Project Zolaris: Ch. 3
#3 of Project Zolaris
DARKFLAME STUDIO'S PRODUCTIONS
Presents:
Project Zolaris Ch. 3
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STORY CONTENTS: Blood, Violence (Not in Yiff), Apocalyptic Future, Carnage, Tragedy
COPYRIGHTS: All Characters & Situations © Allester E. Darkflame 2007+
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As Zolaris was walked through the town, he looked at the holy men walking him. They all stared at him in awe, curious about him and trying to touch his fur. One even pulled on his wings to see if they where attached, the resounding yelp he gave out proved they where. His eyes glared at the offending mongoose before turning away to look at a massive monastery looming before him. The front entrance looked to be carved from solid marble interlaced with silver and gold dragons scaling ten pillars lining the doorway into the building.
The steps leading up to the doorway where covered in red velvet carpeting, birds chirping audibly from the tree lines at either side of the building and it's pathways. To the left and right sides of the steps, cobblestones of varying colors and shapes. His feet irritated him; the stones seemed to make him feel weak for a brief moment. His powers protected him and he even absorbed that feeling the stones gave him, just incase he needed it. One never knows when something like this could come in handy.
The priest sort of pushed and tugged him up the stairs, and the velvet carpeting of them made the sore spots on his feet melt away into pleasure. Two of the priest pushed open the solid oak doors and four heavily armored armadillo's walked foreword with pikes held in their hands. Two of them gripped his biceps with their metallic gloved paws and forced him to walk with them. "Come with us." They demanded.
He obeyed without hesitating. He was lead into the cathedral. Those marble pillars from outside dominated the two walls on either side of them. However the dragon's now coiled not only on their own pillar, but also at the top of it, they looked like they tried to move over to the next pillar as well. The floor beneath his paws was smooth and deliciously supple, something he hadn't felt underfoot since he woke up, marble stones carved and polished with grout lines crafted by human hands.
The back of the cathedral had a massive statue of four figures carved from solid gold into the back wall. The left was a large horse with bulging muscles and a spear with an impaled human on it. To his right was a bull elephant flexing like Atlas the god. The next figure was a softer one; a beautiful skunk female that had curves only a single sign could explain 'dangerous'. The last figure stood holding two large battle-axes in his hands, a great boar missing his left eye. They all stood with a pile of humans at their feet on a silver platter with the words "The Four Horsemen, Hero's of Furs everywhere, Liberators from the oppressive Humans."
Zolaris realized he wasn't moving anymore, so absorbed in the statue that he hadn't noticed a massive monkey had moved into the room and sat in a large chair. His garb that of the priest he was brought here by. The monkey lifted his hand and the guards release his arms, and then moved off to the sides for a short distance before dropping their pikes and leveling them at him.
This didn't look good to Zolaris, but the monkey smiled and spoke. "Now, now Templar's. No need to do that to our guest, he is a great one. Zolaris the Founder." He said, looking around as the Templar's moved their pikes. He then marched foreword and smiled at Zolaris "My, you are a fantastic specimen. Amazing. Physical Agility, Strength, Flight, Reaction time, and cunning all in one beast, you truly are the perfect being."
With a cocked head, Zolaris snorted, "If I was so perfect, why was I tossed aside like trash?" he said.
The monkey laughed in such a tone that his entire body shook "Yes! Precisely why our great gods of war destroy and crushed the humans. Their big brother was locked away even after saving them. We've been searching for you for years now Great Lord Zolaris." The monkey smiled "I am Ashram. It is a pleasure to be in your presence my Great Lord Brother." He bowed his head, to which the Templar's did the same.
For a moment, Zolaris was confused, not used to such formalities like this being given to him. After a brief pause, Ashram stood up and smiled "Please, come with the Templar's to your new room. We wish only for you to be happy." He smiled, watching Zolaris walking off with the Templar's.
With a growl, he shifted and turned to the statue just as the boar's head animated and turned "It is him?" it spoke in a booming voice, to which Ashram nodded his head. The boar gave a chortle "Be cautious. Big brother is unpredictable; he does not have the control that we have. If he believes he is being threatened, he will slaughter you all. DO NOT LOOSE HIM!" the boar snarled before once more going docile.
Ashram hissed and turned to stalk off, he hated being so subservient to those animals. He would take control, he would rule, all he needed was Zolaris.
In his room, Zolaris looked at all of the silk decorating a large bed, and covering the chairs around the room. The floor was made from some shag he didn't recognize, but movement on the bed caught his eye. A large red Kangaroo stepped from the sheets, her hefty DD's stuffed into a tight sports bra and a pair of skintight panties. Her blazing red hair was done up in a beautiful weave design with feathers sticking around.
Her blue eyes chilled Zolaris' blood, as she snarled at him "Ohh HELL NO I don't care who the fuck these ass holes think they are, I'm not screwing a child. Hell I'm not screwing any of them so don't even THINK about touching me!" she snapped, stomping her large left foot as she looked around for something to cover up with. Finding only the blankets, she yanked them off the bed and covered her 7'5" tall body. "What are you staring at? You perverted prick!" she hissed.
Zolaris sort of just blinked and fell back at being yelled at like this. He looked at the cherry red coloring of her fur before it was covered; he noticed her long tail shifting around to balance herself. Her powerful thighs moving to walk her towards him, in a flash, her paw smacked him across the cheek "Stop staring at my ass!" she snarled, then stopped and looked in his eyes for a moment. "Wait..." she stepped back a little. "You don't even know what's going on do you?" she huffed. He just nodded, watching her cleavage rise and fall with her every breath.
"Well... I uhm. I'm sorry for slapping you, but you're not getting my cherry!" she huffed "I've managed to keep myself pure for forty-seven years, I'm not about to spread my legs like a cheap whore just because you're supposed to be a god." She said.
Zolaris shook his head some "I... don't want sex. What's your name?" he asked.
She turned on him, about to slap him again, but stopped. His eyes where to soft, to innocent, she could tell he was honest. "My name is Aleria. It's nice to meet you Zolaris." She said, offering her paw with her fingers down. He took them and kissed her paws softly.
He smiled and nodded his head as he sat up "It's a pleasure to meet you miss Aleria." He offered, releasing her paw. "You're very beautiful, I'm sorry that they tried to force you to do things you didn't want to do." He said softly.
She tilted her head and looked at him "Then you... really don't want to fuck me?" she asked.
He blinked "Fuck?" he asked, tilting his head with a look of confusion on his face.
With a chuckle, she cupped his cheeks in her paws and leaned down to kiss his nose. "You really are an innocent child. Aren't you?" she asked. Smiling she let him go and realized her blanket had fallen down. Her arms covered her chest and she huffed "Fuck... I need real clothes!" she growled, turning her back to him and showing off her panties where a G-string that got swallowed by her wide and rounded ass cheeks.
Zolaris just smiled and took off some of the silk from the bed and then wrapped it around her shoulders and some more around her body until her underwear was mostly hidden. "There... is that better miss Aleria?" he asked her.
She smiled and purred softly "Aww, well thank you honey." Looking around a moment, she leaned down once more and kissed him on the cheek a little longer then she should have. Her cheeks tinted red as she pulled back and sat on the bed. "Well... since you want to talk. Then sit and lets talk." She offered.
"Uhm... o-ok." He smiled, sitting down beside her. His paws on his knees, as he was about to speak, a loud banging was heard on the door. Standing up, he swung it open and saw a burly fist pushing into his muzzle. As he landed on the ground, Aleria stood up and snapped.
"MAXAMILLION, HE WASN'T DOING ANYTHING TO ME!" she hissed through her teeth at a Human male.
The human stood at 6'1" tall with short black hair done up in spikes along the back of his neck. A go-tee capping his well-defined chin with soft emerald eyes that glittered with flecks of gold. Zolaris could tell immediately, this human was a Supernatural, but pushing his power down so it wasn't too obvious to other people. This human wasn't overly muscled, but detailed lines through his white polyester blouse and slacks made it obvious he worked out.
As Zolaris stood up, he glared at the human, and he glared back. "Max, he hasn't touched me. Hell he even covered me up, now apologize this instant!" Aleria hissed at the human through her teeth, one of her hands pinching hard on the human's ear suddenly. Max crumpled, winching in pain as he blurted out apology after apology to Zolaris, who just nodded his head.
Satisfied, Aleria released Max and he slumped. "I'm sorry... Aleria here has been like a mother to me. I was furious when I heard they where turning her into a cock warmer for some god against her will... I uhm... well." He stopped and hung his head, taking a bow "I am sorry Master Zolaris." He said.
Zolaris nodded his head and smiled "It's alright. I was brought here rather abruptly myself... I'm not even sure what a cock warmer is." He muttered.
Max sort of stared at Zolaris, but Aleria coughed and smiled "He's innocent. Be nice young man." She spoke sternly, but with a hint of giggles.
She then pushed Max's chest "Now, leave mommy be with her friend. I'd like to talk with him, and try and fill him in on life here." She said, watching Max stagger back some and shift uncomfortably.
At first glance, Max looked his age, but Zolaris knew he had to be older. He waited for the door to close and smiled at Aleria "How, old is he?" he asked.
She chuckled and smiled more "He's twenty-nine, don't worry. I raised him from a child after the church found him in a town that was razzed by Altella."
Zolaris stopped her and asked, "What is Altella?" he asked, sitting on the bed with her again.
With a soft sigh she spoke "Altella is a rogue faction of furry's who think they belong under human control. They are unknown in numbers and often times, we find small cells of them. But they believe that they are the only ones able to purge the lands of the Four Horsemen and their followers. They razzed Max's town, he and seventeen others survived, all children. So they where raised by me, teaching them how to fight by the Templar's... Max is at the top of his class in Martial arts." She smiled rather proudly.
He nodded his head and smiled "I never had a mother... but this sweet lady adopted me. Her name is Sasha. She owns the bar I was taken out of, she taught me a little about this time now..." he said, Aleria nodded and chuckled softly.
"I see. I do understand that you've only just awoken in a new time... I read all about you in the Seracio. They say you where perfect in every way except emotion. When you killed hundreds of Super natural's... you gained emotions and questioned your creators. I think that is even more proof that you are perfect, the fact you feel for others." She said.
He sighed, nodding his head "I don't like to kill. I was protecting my friends... but if time has passed... I think they may be dead already." He said softly. After a moment, he realized he heard a heartbeat, and finally noticed his head was resting on her bosoms, with her paws caressing his cheeks and neck. He sighed into her breasts, smiling as she held him so tightly, enjoying the warmth her body radiated.
Zolaris settled down, calming by the second until he fell asleep peacefully.
When he awoke, he realized he was alone. He didn't like this feeling, the emptiness, and the lack of sound. It irritated him that he had made friends who where now gone. Standing up, he opened the doors and walked out to take a look around. Two mink guards flanked him on the sides of the doors, each of them armor clad and carrying large Pikes, as they stood motionless.
"Where is she?" he asked the guards.
They remained silent.
"I asked, where is she?" Zolaris growled again.
Once more, he was ignored.
Snarling inwardly, he turned and marched down the hall he remembered, moving for the large hall he was first brought to. When he walked in, he stopped, seeing Ashram talking with two of his personal guards with Aleria held in chains. "Well my dear... it seems you're impurity is now a clear sign of you breaking your vows." Ashram spoke in a clear voice.
Aleria spit in his face and snapped, "I told you, I am still pure. Zolaris never touched me." She glowered.
A smirk formed on Ashram's lips "Well, then you where disobeying direct orders from the Four Horsemen themselves. You know the punishment for that." He said.
Zolaris' ears lifted, immediately he started to move for them, but it was too late. Ashram rammed a long, bejeweled dagger through Aleria's heart. Her face didn't twist with pain, but instead the look was of shock and disbelief as she slowly collapsed to the floor.
For Zolaris, it seemed as if the world had slowed. All the powers he had, he was to slow... it ate at him. His friend's limp body hit the floor and his eyes flickered. Rage built up in him and something snapped. Ashram noticed him standing there, but he was shocked to see Zolaris' true form rising to the surface.
No longer was his fur peppered, instead it was a bleach white that glowed with a soft blue aura around the tips of each shred of fur. His wings where ablaze with white flames like a Holy Phoenix, and his eyes shifted to a deep purple hue speckled with red spots that moved around in patterns. There was only one other time this form of Zolaris had shown itself, when he'd gone berserk on the human race.
In his hands, he held two swords forged from pure energy, the white blades shimmered in and out of existence, but for a boarder of silver that remained as the edges of the swords. With speed unseen, Ashram's guards collapsed to the ground, gouts of blood spewed from their severed torsos, their armor cleaved as if butter, but Zolaris' figure still stood by the door.
For several long moments, Ashram stared in disbelief at Zolaris' change. But then the white wolf vanished from sight almost as if a silhouette. Panic took over, and Ashram looked around franticly. "GUARDS! PROTECT ME!" he screamed, the echoing voice rung down the halls and soon was replaced by the clattering of armored soldiers moving through them.
When they arrived, most where privy to the sight of Zolaris ripping Ashram's head from his shoulders, the blood of the man never touched Zolaris' body; it seemed to bounce away from his pristine fur. The wolf held up the severed head and glared at the soldiers. His eyes now missed the red spots, they had moved from his eyes and created red streaks of fur above and bellow his eyes. Duty bound, the guards advanced to kill their masters slayer.
Zolaris moved quicker then them, fading from sight and cutting through them like they stood still. They watched in horror as the white wolf slowed down just enough they could each watch their fellows fall in rows by the berserk wolf. Try as they might, their weapons shattered against his body, impervious as it was he mowed down each soldier one by one.
As if to add insult to injury, his weapons vanished and he began ripping the soldiers apart, beating them with severed limbs, or their own weapons and helmets. Screams of agony rose up in the air as more guards rushed to try and pin him down. Their weapons and armor no match, they all rushed to their own deaths. The blood covered walls, floors and even the ceiling dripping with gore, made the main hall look like hell on earth. The tapestries soaked in blood, wind brushed by the movement of so many bodies, caught flame from nearby candles, and hell truly began to come forth as flames spread rapidly.
As their numbers dwindled, Zolaris turned to the last handful of soldiers, striking two down with naught but his claws before biting into the neck of a third soldier and ripping his throat free. The remaining two turned and tried to flee, it was lucky for them that Maxamillion stood waiting. His Gi blew in the draft that the fleeing pair made in passing. Without Ashram around, Max let go of the powers he surpassed mentally.
Taking up his stance, Max blocked several quick blows that Zolaris made before plunging his fist into the wolfs chest, a shockwave of blue flames exploded from his palms and sent Zolaris flying backwards.
His wings opened and he landed perfectly, swiftly advancing on the human with powers, powers his berserk mind wanted. Four quick swipes of his claws, but Max blocked each blow, and grabbed his wrist on the final swing, twisting his weight and slinging Zolaris over his shoulder as quickly as he could.
However, Zolaris anticipated this and once more opened his wings, twisting his hips as he came down and planted one foot into the human's gut. Both males tumbled to the ground and quickly got up.
Zolaris smirked as he saw the blue flames licking Maxamillion's hands and feet. That was his power, manifestation of pure energy; Zolaris had this ability as well. His wings where covered in those white flames, and as they flapped, they caught some of the blood on fire, creating a second blaze that soon enveloped the flames of mortals.
"What are you doing Zolaris? You killed my mom!" Max hissed.
"I... did... not." Zolaris hissed, his mind fighting to regain control now.
"She lies there dead, because of YOU!" Max retorted.
Zolaris' ears lowered, pausing as he considered that. Was it true? Did she die just because of him? Distracted as he was, he never noticed Maxamillion's fist plowing into his cheek and sending him flying across the floor. He landed, face to face with Aleria's lifeless head. His eyes stared into the listless orbs of her open eyes, feeling the warm blood of hers and those he slaughtered tickling his fur now.
He laid there, his fur loosing it's brilliant white color and his wings returning to the dull brown and black they once where. Tears welled up in his eyes and he started to cry, curling up into a ball as he whimpered.
Max stood, dumbfounded by this. Here he was staring down at the male who was supposed to breed his mother, but refused to do so out of being a good man... yet at the same time caused her death because of it. Could he really be mad at a child who knew so little of the world, but was considered more powerful then the Four horsemen?
Giving a deep sigh, Max walked over and looked at Zolaris. "Get up, we have to run before this place comes down or more soldiers arrive from town seeing this blaze."
Opening his eyes, Zolaris looked up at Max and whimpered. But nodded his head, climbing to his feet. He stopped, then reached down and picked up Aleria's lifeless form in his arms. "I will not leave her here." He said.
Max nodded, smiling some. She was right; Zolaris wasn't a bad person at all. "Come on... we can burry her someplace safe." He said.
They fled, running through the fires. When they reached the outside, there was no one around save for two guards. Max dealt with them swiftly as Zolaris continued to run for the town with his new friend hot on his heels. More guards began to follow them as they fled; reaching the port Zolaris noticed Sasha and Tiara. They both blinked at the dead roo and the human following Zolaris.
Tiara's fist made first contact with Max's face, he collapsed at she started to heard Zolaris up a plank. "Wait!" he huffed, "He's my friend!" Zolaris yelled out.
Blinking a moment, Tiara's face turned crimson as she whirled around and helped up the dazed human. "The... hel...l ... hit me..." he huffed through some blood he coughed up.
"Take care of them Tiara." Sasha said as they all herded up the planks onto the ship.
"CAST OFF!" Tiara snarled in a booming voice as she worked to raise the plank while Sasha ran off to hide before she was seen. Neither female had planned this, in fact they where only at the port to see where the flames were coming from. But now Tiara had to take command of the pirate ship she had come in on.
The entire crew ignored her; she was a sell-sword after all. They started to draw their weapons and she gulped. Two pirates she could handle easily, but a crew of fifty was a different story. Though the pirates saw the guards coming, they ignored them for the time being, until Zolaris set down Aleria and drew his ether blades. Immediately the surviving crewmembers that had seen him before backed up and started to work on casting off the ships tethers.
Confused, the rest of the crew looked at them "The hells this? Mutiny against our dead captain?" several asked.
"Nay, that there's the one who killed our Captain, makes him rightfully our new one the moment he stepped on the ship." They retorted.
For a moment the entire crew looked at Zolaris and his brandished blades, then the guards in the port called out "There he is! Get the Heretic! He killed Lord Ashram and a platoon of soldiers!"
The crew set to work as fast as they could, not a one of them had a care for the clergy, but the fact the guards said that lone wolf slew a platoon of their soldiers, they knew immediately he could cut them down just as easily.
The ship set out, plowing through the sea at a slow pace. "Captain, even with our main sail, we got no wind to set a speed." The helmsmen spoke to Zolaris.
He stood confused a moment, then sighed and gripped the Helmsmen's arm. Focusing, he started to take in the ferret's skills as a sailor. Once he was done, he smiled "That all?" he asked.
Raising his hands, Zolaris wove his minds energy and a sudden rush of wind filled every sail on the ship and continued to fill the sails with a mystical green energy orb that made the entire crew stop and stare at the powers at work. "WELL? Get to work, this ship wont sail itself!" Zolaris called out as the sounds of cannons firing from the shore rung out.
Max rushed to the side, his hands glowing with the blue flames of his own powers awakened again. He slung burst of the energy at the incoming cannon balls, blowing some of them from the sky while others plowed through them. Those where handled by Zolaris, caught with ease thanks to his strength, and then set down on the ships deck. The crewmen scrambled to take care of the sails, collecting the discarded cannon balls for their own stock, and others stood around confused.
For ten minutes, Zolaris and Max worked to keep the ship from taking any damage while the crew worked behind them to get the ship out into the ocean. Tiara held fast to a strong rope, trying to tie it off so that the cannons inside the ship wouldn't roll around on their wheels. None of the crew was accustomed to the ship moving this swiftly threw open waters, but they all seemed to enjoy the rush of it all. Even after escaping to the open waters, the crew was happy to celebrate with drink and food to hail their new captain with the power to really make them all rich and unstoppable.
As Zolaris sat in the captains cabin, a small table before him. The helmsmen, Tiara, Maxamillion, the powder master and a female fox sat at the table. "Well captain, what's yer name?" the powder master asked. A burly badger missing one eye and, carrying a large scar from his left shoulder, down across his exposed chest and towards his stomach.
"Zolaris, this is my Aunt Tiara and my friend Maxamillion, who I'm naming as my first mate." He spoke.
The powder master nodded his head. "I'm Karlin. That there is the Helmsmen, Nashim. This wench here be me wife Clara." He said.
Nashim nodded his muzzle, and frowned "So... who be the dead one." He said, motioning to Aleria's body, now wrapped in cloth and placed in a wooden casket the crew built after everything had calmed down.
"She's my mother, and Zolaris'... first wife." Max responded "Or she would have been if that fucker Ashram hadn't killed her." He growled, slamming his fist to the table.
The three pirates nodded their heads and frowned "We got a burial ground near here, secret like if ye dun mind her being buried with pirates." Nashim said.
Zolaris looked at Max, and both of them nodded. "Well, she'd be free atleast. It's what she always wanted, freedom from those damnable Clergy." Max said, lowering his head with a sigh.
For a moment, they all remained silent, but then Max spoke up "Wait... I thought Pirates toss their dead into the ocean?" he asked.
The three pirates laughed along with Tiara who said "Honey, we do that yes. But for Captains, First mates, and those who die near land. We burry them."
Max nodded his head and seemed satisfied with that answer.
It took only three hours to arrive at a cove the pirates held as their hideout. Aleria's body was buried near three captains and a first mate near a grove of trees that curved like a crescent moon with two weeping willows flanking the burial sight.
Looking at the ornately made grave markers, Max smiled as his mother received a proper burial, even if it was amongst pirates he knew he was one now as well. He turned to look at Zolaris and frowned "Listen... I'm, sorry about what I did... it's not your fault she's dead."
"Yes it is." Zolaris said, stopping max from speaking by holding up a finger. "If I had never been created, then she'd still be alive." He said.
"You idiot." Max responded by punching Zolaris in the face and watching him drop to the ground. "If you hadn't been born, then neither would she. It's all because of YOU that furry's gained freedom, because of YOU that peace did start out. Don't you ever, EVER say you shouldn't have been born. There are a lot of people out there who are kind, sweet, and gentle like mom. They are like that because YOU where born. The ones who killed her are your siblings, you have to do something about them because you're the only one who can confront them."
Zolaris sat up, sighing as he looked at Aleria's grave marker. Tears streaked his cheeks and he nodded his head. "You're right." He said. Then paused "But how do you expect me to do that hmm? I don't even know anything about this world, or what happened to me, or even what year it is... I'm a moron here." He frowned.
For a time Max was silent, the crew all stood behind the two males to let them morn the passing of family. Clara marched foreword and barked out "Oyi, ya got us. We can teach ya Cap'in, we'll even cart ya around on yer ship." She chuckled. The entire crew gave a loud cheer as they all called out.
"Make us Rich and we follow ya to the ends of the earth Cap'in!"
Zolaris chuckled and smiled "Then we're changing the ships name." He said "Get some paint, get that name off there and replace it with "Ragnarok". Understood?"
The crew looked at him "Wh... what uh, does Ragnarok mean Cap'in?" another wolf asked.
"Twilight of the Gods." Zolaris said, chuckling maniacally.
~~ To be continued...
~ Allester E. Darkflame