FSE

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Chapter One

A Fox In The Desert

Heat, pain, passing between conciousness and unconciousness. Each breath a fight, sand, loud voices not understood, yet many of them. The feeling of chains around wrists. Opening of eyes, bright lights, fuzzy vision. None of this could be made out by the mind. None of it made sense. Body locked up, what is going on? Why was it so hard just to move one limb? Closing of eyes felt insanely difficult. It all ended when the feeling of shade, no, complete darkness enclosed. The slamming of a metal barred door being slammed shut. This one didn't know what it was, male, female, species. Just too much pain to make sense of anything. And it was left here to rot, regardless of percived injuries. Again, loss of conciousness, blackness, no sense of self, of awareness. Just the sweet release. Death? Life?

The next time this one was able to realize its own awareness, had it been days? Minutes? No it was too difficult to tell. The pain was lessening, body covered in bandages, thoughts, memories come to mind. It was a he, he could remember this, his name was lost however. The pain still locking his body, and then he could dredge what he was. A Fox, a white Fox. What had happened to him? Breathing was becoming easier, but it still brought tears to his eyes. Why was he in this dungeon?

His ears fold back as he tries to pull the memorie. But nothing else came of it. Just a few faint flashes, a Vixen with deep green eyes, when that memory hit, he became enamored by it, by her. He lifts his head a little to look over his body. Still Lithe, still strong feeling, from his memories, they matched of course. Relife came to mind and body, he lays his head back. Long black hair dangles off the bench bed he was placed on, in chains. Not like he could move anyways, and why was he so heavily chained?

He lets it all go in his mind for now. Letting sleep claim him once more. He awoke once more to find four large Todds outside of his cell, they were all mumbling to eachother in a language that made no sense to him. Was he hit so hard he forgot how to speak as well? He opens his muzzle to speak, but finds he could not even understand his own words. They looked at him, confused, one turns to the other two and immitated him, then turns around and laughs at him. What was going on? He felt a tinge of anger boil up, but he quickly pushes it away. He couldn't even get up now if he wanted to, injuries and chains. He could feel the pain getting better slowly, it could take months for him to completely heal up, he closes his eyes and concentrates on the points of pain. Broken ribs, broken legs, crushed chest. Broken shoulders, broken hands, torn muscles all over his body. What did he do to get so badly beaten up? The three outside his pen begin to laugh again, he opens his eyes, they were motioning to him in their fast language. He begins to study how well they were dressed, the robes, the jewerly. Each of them had a mace on their back, intricately designed, ivory tips, onyx handles. They all had golden ear peircings. Who were these men? He had no idea, but he would not simply forget their laughing at him. As far as he could remember, he would never do so to anyone. He looks down over his body again, at the blood stained white baggy silk pants, no shoes. He clenches his hands into fists, it hurt, but he took the pain and used it to force aside the anger, so all he could feel was pain. It made his eyes tear up, but he persists until the anger was gone.

He lets go of his clenched fists and allows the jarring pain to fade to a dull throbbing ache throughout his entire body.

The next day, or so he felt as soon as he awakens, would be interesting, he finds the bandages on his torso and arms had been removed, all piled up in the right back corner of the cell. Looking out the bars, he studies the visible bit of hallway he could see, a torch infront of his cell, blown around a bit by the ever present wind down the stony hallway. His cell, grimy, scattered old hay, dirt, dust and sand. Plain rock walls, his rock bed held up by chains. It wasn't comfortable by any means. Drab, simply drab, and his carefree mind, which was working its way back into his furson wanted to be out, yet he would not be able to just stand up and waltz out, the hard part will be the standing up, and even harder? Waltzing right out the door. A chuckle rumbles in his throat, he winces and grunts and falls silent, except for the soft sound of his still troubled breathing. Did he even puncture a lung with a broken rib? Right side it seems. He lifts his right arm and leans to the side a little so he could trace his finger tips alongside his right ribs. Ah yes, stitches. He hopes the rib was set back in place so it could heal along the rest of him. He lets his arm rest alongside, on the stone and readjusts himself so he is laying straight. This was just going to drive him nuts, laying her for months. But what else could he do? A smirk plays on his handsome face, figure out a plan to escape, thats what. For weeks at a time, food would come to him, he would have to be fed by a pretty Feline who came by at noon, once a day. He lost some body mass due to not being able to move, and it made him turn into a little stick. Thin, but not dangeriously so, yet. The feline would talk to him in this strange language, his last failure renders him mute, so he would just nod and smile. He couldn't understand anyways, and the looks he gave her, must've made him seem like a blithering idiot.

Those weeks blended into close a month, he could feel some ability to move his body come back to him, the pain lessening as time went on. And he was starting to grow attatched to the white feline with blond hair. She wore white robes, perhaps these robes were markers of caste? He couldn't tell. And he already has his escape plans all set. By the time he was into the middle of the next month he could sit up and move around, now the feline just came to him to talk to him, and not need to feed him. He could do that on his own now. So it would seem, that she wanted to teach him to hear what she was saying, on this day she was frantic. She points out of the pens, to a guard who was standing near the cell, drawing her finger across her throat and pointing to the penned fox. His eyes go wide, why would they nurse him back to health then want to kill him? He was not ready to enact his plan yet, he was still far too weak. She stands up after awhile and opens the gate, the guard pushes his way in, pushing her aside and grabbing the White Fox. He does not struggle, his mind raceing, he couldn't die, not now! He felt a strong attatchment to the Vixen with the emerald eyes, he had to get back to her. Maybe she knew who he was, and he had to find out.

The guard pulls him to his feet and begins to drag him out into the hallway, another guard joins him and immediately puts a burlap sack of his head. This was turning out to be very difficult. He needed to calm himself. He concentrates on the Felines voice, she always had a soothing effect over him. He feels himself dragged further, he begins to pick up things he did not notice before, like how each guard took a step, where their weight was placed. Why would he know this? He then felt the fresh wind upon his body, then the heavy foot falls of the guards as he is dragged up on some wooden platform. Hanging? Head chopped off? He assumes it was the second when he heard a heavy sounding thud on the wood. It was the exicutioner smacking the butt of the weapon on the platform. He could tell of its weight just by the sound it made. He could also tell there is a crowd, he needed to act. He could not let this go on much longer.

They spoke then, most likely about why he is sentenced to death, its too bad he could not understand them. Yes he remembers the time he spoke, it sounded like their language, but his brain didn't comprehend it. He might as well be mute. He heard heavy foot falls moving to the side, then the Todd's weight shift as the axe is lifted above his head. The crowd grasps. He is held down by his shoulders, slammed against the chopping block as he was forced to his knees by one smooth movement. He is scared now, heart running quickly. He concentrates, the rather official Male finishing his speech. The crowd boos, was it at him? Or the sentance handed down? Just then he could feel the guard on his right holding him, his strength was applied to him stronger than the one on his left. He closes his eyes and lets the guard push him, shifting his weight, it causes a sudden jerk, the guard loses his grip on him and falls forward, smacking his head on the block. The one on his left tenses up, and upon doing so, the White Fox shifts his weight, falling away from the chopping block just as the axe falls down, embedding in the wood. He hits the ground hard, the guard loses his grip on him. His wrists he finds are bound. He rolls onto his back and sits up, quicking working his way to stand up. He tosses his head, managing to get the sack off. The light blinded him for a moment. He stumbles his way down the steps, falling as just now the Guards snap to action, moving after him. He felt hands on him, disorentaited by the light he could do nothing. But instead of being pulled back up the steps like he expected, he was dragged into the crowd. Many grabbed him, he could tell he was being pulled deeper in. The Guards confront the crowd, shouting harshly at them. Who was he? Appearently the crowd did not want him dead!

The crowd was shouting back at the guards in a collective voice. He finally was able to focus, but he did not have to shift to his feet as he is dragged into the city streets, one an Equine, a Male Equine, mottled white and brown, had braids instead of normal hair, dressed in a loose green vest and baggy white pants like his. The other? Was the Feline who cared for him. This came as a shock but it was welcomed. Before long he is pulled to his feet so he could run on his own. Following them, darting through sandstone alleys and streets of sand, past the market. Eventually they were able to evade the guards, diving down steps into a dark home. Once he was in, the Equine slams the wooden door shut and bolts it. The room, small, with two beds, fur rugs in the center and a cooking stove at the far end of the room. They were both talking to him but he could not understand a word of it. He just shakes his head and wriggles his fingers, wrists still bound behind his back. The Equine walks over to a dresser and snatches a small dagger from the top. He moves to the Fox, who is now watching him warily. The Equine gives a little smirk and twirls his right index finger in the air. The Fox still wary does so, his body now charged to move at a moments notice, and with a quick snick the ropes around the Fox's wrists drop to the ground. He turns back around to face the Equine, staring him down for a moment, it was the Equine who decides to break the ice.

"I've never seen anyone move like that before, the executioners had no idea how to react to what you did."

The Fox regards his comments for a moment, then decides to indulge himself in a little curiosity quenching.

"Why did the crowd help me escape? Why did they push me away from them?"

The Equine ponders this over for a moment, staring down to the floor, he had his assumptions, he shuffles his left bare hoof over the soft sand colored floor.

He then looks back up.

"More than likely, it was because you did nothing wrong, not that the crowd knew about, you have a Charisma neither my friend here, or the crowd, or I could resist. I for one don't like putting words in mouths, but I suppose I could speak for the crowd, they wanted you alive."

The Fox nods taking all of this in. He could not remember his name, he wanted to introduce himself, but as what? The Fox? That won't do at all.

"I'm Clays, and I guess my friend is also yours, she is Sera."

The Equine, Clays snaps him out of his thoughts.

"I wish I had a name to introduce myself, but as I am sure of what you were told from Sera.."

At her name she looks up and waves, not one to say too much right now.

"..I was not doing well. I was on deaths doorstep from all that I could remember. From what instinct tells me, pain can do that."

Clays nods his head softly, Sera following suite.

"I thank you both for your help, and especially you Sera, for taking care of me through a rather terrible time. I hate to have your help and just leave, but I need to figure out who I am, and from what I can remember, I was in amazing shape, I am going to leave the city first, and train. In what? I don't really know."

Clays steps forward sharply.

"That would not be a wise move, I am sure the Sultans army is out there looking for you. What we really are, freedom fighters, there are many who are executed on daily basis just because the Sultan does not like them. We work to free them, and the slaves he takes, especially his personal Harem. We've freed many of his Harem women, some even joined our ranks to strike back, they know the palace in intricate detail. Would you? We have many resources you could use to train yourself with."

The Fox thinks this over for a bit, really laying down thought into this, he steps back and leans up against the door, resting his weight on it. He finds it odd how every move he makes he can sense how his center of gravity shifts, and how to make the best of it. He snaps himself out of that odd state and then slowly nods.

"Alright, i'll help you guys out, maybe i'll be able to learn more about myself in the process."

Sera and Clays faces both brighten up, Sera claps her hands together with a squeeking giggle.

But then, there was his dilemma of what to name himself for the time being, something he could be identified as. But just then, something hit him like a ton of bricks.

"W-wait, the entire time I was in captivity I could not understand a word anyone was saying, even after we got in here, I could feel a tingle. Then I understood you."

Clays eyes go wide. He takes him by the shoulder and hauls him out into the open streets, this caught The Fox offguard. Clays then says something, he could not be understood. The Fox shrugs and Clays smirks, dragging him back in to the house. He then felt the tingly sensation, and after a tense few moments...

"So I can only assume you understand me now."

The Fox nods, his eyes wide.

"Magic, your not some lowly citizen to have a speech block on you, this house is guarded against some strong spells, the lack of a memory is obviously caused by the pain, and some magic weaved on you, but since this only blocks external magic, appearently something stopped the Imperial Mages from managing a total block on you, so they just weaved an external spell tied down to you. I am not a mage. But I know Magics rather well."

The Fox takes this all in, confused for a moment then lets it sink in.

"You had something to do with the Palace then. I thought I recognized you, I was a lowly servent there for a long time, Sera got me out of there, but she wore a disguise. She also works at the Holding cells as a care taker too."

The Fox walks over to the rugged area and plops down on a bean bag, there was just this one, and then just the animal hide rugs. Clays chuckles, that was his bean bag but he didn't care, he sits on the rug, Sera sits infront of The Fox.

The Sultan has his arms tucked behind him, a pudgy stumpy Fox, mottled red and black dressed in exsquisite robes of purple and red with white, gold trimmings all around with emeralds laced into the trimmings down the front of the robes. He was staring out down at his city, spread out before him, massive... pondering the goings on of every one of his subjects. His Daughters wedding is to be tomorrow, and that Infidel Sierus was dealt with, how dare he think he could court unnaproved. He closes his eyes to calm himself for a moment, most of his fur was already greying, he didn't need stress to do him into the older stages. He re opens his orange eyes and walks out closer to the railing preventing one from walking right off the ledge. He places his hands on the stone rail. His fingers all had rings on them, many jewels, they all caught the light just right.

This wedding had to go off without a hitch, the Prince, a heir to the southern Kingdom of the deserts, he was the Northern Kingdom, there wasn't much water on this planet, mostly a terrible desert, it was controlled by four kings, north, south, west and east, and then there were some small smatterings of places that didn't matter. He ponders matters of kingly nature and steps back from the edge and turns away from it to re enter into his bedroom, his Harem needed a little attention, and then some new additions, he would send some of his men to recruit at the same time.

The Fox awakens to Sera pacing about before him. Whatever could get this feline so worked up?

"Sera, whats the matter?"

He calls out, she stops and squats before him.

Her accent, he never noticed before, thick, alluring.

"The Sultan has sent out his men to cull more women for his sick twisted collection. I fear for these women, but none of the Freedom Fighters have ever attempted to even lifted a hand against his men, no one is good enough to beat them."

The Fox then began to worry about the training resources mentioned earlier. And then, he felt a sick sensation in the pit of his stomach, this was so wrong.

"I'll start my training then, I know if I had gotten a little better, I could probably take them on."

She nods her head, no rapidly.

"If you go out there, you'll not understand speech again, this is the only place."

He sighs and runs his fingers through his hair. He sits up and rests his elbows on his knees, he hunches forward and rests his forehead in the palm of his hands.

"I must deal with that and find my own way around it."

She grunts and nods.

"Alright, fine, just don't get yourself killed again."

She storms out of the room and down the steps. He stands up, his hair all a mess and follows her, setting his jaw in a straight line.

When she opens the door she just went through, he finds steps leading down in spiral. She was just at the fringes of sight, he starts down the steps after her, quickly catching up. He stops her and gives her a nice tight hug.

"I will never know how to repay you for how much you and your friend have done for me. Now its my turn to help you guys."

Her hug, weak at first, grows to a nice tight affectionate one.

"Thank you, I'd kiss you but Clays and I are pretty close, I don't want to hurt him."

"Thats understood, no explenation needed."

This Fox had Charm, there was no doubt about it, and he knew how to use it. Was she starting to become enamored with him? She couldn't...

She turns away quickly to hide embaressment and to lead him down the steps, which went on for awhile until they came to another door. Upon opening it, it was like walking into an underground city, passageways cut into the dirt, leading in all sorts of directions.

"This is our home away from home, safe from our oh so Exualted Sultan."

She rolls her eyes and he looks around at all the torches lighting the place up. The Fox is still trying to take it all in.

There are many people, mostly Fox, some Equine and some Feline, a pretty decent mix up of the Kingdoms inhabitants, not all of them are Freedom Fighters, but are put here to be kept safe by them. He lets a small smile play on his lips as Sera takes him around a rather small portion of the place, it had to be almost the size of this city, the whole thing, yikes.

Everyone had homes carved into the rock and soil, all decorated rather nicely from what he could see when a door opens or he peeks through a window as she leads him around a small district. But the main thing, everyone is happy, content, not afraid. And its cool down here, unlike the sweltering heat of the surface. They finally stop at an empty house.

"You may take residence here for as long as you desire, the wards here will protect you from that external ward."

The Fox nods and enters the small square dig into the dirt, so this is all he had now except his baggy pants and bandages? He sighs and sits in the middle of the dirt floor of the small dig hut. He looks over to Sera who laughs at him.

"You look depressed all of a sudden, whats the matter?"

He studies her face for a moment and scoots all the way back to the wall opposite the door and leans against it.

"I get the feeling I had much more than this, I know material possesion isn't important, however its nice. But its part of a memory I cannot access, that is what bother me the most."

She frowns and enters in, sitting next to him, hand in her lap, she leans forward a little.

"I know, its not easy for you, I would be going mad, you must have a strong resolve."

He smiles briefly when she sits next to him.

"Well, I just want to be myself again. I have lost myself."

She giggles.

"You sound like a mad man."

He looks over to her and shakes his head side to side.

"Maybe your mad, and i'm the sane one around these parts."

She stares at him then waves him off with a paw, erasing the idea.

"No no no, not possible."

She moves to push him, and he leans back, oddly enough he reads her movements like an open book, she falls forward landing ontop of his lap, he oofs. Just then he the door creaks open, it was Clays blocking the frame of the door, he stares at the two, and immedietly misjudges the situation. He felt his rage snap and he charges forward, stopping short of the two.

"I... no its not what it looks like Clays, i'm not that type of Fox."

Clays wasn't hearing anything. The Fox slips out from under her, having to move to the left to do so, back to wall. He stands up and feels how his center of gravity is. He was in that state again. Clays charges ahead, Sera skittering out of the way and screaming for him to stop. Clays is a big guy, but The Fox has a feeling that didn't matter.

First punch thrown, The Fox side steps it, Clays is fast, faster than he anticipated, however The Fox realizes he himself is rather fast, even in his what he feels to be an atrophied state. A second, and third strike follows, aiming where Clays thinks he can land a blow. But none land, each dodged, The Fox never touching Clays, which pisses Clays off even more.

"Come on Clays, belive me! I am not after her!"

Still no response, only rage shown in those eyes.

"He has done this before, to someone else.. come on CLAYS STOP!!"

The Fox nods, and there was still no response. It seems The Fox would have to dominate Clays, he didn't wish to harm him but he had no other choice, in his state it would only be a matter of time until Clays lands a blow. He was also picking up in speed, the next strike, The Fox lets his instinct take over, grappling Clays wrist pulling him further to him and delivering a rather forcefull open palmed strike to the solar plexus. It knocks him back a few inches and stuns him, he falls down to one knee, and that was open palmed, one hit. The Fox's eyes go wide, Clays falls to his side in the dirt, gasping for air, breathing troubled.

Sera rushes to Clays side, slapping him across the face.

"Please stop doing this Clays! I am tired of this."

The Fox withdraws stepping to the side.

"I care about you, but your acting like we are dating, we are not yet, and at this point I am not sure I want to!"

Tears come to Clays eyes, The Fox walks over to Sera.

"Come on, you do want to be with him, Clays, she wants to be with you, don't listen to her. But man you need to tone down your protectiveness."

Clays lays onto his back, his breathing starting to get better.

[[Teh Husky1]](%5C) "Women don't... d-d..."

The Fox falls to his knees wrapping his arms around his head, he screams in pain, his entire body wracked in pain, for the next twelve minutes pain was all he knew.

He passes out, waking up finding himself against the wall. Clays and Sera both in his face, watching him, worry painted over their faces, tears down Sera's cheeks. Why were they so worried, he watches them without saying anything for a moment.

"Guys, i'm alive, don't worry!"

They both hug him, he lays back when they let him go, the pain still lingering a little.

"You are amazing, Foxy, i've never seen that type of combat skill. Even though I had lost my senses I could still tell you have something there. Now we know your not normal. Sera and I.. talked while we were making sure you were alright, so we are ok now, and you, seem fine as well."

The Fox smiles and pushes to his feet with their help, a little woozy, he yet recovers quickly. He paces his room in thought.

"I don't know what that was, I think whats holding back my memories, does this when I say something, or something happens that is about to trigger a memory. This means, I have to defeat the magic weaved into me, before I may quest for who I am. And I came up with a name, I had a nightmare, and one word drifted through those thoughts, Shin-En. From what I understand, it means Void. And my purpose, was to bring that to enemies. That was my Nightmare of pain and terror."

They both stare at him for awhile, then smile.

"Well when I struck at you, it was as if you were not there, until you struck back."

Clays chuckles then stands up, Sera does as well.

"If you two would excuse me, I would like to train for the rest of the day, I must get into shape. And I am starting to belive, somewhere in this city, my memories rest, awaiting for me to discover them, and discover who I am."

They both hug him at once and leave after saying their goodbyes. Shin-En begins his training.

---

[[Teh Husky1]](%5C)("Women don't like haveing their suitors choosen, they only like who they like" *Right before the spell was applied to him)