I had suppressed just moments ago. I had forged my nen into a narrow stream; like a blade! It was crude and basic, but this was something I could build on! Was this Tau'ruc's influence? Memories and skills that had passed on to me without my knowing?

Garr snorted and once again charged me. I braced myself, twisted my body at the last moment to avoid the heavy hammer, grabbed his arm and leapt up onto his back. I spun my body round his, my sudden shifting weight caused him to lose his balance, and when I kicked off of him I sent him tumbling to the ground.

I had managed to knock him down! This was a first! But he was getting up! I dashed forwards, leaping and driving both foot-paws into his muzzle. He grunted and fell onto his back. In the process he dropped his hammer, and I knew that this was the best chance I'd had to beat him! I needed to seize it!

I scrambled up to my foot-paws before he could, and as he got to his knees I unleashed a barrage of nen enhanced punches into his head. He raised his arms to block my blows, but I landed a good three punches before he managed to do that. I didn't stop though, even as my knuckles bounced off the hard steel of his gauntlets. He pushed me away and then attempted to punch me, I dodged the blow and delivered and open palmed upper cut to the base of his muzzle. He staggered backwards.

His eyes were dazed! I gathered my nen into my wings and spread them wide and used them to propel me forwards into Garr. I slammed into him, pushing him back, but I didn't stop there! I used my wings once more to push him back once more. His back slammed into a tree trunk, which cracked loudly under the force of the impact. I leapt back and brought my marital arts training to bear! I nailed him across the muzzle with a round house kick. He staggered to the side, allowing me the opportunity to plant a kick to the back of his knee. He fell forwards and I leapt atop him, rolling over him, pulling him over onto his back, grasping his massive wrist with my paws and wrapping my legs around his arm and neck; locking in an arm bar. I pulled on his arm with as much strength as I could muster.

It was strangely satisfying hearing Garr yell in pain. The hold I had locked in threatened to break his arm. I doubted I would be able to though. Garr was packed with muscle and even with all the leverage I had I was barely able to maintain my grip on his arm as he attempted to power out of the hold. He attempted to stand, to get to a vertical base which would relieve a lot of the pressure on his arm. I pushed down with my legs, attempting to hold him down, but slowly but surely he managed to get to one knee, then two. From there it didn't take long for him to push up to a standing position, me hanging from his arm.

He was hunched over, my shoulders still against the ground. I could see the pain in his muzzle that this hold was causing him. But I had lost all my leverage now! With a burst of strength he lifted me up from the ground, up above his head, to slam me into the ground. I knew this was coming, so the moment his arm went above his head I released the hold and rolled down across his back, planting both of my foot-paws into his back and kicked outwards.

I landed in a clumsy backwards roll as he stumbled forwards, muzzle first into a tree trunk. He managed to catch himself with his paws. As I stood up he turned to look at me with a look of aggression and anger I had never seen in his eyes before.

He strode towards me and swung at me. I focused my nen into my left arm to stifle the force of the blow as I blocked it and lashed out with a punch aimed at his muzzle. He caught my fist with his paw and squeezed down. Crushing my fist in his massive paw. I grasped the wrist of his other arm, the one which I had weakened earlier with the arm bar, I focused as much nen as I could into my arms. We were locked in a battle of strength, my nen barely allowed me to match his natural strength, but unfortunately he also had the weight advantage.

He slowly forced me back, in a matter of moments he would over power me. But I was not going to back down after coming this close! I shifted my weight, he stumbled forward a step. As he planted his right foot-paw to balance himself I wrapped my leg around his and dragged it out from under him, twisting my body as I did, somehow managing to throw him to the ground. He landed with a mighty thud that shook the ground I stood on.

I was out of breath and exhausted at this point. But Garr was visibly hurting now. He got up, more slowly than the last time, and blocked my fist with his forearm. My paw shook with pain after striking the hard steel of his gauntlet. As I nursed my sore paw he head-butted me. I reeled from the blow, my head spinning, sting pain shooting up and down my muzzle. He delivered a second head butt and the pain blossomed once again, enough to fall to my knees. He drove his knee into my muzzle and I fell on to my back. I could taste the blood in my maw now. The sharp metallic tang brought me back to my senses that little bit quicker.

I rolled over onto my front and began the slow, arduous struggle of attempting to stand. He didn't attack me, but I didn't consider that as I struggled to stand. Once I was standing I turned just in time to see the punch coming. The punch caught me across the muzzle, the metallic gauntlet Garr wore made the blow that much more painful. He caught me with his other paw, stopping my descent towards the ground to drive three more punches to my stomach, and then another head butt to my temple. I hit the ground hard, my vision was blurred and I felt the same sensation once more as yet another memory flashed across my minds eye.

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"Tau'ruc!" I yelled as I watch helplessly, as the drake I loved flew backwards and struck the cliff face, his body falling limply to the ground.

I grit my teeth and fought through the pain to stand once more. The greater demon we were fighting stood twice as tall as us, at least fifteen feet tall. Its arms and body were coated in the black blood that ran through its veins, bleeding freely from the wounds we had inflicted on it during this fight. I leant over and grabbed my sword, summoning every last ounce of strength I had left in me to charge the beast as it lumbered towards my partners unconscious form.

I stumbled, catching my balance and ran up the side of a rock outcrop and leapt at the beast. It roared savagely as it saw me jump at it, roaring in agony as my blade sank into its neck. It reared backwards, my blade cut through its flesh as my weight allowed the steel to cut through the beasts flesh as I fell towards the ground. Its arm struck me and I fell, hitting the ground hard. My sword still buried in its neck as it flailed about in pain, falling over the remains of a burning hut. My body felt so heavy, but I couldn't give up here. My life, and more importantly the life of my partner and lover was on the line. He was helpless right now, and I was the only one who could save him!

I drew on the power of the spirits within me, within Dalton, this was his memory not mine, the power of the numerous spirits filled his body. In moments the pain and exhaustion he felt lessened. But even this was temporary. His body was nearing its limit, even with the aide of the spirits power. A roar echoed round me, the greater demon slowly rose from the ground, its glowing red eyes settled on me.

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The memory had belonged to Dalton. He and Tau'ruc had been fighting in the ruins of a village to stop the advance of an army of demons which had been approaching the capital. They led an army of five hundred furs to cut off the demons advance. They won the fight, Dalton and Tau'ruc somehow managed to slay the monstrous demon. How they did that I couldn't remember, but what I remember was Dalton's resolve to keep fighting. Even after his body was far beyond its limit. And by doing so they not only survived, but they won. If I wanted a chance at beating Garr I needed to do that as well. To stand up and keep fighting.

My body felt heavy but I pushed through the pain, using my nen to try and dampen the pain and give me the strength to stand. I stumbled and reached out, my paw grasping a tree branch which I used to steady myself. I braced myself against the tree trunk as I turned to look at Garr. He had look of amused pride. He pulled back his arm to finish me off, and I somehow managed to avoid the devastating punch which shattered the bark of the tree where it struck the tree trunk. I latched onto his arm and pushed off the ground with all the strength I could muster, leaping up onto his back and wrapping my arms around his throat and tightening my hold as much as I could.

He staggered as he adjusted to my weight on his back, pulled on my arms. But I refused to let go! After a few moments of failing to pull my arm from his throat he turned around and threw himself backwards into the tree trunk, crushing me between him and it. I cried out in pain but didn't relinquish my hold on him. He crushed the air from my lungs and I felt my ribs shudder under the force. He repeated the action another time, and then again. I couldn't hold out against such punishment; I felt several ribs crack. The pain was excruciating. I fell off him, slumped against the trunk of the tree as he staggered away clutching at his throat, both of us were gasping for breath.

I attempted to stand. Grasping at the tree bark for any purchase I could. I glanced over at Garr, he was staring at me in disbelief now. But try as I might my legs would not cooperate. I was holding myself up with my arms and nothing more. My legs were completely limp! It was then that I realised that I couldn't feel anything below my waist. My legs were limp and refused to move! He had broken my back!