FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

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CHAPTER 9

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The next morning Jan'Zar and I left camp. Unlike the last time, when Jan'zar took me away for training, this time Callen came to see me off. It would be the last time I'd see him until I had advanced far enough in my training so my feelings for him where not a threat to my safety. Even Khaine came, even though he didn't say anything. Garr and Callen were going to train him while Jan'Zar would be training me. I was nervous. This training was meant to be specialised for each of us, to focus on our individual needs. Which was a little strange considering they had brought Khaine and I together to allow us to make the other stronger. Which it had, but they were separating us again after such a short amount of time.

But what if they had brought us together for another reason entirely? Khaine had come to view me as a rival, and he had become quite motivated to gain the strength in order to beat me. However the difference in our skills was substantial. My intensive martial arts training, coupled with my ability to use nen, meant Khaine rarely came close to beating me; unless I fought with a handicap.

We headed West. The trek was done mostly in silence, Jan'Zar speaking only to tell me that we were going to take a short break. Shortly before sunset we made camp in a shallow cave, which had formed at the base of a tree. If any animals made this cave there home, they never showed up during our stay there. We ate dried meat and did some spiritual training before resting. While I had learned how to meditate through the night, I had not yet mastered how to fully rest through meditation. I could perhaps get two or three nights before I needed proper sleep.

In the morning we resumed our journey. I was still slightly fatigued from the previous days journey, with only using meditation to rest. It had been three nights since I had slept properly, but I needed to push past this limit if I was to ever hope to succeed in my training. After a few hours of walking we left the forest and emerged onto a great plain. Endless stretches of grassland sprawled out before us, several rocky outcrops and small clusters of trees dotted the landscape. Numerous feral beasts, the likes of which I had never seen or heard of before, roamed in herds or stalked their prey. We pressed on in silence as I gawked at the exotic beasts that stood before me.

Spotted beasts with long necks that towered above the land, as tall and any tree. Black and white striped feral stallions which grazed in large herds. Small lizards with scales in a variety of exotic and fantastic colours which zipped through the long grass, or stood atop the rocks. Birds soared overhead as we walked by.

Eventually a village came into view in the distance. The unmistakeable shapes of dome shaped huts came into view. It was still so far off, but I could see numerous figures moving amongst them although I could not make out what species they were. It took over an hour to cover the distance between us and the village. It was nearly midday, the blazing sun over head had made the heat almost intolerable. Without the shade the canopy of the forest offered I was quickly left a sweating mess. I had used the last of my water before reaching the village. Jan'Zar seemed unphased by the heat.

A call went out as we finally neared the village. Someone had spotted our approach. I could see them clearly now. Dozens of furs. All of them the same species as Garr. Everyone stopped what they were doing to come and pay their respects to Jan'Zar. I was a little surprised when everyone kneeled and bowed their heads in respect to her, but she was of course a Guardian Deity. Just because I had grown accustomed to her presence did not change this fact.

"Lady Jan'Zar! We are honoured by your presence." One of the older furs said humbly.

Garr had called his race the Masrur. Furs who appeared to be a combination of other species. They had the size and a build of a larger species, like equines of bovines, but their outward appearance was that of a feline. Some of them had horns, where as others didn't. It took me a moment to realise that they all had horns, only the females were much shorter, often hidden under their head fur.

The range of the differences in their fur colour was greater than I had ever expected. Some had dark fur while others were pales yellow, reds or browns. They all had striped patterns, some of which was more pronounced depending on the colour of their pelts.

"Sral'yu Fralnar Wux'sa?" Jan'Zar asked. Her tone made me assume it was a question.

"De'aii fralnar wux'yu, Ixas Jan'Zar." One of the Masrur responded, stepping forward to meet her. He was older than the others; an elder I assumed. Elders were more often than not made to be leaders of small villages such as this, but in larger settlements that was not always the case. The way he nodded told me he was confirming whatever it was she had asked. "De'ii bak'crar yu'lao."

"Craraii." She responded with a subtle smile and a nod. She was apparently pleased. "De'run mas'lu aii'jum bak."

"De'bak jum'su. Cide'chi nas." The elderly fur bowed before motioning for us to follow him.

We followed the elder into a nearby hut. The coolness within the hut was refreshing all by itself. On a table in the centre of the room was a selection of fruit, bread, cheese and best of all water. The food was delicious and revitalising. The sweet fruit flavours of the fruit went well with the rich, nutty flavour of the cheese and the light fluffiness of the bread.

We were joined by the Eldar and five other Masrur, who I assumed all held some status within the village, since they were allowed to dine with the highly revered Deity of War. They didn't introduce themselves to her, so I had to assume that she had met them previously, or that she didn't care who they were. Perhaps they were aware that she did not care for formalities such as that.

Either way I couldn't follow the conversation as they only spoke old tongue. I had heard Callen and Jan'Zar speak it often enough between themselves to recognise it even if I couldn't understand it. My time here in the village would get pretty lonely if I couldn't speak to the villagers. I was going to have to try and learn enough of the language to get by.

"So you are the Lady Jan'Zar's newest protégé." One of the Masrur at the table said to me. I was taken by surprise at his use of common tongue. His words were carefully chosen, and his pronunciation of some of the words seemed awkward, but I was immensely relieved to know there was someone I could speak to. "I had expected a wolf." His words didn't seem to hold any discernible level of malice to them. "Though you certainly have the features of a wolf..."

He was the youngest of the Masrur at the table, but he was older than I was. His pelt was an intense orange with faint red stripes. His amber eyes shone with intensity and intelligence. He wore a leather chest-piece and wrist-guards, whereas the others around the table wore cloth robes. He was obviously a warrior based on his choice of attire. He certainly had the build for it, but his size and build paled in comparison to Garr. In fact, no Masrur I had seen so far had come close to matching his sheer size.

"My mother was a wolf. My father was a Zangarian, a dragon." I answered.

"It is most unusual for other furs, who are not wolven k'tan, to be brought to Aaru. At least that is my understanding."

"He is a wolven k'tan." Jan'Zar cut in. Speaking without actually looking at the Masrur.

"Fascinating." The Masrur smiled. "Apologies. I have not introduced myself. I am Harlock. Kavol Harlock, I am in charge of training the warriors here in the village. A pleasure to meet you." He pressed his right fist to his chest and bowed at me.

"I am Malakye. Malakye Anaris." I returned the gesture.

"Oh that's right." Harlock smiled. "Furs from the mortal realm have family names."

"You don't?" I asked curiously.

"Not as such. We view all Masrur as our family. We use a combination of our parents names, and our given names. My given name is Harlock. My fathers name was Hamil Kavol. So I am Kavol Harlock."

"So your parents name come before your own name?"

"As a sign of respect to our parents." He answered. "It is only natural to respect those who brought you into the world is it not?"

"I suppose it is." I smiled at the heart felt honesty of his tone. "What about your mothers then?"

"Daughters take on their mothers name." Harlock answered. "Although it is not unheard of for a male to take his mothers name, should his father be disgraced. It is an immense insult to your father to so."

"That's enough of this talk." Jan'Zar grunted. "We should begin your training. You may talk later."

"I shall look forward to it." Harlock bowed his head. "I shall accompany you to the training grounds my Lady."

"Very well." She grunted. "Quo'noss, aii'jum'yu." She declared to the others. They all rose and bowed their heads as we left.

As soon as we left the shade of the hut we were assaulted by the extreme, unadulterated heat of the midday sun. Harlock led us to the edge of the village. Every fur we passed bowed to Jan'Zar. This was far beyond respect. This was worship. They literally worshipped her here. We worshipped deities back home as well, but it was different here. Here you had the deities you worshipped walk amongst you!

On the edge of the village there was a large field with a waist high, stone wall built around it. The ground was covered in a red dust. The large area was filled with at least four dozen Masrur warriors, all of whom were engaged with some sort of training. Some were running laps, others sparred with weapons, some bare pawed. One I noticed was doing pull ups using a tree branch, which I was surprised was able to hold his weight.

"Hai'bak!" Harlock barked.

Within seconds those closest to us had lined up in rows of eight before us. Those who had been further away had run into position in quick fashion. Once everyone had lined up I glanced at Jan'Zar who had a pleased expression. Once everyone had fallen in line Harlock spoke.

"Jan'de su'paen Ixas Jan'Zar! Yu'i paen su nat'yarr veri Malakye Anaris, su de'rii sral'jun yu'ii kartak Masrur Zari!"

There was a yell of pride and approval from all the warriors before us. I'll be honest, standing before all of them like this was quite intimidating. But I tried not to show my fear and stood proudly before them, puffing out my chest for effect.

"Step forward!" She growled at me.

I nodded and stepped forwards so I stood before the Masrur warriors. I gripped the shaft of my spear tightly to ease my nerves. I was roughly the same height as all the warriors here, but I would definitely say that they had far heavier builds, and more muscles than I did. But still, no one here compared to Garr. No one came close to his size. I know understood why he would be Jan'Zar's favourite.

"Coltan! Fras! Step forwards!" Harlock ordered.

A male and a female Masrur stepped forwards. I hadn't noticed any females amongst the ranks of the warriors up until now. But looking again I could see a pawful of females amongst them. Like the other warriors they wore little more than a white cloth as loin cloths. They went topless, just like the males.

Harlock stepped up next to me and held out a paw. I knew instantly that he wanted my spear. I gave it to him and prepared myself for the fight that was inevitably going to happen. I glanced back at Jan'Zar who nodded at me. A silent confirmation that my assumption was correct. She was testing me against the others here.

Harlock barked out a command and the other warriors backed away a safe distance to allow room for the fight. The way both Masrur paced before me told me that this was going to be a handicap fight. Two on one. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to win, but I was determined not to embarrass myself, or Garr who had spent considerable time training me, in front of these warriors.

"Cho!" Jan'Zar ordered.

Obviously eager to please their Deity, the two Masrur warriors charged me simultaneously. I leapt to my right, attempting to keep the male between me and the female to try and prevent both of them from overwhelming me together. The male lunged forwards, attempting to grab me. I swatted his arm aside with my left, stepped forwards, and drove the palm of my right paw into his muzzle. My attack was devastatingly effective. The male warrior was floored in that single move. His back struck the dry dusty ground, kicking up an not insubstantial cloud of dust, and he fell still; disappearing within the dust. He groaned in pain and the female hesitated for a moment before roaring at me and attacking.

I leapt back to avoid her frenzied attacks. She did not try to grab me, instead lashed out with a series of kicks and punches. She was good, but she was easy to read. I could read her every move and easily dodged her attacks. So long as I kept my distance from her, and didn't attempt to attack her, I don't think she'd ever be able to properly land a blow. My ability to dodge her attacks made her even more angry, and made her attacks fiercer but also easier to read.

I grabbed her arm after she failed to land a punch, and drove my knee into her midsection. She grunted, a slight feminine shriek escaped her maw before she quickly backed away. But that move did little more than stun her for a moment. She quickly recovered and I narrowly avoided a swipe from her, which grazed my muzzle as it flew past me. I struck her in the chest, not missing how her breast seemed to cushion against my blow slightly, only to wobble freely in the open air as my attack staggered her. I grabbed her arms and flipped her over onto her back.

I didn't see the male approaching from my left. I had been too focused on the female to notice him getting up, having recovered from what I had been sure was a knock out blow. He was one tough bastard to shake off a blow like that so quickly. Not too surprising I suppose, since he was of the same race as Garr. He landed a solid punch to the side of my muzzle which sent me tumbling over the dusty ground. The other warriors cheered him on.

I rolled through the tumble onto one knee, coughing as the dry dust entered my lungs. I spun round and raised my arms to block the males next attack, as he attempted to drive his knee into my muzzle. His blow forced me back, and I was sent stumbling backwards. He lacked the power that Garr had, Garr would have knocked me out with that last attack but I was easily able to stand. He definitely had a power advantage over me, but I was quicker, more agile. After fighting a power house like Garr for so long, this was almost too easy! After dodging his next punch I slipped round behind him, wrapped my arm around his chest and pulled him up and over me, slamming him to the ground with a reverse hip toss. The crowd around us made a sympathetic sound for their comrade.

The female was upon me within seconds. She attempted to sweep my legs out from under me, but I dove over her leg and rolled onto my foot-paws. We both stood up and faced each other. She wasn't so frenzied now. Now, she was carefully considering her approach. A quick glance at the male who was already beginning to struggle back to his foot-paws. I couldn't simply wait for her to attack and allow the male to recover.

For the first time in this fight I took the offensive. I dashed towards her and she flinched as I did. I lashed out with a punch which she blocked with her forearms. I followed up with another punch and then another. The way she was using both arms to block, I had little to worry about in terms of a counter attack. I pulled my right arm back to attack, purposefully and deliberately slow. She reacted as I had expected, raising her arms to block, but I never threw the punch. Instead I stepped forwards and drove my knee into her midsection once more, getting a much more solid connection this time.

I heard the wind being driven from her lungs and knew that this was my chance to take her out of this fight. I lashed out with two punches, one to either side of her now exposed muzzle and then finished it off, a round house kick to the side of her head, followed by a reverse spin kick to her chest. The blow knocked her off her foot-paws and onto the flat of her back.

I turned to face the male who was trying to charge me from behind. I spun to the side and he charged right past me. As he came to a stop and turned to face me I was already upon him, leaping into the air and struck him across the muzzle with a powerful right hook which sent him stumbling. He was hurt, weakened after the last two considerable blows he had suffered during the course of this fight. But there was no mistaking the glint in his eye. He had a warriors spirit. He was willing to fight till he was unable to move any more.

He caught his balance and raised his fists. Eyes burning with defiance and anger. His anger had gotten the better of him now, and he wasn't thinking straight. He charged me and I sidestepped his punch, grabbed his wrist and tripped him with my leg. He stumbled to one knee, and with my hold on his arm I wrapped my leg over his shoulder and rolled over him, dragging him to the ground in one fluid move. Before he could regain his wits and begin to right himself, I flipped him onto his stomach and them planted my knee between his shoulder blades and twisted his arm backwards. He cried out in pain, even more so when he tried to power his way out of the hold. He was stronger than me, but I had all the leverage I needed to hold him down. He would break his arm before he'd manage to stand.

I looked over my shoulder at the female who snarled and was about to charge me. She hesitated when I twisted the male warriors arm and made him cry out in pain. A little more pressure and I would dislocate his arm. She seemed to understand this, and despite the rage in her eyes she wasn't allowing her emotions to overcome her senses. She held back and was obviously debating whether or not to attack.

"Well done Malakye." Harlock clapped. "Most impressive. You're obviously a seasoned fighter."

The female snorted in disappointment and relaxed her stance. Harlock had called an end to the fight. I released my hold on the warrior and stood up. I offered him a paw but he grunted and stood up without my aide, clutching his arm. He immediately went to the female to see how she was. I looked to Jan'Zar who was smiling at me. Definitely at me. She was pleased with my performance? Well that made me feel surprisingly good.

"You are an impressive fighter. You have obviously received some intensive training." Harlock smiled.

"I've had a few teachers." I nodded. "Master Aceh taught me the most I would say. He taught me martial arts, not to mention how to use weapons. But lately, getting my tail handed to me over and over by Garr certainly teaches you a thing or two!"

"Garr!?" One of the warriors nearby asked. They might not be able to understand me, but they recognised his name.

"Yeah..." I nodded.

"Yu'ii vash nat'yarr su Garr." Harlock explained in old tongue to the warrior.

"Uloa'sogra yu'ii!?" They blurted excitedly. Suddenly nearly every warrior swarmed me. I was bombarded by a relentless flood of old tongue. I doubt I would be able to hear any one fur if I could understand the language, as I wouldn't be able to make them out over the noise of the crowd.

"Zuvash! Cho'crar!" Harlock commanded, the crowd of warriors fell silent. "Amas su'yu nat'yarr. Malakye jum'gar'jum run de'ii. Yu garnait su yu'ii urnai aii'jum."

I have no idea what he had just said to them, but they immediately backed away. There were grumbles of disappointment, but all the warriors listened to Harlock and returned to what they had been doing before we had arrived. I looked over to Jan'Zar who was talking to the two warriors I had just fought. Harlock slapped me on the shoulder.

"You're pretty strong! Against two of my warriors I didn't think you'd stand a chance, most don't!" He chuckled before taking a more serious tone. "You've experienced true battle haven't you? It's obvious to any who have experienced it. The experience of loss, and fighting for your life... it changes a fur."

"I guess." I nodded, because I didn't know what else to do. I was eager to change the subject. "Why was everyone making a fuss over me knowing Garr?"

"Because he's a legend! The single greatest Masrur warrior who has ever lived! Not to mention the fact he serves the Lady herself, and has been blessed with eternal life!"

"He doesn't come to the village?" I asked curiously.

"Not very often. Last time he came I was just a young cub. Must be nearly three decades now since his last visit. The Ladies visits are slightly more common, she honours us with her presence every few years, rare enough to be worthy of celebrating. There will be a feast tonight to commemorate the event!"

"A feast?"

"Oh yes!" Harlock grinned. "The whole village has been preparing for it the last two days, ever since we received word she was coming. Everyone is looking forward to it. There will be plenty of food and drink to go around. The hunters did well to catch so much on such short notice. At sundown the festivities will begin, and you and the Lady will be the guests of honour!"

"Heh..." I chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of my neck. "I don't think you really need to go..."

"Of course we did!" He cut me off. "I know the Lady wouldn't ask for it, but it is the least that we can do! We honour the Guardian Deities with everything we are, everything we have and everything we can be. For without them we wouldn't be alive today! And you who have been chosen by them, who they spend their valuable time training and teaching... why should we not honour the potential they see in you as well?"

"Quite so." Jan'Zar smirked as she approached with the two Masrur warriors I had just fought in tow. "If we didn't think you had the potential to succeed we would have simply killed you."

The potential disaster she referred to was obviously the spirit within me seizing control. The way she said she would willingly kill me with so little care made my throat clench. But mixed in with the fear was a relief and pride in the fact that she had given me a compliment. As over shadowed as it was by the threat of death as it had been.

"Coltan and Fras shall be joining us regularly to help train." She declared.

The two Masrur I had just fought, bowed their heads to us. I was a little surprised at that. She had taken me here to give me specialised training while Khaine received his own. They were strong fighters, but I had just beaten them soundly. How were they going to help train me?

"Coltan and Fras are best fighters out of the few Masrur who speak your tongue." Harlock explained. "They were chosen for the simple fact that they would be able to communicate with you, and help you to fit in."

"Have the others arrived yet?" Jan'Zar asked with an abrupt tone.

"Not yet my Lady. We are expecting their arrival at any time, but they have not yet arrived." Harlock bowed.

"Typical!" She grunted.

"Who are you waiting on?" I asked curiously.

"Your new Masters." She grunted. "You are a strong fighter, but you have other talents we need to develop beyond your fighting skills. Your ability to control wind and fire!"

"You have such ability!?" Harlock asked in surprise.

I nodded. "I am also a Zangarian k'tan." I explained.

"A k'tan of both races... you are truly blessed!"

"He has potential." Jan'Zar grunted. "Whether or not he can actually achieve it remains to be seen. Your time will be split between combat practice with Harlock and the others, spiritual training with me and training with your new teachers to develop your other skills. Rest up and enjoy tonight. Because you are going to be worked to the death, several times over, until I am satisfied with your progress!"

"Yes... of course." I sighed. Accepting my fate with a heavy heart.

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After everyone had gathered for the festivities one of the elders gave a speech to the village. I sat at in front of the crowd with the other elders, next to Harlock near the end. Harlock provided me a translation of what the elder was saying to the crowd. Mostly it was kissing up to Jan'Zar, who looked rather unimpressed, to the praise. After the elder had finished speaking, Jan'Zar stood and spoke a few words to the crowd. Harlock continued to translate for me, but what she said was little more than her expressing her thanks for the warm welcome they had given us. I knew this was just lip service, but the entire village cheered in response to her kind words.

With the speeches finished, the music immediately sprang to life and filled the entire village with a rhythmic beat from drums. Everyone busied themselves with one task or another. Be it dancing, drinking or serving food. Many of the villagers began to dance around a large fire in the center of the village square. From the way they were dressed they were obviously assigned, or volunteered for the duty. We sat on logs and drinks were handed round. The spirits being offered smelt quite potent, and I could already see several groups begin what looked like drinking games. Plates of food were brought around to us, allowing us to polity refuse or help ourselves.

It was an amazing sight. It reminded me a lot of the festivals held back in Zangar. The high spirits and cheerfulness of those enjoying themselves. The main difference was that we were doing this under the stars. The bright moon hung in the sky, casting its cool protective light over the land. The scent of freshly cooked food and the sound of music made for an incredible atmosphere. It made me a little homesick to be honest. But the atmosphere in the village was far too cheerful to be depressed.

"If you want you can slip away." Harlock whispered. "You don't need to sit next to these old farts." He motioned to the elder Masrur who we sat with.

"Thanks. But I'm good for now." I chuckled.

He grabbed two wooden tankards from a passing female, and handed one to me. I thanked him and sniffed the drink before taking a large swig. It smelt sweet, but tasted bitter. It reminded me of draconian ale, which reminded me of home yet again. Memories of home ran through my mind... I took another large mawful of the beverage. The bitterness was less noticeable now, and the sweetness lingered on my tongue. I gulped down a few more mawfuls before looking around at the festivities once more.

After a while of sitting with the elders and answering their questions, with Harlock providing translations as only one of the elders spoke common tongue, I excused myself. Deciding to take Harlock's earlier suggestion to 'slip away'.

As I wandered past a large group of dancers, all of who looked very attractive with their loose fitting robes which hung from their muscular bodies, I almost lost myself to their rhythmic motions, and the sound of drums. I shook my head, shaking myself from the trance I almost fell into.

I watched the females, their bare, supple breasts jiggling attractively as they danced gracefully. I was taken by surprise when some one grabbed my paw. It was one of the female dancers, who had a beautiful orange pelt and intense amber eyes. Like the others her breasts were bare and freely visible to any who wanted to look. She was stunningly beautiful. The feature that caught my attention the most was her eyes. Her gaze trapped mine. She smiled at me and tried to drag me into the group of dancers.

As soon as I realised what she intended I immediately attempted to withdraw. I tried to pull away but she had a strong grip on my paw and wrist now. She smiled sweetly and laughed as she pulled me further into the group of dancers. After realising that I was not going to escape without using force, I relented to her silent request and attempted to copy the others as they danced. The dance was very fast paced.

I like to think I didn't embarrass myself; too badly. I managed to learn the basic routine fairly quickly, but admittedly I was still making a few mistakes. But the female Masrur who had dragged me into the dance simply laughed joyfully and danced alongside me. I will admit I had fun dancing with her.

Eventually the dance came to an end, the drums ceasing their relentless beat for a few moments, and everyone clapped and cheered. I did the same and bowed to the female who had dragged me into it. I had fun, but I didn't want to be dragged into the next dance as well, so I wanted to vacate the area before it began.

"Thank you." I said.

"You are a good dancer." She grinned.

"You speak... wow!" I grinned, ecstatic that I had found yet another fur who spoke common tongue. "Sorry... my name is Malakye."

"I know that." She giggled. Her laugh was infectious, and her command of common tongue was impressive. A few of her words were pronounced awkwardly, emphasising pronunciation of certain sounds of the words, but that could just be from the dialect of their tribe slipping through. Perhaps I'd be able to teach her a few things in the future. "Everyone knows who you are. My name is Shasmar."

"I guess that's true." I chuckled. As Jan'Zar's student, there was no way that my name had not spread throughout the village. "Thank you for the dance Shasmar. But I will be going now."

"Okay." She pouted a little disappointed. "I will see you later okay?"

I smiled. "That would be good."

She smiled in return. I took that opportunity to turn and leave. As I made my way out of the group of dancers my path was blocked by a three warrior Masrur. One of them was Coltan, the male warrior I had sparred with earlier. They all grinned at me, the other two cheered something in old tongue and raised their tankards to me.

"Wanted to congratulate you!" Coltan said. "Shasmar pick you to dance with her."

"Eh?" I made a confused noise.

"She is villages most sought after maiden." Coltan explained. "And she is sister of leader Harlock. She recently came of age. So all males want her as mate, but her brother is protective."

I could suddenly see the resemblance between the two of them. Not only in the brilliant orange of their pelts but the subtle similarities in their muzzles and the incredible colour of her eyes. I looked back at the dancers who had once again begun dancing yet another rhythmic dance. She was stunning. I could see why everyone wanted her. Looking around I did notice that most of the young males were staring in her direction. In fact many of the male dancers were dancing close to her, obviously trying to grab her attention. I hadn't noticed earlier, I had been so caught up in trying to keep up with the dance.

I had thought she'd chosen me to dance with her purely for the fact I was currently the talk of the village. The mysterious fur who was being trained by their idol Jan'Zar. Perhaps it was the case, but maybe she chose me to dance with because I was not a candidate for her paw in marriage. Or perhaps.. no... that was silly. She couldn't want me as a mate... would she? We weren't even the same species! But then that hadn't mattered to my Mother and Father; had it?

And if she did want me as a mate, well that could make things awkward between myself and the other young males who sought her attention, not to mention her brother. Any relationship we could share would be viewed with scorn. Relationships between different species, at least ones in the mortal realm, were frowned upon.

She was beautiful though. What ever male she did end up mating with was a lucky male indeed, and viewed with jealousy by his peers.

I didn't know how relationships worked with the Masrur. Back home it was not uncommon for parents to arrange partners for their offspring. I wondered if that was true here as well? Or if she was free to pick her own life partner? I knew nothing about the Masrur culture. Even if she did want me as a mate, no! I was being foolish thinking that she was interested in me in that way.

"If everyone is striving to garner her attention, you don't seem jealous." I smiled.

"She way out of my league." He chuckled. "They two already mated." He motioned to the two warriors standing either side of him. "If they did want her, they don't have..." He paused. Obviously trying to think of the appropriate word.

"Courage?" I suggested.

"Courage..." He sounded the word out as if tasting it. "Yes. That is the word." He smiled. "They don't have 'courage' to ask leader Harlock for sisters paw."

I got the gist of what he was saying. While his mastery of common tongue needed a little refinement he was certainly capable of communicating the essence of what he was trying to say effectively. Harlock was apparently quite protective of his sister, and was not going to allow just anyone to have her paw in marriage. If Harlock was responsible for choosing his sisters mate, or at least the male responsible for approving them worthy of her, then that would suggest that their father was not present to do so. But that was not my concern or my business.

"Well you can tell the others I'm not trying to steal her from them." I grinned.

"I will let them know." He grinned back and nodded.

"Krass'yu elas'ii nat'yarr Garr? " One of the warriors he was with said to me. I looked to Coltan for a translation.

"He wants to know... if you truly have been trained by Garr?"

I nodded and the warrior made a noise I could only assume was admiration. From what Harlock had explained earlier Garr was held in the highest esteem, a legend of sorts. But it would seem that many of the Masrur had never even laid eyes on him.

Coltan offered for me to join them, an offer I humbly accepted since he was one of the few Masrur I'd be able to communicate with. Several other warriors join us, and many of them had questions, most of which were about Garr. I answered their questions as best that I could, Coltan provided a two way translation for us. And as I told them of my experiences with Garr and the the others, even some stories of back home, many other Masrur gathered round to listen.

I never spoke of the fact that I had slept with Garr, or Callen. I still wasn't sure how they would react to two males sleeping with one another yet, especially if they took offence to me saying that about one of their most respected heroes. They seemed to enjoy listening to me describe Garr's incredible size, overwhelming strength and skill.

By the time the festivities began to draw to a close I was quite tired. I seemed to be on good terms with everyone, but if I was going to be staying here I was going to need to put some effort into learning the local tongue. I would use whatever time I could to ask Coltan, Fras and Harlock for help in that regard since they were the only ones I knew by name, that spoke common tongue.

I retreated to the hut that I would be sharing with Jan'Zar during my stay here. It was surprisingly humble, consisting of a couple of bedrolls and a table with a fire pit in the center of the room. I know Jan'Zar was not one for pomp and luxury, but I had expected the Masrur to try and shower her with comfort. But perhaps that had been scorned by her on a previous visit, so they knew not to do such things to earn her favour. But there were still a number of offerings and tributes, of foods and flowers, on the table.

"Did you have fun?" I was a little surprised that Jan'Zar was making small talk. So much so I hesitated to answer. "Are you so drunk that you can't even talk?"

"Oh... er... no... I mean yes I did. And no I'm not that drunk!"

"I saw you were dancing with that female earlier."

"What's your point?"

"Don't go getting into a relationship with her, or anyone else for that matter! Not until you are able to properly protect yourself! The spirit will use it as a weapon against you!"

"I know that!" I snapped, tired of hearing that same warning yet again.

"I just wanted to remind you. You mortals tend to lose your better judgement to your more base desires!"

"Yeah well... I'll just have to use my paw won't I?!" I blushed, not exactly sure why I had said that to her. But I had said it. She laughed in response, but not in a mocking way, I think she had found my comment amusing.

"If you think you can control yourself that way, then go right ahead and try." She smirked. "But there is no replacement for the real thing."

"You missing Callen and Garr already?" I countered. Immediately I regretted saying anything in fear of the repercussions of angering her.

"So you know about that then?"

"So what if I do?" I asked, faking some bravado even though I was extremely nervous that she was going to get angry.

"Well perhaps that is best. It makes this much easier." She walked over to me and shoved me down onto the bedroll.

"WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA!?" I yelled as she pinned me down, straddling my waist.

"I rather enjoy sex." She smirked. "But I wonder if you're male enough to please me?" She looked me up and down, eyeing me like a piece of meat. "Doubtful."

"What are you..." I gasped as she licked my neck. I was frozen in shock. Was this really happening!?

"Your expression is priceless!" She cackled getting up and stood over me. "You think I'd let you fuck me?"

I was angry now. Not just from her mocking words, but also how at she was toying with me. I couldn't beat her in a fight, I knew that much, but I at least wanted to wound her pride! The combination of the drinks I had consumed, loosened my tongue and dulled my better judgement, and my temper got the better of me.

"Given how you liked to fuck Garr and your brother at every opportunity..." I began, but trailed off once her expression turned sour.

The glare she gave me silenced me, leaving my statement unfinished. But I had said too much already to take it back. An apology would just make me appear as weak to her. The cold grip of fear grasped my chest as she stood there silently, her relentless gaze bearing down upon me. I wanted to look away, at anything just so I wouldn't meet her gaze. But my eyes were transfixed with hers! She stepped forwards and pressed her foot on my chest and pushed me down. I didn't have the strength to try and resist her if I'd wanted to.

"So you think of me as some kind of slut do you!?" She asked coldly. I didn't answer. "That's funny coming from the drake who'd bend over and raise his tail for anyone who told him too!" I flushed with embarrassment at her words. She wasn't entirely wrong. I had been the submissive in both my relationship with her brother and with Garr! "But I will give you some respect for showing some back bone to talk back to me!"

She removed her foot from my chest and moved over to the table which held the tributes the villagers had given to her. She looked over the gifts, and reached down to pick something up. It was a strap of black leather, to which one might attach and carry a weapon of some sort. But something told me she did not intend it for that purpose. Was she planning to discipline me with it for speaking back to her?! Like an unruly cub!?

"Since you are not yet sufficiently skilled to rest through meditation, there is no reason for us to wait to continue your training." She grinned. "I have instructed you on how to achieve this, so each night from now on you shall practise this technique until you master it!"

"Y-yes!" I said, knowing there was nothing else to say. She was my Master here. My life, my future, hung in the balance. I needed her to continue to train me. I couldn't risk angering her further! "As you command." I crossed my legs and readied myself to meditate.

"So you know when to obey. That is good." She said, paced around me. "That little bout of foreplay earlier... I should punish you for teasing me."

Foreplay?! I was confused by her words, but I could tell that she meant it. She was not trying to distract me from current task, although she was succeeding remarkably well had that been her intent. I tried to ignore her, and focus on the task of clearing my mind. I entered my mind-scape. The familiar sight of the camp-site we had shared with the others appeared around me. I knew if I focused hard enough, I could recall their scents as if they were truly here. But that would not serve to help me right now.

I needed to focus on the task at paw and learn how to rest with out sleep. The first step was to enter my mind-scape. The second was to remain here while time passed in the waking world. This was difficult. Hours here could mean seconds there, or vice-versa. I needed to learn how control the length of time I spent in meditation.

Time passed slowly. With no one to talk to it was lonely. Normally Jan'Zar would enter my meditation to instruct me. But she didn't this time. I distracted myself by practising the few techniques I had been taught to help me combat the spirit. Summoning up my spiritual energy, which floated in the air like fire-flies, before using their power to execute the most basic of techniques that I had been taught. But after hours of that I felt tired, so I stopped and sat down by the fire.

A loud snap echoed around me, waking me before a sharp searing pain shot up my back. I cried out and twisted my body out of reflex to the pain. I didn't need to ask what had caused it, let alone who. But I certainly wanted to know why! I turned to look at Jan'Zar, who stood over me with a satisfied smirk, the leather strap dangling from her paw.

"You fell asleep!" She growled. "If you fall asleep then the spirit can attack you through your dreams!"

Had I fallen asleep? I was sure I had been sitting in camp within my mind-scape.

"I'm sorry." I said, suppressing the low growl in the back of my throat. "How long was I..."

"Not long. Less than half of an hour." She said anticipating my question.

That little time had passed!? It felt impossible! Every night was the same. This was why I could never properly rest. How could I do this? Controlling the flow of time in the real world from within my mind-scape!? The two felt completely separate from one another. The only thing that connected the two was me. My mind could only exist in one or the other, not both!

I attempted it once more, but as before I was awoken by the biting snap of he leather strap. Again, and again, and again... no matter how many times I tried, with each failure I was punished by the strap. After the eighth, or maybe it was the ninth attempt, I had lost track, Jan'Zar called an end to the training for the night. Claiming that I needed to receive some proper rest in order to be fit for training in the morning.

It was late, and I was extremely tired from the days journey, the celebrations as well as this training. She slept next to me on the bedroll, her presence meant I would not suffer from nightmares; at least not ones caused by the spirits assault upon my psyche. I quickly fell into slumber, but as quickly as I fell asleep it seemed that dawn came even more quickly.