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Chapter 2

Smoke billowed from the second floor's windows. Several large vehicles were surrounding the building and a mob of humanity was screaming up at the building. Gildedtongue kept hir head down as shi peered out of hir window, grunting lowly, "Frank, what the hell is all this? Who are they?"

"I don't know, but I'm guessing they're looking for their own justice," Frank thought quickly, wringing his hands, "We're going to have to get to the basement. Get below the flames."

Gildedtongue nodded as shi made hir way to the door. Shi paused to peek through; making sure no one else was there. Shi nodded to Frank who crept next to hir. The floors were warm on the chakat's bare feet as the fires raged in the level below. Gildedtongue shook hir head lightly, "Not sure how we'll get down, but we've got to try." The two approached the stairwell, a strong gust of heat only fanned by the screams for blood by the populous below.

Frank balked at the flame, trembling visibly as he witnessed Hell first hand. "I-I can't do this, Gildedtongue," the monsignor cowered behind the door, swallowing dryly.

Gildedtongue shook hir head and swore as shi closed hir eyes, snatching Frank and putting him on hir 'taur back, "I'm no hero, but I'm not about to let you die here." With that Gildedtongue burst into the fire.

The urine and vomit stained carpeting on the stairwell provided ample fuel for the blaze that engulfed both people as the chakat plunged into its belly. Hir eyes stung from the smoke and heat as shi only opened them to see where the flames burned hottest. Shi coughed out some smoke and hissed as shi felt hir sensitive whiskers get singed. Hir paws groped out in the fire as shi made hir way downstairs, feeling the coughing priest screaming more. Shi tried to ignore his wails, moving faster.

The fire continued to smother the two as the centauroid fought on, whimpering lightly as shi felt all four of hir lungs yearn for new oxygen. Shi knew that Frank must have been doing worse. Shi pried hir eyes open to catch a glimpse of sanctuary as shi gave a pounce forward. Gildy and Frank tumbled down the stairs to the base of the first level in relative safety.

Gildedtongue gave Frank a moment to revive himself. The priest patted down his clothing, finding most of the woolen uniform left only scathed. Most of Gildedtongue's fur had turned black from the ash and the flames, crisp and warm all over hir body; hir face drenched in sweat as they both panted.

Gildedtongue's ears swiveled towards the floor above, hearing young screams in the fires. The chakat bit hir lower lip hard, letting blood run down hir chin before starting to make hir way back up. Frank's hand shot out to grab Gildedtongue's tail, making hir turn around to see Frank, "No!" he screamed. The chakat pulled hir tail back angrily, starting back up before shi saw the floor of the third level come crashing down to the floor of the third level. The screams were stopped short.

The chakat's mouth was left agape, as shi couldn't quite comprehend what just happened. Frank gave another tug onto Gildedtongue's tail, starting to drag hir towards him. The two started towards the base floor, "Dammit, we've got to get out of here!" Frank continued to tug on Gildedtongue's arm as they made their way down.

The doors were opened wide for the emergency evacuation as the two saw that the mob of people had scattered for fear the building collapsing on them. Frank and Gildy stumbled out of the building, coughing heavily as they ran to the other side of the street. Gildy turned back to see hir home still flickering in its destruction. Hir coughing continued as shi tried to expel the smoke from hir lungs. Hir body retched as shi threw up bile and wine on the sidewalk. Frank held the trembling 'taur's shoulders as he looked around, "My car isn't far from here. C'mon, let's get you somewhere safe.

Frank drove an old hatchback that wasn't long for the world. Gildedtongue managed to get in the rear of the vehicle, trying not to take up all of Frank's rear view. The leonine 'taur grumbled a bit in the back, instinctively starting to lick the soot from hir fur, but coughed at the taste of smoke and toasted hair. Frank got in and revved up the engine. The car sputtered to life as it snuck its way through the streets of the slums. The two were silent through the trip as both went through the events through their mind. Gildedtongue watched hir apartment complex slowly disappear from view. Frank finally broke the silence, "There wasn't anything for you to do, Gildedtongue. I really didn't think they'd try anything on you this fast."

Gildedtongue blinked a bit back up to Frank, "They, them, who the hell are you talking about? Stop making my life some sort of conspiracy theory!" Gildedtongue yelped in exasperation. The car shook as Gildedtongue adjusted hirself, trying to get comfortable. Frank shrugged a bit as he shook his head.

"It is only thus as you seem convinced that you have no allies, Gildedtongue," he said, looking at his friend currently blocking hi rear mirror. They stopped at an intersection as Gildy gulped lowly, seeing if the cars stopped around Frank's car would recognize hir. Shi blinked to hirself and shook hir head a bit. Frank snickered a bit, "Not that your current sense of paranoia is completely without merit. It just saddens me that you feel such."

The car pulled out and started to the north. Gildedtongue remained silent for a moment before saying, "This isn't the way to your barracks." Shi blinked lightly as that paranoia seemed to build up in hir again. Shi hissed at hirself and swallowed it back down, trying not to be so concerned about every little thing.

"That's right, Gildy. I'm certainly not going to take you into the lion's den, if you'd forgive my irony," Frank chuckled a bit as he continued to move through the suburban landscape. Gildy blinked lightly to hirself as shi observed the homes, so much different than where hir apartment was. Shi had probably passed through this part of town a few times, but never really looked. The whole place felt very homely. "I'm taking you to Dreamweaver's home."

"Wait a minute, Frank! Think of the scandal! I couldn't stay with a stu..." Gildedtongue's words went dumb as shi gulped to hirself, shi obviously wasn't a teacher any more. Frank sighed softly as they drove on.

"I do want to thank you for saving my life, Gildedtongue," Frank said, looking back at the chakat. Gildedtongue shrugged and dismissed his words, saying that it was nothing. Frank shook his head softly, "No, I mean it. I was frozen in there and you dragged my sorry ass out of there. I owe you a great deal."

"I managed to save the hides of an old man and my own. What about those children in the house?" Gildedtongue asked, cocking hir head softly, grunting in disgust with hirself. Frank turned around slowly, looking back at Gildedtongue.

"Gildedtongue. You can't damn yourself simply for not being God," Frank sighed to himself as he pulled into a driveway, shutting down the engine before climbing out. Gildedtongue spilt out of the hatch with a slump, finding hir legs have fallen asleep. After a moment to regaining hir footing, shi and Frank rang the doorbell. A dark head peeked through the window, and then cautiously opened the door a crack.

"Who's there and what do you want?" The centauroid asked, obviously keeping most of hir bulk against the door. Gildedtongue and Frank exchanged glances for a moment before the priest spoke.

"Startail, it's me, Frank, we spoke on the communicator. I've got Gildedtongue. We'd certainly appreciate it if you'd let us in!" the monsignor chuckled nervously, blinking a bit. The feline's face changed for a moment as the door flung open, a black chakat, speckled with white spots wearing a vest nearly pounced atop of Gildedtongue. The leonine chakat's tail poofed up in surprised as shi found hirself in a tight hug.

"Erm, hello?" Gildedtongue said finally. Hir body had completely frozen up inside the embrace of the stranger. Shi gulped softly and slowly moved to pat the other chakat on the anthro back. "Maybe we should go inside." The other chakat's embrace loosened as hir face gained a tinge of red blush, ushering the two into hir home. The house had an unusually sterile feeling to it all, the lack of any odor except for the small bit of Dreamweaver told Gildedtongue that Startail and hir mate didn't spend much time at home.

A naked lynx faced chakat approached from the other end of the hallway, "Starry, have you seen the news? Some building caught on fire not too far away." Shi stopped and looked at the two new guests, immediately raising hir arms to cover hir bare breasts at the sight of the priest, "Um, hello." Frank shook his head and raised his hands.

"It's okay, Fire, we're amoung friends." Startail smiled a bit, bowing hir head to Gildedtongue and Frank, "I'm chakat Startail, child of Moonsong and Shadedancer. This is my lifemate." Shi said, putting hir hands on the other chakat's shoulders.

Shi purred and bowed hir head as well, "Chakat Firefoot, child of Raineyes and Jude." Gildedtongue nodded the two, cocking an eyeridge at Firefoot. It wasn't unheard of for chakats to change their names at their coming of age, but this was certainly one of the rare occasions shi had heard of a chakat changing their names to a more religious name. That or Firefoot's grandparents named hir sire after a saint, even more rare. Gildedtongue mentally threw that piece of trivia into the back of hir tired mind.

Frank smiled softly, "Monsignor Frank Johnson of the diocese of St. Altretic." The human looked around a bit at the two relatively quiet hosts. Understanding their apprehension, he smiled softly, "Don't worry, I'm interpretive rather than fundamental."

Firefoot exhaled has shi finally lowered hir arms from hir bosom. Much like the religious and political conflicts of the old, things tended to boil down to progression versus tradition. While no official political parties exist in the Kingdom, many refer to themselves as either interpretive or fundamental, stating how they felt how the Bible should be followed. That being said, it has been a long, long time since an Interpretive person has been in any real power. Gildedtongue took the silence as hir cue to speak, "Ah, heh, I'm chakat Gildedtongue, child of Gladelong and Creekstripe. Thank you both for lett..."

Gildedtongue's words were cut off by a sudden muzzleful of chakat bosom as shi was hugged tightly a second time. The chakat's body once again seemed to go as ridged as a rail, eyes wide and hir hearts slamming in hir chest. Startail and Frank chuckled at the sight before Startail tapped hir mate's shoulder, "I think Gildedtongue would like some air."

Firefoot shook hir head a bit, purring loudly as shi continued to hug the older chakat, "Nope, going to smother hir. Least I could do for hir for what shi did." Gildedtongue's eyes went a little wide as shi felt hir loins starting to react to the position, finally moving hir paws to gently push the other chakat away, standing up quickly to let hirself slide back into hir sheath.

"Heh, tha-thank you two." Gildedtongue muttered, hir ears as bright red as hir mane. Shi shook hir head again, grunting softly to hirself. "That fire occurred at my home, shir Firefoot." The chakat said, gulping as shi rubbed the back of hir neck, wincing at the slightly raw skin from exposure. In the light of the entryway, shi could see that Frank was black and red from ash and flame. His clothing hid any charring in the black. Hir own tattered shirt was reduced to strands, leaving most of hir body bare. The chakat gulped and nervously raised hir arms to cross over the front of hir body. "I could really use a shower and a new top, if it isn't too much of a bother."

Firefoot nodded, gulping and feeling a bit put off when Gildedtongue pushed hir away. Shi looked down the hall, "You can use the master bath, just inside that room and to the left." Gildedtongue nodded and excused hirself. Shi watched as the two chakats lead Frank into the kitchen, while the priest started to relate the events.

Gildedtongue looked over the amenities. Nothing one would find on videos of wealthy people's homes, but certainly more posh than the chakat ever knew. Shi clamoured into the shower stall after throwing out hir ruined top, purring loudly as shi felt the warm water cascade over hir body, being a long time since a good warm shower. Gildedtongue looked over the fur shampoos, trying to economize on it, not wanting to indulge too much on the kindness of this mostly strange family.

The soot and ash washed off of the chakat easily, not having enough time to settle in hir fur. The blackened spots along hir arms and legs, though, were seared hair and will only wash out by having new hairs grow in. Gildedtongue closed hir eyes slowly, feeling the water cascade over hir form, drawing the day down into the inky black of the drain.

The calming effects of the shower drew the chakat's mind out of the initial shock of the fire and the flight, as it finally started to process it. Hir possessions were all destroyed, even down to the clothes on hir back. Shi never got to know any of hir neighbours well, but now, thanks to hir, their own homes and lives taking a heavy turn to the worst. And those children...

Gildedtongue curled into the corner of the shower, feeling tears mix in with the water splashing along hir face. Hir hands gripped at hir shoulders as the prickling of hir claws teased against hir flesh. The chakat felt another wretch of nausea attack her, but as shi coughed there was nothing left to purge. Shi lifted a trembling hand to slowly close the faucet running the shower, not wanting to waste too much water.

The older chakat wrapped around hirself, shivering visably, trying not to cry, but hir body wasn't listening. A head popped into the bathroom, followed by a young body carrying a load of towels and a new shirt. Gildedtongue heard a whine from outside the shower, so shi slowly poked hir head around to see Dreamweaver shivering slightly. Gildedtongue sighed to hirself, cursing to hirself and how even the most minor psychic ability leaves some without the ability to have a breakdown in peace.

"D-Dreamweaver. It's all right. I'm just really stressed out." The older chakat started to step out of the shower, but stopped and hid hir body, not wanting to stand naked in front of hir student. The younger chakat's muzzle trembled for a moment before dropping the fabrics and leaving the room in a hurry. Gildedtongue sighed to hirself, reaching for the first towel to start drying off hir fur.