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"What are _you_doing here?!" the leopard inquired, her tone half hushed and her expression genuinely surprised.

"I would ask you the same question," Julius returned, his voice sharing the same surprise but not shying away from being heard.

The blue tiger pushed passed the female Arkon standing before him and stepped into the warehouse. Lights hung from the high, triangular roof and filled the interior with brightness, contrasting the darkness outside. In a distant corner, several wooden crates stood piled atop one another, the only visible objects in the warehouse. Immediately to the right of the door Julius had just entered was a second door, leading to a small room built into the warehouse's structure, presumably an office.

"You need to leave," Accretia stated flatly, placing her hand on Julius' arm as she stepped in front of him and looked him in the eyes.

"I'm not going anywhere until I get some answers," the tiger replied, his words stern.

"On the contrary," a third, confident, male voice added, "I think you'll be leaving quite soon."

The leopard turned to face the direction the voice had come from and Julius looked passed her to see a large, dark brown bear emerge from around the corner of the smaller room. Even for an Arkon, the bear was enormous. Standing a solid half-foot taller than Julius, and with a visibly larger physique, the third Arkon was an intimidating sight for anyone to behold.

"I was told to keep an eye on you," the bear continued, directing his words to the leopard, "that you may not be entirely committed to our plans. I was also told that if that were to prove true, I was to take _you_out, as well."

Julius growled as he shoved passed Accretia once more.

"Whatever your plans are, they stop here," the tiger declared.

Accretia grabbed Julius' arm, this time firmly, "You can't fight him. Let's go!"

But the blue and black striped feline pulled his arm free and stood his ground. Questions were beginning to mount up and Julius intended to get some answers.

Seeing his opponent's display of resolve, the bear curled the corner of his mouth in a sly smile. Enough words had been said; it was now time to fight. Julius made the first move, stepping forward and launching himself towards the bear. It all happened in the blink of an eye, but for an Arkon it was nothing out of the ordinary; their speed, strength and all their senses enhanced by the power that flowed within them. But for all that power, Accretia could still only watch as a bulky, muscled arm appeared from around the corner of the smaller room, striking Julius on the side of the head. Blind sided, the tiger hit the ground with enough force to crack the concrete floor. Baited into an ambush, Julius was immediately placed at a disadvantage.

"Bastard!" Accretia shouted.

The leopard ran at the bear, taking a wide, arcing path to avoid the ambush she'd already suspected. But her efforts were in vain as not one, but two equally large bears fell upon her from either side. As Julius' vision cleared and the ringing in his head dissipated, he looked up to see the leopard struggling to fend off what appeared to be a pair of twins. Shaking off the last of the sneak attack's effects, the tiger got to his feet and attempted to catch one of the bears unaware, but once more, _he_was the one to be taken by surprise.

Without missing a beat, the bear Julius had targeted turned to face the blue feline, swinging his large arm as if he'd known from the start how events would unfold. The blow caught Julius off guard once more and sent him reeling backwards. Staggered and dazed, the city's defender found himself out matched by a larger, more powerful opponent that had already landed two direct and powerful strikes. Meanwhile, Accretia was barely able to avoid getting hit, herself. Her lithe frame was just enough to give her a slight advantage over the bear's considerably more powerful but slower, less dexterous attacks. Using her superior agility, the leopard was finally able to withdraw from her opponent's reach and turned to attack the bear whose attention was focused on Julius. And once again, the apparently unaware target displayed what could only be described as a clairvoyant knack for detecting incoming assaults. Turning to face the female Arkon, the bear countered her attack with a high, wide swing of his own, intended to strike Accretia upon the side of the head. But the leopard's attack was a bluff and as the bear swung high, _she_slipped under his blow and swept her leg into the back of the bear's knee.

"Bitch!" one of the bears shouted, or was it both?

As the bear she had outsmarted fell to one knee, Accretia helped Julius to stand and once more tried to persuade him to leave. "We can't win this fight!" she insisted. Julius was in no condition to argue and allowed her to take the lead.

"Run," one of the bears said behind them as he came to stand next to the other. As if knowing what the first was going to say, the second bear continued speaking for him, "It will only be a matter of time until a foothold is established and then nothing will stop us."

Julius followed Accretia out of the warehouse and away from the area, but as the two Arkons ventured further into the city, it became she_who followed _him. Neither spoke for a long time and Julius seemed to wander without direction or purpose. Frustration simmered just below the surface and although he had taken quite the beating, only his pride was hurt. It was the first time the city's defender had stood against a force that threatened his city and not been able to come out on top, or even equal. The bears had a trick up their sleeve and it gave them a marked advantage that Julius didn't know how to get around. On top of that, questions were mounting up that the tiger simply had no answers for and it didn't look like answers were going to arrive any time soon.

Accretia followed Julius closely as he made his way through dark alleys and shadow filled streets. He appeared to either not notice her presence or simply not care about it, and eventually the leopard got tired of being ignored.

"Julius, will you please talk to me?" the leopard almost pleaded.

Julius stopped in his tracks and turned to stare at the female Arkon, almost snarling, "About what?!"

Accretia halted abruptly but didn't respond, the tiger's aggression making her unsure how to proceed. Instead she just stared into his eyes as he stared into hers. Finally Julius stepped back and composed himself.

"Why were you in that warehouse?" the tiger asked, his tone patient but still betraying hints of frustration.

Accretia turned her gaze from him; she wasn't proud of the decision she'd made, but she'd felt it was a necessary decision to make.

"I came with the hope of finding help," she said, her words solemn.

Julius almost roared, "_HELP?!_Help with what? What possible need could an Arkon have that they are driven to ally with mortal criminals?"

Accretia could only wince at Julius' interrogating words as she avoided his gaze. She did not reply.

After several moments of silence, Julius breathed deeply and turned away, beginning to walk forward once more. But after several steps, he was stopped once again by Accretia's words, this time shouted at him.

"We thought you were dead!" she shouted, anger and sadness mixed together in her voice.

Julius turned to look at the female Arkon, confusion overwhelming the frustration within him.

"Dead!?" Julius repeated. He walked back to stand in front of Accretia once more, their eyes locking. The blue feline saw the sincerity of Accretia's words within her eyes and it only made him more confused. "Why would you think I was dead?" Yet another question on top of a rapidly growing pile. Confusion and frustration began to mix as Julius demanded answers to his questions, "What can you gain from aiding criminals? Why were you at that warehouse? And while we're at it, why are so many Arkons falling, lately? What is going on?!"

A look of surprise settled over Accretia's face as she stared at Julius, his questions leading her to a realisation.

"You don't know, do you?" the female Arkon breathed slowly.

"Know what?!" Julius demanded, "Tell me!"

"Julius, Arkons are dying!" Accretia explained.

Julius didn't reply, he just stared at the leopard with a confused, blank expression.

"He found a way... Dante found a way to _kill_Arkons!" Accretia continued, "He claimed the throne and rules by fear, murdering anyone that challenges him. I joined his ranks in the hopes of finding other Arkons sympathetic to overthrowing him. But I never imagined to find you! Come back with me, Julius."

"No," Julius replied flatly. He turned from Accretia once more and started walking.

"No?" the leopard echoed, following after him and pleading her case, "How can you say no? Arkons are being murdered! We need your help. You are the rightful ruler of Iyos."

"I will not abandon the people of this city," Julius countered, neither stopping nor glancing back at the female Arkon following him.

Accretia stopped.

"But Iyos is your home."

Julius stopped and whirled around, his voice thundered through the city like an explosion, "THIS IS MY HOME NOW!"

Accretia could only watch in silence as Julius yet again turned away from her and continued to walk. A cocktail of emotions churned within her as she struggled to understand why Julius would so readily abandon his own home and people. But he was the best hope they had, so she continued to silently follow him. She would be patient; perhaps another chance to convince him would arise.

Julius' mood smouldered as he moved through the city he had devoted himself to protecting. He had left that life behind decades ago and harboured no intention of returning to it. Even if the tiger did wish to return home, he likely couldn't; the anchor would most probably be too inaccessible after all these years.

Eventually, Accretia followed Julius off the low streets and on to the high roof tops of the various buildings inside the city limits. He didn't appear to be trying to lose her, but he showed no sign of caring if she kept up with him or not, either. The female Arkon sensed that Julius' temper had been stretched to its limit. He was now done, finished with the day and ready to see it gone. The point had been reached where one simply gives up and walks away.

Carry sat on her couch and fed popcorn into her mouth one at a time, absently, almost like an automated machine, from a handful of popcorn she held in one hand that occasionally lost pieces to the pale pink pyjamas she was wearing. When Julius landed on the balcony outside the sliding glass door, the human woman almost fell off the couch as she jumped with a start, sending popcorn scattering across herself and the floor. Sighing, Carry began plucking the small pieces of food from her clothes and the couch cushions while Julius entered the apartment and made his way to the bedroom he slept in. But when Carry noticed a second Arkon following Julius, she forgot her popcorn and spoke up.

"Wait! Hold on. Who's this?" Carry inquired as she stood up. She had come to the city to live and give Julius a place to stay, but she had been told nothing of other Arkons joining him, and so far, the only other Arkons Carry had heard about hadn't exactly been friendly. The tiger was meant to be in hiding, and now he was being followed by an unknown individual that nobody knew anything about. Carry couldn't help but feel just a little annoyed by this sudden intrusion.

Julius paused and looked back. He didn't seem surprised to see Accretia standing inside the apartment after following him in from the balcony, but he did look at her as though he had to consider what to say. The leopard couldn't help feeling almost as if she was being judged.

"She's a friend," Julius finally stated, his tone flat and simple. Without waiting for a reaction, Julius then turned from the leopard and disappeared into the bedroom, the door closing behind him with a firm thud.

"Uh... OK," Carry said, a little confused.

Carry then turned her sights towards Accretia and looked at her for a moment, not quite sure what to say or do.

"My name is Accretia," the leopard introduced herself, speaking in a confident, civilised tone that helped put the human at ease. As she spoke, Accretia slid the glass door closed behind her.

"Carry," Carry returned.

The two females stood in silence for a moment, neither one quite sure how to continue. It was Carry who finally broke the silence.

"Drink?" she offered.

"Yes, please. Thank you," Accretia accepted.

"Coke? Coffee?" Carry picked up the bowl her popcorn had been in and placed it on the couch before making her way towards the kitchen.

"Do you have tea?" the leopard inquired as she followed.

"Uh, it's not very good tea," Carry informed her guest.

Accretia sat at the small, round table, "That's alright," she confirmed with a chuckle.

Carry took a cup off the dish rack and rinsed and dried another one she'd placed in the sink a couple of hours earlier. After checking that her kettle had sufficient water in it, she turned it on and then turned to face her guest.

"So... Friends?" Carry inquired. Julius had said that Accretia was a friend, but his voice had hinted that there was more to the situation.

"It would seem that is still the case," Accretia admitted, her own voice hinting uncertainty.

Carry just cocked her head to one side and listed as the leopard continued to speak.

"Julius and I grew up together. But it has been quite some time since those days and I fear things have changed since then that may have put a strain on his trust in me."

"I see," Carry said, beginning to understand just a little.

A solemn silence fell over the kitchen, broken only by the sounds of the kettle boiling and Carry making a cup of tea for her guest and a cup of coffee for herself. After setting the tea on the table for her guest, Carry sat opposite the leopard and tried another topic she was curious about, hoping it was one not unpleasant to discuss.

"Can I... ask you something?" the human began.

"You wish to know about Arkons?" Accretia guessed, a sly little smile forming on her face.

"... Yeah," Carry admitted.

Accretia chuckled and sipped at her tea before replying, "What do you wish to know?"