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Carnal Combat

Parting Ways

By FJE http://www.furaffinity.net/user/emerson/

10/11/08

Disclaimer: This story contains graphic sex between adults. There's likely to be bondage, hardcore sex, softcore sex, tentacle sex, ninja sex, ninja beatings, ninjas beating off, and other unspeakable acts. If you are not of age to view this stuff, or if it might make you cry, please don't read it. Thanks.

It had been too long since he'd seen the ocean.

Spectre breathed in deep, taking in the salty sea air. A slightly chilled wind kicked up off the water and against his face, encouraging him to pull up the collar of a heavy cloth coat he was wearing. Gone were his fighting garments; here, away from the fighting and the Arenas, he wore a simple tunic and set of pants.

True, he had been raised in Yokoto, seat of the House of Stone, and the Cliffs of Dover were not far away; there, you could overlook the western sea. Here, on the docks of Ludin - capital of the province of the House of Fog - there was something different. There were fishing boats and leisure vessels, there was a long strip of shops and watering holes, and there were the locals.

The locals made the most difference. The way they sailed their boats and pulled in their nets, the way they worked and lived in the foggy salt air. It was as much a part of them as they were a part of their city and, perhaps, a part of the sea itself.

Six weeks had passed since the atrocities at the Hall of Combat. Word had spread quickly through the land. There was fear and confusion and even an aura of mistrust. Each House seemed at a loss as to how to handle the sudden removal of the Grandmaster. The Houses were now like a headless body; there were capable arms to be sure, but no brain to guide them.

Much to his personal amazement, it was Kaine - now Master of the House of Shadow - who stepped to the forefront of the chaos. He had managed to pull the Houses together, at least to a degree, and form some sort of temporary leadership.

The Master of each House had come to Ludin. Ludin was determined to be the safest refuge for the last leaders of the land. The city was a seaport, protected on three sides by the great western sea. The fourth side was a narrow strip of land, just big enough for the main road, connecting the peninsula that Ludin sat on to the main land. Not only would it be an easy to defend point, but it was far from the land that the House of Exile had claimed, and in the event that they managed to push as far as Ludin the Masters could easily board a boat and escape up the coastline. Being the only seaport of all the Houses, the House of Fog controlled the ocean.

Not long after the Masters had arrived, a general summon went out to any and all sanctioned Combatants from all the Houses. Many had already arrived, and now waited for their next command.

Spectre was broken from his thoughts by the sound of a slight scuffle behind him. He had been standing at the edge of the boarded walk that ran along the city's edge, to which all of the piers connected. The walk was framed on one side by the piers and on the other by shops and bars; it was from one of these bars that Spectre had emerged, and from there that the sound of the scuffle was coming.

He listened carefully, not bothering to turn around and look. It was clear what was happenening. The bouncers had ejected an unruly patron, likely drunk...no, definitely drunk. Apparently he was bothering one of the barmaids.

"It ain't even dark yet!" the drunk yelled, kicking the bar door as it was closed on him. "Wankers!"

Spectre smiled gently as the drunk stumbled down the docks a bit, muttering to himself. He hadn't gone but a few steps when a young girl accidentally bumped him, spilling a few pieces of fruit out of a basket she was carrying.

"Oh...sorry 'bout that sir. My mistake," she said, leaning down to pick up her dropped parcels. She seemed to think nothing of the accidental collision, but the drunk was taking it much harder.

"Y'bet yur' ass it is," he growled, grabbing the girl's arm. "Y'owe me a bit more'n'a 'pology."

"What? Let me go...you, hey! Help!"

Spectre could hear a few of the fishermen shouting at the drunk as they tried to pull their boats in to help. He shook his head and shouted out, still not turning his gaze from the ocean.

"Hey, leave the girl be, friend. Go home and sober up. The world's got enough problems in it today, right?"

The drunk stopped, staring at Spectre's back for a moment. "I ain't yer' friend," he finally said, letting the girl go as he stalked towards the mephit. "An'I ain't n'problem."

"You are now," Spectre sighed. "Don't be rowdy."

"Ey', fuck you, you no gooooooWAHHH!"

The drunk, who Spectre could now see was a incredibly ragged looking cat, tried to shove the mephit from behind. To the cat's surprise, Spectre was untouchable; when his paw hit the skunk's back, he went right through him, losing his balance before he tumbled headfirst into the ocean with a loud splash.

Spectre smiled. Ever since the Hall of Combat, Combatants had found that their powers were accessible anywhere, not just the Hall, or in Arenas. It was strange, to be able to summon that sort of talent in the streets.

It was also frightening. Not only could experience Combatants call on this power now, but the average layman seemed to be slowly gaining access to it, or so it seemed. There had been reports of individuals who had never received training in the disciplines and manipulations of the energy suddenly showing a small degree of control over it.

The Masters and Sensei claimed to have deduced the reason for this strange occurrence, and that was why all of the sanctioned Combatants had been called to Ludin. The reason was to be divulged to them, and then instructions given on how the situation would be handled.

As the drunk feline sputtered in the water, several of the fishermen were pulling their boats near, laughing heartily as they yanked the drenched cat from the bay.

Spectre started to turn away. As he did, he caught sight of someone approaching him. They were smiling, clearly recognizing him, but it took him a moment to place the face. When he did, he was slightly surprised, and embarrassed that he hadn't recognized them sooner. He was sure the puzzlement, and embarrassment, showed on his face.

"Spectre! I thought that was you," said Hikaro, trotting up a few steps towards the skunk. If he was aware that the skunk didn't recognize him at first, he wasn't showing it.

"I doubt you'll find many mephits who look like me, Hikaro," he said, shaking the rabbit's paw.

During Spectre's first Tournament, he had been kidnapped and held captive by the reptilian girl Selena, from the House of Shadow. While he was being held, he had met Selena's other captive: Hikaro, from the House of Sand, captured at the preceding Tournament and thought dead. He hadn't seen the rabbit since the Tournament ended, over a year ago.

"True," Hikaro said, looking down at the fishermen now dealing with the intoxicated feline. "Trouble?"

"Not really. Local color."

"Ahh. Hey, it's good to see you. I heard you were at the Hall when...when everything happened. Wish I could have been there to help."

"No, you don't," Spectre said. "You would have been a big help, but don't wish for that. That's not the kind of baggage you want."

Hikaro shrugged. "I don't mind baggage if it's helping a friend. Or helping towards a greater good...which, you've got to admit, saving the world qualifies as."

"Yeah, I guess those are the stakes," Spectre said with a smirk.

"Yup. So is everyone from your House here? I came out with Suki and a few others."

"For the most part. Daichi and I came out with our old Sensei. Most of our friends and students are here now, but I think there were a few stragglers. Is Dusk here?"

"Yeaaaaaah," Hikaro said, making a face as he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Yeah, he's here. Don't plan on seeing him much, though. He's taking the thing with his sister...badly."

"How bad?"

"Bad," the rabbit said simply. "Hey, I was about to go to get a meal. Care to help me find a decent place?"

Spectre shrugged. "Sure. Might as well enjoy the foreign food while the town is still tolerating us.

* * *

Deep below the Temple of Fog, several feet below ground and through many winding, patrolled corridors, walked M. He was dressed in a regal kimono, the sort of expensive grab that spoke of someone who was to be honored and respected; a ceremonial katana hung low at his hip. The fox grinned faintly as several guards bowed at his passing. He would have never been able to afford such high end clothing otherwise, nor would he have been discreetly placed on so many high class guest lists. It was just one of the many perks of working for the Grandmaster's secret sect.

The former Grandmaster's secret sect, that was.

The Chinmoku-Ta had barely reorganized themselves in the year between being re-commissioned by Nicodemus and the recent death of the Grandmaster. With no discernable head, the task of leadership seemed poised to fall on M's shoulders.

Then, rescue came from an unlikely source. Kaine was familiar with the Chinmoku-Ta due to his time as Champion and right-hand to the previous Grandmaster, Nobu Ra' Chi. Now serving as the Master of the House of Shadow, Kaine was slowly stepping up to take on a stronger presence amongst the Houses. Much to M's surprise, Kaine approached him and negotiated a deal to serve as the Chinmoku-Ta's new head, with M as their top operative, reporting to Kaine directly.

The fox was happy to make the deal. It would let him keep an eye on Kaine (who he still didn't trust completely), and yet continue to do what he enjoyed: Undercover work in the field.

That work was precisely what he was being called away from that evening. He had been at a upper-class dinner, where he'd been carefully placed to try and investigate rumors of sympathizers - perhaps outright spies - for Nobu Chao Heng's renegade House of Exiles. While mingling at the dinner, he'd received word that he was needed at the Temple.

So he made his way down those quiet halls until he came to one of his fellow operatives at the end of one of the side corridors. M approached the beaver, who was standing there looking perplexed, but clearly relieved to see the fox.

"Problems?" M asked.

"Sort of," the beaver said. "The diplomats are at it again. You know those two Exiles that were caught out at the Hall?"

M nodded. "The lion and the rabbit. What about them?"

The beaver snorted. "We JUST got them for interrogation a few days ago. You wouldn't believe what we went through to get them released into our custody. Anyhow, we've been at 'em since we got 'em, but they're though. We can't get either of 'em to crack, and Master Kaine really feels they're the leads we need to figure out what Chao Heng is up to."

M thought for a moment. Formal interrogations weren't his forte. He was much better at getting confessions out of targets in the field, not in cramped little interrogation rooms.

An idea quickly popped into the fox's head.

"Pack them both up, but keep them separated. Bring them both out to that big field on the south east edge of the city. Wait for me there."

"Well, alright. What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to prepare a more comfortable working environment. Make sure the prisoners are undressed appropriately."

* * *

Amber liquid poured out smoothly into a large pewter mug, splashing and foaming against the sides as it rose perilously towards the top. Setta pulled the bottle that the liquid poured from back at the last second, causing the foam to rise to a perfect head atop the mug. She smiled the most flirtatious smile she could and handed the mug delicately to the boar who leered back at her from the other side of the bar. He snatched it, spilling alcohol all over the bar top and himself, winked at the dragoness, and left her five coins in the puddle of beer. Setta waited until his back was turned before she took the coins, placing three in the bar's money pot, and two in her personal pot. A sassy smile and a little cleavage often rewarded her with a good night's profit, even if she did have to tolerate the dregs of society and their complete lack of appreciation for her near-perfect pours.

"Last call, sailors. I'm closing shop in the hour." Setta looked down the bar at the lone panther sitting there. She grabbed a pitcher nearby and headed in his direction.

"As for you," she said, pouring the liquid in the pitcher into the panther's cup, "I'm going to assume you're sticking with water. This one is on the house."

The panther smirked. It was the closest thing to a smile that he'd managed since he had walked in nearly four hours earlier. "They've all been on the house."

Setta nodded. "That's right. I've seen folks come in that look like something the cat dragged in, but you're the first cat I've seen that looked like you dragged yourself in. If water makes you happy, I'm not gonna' charge for it."

"You've got incredible bedside manner."

"I'm a bartender, not a healer," Setta said, looking out over her bar. It was dark, dirty, and smelled of salt air; that was how her customers liked it and so that was how she kept it. "But it got you talkin', at least. You haven't said a word since you came in here. Well, other than 'water'."

"I don't have anything to say," the panther said simply, looking down into his cup. He could see his reflection in the water; he looked older.

"Good. Most of my customers could talk all day and not say anything," Setta said. "Wanna' give me your name so I can stop calling you 'hey you'?"

The panther looked at Setta for a moment. Finally, he shrugged. "Dusk."

"Dusk," she repeated, as if the word was stirring something in her memory. Suddenly her face lit with realization. "Oh! You're a fighter! I mean, one of the Combatants!"

Dusk looked a bit uncomfortable as the dragoness seemed to recognize his name. "Don't...make a scene, okay? I don't fight anymore. I just train fighters. I'm a Sensei."

Setta grabbed a cloth and started to clean the bar around Dusk fervently. "Hey, whatever. I've never had anyone from a dojo in here. Not even our fighters! I've got all the respect in the world for what you do."

"Well...thank you."

"Yeah, I always regretted not training, learning the arts, goin' out there and tusslin'. I think I coulda' pulled it off. I mean, I got the body for it," she said, cupping her chest in her paws. It really was quite generous.

"It's not just about THAT," Dusk said, peering at the dragoness. "I throw out more applicants because they think it's going to be a fast track to some sort of secret orgy society. It's not; it's about commitment, it's about sacrifice, and it's about honor.

"That's what she never understood," Dusk muttered, his voice trailing off. He took a sip of his water. "Honor."

Setta was about to ask who 'she' was when one of the other patrons in the bar took a inebriated spill onto the floor, taking most of the mugs of beer on a nearby table with him. She sighed, and left the pitcher of water for Dusk.

"Don't assume what others get or don't get. Assumptions can weigh heavy on some folks, heavy enough that they never can get them off their backs" she said, grabbing a bucket of dank water before she headed out from behind the bar.

Dusk smirked. "So you're a sage now too, huh?"

"Nope, just a bartender," Setta said, and smiled. "I'm far too realistic to be a sage."

* * *

M stood at the edge of the cliff. It was a sharp drop straight down, plummeting onto the jagged rocks and thrashing tides below. Ahead, he could only see fog and the relentless roll of the ocean. If he squinted, the fox could just make out the horizon.

He took a deep breath, feeling the salty sea air caressing his body. If I survive this, he thought, I really ought to settle down here.

The fox turned around and smiled. Standing behind him were several soldiers, a prison cart made of heavy iron and dense wood, a personal carriage complete with tall rods holding up heavy privacy curtains, and two prisoners: The rabbit femme and male lion that had staged an attack at the Hall of Combat following it's destruction. They were two of Chao Heng's House', as far as anyone knew. The fox intended to see what else they were.

The lion and the rabbit were naked, with their wrists bound behind their back. Both looked at M with stern gazes, almost proud in the way they tried to stare him down. He suspected neither were as brave as they were acting. So which was the weak link? The fox stepped up to them, looking each in the eye.

"So, which one of you wants to save your skin and tell me all about Chao Heng and his vacation plans, huh?" The fox looked at the rabbit first. "How about you? Tell a handsome ol' fox some secrets?"

He cupped a paw under one of the rabbit's breasts, fondling it as he awaited an answer. Her nipples stiffened, but she remained silent. The fox shrugged and moved to the lion.

"Then what about you, cat? Tell me what you know, and I won't make the rabbit here watch us make a bitch out of you." The fox grabbed the lions balls and squeezed firmly. The lion growled, but didn't answer. The fox smiled.

"Tough crowd," he chuckled, nodding to the soldiers. "Okay, let's do this the hard way. Waste of perfectly good slaves, but I've got a job to do. Do the rabbit first."

The soldiers grabbed the bunny, one on each side of her. She started to breathe heavy as they pushed her forward towards the cliff edge, closer and closer. M watched carefully as she was led to the edge, until her toes were mere inches from the end of solid ground. She was scared, but resolute. Yes, she was the brave one.

"Toss her."

The fox watched the lion's face as the guards threw the screaming rabbit over the edge. As he expected, the lion looked scared. Unlike the rabbit, though, the lion's will wavered; it showed in his eyes. Perfect.

The rabbit's screams stopped for a second. The soldiers backed quickly away from the edge, scrambling back to the cart while the lion watched in frightened confusion. Suddenly the rabbit flew upwards into the air, flailing her limbs as she defied gravity. The source of her sudden flight followed her, wrapping leafy vines around her wrists and ankles, catching her several feet above the cliff.

The lion's jaw dropped. He watched as the vines slithered around the struggling, captured rabbit, winding up her legs and along her ears. She tried to scream again, only to find her mouth instantly full of writhing vine.

"Folks started to disappear out here recently," the fox casually explained. "Males, females. Didn't matter. Only their clothing was found. Eventually we found that that little stunt of Chao Heng's did something to the local plant life on the cliff face. Now there's some sort of sex-driven predatory plant down there. Grabs victims, fucks them good and hard, and then eats them."

"Eats?" The lion repeated, unable to tear his eyes from the squirming rabbit. Her eyes were wide, full of fear as vines wrapped around her bouncing breasts, squeezing them, making them bulge.

"Oh, yeah," The fox said, watching the rabbit for a moment. "Pulls them down into a pod. Takes forever for them to die, poor things. I think there's a horse still digesting down there, and we threw him in a week ago for...oh, I don't know. Something."

He looked back at the lion. The feline was trembling, but his sheath was fattening at the same time. The fox adjusted himself while the lion was distracted.

The vines slithered around the rabbit's slim body, gliding over her fur and circling around her limbs. She cried out around the vine in her mouth as a vine slapped down against her naked ass, making the cheek jiggle just before it started to nudge in under her tail. That little puff of a tail twitched as the vine pushed into her ass, making the rabbit squeal and arch her back. Her breasts bounced more, nipples stiff and exposed.

The lion, now hard as a rock and dripping, watched as the vines then yanked the rabbit's legs open wide. Her pussy glistened in the noon sun, making for a easy target. The vines took advantage and plunged right in, spearing the rabbit deep with one thick, powerful vine nearly impaling her as it drove deep into her cunt. Her head snapped back and she cried out around the vine fucking her muzzle.

Slowly, the rabbit was pulled spread-eagle in the air by the vines. They stretched her body out tight, until her muscles were straining, and then the began to fuck her. There was no other word for it; it was cold, deep, and hard, a merciless fuck through and through. Her tits heaved and bounced, her belly flexed, and her sex quivered. The rabbit was helpless in the grip of the vines, and they used every inch of her body as they desired.

All eyes were on the ravaged bunny, from the lion to the fox to his soldiers. The ocean roared behind her, as if it were jealously trying to out perform her throaty screams and moans.

Her body suddenly began to twitch and jerk, though it was barely noticeable with the way the vines kept her stretched. Her inner thighs, and the vine pumping her pussy, began to glisten as her nectar flowed, leaking out of her folds lewdly. As the rabbit climaxed, the vines carried her out away from the cliff more. They suddenly tossed her up into the air, pulling out and away; she half screamed, half moaned as she came and floated in the air at once. Then, and huge, gaping maw of a bud shot up from below the cliff, petals opened and dripping like a ravenous beast. The rabbit's eyes bulged and she shrieked, just before the flower clamped it's petals shut around her, catching the rabbit and silencing her screams.

Then she was gone, along with the plant.

"That was unusually quick," the fox muttered, turning to the lion. "Last chance, cat. Either you've got lots of interesting things to tell us, or you go over."

The lion stuttered. He was shaking hard, and his fur was damp with sweat. "I...I don't know..."

"He doesn't know anything," M sighed. "Toss him, gentlemen."

The soldiers grabbed the lion's arms and started to drag him towards the cliff, even as he roared and struggled. Suddenly, he looked back at the fox.

"NO! WAIT! I'll...alright! I k-know a lot! Not everything...but I know stuff!"

The fox looked vaguely interested. "Like what?"

"Like...uh, w-why he fucked up the Hall! Where we were supposed to go next!"

M took a few moments to look like the information didn't interest him much. As he'd suspected, the lion was the coward of the duo. He let the panicked feline simmer in his own fear for a few long moments.

"Alright. Sit his ass down right here, and finish the interrogation. I want EVERYTHING out of him. If he hesitates for even a second to answer something, throw him over. If you think he's lying, throw him over."

The soldiers nodded. They shoved the lion down into the grass and started asking their questions.

As they culled information from the lion, M walked back to the prison cart, and then to the personal carriage behind it. He noticed that there was flora curling up the wheels and sides of the carriage, disappearing under the curtains. The fox pushed one curtain aside and stuck his head in.

Kassidy lay prone on the cushions inside the carriage, naked, with the flora curling around her body. She looked very lusty, and very pleased with herself, one paw fondling her breasts, the other stroking two fingers along her clit. She smiled at the fox, and he grinned at her.

"Did it...work?" She asked, her voice hot with need.

"Ooooh yes, it worked," M replied. "The lion fell for it. That was a brilliant idea, Miss Kassidy. Far better than what I could come up with. That plant really did the trick."

"MmmmMMmm," she groaned. "They can thank their master for it. Ah' could ave never made somethin' that complicated without all o' this delicious energy floatin' around."

"Karma, my dear," he said. "The, uh, rabbit...she's still in one piece, right?"

The collie nodded. "Want her?"

"Not personally, no," the fox laughed. "But she might know something the lion doesn't. I suspect she'll be more apt to talk after her little ride."

Kassidy moaned and rolled her hips up against her paw. She licked her lips, and crooked a finger at the fox.

"Speakin' of rides, lad, Ah'd like you t' come in here..."

M grinned and shook his head. "Business before pleasure, Miss Kassidy. I've a lion to help interrogate."

* * *

Daichi and Spectre entered the large, spacious assembly room in the Grand Dojo that towered over the city of Everstar. They were each handed a fine red ribbon by a greeter, and then directed to sit on one of the many red cushions laid out upon the floor.

Though they were a few minutes early for the meeting, the room was already filling up with Combatants. Kaine had summoned every capable Combatant in the land to him, and none had turned down the invitation. It was a time of war, or a time on the precipice of such horrors, and ever able-bodied fighter was ready to give their all to help keep order in their land.

"Wow," Daichi said as he sat, looking around the room. "I haven't seen some of these faces in ages."

"Me either. I was hoping to keep it that way too," Spectre said, grimacing as he caught the cold stare of a lynx femme from across the room. He smiled at her awkwardly. Daichi smirked.

"Friend?"

"Something like that."

Spectre turned his gaze away, and spotted Hitomi and Kassidy slipping quietly into the room. They seated themselves off to the side, away from most of the crowd. What caught his eye, however, was the third figure they were escorting. The figure was cloaked in a black robe and hood, hiding their identity entirely. The mouse and the collie seemed to be helping the figure walk. Odd, he thought.

It took a few more minutes for the room to fill and the doors to be shut. Quiet murmurs filled the air, until a door at the other end of the room opened and Kaine entered, striding forth with a confident aura about him that brought all eyes to him, and silenced the Combatants without a word spoken from the stallion.

Kaine took a moment to look over the assembled crowd. The stallions face was taut and serious, looking both tired and determined all at once.

"You have all been gathered here to assist in an operation that, with the grace of the Gods', will end this conflict with Nobu Chao Heng without open war and with as little bloodshed as possible.

"What we know of his plans and his army will be divulged to whom it needs to be known, when they need to know it. Here is what you all need to know right now.

"Thanks to information gathered by our sources, we know that Chao Heng's plan is quite brilliant and multi-staged. The first stage was to destroy the Hall of Combat, thus releasing the overwhelming flood of energy there onto the land. There were two purposes for this: One, to allow him to have access to a flow of energy wherever he goes, thus allowing him to wield his powers anytime, anyplace.

"The second purpose was to arm a small force he calls his 'acolytes'. These acolytes are, from what we gather, amateur, specialized Combatants. Where all of you are well-trained in fighting disciplines and use of the gifts granted by energies, his acolytes know just enough to be dangerous. He has essentially created a small army who wield their powers instead of swords.

"This is where your assistance and bravery will be needed. Chao Heng has sent his acolytes out across the land to begin disrupting government and order wherever they can. Local enforcers will stand little chance against them. I ask that all of you help up to capture or eliminate these acolytes before they can allow Chao Heng to execute the next phase of his plan."

"What is the next phase?" Asked a voice in the crowd.

"That...you do not need to know yet," Kaine said simply, and then raised a hand to dismiss the crowd. "I trust you are all willing to do what you can to help. If you are, please see my associates in the Arena. They have the locations of many of the acolytes targets and routes. You will all be dispatched accordingly.

"I do ask, however, that those of you who were given gifts stay with me for a few moments longer. You know who you are."

Daichi and Spectre watched as the crowd rose and slowly began to filter out. Though they all remained respectfully silent, there was an palpable undercurrent of anxiety. Times were changing, and the change was coming violently.

Spectre surveyed the remaining few, and they were mostly familiar faces. There was Daichi of course, and then Rhane, Hitomi, Kassidy, their mysterious cloaked acquaintance, Dusk, and Ruin...or Gabriel, as he was now being called. Each held a red ribbon in a paw

Kaine looked over each remaining Combatant slowly, pondering what he was about to reveal to each, and ask that they risk their lives for. He stepped forward and sat down with them, feeling much more comfortable there with the warriors instead of up on a pedestal.

"I get the feeling you don't have some secret GOOD news for us," Suki asked softly. Kaine shook his head.

"No," he said. "I'm going to tell you the remainder of what we know of Chao Heng's plan, and I'm going to ask the lot of you to be the heroes I know you all are. Now, let me fill you in on the dragon's plan.

"We all know how the arenas across the land work: They use Focus Spheres to channel sexual energy to that location, to be used in Combat. The Hall of Combat was like a great lake of energy because of all the arenas and Spheres there. But...where do they channel energy FROM?

"The answer, like the existence of the Spheres and their nature, is closely guarded knowledge. Unfortunately, Chao Heng seems to have learned this secret as well. I don't know how, and it's irrelevant at this point. You see, there is a Great Well. If the Hall of Combat was like a lake of energy, the Well is an ocean. All good things flow out of the Well and channel to the Spheres. Oceans, streams, and lakes.

"The Well's location is, or rather was, a secret. To approach the well, one must possess two sigils that, again, are a guarded secret."

"And I'm sure Chao Heng knows where the sigils are as well," Daichi said, half a statement and half a question. Kaine nodded.

"It would seem so. This much we know from interrogating his thugs. The reason why he wishes to get to the Well was found from another...unexpected source."

Kaine turned and motioned towards the back of the room. A lone figure hobbled feebly out of a doorway, walking slowly, supported by a withered walking stick. Everyone watched as he approached, each sensing something familiar about the figure. Suddenly, realization dawned on Daichi. The fox nearly leapt to his feet.

"Alexandros!"

Alexandros nodded, smiling weakly as he made his way to Kaine. The stallion helped the old canine to a seat. Something was different about him now. He was frail, and his eyes showed weariness that spoke of many ages of trial and tribulation.

Daichi and the others were shocked, yet elated.

"Alexandros," Rhane stammered. "We...we thought you were dead! We saw you die!"

Alexandros shook his head. "You saw my corporeal form decimated, yes. But I am not...or, I was not a mortal at that time. I was a spirit given form for a purpose. Ra' Chi sent me home.

"When I returned to the heavens, I immediately sought out the Gods, intending to demand a new form so I could help you all in defeating that blasphemous dragon. But...but the Gods, they were gone. Their thrones, deserted. They fled, my friends. The Gods have all gone into hiding. So I took all of my essence, all that I was, and poured it into one final body. I am...mortal now. Powerless. I have only my knowledge and wisdom to help you now."

"But that may be all we need," Kaine said. "Tell them the rest."

"The rest...yes. Chao Heng wishes to disrupt the Well, to submerge himself in it. He believes this will grant him power on par with that of the Gods, and with this power he plans to overthrow the Gods themselves, and shape the world to his liking. I can only say that the Gods view this plan as feasible enough to go into hiding.

"The Gods created the Well, and they know it's nature. While I don't know if it will grant Chao Heng the power he hungers for, I do know this: Disrupting it will cause a flood of energy that will make what happened at the Hall look like a LEAK. The death toll will be horrifying. You'll have a lot more than a few overpowered Combatants and unusually aroused villages."

"So, the plan is this," Kaine said, taking over for Alexandros. "We need to get both of the sigils before Chao Heng does. Then, we must open the Well, and drain it. This will effectively end Chao Heng's scheme...but, at the same time, it will eliminate the source of the energies we use for Combat. Within a few years, all the energy will have dissipated. Frankly, it's a small price to pay in the end."

There was silence for a few moments, and then Daichi spoke. "So...how do we do this?"

"Three teams," Kaine said. "Made up of the nine of us. One team after each sigil, one team at the Well in the event the other two teams fail."

Gabriel looked uncertain. "You've become looked to for leadership, Kaine. Can you be spared?"

"Alexandros will be acting as my right-hand here. Selena has done an excellent job making it appear that he's been my advisor since I took over at the House of Shadow."

The stallion stood. "That's it for now, my friends. We'll decide teams in the morning. Chao Heng is on his way to the first sigil, but we're closer to it here than he is. We leave tomorrow at sundown."

* * *

After Kaine dismissed the meeting, Spectre slipped away quietly. He waited to the side out of sight, until he saw Hitomi and Kassidy leave with their unknown friend. As they walked through the streets of the city, Spectre shadowed them, never too close, never letting them out of his sight. The mephit was determined to learn who their friend was.

The streets were starting to empty, as the sun set and vendors, sailor, and their customers started to file home, back to what they knew as a normal existence. None of them realized just how fragile the lives they had come to take for granted were to being obliterated.

The trio turned a corner sharply. Spectre picked up his pace, hurrying along to get around the corner and get them back in sight. When he did, he found no trace of them. Hitomi, Kassidy, and the third were gone.

A paw tapped his shoulder, and he nearly jumped out of his boots. When he spun around, Kassidy smiled.

"Evenin' boy'o," she said. "If'n you wanted to seem me, y'should just say so."

"What can I say? Sometimes the water is sweeter when it's stolen," he laughed. The girl was as disarming and beautiful as the day he first saw her.

"Aye', it can be," she said. "But Ah'm no fool. You were after our friend, no?"

"Ultimately, yes," he admitted. "Partly out of pure curiosity, but mostly because I'd like to know who I might get sent on a lethal quest with. I trust all of you. Can I trust him or her?"

Kassidy nodded. "Ah' trust her. You should trust her too, since you've known her longer than Ah'."

Spectre tilted his head a bit. "I do?"

"You do. That was Stardust, lad. Y'fought with her once."

The skunk couldn't hide his surprise. "Is...something wrong with her? I mean...what the hell?"

Kassidy shook her head. "No, nothing is wrong with her. She's simply changed, that's all. We'll be havin' a final gatherin' o' friends later tonight. She'll be there. We'll all be there. Come see what I mean then."

The collie placed a kiss on Spectre's cheek, and then left to catch up with Hitomi, leaving the skunk standing there bewildered. He thought about how much easier his life was when he only had fighting and sex to worry about.

* * *

"Wow."

Hikaro looked around the tent slowly. It was quite large inside; the lush red material that made up the tent hung from strong bamboo framing, and lit lanterns swung gently from ropes, illuminating the room. Large, expensive cushions littered the floor, and a long table at one end of the tent was covered in delicious-looking foods, delicate wines, and stout beers.

However, that was not what impressed the rabbit. He marveled at the gathering of Combatants there, collected together under the warm glow of the lanterns.

No...not just Combatants. Friends, allies. Everyone who still remained loyal to their House and had fought at the last two Tournaments was there. Daichi and Rhane sat together on a cushion, embracing almost like lovers. Spectre and Hitomi talked to one another. Kassidy sat with Gabriel, eating and drinking. Selena was enjoying herself, dancing nude in the center of the tent.

"Hikaro, over here," called a voice. The rabbit looked to his side and spotted Suki. He walked over and joined the rabbit on a cushion.

"I didn't know everyone would be here," he said, smiling. "I like this, having us all gathered together. Well...and not having to fight, I mean."

Suki smiled back and nodded. "I know. It's rather bittersweet. We're all off to save the land soon, and that's what it took to get us all together," she sighed. "Enjoy it while you can. Care for a drink."

"No, thank you," Hikaro said. "I don't see Dusk, though."

"I doubt we will," Suki said softly. "I think...he might be angry with me."

"You? Why?"

"I think he's angry that I didn't keep Reiko out of trouble."

Hikaro patted Suki's leg. "I doubt that, and even if it were true, it's irrational. You know damn well that it wasn't as simple as that."

The doe nodded. As she did, the curtain that served as the entrance to the tent was pushed aside, and Dusk entered. He looked tired, and worn; his face was drawn into a permanent scowl these days. He saw the two rabbits, but he acknowledged them only with a nod. The panther then made his way towards the dining table, and straight for the wine. Suki sighed.

The curtain fluttered again, and this time Kaine stepped through. The stallion smiled a bit, particularly as Selena danced to his side, rubbing against him. He smacked her ass firmly, and then cleared his throat.

"May I have your attention, friends?" Slowly the chatter died down, and all eyes turned to Kaine.

"I'm not going to waste the precious time we have left together with long speeches," he said. "We're all fighters, warriors. We know what we have to do and why we do it. I just want to say that you all have my respect for everything you've done and are pledging yourselves to do in the future. Thank you, and know that it has been an honor to call each of you friends and allies.

"Now, with that said, I've brought along another familiar face whom I know you've all been curious about."

Kaine pulled the curtain aside, and first Hitomi stepped through. The mouse smiled and bowed, and then stepped to the other side of the curtain. Another figure followed behind her.

It was the cloaked figure that had been at Hitomi's side everywhere. The figure stepped into the room, and Kaine closed the curtain behind her, using rope to secure it shut.

The figure stood there for a moment, and then slowly pulled her hood back. The hood slumped down over her shoulders, and then she shrugged off the cloak entirely, standing there naked for all to see.

Stardust smiled warmly at her friends. There was silence, and her smile was returned by all present, even Dusk. A feeling of warmth and peace seemed to penetrate the room. No words were needed. Hello, so good to see you, seemed to be said with just a friendly gaze.

The mare was no longer the brown-coated girl they all remembered from years ago. Her coat was now black, blacker than black, black like the night sky. It almost shimmered, seeming to radiate depth and endless space with each flicker of candlelight that reflected off of it. Dots of white covered her, each one a mere pinpoint against that black coat, shining like stars...like stardust. Her eyes were a deep white, but not like Hitomi's sightless eyes, or Gabriel's ghostly eyes. Stardust's eyes looked at nothing and saw everything.

"Hello, everyone," she finally said. For all her changes, her voice was still the same as it had always been. It floated gently through the room. "I apologize for being so scarce lately. I've had a lot of adjusting to do, you see. I'm just not myself during the day anymore. I much prefer the night. It's very good to me."

Again, there was silence. Gabriel was the first to break free of the spell that the equine seemed to cast with her mere presence. He lifted a glass up.

"No apologies needed," he said. "It's good to have you, Star."

"Yes indeed. Lookin' good," Spectre said, whistling. Everyone laughed.

"Thank you," Stardust said, nodding her head. "I don't know what to say about my...appearance. I can't explain it. I don't know if I want to, quite yet. I do know that I can do special things now, during the night. Consider this my parting gift to all of you; my friends."

The mare lifted her hands up, nearly touching the top of the tent with her fingers. Glowing specks of white began to drift our of her palms, slowly wafting across the room. As the white mist floated above the room, the lanterns began to flicker, and then die out. Soon the room was lit in soft white starlight, casting the most delicate, most intimate glow over everyone's body.

Then, the feelings came. Male and female alike began to squirm softly in their seat as they felt safe and warm, free and shameless. There were no wars. There had been no death. There was only that moment in time, and time was all they had.

Daichi breathed a soft sigh as the feelings stirred within him. He looked down at Rhane, watched the vixen as she took deep breaths and pressed against his body. Without a second thought the tod took her gently by the shoulders and pushed her down onto her pillow, onto her back. She smiled at him and laid there as he started to open her shirt, pulling her breasts out, fondling them gently while his lips closed around one nipple. It stiffened between his lips, and he sucked at it gently.

Suki watched the tod fox start to undress the vixen, and she smiled. The rabbit watched Daichi's ass, now up in the air as he leaned over Rhane; it was firm, and delicious. As she stared at them, she felt paws wrap around her waist, pulling her into a lap. The rabbit looked over her shoulder and blushed as Hikaro kissed her neck, starting to grope her chest through her clothing.

One by one, each body in the room began to indulge in the feelings that soaked right to their bones. Clothes were shed, and the cushions were spread out more on the floor. Bodies began to rub against one another. Hard cocks pressed to soft feminine curves. Slender fingers fondled firm asses.

Hitomi curled up on one cushion with Stardust. The mouse slowly licked along the mare's belly, working her lips down closer to Stardust's clit. As Hitomi worked, she felt two strong paws grab her hips, and then pull her ass against a throbbing cock. She only spared a quick glance over her shoulder, just enough to see Gabriel's bare body leaning over her own.

Dusk had, for the moment, forgotten about the troubles his sister had brought him. Instead his attention and his concern were focused squarely on a rather fine roo girl who was stroking, kissing, and fondling his cock and balls. Her touch was chilly, but pleasant. The panther rubbed his paws between her ears, moaning as she wrapped her lips around his erection and started to suck on it with a determined vigor. Winter was her name, he suddenly recalled...

A moan, hot and heated, long and lusty, suddenly rose over the other gasps of passion in the room. All eyes turned to the source, even as the slow fucking continued between lovers, and they laughed breathlessly as Selena was bent over a table and fucked ruthlessly by Kaine. The reptile licked her chops and rolled her eyes back, moaning shamelessly as the big stallion held her down with one paw and slapped her ass, while his hips pounded away at her. His thick, pulsing horsecock spread and penetrated her puffy pussy, pushing her forward on the table until her generous breasts were pillowed up nicely between her body and the tabletop. Selena loved every stroke of it, and she clearly savored every eye watching her take it.

There was one pairing that seemed to go unnoticed to the others. As the feelings of passion had filled him, penetrated his being, Spectre had stood and looked straight at Kassidy. The collie was squirming like everyone else, looking both excited and slightly embarrassed to be feeling the way she did there in the midst of so many others. She turned her eyes up and caught Spectre's unwavering gaze, and a shiver ran down her back. As the mephit approached her, she began to tremble, wanting to run yet not moving a muscle. Half of her wanted him, but half screamed at her for wanting him. Sex was just sex...but this - with or without Stardust's influence - would be something much more.

Spectre knelt at her feet, and then began to lay on top of Kassidy. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and then her arms around his neck. He kissed her, and she returned the affection, pressing her lips hard to the male's as she arched her back and ground her breasts against his chest. He ran his paws down her sides in turn, slowly peeling her clothing up and off her body. Her fur was soft under his touch.

Kassidy continued to tremble as Spectre undressed her, and then himself. It was all she could do to keep her paws steady on his body as he began to rub his cock against her slit, and then push it in. She moaned out, feeling his shaft inside her, for the first time. Tears swelled in her eyes, and she would never know why - pleasure? Happiness? Love? Or perhaps shame?

As that thick, throbbing cock buried itself in her pussy, and as that handsome, powerful body began to rub against hers, Kassidy lost her thoughts. They washed away, replaced wholesale by pleasure and passion. Her hips ground and rolled, pushing against Spectre's cock as he fucked her. His paws roamed her body, fondling her breasts, squeezing her ass. Flora began to sprout around her, pushing up out of the dry earth the tent had been erected on.

So the night progressed, with moans of pleasure and growls of eager lust filling the tent until the late hours. Rhane was the first to fall headlong into her orgasm, screaming out and clinging to Daichi as he fucked her sex, and from there the rest fell like dominoes. From Daichi himself and onwards, each lover released on, in, or around their partner. It was a symphony of climaxes that left a pile of panting, sticky bodies in its finish.

Spectre held tight to Kassidy as he came, feeling his cock spurt fat wads of his seed into her belly. She whimpered and twitched under him as he filled her up, feeling his warm semen coating her womb. When he was finished he laid atop her, panting, even as her own climax erupted and sent her into a grinding, writhing frenzy beneath him. She had not felt pleasure like that, passion like that, since before she came into the House of Sand.

When all were finished, each fell into a deep slumber - most on top of or under their lover. The sleep was perfect and complete, and as they rested, the stardust that illuminated the room slowly drifted down, speckling their bodies with pinpricks of clean white light. Each speck twinkled and extinguished over time, until all was dark, and only soft breathing could be heard in the tent.

For that one night, there was peace in all the land.

~ END ~

Story (c) 2008 F.J. Emerson.

Carnal Combat and Carnalities are (c) 2008 F.J. Emerson, unless Ed Boon or Midway call up and yell at me.

All characters are created and owned by F.J. Emerson.

Setta Herself.

Special Thanks: Setta Flamowitz (for creative input), Christin (for support), Tomiko (for being Tomiko), Shizuka (for humoring me with questions), StrikerSA (for writing the Runaway Experiment series and constantly inspiring me to get writing again), and everyone else who has been consistently reading this drivel!

COMING EVENTUALLY: CARNAL COMBAT III

Every fighter has been summoned.

All the earth will be their arena.

Combat is finished.

War has begun.

NOTE TO YIFFSTAR READERS:

I thought I uploaded this here when I posted it on FA three months ago. Apparently not! Please accept my apologies, and please go read the post that accompanies this submission on my Fur Affinity account. I've a few things to say about this particular installment. Thanks!