FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Second of three parts to this chapter. Hope to get the last of it out this weekend. It's looking like it will end up at a little over 20k words. Hope you enjoy this and have a great day.

"So it is two and four now it seems." Veira said as she licked at a bit of blood on her lip, giving a delighted murr and a happy flick of her tail tip. She was playing with Nokato's dagger, running the handle through her fingers like it was a game. She showed no fear, no remorse, and no concern for the guards.

"The void be damned she's an Ish'ra'nahk." One of the guards with a spear said looking at his boss's dead body.

Seizing on their moment of fear to try and get out of here, I went for it. "Tell me does he pay for your loyalty even in death?" I asked as I kicked the man's half severed head on the ground hard, lifeless eyes gazing back up at me. They looked the body and then to me, I merely gave them a smug grin.

"Fuck it, Jacks this is city guard stuff now that's a murder, have fun cat." The other with a spear said, and the axe wielder nodded in agreement. The three of them slowly backed away from us before taking off.

"Mister Jacks, was it not? How then shall you deal with us." Veira nearly purred as she confidently strode closer to the man, pushing her chest out to try and show off her small breasts as she seductively swayed her hips back and forth as she made her way to him.

"My wife's cousin was an Ish'ra'nahk. They don't mate until after their service to the clan is over and your scents are all over each other so you two are definitely mates and so as such you are not an Ish'ra'nahk." He said confidently keeping his eyes fixed on Veira.

"That is both an opinion and an inaccurate statement, neither of which answers my question." Veira said curling her lip up, letting her canines show and snarling a little. The man, Jacks tried to keep an even face but involuntarily took a step back as he was looking like he doubted his initial assessment of the situation. He quickly glanced towards the exits, looking for other guards I'd wager.

Steadying himself he slowly said. "I am telling you to quickly leave town before the Chief gets here with more men or those thugs come back with the rest of their gang. If he was your mark then you have done what you came to do and should leave before you make more trouble for the both of us."

Veira just shrugged. "You should leave first then." she said nonchalantly

The man frowned but after sighing made a retreat out of the market. Seconds passed as we watched him leave, the tension in the air requiring silence.

"Tal'keelis!" Veira screamed and jumped into my arms soon after he was gone. I had to drop my sword to stop her from nearly running herself through on it. She just rubbed her head against my chest over and over while her golden colored tail quickly wrapped itself around the both of us.

I let her stay for a few moments before pushing her back. "Come on we should leave now, before anything else happens." I told her smiling. I was relieved to see her happy and apparently unharmed. But killing the head of the town council while having three dozen witnesses was far less than an efficient way of getting her back.

"Of course Tal." She said letting go of me, but not before reaching up and giving me a quick lick.

"Good, off we are then. Its going to be hard going until we come to another village. I don't think we have much left in the way of supplies and all I was able to gather so far was some medicine and potions for the guidestone." I grabbed her hand and turned to the exit, but Veira stood where she was.

"Veira?" I asked wondering why she wasn't moving. Terror struck me for a moment thinking she was hurt.

She just shook her head and looked back to the platform. "We have to take Lexi and get my pack as well, Tal." Veira said as she rushed over to the cage holding the young Synwyn.

The girl had stayed quiet and low since being brought out but as soon as Veira came over she sprung to life, jumping up in excitement and hitting her head on the top of the cage again. This is a bad idea, killing Nokato was a bad idea, and not killing Jacks was a bad idea. Leaving Veira alone was a bad idea, not checking with information brokers when entering a new town was a bad idea and attracting attention to myself when Veira was about to be sold was a bad idea. This whole damn day has been terrible.

"Tal, we ARE taking her." Veira said as if she was reading my thoughts. "You would not care to leave one to slavers that you could prevent, yes? Am I right?"

I hurried over to her. "Yes, yes lets get her out and be done with it. Where is your pack now?" I asked her.

"Within the holding area to the left my mate." She smiled as she quickly ran back to Nokato to look for a key.

The inside of the 'holding area' was a sad sight. Patches of blood adorned some of the walls and the old straw was dirtied with urine, shit and vomit. O full dozen small metal cells along the interior wall, all empty. An old battered table and a pair of chairs at the entrance, and at the far end was a long, plain colored chest. I rushed over to the chest and sure enough Veira's pack was inside as well as various other clothing, which must have been taken from those sold today.

I would like to think that this is the end of the slave market in Terrace but Tsarano, or some other will undoubtedly continue it. I at the least cannot fight against it, not now. This is not my home, not my place. It is a battle for someone else.

Veira was licking blood off her hands when I returned. The little synwyn running circles around her on her four legs the strange two long wispy feelers that come off a Synwyn's shoulders were sensing the air with erratic waves. Alternating between slow and big and small and fast like someone was shaking a rope they danced about effortlessly on the air.

Veira smiled at me and took her pack wordlessly as the three of us left the slave market in a hurry. There is really no use in trying to be subtle at this point. Too many witnesses, too much time between freeing Veira and leaving. If there are men at the gates to the town they will be there. We will just have to deal with it when it happens.

Down the two terraces and back into the market we ran. Past Byron's store, when he saw the three of us running he smiled and I heard him say good luck as we ran by. I was tempted to go into Tsarano's store and put my blade through his gut, seeing how it would be hard to add to my crimes in this city, why not have another snake eating dirt. But, no. The less time we spend here the better off we are.

I steadied my mind as the gate to the city came into view. It appeared as if there was no guards blocking the way, perhaps only the singular one waiting on the outside of the wall. I took a breath held up my hand for the other two to stop and walked casually out the city gate. If there are men on the other side identifying me will be much harder than Veira, so I might have a chance to take one or two of them down before they draw weapons. Veira had foolishly dropped the valuable dagger she killed Nokato with, so I gave her mine quickly. Thinking on it she also did not keep the weapons of the Ah'komeli that we killed. I will have to ask her about that later assuming I have the chance to live that long. This female can be far too much trouble.

The guard looked me over as I exited the city and then frowned. I drew my sword in an instance and Veira came up quickly from behind with my dagger. I didn't want to find out if Veira was actually as good with a blade as she had just made herself out to be or not. I lunged at the guard, he parried across his body to the left but opened his back to Veira. He realized that just in time and jumped back as Veira came close to me. The guard held up a hand singling us to stop and then just made a motion for us to leave. It seems the prestige and pay must be great for them.

We ran hard back to the eves of Desova. There will be no rest for us this night and since we now must make the best of a few days rations for two people for an additional person. Still, the relief for having Veira be safe will make it worth it. That thought itself a week ago would seem comical to me.

I don't think I've realized how much I've become attached to her. I don't know if it has been since I pledged myself to be her mate that it has occurred or even before that. Maybe this seed started to take root in me before then and I never noticed. Perhaps it was that first night with her in the Wilds. When she was still calling me master and looking utterly pathetic. Now, fake or not she acts completely at ease around me and is no longer worrying about what she might do wrong or offend me in some way I think.

"Um, mister Tal were we going?" The little Synwyn said on one of her many passes she had been making between myself and Veira as we ran. I just stopped, not because I had to think about what to do but that the little thing had spoken. I have heard rumors of it and that perhaps a few in Great Wood might have picked up on speech. But a young one from the edge of the Wilds like this? It never crossed my mind that she would share my tongue.

The female put her self low to the ground when I stopped and looked at her, likely thinking that she had made me mad. I noticed Veira thought that as well and gave me a stern look. I just smiled back at Veira, and the little Synwyn seemed to relax as well.

"To the stream we camped at last night and then we follow that which ever way the guidestone leads us." I said as I slowed to a fast walk for a bit. The eves of Desova were getting closer but the sun was starting fall. At most we would have three hours of light and another one and a half or so of twilight. At a run we could make the eves in less than an hour and beyond that perhaps fifteen more minutes until that stream, then slow going wading in the water to hide our scents. Several miles of following it and then we can take to the forest proper and rest for a bit a few more miles in.

Green Briar may or may not have actually sent men after me, I think now that they likely did not and it was more my imagining be in greater danger than I was. But Terrace, killing their leader, they will send men and almost surely everyone they can spare. Fortunately for us since we came from here so recently they will find themselves needing to split into three groups to cover our scents, up and down streams as well as the road back to Split-Rock Falls. From what it appears they have few non-human guards who can chase a scent and hopefully fewer who keep the third watch, unlikely as that may be. Regardless, whatever they send they will have to split it in three and chasing a scent through water and into the woods is no small task.

We made it back to the stream and set the packs down for a moment as we drank our fill of the crystal clear water and filled our skins. Both Veira and myself were panting hard while the Synwyn seemed as perky as ever taking time to splash around in the water as I popped the stopper off a vial of the blueish manashock/milk mixture.

"Oh! I know that smell, its milk. Milk. Milk. Milk. Can I have some mister Tal, can I? Can I?" The Synwyn bounded up to me asking. Shes a really young thing it appears or just very outgoing. I just watched her as she bound around, not really sure about what I should say to her. Dealing with children was never something I excelled at.

"Ah, no Lexi. That is a potion for Tal to guide us to safety." Veira interrupted our strange standoff.

"Oh I see. Magic right? Magic is neat. I like magic. I can use magic, wanna see me make lights? I can make really good lights an make em spin around me and stuff." From one subject right to another, this female can't seem to concentrate for long on anything. Perhaps its a thing with her species, I'm not sure, but if she can use magic that could be helpful but not right now. The less trace we leave the better.

"Another time Lexi, we have to move on now before the guards come chasing us." I told her gently, not wanting to upset her but trying to make her see the need to move on.

"Oh, OK." She said lowering her head with sad eyes and rubbing her nose on her front paws. "I don't want to go back in the cage again. You won't make me go back in the cage again will you mister Tal?" She said shuddering a bit, her happy personality gone in an instance.

"Of course I won't little one." I told her with a smile, reaching down and scratching her head like a pet. Well or I guess what I've done to Veira a few times too. I should ask her if she likes that or not I guess, I think she does even if she won't to admit it.

I quickly traced the sign over the stone and held it up. The blue glow of the stone pointed downstream. The leylines aren't visible yet but they should be once we get a ways down stream and the potion takes more of an effect.

"Are you two rested enough? If so we need to move downstream now until twilight at least." The two females nodded and we set off down the stream, the water quickly getting deeper from barely coming to my ankles on the roads crossing to being knee deep. If it gets any deeper we will have to carry Lexi for as much as she was trying to hurry she was already switching between swimming and walking on the bottom.

Thankfully the stream forked and the guidestone had us take the left fork which was shallower. I noticed that the trees were becoming much thicker and the canopy more dense as we traveled. The meandering stream had a mind of its own bending and forking several more times and occasionally having another small stream feed into it causing a swirling back-eddy where insects chirped and fish jumped and ate their fill. The water slowly becoming more shallow until it was once again ankle deep.

We could only move so fast through the water. The extra weight each step seemed like was bothersome to me and a bit more so to Veira but it slowed Lexi down to the point where Veira and I could breathe normally at our pace.

"Tal, would you mind if I told a story as we go?" Veira asked as she looked at Lexi struggling to keep up. Thinking that a distraction would help ease her way I'm sure.

"Not at all. I'd like to hear the kind of stories Gre'nahk tell." I told her truthfully, I really won't mind having something to take my mind off this situation and my own weariness for a few moments.

"Ah, then I shall start." She said with a smile.

"Ah, it once happened in the past now distant, that there was a noble prince of the great city Tuleloch. The desert jewel where the seven great stone tails did tower over all the city with thirteen lessers' supporting them. Where the rocs did soar and nest within their might and watch for invaders upon the golden winds.

It was here the prince was born and raised the first son of the king. His beauty and grace did all the court impress. In his arguments and thoughts did all the scholars bow their heads and confirm his wisdom. With strength of arm and swiftness of feet did he conquer all the army so that there was not a male who could best him. In such he gained the utmost respect of all and was prophesied to usher in unparalleled greatness to the city.

He was bidden once by his father great to secure weapons powerful and an alliance sure from Two-Waters set at the mouth of the great river Grey. He did take up caravans stout and laden full with wealth to show forth the greatness of Tuleloch. His guards were strong and cunning yet all bore the grim faces of veterans distance battles. Set amongst them were servant females of fair beauty and many of good breeding.

How could he do aught but susceed? For he did without fail. He exchanged gifts and gave the fair females to be mates of the great men of that city. So impressed were the peoples of Two-Waters that they did not only agree to ally with Tuleloch and give unto them the choice weapons from distant parts but they did fill twice over the caravan carts with good and splendid things of all sorts to fancy.

Yet upon the return after two days of crossing back into the deserts whose warm embrace had so often greeted them they were struck from above by treacherous Teal. For the shifting sands had taken them too close to the spires of Desova that the winged giants did see and attack them from the air. Those grim males did give strong fight and rent wings and spilt much blood upon the golden sands. Yet against the larger beasts and their crushing blows did met out crushed skulls and broken sword arms.

The good prince did rally his males whilst the females fled into the desert against his orders to hide under the caravans, from where none would be seen again. The chief of the winged terrors did finally land upon seeing his kin fall to Gre'nahk might and he did challenge the worthy prince to battle to the death for the right of blood victory over the caravan.

The magnificent prince did forgo spear and blade and did strip his armor down to his loincloth to fight the Teal as he was male to male. The Teal chief amused set aside not his club but attacked with vigor rare to try and set the swift prince low to the sands. Yet he could not for while the Teal swung with his might and flapped his great wings driving up the sands the bold prince did strike him time and time again with his claws each swipe bringing drops of blood to the sand, hours upon hours passed, the friendly sun soaring across the sky ever in search of the moon his mate was almost set before the great Teal did finally fall to his knees, his wings torn and not an inch of him without cuts and his own blood. Yet as the victorious prince stepped forward to give the killing blow the Teal did smile at him and said. "You are a fool great Gre'nahk, though you best me, my males have bested yours and the spoils are already ours. Your bones shall bleach under desert sun as surely as mine shall." Then he did spit towards the stunned prince and died upon his knees.

The goodly prince did look around him and noticed indeed that their battle had taken him far from the caravan. He hasted his return but found his males all slain and nearly all the caravan spoils taken as well as the beasts that did pull them. He cried out in grief for losing such brave males and cursed himself for falling for the trick of such a lesser race.

There was then movement from under an overturned caravan just then. He did take his crescent spear and gave a shout as blood rage filled his eyes. With his voice alone he did command the broken caravan to move and it was thrown from the ground as he wished. For nothing could withstand his voice at that time, so great was his just fury.

Ah, but there under the caravan was neither teal nor a cowardly guard but a lone female who had indeed heeded his first call and did hide herself. She was fair to look upon but of unknown clan and thus had remained a servant to the caravan. The wise price did calm himself and forsook his rage for prudence and bid the female to come and salvage what they could before making the long march back to Tuleloch. She did all exactly as the purposeful prince commanded and they two set off alone to their home.

At night the prince did share his bedroll, so she would not suffer without touch and did calm her fears. And by day he did protect her from the beasts of the desert so that after many days he found safe the way home. A thousand thanks could not be enough for the female to the steadfast prince. Yet he told her to think naught of it and went to tell the sad tale of his males to his father. Turning to go the perceptive prince turned again to the female sensing something was amiss and beckoned her to speak. She did assume a most humble posture and apologized as she said that she had bonded to him during the long days they had travelled together and to forgive her for her audacity of doing so, for it was not her will.

The charming prince did smile and took her hand bringing her to her feet and beckoned her to follow him into the palace wherein he did report all that had been done to his father. The king did then set about with a war party before the twilight had fallen, to take revenge for such insults upon his people. The prince gave the female room in the palace and a place serving in the kitchen where she could serve well and properly.

The prince in time did take unto himself a noble female second born of one of the great clans. After a year when his female had borne his firstborn he did then take the little female from the caravan to mate as well.

There were many who would wish say she was not of good breeding and far beneath him yet could not because the ever-valiant prince could not be found with any fault so they could do nothing but accept his wisdom in taking this strange-bonded female as a mate.

And so did the farseeing prince became king in time and his mates including the serving female from the caravan did bear him many sons and he did reign with perfectness in everything he did so that the greatness of Tuleloch increased seven-fold during his reign with many new villages and towns settled under his guidance, making the Gre'nahk a great people forever."

Veira finished her story as the waters we were wading in had become very shallow again. A strange tale, the kind that you might tell a boy, not something that a young female would want to hear in my opinion. But it had taken my mind off things and the leylines had become more visible to me. I could see the smaller nuances of the flows and almost feel their gentle pull, drawing me over to take one turn over another.

The sun had set, and twilight's last gleams of light were fading when the stone pointed to a small animal path on the shore. My eyes could make out faint ley lines ebbing and flowing along the trail, pulsing as if it had a life of its own. The trail was light, easy to miss and narrow. We quickly and silently moved down the trail at a light jog. The stress of the day catching up with me in my weakened condition.

It had taken us too long to move off the small path, and now under heavy foliage there was almost no light. If not for the glow of the ley line I wouldn't be able to see anything ahead of me. While the other two should be able to see a bit better its still dangerous to continue like this. I slowed to a walk and the two females behind me did likewise as I started to look for a place to rest until light. I don't really think it is wise to let our pursuers get closer to us but they will be twice more likely to be going slow or waiting. Having to backtrack at a dead end is worse than slowly find a trail.

The leylines lead at last to another path which came near a clearing, skirting around it just out of sight. But the leylines themselves went straight to the clearing. As I pushed my way through some underbrush and around a few trees. I was standing on what appeared to me to be a largeish perhaps thirty feet across clearing. The whole of it, every bit was covered in glowing green ley energy. It was so intense I could feel it sapping some of the weariness from my body, slowly draining it down into the earth and replacing it with strength.

I can't accurately say how to describe it, but I think this is what magic feels like. It was almost like something that I could grasp with my hand but then I could not. Or like I could move and push it but it remained. Either way I could see the energy welling up from the very earth in the center of the clearing. The center contained a towering runestone, It was covered in a strange glowing blue moss that seemed to feed on the ley energy. The words that were once carved into the monolith were obscured by the moss. But at the base of the thing was an alcove in the runestone where no moss grew, no it was more like the moss was cleared away from it recently.

I approached the runestone slowly, the majesty of this whole place was overwhelming. It feels like if I stayed here forever I would be immortal. The pale moon had started to rise giving me a bit more sight to see the clearing. The place just felt safe and timeless, the trees encircled the runestone perfectly not daring it seemed to encroach on the glade. The small alcove on the stone was waist high and had only a small depression in it, like it was for offerings. I bet down and ran my hand over the depression. It was smooth and warm to the touch. I quickly jumped back as it appeared that the alcove became deeper and a second depression same as the first became visible behind the former. The gray granite taking the odd green light of the leyline and amplifying it for a moment, causing the ley energy to increase in intensity.

Underneath the moss I could now make out glowing green lines and shapes. Several small beasts intertwined forming an oval around a larger winged beast. Looking closer the little beasts encircling the larger one had lines coming from their backs. They were Synwyn and the larger in the center has to be a dragon. This whole runestone was very old to be sure but not ancient or timeless or it would be much more worn I would think. I wonder if they leylines lead me here because I was traveling with Lexi?

"Tal, is everything with you alright? This place is strange, I do not dislike it but I feel like we are trespassing on something. Tal?" Veira spoke to me as I still gazed upon the runestone, it took me a moment to even register her worried voice.

"I think its OK to spend the night here." I told her setting down my pack. She seemed to have no interest in the runestone but Lexi seemed to be likewise entranced by the stone. "Can't you see it Veira?" I asked her motioning to the runestone.

"The stone Tal? Yes I can, is there something else? I cannot see that well at night like some races." Veira said now looking at both me and the Synwyn transfixed looking at the stone.

"Don't worry about it then Veira. Lets rest here until dawn." I said with a smile. I didn't want to worry her but she still eyed me suspiciously. I think that I should make an offering in the depression before we sleep. Something to connect us to this place or appease whatever made it. Veira was going through her pack setting out blankets and finding flint for a fire, Lexi had bounded off somewhere out of sight.

I took out a vial of the seeing potion, it just feels like this is the best I can do as a type of offering. I went over to the stone and poured it into the first depression. The second depression behind the first was still visible. I'm not sure now if it was ever hidden to begin with.

"Tal, why did you do that? Should not those be saved to guide us further in the Wilds?" Veira asked, not with any sort of negativity but more out of concern for me I feel.

"It just feels right Veira, I can't really explain it, the same as knowing which way to go. I just like, feel it out, there's some sort of very faint pull, that needs to be followed. I don't question it. I just do it and here, this place is a wellspring for ley energy. The stone was put here by someone who saw it for a reason but I think that making an offering is the right thing to do and the potion is all that I could think of that would be suitable, seeing how it has a sort of connection to this place." I said with a shrug. I don't really have a better explanation and hearing myself say it, it does seem to be a bit silly. But that is still how I feel about it, I'm not accustomed to using magics.

"Ah, I see Tal. I did not mean to question you my mate just ah, you have acted strangely since entering this grove and I was worried." She said coming over to me and nuzzling my neck. " I believe that I owe you for saving me yet again my hero." She spoke with a sly smile pacing her hands over mine and guiding them one to a breast and one to her sex. She stopped for a moment looking to see if I approved.

I bent over and kissed her on the nose. "After the blue one is sleeping my my little fox."

Here's a little something this is my original sketch of the events of this chapter to this point.

Return to veira she's gone tailor feigns ignorance.

Tal mad search of city. Weary angry with self remember market.

Goes sees slavers

Synwyn up for sale.veira behind.next to sell

Evaluate sees guards makes.speech able to convert crowd to his side city guards investigate commotion. Slaver guards disinterested in helping slaver.

Slaver attacks exhausted tal. Parrys sword breaks southern rapiar guard slices.into arm deeply slaver flees talk presumes and slays slaver guards turn blind eye.

Takes keys to shackles frees veira

Veira insist on freeing very young synwyn female. Synwyn speaks offers guide them to her village. Buys supplies leaves same day with synwyn.

_ Didn't exactly turn out how I planed did it?_