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Astaroth A new world and a new nightmare 1.

To my readers: This was going to be my last work on Yiffstar.com. but I saw that I have a moderate response to my stories so I will continue. I have announced that I will make a furry Dungeons and Dragons module to play since I got some good responses from some people also, but it mat take some time. My question to you readers will be... Would you want a yiffy story? If you like so E-mail me some requests. Please rate this story, okay?

When the male fox woke up from traveling thru the dimensional portal he realized that his family was in a sandy desert covered with volcanic gray sand. Just where the hell did that crazy bat send them? William almost wet his pants on the spot when he saw four moons in the sky.

Have they been transported to another world? His muzzle hung open as he reached for Kate and tried to wake her up.

He stammered: 'Katherine, for God's sake wake up!' Kate exclaimed: 'William, what's wrong? Oh, my god...' Katherine squealed and almost fainted when she realized were she was.

The foxes hugged each other and the still unconscious Jalaxian cat. When Amanda woke up she hyperventilated as she hugged back her parents with a look of horror.

William made a supreme effort to remain calm as the coldly said: 'Now Astaroth, would you explain us what came into your mind when you brought us here?'

Aster stammered: ' I'm sorry Mom, Daddy and Amanda, but I didn't want you to get hurt. You already know that the lizard which you hired to baby-sit me was shot to death and wasn't able to make it. I failed to teleport her to safety and I do not want to experience again the death of my family'. The cub continued: 'I do NOT know the reason why we were hunted but we had to run for our lives.' 'The apartment in which we stayed minutes ago right now is a disintegrated heap of black ruble'.

William nodded as the facts sank in and he realized the gravity of the situation: 'So what do we do now'. Aster replied: 'I will find some food and shelter, so stay close to each other and don't make unnecessary noises'.

Moments later the cub found his family curled around each other to fight the cold. He told them about a small cave just three mile from their current position so he guided them to the shelter telepathically, making sure they wouldn't be surprised by any predators. Once inside Amanda started to make a fire as the rest of the family collected fruit, nuts, berries and small non-morph rabbits to eat.

The next day Aster was carrying some fruit for his family when he noticed a shiny object near him. It was an arrow. When the bat picked the arrow he felt a strong sensation, like the echoes of a multitude holding a conversation in the opposite side of a narrow hallway. It was a feeling of multiple minds reverberating thru the Ether.

The bat informed what he found and how he felt to his family. The cub said the mental trace felt like it has originated three or four miles away to the north. They decided to travel to this town or village and explore it to know if the dwellers were friendly enough or not, and if the family could join the villagers if they welcomed the foxes (increasing their chances of survival). The travel itself took three days but it could have taken more if the bat didn't use dimensional portals to cut short the travel.

They used the bat's telepathic abilities to help them stay away from danger as they approached what looked like a city with high stonewalls, dome-shaped roofs and slender chimney-like air ducts to let the wind lower the temperature inside the buildings.

The city was made out of stone, adobe and timber columns for structural support. The trapezoid-shaped buildings were painted in bright oranges, greens and cobalt blue. If they were surprised to find a pair of fox-taurs who greeted them as they crossed the bronze city gates, they were speechless when they saw Lion-taurs, small dog-like beings with scaly skin, anthropomorphic hyenas, and all sorts of anthropomorphic animals of ALL KINDS, but NO humans. The fortified town was bursting with activity like an anthill. Everybody was working repairing the roofs, taking care of the reptilian cattle or carrying provisions. The food and provisions for the city dwellers looked quite plentiful for such a primitive place.

The Dickinson family felt a sense of peace and quiet everywhere, but Astaroth felt an insignificant chime thru the ether, akin to a feeling of apprehension and...terror? The vulpine couple were used to relate with humans, so when they saw themselves surrounded by furres, they thought they were back on Aspartia. They took the rejuves by their paws and began to explore the city. The foxes noticed that Astaroth had a grin spreading from ear to ear.

When they asked him why and he said: 'This is like one of the fairy tales my first mother told me about. She told me about a furry paradise, a perfect world in which there was nothing to fear, to crimes, no hunger or violence, nothing bad. It's like a fairy tale that came to life'.

'I supposed this was because my family lived in a harsh place'. Then Aster began to remember the weird dream that he had while traveling thru the dimensional portal. But... those images that he saw were dreams of a dead family that he longed, or glimpses of alternate realities in a multidimensional universe.

William saw that everyone lived well and there was no police or guards in the city, only on the doors and in the watchtowers outside. Even though the technology seemed from the dark ages everyone looked fine. The cub's face became one of sadness as he began to remember his family.

Katherine picked him up and cradled him: 'Don't worry little one, you will never be alone.' She tried to cheer him up but his face only brightened for a brief moment. She decided to breastfeed him so she took off her blouse and began to feed the bat. Amelia peeled some fruit for her step-brother.

When the foxes kneel down to rest a bell began to toll as all activities ceased and the furries began to prostrate themselves. The Dickinson family looked around and saw that all the furries of all ages began to chant in a strange language. Cubs, females, males of all ages and occupations, workers, soldiers, merchants, stone cutters, ironsmiths.

Even elders who were helped by relatives lay down as their chanting began to get louder as it turned into a melodious howling that reverberated thru the city. Not knowing why but the foxes made a reverence and started to howl as well. Soon the rejuves joined and Aster's body began to glow with a green light that turned into a multi-colored aura. The chanting ceased and the activities resumed with an air of peace and solemnity everywhere.

When the cub's feeding resumed and the vixen started to caress him a high- ranking priest sphinx and a commissar raccoon walked by.

The sphinx gave the mother and son a scornful look: 'I do not understand how did she dare to feed a scorpion'. He was more revolted when the cub kissed her all over the face and adopted what the sphinx interpreted as a submissive posture.

The sphinx thought: 'Now I have seen the unthinkable. A domesticated pit-viper. Weird, that female is not wearing a dress from nearby villages. They must be foreigners!' The cub's eyes began to glow like green searchlights giving the surprised sphinx an idea of the cub's true nature. Just as mother and son walked away the sphinx whispered something to the raccoon that ran away with a message scroll.

The bat just finished eating and began to explore on his own when he found a group of Lion-taur cubs and began to watch them from an adobe hut ceiling. One of the cubs noticed him and they started to throw stones, dried shit and rotten garbage at him. The cubs expected him to retaliate, and when he didn't they believed that he was an easy victim, so they chased him. A young lioness nearly stumbled with him. She kissed him and caressed his face as he nearly melted on her hands. When he tried to kiss her back an angry shout stopped him on his tracks, as he realized that the lions were near. The young lioness signaled him an escape route and she tried to distract the lion cubs that were chasing him.

Aster told her before leaving: 'I promise that I will remember this act of kindness. Thanks'. The bat knew that his mother would punish him harshly if she believed he started some trouble so he flew to her side. The vixen just saw that his cub was barely hit with a stone. Just as she picked up the heavy paddle and grabbed the bat by the neck he sent her a mental image of what has happened. She nodded, as she was satisfied with what she felt knowing that the cub couldn't send her a false image to protect himself.

When the lion cubs saw the vixen with the heavy paddle giving them a murderous look they almost tripped with one another as they ran away. She gave the whimpering cub a harsh lecture: 'I was going to give you a harsh punishment for getting separated from me and I thought you started that trouble. But what I saw inside my mind convinced me that it wasn't your fault, so I won't make tonight's punishment a harsh one but you still GOT IT!'

The bat whispered: ' I'm sorry I got away without your permission'. 'I just wanted to see the place without being noticed. I won't separate from you for the rest of the day, promise'. The vixen nodded in approval and went to join his mate.

William told her: 'Remember the Ivory tusks that we buried in the gray sand last night. Well, a street vendor told me that Ivory was a currency around here so we could use the tusks to buy tools and survival gear'.

In that moment one of the fox-taurs came and offered them a place to stay for the night. The Dickinson's accepted cheerfully. When they came into the guard's house they saw that the place was as big as the Dickinson's former home. Then the adults started to chat as Katherine excused herself and went back with a green bamboo branch. She took the little bat and gave him four swats with the bamboo branch and twenty-five to the female cat. Both rejuves howled as the green flexible branch burned and itched like hell.

The male fox-taur was puzzled and told William: 'Were did you get that bat'.

William lied: 'Oh, he was given to our care by his uncle after his family died in a fire.'

The male fox-taur responded: 'Is curious that you are taking care of him, he's not even a fox'. Kate said: ' It's all right. He's a loving creature'.

She called Aster: 'Come here little fennec!'

William was puzzled that she called the cub that way but he made the connection: 'Oh, yeah! The big ears!'

Aster was startled as he began to penetrate into the fox-taur's mind: * 'They have no idea that this bat will get them into a heap of trouble'. Astaroth began to shed off his clothes. Aster continued to hear into the guard's mind: * 'Wait! The cub has no marks or tattoos of the assassin's guild!'

The guard asked: ' I'm sorry to ask but I'm curious. May I ask how did the family died?'

William told him: 'Well the family died in a fire and only Aster and his sister survived after the fishing boat in which they lived caught fire. His uncle brought him and got him healed just as he went to bring medicines for his family. Aster began to lick the guard's paw as the giant gray fox began to caress the cub's head and back. The guard felt the bat's rugged skin beneath the cream colored fur and concluded that they were telling the truth.

A gray female fox-taur came with dishes of meat for the foxes and jar with milk for the rejuves, and fish for the cat. The giant fox told his wife: 'Bring me the usual, but no beer and some salad'. The wife nodded as she went to the kitchen. She took a piece of papyrus and wrote a message.

She tied the message with a stone and threw it to a mouse that was waiting outside. The mice memorized the message: "Your sacred holiness: The family seems trusting and honest people, but they have a bat which is of NO treat to anyone and it's docile. However, the family is nervous and they are hiding something about them or him. Surveillance will be continued as commanded". The mice burned the papyrus and ran away. The female gray fox came with another tray of food as the adult males began discussing how to transport the ivory tusks. The elders and rejuves began to say "Good Bye" to each other as they went to sleep.

The next morning when he males went to the desert to find the ivory when Aster told them: 'I can cut short your traveling time'. Before William could object Aster opened a portal: 'By the gods! He's an alpha telepath! Or perhaps a beta.'

William responded: 'what do you mean? You acted like you recognized that happened to him! Do you know of any others like him?' The guard stammered: ' That's correct. The high priests have a record of all the mayor and minor telepaths all over the three continents and their bloodlines. If somebody would know about him they would kidnap him and make a big profit from him.' William asked why.

The guard responded: 'Even if you didn't wear foreign clothes you are definitely an outsider. A telepath could survive anywhere, and his abilities could be used for anything, including assassination. In fact there is a whole clan of bats dedicated to that task.' William responded: 'What they could do with a bat so young? He has only four years old.' The giant fox nodded: 'I told you too much for your own good'. ' It's unheard that such a young furry could have so much power. They usually start developing their powers at fourteen or fifteen years old'.

William said coldly: 'You will not tell this to anyone or your family will suffer the same fate at his'. The giant gray fox stared at nowhere as he realized that he got into a problem that is too big for him. But the guard just made the wrong conclusion for the death of the bat's family.

He thought: * 'So much for obeying orders. Now my whole family's neck is under the blade'.

The giant gray fox hugged and kissed his cubs, two males and one female when he came home. The guard said nothing but the little gray foxes sensed that he was saying farewell as tears formed in guard's eyes. Then he addressed he little bat: 'Can you do something to save my family'.

Astaroth said: 'I cannot assure you that your family will survive but I will do my best'. He felt it was better not to tell the gray fox about what happened to his baby-sitter. Then he began to realize that this place was not a utopia but a travesty. Sure the people were healthy, well feed and "secure (??!!)". But what kind of price they were paying? He felt a sense of oppression and fear in the spirits of these furries but he could not precise the cause.

He felt he could know were to find the answers.

So he went near the sphinx's house to learn more. He didn't know why but even a non-telepath furry would sense some hostility in that sphinx's mind. It was a late afternoon so the sphinx would be at one of the communal gardens inside the city. The male sphinx was strolling with a lone bodyguard. The small bat decided to present himself only in his fur with no clothes. The sphinx gave him a piercing look that looked like it would penetrate his soul. The little bat walked slowly to him, not giving him any motives to call the guard whom the cub thought should be nearby.

The sphinx was simply outraged: 'What do you want filthy little creature?'

The cub simply responded: 'Why do you call me that way? You can clearly see that I have no marks of the assassin's guild and I am literally naked and unarmed. The only protections that I have are my wings. I have no interest I hurting you since I don't know you. But I want all the information you can give me'.

The sphinx roared: 'I will give you nothing. Even though you are no an assassin you are still a danger to this community. Tell me are you trying to conquer us.'

The bat shook his head. 'Then you are trying to infect us with foreign ideas about how we should live our lives. But you will not succeed'. At that moment the figure of a sinister creature that had a monstrous face like a purple squid began to appear inside the cub's mind with such strength that the cub almost fainted.

The bat told him: 'Now I understand. You have screamed that I was an enemy of your city but I sense a lot of fear inside you. And I think you are the most scared because you, you ... have made an unholy pact will endanger this people and YOU know it all!

The sphinx went pale and screamed for guards as the cub went into a dimensional portal.

An Aardvark assassin and the lioness that helped Astaroth earlier appeared out of nowhere: 'Your excellence is in danger?' The sphinx lied to the bodyguard: 'There was a small psychic bat here a moment ago, seize him and interrogate him.

He had no marks but I think he was trained by the assassin's guild.' The Aardvark reasoned like an automaton and said: 'He couldn't have gone far with those small wings'.

The lioness spoke: 'Father, you just mentioned that there was an alpha or beta psychic bat here? The sphinx answered: 'That's correct Lydia, but he flew away'. Lydia replied: 'Those assassins are strong as iron but have a brain like a pebble '. She continued: 'I have an idea that might work but is risky'. 'I will need the help of my brothers'. The sphinx smiled: 'Do what you can to get him but don't get into a dangerous situation'. She said: 'I will trap him like a rabbit'.

As Aster was crossing the portal he gave to the male foxes a mental command in which he said he had discovered an immensely huge amount of ivory. The message just hit the greedy foxes as they decided not to waste the opportunity. They were puzzled when Aster requested that the females and cubs would also get to help. So everyone got it's digging gear and went to the hunt. The other guards were envious about the loot that the foxes would carry back as they saw the greedy look on the foxes' faces as they grinned.

The bat appeared out of nowhere and told them that there was a danger incubating inside the city like a growing infestation of gangrene. The gray foxes wouldn't believe him but the Dickinson foxes didn't hesitate to follow him. As they went to their cave Astaroth told the family of gray Fox-taurs: 'I did hold my end of the bargain and warned you but you won't listen. I would not want to cry again if all of you got killed but only you can save yourselves'. The gray foxes were undecided about what to do, but after a moment of doubt they followed the Dickinson family to the cave. As they did they saw that looked like two dozens of crudely made scarecrows in 'X' shaped crosses nailed to the ground.

The bat took a closer look before the gray fox would warn him. When the wind hit directly to him he cub smelled stench of rotting corpses. Then the cub realized the true nature of the grotesque figures he just saw and he became revolted.

THEY'RE DEAD! The little cub began to tremble like a leaf: 'These furries were executed'. Everyone gasped as they began to mumble among themselves.

The giant gray fox said: 'I think this is the handiwork of bat assassins. I tried to warn you'. Kate said: 'I noticed that Astaroth got attacked by a group of lions'. The Guard added: 'Yes, In the times of the old monarchy bat mercenaries were used as the palace's elite guard. But they changed from mercenaries to a band of guerrilla soldiers who used cutthroats and assassins. This happened before the civil war that changed this country's regime from a dozen of monarchies to a centralized theocracy'. 'The prophecy claimed that from the ashes of the total war would arise a 'kingdom of peace' that would be embraced by the furs of the entire planet.

The last statement is the law and holy word of our priests.' Aster felt like the fox-taur was telling a half-truth about those killed furres. Were they really criminals, scapegoats, or they were tired of all this situation and spoke against the regime?

Astaroth got separated form the adults. He went to a nearby tree and picked some purple flowers to place them at the feet of the dead to begin a prayer. Aster's big ears picked a sound of a hind paw crushing leaves. When he turned around he saw the same lioness that distracted the lions who were chasing him in the city.

She waved her paw: 'Hiya, my name is Lydia. What's yours?' Aster blushed as he stammered: ' I- I'm Astaroth Ankh, but you can call me Aster'.

Lydia said: 'Are you alone? (This one is more stupid that he looks). He answered: 'No, my stepsister is nearby (There's something I do not like in her. She's blocking her mind with all kinds of unrelated thoughts). She offered him a wineskin full of water. He took the wineskin and smelled it before tasting a little and threw the wineskin to the floor.

The lioness was shocked when he threw the drugged water so she whistled. A small dart flew thru the air and struck the cub's shoulder. She waved her paw again as the gang of lions who chased the bat inside the city appeared out of a camouflage netting. She said as the cub's facial expression was filled with surprise: 'Well done brothers'. Amanda was surrendered herself to the lions without resistance when she saw that Aster was held unconscious and could get hurt. But she knew that if Aster could regain consciousness they could have a chance of escaping.

The sphinx was grinning now that the cub was held prisoner. The bat's eyes began to glow again as he tried to read the sphinx's thoughts. The sphinx was happy because everything was happening the way he wanted. He said to his new slave: 'I know you tried to read my thoughts, but you will never get this key. This key opens all the doors in the stronghold and shutdowns all the traps, it will never open those shackles until the day you die'. The pair of wolf guards pulled the huge bronze doors and there was in the center of the room a gigantic black dragon reclined on a dais. He grinned as he saw the captives. He spoke softly but his voice rumbled thru the hall like a waterfall: 'So this is the dangerous assassin that you told me about sphinx? A four year old cub, with some telepathic, teleportation and pyrokinetic abilities.' The dragon examined the cub's aura as he began to laugh hard.

The dragon spoke again: 'MMmmm, let's see. I got it! I'm very surprised to see that some of you are still around.' 'An alpha male is hard to find, but one so young that even the wolves can torture and break into complete submission is a true gift.' 'Tell me sphinx, you wanted this one for you? This one is so young, it wasn't trained as an assassin and has no marks. He doesn't look like he belongs to any guild and even with complete training he's so weak he wouldn't kill a mouse.'

'His teleportation powers are nearly at my level but he got no offensive of defensive powers'. The dragon began to think about the usefulness of this cub and his potential as a slave/assassin. The dragon began to roar with laughter again as he saw the frustrated faces of the sphinx priest and the lioness.

The lioness addressed to his father: 'I thought I could rape him to make myself pregnant and sell my children to slavery. Or perhaps give some of them as slaves to the dragon in exchange of a priestess crown'. The sphinx muttered: 'That would be good if you want the scraps from the table and not a whole banquet. You will only be a priestess when the sun freezes over, even if you had more brains and ambition'. Now don't bother me, I have plans of that puny little bat '.

That priceless expression of surprise and anger in both the lioness and the sphinx amused the dragon but for some reason the dragon didn't comprehend why the sphinx just kept his mind in blank. This action puzzled the dragon even more. What did the sphinx was trying to hide by blocking his mind?

The huge dragon began to lift forcefully the bat like a rag doll and began to twist his arm. A wolf guard grabbed the female cat and began to rub her breast while pressing his erection against her. The other wolf was pointing his spear at her while he was watching lewdly. His body became aroused with the lascivious scene.

Aster suddenly felt the presence of angry minds thru the ether. At the same time the dragon smiled as he signaled the wolf that was watching Amanda. The dragon ordered the wolf to go to the garrison with a message. The panic stricken wolf took a papyrus from the sphinx priest and ran out. Suddenly several dimensional portals appeared as a group of bats began to appear armed with halberds and crossbows.

The dragon began to laugh maniacally as his eyes began to glow with a blue light as the bronze door began to close and lock itself. In the melee that followed the bats began to surprise the dragon but he began to attack with a merciless fire-breath to everyone on the air or the ground. Amanda used the confusion to escape her captor, as the wolf that held her forcefully moments ago became a charred blackened corpse. The bat assassins started to fell like flies as one dropped a red grenade-like object. Aster fell to the floor and began to run but the dragon cornered him. Aster began to open a portal but the dragon blocked the path and caught him.

The dragon muttered: 'Give me your thoughts little one.' The dragon established a mental link so they would transmit each other's thoughts. Aster used this opportunity to send a mental image. 'WHAT?!', the dragon roared as Aster sent a telepathic message to him.

Amanda grabbed the grenade of a fallen soldier and threw it to the dragon. The grenade only hurt the dragon and he dropped the cub to the floor. This event gave Aster time to escape thru the portal with Amanda. The sphinx and the lioness used the confusing melee to escape to an underground tunnel. Aster began to open several portals for the uninjured soldiers so they could escape.

As the group of bats escaped the dragon ordered the wolf: 'It is too late for you to come with a cohort to protect me. Now don't be nervous, it wasn't your fault. It was mine since I was overconfident and wasn't able to kill them all. But I have another task for you. Get ready the torture chamber'. The wolf winced as he mistakenly thought what was waiting for him. He asked: 'It's for the bats who haven't escaped?' The dragon answered as he smiled: 'No, It's for a very special guest'.

Just as the lioness and the sphinx opened the bronze door to the secret passage a pair of wolves spotted them. At the same moment that the sphinx began to walk to the guards to deceive them, the lioness panicked and escaped closing the tunnel door behind her. She just snickered as she sentenced her father to death.

She thought: ' I'm sorry father, but you said that I would only triumph if I had more ambition and brains'. The sphinx fought as he was grabbed by his mane and began to struggle against the increasing number of club wielding wolves. In a moment the sphinx was overwhelmed as they clubbed him until he was unconscious. The wolves carried the lion's body to the torture chamber. The lioness screamed when she realized that he had the key. Now she would have to wait until the guards got her or die of starvation, or meet a certain death as she crossed the trip wired tunnels. She began to cry bitterly like a newborn cub as she waited for her own demise.

The bats were happy that they escaped with most of their own members. They began to dance with the bat as they gave him as cloak and made him an "honorary soldier". Aster was grinning like somebody told them a joke and Amanda asked him why.

Aster answered: 'The dragon was right when he said that he priest wanted me. But the priest didn't want to sell me into slavery. He wanted my abilities to send the dragon into a trap and send a cohort of Aardvark assassins to kill him so he could take the dragon's place. Now that the dragon knows this he will send his assassins for the priest's head. Normally that would mean nothing but thanks to the link I established with dragon I knew the priest was also his only right hand and the one who controls all the neighborhood commissars in the city. If he kills him out of whim, the dragon will have no one in charge of controlling his ring of cutthroats and informants in this land. Without the power of the commissars the regime will loose control in the city and they will be blind. The regime will be more vulnerable.'

Amanda smiled: 'So that's why you gave him that message'. Aster was puzzled: 'How did you know I used my mind?' Amanda replied: 'I saw the green glow in your eyes'. Amanda said: 'I wonder if the dragon will purge more collaborators. Well even if he doesn't every regional leader and commissar will start to literally kill each other for the priest's place'.

Aster smiled: 'Oh, I hope so'. 'The regime will be quite unstable and will lose effectiveness if they start fighting among each other and do not find a good second in command to run the day to day operations. This will cause more damage than the death of their leader, and that dragon wasn't an effective one'. 'Yes. He controlled everyone thru fear'. But Aster was worried about two things: one was the ugly riot that would start inside the city as the fighting began, killing more innocents. Second, who was the powerful creature he saw inside the priest's mind?

El Fin/ The End