FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Mug sat on the cold floor of the lair of the Black King. High above him in the night sky the moon glowed a soft blue, stars dotting the night sky as the clouds that were looming overhead during the fight finally began to fade. Bringing his gaze down from the sky he watched as his various allies and guildmates conversed around him. One of the Aes Sedai had moved from him after healing his wounded limbs and was now healing other wounded members of the party. With the fighting finally having died down as Nyrene took over as the protector of the Black Citadel, Mug laughed to himself. He felt his hands and feet growing slightly numb against the icey floor. A presence filled his senses as the inky form of Peck materialized next to him. Her talons clacked softly against the ground as she took a seat with him, leaning against him ever so slightly.

"You must be frustrated with not being able to talk huh?" Mug mused softly.

"Yes and no, I can talk with you." Peck's voice filled his mind as he locked eyes with her.

"Wait, for real? You couldn't do that before." Mug said, flabbergasted. He noticed that her form seemed a little more composed. The inky blackness that covered her body was more defined showing the armor she wore from the dream, along with some more noticeable areas of feathers.

"You weren't at full strength, still aren't. But this is good enough for us to converse. Our power is tied together." her voice warmly filled his skull as she wrapped their hands together. "Forever."

Mug chuckled softly and leaned into her as the conversation around them started to turn to cheers of victory. Draagore was yelling as he tossed the body of the Black King over the side of the Towering citadel. A cheer erupted from the forces on top, and from many hundreds of feet below it was reciprocated. As cheers emanated from the infantry finally routing the undead below, Mug soaked in the moment: cheers of victory, the feeling of warmth covering his hand, the soft glow of the moon basking them all in a bluish tinge

"I made it...by the way." Mug said suddenly, Peck's head shifting slightly as her attention fully focused on what he said.

"The Cafe." he said with a smile. "Claw and Talon bakery and cafe. I got a sign made and everything. The counters even come up to my head, easy enough for you to use and I have a couple step stools littered behind for myself." As he spoke a mixture of emotion flowed into him from her. Sadness, joy, excitement, her talons shifted slightly as she failed to temper her excitement physically. As much as she had changed over her time in the afterlife her small mannerisms and the things Mug knew to look for were still everpresent.

"For now the place is set inside of Fort Draagore but I think I can call in a favor with the magical movers." he paused, words catching in his mouth. "We can leave, you know. With the war over we could just take off and have the bakery and just...enjoy each other. Like we planned." her emotions began to pour into him at once as her weight shifted from his side. Her eyes settled on his face and squinted in annoyance.

"Have you been home since rescuing Richter?" the words flowed strikingly curt into his mind. Mug cleared his throat and shook his head softly. "What about the League? You think just because you killed the big bad evil man that everything will be smooth from here on out?" Mug hadn't thought of that, thinking had been put on the backburner for the last couple of hours. Between dying, reviving thanks to Peck, facing off with the Black King and everything that had transpired during the fight. Mug flexed his arms and legs and felt pain lance up both. Even with healing magic it was obvious how drained he was.

"And what about what the Queen said? I know I don't want to be scattered into the Ether. Do you?" her tone shifted to faking hurt, edged off by a mischievous tinge.

"Okay okay. You have made your point. I get it. I'm sure there is plenty of cleaning up to do as saviors of the world at large. Lots of hands to shake; babies to kiss. That kinda bullshit."

Peck settled against him once more as he listened to reason, her reason. "Good, but no kissing babies. The only person you can kiss is me." she stated.

"I know you haven't been around for a bit but we can't exactly kiss each other. Or did you forget?" Mug said with a dry chuckle.

"One, I said you can kiss me, not that we kiss each other. Two, I did not say where." Mug felt his face grow warm as a blush broke out on the skin underneath his fur. A laugh reverberated through his skull as Peck lightly brushed her feathers against his face. "Still got it." She said smarmily. Mug laughed out loud with her as the cheering and celebration began to die down around them.

Peck's laughter began to subside with Mug's and they leaned against each other once more. Even surrounded by people it was astounding how easily he fell back into just existing with her. The amount of time they spent on missions and watches together. She brought a calm to his entire being, with her next to him he felt invincible. Nothing could bother him at this moment. He felt a similar feeling of peace from her. Their hands resting with each other; small squeezes and stolen glances. He finally had her back.

"I still think about that night sometimes. I know you do too." Peck stated, Mug thought back to the night she was talking about. When she revealed her plan of them owning some form of bakery/cafe in the countryside. She had mentioned it almost as a joke but as the plan to go after Richter took a more solid form and everyone started to pitch in, Mug had gotten excited about the endgame project. He had spent time sketching a sign, thinking about Menu items, keeping himself occupied with something positive instead of always focusing on the negative. It was something one of the military counselors had mentioned to him during service. A fact he quickly forgot after his life came to a crashing halt and he deserted.

"Yeah, it is a good memory. A small moment together." Mug responded, staring back up at the moon above them. A smile formed on his lips as he let go of Peck's hand and began to rummage around in his bag. Peck stared at him curiously as he produced a patterned brown cloak, feathers etched into the back and the bottom of it tapering into what look to be large wings. He removed his purple cloak clad with spiderwebs and fangs and tossed it over to Richter.

Catching the garment Richter gave them both a nod as he stowed it in his own bag. "You two make sure to be back 'fore bedtime, right?" He said wagging a finger at them. Mug smirked back at his cousin; the small calico Felis gave him an exaggerated thumbs up. His magi-mechanical arm whirred and buzzed as Richter smiled brightly, perfectly mimicking Draagore's trademark twinkle.

Mug gave him a nod as he donned the brown cloak and looked back to Peck. "You trust me?" He asked happily. She nodded excitedly, feeling joy well up inside of herself. He felt the power surging inside of him and as the connection with the Cloak of Flying came back to him he grabbed onto Peck's hand and hauled her up. He saw a path through to the side of the towering citadel and led Peck through at a light jog that broke into a full sprint. He felt the cloak wrap tightly around his shoulders and large brown wings began to form around the middle of his back. They exploded outward and Peck squeezed his hand tighter as the edge of the Citadel became closer.

With a leap Peck latched onto his back as the wings fully formed and they began to fall through the night sky. With a flap of his large brown wings they glided downward as Peck's screams and laughter echoed in his head. The pure joy he felt surging through him from her infected him as his new wings angled slightly and sent them into a wide bank through the air. Looking over the battlefield with Undead fleeing and being struck down all over the place, large craters where the Meteors from his final ditch attack landed to finally rout the undead menace, and allies on the other side of the line either striking into the retreating undead or celebrating the victory. 2 Decades of war were finally over. As Peck's laughter echoed in his head and the shouts of celebration reverberated from underneath him...Mug knew...this was a good memory.

---

Mug sat quietly on his bed, eyes shut in furious concentration. He felt a tickle on his nose and a sneeze starting to well up inside of his chest. He pushed the feeling away and brought his concentration back to feeling magic flowing through him with every breath, concentrating it at various points inside of himself. Leylines and the nature of Magic had been something he had trouble grasping at times but when it came to his own inherent magics he had a much better time manipulating that. In the past 2 weeks he had been able to keep Peck manifested for longer and longer. First a couple hours, then 5, 10, and then a whole day. He didn't even realize she had faded away until waking up without her next to him. But her form was still stuck in the inky blackness of the original Shadowspawn spell they had used for the catalyst. While she had gained definition for sure, she was still unable to talk properly and was limited in how she could fight. While things had been peaceful there was a possibility that a serious mission was coming up soon. Tracking down one of the loose Liches that served the Black King would be something they could use her for with Saladin bogged down with all the new recruits.

The tickle passed by his nose once more and he wrinkled it in frustration. The urge to sneeze welled up in his chest and after a second of trying to force it away the urge won out and his breath exploded outward in a loud sneeze. A giggle erupted from the ceiling and as Mug looked up he saw Peck standing on the ceiling. His Web patterned cloak hung around her shoulders.

Smiling up at her he laughed softly. "Very funny, I didn't even realize you were here. I guess it really is becoming second nature." He heard a soft clack as she hopped off the ceiling and twisted in the air. She landed with her talons clicking lightly against the stone floor underneath his rug.

"Progress, on both our ends. I am now able to harness your items as well." She gave a small twirl as the cloak lightly flittered off her lithe form. "Though I may keep this, it's very useful...and smells like you." she said, her tone dropping slightly at the end of her sentence. Mug took a better look at her and saw that underneath the cloak he could only see the dark grey feathers of her underbelly, and the more pronounced fluffy down that covered her neck and chest area. Other than that she was naked. A fact now plainly obvious as she opened the cloak slightly, giggling all the while. Mug felt his face grow hot as he peeled his eyes away from straying any lower.

He felt her taloned fingers run through the soft fur on his neck and noticed the texture was off. It clicked in his head as he looked back up at her. Her beak clacked softly as she brought the side of her face to his and nuzzled affectionately against him. "Hello Simon, it's very nice to be able to feel again." Mug reached up and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. She returned the gesture and lifted him up into the air.

With both of them erupting into joyful laughter as Mug's hands drifted to the back of her neck and the downy fluff around her chest it all sunk in. "I don't understand, I thought it would take so much longer. I mean the time was getting better but this is-" His words hitched in his mouth for a second before he whispered while staring into her eyes. "You're here. You're finally right here in front of me."

She tilted her head downwards and clacked softly as she cooed at his ministrations. "Now now. New corporeal form. You may not want to overstimulate." Mug immediately took his hands away from her neck and fluff. Her Noises died down as Mug hopped away from her and landed on his bed. She smoothed his cloak out and looked around his room before spying the dresser containing his clothes. She opened a drawer and began rummaging through it.

"One day in this new form and you are already stealing my clothes." he mumbled with a chuckle as he Gathered his leftover pieces of gear. He donned the brown feathered cloak and clicked the button on his rapier halfway. It grew in length but did not produce the spikes. He wrapped the entire length multiple times over around his waist and let the hilt dangle from his right side for easy access. As he turned he saw Peck had grabbed an older dark cloak and had tied it around her midsection to keep herself somewhat modest. Mug furrowed his brow slightly and he heard a scoff from her.

"That's fine, I can put it back and everyone can assume you have a weird kink for parading around naked birds." Peck said as she reached for the ties. Mug waved his hands frantically.

"No no, it's fine!" he said as she let go and placed a hand on her hip. Small chuff's from her reminded him that she was very good at playing this game. Another skill he needed to hone to a fine point, just to be able to trade blows with her.

"Just, let's hurry. We can take the portal to Gurthock and Wodin's. We can buy some clothes and armor for you if you would like. My treat?" He offered happily. She nodded in return and walked to the door.

"So just to be clear, I can walk around without a shirt but once my ass is exposed you have a problem?" she chided as she strode out into the hallway.

"No th- I mean- No you can do-" he stammered trying to keep up with her. Feathers tickled his nose as she batted him lightly with her tail.

"I am just teasing my love. Besides, it's not like I have anything to look at up here. Of course you would want to keep all the good bits to your-" Mug grabbed her hand and cut her off by pulling her along faster. She giggled softly and began to wave at various people hanging out in the guild common areas. Mug kept his head squared ahead as he led them to the portal area. As embarrassed as he was he couldn't keep the wide smile from spreading across his features.

---

"Are you sure we can't go on another mission or something?" Mug whined aloud as he cleaned off the counter in the bakery. Peck from the other end of the counter chuckled softly. Richter sighed aloud and shook his head. He swiveled around to face them from atop one of the tables in the cafe.

"Nah, I already sent a missive Si. We have to go home this week. There's no gettin' round it." Richter glanced at Mug with a massive smirk playing across his features. "Also, how have you been away from home for 20 years and haven't sent a single letter home? You fucked in the head or somethin'?" Mug stopped wiping and took in a deep breath.

"I know you were locked away for a long time Richter, but they didn't believe me. I tried to convince them for 2 years before I left the Burrows. After that point I had nothing more to say." Mug stated flatly, hands shaking ever so slightly. Richter saw this and hopped off the table; he walked around the counter and giving Mug a light jab in the arm.

"S'alright, I was just jokin'. Ain't gotta take everything so seriously." Richter said with a smile. Mug however didn't return the gesture. He began to walk towards the kitchen part of the bakery. He positioned himself in front of a sink, turning on the water. Reaching into it he began to wash various pots and pans from the morning. After a minute of silent washing and contemplation he finally opened his mouth.

"Well I mean, I kinda have to. We are going home for the first time in like...20 years. Up until a year ago they probably thought I was dead along with you. Now we are going to go strolling back home like returning heroes?! I mean what even is that!?" Mug said, his voice rising as he gripped the sink. Richter shuffled awkwardly. Peck strode up next to Mug. She reached over and gingerly scratched the side of Mug's face. He leaned into the scratches and let go of his hold on the sink.

"Sorry." He said softly. "I know you were joking...I'm just...Scared. It took me forever to find you. I never sent any letters or went back home because I was mad at first. After I started to struggle I couldn't send anything back because of pride. I had to find you. I couldn't go home. Not a failure..." Mug swallowed hard. "By the time I recognized this I- I hadn't sent anything home for like 4 years. At that point I don't know. I was ashamed." Mug pulled away from Peck. Her gaze dropped slightly, wanting to help but knowing that Mug wouldn't accept it. Not at this moment.

Mug's paws shook as he grabbed at another pan. The pan slipped from his hand and clattered into the sink. Mug huffed and jumped down. His normally quiet steps clicked against the stone as he began to pace.

"I mean, did they care? It wasn't just me. They could have sent someone, I know I was running but maybe they didn't try hard enough." Mug yelled aloud, arguing with himself as Richter walked over to him.

"Hey, we both know that isn't true Simon." Richter laid a paw on Mug's shoulder. Mug twitched slightly and went to shake him off but Richter held firm. He gave Mug a light squeeze to reinforce his point. "Look, I know it's been a long time. But you know your mom and dad wouldn't just let you leave without trying to find you. Maybe you were just too good for them? Gave em the ol' slip up huh?" He finished with a small chuckle. Mug was still quiet and after a few awkward seconds he began to move toward the doorway. As he got near the threshold Peck stepped in front of him. He glared up at her, anger flaring across his features.

"Please move Peck." He said behind gritted teeth. She shook her head firmly, crossing her arms across her chest.

"We have talked about this my love, please use your words." Her tone was resolute and her stance firm. Mug shifted slightly and flexed his hands.

"I am not a child. I would like to leave please." Mug was trying to keep his tone as even as possible. But with his ears flattened against his head and pupils narrowed it was obvious that his agitation was growing.

"I know you aren't a child Mug, but you may have a better time if you articulate what you are feeling." She reached over to him but Mug leaned away.

"What do you want huh?!" He growled. Peck's hand drifted away from him as Mug wheeled around and glanced frantically around the room. "I was a child! A brat who thought I could face the fucking world to find one of the most important people in my life because no one else would! Maybe I wanted to be found! Why didn't they try harder?" As Mug spoke he gestured wildly, raising his voice to a yell as he struggled to control his rising anger. Mug turned away from both Richter and Peck. "Maybe they knew I was just a failure. They just didn't care, I was nothing to him." Mug said, his voice cracking slightly.

Peck began to move over to Mug, sensing the worst of it was over. But before she made it to him Richter stepped up next to him. Richter wrapped Mug up in a hug and squeezed him tightly. Mug tried to hold strong against the swelling emotions. With a wayward glance down he gingerly touched Richter's metal limb, servos softly whirring underneath the plating. Mug felt the gears inside of both the arm and his heart clicked. Turning around in Richters arms, Mug returned the hug and felt tears begin to form in the corner of his eyes.

"You know that's not true." Richter began, with Mug quietly crying against his cousin. "I know it hurts, trust me I do. But you can't just assume the worst. Especially without talking to people." Mug felt Richter's arms tighten ever so slightly. "I wouldn't have lasted as long as I did in that hell without faith that someone still cared." Richter brought Mug to arms length smiling brightly at his cousin. "And would you look at that, I was right!" Richter laughed heartily and Mug couldn't help but smile as he wiped at his tears.

"Okay" Mug mumbled. "I'll stop griping about it so much. I'm sorry Richter." Richter huffed slightly and gave Mug another light jab in the arm.

"Don't be sorry, be better!" Richter exclaimed as Mug winced.

"Please don't quote my Father." Mug said flatly. Peck chuffed softly while she walked away from the door. She placed a hand on Mug's shoulder which he touched gingerly. "Yeah, I am alright." he mumbled as Peck gave a small nod. Her ability to read him so expertly was sometimes extremely scary. But both of them knew he needed to have that moment, much better here than exploding during a homecoming ceremony.

Just a few days away. Mug was not looking forward to whatever this ended up being, but as they loaded up The Watcher and took off for the Proudfoot Burrows Mug knew that this confrontation of his past would be all too real. No nightmares this time.

---

Mug felt fire lance up his legs as he landed on the soft dirt of this particular training circle. His breathing hard he stared over at Peck, who despite looking composed on the outside Mug could feel that she was in a similar state. Just better at hiding it. The other faces gathered around the circle were watching in excitement as Mug and Peck sparred against another.

Mug gripped the wooden handle of the practice saber tighter as he lunged forward with a simple stab. Peck deflected the blow downwards, and as his momentum shifted Mug brought the sword inward and rolled with the deflection. Mug's entire body rotated as his sword came back to bear from above. Peck easily brought her sword back up to clash with Mug's and after a loud clack reverberated from the blades Mug jumped back. Peck pressed the advantage and their blades clashed multiple times. Mug stayed on his back foot deflecting blows away from himself. One of the slices from the right came in a bit slow and Mug attempted a parry. But Peck had shifted forward and as Mug felt the hit connect with his sword, his parry became another clash. But this time Peck was much closer. She lashed out with a straight kick, with Mug bringing his sword to bear. The kick turned into a grab as her taloned feet wrapped around the blade and yanked him forward even more. Mug stumbled forward and the blade ripped from his paws. Mug caught himself a second later, but it was too late. His right side exploded in pain as Peck's wooden blade caught him cleanly. With a loud thwack Mug was sent flying to the left. He landed in a heap as cheering erupted around them both.

With a huff Mug brought himself to a sitting position and a taloned hand extended out in front of him. "That is 3 wins to your 2. Game, set and match." Peck teased. Mug grabbed onto her hand and she hauled him to his feet. Various guildmates around him offered pieces of advice for his fighting or words of praise for being able to almost make the comeback. Mug smiled back and tried to absorb the knowledge being offered. Voices started to become distant as behind the crowd of people he noticed Jasoo and Kel also sparring in one of the other training circles. Both of the Loxodons wore their full armor and were practicing with blunted swords. Something that would be lethal to Peck and Mug but the two massive elephant humanoids were able to take in stride.

Kel swung a massive greatsword that clanged violently against Jasoo's shield. As Kel came around from the opposite side Jasoo took the moment to charge herself forward and shoved Kel while he was mid swing. Knocking him off balance Jasoo followed it up with an overhead blow that crunched into his armored shoulder. Kel fell to a knee, breathing hard. Jasoo sheathed her blade and knelt down next to him. Mug watched her face soften as they talked and Kel nodded in earnest. Jasoo gave him a nod back and hefted herself upwards. Jasoo made her way to the armory and Mug felt a small pat on his shoulder. He turned to meet Peck's gaze, who gave a small nod in the direction of Jasoo. Mug sighed softly and looked toward the armory as well, dreading the impending conversation.

"Well then!" Peck boasted aloud. "If I can best a small cat I am sure I can take any of you on!" She yelled playfully. A laugh erupted from the crowd as the Half-Orc Shum stepped into the practice ring. Mug took that moment to make his leave as the crowd closed around the training circle once more.

Mug tried his hardest to keep up with Jasoo but with her stride he was unable. She disappeared into the armory proper as Mug trailed behind. As he made his way into the armory he noticed a lack of Loxodon. He ducked back out, trying to stay hidden. He paced back and forth in front of the entrance trying to come up with a proper way to bring things up with Jasoo.

"Hey Jasoo!" He said excitedly and then shaking his head mumbled aloud to himself. "No that doesn't sound natural, I mean none of this is natural." He slapped his paws against his cheeks and tried to refocus himself. "Jasoo, I'd like to talk to you about something." He said, voice strong and chest jutted out. He deflated slightly and sighed. "This is so stupid."

"Sure is." Jasoo's voice broke out over Mug's. He wheeled around to see Jasoo leaning against the doorway into the Armory. "You want to talk to me I assume?" Jasoo said as she walked past Mug. Mug hurried to follow behind her, finding it easier this time as she deliberately slowed down.

"Yeah, I was hoping to have a word." Mug said softly as he hurried his walking to keep pace with her shorter strides. Jasoo was much larger than Mug and had a much longer stride than him but at least now they were 'matching'. He heard Jasoo chuckle from in front of him.

"Hopefully whatever you had to say was less awkward than your practice talking." She mused as they rounded one of the halls into the commons area near the bar. "I was about to get some food, you are welcome to join me." she said with a wave. Mug nodded and then gave a grunt of affirmation. He took a seat at one of the large tables across from Jasoo. One of the various cooks came out to figure out what they both wanted. After taking their orders he politely excused himself.

Mug and Jasoo sat quietly for a few minutes, Mug shifting uncomfortably in his seat. To his surprise Jasoo finally spoke up from across the table. "You are usually a lot more composed than this Mug. Something wrong?" she cocked her brow at him as she leaned forward and rested her head on her hand. Mug calmed his shifting and sighed softly.

"Kind of? It's something I have been meaning to do for a long time and it's been awkward to try and bring up." he said, his paws drumming against the table nervously. "I just. Whenever I thought I could bring it up we would get embroiled into something else. Then you took off for like four months. When you came back I wanted to bring it up right then but by that point we were knee deep in trying to get forces to storm the Citadel. The right time just never seemed to come up." Mug glanced up to see Jasoo staring at him with her arms crossed over her chest.

"The answer is no Mug." she stated flatly. Mug shook his head and glared at her.

"Wait, what do you mean no?" he asked, whiskers bristling slightly as his good ear twitched.

Jasoo smirked at him. "I'm not interested in some confession of love or whatever this is. I have more important things to worry about than the affections of some rodent." Her voice cracked slightly as a wide smile broke across her mouth. "Besides, I don't think it would work due to the simple fact of the size difference."

Mug blinked twice as Jasoo stifled a laugh. After two seconds of contemplation Mug broke and let loose with howling laughter. "Gotcha!" Jasoo exclaimed and joined him tilting her head back in laughter. The pair laughed for what felt like hours before Mug wiped a tear away from his eye.

"Okay. That was pretty good. I needed that laugh." Mug said as Jasoo began to wind down from laughing herself.

"I figured, you looked like you were about to piss yourself. Now what's really going on?" she said with a smaller smile, leaning forward to have her attention on Mug. With a hard swallow Mug took a second to compose his thoughts.

"Alright, so I have been dealing with a lot recently. Like up here." He said, tapping his head softly. "A lot of nightmares and sleepless nights have proven to me that I have some...issues...but I am attempting to solve them by-" he said as he glanced around him, searching for the correct word. "Confronting my past and my own demons. I took a very big step a few months ago when I went home. After that 'experience' " he said, throwing up air quotes. "I found I still have some things to work on."

Jasoo chuckled softly. "I heard that your trip home wasn't what you expected. But where do I come in? I mean. " she said, grimacing slightly. "I know we have had clashes of personality before, you are kind of an ass." Mug chuckled softly and nodded. "But regardless of that I don't see what you would have to talk to me about."

Mug's laugh was caught in his throat now. "I uh- so you-" he attempted to start but his words fell flat. "I was the reason you died, Jasoo." Her eyes widened slightly as Mug continued. "That demon that snatched you, I had a chance to take him out before he flew up with you. But I-" Mug's voice broke slightly. "I was so hungover that day. I shouldn't have even been fighting. It caused so many problems. Saladin had to bring you back. Pip couldn't even look at either of you because of it. I almost caused the group to fall apart due to me not being able to stop myself from getting all fucked up the day before." Jasoo was now leaning back against her seat as Mug felt tears well up in the corner of his eyes.

"I gave up drinking after that, after watching you die and knowing that I was the direct cause." Mug said, tears slowly streaming down his face. He chuckled ruefully. "Of course after I stopped drinking I had to start dealing with nightmares and issues sleeping! Boy that was fun." His laughter between words was hollow and brimming with regret. "And I never apologized either! I almost destroyed the little family that was kind enough to take me in and I didn't apologize to the person that I failed." his voice now meek and cracking with every word he put his head down on the table.

Mug felt a shift at the opposite end of the table and Jasoo's chair made a loud screech against the stone floor. A couple footfalls and Mug was surprised to feel Jasoos hand touch his head. She gave a few affectionate pats as Mug sniffed hard and looked up at her.

"A burden is a heavy thing to bear." she began. "As much animosity as there has been between us I never blamed you for that. I took that burden on to try and save Barty." she offered a soft chuckle as well. "And technically it worked. But that Demon that carried me is to blame Mug. Not you." Mug sighed, nodding ever so slightly.

"Okay, I understand that. I mean I do, but like." Mug said, sighing heavily. "I just. I wish I could believe it. You know?" Jasso nodded and looked away from him for a moment.

"When we found Kel in the citadel it broke me." her tone was even. "I couldn't even function during the fight. I just wanted to talk to him, try and break him out of whatever spell he was under. I even started singing, anything I could think of to get him back." Mug saw the pain in her eyes as she spoke. "I blamed myself, I was trapped in that damned crystal for so many years and all he did was suffer. My squad suffered and died; Kel was conscripted into the Black Kings forces and I wasn't there to do anything." Jasoo's hand drifted away from Mug and she nervously fiddled with her fingers. "But he- He didn't hold it against me. I was forgiven for something I have held with me for so long. These are the things I have been thinking about both while I was trapped and since I have been freed. It weighed my entire being down."

Mug turned to look at Jasoo as she sniffed softly and wiped at her eyes. "So trust me when I say that I understand where you are coming from. Regrets and feelings can bog you down completely. But don't let what happened to me continue to drag you down." Jasoo smiled softly at Mug as her tone shifted from sad to prideful. "All of you became my family, my comrades. People I am happy to fight and die beside. I guess I took it literally at that point but even if Saladin or Barty wasn't able to do something I would've died at peace with myself. So you shouldn't be letting it eat you up inside." Jasoo made her way back across the table and sat back in her seat as a delicious scent filled Mug's senses. A plate of grilled fish was set in front of him and a large salad placed in front of Jasoo. He nodded toward her and finally returned her smile. Mug grabbed a fork and dug into the food and shared a meal with Jasoo as he thought about her words. A sense of calm settled over him as he ate and joked with Jasoo. A similar sense of calm echoed down the hall as talons clicked away from the pair and small happy huffs retreated back to the other side of the compound.

---

Mug felt warmth covering him from two directions, a thick blanket covering him and Peck nestled into his side. She slept peacefully with her head and beak laying against his chest. Mug's hand drifted down to rest against the back of her head. Scratching idly against her feathers Mug thought back to the past two years. Since the Black King was slain things had popped up and been expertly taken care of. Undead had been slain, Kua-toa had been destroyed, a civil war on Tirakul with the Blackstone Clans. All of these adventures had been accomplished with minor issues and no casualties. It all brought a warm smile to Mug's face. He and his new family had done plenty of good in the world. He had been content with things for many months now, but now a feeling crept into the back of his skull. An urge to go and do something else. Start a new adventure. But with the continents at peace he had few options. In this moment of quiet contemplation only one option immediately sprung to mind.

Mug reached across the bed and felt Peck stirring softly as she replaced his warmth and softness with one of the pillows at the head of the bed. He yanked himself to the edge and hopped off the bed. Peck slung a hand over and pointed at him.

"Is everything alright, love?" Her voice barely a whisper in his ears. He chuckled softly to himself and touched her hand gingerly.

"Yes, I will be right back. Bathroom." He whispered back to her and gently kissed her hand. Turning around and walking out into the hall he felt a chill run up his spine. Another cold winter, maybe somewhere a bit warmer would be nice. Somewhere closer to Richter? There were many towns and cities in between the Burrows and the Iron Kingdom. One of those would be more than suitable.

His paw pads made no noise walking across the open courtyard of the fort. Glancing into the sky he saw stars dotting the inky blackness of the night. But he knew it was very early in the morning, within the hour the sun would be cresting the horizon and bringing a new day to everyone. He made his way into the armory, giving a polite wave to SM1T3 who was keeping watch. Mug took a few moments to search in one of the many lockers they kept for guild members personal belongings. He found the object he wanted, a small lockbox he had hidden away about a year ago at this point. Mug tucked the box underneath his arm and began the walk back to his room. As he crossed the courtyard once more he caught sight of Saladin conversing with a very tired looking Loddun. A new wave of recruits were scheduled for next week and they were probably trying to coordinate training time for all the different members. Mug offered a small wave and Saladin returned it. Mug continued across but was surprised when Saladin came from across the courtyard to match pace with him.

"Mug, do you have a moment?" he said with a smile. "I had some things I wanted to run by you for the new recruits coming in under your sector." Mug offered a small laugh and stopped to face up at his friend.

"Oh yeah, the Super Sneaky Squad." Saladin's face twitched slightly and before he returned a sigh.

"Yes, the Rogue section Mug. There seems to be an issue that the Underlords may need some assistance with. They asked for you and Pip to-" Mug held up a hand, staring down to the box he cradled under his arm.

A wide smile spread across Mug's features as he glanced at the lock and thought about the 3 things inside. "I uh- I don't think I will be able to handle that this time. I will talk to you about it more later today. I have something I need to do first." Saladin looked him over for a few seconds and sighed once more.

"Should I be concerned? Plan for some money coming out for damages?" Saladin said as he pulled a small notebook from a pocket inside of his robe. As he reached for a pen, Mug held one of his paws up.

"No. I promise. If you can do me 1 fav- well a favor and a question." Saladin gave him a small nod as he produced his pen. "I need you to plan a ceremony, something small. Maybe just the original set of guild members. I'm sure Richter and My Father would also like to join." Mug said, his words rambling ever so slightly. Saladin was jotting something down when his eyes went wide for a second.

"Mug, are you talking about a wed-" Mug cut him off with his question.

"You can officiate right? Like Barachiel gave you the power to wed people? You can blast people from like 300 feet away so you can definitely wed a friend." Mug offered him a small smile and Saladin returned it. "Right Saladin?"

Saladin closed his book and slipped it back into his robes. "I'll see to it, Mug. Please don't make me do this for nothing though." Saladin turned and made his way to his office and took a pause to say over his shoulder. "And Congratulations Simon." With that Saladin was off to make preparations.

Mug made his way back to his room finally and was surprised to see Peck sitting up in the bedding. She had herself surrounded with blankets with just face and beak poking out. As Mug walked himself over to the nightstand he set the lockbox down and opened one of the drawers. He felt a taloned hand lay on his shoulder and grab ahold of him.

"Come back to bed, I need my kitty." Peck said, her voice cracking under the process of waking up. Her grip softened and she traced a small circle on his shoulder. Mug laughed softly. Finding a key stuck to the back of the drawer, he proceeded to unlock and look inside the lockbox. The first object on top was his journal, which he set on the nightstand. He heard a small squawk and trill from behind him as Peck ran a single talon down his back. "Please?" she pleaded, a tinge of need breaking through her normally mischievous voice. Mug moved the next object, a copy of the painting that hung in the main meeting hall which had all of the original Jesters in it. Underneath that was a necklace that held a golden emblem of the Proudfoot house.

It was the only thing that had been kept from when he ran away from home all those years ago. It used to be a crippling reminder of both his stubbornness and his failure, but now it served a different purpose. He decided last year that it would be best used as a betrothal gift. But he didn't know the right time, that was until he woke up this morning. He wrapped the necklace around his paw and turned to come back into the bed with Peck. She assailed him with blankets and wrapped herself around him underneath the thick coverings. A giggle erupted from her beak as she trapped Mug in a tight hold and nuzzled her face into his chest. He gained the ability to move slightly as she got comfortable. She looked up at him and noticed the glint in his paw.

"Planning to kill me mid coitus? A bold strategy, too bad that's my kink." her taloned hands started to creep across his back and one hand even made it to his chest. He placed a hand on her head, and her ministrations stopped. "Is something wrong?" Mug shook his head and smiled down at her. He gently scratched her head and felt happy peeps from her.

"We should get married," he said warmly. Peck's noises caught in her throat before she began to laugh. Mug felt her face nuzzle against him once again as her laughter grew.

"You know my love, we are bonded by soul. For this life and the next and you are telling me in the early hours of the morning that we should get married?" She said between laughs. Mug felt her emotions roll over him. Unease, joy, confusion, suspicion, more joy. "Okay, I will admit that you have got me with this one. I shall not tease you as much today with how much you have caught me off guard."

He felt her hands trembling slightly against his arm, locking eyes with him he brought his other hand to bear and let the Proudfoot emblem dangle in front of her eyes as he magically flicked on the light orb in the corner. Her eyes went wide for a moment as she stared at the emblem and then turned back to him. "You- I-" Her words caught in her beak and Mug smirked slightly.

"I think you are correct, I did get you this time. But I knew the only way I could get you for real would be by being serious." With his other paw he unlatched the necklace and gently wrapped it around her slender neck. The emblem sat on her chest and she touched it. Her hands reached out and touched Mug's face gingerly. "Will you marry me, Peck?" he said, voice filled with pride and love. Peck clacked her beak softly trying to search for words.

"I- Simon. You fuzzy idiot, of course I will marry you." Mug and Peck embraced each other as Peck erupted into a giggle fit and nuzzled into Mug over and over. He worried that he may have a thin spot on his fur because of her. But he would gladly take this every night for the rest of his natural life. The time he had gotten back with Peck, the amount of love they felt for each other, everything she had done to help him overcome his remaining demons after returning to his life. He knew that more than being bonded he wanted to give her everything he could. He would give her his name, the bakery she wanted so many years ago, a warm body to cling to in the cold winter mornings, a life filled with love and warmth. One where memories would be full of smiles and joy. Moonlit walks underneath the stars. Passionate evenings and busy days caring for the bakery. Maybe some adventures here and there. Some mischief even. But one thing over everything else. They would have love and peace. The smile that spread over Simon's features and the joy radiating from the woman he loved cradled in his arms took over his entire being in that moment. A simple pleasure that he could rely on for the rest of his days.

He took a deep breath and as he exhaled he thought about this overwhelming feeling of joy. He would have this everyday as he awoke from peaceful sleep. If he did have a nightmare ever again a soothing hand would be there to bring him back to this peace that he had so desperately craved for so long. It brought a tear to his eye, a tear of joy.

"I love you, Peck" he said softly, gently kissing her on the top of the head. She placed her beak against his cheek and as it opened softly a perfect imitation of smacking lips sounded from her.

"I love you too, Simon." she returned softly. The words echoed in his ears for a second and he felt more tears form in his eyes.

He would remember this moment, this single moment. Feeling her joy, the soft feathers nuzzling into his fur, the giggles that would not stop coming from her and the tears of joy running down his cheeks. He would hold this moment in his heart for the rest of his existence.