The Shadows Book One: The War For EarthEnd.

Chapter Ten - Natural Talent.

Liki Wolfspirit.

PyreFox slammed himself onto the bed in the room as Cammy was outside talking to Liki. He didn't even bother to take off the new gold armor Cyro and Steel had given him. He was that tired. Running around Hillside's market place for a couple of hours until they found someone who knew where the resistence was, hiking the three miles out in the fields to find it, the stressing situation with Cyro and Steel not trusting him, and helping those two Fangren when they came back, was all and all very tiring. Add onto that the fact that he still had had no sleep since two and half days ago, he was exhausted.

Already he began to fade away to sleep, but he heard Cammy's voice say something about being a mother and he snapped his eyes open and looked to see her closing the door. Her face was lit up by a pair of glowing cyrstals atop a dresser by the bed. The light was soothing actually, its light was just enough to be able to see yet still wouldn't disturb sleep - PyreFox knew them as "Sage Stones", rocks enchanted by wizards and sold as devices for lighting rooms in houses such as these. Cammy came by the bed and sat down with a tired sigh as PyreFox spoke.

"Mother what now? You already planning on having my kids?" He managed a smile through his weariness.

"I was talking to Liki you pervert." Cammy retorted with her own smile, "Figures you'd be thinking that." She turned to run a hand through his muzzle fur. PyreFox closed his eyes and sighed at the touch. He remembered that from his childhood, before he had made his promise to be a good husband and mate for Cammy and it had forced him to move off on his own for some reason. Now he knew why, everything he had done since his ritual gave him an experiance like no other, making him a better man in the end.

Cammy had done the same, her own Flame Mark leading her through her own life until it led her right back to him, giving her similiar experiances that would fulfill her promise to be a good wife to him.

There was nothing to stop them from becoming mates here and now...expect...with the war coming, there was no way of knowing if they both would survive.

"Cammy...I can't..." He brushed her hand away from his face lightly.

He heard her sigh lightly, "I know...the battle for Earthend is a big thing...we might not survive it."

Silence followed a moment as neither of them moved. It was Cammy who rose and procedded to take off her plate armor, then her under armor too, leaving nothing on once she returned to the bed. PyreFox looked down her body, it was nothing like it had been so long ago when they had been thirteen. Sure then it had been a turn on for him too, but this...Cammy had grown into a very beutiful Foxen...he suddenly felt very uncomfortable and realized why.

Stupid plate armor is in the way of my erection... He groaned to himself.

Cammy laid beside him, facing him with her breasts pressed against his armor and her nose meeting his. Even with his arousal pressing against his armor, he still could only say, "Cammy...I can't."

"Silly fox," Cammy told him and he blinked, "We both know there's nothing stopping us now. My mark hasn't burned since we fled Earthend. We've both reached the conditions of our promises. We just need to close the ending part to make it so."

Was that all she wanted? To finish up her promise? PyreFox suddenly felt his erection deflate greatly as he turned his head away, "Is that all you care about? Fufilling your promise?"

The female was shocked at first, seeing just what her words had implied. She instantly said, "No of course not! I was just saying! I mean...I..."

PyreFox wasn't convinced, and another silence followed as Cammy turned onto her back with a sigh while he kept staring at the other wall in the dim light. If she was wanting to reach her promise, she wasn't doing a very good job at being a good wife.

Guess that kinda makes me a bad husband too...

"Cammy," He started silently, "I want...I want us to be together. I wanted to be with you before I made my promise. It was why I made that promise really. I thought it was promise that I could instantly fulfill. I was really upset when my mark burned back then and forced me to leave the clan and you...but I see why it did. We're here now, we chased each other through our promises. I don't want the only reason why we are together just to fulfill our promises though."

"What do you mean?" Cammy asked him, turning back toward him.

"I feel...like I'm being forced," He concluded, "This battle...you or me could die...the only thing I can think of then is that my promise has not been complete. If I die I fail, and if I fail I am damned...if you die you fail and are damned too...if either one of us die, the other is automatically damned too even..."

Another moment of silence followed until PyreFox felt Cammy's arms wrap around his neck, the only part of him not covered by armor, and her comment, "Then we'd love each other in hell instead..."

"What?" PyreFox said in a surprised voice.

Cammy giggled lightly behind him, "PyreFox I love you...Even if we don't make it 'official' I'll be with you always...I made my promise becuase I wanted to be with you, just as you made yours for that same reason. I'm not lying when I say I don't care if I am damned or not. As long as wherever I'm at you're there with me. I spent too long away from you to just be told I can't."

PyreFox blinked once, then turned his body over so that he was facing her, her naked body against his armor. He really wished he had bothered to take it off now.

"You know though..." Cammy whispered, "Fulfilling that promise garentees us a paradise in the afterlife..."

PyreFox's ears flattened and Cammy quickly said, "I'm just meaning, an afterlife together in pleasure is better then on in pain..."

The male conceded, "Yeah...that is true...I just don't want to start a mateship with you when it might be ended soon after that. Fucking Cyro and Steel, it's like they are trying to ruin it..."

"They don't know anything about it," His love pointed out to him, "PyreFox, I learned something else today. You remember those two Fangren from before?"

"Blackpaw's parents? Yeah."

"Those two must have a true commitment you know..."

PyreFox blinked again, "What do you mean by that?"

"Imagine how hard it was for both of them to be on the run together and then have Blackpaw when they didn't mean to. I mean, all that pain and quilt and reqret that they brought him into a life such as that, yet both of them were willing to leave Blackpaw to a better life, while they both fight against their tormentors for better or worse. To die or live. His wife didn't leave him even though he was the one who had caused that trouble." Cammy brought her muzzle to PyreFox's, her whispering making his ear twitch as she continued, "Let's face it PyreFox, we've pretty much made the citizens of Earthend our charge. We helped kick them out of their homes, we have to help them get it back. They're our child, like how Blackpaw's parents fight and die for his happiness, we want to fight and even die for theirs. Question is...are we willing to fight and possibly die as a couple?"

PyreFox stared at Cammy. He only rose up from the bed, much to Cammy's confusion, and began to remove his armor, laying it in a corner by the dresser there. He removed his under armor as well, to return to Cammy in only his fur like she was. He wrapped his arms around her neck, pressing her body agianst him. He shivered as he managed to say, "Cammy...I love you..." It was all he could think of to respond to her words. Of course he was willing to fight with her, for her, as a mate, he had just been so scared of losing her. She was scared of losing him too, but she was willing to face up to the challenge.

Cammy smiled and returned the hug with her arms, stroking his backside lightly, "I love you too PyreFox..."

PyreFox's heart was pounding. He had always dreamed of this moment. He had always imagined it at some hill on a sunset after eating a nice picnic or something, when there was nothing left in their life but to live together peacefully and without worry that one of them could die in a upcoming battle and to raise a child...yet this was where it would happen instead. He couldn't say he was at all dissapointed though either.

He took a deep, shuddering breath, and finally spoke the words, "Will you be my mate?"

Cammy buried her face in his chest fur and nuzzled it, her voice muffled as she said, "Of course I will."

At that moment both of them felt a small tingling on both their left paws, but they ignored it. They both knew what was happening. They had just finished their promises to each other, and thier Flame Marks were changing to show it and unlocking new powers. The flame shape glowed and gained a new part of itself. A sword appeared on thier hands, imbedding itself into the Flame Mark, a way of showing that they had defeated their ritual and were true Pyres for conquering the flame. Thier souls were now deemed worthy of going to their paradise, now it would be the actions they took from then on that judged if they really got it at the end.

If either of them had the thought, they probably could have made a nice night out of the moment. Both naked, just became mates, their promises complete, it was all there; except the desire and energy. Sex was the last thing in thier heads at the moment. The only thing they wanted was sleep.

So with a last little cuddle up to get as close as possible to the other, sleep was what they did.

Liki woke up slowly and gradually, his mind slowly returning to him until he opened his eyes halfway. The faint blue light of the crystals relaxed him again and he closed his eyes a bit before letting out a stiffled yawn. There was no way of knowing what time of day it was considering there was no window in the room, but it felt as if he had slept for an entire day. The blanket of the bed was on the floor, apparently discarded at somepoint in his sleep.

He moved a bit and heard a small whimper and a pair of small arms tightened around him that were gripping his body from behind.

"Don't go..." Blackpaw whimpered in his own half-sleep state.

Liki grinned and turned himself around to face the smaller wolf, hugging the small boy's body to his own. "I'm not going anywhere." Liki whispered.

Blackpaw's muzzle ruffled into Liki's chest fur. After a few breaths he commented, "Your scent smells much different from last night."

Memories of the previous night entered Liki's mind, but he only felt his grin broaden as he recalled them and noticed they were both still naked together. He could feel dried clumps of fur on his chest as his student nuzzled him. No doubt Blackpaw had some as well from how he had laid on him. They would both have to get a bath soon it seemed.

"Well, I'm not...excited." Liki chuckled. It was the best way he could describe it.

"Oh." Blackpaw took a few more wiffs of Liki's smell, "You smell like...fire."

"Yeah. That's what I've heard from others before. I smell like the burning ambers of a dying fire they say."

"Last night you smelled like a forest on fire." His student pointed out.

"Well again, I was excited. When you feel like that you give off more of a scent." Liki explained, and he pointed his nose down to sniff the top of Blackpaw's head. That smell of a field of flowers had also died down to become a simple bouquet of wild flowers held to his nose. It still was a very pleasent scent though.

"You smell like flowers." Liki told Blackpaw.

The younger wolf giggled, "What really? Why do I get the girly smell while you get the nice boy one?"

Liki laughed, "I don't know. There could be worse smells though. Of which, we should find a place to take a bath."

"Why?"

Liki picked at the dried clumps of fur on his chest, then at a spot of dried fur on Blackpaw's own, "Becuase glued fur isn't fun when wearing clothes, and we still smell of each other a bit too."

Blackpaw flinched in a bit of pain at the pulling fur and nodded, "Yeah okay," He buried his muzzle into Liki's chest again, murring a bit, "But can we stay here for a few more minutes?"

"We have to find a place to take a bath Blackpaw." Liki told him a bit sternly but still smiling.

"There's a bath in here. There's a wood tub down the hall." Blackpaw looked up to Liki from his chest.

Liki blinked, he had never heard of something like that. Back on Mushroom Isle, the only bath avialable was the lake inland, and it was used by everyone. He had never known there could be such a thing as a private bath.

"Where's the water come from?" Liki questioned.

Blackpaw shrugged, "I don't know. It's always fresh and warm whenever we use it. Just like in Earthend. Everyone there had a bathroom."

Water coming out of nowhere?! Had to be magic in its most wierdest way he'd heard yet; and a room just for bathing?

Geeze, I need to learn more about modern life. Mushroom Isle might as well be a tribe of Ferals compared to this.

As Uriay had once told him, Ferals were Beasts who decided to rather live how Gaia had inteded them to - as they believed anyway - before Mankind came into the picture and introduced clothing and other things. They lived off the land and without any outside help, seperated in groups called Tribes. They had never used magic, except for rituals of their own to pay respect to Gaia, and never used tools such as hammers or nails or had weapons like swords or armor. They wore nothing but their fur and lived in shelters like tents that were made of wild animal hides rather than cloth. Their tools were made of rocks and sticks and they used tame animals for field work.

This didn't mean that Ferals were a threat. Far from it. Unless there was a squabble between Tribes, they would mostly keep to themselves. If times were tough, nearby towns would commonly help them out and give them food in trade for animal pelts. Ferals could speak common language as well, at the level of a toddler but still capable of understanding. To Ferals, cities and towns were just incrediably large Tribes that had lost a bit of their faith in Gaia. Yet they didn't hold that against them as a grudge either.

Every Beast loved Gaia, every Beast knew she was real. It was Gaia who had saved the Beasts from Man's self induced destruction. Gaia who had breathed life back into the Earth and gave them a home while the planet had been unlivable. There was no athism for Beasts. Being alive was the simple testomony to your believe in Gaia, by believing in her you had emotions, you could live. The corruption of that testomony resulted in the walking dead, like the zombies of the Dark Forest on Mushroom Isle.

If a Necromancer wanted to turn someone into Undead, they would corrupt their believe by showing them an illusion in which Gaia was killed. Thinking Gaia was dead, the victim would lose thier will and fall into the undead state of life, in which the Necromancer would become their "caretaker". Undead could talk, express thoughts and fight as any living Beast could, but they could not express emotion or pain and had no signs of life. Thier words would drone out in a monotone. Once they bound to the Necromancer, they would do anything that Beast would tell them as their Undead slave. Some believe it was possible to bring back an Undead to the Living, by trying to prove to them that the Necromancer had tricked them, or by giving them the illusion that Gaia was still alive - or by some miracle, getting Gaia herself to show that she was there - but that had yet to be done as Undead would never leave their Necromatic masters once they became so. If their master was killed, they would wonder the land forever, unable to die.

Anyone could say they didn't believe in Gaia, but if they had a heartbeat and could feel pain, deep down they did. No one could say that Gaia wanted Beasts to use magic, or build cities and towns, to war and fight with each other, or wear clothes. No one could say that Gaia didn't want them to as well though. It was all a part of living with one's choices, and trying to live in the world around you with everyone else.

Liki knew Gaia was real because she was the one who gave him her blessing that allowed him to use the Shadows. Sure that had been a dream but he had still gained control afterwards, it was prove enough for him.

Blackpaw was looking at Liki oddly, and Liki's thoughts returned to the current moment as the child said, "You've never seen a bathroom?"

Liki shook his head, "I didn't exactly live richly. My Master lived in a hut and I lived with a small family. The lake there was the public wash place. Batheing, washing clothes, all that was done there. I never knew it was possible to have a private bath. It would kinda feel odd for it be private if you ask me."

"Well..." Blackpaw started and smiled, "It doesn't have to be private. We could take one together."

Liki's fur bristled and his heart fluttered with affection along with his groin starting to stir a bit. He shivered as his fur began a small rippling as he forced himself to relax.

Blackpaw laughed at the sight, "You're like a big gray ball of fuzz when you do that."

Liki smiled, "Well I guess soon I'll be a big wet ball of fur then as well." He jumped from the bed, taking Blackpaw with him in his arms as the white wolf gave a yelp. Liki swung Blackpaw around a few times before sitting him on the ground.

"Go get some clothes for yourself," Liki told him, "Lets go find this bathroom or whatever and get ready."

Blackpaw gave a small whimper as Liki pushed him toward the door, "Aww, but...bed."

"Snuggles later Blackpaw," The older Fangren pushed the younger one again, "A long day of training sould make you very tired."

The six year old gave a loud huff but opened the door, took a skip across the hall and entered the room opposite, leaving the door open as he began fumbling through the dresser there for a set of clothing. Liki smiled as he retrieved his armor and backpack, carrying the leather in his hands as he left his room and started down the hall. Blackpaw came scrampling out quickly after him, running past him and stopping at a door halfway down on the right side, a set of silvery clothes in his hands.

"Silver your color is it?" Liki asked him as he opened the door to a small room. A large wooden tub was inside with a small hose laying inside it that was connected to the wall. Another glowing crystal was in this room, except it was very bright and lit up the room completely in white light, leaving nothing unseen.

Liki sat his armor by the door and Blackpaw did the same with his clothes. The smaller wolf jumped into the tub and began to fumble with the hose as Liki watched him.

"Yeah it is. I think it looks good on me." Blackpaw finally responded as he pried a cap off the end of the hose, tossing that out the tub to the floor outside. He sat the hose back into the tub, then turned to where it was connected to the wall. A metal lever was set into the wooden wall there. It was also the first time Liki realized that the walls were wood even though they were technically underground.

Magic and masterful engineering at its best it seems. He thought.

He admired it even more once Blackpaw pulled the metal and water began to pour out the hose. It wasn't long until it nearly filled the tub and Blackpaw pushed the lever back and the water level stopped rising. The white furred wolf stood in the water, his waist just above it.

Blackpaw stared at Liki, "Well, what do you think?"

The older Fangren could only shake his head, "It amazes me what kind of things we can create given the tools," He reached a hand into the tub and felt the temperature, and was not very surprised that it was slightly warm, "I'm just wondering what forms of magic or engineering made this possible and where the water comes from."

Blackpaw shrugged, "Don't ask things that don't really need to be known to live."

Liki stared at him, "Where'd you hear that?"

"My dad used to say that to me back when I was younger," The wolf answered shrugging, moving to the edge of the tub to be closer to Liki, standing up to his neck instead of his mid-chest standing in the tub, "I think he used that when I was asking something I wouldn't have understood anyway if he told me the real answer."

Liki chuckled and heaved a leg into the water and stepped up into the tub. The temperature was great. The water only reached the middle of the top half of his legs. He put his hands on Blackpaw's shoulder's, who was again only up to his chest, and smiled.

"You can ask me anything Blackpaw," He said, "I'll tell you everything I know the best way I can explain it to you."

"Well..." Blackpaw thought a moment, "Where does the water come from for this tub?"

Liki first eased himself into the water more, shivering and giving a small groan when the warm water washed over his waist. He'd never had such warm water before. He settled himself so that the water was around his neck, and waited as Blackpaw quickly followed suit before he told him what he believed, "I think it's a combination of magic and engineering. The water comes from somewhere, perhaps a pond or stream nearby, and magic heats and cleans it."

Blackpaw nodded, taking another moment to think as he ran his hand abesently through the clear water. "Why did the Anubians attack Earthend?" He asked after awhile.

Liki shook his head, "That I don't know, but my Master had told me that Anubians aren't like other Beasts...Since before mankind, their people have survived off of war, rarely do they seek assistence and the few times that they do, the Anubian leaders attempt to regain their 'honor' through violence." Liki looked around a moment to locate something to wash himself with, settling for a rough sponge that he found on the floor.

"The first time I had fought Anubians had been on the west coast. I repelled the incursion with the knights of Earthend. They told me that the Anubians were getting really brave towards them, and they believed an invasion was coming, but at the time it seemed their activites were being focused on something completely different..." Liki turned Blackpaw around and began to scrub the boy's back as he continued, "But what my Master told me was true. An Anubian would rather eat a tree before he'd try to make peace; he'd probably have more of a chance of eating the tree than of making peace anyway."

Blackpaw giggled and began to murr loudly as Liki scruped his head, his tail swishing in the water with effort.

"So...there is a chance the Anubians could make peace?" Blackpaw asked.

Liki pondered that a moment, "Maybe...but I think if they were to try it, they'd have to be shown that there is no hope trying to take over Earthend or any other place. Anubians are the only race of Beast that don't have any alliances with others. They don't mingle. They don't cross breed. They stick to themselves. They'd have to believe that the only hope left for them to survive as a species would be to make peace and accept help. I think Earthend is their last bid to retain independence, if they fail here, they might have to accept that they can't remain seperate while other Beasts become allys."

Silence followed for a moment as Liki continued to brush through Blackpaw's back fur, the sound of the water around them and the brushing being the only noise, until the younger wolf whispered, "But if they all die here...there's not much of a point to that is there?"

Liki stopped his washing and blinked.

Wow...that's pretty insightive for a child that's six years old...

Blackpaw turned around in the tub, and Liki noticed that his student was panting lightly. It had been impossible to hear that earlier as Liki had been washing him.

"Are you hot?" He asked.

Blackpaw smiled a moment before he said, "No...but..." Blackpaw wiggled once and the other Fangren noticed why he was panting. The white wolf's member was erect under the water.

"Oh no." Liki sighed and shook his head, "I've turned you into me...just like my own Master turned me into him."

"Well..." Blackpaw giggled again, "It...it did feel really good...and the touch of your hands only reminded me of it..."

The older wolf laughed and reached his arms around Blackpaw, who quickly moved closer so that their bodies were pressed up against each other. The younger wolf wrapped his legs around Liki's waist under the water to lift himself to be level with his Master's face. The tip of the white Fangren's tail poked out of the water, waving back and forth as he wagged it still.

Liki moaned as he closed his eyes, feeling Blackpaw's smooth, long tongue run across his muzzle tentatively. He could feel Blackpaw's erection pressing against his stomach, along with his own cock beginning to creep out of its sheath slowly to meet the warm water and the underside of Blackpaw's legs. He started running his hands through Blackpaw's fur, untangling the hardened clumps of fur on his body that remained from last night.

Blackpaw murred and began doing the same to Liki's fur, while still licking around his muzzle lightly. Liki opened his muzzle a small amount as he started to pant, and his student started running his tongue along the edges of his teeth. The gray wolf's heart twitched at the thought of kissing Blackpaw, and he felt his member quickly reach its full erection as he thought of it, pressing against Blackpaw's leg. His master had only only kissed him once. It had been in the middle of a heated 'activity', but it had taken a long time for his Master to take that chance. It had surprised Liki, and he had at first felt disgusted by it...but after awhile that changed back to the feeling of affection. It had been the only time his Master had kissed him too...

"Blackpaw..." He groaned, and Blackpaw backed off, ears flattened.

"What?" He whimpered, "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, but...I just don't want to scare you with anything..." Liki whispered.

"Scare me with what?"

Liki smiled, "There's a lot of things that I could do to show you my affection and how much I want to protect you Blackpaw...but it's all...it's all things that could upset you..." He whimpered and looked down. The world of Beasts had no real laws agianst any kind of sexual relation, but the oddities that were out of the 'norm' were still looked at with disdain by most. Liki didn't want to hurt Blackpaw, especially if such a relation became known by others.

Blackpaw stared at Liki for a moment before he said, "I trust you Liki, remember? We've only known each other for three days now, but I know you won't do anything if I tell you I don't want it...you're also all I have left for a family right now..."

"You'll tell me if something bothers you?" Liki asked him, bringing his muzzle back to be level with Blackpaw's.

The young wolf nodded, "Yeah."

"Well..." Liki started, bringing his hands up to hold his student's face lightly, "My Master and I had shared a large bond...but we hadn't started doing things like this so soon...it took eight years you know..."

Blackpaw asked a question Liki was not at all prepared for or expecting, "So, if you and your Master had started doing these things before then, would you have hated it?"

Liki blinked, he completly forgot about his intention to kiss Blackpaw, "Where's this coming from all of a sudden?"

Blackpaw smiled but he didn't answer, and Liki sighed as his hands feel back into the water, "No...I suppose I still wouldn't have hated it...I loved it, it felt good to know he loved me like that..."

"Do you wish now he would have told you how he felt earlier?" Blackpaw continued.

Liki blinked again. Blackpaw must have thought about this when he had been awake earlier in bed, these didn't feel like questions asked out of the blue. It was effective too, as he thought about how he felt about the question, he felt his eyes watering slowly.

"Yes...if we had made that kind of connection sooner, there would have been more time to share those feelings."

Blackpaw smiled, reaching his muzzle foward to nuzzle Liki and give a few licks across his jaw before saying, "Well then, let's start now and make it better then the one you had with your Master. There's plenty of time."

Liki felt his heart heart flutter again like before. Gaia he loved that feeling, and he wanted to feel it in deepest aspects.

He bought his hands back out of the water and held Blackpaw's face lightly, who sighed contently and closed his eyes at the touch. Liki stared at his student a moment, before he leaned foward to press his nose against Blackpaw's. The white wolf smiled and murred loudly, starting to pant lightly again. Thier bodies were still pressed up against each other, both their cocks still erect and throbbing in tandem with their hearts with rapid beats.

Liki took that moment to lick around Blackpaw's teeth like he had done to him earlier, and Blackpaw curled his lip up a bit in a small snarl to let Liki do so. The older Fangren's heart was racing, faster then it had even last night. He decided not to even give Blackpaw a warning, if the child pulled away then he pulled away. If he didn't, well, Liki could only hope he made it enjoyable so he could do it again some other time.

With a final lick from the back of his student's teeth, he turned his head slightly to the side, pressed his lips agianst Blackpaw's and reached his tongue into Blackpaw's muzzle a bit. The smaller wolf gave a surprised, muffled sound, but he didn't pull away from his teacher, his eyes still closed.

That fact solidified Liki's resolve, and he used his tongue more readily to feel around Blackpaw's mouth, while at the same time he would draw it back every so often to give Blackpaw time to breath and kiss his lips. Liki took his time to run his smooth tongue along Blackpaw's own, to rub along the ridged roof of his muzzle, and to lick across his teeth. Each time he would withdraw, Blackpaw's reacting kisses became harder, longer, and with more meaning behind them.

As Liki pulled his tongue out of Blackpaw's muzzle for about the sixth time, his student grunted and moved a bit, then used his legs to push, pressing the older Fangren back up against the end of the wood tub; some water splashing out and hitting the floor. Liki's eyes widened in surprise as Blackpaw now drove his own tongue into Liki's maw quickly and in a way that the older wolf believed to be rather lustfull.

He wrapped his arms around Blackpaw's body and held him as he struggled to get more comfortable against the edge of the tub. He grunted once he settled, Blackpaw had wrapped his legs around him again, and this time his waist was straddling Liki's chest so that his head was above Liki's, his trobbing member between Liki's pre-adolescent pecs. He had full control in his exploring of Liki's muzzle since the top part of his body was above his head and his wieght was holding Liki down.

The older Fangren submitted to the assualt of the younger's tongue, letting Blackpaw explore the inside of his mouth freely and kiss when he drew back to breath. This continued on for a good long time, niether of them wanting to stop, until the water turned from it's luke warm to a uncomfortable chill. Liki was the one who finally pushed Blackpaw and stopped the kissing, and though he stopped his assualt, Blackpaw refused to unwrap his legs, settling for resting his head on Liki's shoulder as they both panted heavily.

"Geeze Blackpaw..." Liki panted, "I didn't think I would've been the one to stop it."

Blackpaw laughed heartidly but tiredly, "That was...just...I couldn't stop." He panted, trying to explain it.

Liki grinned. Both of them still had raging erections, and he suddenly remembered the feeling of ejaculation from last night and he wanted to feel it again soon, but he knew they had used too much time with their bath. There would be time later on at night for a good few climaxes he believed, if Blackpaw wanted it that was. He didn't doubt he would though, as Blackpaw's awakened emotions and desire for affection seemed just as overactive as Liki's own. If Blackpaw was going to survive in the upcoming battle for Earthend, he needed training, and training needed time.

He shivered at the chill of the water, which had drowned down his erection a bit now, "Blackpaw, I know we're both really excited right now, but we've spent enough time here. The water's cold and there's training to do. No doubt PyreFox and Cammy have things they want to do with the resistence as well and I want to be there."

"Yeah," Blackpaw sighed, "I guessed you would say that..." He unwrapped his legs and pulled away, just as the tip of his member vanished inside him. Apparently Blackpaw had already been working to calm himself down. Liki stood up in the water and stepped out of the tub, beginning to vigourisly shake the water from his fur, his reddish cock slipping back into him as he did. Blackpaw moved back over to the end of the tub, and reached into the water and pulled a plug there. The water began to drain, and Liki half expected the water to flood the floor of the room, but apparently there was another hole there somewhere.

Blackpaw stepped out as well as the water drained, but rather than shaking his fur dry, just picked up his silver clothes in one hand and left the room, leaving a dripping trail of water on the floor.

Liki tilted his head in confusion, his fur slightly ruffled now. He picked up his armor and followed. His student entered his room, then dug into the dresser there to find a towel that he began using to dry himself, burying his head in it first.

"What is that?" Liki asked puzzled from the doorway.

"This?" Blackpaw held up the towel and smirked, "It's a towel." He quickly tossed another towel at his master who caught it easily.

"Never heard of em." Liki said as he examined it.

"You use it to dry your fur." Blackpaw said as he rubbed the cloth down his body, flattening out his white fur.

"What?" The older Fangren stared at him and dropped the towel, "Now why would someone need that to dry?"

Blackpaw finished with his last leg and stood straight again, his fur now sleek and shiny. "Becuase if I just shake myself dry, I'll look like you." He grinned.

Liki looked at his own fur then, realizing the great difference between what his gray fur looked like compared to Blackpaw's. His was like a prickly bush, sticking up in every which direction all around his body except where the fur was shorter. He thought of a Feline who was startled and how thier fur would bristle and puff up. That was kinda how he looked right now, just without the puffing up.

"I always shake myself dry." He said in defence, crossing his ruffled arms, "Besides, my armor hides it."

Blackpaw chuckled as he took a pair of silver shorts from his selected clothes, "If you say so Liki." He pulled the knee long shorts up his legs to cover himself. The shorts were loose fitting, and Liki had to agree that the silver color did look very nice with Blackpaw's white fur. At the same time, he was sad that he would have to put his armor back on. He rather liked being naked.

Gaia I am a Feral! He thought, wondering if he was serious about that or just joking to himself.

Blackpaw picked up his silver shirt next and pulled it over his head as Liki pulled out his leather pants. Blackpaw straightened it then told him, "If you look like that under your armor all the time, I hope no one else will have to see you without it on."

Liki twitched at that, then reached for his leather chest piece next, "Why do you say that?"

"I don't know how to explain to anyone that my Master is messier then me." Blackpaw grinned.

The older Fangren thought about that as he wrestled his stiff leather jacket for control. There was large contrast between them. Liki was more a Feral compared to Blackpaw. While Liki had grown up on an island where the luxeries of Beasts were not avialiable, Blackpaw had grown up in a city where the lastest advances in magic and crafts were given. He could just imagine himself doing something that would embaress his student to no end becuase he would have no clue what he was doing in a city. He had the feeling that Blackpaw would actually be teaching him more then he would teach Blackpaw.

"He's also not as smart as you." Liki commented, finally managing to push his arm through the tight sleeve of his jacket. "At the moment I might speak well, but in truth you probably know more then I do. I never went to school."

Blackpaw had Liki's cowl and his belt strap in his hands already, "You seem smart to me."

Liki smiled as he took the cowl and connected it to his jacket, then pulled it over his head and tucked his ears into the holes. He took the waist belt and pulled it around him and into its loop, tightening it.

"Hanging around with me Blackpaw," Liki grunted as he sat down to pull his boots on, "The learning comes firsthand. Somethings I might even be learning too, being a Master is new to me. My knowledge comes from my own Master in fact. I'm just repeating things he told me mostly."

He pulled himself back up to his feet and guided Blackpaw to the door with an arm, snatching up his backpack as well, "So let's start with a little training eh? Let's see how well I can do with you. "

Blackpaw nodded vigourously, beginning to jump up and down, "Yeah!"

Liki chuckled, He's jumping for it. That might change once he sees just how hard I'm gonna have to be for him to learn fast enough to survive...

He told Blackpaw to wait by the door for him and knocked on PyreFox and Cammy's door. He heard a muffled noise and a groan before the door opened a bit and PyreFox peaked out, hiding behind it.

"Liki?" He yawned, "What's up bud?"

Bud? Liki thought puzzled, That's not like him. Then again, I've only known him for two days and those were without any sleep. Maybe he's more relaxed now that he got some rest.

"I'm taking Blackpaw out to do some training," He explained, "I was wondering if you and Cammy plan on doing something today with the resistence or not?"

PyreFox blinked before he managed to say, "No...I don't think so...oh wait...yeah probably...um..."

Liki sighed and smirked at the same time, "Maybe you both can try again to convince Cyro and Steel what they are planning is a little rash? I'd like to go with you, I think I might be able to help."

"Oh right, that." The Foxen groaned, "To tell the truth Liki, I don't want to go anywhere right now. I know it's a little selfish, but...me and Cammy..."

Liki instantly understood why PyreFox was hiding behind the door. "Okay I understand," He said, "but the problem remains you know."

"Yeah..." PyreFox said but he smiled, "Don't worry though. The best time to convince the leader of any invasion force that what he's doing is a bad idea is right before he's going to do it. That's when Cyro will have to face his army and he'll see just how shabby and hastily he's assembled it. If anytime to show him that more time is needed, it's then."

The wolf nodded. "That makes sense. Well I'll be spending today with Blackpaw just outside Hillside. You can find me out there if something happens right?"

"Yeah sure." PyreFox told him, "I'll find ya if I need ya."

"All right, I'll see you later." Liki turned and PyreFox closed the door. Blackpaw was waiting by the door as he descended the stairs. The young Fangren opened the door and dashed outside, full of energy. Liki chuckled as he merely followed his student down the ramps of Hillside into the market place. It seemed most Beasts had left or moved on to take boats to Camelot and Europe or the nearby island of Corisica by now, as the streets were not as crowded and there was no one laying around outside. He had no trouble keeping track of Blackpaw who continued to run ahead of him until they reached the small hills outside the town.

"Over there Blackpaw," Liki pointed to a tree atop a nearby hill, "We'll practice throwing knifes at that tree."

His student dashed ahead once more and waited eagerly for Liki to catch up. Liki took his time, remembering the times with his own Master on Mushroom Isle as they had explored bits of the large island on a survival trip. They had found interesting creatures, hot springs they had kept for themselves, and the many moments they had together at those places had all been very teasurable.

He stood before Blackpaw thinking a moment before he opened up a pouch on his side and retrieving a kunai in his hands. He twirled it a moment with on finger before he gripped it and deftly tossed it at the tree over Blackpaw's head. Even though he didn't need to, the young wolf ducked with a yelp as the knife made a loud 'thunk!' as it hit the tree.

Blackpaw's ears perked and he looked up and turned toward the tree to see the knife buried there. He approached and reached up to take the knife, pulling it out with a grunt. He examined the kunai while he turned back to his master, walking down the hill a bit as he handed it out to him.

Liki shook his head and pointed at the tree, "You try, just throw it how you want."

Blackpaw nodded and turned back to his target, holding the knife in his paw shakily. The older Fangren watched a moment until he remembered how scared he had been of failing the first time he had tried to train and he came up behind Blackpaw and rubbed the boy's shoulders a bit.

"Relax," he whispered, "Focus on what you're doing. Don't worry about what I think yet, that part comes after."

Blackpaw laughed slightly, "I shouldn't think about how my life may depend on it in a fight that might happen tomorrow either right?"

Liki felt his grip tighten on Blackpaw's shoulders protectively, "I'll keep you safe anyway..."

He felt Blackpaw's entire body loosen at that. "I know..." Blackpaw whispered then went rigid in focus once more and Liki stepped back.

He waited for a long moment again as the white wolf just stared at the tree. After those few minutes he was suddenly holding his empty hand behind him.

"Give me a second one." he said.

Liki didn't question it, giving his student another kunai in his left hand.

Blackpaw held that second knife behind him in a backhand fashion, his tail swishing lightly behind him as he flipped the knife in his right hand to that same backhand fashion. Liki wondered what his student was planning on doing before Blackpaw spun and threw the knife in his left hand, using the momentum of his spin to throw the knife, then flung the right hand kunai at the end of his spin after the first.

Both kunai sped toward the tree, the second one catching up to the first with the increased momentum behind it from Blackpaw's spin. They both hit at the same time, one about five inches above the other.

Liki blinked.

Blackpaw hiccuped in surprise.

Silence followed.

"Seems your student has a bit more to him then it appears..."

The voice snapped Liki back to reality, and he looked around to locate the source. It was that same mysterious voice he had heard at Earthend and at Blackpaw's house. It intrigued him now that it sounded exaclty like his own voice, whereas before it had sounded like his and his Masters at the same time. Now it was only his. Did that mean something?

"Who was that?" He asked aloud.

Blackpaw turned to him, "Who was what Liki?"

The gray wolf returned his attention to his student, "Nothing," He gazed at the two kunai in the tree, "That was very impressive for a first try. How do you think you did that?"

"I...I don't know...I just did what you said and stopped worrying about it." Blackpaw fumbled with his paws as he continued, "I heard...a voice...and it ran me through what I was doing step by step, like I was in slow motion."

"A voice?" Liki said with interest, kneeling down to be level with Blackpaw.

"Yeah," The white wolf chuckled, "Sounds wierd huh?"

"No not at all...lately I've been hearing a voice too...what's it sound like?"

Blackpaw paused a moment before he sniffled once and whispered, "Sounds like my dad..."

Liki only nodded and looked at the ground with Blackpaw, until his student asked, "What's yours sound like?"

"It sounded like my Master at first," Liki said, "But I just heard it and it was mine..." He stood back up and clapped Blackpaw's shoulders, "That voice you hear might just be some kind of natural telent you have. Your father is a rogue afterall, you have the figure of a rogue and you obviously have inherited the skill. Let's try it again, keep listening to that voice and relax."

The rest of the day went mostly exactly like the first throw Blackpaw did, with a few inches difference in the contact point of the knifes, the two spots of the tree were certainly very much damaged. About midway through that, Blackpaw began asking that Liki not just hand him the kunai, but toss them up in the air toward him. The younger wolf began to snatch the weapons out of the air during his spins, spewing them out back at the tree like he was a machine!

They continued doing this throughout the day, Blackpaw quickly became tired but Liki kept pushing him. They had paused not long ago for a quick snack of meat from Liki's backpack, but it had only lasted about five minutes before he had his student throwing kunai once more.

Until about thirty minutes in after that break when Blackpaw purposely missed the tree so that the kunai he threw zoomed off into the distance.

"Opps..." he groaned only in a half believable tone, "Sorry Liki."

Liki sighed, "That's okay Blackpaw, that should be enough for today I think, I'll find it. You wait here for me and relax, you've worked hard today." He only had so many kunai and they weren't cheap or easy to come by. He didn't want to lose any in training.

Blackpaw breathed heavily, "Yeah okay." He went toward the tree and leaned against it wearily.

The older Fangren smiled and walked past Blackpaw down the hill, beginning a search for the weapon. Blackpaw had a natural talent, and he couldn't rightly deny Blackpaw a rest after all of today, he certaintly had the skill to support Liki in a fight, so he wasn't worried about his student's survival much now.

"He's away." Blackpaw whispered once he was sure his Master was out of earshot.

"Good job." That same voice that had been whispering in his ear for the last six hours answered, and a large figure appeared beside Blackpaw at the tree. Blackpaw was sure he was the only one who could see what he had decided to call the Shadow Creature, given how the person had no other color then a smokey purple, its clothes, fur, even a pair of daggers at its waist were that same dark purple. It issued a faint black smoke into the air around it that blew in the direction of the wind. Liki had said he had heard the voice too, but he had said it sounded like his own and he never mentioned he could see where that voice came from.

"You have questions for Us?" His father's voice asked. Another reason Blackpaw had given this odd thing the name of Shadow Creature, was becuase it used words like 'Us' and 'We' to refer to itself, it never had said if it even was alive. Its eyes were a pure white against a dark purple background, like a bright lamp on a dark street.

"Yeah..." Blackpaw whispered again, "Why can't Liki see you? Why did you tell me to miss the tree like that so he'd go away?"

"He's not ready to see Us yet. His time will come soon...There is something We must tell you, and the time he's away looking will help us explain it."

"Okay. Why me then...and who is us?"

"We are Us. We are Shadows. Ironic you name us the Shadow Creature."

"You mean you're...?" Blackpaw looked at the Shadow Creature with wide eyes.

"This body is a physcial representation of Us as you see Us," The Shadow Creature confirmed, "We are the very Shadows Liki is attempting to teach you to use."

Blackpaw looked away, silent a moment before he whispered, "Is that why you look and sound like my dad?"

The Shadow Creature nodded, "Yes...We take the shape and tone of someone important to you...but, given time, We will start to sound differently. Eventually, We will sound and look like Liki to you."

"Why is that?" Blackpaw looked at his strange friend again.

"Liki is the last Shadow alive...the very last. As such, We accept him as the Leader of The Shadows. Doing that, We take on his shape and form and his tone of voice until he dies...or Our different purpose for this physical form is recognized..."

"A different purpose?"

The Shadow Creature shook its head, "That is not for a long time yet...and many things could happen still that deny Us that duty..."

Blackpaw made a non-commental grunt and the Shadow Creature continued to explain, "Right now, We appear to you in the shape of your father and in his voice becuase he is the one you idolize as a 'leader' and you've yet to truly let go of him. If you become a Shadow and take the oath to accept Liki as a leader, we shall become him to you. That is why the voice he has been hearing had been his Master, but slowly turned to his own, as he said. He has no leader but himself now, it took awhile to realize that for him."

"I get that now...but again, why me first? Shouldn't you be showing yourself to Liki? Why is it he has only been able to hear you?"

"Anyone who has the knowledge of Us can hear and see Us, but We can choose who does as well. Liki is not yet ready, but he will soon...In a way, you've already accepted the oath of a Shadow. You've said Liki is your only family now correct?"

He did...but did he really mean it yet? Sure he liked Liki, he had done those things earlier with him, and he wished to do it again as well. Many, many times in fact. That bond, the feeling...that kissing earlier in the tub that deepened it farther and farther...he craved it...he had always wanted something like that but had never realized what he had wanted until Liki showed him. Was Liki 'family' to him yet though? Parts of him said yes, mostly his gut and heart, but his brain told him no, Liki wasn't family, he was someone kind, caring, and very trustworthy. He was like family, and it was easy to say he was, but in the end, in truth, he wasn't...and for some reason, that realization hurt Blackpaw deeply...Liki was like a big brother to the white wolf now, but...he just wasn't...and Blackpaw desperately wished he was...He felt a certain jealousy toward the Fangren that Liki called Shadey, becuase he had had Liki as his big brother since he was born...but he realized then as well that to Shadey, Liki wasn't a biological big brother either.

Liki has no 'true' family... Blackpaw thought sadly, How does he take it so well...knowing that?

"There is something else you must be aware of." The Shadow Creature interupted his thoughts, "Your father-"

"Gave me to Liki becuase he blames himself for my life being bad, I know." Blackpaw gave a low growl, the thoughts about brotherhood still floating through his head.

"No...That's not it...That is most of the reason why, but if your father really did it for that reason only, he would've gave you to an orphanage when you were born..."

Blackpaw processed that for a long moment, realizing that what the Shadow Creature said made sense in that prospect, "So...what other reason was there to give me to Liki and only Liki...?"

Silence followed a moment and Blackpaw turned his head to stare at the Shadow Creature, who's white eyes were staring unblinkingly back until it took a breath and looked away again.

...

"Your father killed Liki's parents."