FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

**"The Odyssey"

By MrNelg

Act: III**

Cold water drenched his entire body. Jason cried out in terror, sitting bolt upright; He was thoroughly soaked. He gasped for breath before coughing violently. When his lungs were at last free of water, he calmed his breathing and opened his eyes.

A wall of light orange-brown greeted him. He blinked: They were feet. His gaze travelled upwards. Knees jutted out towards him, and above that, a light orange-brown face with a stripe of white around the muzzle that traced down a neck gazed down at him with a curious expression.

He gave a startled yelp and scrabbled backward, only to slam into a wall. Turning, he saw the black pads and orange brown of her hand, blocking any escape he might have. He turned back to the face. He now could see the long ears that protruded from her head. They swung towards him, as the muzzle twitched in annoyance.

{Do not make any sound, please,} the mammalian said. {I believe you wouldn't want to attract any predators.} The voice was definitely feminine.

"What?" The ears twitched.

{I thought you could speak trade.}

"What?" he echoed louder this time. A finger shot to her lips. She turned her head to the right. Jason followed her gaze to the mouth of an alley. A small group of mammalians rushed by, their words lost in their haste. Jason frowned. He turned back to the mammalian before him. "What is..." He stopped himself as he composed his thoughts. {What is going on?} Her ears twitched excitedly.

{So you weren't damaged,} she said. It was now that Jason finally realised that this mammalian was an Oryctolagus. A child at that. Possibly in her mid-teens. {That's good to know.}

{Who are you?} Jason demanded.

{I am called *,} she said. Jason tried it. The sound she made, was clicking her tongue rapidly against her two large incisors. The girl smiled at him in a way one might at a pet who performed a cute trick. {That was so adorable,} she cried softly, clapping her hands together in joy. Jason frowned.

{What is going on?} he asked again.

{I rescued you,} she said matter-of-factly. {I was at the market place this morning. I saw the auction...} she trailed off, as her muzzle twisted uncomfortably. {...And it's unfortunate consequences.} Jason's eyes widened with remembrance.

{What happened to everyone? All the sapiens, I mean. The ones who were still in the cages when the riot swarmed the stage?} The hesitation in her reply, along with the uncomfortable look on her face answered that question. "Oh Primus," he moaned into his hands. He felt something surround him, and he turned. The big hand that had been behind him was now curled around him as if trying to comfort him.

{I'm... sorry,} she said softly. {Did you know them?} He shook his head.

{They were strangers,} he said. {But they had families somewhere, who will never know what happened to them.} He leaned back into the hand. {It's every sapiens nightmare to be eaten by a predator: Mammalian or otherwise.}

{I'm... sorry,} she repeated. {But there was nothing I could do for them.} He looked up at her and then frowned.

{Hey wait a minute, who are you?} She tilted her giant head in confusion.

{I told you,} she said. {My name is -}

{No, no,} Jason interrupted. {I mean, where did you come from? Where are we? Why do you even have me?} He paused. {And how do you know the trade language?}

{Well,} she began. {As I said earlier, I was watching you.} Jason opened his mouth, but she cut him off. {I heard that there were going to be sapiens sold at the market, and I wanted to see a real-life sapien.} Jason frowned.

{You knew?} His Procyon captor had gone to great lengths to keep her surprise a, well - surprise. He could only guess that she hadn't been too successful.

{More along the lines of a rumour, actually,} she answered. {I just wanted to know if it was real.} Her eyes grew distant. {That was the first time I ever saw a sapien. There were so many.} She started counting on her fingers. {There were sapiens with brown, black, golden and Auburn head fur. So many different colours of skin tone. And all that clothing. So much.} She paused. {Are all sapiens really, really rich?} Jason stared back at her. {Why do your kind grow fur only on your head?} she suddenly asked. He opened his mouth, but she interrupted again. {What is that you have on your feet?}

{Stop!} Jason cried out. He then cringed as she placed a finger to her lips and looked back at the mouth of the alley. Jason winced as he turned too. Thankfully, no one materialized. He turned back to her. {Why did you rescue me?}

{I wanted a pet,} she said. {When the situation turned nasty, I knew it would only be a matter of time before ***. So, I figured that I'd take advantage of the situation. I got as close to the dais as possible and when the mob rushed it...} She gave a quick snatching gesture. Jason twisted half his face. Her ears twitched in excitement. {What does that expression mean?}

{It means that I'm not impressed,} Jason answered bluntly. She cocked her head slightly to one side, puzzlement on her face.

{What's wrong with being a pet?} she asked. {Under my care, you won't have to worry about getting eaten. I'll make sure to feed you every day, and you'll have someone to talk too.}

He opened his mouth to respond when he paused. At long last, he finally remembered the one question he'd asked that had been the most puzzling. {Wait. How do you know the trade tongue?}

{I was a slave my whole life,} she answered, matter-of-factly. {I was trained in this art so that I could be useful to my owners, most of whom were either wealthy traders or guild members.} Jason blinked, before giving her attire a once over. It was a faded blue short over-tunic with sleeves that came down to her elbows while the hem ended just above her knees. She wore old and ragged cloth bandages around her feet and wrists. The only thing that looked out of place was the somewhat new and well-made looking belt that she wore like a sash. Hanging by her waist, was an equally well-made leather pouch.

{I take it you ran away?} His words came slowly. She gave a half shrug.

{Actually, I was abandoned after my previous mistress and her entourage was killed in a house fire. I was the only survivor. When the smoke cleared, I was stranded here with no home, no coin and no way of getting in contact with the remainder of her family.} She sat down, crossing her legs before her while resting her head against one fist. {Luckily, I fell in with a herd of orphaned Cervidae children. My speed and ability with the trade tongue came in handy for them, so they accepted me, despite being an Oryctolagus.}

{I thought mammalian's don't usually mix.} Her muzzle wrinkled unpleasantly.

{They don't,} she said. {I was on the bottom of the herd. I even had to take orders from the recruits.}

{Then why stay?}

{Because I had nowhere else to go,} she said, annoyance evident in her voice. {Do you know how far away the nearest Oryctolagus village is?} He shook his head. {Well, that makes two of us.}

{How long have you been in this city?} Jason asked.

{I think four years,} she answered. She turned to look at the mouth of the alley. {Possibly five. My mistress arrived here with me a long time ago. I wasn't privy to maps or local geographical information. My job usually involved translations and note taking.}

{I'm... sorry,} he said. Her ears perked.

{You don't have to be sorry,} she said. {You can be my friend.}

{How are you going to pull that off?} Jason asked. {Didn't you say you were part of a gang? How are you - ?} His words trailed off as she reached down to a rough looking knitted sack, sitting just off to her left and pulled out a few ruby coloured surrexerunt petals. {...How did you - ?}

{Like I said earlier,} she answered, returning them to the sack. {When the riot reached the dais, lots of things got scattered.} He paused, then his eyes narrowed with suspicion.

{Wait,} he said. {That would mean you were on the stage.} She nodded. {Were you planning on stealing me before?}

{I would be lying if I said no,} she answered, wiggling her toes. {Remember how I told you that I'm valued for my speed?} He nodded. {When things started getting hazardous, I saw my chance. With the crowd focused on each other, no one saw a lone, small fleet-footed Oryctolagus girl quickly move around to the side. Not even those stupid Procyon's.} Jason couldn't help but chuckle. {Then when the dais got swarmed, I was able to jump onto the stage, grab your cage and run.} She stopped her story as a look of awkwardness crossed her features, and her ears went side-ways. {Unfortunately, I was too fast and... * knocked you out.}

{And no one saw you?} She looked to her left, and following her gaze, Jason saw a dark green cloak that lay discarded. It seemed way too big for her.

She put a finger to her lips to stifle a giggle. {Running as fast as I could, anyone who saw me, would've been unable to see me because it's ill-fitting, hiding me completely. If anyone is interested in chasing you down, they won't have much to go by with just that.} And with those words, she rose, walked over to it and picking it up, casually tossed it out the other end of the alley. It vanished from view, and a few seconds later, Jason heard a splash. {And I won't be needing that again.}

Their attention was abruptly drawn back to the other end of the alley, as another mammalian ran passed. Suddenly, she was kneeling before him, and closing her fingers around his torso. {Hey-!} he cried out but was cut off by a large digit being stuffed in his face, muffling his words.

{Quiet,} she reminded him. {If you're wondering what I'm doing, I'm getting you out of here.} She turned back to her sack and opened it. Inside, Jason saw what looked like old clothes. Atop them, he could make out the surrexerunt petals. {Once I get you back to my home, you'll be safe.}

{Wait!} She paused in half lowering him into the sack. {You said you hung out with a herd?} She nodded.

{Oh, I don't live with them, if that's what you're worried about.} he gave her a confused look, and she shrugged. {I'm useful, but not important enough. Besides,} she turned as if looking towards the herd in question. {I'm not interested in continually being called * every hour of the day.}

{What?} Rolling her eyes, she gave an irritated grunt.

{*,} she repeated. {It's my nick-name in the herd. A word from the tongue of the River Valleys. It's a slang term for a tree stump.}

{Because you're short.} The words came out slowly, and she grudgingly nodded. Then she looked at him and smiled sweetly.

{But not as short as you,} she said, stroking his hair. {You're the first creature I've had a conversation with that I have to look down upon.} She gave an adorable smile, that wasn't the least bit comforting. {It's such a refreshing change not to have to look up to talk to someone continually.}

{Hey!} Jason cried out, as she lowered him towards the sack again. {I didn't agree to this!}

{Do you know where your sapien village is?} she asked. The response died in his throat. {Do you know how to get there?}

{It's in a forest to the north-west of here.} She frowned.

{There are eleven different forests in that direction,} she stated, annoyance noticeable in her voice. {Which one?}

{The - } He trailed off. There was no way she'd know the sapien name for it. {It's part of a low lying mountain range,} he said softly.

{All the forests in that area are,} she muttered sarcastically.

{Don't you know of any sapien settlements in that direction?}

{I wasn't entitled to that knowledge,} she said. {And what little gossip I heard about sapiens from the locals, it wasn't about the location of their tribes.} Jason sagged. She was silent for a few seconds. {Look, it's not going to be as bad as you think. You won't need much food, and I can keep you company.} He didn't reply. {Would you rather be in someone's stomach?} He shivered violently at that. Slowly, she lowered him down in the sack, placing him gently atop the petals. {I'm not a terrible person,} she said soothingly. {I won't mistreat you. I'll look after you, I promise.}

Jason looked up at her, her giant face framed by the opening of the sack. Her smile was trying to be comforting. {Sure,} he muttered, turning away. Above, he heard her give a long, resigned sigh.

{Look,} she said begrudgingly. {If it makes you feel any better, I'll ask around, see if I can locate some clue where your village might lie. Will that satisfy you?} He turned to face her.

{Really?} The excitement in his voice rose. {You'd do that for me?} She smiled warmly.

{Of course,} she answered. Jason almost cried out with joy. She was going to try to find his way home. He wouldn't be spending the rest of his life in a cage, or as a pet. He'd be an average person again.

{Thank you, thank you, thank you!} he cried out. {Thank you so much *! I knew you were a decent person at heart. Thank you!} His joy faded as he saw the expression on her face; Undisguised shock. She babbled in her tongue. {I'm sorry, what was that?}

{What did you say to me?} Her words were slow and careful.

{I said thank you, *!} he answered, making sure to pronounce her name carefully. There was no amusement in her eyes from saying her name. He wasn't sure what was in her eyes. They looked glassy: Almost lost.

{You...!} her words trailed off in her tongue. {You thanked me?} He nodded again.

{Yes,} he said, now more confused than happy. {Thank you, *, for trying to find a way to get me home.} A hand covered her mouth. Then her face turned away, leaving nothing by the sky. {*!} he called out. {*! Are you okay?} Silence reigned. {*?}

{I'm fine.} Her words sounded choked.

{Did I upset you?}

{No, no,} she hastily answered. {It's just...} Her face was suddenly at the opening of the sack. {We have to get moving. Are you okay down there?} He nodded. {Good, I'll try to be gentle when I walk, but I can't be too obvious. It'll draw attention.} He nodded again as she closed the bag. From outside, he heard her say, {One last thing. We Oryctolagus have exceptional hearing. If you talk in a whisper, I should be able to listen to you in there.}

He frowned. {Really?} he asked in a soft voice.

{Yes,} she answered. Both eyebrows rose in amazement. {That's just so we can communicate without me having to look suspicious by talking into a sack, okay?} He answered in another whisper. {Good; Things are still tense at the moment,} she warned as they neared the mouth of the alley. {Please, try to keep quiet, no matter what you see or hear. I'll talk to you if I need to.}

Despite the warnings, Jason couldn't help but crawl over to the walls of the sack. The sack's knitting was simple in its design. He could easily pry apart the wall to get a look at the world outside. Mammalians were everywhere, along with the background noise of many raised voices. He realised that they were still in the industrial district from the buildings that surrounded them. Many were in what appeared to be a version of lock-down with guards posted by the doors -- equipped with wooden clubs.

Cervidae soldiers decked out in armour, round-shields and short swords were searching the buildings. The guards would stand aside to let the soldiers pass. Three soldiers had a well-dressed Vulpes surrounded and was rifling through his things, much to the male's protests. He kept proclaiming in the trade tongue that this was prejudice. The soldiers ignored him.

A troop of soldiers walked passed with some distressed looking Vulpes's. The Vulpes all had their hands tied behind their backs and ropes around their necks, connecting them all. The soldier's expressions betokened the general atmosphere; Danger. Mammalian's who weren't soldiers were hurrying to get off the street. They hastily made way for any soldiers though, who stopped them anyway for searches.

**! Jason grimaced. That voice was directed at his Oryctolagus benefactor. His view of the outside was being blocked by a giant Cervidae soldier, who pointed at the sack. ***! *! To his surprise, the girl reached into the pouch by her waist and pulled out a gold medallion, which she gave to the Cervidae. The soldier's eyes widened, and he almost dropped it in shock. Jason could make out two more Cervidae's leaning in for a closer look. ***! ******! She nodded.

******, she said. Pointing at the medallion, she asked, ***********? The soldier looked unsettled as he handed it back to her.

*, he said flatly. ****. Then they were gone.

What had just transpired? {What was that?} His voice was a whisper, but he saw her ears twitch. He was amazed that she managed to hear him over all the noise.

{Quiet,} she warned in a whisper of her own, as her head darted from left to right. He could still hear her. {I told you not to speak unless I speak.}

{But what was tha-?}

*! Her voice cracked like a whip, and he shut up -- the reason why was clear enough. A collection of Vulpes's were coming into view. They looked more jumpy and nastier than the Cervidae soldiers. Their clothes appeared to have suffered damage, and he could see the tell-tale signs of bloodied scars against the orange fur. As they passed, the Oryctolagus girl suddenly stiffened and bowed deeply towards them. They cast her a displeased glance but did nothing. She held that pose as they stomped by, before unbending and continuing on her way.

When he was sure they were alone, Jason asked, {What was that about?} Her ears swiveled backward in the direction of the Vulpes's.

{The Vulpes are a caste society,} she explained. {You have to show respect to those higher than you by bowing. I am trying to avoid any possible conflicts or altercations. Those Vulpes are in a lousy mood right about now. I'm on the very bottom of the social ladder around here. It's likely they could take their frustration out on me, and if they did, no one would flick an ear. By showing them that I respect them, it might cause them to leave me alone. Thankfully my gamble worked.}

{Why would they take their frustration out on you? You did nothing to them,} Jason asked. This time, she turned to look down at the sack, as if he'd just asked was she an Oryctolagus. Slowly, she turned away. {Did I offend you?} Jason asked softly. She shook her head.

{You sapiens might be smart with your tools, but you sure are ignorant about the world.} He was about to ask more when she exited from an alley into an open area. The smell of water hit Jason's nose, and peering through the sack walls, he could see that they were now at a harbour.

The dirt ground sloped down towards the river. Wooden platforms had been constructed, which held goods, primarily food. Between the platforms, two large log staircases were cut into the earth, which ended at floating harbours. Resting there, were numerous multihull sailing vessels crewed by the Lutrinae's. There were much smaller docks on both sides of the river, but this one was by far the largest.

Jason's gaze zeroed in on the boats. He'd never seen a ship this close before. Sapien's never needed them, as all their long-range transport needs had been accomplished by taming and breeding avians, then developing airships.

{Wait, why are we here?} he asked. {Is this where you live?}

{We need to get out of the city,} she answered. {The bridges are heavily guarded, and I can't swim. There are no ferry's going to the opposite banks, so we need to get onto one of those boats going down the river.} Jason frowned. That would take them south.

{Are there any boats going north?} he asked.

{We can't use them,} she answered. {Although there are a lot of soldiers in this city, there's only so many. They're looking for- stolen sapiens.} Jason caught the hesitation in her voice. She resumed: {so they're limiting their searches to the island. The bridges have the most guards and so do all ships heading north. They're not so thorough with vessels going south.} She turned as if looking back at the city. {At the moment, they're still searching. That will take a long time. Once completed, they'll have the troops to concentrate on all boats. So I suggest we take advantage of the opportunity while we can.}

{But, how will I get home?}

{We'll have to wait it out along the coast until the heat dies down,} she answered. {Unless you have a better idea?} She paused. Jason sighed. {Now, keep quiet. I'll get us on one of the boats.} With that, she started down towards the docks.

As she neared the water's edge, Jason couldn't help pressing up against the wall of the sack to peer down at the river. River's were too dangerous as they contained dangerous aquatic predator's and were used more frequently by mammalians. Sapiens tapped streams and underground reservoirs for water. Like dirt, water was a difficult resource to acquire because it was on the ground, and that was always dangerous for sapiens. While rainwater was the most common source, wells were constructed within tree's that tapped into nearby streams and groundwater. They were hauled up to the canopy via pumps rather than the pulley systems of old.

Then a new thought appeared before him. She told him they were going to the coast: the ocean. In all his life, Jason had never seen the sea. He'd made many trips across large lakes, but never an ocean. Ocean travel was reasonably new to Sapien kind. While technology had allowed for the construction of long-range Zeppelins, these could only make the distances across the Lesser Sea to the Amber Continent. So far, exploration of these lands was slow. No sapiens lived there, and the mammalian predator's who did were even more eager than their cousins on the Middle Continent to hunt sapiens. Boats, along with their gigantic size, were just one more advantage mammalians would always have over sapiens.

As she reached the dock, she scanned the many vessels that were tied up. At the dock on the other side were a troop of Cervidae soldiers, vigorously inspecting all cargo and passengers, heading for the boats. Many of the well-to-do passengers expressed outrage, but the bored reactions from the soldiers showed they weren't interested. The Oryctolagus cast a wary look at them, before surveying the numerous boats before her. She started towards a short looking Lutrinae who was busy untying his boat from the dock. He stopped her with an out thrust webbed fingered hand. ***, he said pointing back at the city. **************.

{I only want to buy passage to Litore Town,} she said. The Lutrinae seemed caught off guard. He quickly regained himself.

{Sorry, I don't accept lint as payment.}

{Then what about coin?} She reached into the same pouch that held the medallion and produced a silver coin. Again the Lutrinae was surprised: So was Jason.

{Where did you get that?}

{Is it good or not?} she asked, flipping it into the air. The Lutrinae watched it spin, before snatching it out of the air.

{If you cause me any trouble, I'm tossing you overboard whether we're at Litore Town or not.} With the hand that now held the coin, he thumbed towards a long gondola that carried fresh produce covered with a sheet. Sitting inside, sat a merchant Cervidae who seemed just as surprised as everyone else that she had silver. She climbed in, taking a seat up the front.

No sooner had she climbed in, than the Lutrinae jumped in the back and yelled out something to his friend up the front. He shouted back in return and using their polls, they pushed the boat away from the dock and out into the river. Jason could only see the Lutrinae up front as he used his poll to steer the front of the boat and help propel it along.

{Excuse me,} someone called out from the back of the boat. {Could you keep an eye on that little *, please? I don't want her touching my cargo.} The voice was in trade with a Cervidae accent. The Lutrinae at the front of the boat didn't turn back but instead shouted out something in his language. The familiar voice of the ship's captain called out from the rear.

{He's got more important things to watch out for up there,} he answered. {As do I back here. You keep an eye on her.}

{I can't see her,} the Cervidae protested. Ignoring whatever else the mammalian had to say, Jason angled his face against the wall of the sack to look at his rescuer's expression. What little he could see of it, indicated she'd been down this road many times before.

He turned to look out at the shoreline, but there was not much activity there. Now and then, they passed another boat. Eventually, Jason gave up and sat down among the surrexerunt petals.

{Are you okay in there?} He looked up as he realised that the Oryctolagus girl was talking to him. Her voice was softer than usual.

{Can you hear me?} When she affirmed in the same soft voice, he continued. {Yeah, I'm fine. It's just that there's nothing to do in here.} He paused. {The Lutrinae up front can't hear us?}

{No,} she answered. {His ears are facing forwards, listening for incoming traffic and possible dangers. My voice is too low for those in the back to hear us.} She paused, and Jason had the impression she was smiling. {I'll elaborate more on what I didn't mention back in that alley. With our sensitive hearing, we Oryctolagus have learned to speak softly so that only Oryctolagus's can hear us while other mammalians can't.} She paused again. {Your small size allows you to pick up more sounds that other mammalian's would miss.}

{You mammalian's speak too "damn" loud is all,} Jason answered. She giggled in response.

{You sound so cute when you're angry.} He decided to change the subject.

{So what do we do when we reach Litore Town?} Jason asked.

{We keep moving,} she answered. {The Cervidae control a considerable length of the coastline. They are one of the five major powers.} Jason perked his eyebrows. Sapien's didn't know much about mammalian culture, or their societies. Sitting there, he realised he had a golden opportunity to ask about it.

{What makes the Cervidae so powerful?} he asked.

{The Cervidae are a significant supplier of food for the herbivore mammalian's,} she explained. {Their economy is mainly agricultural, living off irrigation of the Great River. Its major advantage is that it's incredibly predictable. It flood's regularly, which the Cervidae take advantage of.} Jason nodded.

Although he didn't know much about the surrounding geography of the region, he did know that the source of the Great River came from Superior Lake, located high up in the mountain ranges of the Middle Continent. The Great River flooded every year for three months during the summer time. Melting snow and heavy summer rain in the Highlands of the Middle Continent sent down a torrent of water, causing the banks of the river to overflow on the flat grassland. When the floods receded, it left behind black silt which was excellent soil to plant seeds in after it had been ploughed.

{This gives the Cervidae a massive surplus of food, which they used to trade with the other mammalian's -- making them exceptionally wealthy. This wealth has allowed them to create and maintain a hereditary military caste, which very few armies can challenge. They also use the river as a highway. Their entire civilisation exists along the river, and this has allowed them to use it as a form of communication, trade, and deployment of troops.}

{But this wealth shouldn't come from food alone,} Jason pointed out. She smiled.

{Aside from an abundance of food, they have two other advantages. First, they have Gold.} Jason nodded. It all fell into place then. {Far to the north, at the very edge of their empire lies the Shallow Mountains. It's an unimaginable source of gold. No other mammalian species has access to this quantity of gold wealth. Because of this, golden artefacts from the Cervidae empire are highly prized throughout the civilised tribes.}

{Aren't the Cervidae worried about someone threatening their gold supply at the edge of their empire?} Jason asked. She shook her head.

{The region is called the Shallow Mountains for a reason. Beyond it, the geography climbs steeply. Any route from either the north or south is impossible, making it a natural defensive barrier.} She paused in thought before her eyes slid suspiciously towards him. {Unless someone discovers flight.} Jason couldn't help but smirk. {The other advantage is along banks of the Great River, grows the papyrus plant. They export this to be made into paper.}

{Really? Paper is valuable to you mammalian's?} Jason asked.

{Of course.} She turned to look down at the sack briefly. {Most of the world still uses clay tablets. Paper and ink are valuable but easier to write with.} She gave him a suspicious glance before turning back to face the front. {Let me guess, you sapiens have lots of it?}

{Yes. Every city-state and town has a library, filled with-} Jason paused. He didn't know the trade word for book. Did they even have a word? He finally settled with, {Scrolls. Thousands of them.}

{So many?} She turned back again. {How do you write all of them?}

{We have this machine called a "Printing Press," which can make scrolls in a short amount of time. It has made mass communication, recording history and spreading of ideas far easier. Our civilisation exploded after its invention.} She visibly gaped at him.

{You sapiens still manage to surprise everyone.} She turned back to the front. {Did you know that there are mammalian's out there who would kill to learn how your flying machines work?}

{We've known for a long time, that your kind values our technology as much as predator's value our taste. "Heck," that's why I was to be sold. So that some mammalian "Big Shot" can interrogate me for information: Most likely our language.} She went silent. Jason waited for her to say something else, but she wasn't speaking. Jason decided against trying to get her to talk again, so he resigned himself to laying back and attempting to get some shut-eye.

Three days passed as they travelled down the Great River. They pulled over to the bank for the night so that they could sleep. Meals were eaten on the shore, which meant they only had breakfast and dinner. The Oryctolagus girl kept him inside the sack as much as possible. She didn't want to chance anyone seeing him.

---

Sometime during early noon on the fourth day, Jason was woken from a nap as the sack he resided in, jostled rather roughly. He sat up blinking, before rushing over to the wall to once more pry apart the knitting and peer out; Before them lay Litore Town. It wasn't as grand as Tribus City. It was merely a collection of houses along both sides of the river as it widened and emptied into the ocean. Here and there he could see the occasional building, along with what looked like a guard tower. Situated within the river, was the town's harbour, where numerous boats lay docked.

Cervidae's were everywhere. They didn't appear as well-off as those living in Tribus City, and in fact, they wore very little in the way of clothing. The most elaborate they got was either a dress or a vest.

{Alright, we're here. Out!} the Lutrinae captain ordered. She quickly leaped from the boat and was walking down the dock.

{Wait!} the Cervidae merchant who'd been riding in the back cried out. {I have to make sure she didn't steal anything.}

**! She snarled under her breath as she stopped and waited for the merchant to check his belongings. When he was satisfied, he didn't bother thanking her and just waved her off. If she was offended by this, she didn't show it. Cervidae who worked the docks cast curious glances her way as she walked by. ***, she muttered unhappily.

{Is something wrong?} Jason asked.

{We can't stay here very long,} she answered as she paused to get her bearings. {I'm getting too many stares. If anyone asks about a lone Oryctolagus child they will remember me.} She fingered her pouch. {Especially if I have coin.}

{Hey, where did you get that from?} She half turned, displaying a sly grin.

{The market place.} He blinked in sudden realisation.

{You were the thief who set off the riot?} She shook her head.

{I can't take all the credit,} she answered. {You know that herd I was a part of? We wanted to see real sapiens. When some of us pushed our way through the crowd to get a better look at your kind, our leader quickly realised that we weren't watched like we usually were.}

{And when everybody was not looking at you, you struck.} She nodded.

{It was too easy.} She withdrew a small claw. {A little slice here, and *! A handful of coin. We acted in groups. The others would be both a lookout and a distraction. The selected one would steal the coins before moving on.}

{Wouldn't the guards have spotted you?} Jason asked.

{We were too quick, and they were too few,} she answered, turning away. {Now *, I need to plan.} There wasn't much Jason could do about her brushing him off like that, so he chose to concentrate on the outside world. The majority of the town's buildings were simple houses. They were circular with wattle and daub walls or dry stone walls, with thatched or turfed roofs over a cone of beams with a single entrance. The few structures that one could class as buildings appeared to be government owned or warehouses.

From the comings and goings, the economy of the town ran around labour for the harbour. There were no fishing boats, and none of the Cervidae operated or owned any vessels. They would help guide the ships in and assist in removing the cargo. Jason watched as muscles rippled beneath fur as they hoisted large sacks, over-stacked baskets or huge bundles of wheat from the boats before carrying them off towards the warehouses. A Cervidae with parchments of papyrus paper would converse with either the Lutrinae captain, the accompanying merchant or both. Information was recorded, and coin exchanged before they all went their separate ways.

In the meantime, the Oryctolagus girl had approached one of the Cervidae with parchments of papyrus paper and began conversing with him in his language. When she asked him a question, he pulled out a different parchment from his sling bag and checked it. He then answered her and after she thanked him, walked off.

**, she muttered. {I just asked how long until the next vessel is heading back up river.} She paused. {Two weeks.}

{So, we wait,} Jason said.

{You don't understand,} she countered. {I draw attention. It won't be long before I'm tracked down.}

{Tracked by whom?}

{Trouble,} was all she said. She seemed to think about something else and snarled something unpleasant. {We're going to have to do something. I gambled by asking the dockmaster about the time table. It didn't work. If anyone asks questions about me, he'll remember right away about where I was asking for passage to.}

{Do you know much about the local geography?} She shook her head.

{That won't work either,} she answered. {If I ask for directions, they'll...} she trailed off as her eyes narrowed. {*, I'm stupid,} she muttered. {Why didn't I think of that before.}

{Think of what?}

{*,} she said as she started walking off. {I have work to do.} She spent the rest of the day wandering all across the town. Now and then, she'd stop a random Cervidae and converse with them in their language. Most of the gestures were pointing in different directions. As dusk began to settle, she was finally ready to call it a night.

She found what Jason assumed was a hotel. It was a building that the Lutrinae went to spend the night. The owner accepted her coin with no questions or anything. She was more than happy to answer a question the Oryctolagus girl put to her. Their room was sparse, with a single mattress stuffed with wool and a blanket. There was a table under a window with a washing bowl full of water. Beside it, rested a smaller wheel-made bowl with a slight pinch at one end. Within the pinched section, lay a wick. The smell of oil emitted from it: An oil lamp.

As they finally secluded themselves in the single room for the night, the Oryctolagus girl lit the lamp and settled down on the mattress. Finally, she opened the bag and reaching in, gently closed her giant fingers around Jason's torso. She eased him out before placing him down on the mattress.

{I could've walked out, you know,} Jason said up to her. She leaned over him with an adorable smile that didn't fit someone of her size.

{True,} she said, {But that was just more fun for me.} Jason rolled his eyes.

{What were you doing all day?}

{Creating conflicting stories,} she answered. {I have no clue on the surrounding geography. The townsfolk would remember a lone Oryctolagus girl. If I asked for directions, they'd merely tell whoever asked about me, where I was going.} Her smile became a grin. {So, I went up to different Cervidae and asked for directions for every possible location I could think off. When they question all the locals, they'll all give conflicting accounts on where I am going.} Her grin turned sly. {Plus I get knowledge on all possible routes.}

{You are smart,} Jason said. That made her squeal with glee. After removing his hands from his ears, he said, {Since we're travelling together, do you want to tell me who's following you?}

{Mammalian's who have a grudge,} was all she offered.

{If they catch up with you, what am I supposed to do?} Jason asked.

{They won't,} she answered. {Since I was abandoned, I've always been one step ahead of the garrison.} She tapped her head. {I'm more than just a pretty face. As demonstrated by today's actions.}

{What did you do to them, to make them want to hunt you so severely.} At this question, she bit her bottom lip.

{I betrayed them.} Although vague, Jason had the distinct feeling she was telling the truth. {It doesn't matter anyway,} she said. {It's all in the past. They'll have no idea where I've gone after today.} She rose to her feet and headed over to the door. {I'm going to get us some dinner. I'll explain the rest when I get back.}

She returned much later with some bread and fruit, way more than was necessary. As they ate, she explained the plan. They were going to have to walk by road to the next town. From there, they would catch another boat back upriver, travel beyond Tribus City and from there, find a way back to the forest where New Kaleth City resided. They would leave just before dawn so that she could escape without being noticed.

{You know,} she said, as she extinguished the lamp. {I never got your name.}

{My name? It's "Jason Sankowski," but you can call me, "Jason."}

"Jay-Shun," she tried. "Jah-sun." He smiled.

{You'll get it right, *.} She beamed as he said her name. The sound he made saying her name. It sounded like he was saying 'Glitch.' Suddenly, she untied her belt, and quickly removed her short over-tunic. Although the light from the lamp was gone, the moon provided enough illumination to make the situation very uncomfortable.

"Hey, hey!" he shouted. "What are you doing?" She gave him a quizzical look. Thankfully, she clutched her tunic to her chest, hiding her female side from him. He muttered to himself, before asking, {Why are you taking off your clothes?}

She looked flummoxed. {You don't sleep in clothes.} She paused, before fixing a suspicious gaze upon him. {Don't tell me sapiens have clothes for sleeping?} His silence answered her question for her. **, she cried, {Why do you need all that clothing? Are you so rich that you need to flaunt it even when nobody's looking?}

{For us, clothing is different,} he explained. {We don't have any natural fur covering, so we need clothing to keep us warm.} She frowned at those words and leaned in closer as if for the first time, noticing his skin. Jason turned away uncomfortably. He decided to keep talking to take his mind off the awkward situation. {It's also worn for the sake of modesty. For sapiens, walking around with no clothing in public is a social taboo.} He turned back as her laughter filled the room.

{Naked in public, a social taboo?} She laughed unapologetically. {You sapiens are weird,} she said, dropping her tunic on the floor. He turned away from her again as she pulled back the blanket and lay down on the mattress. {I'll keep as much of myself covered for your sake.} Her words were broken by fits of giggles. He turned back to her again.

{Hey, Glitch,} he said, drawing her attention. {I can't thank you enough for saving my life.} Again she smiled.

{You're welcome, Jah-sun.} She waved a hand at him. He walked over to stand before her gigantic face. She moved over and patted the top end of the mattress. He climbed onto it and lay down. He felt lost on it. Then she brought up the edge of the blanket and draped it over him. He had to crawl back out as she accidentally covered him up. She giggled, apologised and bid him good-night.

Jason turned to look out the window. In all his life, he never would've guessed he'd have visited two mammalian settlements, let alone one. Now here he was, travelling all over their territory. On the one hand, it was exciting. On the other, it meant that death could be lurking around any corner. He felt like those explorers of old, who braved death to chart new lands, to find new sapien tribes and learn new ideas. If he made it home, maybe he'd write a book about all this.

Then he turned back to his friend. He blinked at those words; Friend. He never thought he'd use that word when talking about a mammalian. Sapiens and mammalians could never be friends. History had always proven that.

And yet, here he was.

So many new things. So many strange things. Jason yawned as he rolled over away from her. He was tired of thinking. He wanted to get as much rest as possible, before their new adventure in the morning.