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Chapter Text

Services No Longer Required: Chapter 1: One bad day.

The Jingling noise from the door causes his ears to flick a couple of times, as he pushes the front door open. Shifting the burlap bag from his short clawed hand to his long clawed one, Rohoka the young Draco-Fox turns, waving back to the two shop-owners through the small glass section of the door.

Folding his red, copper, and white fur and scaled ears back against his head. He squints his slit pupil eyes and looks up into the midday sky, so he can judge what time it is from the position of the sun. Well, until white fluffy clouds float past, covering it as they move against a backdrop of blue.

Letting out a sigh, he lowers his head. ‘Okay, what’s next on the list?’

Stepping to the side, his clawed feet scrape against the cobblestone road as wrapped leather straps give him traction where the tough scales and thin fur on his feet wouldn’t. All to let some of his elders in his pass by on the foot traffic part of the street.

The men waving their short clawed hand down at him in greeting, which he returns, while the women politely bob their wings up and down once at him. Which he also returns with a wave of his short clawed hand. Having been told by his mother that it’s the polite thing to do, rather than wiggle the tiny vestigial wings on his back, under his shirt.

“Look at that, only nine, and he’s already doing his den’s shopping.” Glancing over to his mate, A brownish colored male grins at the sight. His short clawed hand occupied with adjusting the rope for his trousers while the long clawed hand holds his own burlap bag filled with the day’s groceries for his Den while his shirt billows a bit in the light breeze.

“Yup, he’ll be running his Den’s shop in no time at this rate.” The light blue fur and scale colored female next to the male grins back with her ears politely forward. Wings resting on her back with the claw fingers and the joints behind them wrapped with the straps of a carry harness, for the sack she too is carrying.

Leaving her more petite arm’s and hands to fiddle with the tie-downs for her own set of slacks and shirt, so the breeze doesn’t undo them.

Rohoka steady’s his stance while keeping his long clawed hand glued to his side. Only using his short clawed hand to wave back at the two at their complement. Recognizing them as individuals from a higher honored Den in their Clan.

Not of his own Den though, his is only made up of his parents and him. Being the only one of his clutch actually hatching nine years ago when his parents were finally able to afford kids. An uncommon occurrence, but not unheard of among Draco-Foxes.

He keeps this posture till the two, obviously on a shopping expedition, if not just errands. Pass him by and are out of sight. Only then does he fiddle with his own belt and shirt tie-downs to keep his clothes from falling off of him.

The breezy day having loosened the knots on them, noticing the fact his clothes may be getting a size too small for him as they feel tight when re-secured.

‘Maybe if I do well with these chores, fulfilling the errand contract. And our den’s store does well, Mom and Dad can get me new clothes this month.’ Pushing that thought aside and the thought of him being more popular among his friends for having nicer cloths, he pulls out a small rectangle of tree-bark shaped like a small wooden slate. Carved from the bark of the Iron-Bark tree, which gets its name from bark as hard as stone.

Tapping the thumb of his short clawed hand on the text filled front of it causes a hazy blue list of words to float inches above the surface. Looking down the shopping list he was tasked with doing, he uses a claw tip from his long clawed hand to tap the first non struck through item on the list.

Causing a line to be drawn across it, indicating he’s gotten that item and the text on the wood rectangle to change underneath the blue floating text.

Tapping the text again with his thumb claw causes the floating words to fade into nothing.

“Okay, next on the list, some of that odd stuff the humans make. Milk and cheese? I think they call it? Dad likes the stuff though.”

Looking about at the two-story mud and tree-bark construction to get his bearings, then at the enchanted signs like the list he’s carrying to double-check what street he’s on. Each sign projecting words into the air in blue letters, designating the road he’s on. Using the same magic that makes the grocery list possible.

‘Okay, just need to head down this street, take a left to get to the town center, then a right to get to the human quarter of town. The small, mostly human centric market there should have what Dad wants.’ Hefting the burlap sack over his back. Not even wincing at how what’s inside is lightly jabbing those tiny wings of his. He sets off down the street.

Staying to the side of the road, to let horse-drawn wagons pass by him. Barely even looking at them, no thought passes through his mind about how out of place they look to most of the animals around town. Or to how equines aren’t even native to the planet.

Their existence here is only the result of a summoned human, from ages past using his beast-master powers to transport them from the world he came from to make Draco-Foxes lives easier. Nor does he give any thought of his clan kin, who’re stark traditionalists using the planet’s native fauna that fills the same niche in nature here.

A giant fur and scale covered beast that resembles a herbivore, superficially, from earth’s Permian era. Not that Rohoka would know anything about it, few humans here have any information on Earth. The only one who does is the king of the human kingdom via his personal library, or at least the rumors around the human quarter claim.

Neither of the two kinds of beasts phase him as he navigates the street like a native, avoiding elder clansmen and women going about their own business. His mind more preoccupied with what his allowance will be for completing this contract ahead of time, and he hopes, under the amount his parents normally pay.

‘Mom and dad gave me all day to complete this, but I should be done before my friends get let out by their Dens from their classes at this rate.’ Rohoka smiles at thinking of what kind of treats he can get with such a large allowance.

Only to stop before entering the town square as his ears and tail tip twitch. The noise and commotion being more than he remembers as ‘normal’ for the area of town at this time of day.

‘Wonder what’s going on? Sounds like the whole town’s there.’

Adjusting the burlap sack on his back and moving to put his long clawed hand over the smaller sack of money resting on his hip, inside a pocket on the inside of his shirt. He cautiously approaches the town square. Curiosity about what’s going on getting the better of his parents telling him to ‘stay out of trouble’.

Stopping at a building’s corner, he peeks his head around the mud, and bark exterior to take a look at what’s going on. His neck fur and scales picking up the detritus from the wall, as well as his clothes. Not that he cares about that right now.

Many of the townsfolk, Human and Draco-Fox fill the square nearly to capacity. All trying not to spill into the center of the street as they keep to their own groups though, Humans with humans, Draco-Foxes with Draco-Foxes. All crowded closer to the gatehouse of the town walls.

Leaving those in the small crowd at the Tracking-Board to stand out. Waiting their turn for the Tracking-Board administrator to examine their completed contracts. Successful or not, so he can update their name and their den’s name on the board for all to see.

“Keep the streets clear!”

His ears twitch at the voice of the town crier, just off to the side of the Tracking-Board as she rings a glowing blue bell. Working her lungs and her voice to be heard over the constant din and murmur of the crowd. Fellow Draco-Foxes silence themselves upon hearing her speak, while the Humans in their midst and in their own crowds only lessen the volume of their gossip.

So caught up in watching this, Rohoka fails to hear the telltale sounds of multiple sets of padded paws hitting cobblestone behind him. Till he’s roughly pushed against the wall by a strong, furred and human feminine like hand gripping his shoulder of his short-clawed hand.

“You’re blocking the way! Didn’t your parents teach you better manners?!”

Rohoka’s head and neck whips around to look behind him, up the black and green spotted arm, the same pattern of spots continues throughout the rest of hir fur. To the upper torso of the other ‘summoned to his world’ species that their gods brought in answer to their prayers.

Chakats.

Two adults, and a young one between the two. Naked from the waist between the upper and lower torso down, despite the town’s contract for residents to be ‘properly clothed’ outside their dens at all times.

‘Are they visitors?’

The green and black spotted one next to him, roughly pushes him into the wall, again, from his lack of a response. The other adult covered in fur of orange, red and purple in wave like swirls just doesn’t even pay attention to him. Between them, a cub, both of hir arms firmly held in the hands of the two adults while hir head hangs low. Shi doesn’t even look at him. He can see hir ears drooped and fur matted on her muzzle.

Some part of Rohoka feels a pang of sympathy at the sandstone and black line fur patterned cub, till he remembers what his parents told him about Chakats.

‘I have to keep my emotions in check around Chakats. They like to manipulate them with their abilities even if they’re being nice to you to take advantage of you. Maybe sympathy is what they ‘want’ me to feel?’

“Look at me when I’m talking to you, not at hir. Shi’s of no consequence to you.”

He looks back up at the green and black spotted one. A slight snarl on hir muzzle, which stands in contrast to the nice shirt of that material his mother’s been trying for ages to get from them, polyester. All she’s been able to get is the same stuff their backpacks and belt pouches get made from, their version of burlap, denim.

Reaching up with his long clawed hand, Rohoka grips the adult chakat’s arm, tries, yet fails to get hir to let go off him. Quickly realizing that what his father said is true, they may look like the petite female humans, but are stronger than many.

“No one else is in the street right now, you two can walk around me.”

He instantly regrets saying that as the Green and Black spotted one digs hir claws into his shoulder. The only reason shi’s not drawing blood from him is that he’s starting to get his adult scales. Hir strength and the sharpness of the feline claws would pierce his scales otherwise.

“We will not walk the same streets as your beasts of burden just because we have four legs like they do. Yet, since you so kindly offered. How about you walk in the street and let us use the sidewalk like the civilized beings we are compared to your lot.”

Rohoka squeaks as he’s lifted, easily by that one arm of the Chakat. Casually handed to the other adult Chakat, who also holds him by just one arm, and just roughly drops him into the center of the street and the detritus it has with a smirk on hir muzzle.

“Should’ve just listened to my mate and moved on your own kid. Take this as a lesson, when your betters tell you to move. You move, no questions.”

The Orange, Red and Purple swirl covered Chakat continues hir disdainful glare at Rohoka for a moment longer. Then looks away to nod to hir mate. Both hir and the Green and Black spotted one don’t seem to even notice their cub between them trying to pull hirself out of the iron grasp they have on hir while they were distracted with the Draco-Fox. They just drag hir along with them as they enter the town square, even as the cub tries to dig all four of hir feet into the cobblestone road to stop them.

“If I was just bigger, like my father, they wouldn’t be able to do that.” Sighing to himself, he uses his tail to push himself back up onto his feet. Then pats down his burlap clothing, dislodging trash stuck to it back to where it belongs, on the street.

Entering the town square he eyes the two who just did this to him, making their way through the crowd. Forcefully pushing those who don’t get out of their way in time. Their actions not worth dealing with by any of the town guard. Compared to what’s drawn everyone here in the first place and keeping the general peace.

Snorting, he heads for the back of the crowd. Nearer the Tracking-board than where everyone is. Rohoka swings his head back and forth. Not to get a look at everyone here, but to make sure those contracted to administer, and guard the board, aren’t looking at him.

Seeing no one, at least from his point of view. Rohoka smirks to himself. ‘I’ll get a better view of whatever is going on up their, on the roof of the awning.’

Securing his belongings and making sure none of knots keeping his clothing on him got dislodged from earlier. He crouches, then leaps up onto one of the four support posts holding up the protective awning over the Tracking-Board. Claws easily finding holes and notches in the wood to grip onto, he shimmies up and then onto the roof at a brisk pace.

“Oh hey Rohoka, glad you could make it.”

Rohoka blinks and stares at one of his friends once his head is over the lip. Another male Draco-Fox. Covered in more Brown and Black fur and scales compared to his own Red and Copper coloration. Then he notices all the other kids his age present, all up here and all waving their short-clawed hands or bobbing their wing-arms at him depending on if they’re male or female.

Some of them are friends of his, others are friends of friends. They all still hang out together regardless most days.

Pulling himself fully up onto the clay tiled roof, he crawls over next to his friend’s “Damn, thought I was being clever and getting up here with the guard’s back turned and all.”

Most of the group chuckles at Rohoka as he lowers his ears a bit in embarrassment from not having such a unique idea.

“Nope.” Rohoka’s friend pats him on the shoulder as he sits next to him. Eyeing the sack he’s carrying.

“The Tracking-Board guards allowed us up here, because they wouldn’t have been able to stop us anyway. Like you climbing up when they weren’t looking.” He grins mirthfully.

“I would’ve just glided from the building over there.” One of the girls sitting next to him speaks up, pointing with a wing claw at the building in question. Keeping her hands free to keep her on just the edge of the roof.

“See!” Rohoka’s friend smirks, then points to the sack.

“What’s in there?”

Moving to hold the sack in his lap, more out of comfort and balance as he sits on the roof rather than protection of what’s in it. “Mom and Dad gave me a contract. I do some grocery shopping for them, and in return I’ll get some extra coin in my allowance.”

The mention of getting a contract gets the attention of most of the kids on the roof. Many of them are three to four years younger than Rohoka, too young for their parents to start such a thing. All of them looking at him causes Rohoka’s ears to fold back a bit further. Embarrassed by the sudden attention of his peers.

“Oh don’t mind them. They’re just jealous they’re not old enough yet for their parents to do the same thing.” His friend smiles, draping the arm with his short clawed hand over Rohoka’s shoulder. The moves his head a bit closer to Rohoka’s.

“So how much extra are we talking about here?”

This action doesn’t do anything to lessen Rohoka’s nervousness at the attention he’s getting. Especially since it’s over how much he’s getting if he completes the contract.

Even then it’s just an extra week of allowance, along with any difference in coin between what his parents expect the groceries to cost and what he actually paid for them. Something about teaching him how to ‘haggle’ and all that.

“I, um, don’t think that matters right now. Everyone in the town is here.” Hoping to deflect the topic away from himself.

“Why?” His friend tilts his head and ears a bit. Stubby horns, shorter than Rohoka’s glimmer in the daylight. Showing his den’s wealthier status.

Rohoka points with his short clawed hand to the large crowd of humans in one part of the town square. “The human lady I’d have to purchase the next item on the list is in the crowd.” In particular the Human lady that runs the stall, which is his next destination.

His friend snorts. “Yea this whole surprise visit’s doing that to everyone.” Then he tilts his head the other direction. “Even those idiots.”

His friend points and Rohoka’s gaze follows to the two Chakats he ran into not to long ago.

Blinking, Rohoka watches as the Green and Black spotted Chakat energetically throws hir arms about as shi stares down one of the town’s elderly priestesses. The one who runs the town’s orphanage, and everyone in the town knows she does. All the while the other Chakat, the Orange, Red, and Purple swirl patterned one. Holds in place the child they were dragging along with them in spit of hir trying to run.

“Yea, walking around without covering their lower half and yelling at one of our clan’s priestesses isn’t going to get them what they want.” Rohoka mutters and looks elsewhere, just missing the sight of a robed human approaching the Chakats and the Priestess.

“Eh, I’d agree all of them are idiots, but those in particular only just arrived earlier today. One of those magic metal things dropped them off just outside of town this morning. You know the ones, they make lots of noise and create breezes that can knock things down.” Rohoka’s friend removes his arm from the Red and Copper colored Draco-Fox.

Turning to look at him, Rohoka tilts an ear just a bit. ‘Wish I was out here earlier to have seen that.’

“You said a surprise visit? Who’s visiting that would draw our entire town?”

Rohoka’s friend looks out in the direction of the gate house, sitting between the town square and outside their town.

“The hero’s party, Word only reached the town an hour ag…”

He’s interrupted by the Town Crier, who up to this point, been busy writing glowing blue runes in the air in front of herself using her hands, while her wings stay folded against her back. Her more expensive cotton clothing billowing in the breeze lightly.

“I said quiet please!”

The runes in front her glow. Activating her skill and magic to amplify her voice over the din’s of both the Draco-Foxes, and the Humans in the crowd. Putting it at a volume that drowns out all conversation.

Both sides quiet down, though the Draco-Foxes do so well before the humans eventually stop gossiping among themselves. The Town Crier bobs her head in satisfaction as the town square goes quiet, just like she called for before she can go into her speech.

“Today is a glorious day for our people’s, us who’re native, and us who’re decedents from summoned heroes, now call this place home!”

The Town Crier spreads her wings as she speaks. Finger claws on them pointing to the Humans, the Draco-Foxes, and the two lone Chakats who can’t leave. The crowds prevent them from summoning their ride back south.

“Our ancient enemy, The Continuum, who we all remember from our history lessons. Reappeared two years ago. To help our armies from every Skulk, who could field them. The foot-soldiers the Human-Kingdom of Elysengrad could muster, joined the fight, along with a…”

The Town Crier stops for a moment to reread the unfamiliar words to herself a few times, so she can get them right.

“A group of military advisers from the Chakat republic of Neo-Chakona. Yet with all this help the Continuum were just as powerful as they we as before, pushing back our combined forces from their portal at the edge of our territory with Neo-Chakona. That is until our gods yet again answered our prayers and sent us a new group of Humans again to help push them back.”

Rolling the parchment up and fully opening her wings. The Town Crier puts some joyful inflection into her voice.

“So it is my pleasure to announce the victorious return of our armies and the humans who made the victory possible!” Deeply bobbing her wings, the Town Crier then manages a Human style bow as she vacates the street.

Moving out of the way just in time to reveal the City Gates raising. Rohoka, along with all the other young just stare at the scene.

“Any of you know what the hero’s look like?” One of the young males asks, only to be shushed by someone next to him. Yet what distracts Rohoka is the tug mentally of a skill he’s yet to tell his parents he’s learned just in the past few days.

A skill he knows his father and mother have because they’re accomplished merchants. It draws his attention to the Chakats as the swirling Orange, Red, and Purple fur covered one brings something to hir muzzle, then hir ear.

Rohoka’s skill tells him it’s an item of ‘high’ value. Something that may sell well if he could get his claws on it. If they’re willing to sell it to him.

“Whatcha looking at? The gate’s open, and they’re coming through!” His friend gently prods Rohoka’s shoulder with a short claw. Drawing his attention and breaking the spell of his skill, Merchants Eye.

Swinging his head over, Rohoka flicks his ears as the gates finish raising with a loud clang. Through the shadow of the gatehouse four elaborately armored horses step out of the gloom. Hooves clacking against cobblestone, echoing into the town square. Only when all four horses enter into the daylight do the Humans erupt into a deafening cheer.

The Draco-Foxes though wave with their short clawed hands, or bob their wings. Not as audibly boisterous as the humans, but no less respectful or joyous in their greeting.

Even Rohoka and the other children join in. Caught up in the enthusiasm of the moment.

“Didn’t know Humans could get that big.” He looks to his friend who just shrugs as both him and Rohoka watch the nearly seven foot tall Knight, wearing full armor minus his helmet ride into view.

Said helmet clatters against the armor on the horse as it’s tied to the saddle as he leads the three others of his party into the town square.

It and the sword on his back gleam in the sunlight, A smile on the knight’s face hides the grimace from having to wear such impractical ceremonial armor for this. His actual armor, while not any less covering of his large frame. Is at least made of materials designed to take hits, so it’s dented and dinged form is unsuited for such pageantry. That, and there’s actually padding inside it to prevent the armor from doing the work of the enemy. Still, the layers of clothing he would have on under the armor in such a warm day is doing him no favors.

He raises his free hand to wave back at the Draco-Foxes and at the humans. The latter cheer louder.

Behind him and to his left their party’s thief and scout, similarly chafes under ceremonial leathers, a hood, and a mask he wouldn’t be caught dead in. After all, part of being inconspicuous means looking like others. Nothing screams ‘you’re up to nothing good’ than seeing someone with a mask to hide their face and a hood to cover their head.

He’s at least happy to not have to be cooking inside such a tin can as their leader, even if nothing in this outfit breaths as well as his normal armor and clothing.

He’s also glad of the attention their leader’s getting. Drawing eyes away from the sight of him purposefully only paying attention to the humans in the crowd. Only to cringe at the joyous laughter from their party’s offensive magic user, their mage. Drinking in all the attention she’s getting like she was dying of thirst while riding beside him.

Standing on her stirrups and letting the annoying cloak she has to wear blow in the wind behind her. She waves back to everyone and blows kisses to them. Fully drinking up the attention and admiration pouring onto her from everyone in the town square. Human and Draco-Fox alike.

In her life she has never been treated with this much admiration by so many, it’s intoxicating to her. So caught up in this she doesn’t even notice the female Draco-Fox child near Rohoka pointing a wing-claw at her.

“What are those things on her chest?” Only to be lightly bonked on the head by a slightly older female Draco-Fox female for pointing at the human rudely with one of her hands rather than a wing-claw.

“It’s something that grows on them when they come of age if I remember what mom told me. Like how I’m going to get my back teeth pulled out in a few moons since they’re coming in early.”

The other girl tilts her head and wings, showing her confusion. “Then why do these humans put up with them? She doesn’t look like she’s in as much pain as my sister was when her back teeth grew in. I mean look at the size of those things! She must have trouble putting her arms in front of her or looking down at herself. So, why don’t Humans remove them?”

The girl next to her shrugs.

Tuning out the two girl’s conversation, Rohoka glances to his friend. More or less confused by what they’re talking about, only to have his attention drawn past his friend, to the forth and final party member entering their town.

A priestess, of the order of Victoria, calmly sits on her horse, compared to the other three. Yet, just like them, She’s fully decked out ceremonial leathers and shining chain-mail. On her head sits their order’s standard headgear. A cloth hat with their order’s emblem emblazoned on the front.

Steering her horse to keep in formation with the other’s, she divides her attention between staring at the three in front of her. And scanning the crowd, as if she expects to see someone or is looking for someone in particular.

“Wonder why she isn’t celebrating? She’s part of their party, right?” Rohoka points to the priestess, a few of the other kids look in the direction while similarly wondering out loud. The rest that look just shrug. Yet another bit of body language learned from the humans, now engrained in their culture.

Their discussion on the matter’s drowned out by Draco-Foxes in the town square cheering. Following directly behind the priestess are two columns of foot-soldiers from their skulk walking in parade lock-step. Many of them are from the very clan running their town.

Not that most of the kids care. The spirit of cheer and celebration fully infecting them, getting them to join in on the cheers and celebration. After all, they’re their clansmen or in one or two cases, returning parents.

Compared to the human hero’s, the two columns of marching Draco-Foxes wear battered, yet clean armor. Neither glimmering in the sun like the knight or the priestess, or looking like they just got it off the rack at a tailor’s or armor’s shop like the mage and thief respectively.

Each male Draco-Fox; Footman, Pike-man, and Archer. Along with each female Draco-Fox; Skirmisher, Scout, Mage, and Priestess in the columns hold themselves proudly but with military discipline. None of them outwardly drinking in the attention they’re getting while inwardly enjoying it.

As the end of the precession makes it into the town square, they close gatehouse behind them. Leaving the multitude of support and logistics personal, and the hero’s actual gear. Outside the town in tent filled military encampments. Along with many of the support personal required for a marching army.

“That was neat.” Rohoka looks over to his friend, then the other kids as he watches the crowd follow the precision. “But I should get going now that the crowd is dispersing. If I’m quick I can be first in line at the human’s stall where I need to get my next item on the list mom and dad gave me.”

Those sitting next to him move out of the way, allowing him climb back down the post he used to climb up on. The moment his feet touch the cobblestone pavement the head of his friend pokes out from over the edge of the roof. Stopping Rohoka in mid-step before he could jog over to the Human quarter.

“Hey! You didn’t say how much extra allowance you’d get. So how much will they give you for completing this contract?”

Folding his ears back a little, he glances around at everyone else looking at him like his friend, their own heads peeking over the awning roof, before nervously smiling back at them.

“Um... About double my normal allowance, and if I can haggle the price of the groceries lower than what they paid for. I can keep the difference. They didn’t say what they paid for them though, so I don’t think I’ll get that.”

Knowing the cheers from his guy friends and squees from the girls he at least knows, and the fact he knew it was coming. Doesn’t stop him from wincing at the noise as they make.

“You’re going to share, right?” One of the speaks up when they stop cheering.

“Making me jealous Rohoka, now I can’t wait till next year when my den will be doing the same for me and my siblings!” A girl he’s hung out with along with his friend speaks up next.

Along with various other comments fill his ears as he starts backing up before turning to jog in the direction of the Human quarter. ‘Gonna have to get them all treats too now, I guess. Not like I wasn’t kinda thinking about doing it anyway.’

Slinging his burlap pack against his shoulder as he rounds a corner, Rohoka expertly moves through the remaining crowd in and near the town square. Unlike the square and the Draco-Fox quarter though, the Human quarter’s different. At least to him as having grown up and staying mostly in the Draco-Fox portion of the city.

It has the same architecture, the same streets and all. Yet, the atmosphere feels different to him. Knowing he has to be a bit more weary of where he walks and those around him is part of it he realizes as he navigates. They don’t seem to be looking out for others like his fellow Draco-Foxes after all.

‘Maybe it’s because most humans refuse to participate in the contract system?’ Wondering about it again to himself, He doesn’t know if it’s true. Only it’s what his parents tell him whenever he asks. These thoughts bounce around his head as he navigates around some humans seemingly not paying attention to where they’re going. Along with one human child about his age trying to get at his coin-purse.

Rohoka doesn’t dwell on it long with the stall he needs to get his next item within sight. Located not to far from the town square in the first cluster of human stalls one sees as one heads down the road he’s on. Where they willingly ply their wares to the crowds of natives and visitors alike, rather than preferring just Human customers in the market further inside the Humans quarter.

He frowns as he approaches the milk lady’s stall. Seeing activity his destination dampens his mood as he may not be the first one in line now. Only for his ears to shoot straight up and his tail to stiffen as he gets closer and can see what’s going on in the stall.

The lady, who like the Hero mage, has similar, but not quite as large ample growths on her chest. Indicating she’s of age like one of his friends from earlier pointed out. ‘That is a good question really, why don’t they get rid of them? They’re getting in the way of her swinging that broom.’

Closer to the stall, Rohoka now sees sh isn’t tending to customers. She’s instead chasing some smaller, and thus younger than him Human and Draco-fox children around and out of her stall. So while she’s occupied, a smaller Chakat cub. Compared to the one he saw earlier, and other kids grab things out of her stall and supply crates whenever her back is turned.

“Get! Get!” She yells with a broom as she swings it in the air at them. Looking like she wants to hit them, yet doesn’t.

Quickening his pace, Rohoka fluffs up his fur. Being nine, he’s at least a head taller than the oldest Draco-Fox and Human in the crowd of kids. So doing this makes him look bigger, thus stronger than them too. “Leave her alone!” Bellowing just outside her stall to get the kid’s attention.

The extra person showing up to help the lady results in the effect that Rohoka wanted. Those near the milk lady stop trying to distract her. The others stop grabbing everything they can carry from her stock in turn. All deciding to run off with what they have, rather than stay. Quickly leaving Rohoka and the milk lady alone in her trashed stall.

“Damn orphans! Don’t know why the city doesn’t do a better job taking care of them, despite that damn ranking system…” The lady mutters, only to stop as she finally notices Rohoka.

“Oh hello Rohoka, thanks for the help.” She sighs. “Should’ve known better than to have gone to see what the commotion was in the city square. I bet they were just out of sight, waiting for me to leave my stall unattended.” Slapping her customer focused smile back on, she looks down at Rohoka.

“So, I’ll tell you what. I’ll give you a discount for your help in scaring them off.”

She glances around at the mess as her posture deflates.

Of her stock, there are some bottles left. All magically enchanted to keep the liquid inside cold. Most of what’s left are in the crates in the back of her stall on her cart. There’s even less left of the cheeses she put on display.

“Of what I have left that is…” She sighs dejectedly, while Rohoka lowers his ears sympathetically at her situation. Stopping himself from agreeing to her offer before he can think about how to answer her.

Mainly because one of the things Rohoka has learned from what his parents have taught him in their informal education, is the Draco-Fox way of doing business. He knows his father finds the milk she sells the best out of everyone here who sells the stuff. Thus, he’ll only buy from her stall. So an informal contract exists between her and Rohoka’s den.

At least for the moment. He’s overheard his parents talk about a formal supply contract every few nights as he helps stock the store. It’s been a discussion between his dad and his mom for a long while, and they’ve never come to an agreement. So far that is, all because every Draco-Fox knows about the human tendency to not honor contracts.

Still, an informal contract exists, and Rohoka has to honor it if he wants to successfully complete this task. ‘I’m pretty sure mom and dad will find out about it somehow if I do take advantage of this situation and try to get Dad’s milk and Cheese cheaper.’

Rohoka shakes his head as he looks up at her. “As tempting as it is, mom and dad would be angry if I did so. I’ll pay the same price for my dad’s normal supply that mom or dad does when they do the shopping.”

Rohoka tilts his ears slightly at the expression on the lady’s face which he doesn’t understand, but nonetheless waits as she gathers six bottles and one block of cheese from what’s left of her stock. Then with professional grace, she places them on the table set up in the stall for bartering.

With the merchandise presented, Rohoka uses his short clawed hand to dig out the stack of five Silver coins and places it on the table next to the goods before gently pushing the whole stack forward towards the Human woman.

She takes them, looks them over and pockets them into a coin purse in her dress, under an apron. “I understand why you won’t accept my thanks.” She’s quiet for a split second. “Still, thank you Rohoka for your help. I hope your father enjoys them.”

Rohoka smiles. “He will. He always does.”

Gently placing the burlap sack on the table, he holds the flap open with is long clawed hand while gently placing the glass bottles and cheese inside with his short-clawed hand. If it wasn’t for the fact that these sacks are common, the Milk Lady would be amazed at how it can hold more than its size would suggest.

Closing it up, Rohoka gently hefts it onto his back. This time letting it land on a spot not occupied by his vestigial wings under his fur.

“I know he will. Your father’s a dairy addict.” She smiles back at him politely. With a wave of his short clawed hand to return the polite gesture, he heads back to the town square. His business now done in the Human quarter of town.

Tilting his head upon re-entering the area, he glances around. ‘I wasn’t gone that long and the place is mostly empty now. They’re even on the top of the awning anymore.’

The only group present being around the Tracking-Board. Considering no matter what time of day, as long as there’s daylight to see. People will always want to update their standing on the board, or check on other’s standing before getting into contracts with them.

Shrugging, he pulls out the list again. Tapping it to bring up the magical display and crossing off Milk and Cheese. ‘Just one more thing and I’ll be done with shopping and I can turn in my first contract.’ Smiling to himself, his mind fills with all the sweets he’ll be able to get with his larger allowance this week.

Shaking his head lightly, Rohoka walks over to the last store on his list. Thankfully located in the town square itself, and without issue from the fellow Draco-Fox owners. Purchases the last item needed to complete the grocery list and thus his first contract.

Crossing it off, the blue magical display turns green when he taps the last line, then shuts off for the last time. Allowing him to pocket the piece of tree-bark without worry of ruining the inscriptions.

‘Done!’ Smiling both internally and externally, he takes the side of the street in the town square leading to the Draco-Fox quarter. Then by memory, navigates the streets and side streets back home.

‘Wish mom and dad told me how much they normally pay for this stuff, so I’d know if I got some of these items for less than they did.’

Only for his mind to drift back to the dairy stall, and the human woman running it before shaking his head. ‘No, we had a contract, no matter if informal. Mom and Dad would be angry if I broke it simply to make an extra coin like a Human.’

He slows down as he approaches a two-story building, one among many similar looking ones on the street he calls home. Store signs hanging from the front door of the first floor’s of each, while signs of Den dwellings hang from windows on the second floors.

Stuff like large awnings to shield inside from the sun, ladders to roofs to allow kids to climb, and potted plants. To make the dwellings feel more alive. Not to mention open windows to let the air in and hanging laundry.

Rokoha doesn’t even stop to think as he walks up to the front door of the store owned by his Den. A lacquered wooden sign hanging above it, depicting a barrel filled with various foods and dry-goods. Along with some other general goods set around the barrel. Everything someone needs on the long trips by foot or animal between towns and cities.

As he opens the door a brass bell chimes, announcing his entrance to his waiting parents inside.

Zarith looks over from the register and counting their sales this afternoon as Catox stops stocking the shelves behind the main counter. Opening her wings, and letting go of the ladder near the top shelf, She glides down and lands in the small customer accessible area just inside the store.

“My little hatchling! That wasn’t as quick as I thought it would be young man. What took you so long?” Landing in front of Rohoka, the young male smiles up at his mother. Only to see her tilt her head a bit as one of her clawed hands lifts a part of his shirt for closer examination.

“We only sent you out to get groceries, how did you get your clothes so dirty?”

Zarith lifts a hinged section of the counter, so he can join his wife. All the while Rohoka looks up at his mother sheepishly. Unsure if she’ll accept the answer he’ll give her.

“Um. Got pushed into a wall and then dumped onto the street by some Chakats because they didn’t want to walk around me as I was trying to see what was going on in the town square.”

Catox using her hands to clean off her child’s clothing as best she can while it’s still on him sighs. At both the news and at how dirty one of Rohoka’s two outfits got.

“Let me guess, we’re talking about those two visitors and not some of their ‘defective’ cubs their kind just drops on our Clan and Skulk to take care of without even a word.” Along with more news of the two trouble making Chakat’s that their neighbors have gossiped about.

Zarith puts his short clawed hand on Catox’s shoulder and smiles down at his son while flicking an ear. Telling their kid he’s as annoyed as his wife. ‘Could’ve been worse. They could’ve hurt him like they tried to do to the bakery earlier. Though, I guess it’s our fault for not telling him to be careful.’

“And you didn’t antagonize them in any way?” Zarith asks once Catox finishes trying to clean Rohoka’s clothing, kneeling and places his short-clawed hand around his son. Bringing him into a short hug to show he’s glad Rohoka’s okay. Letting go of his offspring, he gently relieves Rohoka of the burlap sack.

Having scented the cheese and milk inside.

Rohoka shakes his head. “No mom, dad. I was just standing against the building with my head peeking around the corner to see what all the commotion was in the town square when they suddenly appeared behind me. Demanding I move even though the entire street was clear. Don’t know if it was because they didn’t want to, or it was because they were dragging that cub with them.”

“They had a cub with them?” Catox frowns as she folds her wings against her back at that information. The a-fore mentioned bakery didn’t say they were here to dump yet another ‘defective’ as the Chakat’s put it, cub on them.

“Great, that’s why they’re here. To dump another one of their ‘cubs’ on us because they don’t measure up to whatever the gods they worship think they should. It’s not like the orphanage isn’t already overflowing with all the kids who lost their parents due to this war, thus failing their contracts.” Catox whines.

Rohoka looks over to his father who’s already taking a bite out of the block of cheese. He chews it, then swallows. “What was going on in the town square, which was so interesting?” He looks to his son, He and his wife have been busy most of the day, either selling to customers or restocking the up front shelves to attract more.

The young Draco-Fox smiles. “The new hero’s! The ones our gods sent us to help against the evil continuum! They showed up, the Town Crier claimed they won the battle going on down south that you two were so worried about the other night.”

Catox flicks her ears as she removes the curdled and solidified milk product from Zarith’s hands, least he eats the whole thing.

He lets her do so, only lowering his ears while his tail touches the ground in disappointment watching his wife wrap it back up.

“I guess that’s good news, but what about all the soldiers that went with them when they passed by on their way south about a month ago?”

“Oh, they entered after the hero’s did, then they closed the gates once everyone was inside.” Rohoka smiles.

That draws their attention the most, getting both of them to frown. Catox looks to Zarith, who in turn nods, walking over to the front door. With a sigh he flips around their open sign to show the store’s closed for the day, then locks the door.

‘No use being open if the town gates are closed. We’re far from the cheapest general store for the townsfolk to use. Besides, most of our stock is geared for the traveller.’

Gently putting her hand on Rohoka’s shoulder, Catox smiles. “Well, I guess we can’t count that against you. I bet most of the town was there, so it must have been a neat thing to see.”

“They were!” Rohoka nods. “Even most of my friends. The guards even let us on the roof over the Tracking board, so we could see over everyone.” He leaves out that he at least tried to sneak up onto the roof, only to wince lightly as his mother cuffs his ears in disapointment.

“How many times to I have to tell you not to climb up onto that? Climb onto our roof if you feel the need to do so. At least you won’t be able to fall off from there.”

Rohoka folds his ears back, while his tail moves against the floor. “But, that’s no fun.”

“It’s safer.” His mother counters. “After all, you don’t have wings like I do to glide to safety if you fell off.” Only to smile, pulling him up into a hug.

“Still, look at you. You did a good job today and completed the contract we gave you. My little darling’s growing up.”

She looks over to her Husband who’s already laid out everything they sent him to get on the counter. More than one would think the burlap sack would normally hold, if it wasn’t for the low quality magic cast upon it to do so.

“How’d he do?” Her muzzle and body language as she sets her son down showing her curiosity about how well her son did to negotiate the prices of the goods they wanted him to get.

Zarith smiles back. “Not to bad for a first try I’d say.” The floating blue magical text in front of both his long and short clawed hands glows as he uses his appraising skill. Determining the quality of what Rohoka got, and how much it cost him to buy them.

“Some things he paid more for, others less than what we do. Overall, we can add another one and a half percent to his allowance on top of our agreed upon doubling for simply completing the contract.” He smiles over to his wife, then his son.

Rohoka just jumps up and down upon hearing the verdict, ears and tail wagging in excitement. Even his tiny vestigial wings under his fur flap. “Yes!”

Only for Catox to gently place a hand on his head, stopping him from bouncing in place. “Now, I don’t want you spending it all on candy…” Glancing to her husband via her peripheral vision. “Or this human ‘milk’ stuff like your father.”

“Mom! I’m not addicted to the stuff like dad is.” He speaks, as his dad does try to sneak one of the bottles to the side, so he can drink it while she’s not looking.

A glare from Catox gets him to stop. He moves the magically chilled bottle back with the others with a claw tip.

She smiles and while still gently holding onto her son by his head, leads him over to the register. Opening it with a single lever press, she counts out double plus one percent his normal allowance for the week from the till.

Two Silver coins and One copper coin. Only slightly playfully making a performance out of it, like she’s reluctant to do so when she feels anything but reluctant in paying her son for completing his first contract.

“Again, hun, I don’t want to find out you spent this all on candy.” She holds out the three coins in her hand, but doesn’t yet drop them into Rohoka’s outstretched and waiting short clawed hand.

Sighing and flopping his ears back, he only nods once. “Okay mom. I won’t waste it all on candy.”

Inwardly Rohoka just smiles. He doesn’t plan to spend it ‘all’ on candy for him and his friends, just most of it. Only for Catox to stare down at him, all the while he smiles up at her. Though his ears and tail soon betray his intentions to her.

‘Of course you are. I just hope your friends appreciate it.’ She drops the coins into Rohoka’s waiting hand.

The moment the coins touch his hand, Rohoka takes off running for his room upstairs. If he ran any quicker, Catox would’ve had to open her wings to keep her balance from the backlash of air hitting her.

Zarith though, calls out to his son while reluctantly relinquishing the dairy products to care of his wife. She in turn, takes them and climbs to a shelf only she can reach because of her wings. Something she’s resorted to after finding her husband one too many times in the morning surrounded by empty bottles of milk and cheese wrappings.

“Come back down here and help us restock once you're done putting your allowance in your stash son. Oh! And change into your other set of clothing, so your mother can clean those!”

Rohoka stops at the entrance to the stairs up to their den. “Okay dad!” Before disappearing up the stairs, his feet glowing blue.

“I swear that’s some kind of speed skill.”

“It might be.” Catox calls back from where she stashes the dairy products. Zarith knows where they are. Except, like all Draco-Fox males. He’s bigger and heavier than his wife. Built for digging and building dens as well as protecting them. Not as much as climbing and gliding like the females are. Though like all kids, including his son, it didn’t stop him from trying to climb things all the time either when he was Rohoka’s age.

Stashing them at the back of the top shelf, Catox smiles proudly. “I know he already has an appraisal skill, or at least the start of one. The slight blue glow in his eyes while looking at Silver and Gold coins rather than copper tells me that much. Don’t know if he knows it yet or isn’t willing to tell us yet.”

Opening her wings, Catox lets go and glides from the top shelf she’s on, to one she was at when her son came home. As she flies, her wings glow blue while gaining altitude to stay level with the height she started out as, but no higher.

Grabbing onto the shelf, she returns to pulling product out of smaller sacks on her person and replenishing stock the store’s stock with a contemplative look on her face.

Zarith shrugs at what his wife told him, plodding to the back to push to the front some wood boxes. Then goes about prying the lids off with his long clawed hand as it glows blue to cut through the processed wood. All in preparation of restocking some bulk dried goods. Some of their faster sellers.

“Most likely the latter. When I asked him about being a merchant, he wasn’t that enthusiastic about it. So I guess he doesn’t know what he wants to be.”

“Yea we’ve all been there before.” Catox mutters a bit as she climbs and glides from upper shelf to upper shelf. All the while her wings glow blue every time she flaps.

“He has a good chance of picking up a lot of skills right now. After all, once he gets a class when he comes of age and signs the social contract with our Clan and Skulk, he’ll be locked to only learning skills for that class. So it’s best to let him pick up skills for what he likes to do now.”

Zarith stops what he’s doing to look up at Catox with a smirk on his muzzle. “Like how you got the extended glide skill before having to take the merchant sub-class of clerk?”

‘And the Iron-claw skill I got before having to take the general merchant class.’ He muses to himself.

Catox laughs out loud. “Like my parents would’ve been able to stop me from gliding from rooftop to rooftop rather than walking on the street!”

He joins in on the laughter. “If they did, then I would’ve not met you that one day.”

Only for both of them to stop laughing upon hearing the sound of claws on the floor. Simultaneously they look over to their son, standing in the customer accessible portion of the store. He just stands there, in front of the counter. Tilting his head while wondering what his parents are laughing about.

He’s about to open his mouth and ask the same question he does like the last few times he’s caught his parents like this. Only for both of them to cut him off by saying “I’ll tell you when you’re older.” Before looking at each other and stifling another round of laughter between the two when they manage to say it at the same time.

Zarith opens the gate on the counter. Allowing their son into the majority of the general store, where customers aren’t allowed.

“Go get some glass jars. We need to restock our flour supply.”

Nodding once, Rohoka goes to the far back of the store, returning shortly thereafter with his hands and arms full of glass jars. He then zips back and returns with lids that screw on. Yet before he moves to help his father, Zarith stops him.

“Okay, just like before. I’m going to ask you a question. If you get it right, son, you get to fill the jars.”

“And if I get it wrong I have to carry them and place them on the shelf.” Rohoka finishes off the sentence for Zarith.

It’s been this way for as long as he has been old enough to help them. They’d tell him fantastic stories, tales of their history and such. At night after they close the store before he has to go to bed, then during the day as he helps them. They’d question him about what they told him either from the night before or the night before that. If he got the questions right, he’d be allowed to do the tasks he liked doing. If he got them wrong, he’d have to do the tasks he didn’t.

Zarith nods with a smile to his son. Thinking back on when he and Catox would spend nights trying to figure out how to give him as much of an education they could afford. Their store survives month to month, unlike richer merchants in town who’re able to send their kids to apprenticeships at Rohoka’s age, or that human concept of ‘schools’. This idea was the best they could come up with to try to give him a better chance. A better class.

After all, when you sign the clan and Skulk contracts when you come of age. The magic in them will examine you, your knowledge, and your aptitude to determine your class. Getting a higher class at the start is much easier than obtaining it later in life through the Honor tracking board. So they want Rohoka to have a wing up compared to them when they were his age.

“Alright. Rohoka can you tell me how the first age started?” Zarith starts the routine as his long clawed hand glows blue once again before he touches each jar in turn.

A simple skill, making the container he touches preserve the food inside for a week or two at a time. As a general merchant it’s an essential skill at keeping costs down. So he learned it quickly, not long after he got his class in fact.

Flicking his ears, Rohoka thinks back on the story they told him two nights ago.

“The first age started when skulk Reynard invented our Contract System, and the magic to enforce it among us. Keeping the untrustworthy from running Skulks into trees and allowing us to discover how to work metal rather than using hardened bark from Stone-trees.” The young Draco-Fox watches his father’s face and muzzle as he speaks for any indication if he answered correctly or not.

A growing smile and a nod of his muzzle tells Rohoka he answered correctly. Zarith moves to the side and gestures to the wooden crate filled with flour. “Correct. You get to fill the jars, while I’ll cap them and put them on the shelf.”

Smiling in return Rohoka takes his father’s place and starts digging into the semi compacted flour in the crate with his hands. Finding it rather fun doing this, not knowing it’s scratching that instinctual itch to dig a den for a perspective mate.

Using his claws to dig out big clumps, he pushes them into the jars his father sets next to his hands, then levels off the top with a single long claw once filled with flour. Zarith would then take the jar from his son and twist on a top. The jar in question would glow blue for only a moment as the preservation magic activates. He would then just as deftly and skillfully place the jar on the shelf marked ‘Flour, Five copper per jar’ just behind the main counter and in full view of anyone entering the store.

It doesn’t take long for them to fill the shelf full of jars, nor does it take long for Rohoka’s hands and fore-arms to be covered in the brownish-white flour. Completely staining his fur the same color.

Tsking, Catox slides down one of their ladders before grabbing a rag, having watched how her son played in the flour as he was filling the jars. Digging and making shapes. Shaking her head as she, along with Zarith clean off Rohoka’s hands and arms. She’s about to open her mouth to chastise her son, but her husband just shakes his head to cut her off.

“Just let him has his fun hun. It won’t be long till he’s going to have to earn a living and keep an honorable record. Leaving him with little free time to himself.”

His words cause Catox to slump her neck and wings a bit. “I know, I know. Our little boy is almost all grown up. I mean, It feels like yesterday that he, among that entire clutch, hatched. Our little miracle.”

Once Rohoka’s hands and fore-arms are cleaned of the ground plant matter. She takes the rag and tosses them onto the counter. To be retrieved later, so she can wash them along with her son’s other outfit later in the night.

Putting her hands on her hips and fluttering her wings a bit as she holds them open. She grins at her son. “Alright, your father got to ask one question. So it’s my turn now.” Glancing to Zarith. “What’s next to be done? I’ve already handled all the higher shelves.”

Tapping his lower jaw of his muzzle a couple of times with a long claw, he looks around. Then his tail taps the floor. “Ah, the cheap little treats we keep in front rather than behind the counter. Humans call them Impulse items. They certainly live up to their name.”

Nodding, Catox folds her wings. “Alright. Get this question right, and you can fill those shelves.” She says knowing full well Rohoka will sneakily eat one or two of the sundries that are sweet treats. They’re fruit pickled in pure sugar after all.

“Of course, get it wrong, and you’ll be the one who retrieves the small crates from the back and throw out the empty ones.”

Roahaka nods, agreeing to the terms. “Alright mom. So what’s the question?” Ears up and twitching while his tail sways back and forth. He can already taste the sweetness of the dried and sugar covered fruit on his tongue.

Humming to herself, Catox’s head sways back and forth. Considering what question from what they’ve tried to teach him would be hard enough to overlook him to sneaking some sundries into his mouth. Only if he got it right, of course.

“Okay. Tell me who invaded at the end of the first age and the second age. As well as which of the other people here our gods summoned to help use defeat them?”

Rohoka’s eyes widen in surprise. ‘Of course mom would give me a hard one. I mean I know they’re smart, they must know I grab one or two pieces of that stuff to eat when I help them stock it. They told me that story weeks ago and a lot has happened since then.’

“Umm. Give me a minute mom.”

Catox smiles. “Take your time, we have all late afternoon and evening to get this stuff done now rather than a few hours.” Then she looks at her husband who takes it as a signal to go restock other things in their store.

“Oh right! The Continuum invaded at the end of the first age, and our gods brought us the Humans to take care of them, right?” He looks over to his mother, who nods with a smile.

“Go on, what is the other One?” She smiles. ‘One out of two correct so far. Go on hun you can get the other one right.’ Musing to herself.

Rohoka doesn’t stop his ears from twitching as he lightly paces back and forth. His short-clawed hand on his lower jaw on his muzzle as he thinks. None of them realizing this is a Human gesture picked up by their species from the fore mentioned ancient age.

One of many habits their species picked up from them, even their language.

He then stops. “Oh, they tried again much later, at the end of the second age. Also, after what happened with the humans after we won at the start of the second age. We asked our gods for something ‘better’ than Humans. So they dropped a giant metal container filled with the Chakats next to the Skulk that did the summoning.”

He looks hopeful over to his mother, only for his ears to fall as Catox lacks her happy body language whenever Rohoka gets a question right.

“Close, but not quite right hun. The group who invaded at the end of the second age, from what we could tell. Were at one time part of the Continuum. Only they weren’t when they tried to invade us, they were trying to break away.”

‘And are back as part of them now, considering those same beings are with the continuum who’re trying to invade again.’ Catox this keeps to herself as to not scare Rohoka too much about their world’s chances this time round. Most of their forces have been pushed back, and they’ve only started to go on the offensive after yet another group of summoned heros arrived by the hands of their gods.

“You needed to get both right sadly, so that means your Father and I get to stock sundries as you retrieve them from storage. Use the cart, and lift with your tail and legs, not your back.”

Rohoka’s ears fall, but nods before he heads towards the back of the store where they store anything not on the up front shelving.

With a sigh, Catox glances over to her husband. “We did order extra of them, right?”

“Yea.” Zarith nods.

“Then I’ll just let him have one or two once we’re done as a reward for hard work. Better than him sneaking down here later tonight for it.” She walks over drapes an arm and a wing over Zarith, or as much as she can since like all female Draco-Foxes, she’s smaller than him.

“Sounds good, except I would like to have some more of the cheese later tonight too.” He grins, causing Catox to roll her eyes in mock annoyance.

“I’ll cut a slice or two for you to have with dinner.” taking a step back she folds her wings against her back and looks at her husband sternly even if she feels anything but stern.

“Just a couple of slices?” He lowers his ears a bit, mostly teasingly at her. Only for Catox to soften her expression and smile up at him.

“Three then, but no more! I don’t want you sneaking down here trying to get more either, got it?” She watches at Zarith enthusiastically nods his neck and head.

“Yes hun.”

A set of four short, but loud knocks on the front door stops Catox’s hand mid-way to touching Zarith’s muzzle. Causing both her and her husband to look in its direction in annoyance from ruining the moment.

“I flipped the sign to closed and locked the door. They should know we’re not open.” Zarith stands a bit straighter while Catox lightly opens her wings. Wing claws out showing her nervousness as they look at each other before Zarith takes a step towards the door.

Long clawed hand out in front of him with his fur bristling, he approaches the front door as whomever is on the other side now just bangs a fist against the door repeatedly. Causing the closed sign in the window to rattle along with some loose items on nearby shelving.

Looking out the window, Zarith hisses to himself. ‘Figures, Humans. They don’t respect contracts, why would they respect a sign saying open or closed?’ With his short-clawed hand he gestures to Catox behind his back. She pulls out a small cross-bow from under the counter for just such an occasion, while keeping an eye out for Rohoka.

‘Best he stays in the back and away from any danger.’

“We’re closed for the day because the main gates are closed. Go elsewhere.” Zarith yells loud enough so the hooded and masked figure and other humans on the other side of the door can hear him. A hooded figure that Rohoka would know as one of the hero’s.

“I’m one of the human hero’s. We have a contract with your clan leader to allow us to acquire supplies for our journey northward to help with the Human kingdom’s southern front against the Continuum. So let us in, and we’ll be out of your fur shortly.” The masked man counters as Catox gestures with her tail for Rohoka to stay away from the front of the store. Having spotting him approaching from the corner of her eye.

All the while the door handle jostles lightly, but not without notice from Zarith. ‘He better not be picking the lock…’

The young Draco-Fox gently puts down the handle of the cart he was using to move multiple boxes of goods as he watches his father stand near the front door. All the while, his mother holds the house’s only cross-bow below the counter top, so it can’t be seen through the front door windows.

“Show me the contract.” Zarith demands. His tone of voice indicating he’s about at his limit in dealing with these Humans.

The jostling of the handle stops. Of all the other stores they’ve been to, this is the first one who’s asked that. Then again, he was surprised to find a store closed when there's still light out, they should be open. Subtly glancing back to the men-at-arms he brought simply for the intimidation factor and then back at the Draco-Fox male glaring at him through the wavy, imperfect glass window set in the door frame. He doesn’t reply to Zarith’s demands.

“Show me the contract Human, or be off with you. We’re closed because we cater only to travelers, who won’t be able to get into town with the city gates closed.” His long clawed hand glows blue faintly as he readies his only offensive skill. Keeping his long clawed hand from sight.

Something he’s only used to open crates though, never in anger against another person. If they force their way into his store though, his home. He’ll make an exception.

The human thief grumbles, already interrupted part way through picking the average lock. He takes one hand and reaches into one of his inner pockets. Pulling out the enchanted piece of iron-bark that the contract’s written on. Tapping the inscription with a thumb brings up the official gold lettering of a clan elder written contract.

He slams it against the glass, not hard enough to break it. Only enough to rattle the door to show his annoyance at the demand. He knows he’s out of line of the agreement, he doesn’t care though. If these furry fandom wet dreams can’t keep what’s theirs, then it belongs to him and other humans.

Keeping his long clawed hand hidden, Zarith reaches up to the text floating through the window with his short clawed hand. Skimming over the contract, only to stop and tap a single paragraph in the contract. Tapping it causes the text touched to flip and protect in front of the Human’s covered face.

‘Yea not surprised a human fails to understand a contract, hero or not.’ Zarith frowns.

“Contract’s only for ‘open’ shops and shops that have ‘spare stock’, which won’t impact other delivery contracts. As you can see by our sign, we’re closed. If you need general goods, go three blocks down for another general store.” His frown turns into a glare while showing more than a few of his teeth. Zarith points in the direction of the next closest general store he just gave the directions to.

‘Of all of these freaking furry wet dreams, it has to be this one who resists. The rest fawned over me like a savior. He’s just some stupid shop-keep who thinks he’s smarter than he actually is.’ The human Thief muses.

‘Fuck it! They have no alarm systems here, no cctv camera’s. Hell, this isn’t even my normal outfit. No way for anyone to know it was me, other than ‘witnesses’.’

He glances down the basically deserted street in either direction through the corner of his vision. Most, if not all the residents of the town are still following his companions or celebrating with the foot-soldiers they had to babysit.

The others with him grin knowingly, signaling they will say they were with him elsewhere in the town if asked.

‘They’re no eyewitnesses, though.’

Holding out his hand he mutters “Skeleton key” stifling the grimace of pain as one of his fingers breaks. The cost of forming a perfect key for the lock in front of him as it glows red. Breaking a bone in correlation to the complexity of the lock.

‘I’ll just have to make up an excuse for the cleric to fix it later.’

The sound of the key being inserted into the lock, has Zarith taking a cautious step back, and Catox raising the crossbow from under the counter. Aiming it at the front door.

‘Must’ve used a skill to unlock the door.’ He raises his long clawed hand in preparation to strike. It doesn’t cross his mind that his skill may not even hurt the human hero, or how he would deal with the men-at-arms. He has a wife and child to protect.

With the door unlocked, the Human Thief twists the bronze door handle till it clicks, opening it. “Funny, for being ‘closed’ your door is unlocked.”

“IRON CLAW!” Zarith yells out, aiming to stab the intruding human in the chest. The blue light covering his long clawed hand illuminates the human’s bronze and tanned face. Allowing him to see the mirthful expression on the human’s face not covered by the mask.

Followed by a small dagger glowing the same shade of blue as Zarith’s claws, as he effortlessly parries the attack.

With a grunt , he shoves Zarith back several feet. “That would’ve hit me if I had come here after I was summoned by your gods.”

The fwip of a bolt from the crossbow Catox wields, is instantly followed by the clang of it being deflected by the same dagger. Both sounds fill Rohoka’s ears as he stays three to four feet behind his mother, just out of sight due to the shelving. Having ignored her earlier body language to see what’s going on rather than hide.

“Now, ‘that’ would’ve worked last week. Before I learned an arrow deflection skill in our last major encounter with those continuum guys.” Dejectedly sighing, like a kid who’s bored with their new toy. All while Catox scrambles to reload the cross-bow and Zarith pushes himself back up to his feet and gets ready to attack the human again.

“Honestly, I applaud some simple merchants with the ability to fight. You’re just, seriously weaker than even green recruits we’ve had to babysit for the past few months.”

Only to let out a groan when he shuts his mouth, finally realizing ‘why’ they stopped at this town rather than continue on.

Moving his fingers on his injured hand to prevent the broken finger bone from settling in a state that’s more painful. He mutters to himself, yet loud enough the adult Draco-Fox in front of him can hear him and his allies to hear.

“Which I’m sure we’ll be saddled with once we head north tomorrow. Great, stuck with nobodies that can barely handle their weapons. If I’m lucky maybe they’ll already have a combat class meaning they won’t try to run at the first sight of the enemy. Seriously, do any of these furry wet dreams have a backbone other than these two idiots?”

One of the men-at-arms he brought with him steps closer to the Human Hero. “If you want, we can take care of these ingrates while go back to make sure we’re not stuck with worthless warm bodies again.”

“Nah.” Waving his other hand, as the single dagger fans out into multiple while the original dagger gains a red tinge as the state of repair of it degrades like it was sitting out in the elements for months.

Zarith growls. “We fight hard for our home, what would you know about that! Our gods have only just summoned you here!” Readying another use of his singular combat skill, he takes a step forward as Catox raises the cross-bow again.

Her tail pointing to Rohoka, then pointing further back in the store. The message is clear to him, his mother wants him to run. Except, he’s frozen on the spot out of fear and entrancement. Something drawing his eyes to his father’s skill, followed by the red skills of human, having never seen red ones before.

“This again? Didn’t go well for you last time. Maybe if..” The human Thief’s interrupted by Zarith charging at him with his iron claw skill. Only, instead of a direct attack at the human, he feints to the side. Allowing Catox to fire at the human.

The look of surprise only lasts for a moment. “Better.” Before it’s gone as he stops Zartih’s attack like before, blocking it with one of the daggers with his blue parry skill. Except, the moment his claws make contact with his dagger, The human hero uses his other hand. The one with the broken finger to grab the Draco-Fox by the neck. Using him as a shield for the cross-bow bolt, thus instead of it hitting him, it embeds itself into Zarith’s back and lung.

The look of utter shock on Catox’s face for hitting her husband is all the opening the human hero needs, throwing the duplicated daggers at her. Pinning Catox to the side of the shelving behind her, each dagger piercing vital organs or blood vessels.

“Still not good enough to hurt me, too bad you won’t get another try.” Grinning, he pulls down the mask from over his mouth before looking over to his comrades and tossing Zarith to the ground. All the while the male Draco-Fox wheezes from the injury.

“Too bad you know. Where I’m from an injury like that isn’t fatal. Here though, you’re as good as dead. Much like your mate, who should be bleeding out any time now. All because you decided to be difficult and not give us what’s rightfully ours.”

Using the last of her energy Catox both glares angrily at the human, and uses her tail to again tell her son, to run if he is still there. She can’t see him, nor can she move her head to check with the dagger in her neck pinning her head in place.

Despite this, Rohoka’s rooted to the spot after seeing both his parents killed so callously. Only until he feels two things click in his mind, along with his growing anger does he regain control of his own feet. He knows the feeling of one of them, as he’s already felt it twice already in the past year or so. He’s learned a new skill, the other, though feels like his world has just solidified for him.

Only passively noting to himself that it’s an odd feeling, one he’s never felt before. Yet, somehow it feels like it’s going to be with him the rest of his life.

Not that it matters to him right now. His vision’s tinged red at this human, out of pure hate for killing his parents, much like his long clawed hand starts to glow red. Those claws lengthening, thickening, and sharpening to the point they can render steel in the same way fingers rend the surrounding air.

All of this out of sight from the now gloating humans.

The human Hero turns to his comrades as he pulls the mask back up over his mouth. “Just fill the bags with everything.” He lazily waves his hands in the general direction of the shelving behind the counter. Before kneeling next to Zarith who’s still stubbornly clinging onto life, if his shallow rasping gasps are anything to go by.

Grabbing his shoulder, the human slides Zarith across the floor back to his side. “Gotta make this at least look like they killed each other once someone checks in on them. While they don’t have the whole modern C.I.S. It will look suspicious just finding them dead in random places.”

One of the Man-At-Arms walks up next to the hero. “C.I.S?”

Opening his mouth to reply, he’s just about to place the mostly ruined dagger into Zarith’s short-clawed hand. So it would look like Zarith killed Catox rather than him, despite the former’s weak protests. Only to be interrupted by the Man-At-Arms jumping in front of him.

“Watch out!”

Causing the thief to look up in time to see a juvenile Draco-Fox catapult out from between the rows of shelves next to the dead body of Catox at an intense speed, barreling right for him in a feral scream.

Rohoka doesn’t see a living being between him, and the killer of his parents. He sees an obstacle, an obstacle that something in him tells him he has the power to remove.

“dRaGoN’s ClAw!” The words leave his mouth in a guttural scream while slicing at said ‘obstacle’ in his way for the target of his rage, his hate, using his long clawed hand.

The red skill rends the Man-At-Arm’s breast-plate and jerkin like it wasn’t there. The flesh and bone underneath as even less than that. Yet, the time it takes him to clear the blood and guts of the dead human, is enough time for the Thief to pull out his ‘actual’ dagger. Not some second rate one picked up off some dead soldier.

A jeweled and enchanted weapon, one he received from the gods when he was summoned and grows stronger with him.

All to block Rohoka’s enraged attack with his parry skill resulting in a shower of sparks. And pushing the human thief back about an inch much to his surprise. The juvenile's feet glow blue and his foot-claws dig into the wood floor, trying to push this new skill through this human’s better honed parry skill upon noticing the human stopped his attack.

“You got spunk, I’ll give you that.” Bracing his feet and his core muscles keeps him from being pushed back further by Rohoka.

Having seen similar speedster skills before, he keeps this brace up for the few seconds needed till the skill exausts. When the blue glow fades from Rohoka’s feet, he kicks the juvenile Draco-Fox in the stomach, hard, with a crack of bone. Sending Rohoka careening into the store’s front counter, knocking the breath out of him and cracking a rib.

“But you don’t have the training on how to fight someone. Left yourself wide open, and you’re obviously too young to understand the consequences of using a red skill in a gambit play.” The Human thief sheaths his good dagger as the red glow fades from Rohoka’s long clawed hand as he lays there coughing.

Soon cracks form on the claws that just moments ago left a fully armored Man-At-Arms cut into pieces. They continue to grow, till at least one of the claws on that hand shatters, once it does, the cracks in the other claws cease growing.

Looking at his remaining men, the human hero glares. “Quit your gawking! Take everything those bags of holding can carry and meet me outside.” Snapping to attention at his words, they rush to the shelves behind the counter and start filling the bags. Completely ignoring Catox’s pinned body aas they use their arms to knock items off the shelves and into the enchanted burlap sacks.

Striding up to Rohoka in a confident gait, he smirks down at him as the juvenile struggles to reinflate his lungs and get back up onto his feet. Raising one of his own feet, he slams his boot down on the remaining claws on Rohoka’s long clawed hand. Breaking them off at the deeper cracks near the cuticle.

The pain causing the juvenile Draco-Fox to scream, which is music to the human thief’s ears for a moment. Only for the thief to have enough and grab Rohoka’s head by his muzzle as he kneels. Keeping it shut, so he can’t scream, and brining his face in front of the flat human one of the Thief.

“Take a good long look at my face kid. Remember it, seer it into your mind and this pain you’re feeling whenever you think this planet is yours. It’s ours now! Why else would your gods summon us instead of giving ‘you’ power to defend yourselves? If they actually cared about you, you wouldn’t be so weak.”

With that, he slams Rohoka’s head against the counter, knocking him out and chipping one of the juvenile Draco-fox’s horns.

Letting go of the unconscious Rohoka, he joins his men at raiding the store’s stock. Ignoring Zarith, who’s barely clinging to life. Dragging himself across the floor to his one and only son. With the last of his strength and life, he lovingly places his short clawed hand on Rohoka’s head before drowning from the blood filling his lungs.

Chapter Text

Services No Longer Required: Chapter 2: Orphan.

While not exactly common, or unheard of. Crime is not a stranger to the clan that runs the city due to its mercantile nature.

Yet, what appears to the outside observer, and the city guard. If the accounts of the Human Men-At-Arms told to the tan and brown Male Draco-Fox town-guardsman are true. This incident would rank up there as one of the worst crimes said town-guardsman has ever seen since gaining the guardsman class and taking this job.

He looks up from an enchanted piece of Iron-tree bark he was writing down the man-at-arm’s account on with his short clawed hand.

“So, the course of events are; You and your squad were out collecting supplies for the war effort. Specifically for the hero’s party. As you were walking down the street, looking for an open general goods store, since most of the town was celebrating their victorious return.” He moves his head to look up at the Human.

The Man-At-Arms nods, as the rest of his squad loiters nearby. In-between the scene and the other city guards keeping neighbors to this particular store and other curious onlookers at bay. A certain thief class hero not among them, nor anywhere in sight.

“When we heard a commotion, specifically yelling coming from inside the store there.” Picking up where the guardsman left off, the Man-At-Arms points to Zarith and Catox’s store. Their bodies lay on the cobblestone street, wrapped in now blood stained burlap, while a town-guardsman healer. A female Draco-Fox, of deep blue coloration, tends to Rohoka’s cracked rib, concussion, and broken horn, and broken claws. Though, not in that order as the horn and claws are an easy fix, and a concussion is something beyond her skill outside first aid.

The town-guardsman nods, pulling out a different piece of enchanted iron-tree bark then taps it. Fuzzy blue windows appear above it. “And upon approach to the front door, you saw a fight between one Zarith, the Merchant, and Catox the Clerk. Parents of Rohoka, age nine, no class, no known skills.”
He doesn’t say but does file away in his mind as evidence ‘for’ the fight and the man-at-arms story is that it’s rare that a registered den would only have a single child. Three children seems to be the normal amount, his own den’s blessed with four, and all four hatched, even five is more common than having a single child.

“That is correct sir.” The man-at-arms replies, purposefully answering like he would a superior officer despite knowing better and internally smiling.

“You can drop the sir, I’m not your commanding officer.” The town-guardsman quips. “At which point you heard the verbal part of the fight going on inside the store?”

The man-at-arms nods. “Yes, the male, um.”

“Zarith” The town-guardsman provides the name.

“Sorry. It’s my first time in Draco-fox lands. I’m not used to how you name yourselves. Anyway, Zarith blamed his mate for the fact they only had a single child, Catox blamed him because a skill the kid had, along with something about a class. That’s when we heard the sound of a cross-bow being loaded and Jeff.”

He nods to the wrapped up human remains in completely blood soaked burlap next to the two Draco-Fox bodies.

“Rushed in. We all saw why when we looked inside. In between the two was their kid, Rohoka. Catox had the crossbow aimed at Zarith, and Zarith’s long clawed hand glowed blue with a skill and his short clawed hand held multiple daggers. Jeff was able to knock the kid out of the way, but not before Zarith’s skill did that to him. That’s why the kid’s covered in his blood and his minor injuries. If we were allowed to have our own weapons in town, I could’ve at least had gotten the two to stand down with my own crossbow.”
The amount of acting of remorse on the Man-At-Arms face would, in any of the worlds his ancestors came from. Mark him as someone with acting talent. For it convinces those Draco-Fox’s who know human facial expression and all the humans in the crowd.

Nodding, the Town-Guardsman already has the mental image of what happened in his mind along with the most likely cause of the incident that led to three deaths on such a good day.

‘Kid must’ve learned a skill, or somehow earned a class before the coming of age ceremony next year since he’d be ten then and of age. A class they didn’t want for their kid. Seen it before, a den priding itself on being soldiers, having a kid gain a non-combat class and vice versa. The unusual thing is only having one child though. Maybe this Catox had something wrong with her?’ Suddenly remembering that their healer can do a basic skill’s check, he points to the human in front of him.

“Stay right here for a moment. I need to check something.” Ignoring the salute from the man-at-arms, the Town-Guardsman walks over to their group’s healer tending to Rohoka.

“Junior member Anther.” The deep-blue Draco-fox female looks up as her hands glow blue. Slowing knitting Rohoka’s cracked rib after she regrew the claws on Rohoka’s long clawed hand and fixed his horn.

“Yes sir?”

The tan and brown Male returns her look before glancing to the prone Rohoka. “You can bring up his personal statistics, right? I recall you listing when we contracted you for this position.”

She tilts her head slightly while twitching her wings at the odd request. ‘Normally I have to ask permission first.’ Only to comply to her superior’s order. Canceling her healing skill, she moves to cradle Rohoka’s head between her hands as the blue glow returns to them. Her superior stands next to her, waiting, for what seems like several minutes before something actually happens.

For a moment, Anther thought the skill wouldn’t work with Rohoka unconscious til a single blue window appears above the young male Draco-Fox.

Most of the information on it is not what the Tan and Brown colored town-guardsman is looking for, but as he reads through the screen. Tracing the words with his short-clawed hand, he mutters it quietly out loud to himself.

“Rohoka, age nine. Son of Zarith(dead) and Catox(dead). Condition, unconscious, injured(minor), Statistics look normal for someone his age, a bit stronger than my on nine-year-old son. There we ar.. what? Class: ????. and Skills, Dash, Mercantile eye, and another ????. Never seen that for class or skills.”

Sighing and closing his eyes for a moment, he waves his short clawed hand dismissively at the healer. “That’s all I need to know Guardsman Anther, you can go back to healing the poor kid.”
He doesn’t see the slight smirk on the human Man-At-Arms behind him, for it disappears the moment the Draco-Fox town-guardsman turns away from Anther to walk back over to him.

“Young Rohoka does have a class, even though my unit’s healer doesn’t seem to have the skill to reveal it. It’s rare, but not impossible for a particularly willful kid to get a class as far as a year or so before they officially come of age. This piece of evidence corroborates your story, and, lacking any other tangible evidence to the contrary. We’re going to go with it as the official story of what happened here, as tragic as it is.”

In another display of his acting prowise, the human Man-At-Arms feigns a sympathetic look on his face. Considering he doesn’t care, not a fiber in his being does after seeing this kid slice Jeff into confetti. He’s not seen a skill outside his superior’s that can slice through steel like that. “So what’s going to happen to Rohoka?”

The Tan and Brown male Town-Guardsman sighs. “Put with the rest of the war orphans and the ‘reject’ cubs the Neo-Chakona republic seems to like to dump on us every year. If I could, I’d bet my day’s salary he’ll be with the hoodlums from the orphanage steeling food from vendors like most of the others by next week.”

“He’s waking up” Anther interrupts as Rohoka takes a sharp breath in while opening his eyes. Pushing against the ground to sit up, only to feel Anther’s hands on his chest. “Not finished healing that cracked rib of yours, can you stay laying down for me little Rohoka?” Turning her attention to the juvenile Draco-Fox.

Seeing this, the Tan and Brown Town-Guardsman dismissively waves his short-clawed hand in the human like gesture of, get out of here. “Alright, you and your group may go. I’ve probably held you up a bit too long in your duties as is.” Then points to the edge of the perimeter his fellow Guardsmen have set up.

The human Man-At-Arms and the rest of his squad, seeing Rohoka waking up, make haste in vacating the area least he can counter their testimony. Causing the Guardsmen in the area to mistake it for their tardiness in their own tasks. Paying it no mind, the Tan and Brown adult male approaches the struggling juvenile as Anther has is having a hard time keeping Rohoka on the ground.

“Lay back down! I’m not done healing you yet!” Anther firmly yet gently tries, yet fails. To push Rohoka back onto his back as he forces himself up, trying to stand.

“I’ll kill him!, he killed mom and dad!” Rohoka shoves Anther back before putting his legs under him with intent of standing up to run after the humans. Thinking the man, the so-called hero who killed his parents is among them.

“Calm down kid.” The Tan and Brown Town Guardsman makes himself known to the two by speaking firmly. Hoping, and smiling when he sees it succeed, that his stern fatherly voice gets the young Rohoka to pause.

Rohoka looks over at the town-guardsman, who only looks down at him sympathetically. Said Guardsman gently moves, but firmly pushes Rohoka back down onto his back so, Anther can continue her job.
Long clawed hand holding Rohoka’s legs down, while his short clawed hand keeping his tail still. Allowing Anther to use one of her hands to hold Rohoka’s as she reactivates her healing skill to finish knitting that rib.

As she works, the Tan and Brown Town Guardsman swings his head to look Rohoka in the face. “You knocked on your head pretty hard kid, what do you remember happening?” His plan is to keep the kid talking, and thus distracted. Allowing Anther to finish her job.

Rohoka’s head moves to return the look as he focuses in on the town-guardsman. “The hero who just arrived today. The one in the cloak and hood along with other humans broke in and killed mom and dad. I got so angry that I attacked. Then he said something about this place belonging to his kind now not ours.”

The Town-Guardsman very slightly shakes his own head in dismissal this. Maybe if the kid didn’t get his head hit hard enough to knock him out for the time it took their unit to respond after the humans raised the alarm. He would put more weight into Rohoka’s story.
‘Maybe it’s for the better the kid thinks this rather than the last memories of his parents being them at each other’s throats over his class. Despite him blaming one of the recently summoned hero’s and unfairly accusing them of such an evil deed.’

“Sure thing kido, we’ll get right on it.” He lets a bit of his dismissive view of Rohoko’s side of events show through in the tone of his voice while giving a slight frown to Anther. She just nods in return to his look, already knowing what she needs to do.

“I’ll take him there personally sir.”

“Take me where?!” Again, Rohoka tries to stand, but is kept in place by the Tan and Brown Town-Guardsman who moves his head to look at the kid.

“You can’t stay here Rohoka, your not of age, thus you can’t inherit your parent’s property yet. Combined with the fact this is also a good location for a store. So the clan can’t hold it for you till next year when you ‘are’ of age either.”

‘Sad really, kids like this have to fall through the cracks just to prevent corruption via inheritance destabilizing our merchant clan.’

The town-guardsman stares in surprise and Anther backs up once being pushed off, as Rohoka in a surge of anger. Manages to push both of the adults off of himself, enough for him to sit up unimpeded. “I’m NOT going to the Orphanage. I’ll starve! Everyone knows they don’t get fed.”

Memories of him and his friends trying to help the nicer orphans last year surface in his mind, only for them to discover it was just another con the kids played. On top of how most of them just rob travelers or steal from vendors to eat every day regardless of how much he and his friends helped.

He doesn’t want to end up like that, not after earlier today when he helped the Milk Lady.

Anther and the Town-Guardsman pause, they both know how bad the town and thus clan orphanage is. Their hands and wings, for the former and latter respectively, are tied on the matter. Their contracts state that orphans of this age have to go to the orphanage. With no provisions about if it is overcrowded or if said orphanage can’t take care of them.

No one else will take them, and they both know it’s a weakness in their culture. Contracts that fail to expect the unexpected result in bureaucratic idiocy like this.

The Town-Guardsman sighs, lowering his head to be more at level with Rohoka’s as the kid looks up at him defiantly.
“I’ll be honest with you kid. You’re too old to be adopted by any relatives, or any other Dens in our Clan because you’re a year away from being considered an adult. They’d want a younger kid whom they can teach and shape into a productive member of their own Den. On top of that, you have a class already, which is another mark against you being taken care of by any other Den. They would rather have their children have classes related to their profession.”

‘And the main reason your parents are dead, getting a class neither of them wanted for their child.’ The town-guardsman keeps this thought to himself.

“I have a class? What is it!? Wait! Doesn’t that make me an adult, since only adults get classes?” The town-guardsman now has Rohoka’s full attention as he ignores Anther approaching him.

Said Town-Guardsman looks to Anther, who sighs. “You do have a class, but I’m not experienced enough in the skill I used to know what it is other than it being a combat class.” She then looks to the Tan and Brown Town-Guardsman.
“He should be healed enough the cracked rib and hit on the head shouldn’t cause any more issues even if I didn’t get a chance to fully knit the rib back together.”

The Town-Guardsman bobs his head once in a nod then, before answering Rohoka, calls out to the rest of his unit. “Pack things up, seal off the building so curious neighbors can’t nose around. We’re done here.”
Turning to the juvenile who’s about to poke him with his short clawed hand to grab his attention after not answering his question instantly.

“No it doesn’t make you an adult Rohoka. It’s also not unheard of for a juvenile, particularly one strong of will like yourself. To get a class before their coming of age ceremony and signing the Clan’s and Skulk’s social contracts. Binding you to their laws and the honor board.” He pauses and tries to place a short clawed hand on Rohoka’s shoulder.

Only for him to shrug it off as he glares up at the town-guardsman. Anger evident on Rohoka’s muzzle from the answer he didn’t want to hear.

“My advice to you kid, is just suck it up and take it. Yes life will be difficult now, but if you keep your snout clean, you’ll still get a semi decent standing on the Honor Board to start off with when you sign said contracts in about a year or so. So no joining those delinquents stealing from vendors and robbing travelers on the street, got it?”

A glance to her from the Tan and Brown town-guardsman is all that’s needed for Anther to walk up beside Rohoka. Gently placing a hand on his shoulder with a sympathetic look on her own muzzle grabbing his attention, allowing the Tan and Brown Town-Guardsman to walk away. Joining the rest of his unit minus Anther on their way back to their station.

“Mom and Dad didn’t kill each other over me… They wouldn’t… They loved me.” Rohoka looks up to Anther who only just smiles almost hollowly in return.

She doesn’t have the heart to tell the poor kid, that from the way her boss is acting. Zarith and Catox killing each other over his class and skills, is going to be the official story of what happened. 

‘Then again, he did get knocked on the head pretty hard…’ She inwardly muses.

“We’re still looking into things young Rohoka. That still leaves where you’re going to have to stay in the meantime, so please follow me.”

Gently, she tries to get him moving with her with a nudge of his shoulder, but he doesn’t budge. “What about my things? They’re all still in my room.”

Moving to stand in front of him, she places her other hand on his other shoulder and lowers her head closer to his. A caring smile on her muzzle, genuine, despite everything she has to do.
“Once we officially close the investigation, we’ll have someone pack it all up and return it to you. So how about this? If it makes you feel better, I’ll personally deliver your things to you when we get to that point.” Her tail twitches, showing that she’s only partially telling the truth on the matter.

She ‘will’ ask her boss if she’ll be able to, but she realizes that he’ll most likely say no. A Guardsman healer is a busy job. A high demand class to, as pure healers get snapped up as soon as they become one by travel groups, ‘adventurers’ and the military.

A highly trained healer can regrow limbs, and bring those on the edge of death back to life.

Not recognizing the ‘tell’ from Anther, Rohoka nods, relaxing his stance and loosening up. Allowing the deep blue female Draco-Fox to lead him through the streets, and past his gossiping neighbors.
Causing his ears to fall while his anger rises from them talking about how scandalous it is that Catox and Zarith killed each other.

Some even say they ‘always’ knew something was wrong with Catox because of all the clutches she laid, only he hatched. Along with gossip of what class he has that would cause this to happen.

Anther though, as much as she feels like she should speak up for the kid, since he isn’t, nor should he to be honest with herself. She stays quiet, the whole situation tugs at her heart-strings. Except she has to have some kind of personal detachment and not get attached to every hard-luck case her job and class run into otherwise she wouldn’t be an effective Guardsman.

It’s not long before they arrive at the orphanage for their town. If the growing crowds of loitering kids of all three species and the noise they make in the evening sun. Along with the over worked Draco-fox female priestesses of their skulks patron goddess are any indication of the location of the now multiple building complex. The new war against the Continuum ballooning the ranks of kids without parents the past few years.

Not to mention the increase in cubs from the Neo-Chakona republic.

Doesn’t help that chakats eat twice as much as a human kid at the same age and a bit more than twice compared to a Draco-Fox, Anther muses. One of the ‘privileges’ of being less than a weeks journey north from the northernmost border of their republic, they get their trash.

For his part, Rohoka stares at the various orphans, who, return the stare back at him as they all know who he is. Gossiping about what he’s doing here fully audible him. After all, he has parent’s, right? He’s the son of that den, which owns that general store, which has those sweet treats up front.

Orphans in front of the door for the main building move to the side unceremoniously, allowing Anther and Rohoka inside. They don’t even try to grab at the two’s pockets or pouches.

Controlled chaos greets them once inside the building proper. Priestesses wearing silver robes dashing around trying to herd toddlers and younger around, to keep them out of trouble. Some older kids, about Rohoka’s age try to help the Priestesses, to no avail. It takes several minutes of the two standing there before at least one of the Priestesses notice the two and approaches them. Giving up on stopping a chakat cub bullying a human toddler.

Her first reaction is to sag her shoulder’s and wings, then droop her head. “Another one? That brings us to ten children today! And one of them ‘just’ has to be yet another chakat… Wait, aren’t you Rohoka? Catox and Zarith’s child? What are you doing here, shoo. Go back home to your parents.”

Rohoka solemnly stares with not lacking anger at her statement before Anther replies diplomatically. “There was an incident earlier today, they’re no longer alive and Rohoka’s only a year from becoming an adult so…”

“So no relatives will take him in because he’s too old to raise to their standards, even if his grandparents are a similar class to his parents.” The priestess finishes for Anther, her frustration growing with each word.

“Great, which means no one will adopt him, so we’re stuck with him for a year. Do you have any other bad news for us Guardsman Anther? Or any more Orphans, as you can see we’re more than full up. He’ll have to go with the Chakat who just arrived today. And I already feel bad for sticking hir in that converted closet because we just can’t have them sleeping on the hallway floors per our contract.”

“Wait, a closet?” Both adults ignore Rohoka’s question about his new accommodation’s. His room back at his house wasn’t big by any means. It wasn’t an actual closet!

As the priestess speaks, Anther just lightly shies away from her, feeling bad about making what’s obviously a bad situation even worse. Still, there’s just one bit of information she has to tell her before she can go back to the barracks. Then have some time to decompress about how this entire situation is tugging at her heart.

“He, um, also has a class honored Priestess, though I don’t have the skill to read what it is other than it being a combat class. That’s the main reason we think his relatives won’t take him in and we’re dropping him off here.” Not that she, nor will the Town-Guard try asking them. If, as it looks, that Catox and Zarith killed each other over Rohoka gaining a non-merchant class. They’d rather not put him in another dangerous situation If his grandparents hold similar views.

The priestess throws her arms up into the air while flapping her wings melodramatically over her frustration. “Oh gods be damned then! There’s no way ANYONE will adopt him into their Den if he already has a class. A combat class you say too? Great, as if we already don’t have our hands and wings full of uncontrollable kids as they gain skills too.”

Lowering them, the priestess homes her gaze and most of her anger in on Anther. “Well go now! You did your contractual duty in dropping Rohoka off here. No need for you to stay here and see the results of your poor decision.”

Meekly moving her gaze between the other kids, Rohoka, and the priestess. Anther bows her head down as far as her neck allows in pure respect. Muzzle nearly touching her belly. “Priestess of the goddess of the moon, tides, and Den. Ceinassa. I thank you on behalf of the Town-Guard and the Clan for your duty.” With that said, Anther makes haste out of the orphanage. Fleeing the angry gaze of the Priestess.

Leaving Rohoka to just meekly stand there, looking up to the Priestess as Anther’s statement does nothing to better the priestess’s mood over the situation. She just deflates on the spot as she turns to look back down at Rohoka.

“Well, come on then! I’ll take you to your room then you can go do whatever you want rather than behave. Not like any of the other orphans listen to us lately.” She doesn’t even wait for Rohoka to say anything nor any indication he’s ready to follow her.
Forcing him to jog to catch up to her, dodging out of the way of the other kids barreling around the room. Not to mention the other Priestesses trying, and failing to keep them under control.

“Not that it matters, because we don’t get enough food to feed everyone from the Clan. But, if you by some miracle of our Goddess end up being able to get to the kitchen before everyone else. You’ll get a breakfast at dawn, no later. Then a dinner at dusk, same as Breakfast, no later. Miss either and you either go hungry or steal food like the rest of them.” She leads him down a bare iron-wood hallway. The natural sheen of the wood worn from years of occupancy of the building. Around a corner, up some narrow stairs. Only stopping in front of narrower than normal door on the second floor.

Looking at the door then back up to the priestess, Rohoka lowers his ears again. He’s about to ask why, only for the priestess to open the door. Revealing a tiny room with two straw and box beds taking up all but about a foot and a half bit of floor space between them. Each one shoved to the side against the wall.

The familiar looking head of the Chakat cub he saw earlier rises up from the bed on the left to glare at them with puffy eyes, followed by hir upper torso. Held up by hir upper arms, the sandstone colored and patterned cub with black lines running along the contours of hir body fully visible in the candlelight of the two candles in candleholders nailed onto the walls well above both kid’s reach.

“The right bed’s yours.” The priestess dryly states and idly pushes Rohoka into the room. Shutting the door behind him, he has to grab the edges both beds to prevent himself from falling over onto the tiny patch of visible floor.

“It’s you…” Sandstone lays hir ears back at the sight of the Draco-Fox who refused to help hir.

Rohoka raises his and moves to sit on the other ‘straw’ bed. Instantly realizing it’s barely even soft enough to be called a ‘bed’. “You’re the one those two Chakats were dragging.”

“And you ignored me looking at you for help.” Sandstone retorts, moving to long-sit on the bed before wiping hir nose with the back of one of hir hands. Leaving snot on the fur on the back of hir hand.

“Well, yea! Everyone knows you Chakats manipulate emotions to get what you want. Mom and Dad…” Rohoka goes quiet for a second as it’s still a fresh wound that they’re dead. That he’ll never see them again.

“Told me to watch out for it no matter what.”

His ears fold back as his tail thumps against the wall, showing his agitation as his sadness turns to anger. ‘Though if I had this Dragon Claw skill I used to try to kill ‘him’ when they picked me up like that, they wouldn’t have been able to do it.’

“I’m not a Chakat…” Sandstone meekly says to no one, tears not coming even if shi wants them too.

“I’M NOT A CHAKAT!” Shi then yells at the young male Draco-Fox in front of hir. “Those ‘were’ my Dame and Sire.”

It takes a moment for Rohoka to remember his lessons from his parents about Chakats, that Dame and Sire are the ‘Chakat’ terms for Mom and Dad respectively. Apparently they can be both, which he found weird to be honest.

“You look like a Chakat to me.” Quipping back at hir.

“Why are you ‘here’ though if your parents are ‘still’ alive?” His glare at sandstone contains no small amount of jealousy and anger over that fact. How can shi be here looking so miserable when hir parents are alive! His are dead, killed by that Human ‘hero’.

“Those were my parents! But something happened to them. Changed them!” Hir head lowers as shi tries to cry some more, but tears still won’t come.
“I mean… I could tell by their faces they weren’t happy after the tester said I didn’t have any empathy talent weeks ago.” Raising hir head, she stares back at Rohoka with an equal amount of anger.
“BUT they still loved me! I don’t know what happened to them after seeing the president, but they changed! That wasn’t them. They would NEVER do this to me, they’d never strip me of my clothes and drag me here just to leave me.”

“We’ll if they were, they did do it. You’re here in our Clans orphanage!” Rohoka bites back at Sandstone. Channeling his anger at the death of his own parents at hir.

“Along with me… With to many for them to feed.” He glances at the door, then back at hir. As shi snarls, those lines in hir fur lightly glowing as shi shows the teeth in hir muzzle.

‘Shi has a skill?’ Is the thought that crosses Rohoka’s mind before his body reacts to it, his long clawed hand starts glowing red. Talons sharpening, lengthening. As Sandstone raises hir hand, those lines in hir fur glowing. The glow moves to said hand as air starts to coalesce in the palm of it as well as a simple circular magical array.

Shi just wants this Draco-Fox to shut the hell up! He’s here in this place with hir, so his parents either left him or died, why should he act so righteous! So before shi knows it, shi’s using this talent shi has instead of ‘empathy’ to form something that would wipe the look off of Rohoka’s muzzle. Only to stare at Rohoka’s red glowing long clawed hand.
Watching the claws slightly lengthen, and become sharper. ‘He has a skill?’

“Air-Shot” Sandstone speaks.

“Dragons Claw” And Rohoka says at the same time.

In the tiny closet, Rohoka reflexively jabs his skill augmented long clawed hand into the bundle of compressed air Sandstone shot at him. Both skill and spell feed off each other, causing the spell detonate in a loud whomp sound. Rattling the door, and sending both nine-year-old cubs against the left and right wall respectively from the shockwave.

Only to land in a heap on the straw beds as some cracks form in Rohoka’s nails on his long clawed hand.

If the orphanage was any less chaotic, the noise this caused would’ve drawn in the attention of all the adults. Yet, with all of them busy trying to wrangle multiple times the amount of children they’d normally have. Both Rohoka and Sandstone aren’t even checked in on as they lay there with the air momentarily knocked out of their lungs.

---
Earlier that day in the Neo-Chakona republic capital city.
---

Short sitting on a luxurious pad behind what was at one time in the ancient past, the captain’s ready room desk. In what was the captain’s ready room and quarters at that time, but is now the office of the president of the Neo-Chakona republic. A white and black dalmatian patterned Chakat stares out of the transparent Titanium window to the city below which has grown around the former Civilian Spaceship Star-Hopper.

Built as two concentric rings with a third partial ring on the side of the ship shi’s on. Each separated by walls and various armed checkpoints between them. At the center lays the remains of the commercial passenger-liner their kind arrived in all those thousands of years ago. Whatever plucked them out of their universe, lopped off the flattened and elongated oval-ish shaped ship’s warp nacelles and removed the warp core. Like how one would gut a fish here, or back on Chakona shi muses.

Hir gaze lowers to the closest ring to the ship, the cleanest and most advanced part of the city. Made from temporary pre-fab structures any ship which is chartered to start a colony would carry. Now with well-developed and thick greenery on the roofs, a style they’ve brought from what was supposed to be ‘their’ home.

Shi snorts angrily at this. ‘That planet was supposed to be ‘ours’ no one elses…’

They’ve long since been made into the permanent buildings, having been reinforced either through the use of no longer needed internal decking of what’s left of the ship. Or by materials they were able to fabricate before the last fusion core in the ship died. The force who brought them here left only that part of the ship’s power systems. Until they all went cold from lack of fuel, materials, and maintenance. After all, they had to fight the Continuum, and the Draco-Fox Skulk who summoned them.

The Dalmatian patterned Chakat eyes a locked drawer, containing one of the last few working computer padds as shi’s still weighing the offer that was deposited on it via ‘magical’ means. Only to shake hir head and put that thought away for later.

Shi is happy that they now ‘have’ the materials to fix them, all from the mining colonies on the southern ‘ovalish’, if you squint, shaped continent. Yet, they now lack the ‘power’ to use the replicators to shape them it into the right parts to get them running again.

A catch-22 shi plans on solving, somehow.

Putting that thought away for the moment, hir attention goes to people watching in the city bellow. High e-3 talent Chakats mingle with e-4 talent, and the now not quite rare, e-5 talents. Their talents can be determined even from the top deck of the ship via the quality of the clothing. Shi made it so the jobs they’re allowed to have are based on their empathy rating.

The higher rating you have, the less menial and better paid your job possibilities are.

‘Won’t be long now. A few more generations and we can move the e-3’s to out of the city proper. They can join the abominable e-2’s on their last generation.’ This is where hir gaze lands next. Just beyond the metal and concrete multi story wall surrounding this part of the city closest to the ship, to the middle ring. Their lays a more chaotic, rougher, and older looking buildings. A far cry in style and structure to the civilized kind.

Mainly because it was built using the ancient methods of the native Draco-Foxes. Sticks woven into wall panel’s, some hone’d timber to frame the structures that would collapse beyond two stories. All covered in a disgusting mix of mud with a high amount of clay, and manure from the pack animals they use because they’re banned from using the limited amount of motorized transport. Then covered in lime-wash, so a simple rain won’t dissolve the walls.

Outside that? Hir mind dredges up memories of what those ruins looked like back then. The home of the Draco-Fox skulk who summoned them.
‘If they’d only just given up their home for us, they'd have decedents who would still be living here.’

Activity at one of the gates between the inner and middle ring draws hir attention. Some shir tried to take a civilian motorized vehicle out of the first ring into the second via a gatehouse, only to be turned back. Shi makes a mental note of the chakat’s fur coat who thought they could just casually take it between rings.

A knock on what at one time was an automated door, now with a bolted on handle. Draws hir attention away from the window and the scene of brazenly ignoring hir laws. Turning, shi leans hir upper torso forward onto the desk while folding folds hir arms in front of hir.

“Come in.”

The chakat on the other side grabs the handle of the door and slides it open. The unpowered mechanism is well maintained, allowing the heavy door to be smoothly slid open. Even if shi has to brace hir four legs against the floor plating and strain hir upper torso to do it.

They were never designed to be opened manually like this, only in emergencies after all.

“I have the reports you wanted to see Shir president.” The secretary, wearing only a professional blouse on hir upper torso. And a matching belt between hir upper and lower torsos connected a pair of saddlebags on hir flanks enters the room. Hir olive drab fur showing a bit of a lite sheen from the light streaming in through the windows while pulling the three ring bound paper report from one of hir saddlebags.

The president of the Neo-Chakona republic watches as shi short sits in front of hir desk before opens it. Eyeing the stack of archaic paper inside with disdain.

‘No, come to think of it. Getting the computer core and all the terminals back up and running outside just keeping critical archives running, ‘that’, should be next. Won’t have to risk so many knowing things they shouldn’t anymore. Disposing of the guards and my secretary after each use won’t be necessary then. It’s been so much of a hassle the last few times to keep them in line till I had to do so.’

The Secretary clears hir throat before opening the folder for the first report.

“Well, the first matter of business Shir President. Our first shipment of uranium from new penal colony arrived yesterday. Purity of the ore is higher than we initially expected, so we may be able to refuel more than fission reactor one. If this continues, we may also be able to lift some power restrictions for the city.”

This genuinely puts a smile on the Dalmatian patterned Chakat’s muzzle. It speeds up hir other plans. “Good, That puts us ahead of schedule for re-powering some systems on the ship too. The Olive drab chakat hands hir that portion of the report, allowing the President to skim the handwritten report before shi places it face-down on hir desk.
“Send word back to the colony to up production, if possible. If they need more labor to do so, all they need to do is ask. Considering recent events and the next report I wanted you to bring.”

“Noted.” The Olive drab Chakat comments dryly, pulling a pen out from one of waist hir pouches to mark hir orders down on the outside folder.
“Next. The last of the smuggler groups were arrested yesterday in an underground room they dug out under the ring one wall. We were able to reacquire quite a few defectives slated to be sterilized and euthanized, not quite as many as went missing though. So they must’ve been able to dump them somewhere in one of the nearby Draco-Fox Skulks or outlying Elysengrad villages before we arrested them.”

Shi looks up to hir boss as a part of hir has an emotional disconnect with what shi just said. For all of but a moment, there’s actual sympathy for the cubs despite their lower Empathy talent rating, all before it’s smothered and the sympathy is replaced with disdain.

‘No, they’re an affront to our perfect genome. They must be culled for their imperfection for the betterment of us all.’

The Dalmatian patterned Chakat lets out an audible sigh, for what shi just did with the Olive drab colored Chakat in front of hir, ‘and’ still growing population outside the republic. All outside hir control despite the efforts over time to squash such movements.

‘Just means when we get the fusion cores running again. We’ll have to start churning out better weaponry for another war, the current stuff, while orders of magnitude more advanced than anyone on this planet even has. Isn’t advanced enough to deal with those damn skills the powers that be grant these beings, let alone magic. Sigh, also going to have to figure out how to sell such a war. Or it will make handling my ‘successor’ when I turn one hundred harder to mold for ‘that’. Speaking of molding, I thought I had my secretary conditioned enough for this not to happen. Wonder what broke it. Shi ‘almost’ felt sympathy for those defective wastes of fur and flesh.’

Raising one of hir hands, shi just dismissively waves it in the air at hir secretary. “Just send the standard ‘they’re our citizens you must return them’ letters to the neighboring skulks and those Elysengrad villages. Doubt they’ll return them like the last hundred or so ones we’ve sent to their leaders.”

“Of course shir president.” Again, the Olive Drab colored Chakat notes what shi said down on the outside of that report’s folder and placing the paper from inside on the desk between the two.

If anyone else was looking in on this conversation, not only would they risk execution for not being authorized to be there. They also wouldn’t notice the slight hesitation the Olive drab colored Chakat shows when taking out the largest of the reports the President asked for hir to get.

Hesitation that isn’t missed by the Dalmatian patterned chakat in the slightest.

The Olive drab chakat clears hir throat lightly before continuing. “Um, the last report you wanted is of this year's batch of cubs that are old enough to start showing their empathic talent.” Opening up the folder causes a spike of worry to run through hir, no matter how much shi tries to hide it from the Dalmatian patterned Chakat in front of hir. Bad news is not a good thing to tell the President when its become standard policy to possibly shoot the messenger upon delivery of it.

Feeling the president’s eyes bearing down at hir, the Olive Drab Chakat looks up. “It is as you predicted yourself Shir President. We no longer have to worry about the imperfect e-2’s here or the outlying villages anymore. Only one cub had this disgracefully low empathic rating in the entire Neo-Chakona republic, and shi’s been euthanized per our laws. Hir parents have been sterilized as well. They happened to have lived here in the capital, so the parents have been moved to the second ring per your policy as well.”

The Dalmatian patterned Chakat smiles. “That’s actually good news. Start drafting a logistics plans to move the e-3’s from the inner ring to the second ring in the capital, and the e-3’s from our other settlements to the penal colonies in the southern continent. Still, how many remain in the outer ring in our fair capital though? The rest of the remaining e-2’s allowed to still live there with the skill infected individuals per my predecessor’s decree?” Shi taps hir claws on the desk impatiently.

Not at hir secretary in front of hir, it’s directed at hirself. ‘That was a mercy and a mistake on my part a couple of uses ago. The e-1’s handled this with dignity not long after I started this, the e-2’s though. They helped start and fueled the underground movement of the ‘defectives’ out of Neo-Chakona. I’ll just have the e-3’s executed once we reach that point.’

With a hard swallow, the Olive drab Chakat continues. “Compared to the last report. There’s been an explosive growth of e-6 rated individuals. Ignoring the fact this growth was from one to four individuals with that talent level this is a good sign. As for the parents, all except for one pairing, were of at least e-4 rating.” Shi pauses the normal routine for a moment to answer the president’s question.

“Concerning the remaining living e-2’s and the skill infected regardless of rating in the outer ring, left there by your.” The Olive Drab chakat secretary fumbles on the word for reasons other than pronunciation.

“Predecessor.” Before continuing.

“Four-hundred individuals total. Divided into three hundred skill infected, one-hundred e-2’s with the youngest of them being in their nineties. Keep in mind, we ‘still’ do not have a method of detecting if someone has a skill outside them openly displaying they have it for all to see. Conservative estimates show as much as seventy-five percent of the population may have a skill.”

The dalmatian patterned chakat President nods and waves hir hand for the secretary to continue. ‘No dna markers, no unusual energy readings. If I had to guess, most if not all of us are infected. Maybe if we can get the ship’s sensors back up and running with the fusion cores we can find something. Or some way to remove it from those that really shouldn’t have them.’

Shi flips the page of a report far to thick for what its contained so far. “E-5’s continue their upward growth. They’re now in the mid-single digit thousands of individuals. Still a minority, compared to the majority of this year’s of age cubs, all testing at various strengths in the range of E-4. Despite this, they’re still up from the historical amount at the start of your presidency shir, which is a good sign your plan is working.”

Placing this, and only this paper onto the president’s desk, the Olive drab colored Chakat secretary slowly tries to close the folder. Leaving the rest of the paper inside and the bad news with it. Hoping the president’s too distracted by the conversation so far, and hir placing the paper on hir desk to notice this amateurish attempt to hide the rest.

“And the rest of the report in the folder?” The dalmatian patterned Chakat taps the just placed paper, having read it with just a glance and seeing that the chart on the bottom of the page only accounts for all but point zero-one percent of the data. Causing the Olive Drab Chakat to audibly gulp, fear racing through hir nerves. Slowly, with a shaky hand, Shi opens the folder back up having no way or will to lie.

“There is… Um.. One anomaly. An e-0 shir…” The Olive Drab Chakat braces to hear the President yell. After several tense second’s, shi opens hir eyes and looks over at the Dalmatian patterned Chakat.

Only to see the President’s left side ear and eye twitch in sync with each other. ‘An E-0 cub… How? We eliminated Chaka-mil DNA within the first couple of generations here. Even they though were more or less E-1’s and despite their attempt to run.’

“Please explain this, impossibility to me Shir Secretary. Because, and correct me if I’m wrong here. The Cub in question has not lost their mind from the lack of the empathic feedback we, as a species, need to stay sane.” The Dalmatian patterned Chakat ear stops twitching, but hir eye does not. Nor will it till this is explained to hir as hir words drip with ice.

The Olive Drab Chakat stammers incoherently to try to reply. Terrified from the tone in the President’s voice.

“Out with it Secretary!” The Dalmatian patterned Chakat yells. The frustration at not getting an answer quickly showing on hir muzzle.

“We do not know Shir President!” The Olive Drab Chakat cowers into a long-sit in front of the desk. Covering her head and face with the folder.
“To confirm the Cub, Shir Sandstone was an E-0. We separated hir from hir parents and placed hir in a room designed to block all empathic signals. Least shi’s staying sane through some latent maternal connection to hir dame.”

Frantically shi opens the folder and leafs through the paperwork to pull out photo’s to toss on the desk showing the process of them isolating the cub and how Sandstone reacted to the isolation. Each one taken hours apart while Sandstone wails to get back to hir parents.

Then acting as any bored cub would when alone for hours upon hours.

“And shi didn’t lose hir mind after such a long separation?” The President examines each photo, dismissing them in turn by tossing them back onto the desk.

“No, shi didn’t. We gave up after it became obvious nothing was going to happen after nearly a day. Other than shi would just get even more frustrated at hir isolation from hir parents of course.” The Olive drab chakat quickly answers. Hir body language showing shi’s fearing for hir life, if for some reason the Dalmatian patterned Chakat wasn’t paying attention with hir empathic talent.

Putting down the last photo onto the rest, forming a loose pile. Shi turns hir gaze to Secretary. ‘Okay, now I get what happened with hir conditioning. This is what broke what I worked on to make sure shi doesn’t talk, the sight of a distressed ‘defective’ cub. Here I thought an e-6 rating would imply what I did was more permanent.’

With hir eye twith under control, shi places hir hand on the desk in front of hir. Palms down, fingers together, but claws extended.

“We both are Empaths. So we both know this isn’t the full report. What else is there?” Tone laced with ice and the threat that the Secretary in front of hir should just come clean with all the information if shi knows what’s good for hir.

Shi lets this hang in the air for a few moments, letting the silence in the room do more than any words can before continuing.

“The Defective cub and hir Dame and Sire are still alive, aren’t they? Despite that cubs with E-2 or less by law have to euthanized, and the parents of an E-1 or less have to be as well.” Hir eyes bore into the Olive Drab Chakat for only a few moments before the Secretary meekly nods. Placing the rest of the open folder’s contents onto the table. More papers and Photos spill out of it onto the President’s desk.

“Not… Not For lack of trying Shir president! We lost two highly trained doctors after somehow even with years of experience, they stuck themselves with our execution chemical cocktail rather than the cub and hir parents through sheer dumb and bad luck. The one that can shut down our toxin resistance to allow the rest to work.”

Shi does, shi made sure it was kept rather than lost in place of a few drugs they had in storage before having to shut down the medical bay. It’s a highly classified state secret now least someone with an alchemist class outside the Republic gets their hands on it. Then use their class skills to replicate it, thus giving the Draco-Foxes or Humans the means to wipe them out.

The Dalmatian patterned Chakat’s ear starts twitching again over the situation.

The Secretary continues fearing now leaving anything out will cost them their life. “The Soldier who we had try to shoot them in the back of the head with a pistol was badly injured after the attempt. That gun never jammed or backfired before, yet when shi tried to execute the cub, it jammed, backfired, and set off its entire magazine as well! Taking hir hand and half hir fore-arm with it. We set up a remote firing mechanism next to rule out self sabotage. No matter the firearm placed in it. It would always jam differently after each attempt. We stuck all three into a sealed and shielded room to pump the vapor version of the chemical and a lethal gas. That’s why the HVAC system for deck six exploded. Poisoned food would end up with the cook or the deliveryman dead or the food somehow never arriving at their cell at all.”

Picking up the paperwork and photo’s the Dalmatian patterned Chakat leafs though the photo evidence of each attempt. Confirming what hir secretary in front of hir just blurted out in more detail. Shi Examines each photo before placing them in a neat pile, looking at the Olive drab Chakat.

“Where are they now?” Shi moves the report to the pile of stuff shi’ll shred later. Again lamenting the lack of power. ‘Secure deletion is ‘so’ much faster and easier.’

Fiddling with hir hands the secretary gulps. “I, um, I took the prerogative, and had them confined to your personal cells on deck three. Not anywhere near the others you’ve detained shir president.”

As shi speaks, the Dalmatian patterned Chakat stands, and walks slowly over to hir. Hir mere presence causing the other Chakat to flinch, both knowing what shi’s capable of. The Olive drab Chakat already feeling the empathic pressure from the other one on hir mind.

“Who else knows about their presence?” Shi speak with icy calmness compared to hir Secretary’s nervous posture.

‘Hmm what to do? It’s too much of a hassle to have to mold a new secretary, not to mention how it will look to the public. Can’t repeat that mistake again. Yet, there are those I’m going to have to liquidate. Can’t have word getting out I let a defective live.’

The Secretary gulps. “Just, um, me and your personal guard regiment here in the ship. The cooks didn’t know who they were making the meals for, and the doctor who saw to the guardsman was only told it happened in a training accident with a new weapon. Nothing more.” Shi fights to keep hir head looking forward, and not to move it to follow the President walking around hir.

“Good! That’ll make things easier.” The Dalmatian patterned Chakat stops in front of hir Secretary, then takes a step back, just in case.

‘If they for some reason can’t be killed, I’m just going to assume it’s due to the same shit that gives out those skills and allows ‘magic’ to happen on this world. I’ll just have to use my talent to get them to get rid of the abomination themselves. First though, my Secretary needs to learn a lesson about not hiding information from me that I asked for.’

With a mirthful grin the Dalmatian Patterned Chakat forces hir talent onto the Olive drab furred Secretary, who goes wide-eyed as shi feels hir head being messed with. Less than a second later, hir upper torso collapses forward onto the floor. Claws on hir hands and fore-paws on hir lower torso dig into the carpeting as shi violently dry heaves. Trying to void both hir stomachs from a meal long since digested.

“That… is… was…” Dry heaving some more the only thing shi manages to expel from hir body is  mucus from hir mouth and snot from hir nose.

“Your favorite food?” The Dalmatian Patterned Chakat grins some more. Still impressed at the power of an E-6 talent. ‘Unless my replacement is an E-6, I’m going to miss this body.’

“Consider this your lesson in not hiding things from me. I can do much worse than replace your feelings of your favorite meal with the most vile thing you’ve ever smelled and tasted. So when you’re done trying to void your stomachs, please fetch that abomination’s Dame and Sire. Then bring them to my personal quarters. After that, you’re dismissed for the day.”

‘This change should reinforce all the molding I’ve done to hir. Just wish it was permanent like I thought it was when E-6’s first appeared.’

Continuing to grin at hir secretary’s displeasure. Shi walks by the Olive Drab Chakat, careful to not step in the puddle of fluids pooling on the carpet. Idly making a mental note to have the carpet replaced. As shi exits the office to what once was the ship’s bridge, hir secretary finally forces hirself to ‘stop’ thinking about the food hir boss just changed hir feelings about in hir mind, against hir will.

‘E-6’s are fucking terrifying.’

---
Brig cell, converted from small passenger quarters of the Star Hopper.
---

“Shi’s finally asleep?” The Orange, Red and Purple swirling patterned Chakat looks to the one shi’s long-sitting and leaning hir upper torso against. A Green and Black spotted Chakat with Sandstone curled up on hir fore-limbs of hir lower torso, sleeping soundly.

“Yea.” Shi looks down, and lets a smile come out on hir muzzle. “Why did this have to happen to us Nebula?”

“Don’t know Veldet-Rose.” Shi reaches over to pet the arm of Sandstone’s Dame, hand tracing the green spots that look like jaguar rosette’s in some areas and green splotches in others.

“What I do know is this place is wrong now. What we used to think is wrong and I don’t know what’s right.”

With that, both of them go silent as their empathic senses feed off each other. Saying things between them without them actually verbally expressing themselves. Guilt and shame for how they acted before throughout their lives. Forgiveness to each other because both of them know it was the only thing ‘they’ knew, until Sandstone’s mere existence showed that those with lesser emphatic talents are not lesser Chakats. Are not ‘Defectives’ that should be culled.

“Should we try to leave? I mean for some reason they can’t kill us, not for the lack of trying. I mean that one shir’s gun just up and exploded rather than let hir shoot us.” Veldet-Rose looks over to Nebula.

“No way to know if whatever did that will extend to protecting us if we flee. We should’ve run after the test showed Sandstone was an E-0…” Nebula’s ears droop, only to raise back up when Veldet-Rose grips hir shoulder firmly but lovingly.

“Run to where? It’s more than a weeks walk to the nearest Draco-Fox town, longer for the nearest Elysengrad village, with multiple Republic villages and towns along the way. Settlements where we would be known as fugitives for harboring, well you know.” Veldet-Rose sighs.

“Shi’s not a defective. Shi’s our child.” Nebula counters.

“We know that now Nebula… If we had known when I was carrying hir, we could’ve left then.” Shi then pauses as shi realizes what that would mean, and sighs. “No, I take that back, if they could tell someone’s talent exactly in the womb. Sandstone would never have been born, which would’ve been worse because we would still be thinking as we were before shi came into our life.”
Veldet-Rose reaches down, petting the sleeping Sandstone. The nine-year-old cub only moves a little from the attention of hir mother.

Nebula’s about to open hir mouth when they both freeze. Hearing at the same time the sound of the President’s private guard force padding down the hall of the ship in their armored paw-boots. Not to mention their empathy abilities cluing them in too as said guards reach the edge of their talent’s range of detection.

Veldet-Rose gently and carefully with only the love and care of a mother, slips Sandstone off of hir fore-legs and onto the only cushioning in the room. Cushioning they made into a bed for their cub as they made due with the deck plating. Shi then straightens Sandstone’s shirt before shi and nebula stand together to face the guards who have reached their cell door.

Both ready to face what they want of them together.

Chapter Text

Services No Longer Required: Chapter 3: Leaving Home.

The first thing Sandstone feels at the return of consciousness after falling asleep from the exhaustion of using hir skill the night before. Is hir ear twitching from the noise hir ‘roommate’ is making. Opening hir eyes, shi lifts hir upper torso into a sitting position, looking over to the Draco-Fox a few feet away in the darkened room, which was not long ago, a simple closet.

Magically powered candlelight streams in under and between the door and the frame, giving just enough light allowing both can see each other.

Standing in the small space between their two makeshift beds, Rohoka freezes upon seeing Sandstone’s awake.
“I was trying to not wake you. ‘Not a Chakat’.” Rubbing the talons on long clawed hand as he speaks. The cracks in his keratin claws aching from last night’s use of his Dragon’s Claw skill to counter Sandstone’s skill.
Made worse by the fact he didn’t sleep last night. All he could think about was his parents and everything they did up to the ‘incident’. ‘I should’ve been faster, if I had gotten this skill sooner…’

“Well you did. You finally got ‘that’ right too. I’m ‘not’ a Chakat.” Sandstone quips back, stretching out hir limbs on hir lower torso.

Rohoka flicks his ear as he stares at hir because to him Shi obviously is a Chakat.

Sighing audibly, he moves forward the couple of steps to the door. Sandstone, seeing him do this, quickly climbs down and stands behind him, showing shi’s just as ready to leave the cramped room. As well as being about a head smaller than Rohoka despite both being nine.

Stopping before grabbing the doorknob, Rohoka turns his head around to look at hir. “Why are you following me?”

Sandstone stares back at him, finding how he did that odd, mainly because shi hasn’t been around Draco-Foxes before. “I’m guessing the same reason you're leaving, food.”

Returning the stare for a few moments, Rohoka sighs. Turning his head to face the door he slumps his shoulders a bit as his tail touches the ground. “The priestess who dropped me off here, told you the same thing about getting food when she did the same to you?”

He reaches up a bit and opens the door, blinking a couple of times at the unobstructed magical candlelight. Rohoka leaves hir behind as he rushed over to a nearby window, looking outside at the sky to check the time by seeing if the horizon’s lit up and how bright it is if that was the case.
He doesn’t notice hir following him to the window.

“Good, it’s not too long before dawn.” Lightly saying to himself, as he sees a glow on the horizon.

Only to jump an inch or two into the air in surprise as Sandstone speaks up just behind him on his left side. “Yes she did. It looks like night though, how do you know dawn’s close?”

Swingeing his head to look at the Chakat who insists shi’s not a Chakat, he glares at hir for sneaking up on him. ‘How can shi walk so silently? Shi has twice as many legs as I do!’

“How can you ‘not’ know? Mom and Dad taught me when I was six how to tell what time of day and night it is. It’s ‘very’ simple once you learn the signs.”

Sandstone rolls hir eyes at how dumb what he just said sounds to hir. So she puts a bit of a ‘I’m smarter than you’ tone in hir voice for hir reply. “Clocks, that’s how! A little box that tells you the time down to the second. It even lights up when you press a button on top so you can see it in the dark. No need to look at the stars in the sky or whatever you used to tell what time it is.”

“Oh those.” He rolls his eyes at hir. “Sorry, must’ve left the ‘magically enchanted object that only the richest of our clan can afford’ back at home with my dead parents.” Rohoka snarks back as he moves away from the window before looking down the hall in the direction to the stairs down.

‘If I’m going to leave the town, I should stop by home and get my stuff. They won’t be able to deliver it to me if I don’t stay. Not to mention I can use the food in the store to keep myself fed on the way there.’

Without even looking to see if Sandstone’s following him, he retraces the route the Priestess took leading him up here, back downstairs to the first floor. Stopping only when he hears claws on wood as Sandstone follows him down the stairwell.

‘Oh NOW shi makes noise when walking. Not when I don’t know shi’s there!’ Rohokoa huffs as he traverses the stairs easily.

‘These stairs are too narrow!’ Sandstone carefully maneuvers hirself down them, following Rohoka. ‘I had no trouble going up, why is going down them so much harder?’

“So, um…?” Sandstone stops on the last couple of the stairs as Rohoka reaches the ground-floor. Stopping in his tracks, he turns his head again to look at hir standing behind him. The sight still creeps hir out.

“What is it, ‘Not a Chakat’?” A little annoyance seeping into his voice as he speaks to the Chakat behind him. Not to mention spending the entire night wondering what he could’ve done better isn’t helping his mood any.

“Yes, I’m not a Chakat, but my name is Sandstone so…”

Rohoka cuts hir off.

“Okay, Sandstone, you can call me Rohoka, What is it you want?” He moves to fully face hir rather than just have his head looking behind himself.

The young Chakat glares back at the stairs once shi reaches the bottom before looking back at Rohoka. “What are you going to do after we get some food?”

His posture deflates as his annoyance at the Chakat, which gave him a momentary distraction from everything that has happened the past day evaporates in the light of hir question.
‘To think… Yesterday I was waking up in my own bed, Mom and Dad alive… Willing to give me a contract to fulfill like an adult.’

Shaking his head and raising his ears he looks at hir. “The same thing you should be thinking about doing. That is, if you have issues about stealing food from the people who live here. Unlike the Chakats my parents used to deal with that is who seem to enjoy doing it. Then you should leave town and head for one in the opposite direction the ‘heroes’”

The last word from his mouth said with enough venom it drips off his tongue.

“Maybe an orphanage there will have room, and you won’t starve.” He looks around the dimly lit area that was when he arrived, filled with other kids and full of chaos. Now silent and bathed in magical candlelight.

“The priestess didn’t tell us where they would be serving food if we were early enough.”

Flattening hir ears back at the Young Draco-Fox Sandstone sneers out. “I said I’m NOT a Chakat!” Pointing down one of the nearby hallways, shi continues. “Your nose is as big as mine! Can’t you smell the scent of cooking food coming from there?”

Reaching up with his short clawed hand, Rohoka touches his own snout. “It’s not ‘that’ big, and, um, yea. Now that you mention it, I kinda do smell something?”

Sandstone’s about to open hir mouth to lob an insult at him, only to get interrupted by someone behind hir.

“You’re not going to get anything if you’re late to the dining room.” Both of them turn at the same time to see a young human boy, about their age. Ambling down the stairs in threadbare clothing while rubbing his eyes.

It irks the young Chakat that this human can navigate the stairs blind.

Both silently move out of the way of the human kid before looking at each other. Quickly deciding simultaneously to follow him down the hallway. Past other rooms whose occupants join their group as they walk down the corridor. Kids of various ages of no rhyme or reason of which of the three species they’d be as they enter the hallway soon make up the surrounding group.

Out of familiarity, Rohoka and Sandstone, just, stay next to each other rather than be separated as the door to a large ball-room converted into a kitchen and dining area funnels the group into a shoulder to shoulder line. Sitting at the far end they can see some magically enchanted cooking surfaces for heating pots or enchanted boxes for baking bread.

Along with a few adult female Draco-fox Priestesses dashing about between them.

Turning their head’s they see the rest of the room’s taken up by anything that can be made into furniture, was. So they can place food on them, and benches for seats. Boards of wood, old doors, etc. Each stacked on tree-stumps, cut up posts, or piles of mud-brick.

Looking back to the priestesses and cookware, they notice the group they’ve been following unconsciously forming a single file line in front of tables the cookware is on. Leaving the two of them the odd ones out standing side by side.

There’s a moment where the two of them stare at each other, neither one willing to let the other get in front of them. Only for Rohoka to get in front of Sandstone, least both of them lose their place in line as it starts moving forward. Annoying hir immensely, only to be quickly distracted by the ‘wtf is shi’ stares of the other Chakat cubs around them.

‘I don’t have an empathic talent, and they must sense it.’ Angrily glaring back at them and their odd clothing for their lower torso’s. Sandstone raises hir hand as shi feels the need to wipe the looks off their muzzles with a blast of air.

Only for one of the Priestesses to sternly speak loudly at hir before the incantation circle even forms.

“No Skill use in the kitchen! Or you go hungry this morning Shir!” The Priestess doesn’t even look down at hir, but Rohoka turns his head momentarily to look back at hir as shi lowers hir hand.

Moving his head between looking forward, so he can move when the line moves, and looking behind himself to look at Sandstone. “Why were you going to shoot them with that skill you used last night?”

Glaring back at him when his head is facing hir. “They were staring at me like they’ve never seen someone that looks like them but isn’t a Chakat before. I didn’t like it.”

Rohoka just rolls his eyes, not looking back at hir again while they’re in line. Eventually their turn comes at the table holding the enchanted cookware. Each of them get a crude iron-bark wood tray thrust into their hands by one of the Priestesses.

A rough bowl made from the same kind of wood’s dropped on it by her, along with a plate and a spoon. This is followed up by a slice of poor, yet, not moldy bread. The bowl gets something slightly thick, liquid, white, with stuff sandstone can’t recognize dumped into it as they’re urged along the line.

Rohoka does, and it doesn’t improve his mood. It’s dried fruit and what the humans call vegetables. A group of plants humans brought with them when they were originally summoned to his world. Not that he knows that as they are commonplace now. He didn’t like them when his mom and dad served them, and he doubts they’ll taste any better here despite the ones his parents served being fresher.

The last thing dropped onto their plates is a wooden cup of water. The priestess who just placed it on their tray’s, just shoo’s them out of the line and towards the tables and benches. Said crude seating arrangements are quickly filling up with other orphans as Rohoka and Sandstone glance at each other.

So again, out of familiarity, and for Sandstone, with all the other Chakat’s still staring at hir. The two of them stick together, in finding a spot to. Well, Rohoka finds a spot to sit on a bench, Sandstone has to try to either lay hir lower torso length wise. Earning a glare from everyone else around them. Or rest one set of hir lower torso’s legs on the bench while keeping the other flat on the floor between the bench and table.

Hir hesitation in deciding forces hir into the latter position as both of them look down at the meager breakfast.

“This is your clan Rohoka! Why are they feeding us ‘this’ stuff?” Shi picks up the piece of bread. Sniffing it lightly and noting that while it’s not old. It’s not fresh either, while being hard and dry. It only takes hir a couple of bites to eat the whole thing along with enough water to soften it.

Meanwhile, Rohoka is grimacing as he forces the slightly pasty white stuff with all the dried things in it down his throat before replying. “For someone who came from the nation of Chakats…”

‘While insisting shi isn’t one…’ He wishes he could say, but the thought of being alone here, scares him into holding his tongue at the jab at Sandstone’s behavior he wants to make.

“Who have all those neat magical enchanted stuff and what not, you don’t know what’s going on. All the other ‘Chakats’ here were dumped like you were. While the humans and other Draco-foxes are orphans because of the war with the continuum. You know, those beings that kept trying to invade, and we had to ask our gods for help each time? Those guys.”
He too, once finished with the meager portion of what he finally recognizes as oatmeal, after dislodging a piece of oat from between his teeth with his tongue. Looks down at the meager piece of bread, the rest of this pitiful breakfast.

Eating it just as quickly as Sandstone as shi now forces hirself to eat the watered down oatmeal.

“I said I’m not a Chakat, so I’m not part of them…” Shi pauses for a second as hir lower stomach grumbles in protest at the lack of substance in the meal.
“I think I see why you said you don’t want to starve.” Saying upon finishing the bowl. Looking up, others who were sitting nearby the two of them are grabbing what little they have and are moving away from the both of them.

Flattening his ears in frustration at the faux paws that even ‘he’ knows not to do around orphans. Rohoka glares at Sandstone while standing. Leaving the tray and empty bowl on the makeshift table.

“Hey, where are you going?” Sandstone moves to follow him as he heads for the exit, not wanting to be left behind.
Both of them ignoring the looks of the other orphans ether fearful of their meager meal getting stolen, or curiosity at what’s going on. The Priestesses though, long since giving up past the bare minimum don’t even pay attention as they exit the dining hall. Not caring as long as they’re back before dusk.

Rohoka stops in his tracks, turning to look at the Chakat following him. “Why do you want to know? It’s not like we’re friends.”

Stopping in front of him, shi glares up at his face. “I know more about you than anyone else here. So I’d rather be with you because your friendlier than them.”

‘That and you aren’t looking at me like I’m a freak.’

Rohoka tilts his head realizing shi’s got a point there.

“You did try to attack me with your skill last night Sandstone. I wouldn’t call that being friendly in the least.” Pointing at hir with his short clawed hand an inch from the tip of hir nose.

Shi returns the gesture, claw tip extended from hir finger. “You kept calling me a Chakat last night when I’m not. Same with saying l’m like them too.”

“But we are…” Lowering his hand, he looks down at the floor. The death of his own parents fresh in his mind. “I mean, sure your parents abandoned you, but, that still makes us orphans.”

“They were made to do it by someone else!” Yelling out before shi lowers hir own hand as whatever anger shi had is replaced by the sadness that has been eating at hir since shi was left here.

The silence stretches on for a moment or two before shi speaks up again. “If you’re not staying here, where are you going then?”

Rohoka looks over at hir, getting tired of hir excuse of calling hirself not a chakat and what not. “How about this ‘not a Chakat’. ‘You’ tell me why despite looking exactly like all those other Chakats back there, you’re not one of them. THEN, I’ll tell you where I’m going!”

A retort to his challenge builds, then dies in hir throat. Realizing how shi handles this may decide if shi’ll be stuck here with the other Chakats. Or, if shi goes with him, away from them and their judgmental stares.

“I don’t have the empathic talent they do. I can’t feel what you’re feeling, and I can’t influence what others feel. I couldn’t feel what my parents felt either. I’m supposed to go crazy because of this, they said as much! The other Chakats who put me and my parents in that room, stuck me in another room to make me go crazy, yet I didn’t. No matter how long they kept me in there alone.”

Shi stares at him while feeling hir cheek fur dampen. ‘Why am I crying?’

“It’s why they were all staring at me back there. At this age, I’m supposed to develop it. Or gain control of it… I don’t know! All I know is I’m supposed to be able to feel their emotions, they mine, and what not. If I can’t, I’m not one of them! They know it too!”

Catox’s words echo through Rohoka’s mind about being kind and polite to others as he watches Sandstone cry. Mostly in admonishment of his recent actions, like she’s scolding him from beyond the grave.
His annoyance at hir over denying what looked to him as obvious turns to shame. Lowering his ears and letting his tail drag across the floor. He closes the distance between, placing his short-clawed hand on the left shoulder of hir upper torso.

“I’m heading home to get my stuff.” He looks down at himself. “My other set of clothes and some food from the store. Then heading north, the opposite direction the army…”

‘And the bastard who killed my parents…’

“Are going. Don’t know how far north. Just to the next town, hopefully. If their orphanage is also this crowded, I’ll keep going till I find one that isn’t, so I won’t starve till I come of age in a year or so.” He looks down at hir and shi’s forced hirself to stop crying.

“That’s not exactly a definite plan though Rohoka.” Shi pauses. “But I guess it’s better than staying here and starving. I’m still hungry and I won’t steal from people. Mom and dad would punish me.”

Letting go of Sandstone’s upper shoulder, Rohoka closes his eyes, then opens them a moment later. Making up his mind on the matter. “Why don’t you… Come with me then Sandstone? We both have skills, I have a class, though all I know is it is a combat one, no adult would tell me anything more. We’d be able to take care of ourselves.”

Raising hir ears Sandstone nods. “Alright. Um, Speaking of food?”

Rohoka stops mid-step as he was already heading for the entrance of the orphanage after letting go of Sandstone’s shoulder. “You can have some when we get there, but we have to get there before they lock the place up.”

“Thank you.” Shi smiling, then trotting forward to walk alongside Rohoka.

Only to look around and see they’re both being stared at from the other group of orphans here. The ones who pilfer food from those setting up their stalls in the pre-dawn light.

Saying nothing to them, they return the stare until they’re all off the orphanage grounds. Leaving Rohoka and Sandstone alone as the both of them head down a different street compared to the thieving kids.

“So, What kind of shop did your parents own?” Sandstone breaks the silence now they’re away from the others as far as shi can tell.

Rohoka lets out a sigh as he leads the both of them down the street, then around the corner. The normal surroundings, lights in windows of those who got up before dawn. Of stores preparing to open. Stand in stark contrast to his shattered worldview of just a day prior.

It kinda frustrates him that the death of his mother and father seems so, meaningless now. No one mourning, just the world continuing to move on. Like they weren’t even there.

“A General Goods store. Not for the town, but for those traveling and passing through.” He doesn’t even have to look around much to lead hir further through the maze of streets. Knowing all the ones near his home by heart.

‘I overheard they were there for supplies, but they couldn’t have taken everything. Too much for them to carry and I didn’t see them have any bags of holding with them.’

He stops to look at hir. “Speaking of, we’d better find something for you to wear too.”

Cocking hir ears to the side while returning Rohoka’s look, shi puts hir hands on hir the hips between hir upper and lower torso. “I thought that wasn’t an issue? You didn’t complain about ‘that’ back there in the orphanage. No one did.”

“Clan law, Sandstone. All residents need to be fully and appropriately clothed when outside ‘at all times’.” He tactfully doesn’t mention that he only knows this because when he was two years old, he gave his parents ‘trouble’ in staying fully clothed.

It hampered his ability to climb anything, like trees or the walls. Or so he thought in his mind when he was that age.

Sandstone ohs and looks down at hirself. Then hir lower half. “Even that part?” Shi points hir lower torso. Remembering how none of their kind covered their lower torso outside those who needed the protection from work or ‘very’ cold winters fill hir mind back home.

Rohoka nods. “Even that part. If you don’t, we could be caught by a town-guard and sent back to the orphanage. You saw the lower torso pants the Chakat cubs back there were wearing, right?”

Sandstone returns the nod and quickly trots after Rohoka as he continues on to his home without another word.

It’s still surreal to Rohoka as they approach his home and the storefront of the store his parents used to own. An empty street in contrast to the crowds he remembers from yesterday. Not even a stain on the cobblestone road where his parent’s bodies laid, covered in cloth.

He walks up to said spot, looking down at it and careful to not step on it. ‘The street cleaners did a good job, I can’t see nor smell blood.’

As he stands there, Sandstone stares at the front door of the building, and every window visible to hir. Invisible to Rohoka’s eyes, but swirling in an enticing, enchanting light to hir’s is the skill placed spell locking the building from unwanted entry.

Rainbows of reds and oranges reflect in hir eyes.

‘It’s pretty, wha.’ Shi tilts hir head as the swirls become structures, structures shi has never seen before but some part of hir knows the purpose of. That part of hir speaks to hir in hir mind clearly explaining their purpose to someone of hir age.

Not noticing the trance his companion is in. Rohoka finally tears his gaze away from the spot on the road where he last saw his parents. Flushing the mental image of their wrapped dead bodies from his minds eye, he approaches the front door of the building he grew up in. So familiar, yet now so alien to him.

A moment’s hesitation is all that passes as he raises his short-clawed hand to grab the door handle after staring at it.

Only to find the handle and the door won’t budge.

“They locked it?” Squeaking out in surprise, he tries opening it again and again the door refuses to open. “But this is my home!”

Raising his long clawed hand up in preparation of bashing it against the door to try to open it, he stops as Sandstone slowly, and methodically walks into his field of view.
The unfocused look in hir eyes and the fact shi has both hir hands out in front of hir stops him flat at the unusual sight. “Wha?”

The swirling reds and oranges have long since solidified into lines, writing in a language shi doesn’t know yet can somehow understand, along with intricate patterns. ‘Rohoka wants in. This is locking all entrances. Yet…’

Shi knows where it is before hir eyes see it. An error in the pattern, a glitch in a line, a spelling mistake in the language. Without this, only the caster with the key-spell would be able to unlock the building. Yet, that voice, that ‘something’ tells hir if shi…

Rohoka watches as Sandstone reaches out with one of hir hands and with a claw tip extended, taps to him what looks like a random part of the door. Every other part of hir shows shi’s in some kind of trance to him. So shocked at seeing hir like this, he doesn’t move to stop hir.

Sandstone touches the error, collapsing the spell on the building and to hir, it looks like stained-glass shatters all around hir. With each piece dissolving into thin air. To Rohoka though, the door and all the windows glow a dull red, only for a moment.
As shi lowers hir arm, the unfocused look in hir eyes goes away along with the stiffness in hir posture. Rohoka grabs hir shoulders and shakes hir once.

“What happened, what did you just do?!” Letting go of hir, he tries to open the door again and finds it now unlocked. So he pushes it open and enters.

“I…” Standstone squeaks as shi follows him into his home. “I don’t know.”

Only for both of them to come to a stop at the sight of the utter mess greeting them past the threshold.
The entire area behind the counter has been ransacked. Little remains on the shelving where it would normally sit. The door in the counter separating the customer and back area where they’re not allowed hangs ajar on a single hinge.

Then the scent of blood and death hits both of them as the stains from the blood of his parents still linger on the floor for his father, and the shelves that his mother got pinned to. Some of those daggers still sit embedded into the wood marking the exact place she died. Even the register, so heavy Rohoka remembers both his parents needing to work together to move it. Lies on its side, til ajar and empty, except for a few copper coins on the floor next to it.

With the memory so fresh in his mind, Rohoka squeezes tear filled eyes shut, and by muscle memory runs through the open doorway separating the two parts of the store. Then to the stairs that lead to his home on the second floor. Leaving Sandstone standing there dumbfounded for a moment.

“Hey! Wait for me.” Sandstone trots after, only to stop at the shelving edge where Catox was pinned. Hir eyes inexplicably drawn to the copied daggers. Shi doesn’t know why the sight entices hir, but shi just grabs one dagger by the handle. Pulling it free without any effort despite how deep into the wood it is. Then rushes after Rohoka. Holding it loosely in hir hand.

On the second floor, the place looks exactly like he remembers it. The kitchen is how Catox left it after the midday meal. The place is as clean as they can collectively keep it, but his eyes get drawn to a warping floor panel here. The thinning whitewash on a wall there.

Signs that while well-kept, they, as a den, weren’t well off. He almost expects to see her nearby, but a quick swivel of his head shows the place is empty, besides himself that is.

His feet take him from the kitchen to the living area in the same room. Cushions and the fireplace sit as they left it the day before. The few books their den owns sit on crude shelves. Memories of both Catox and Zarith reading them to him fill his minds eye.

“Rohoka, where are you?” Sandstone reaches the top of the stairs not designed for taurs like hir, much to hir frustration.

He only dimly recognizes the ‘not a chakat’s’ voice as he runs his short clawed hand over the spines of the books. ‘The bag of holding… Where is it?’

Snapping a bit out of his daze, he makes haste to his room. Pushing his door open, he sees it, laying on the floor. ‘It was on the bed the last time I was in here, when I changed out of my dirty clothes.’ Said shirt and slacks sit folded with care on a crude table next to the door into his room. Waiting for Catox to retrieve them for cleaning she’ll never be able to do.

‘I wonder who moved it, sigh, at least it’s still here… but first thing is first.’ Slowly he disrobes from his blood stained clothing. For the set that is just dirty with dust and street debris.
As he ties closed the loops on his shirt, Rohoka finally notices Sandstone. Shi stands there in the doorway to his room as he’s about to pick up the bag of holding. Not knowing shi’s been there the whole time while he changed his clothes with a saddened unfocused look on his muzzle.

“Right, clothing for you…” Leaving the bag on the floor, he watches as the Chakat cub finally move out of the doorway, allowing Rohoka out of his room. Sandstone having been unwilling to say or move at the sight of him acting this way. ‘Was that how I looked to him earlier?’

“I, don’t have any other clothes so…”

Sighing, he looks over to his parents room. The only other one in this second floor dwelling outside the combined kitchen-living area and his own. Opening his mouth in a false start to say something, it dies on his tongue. So he closes it before lowering his head a bit and finally saying to hir.

“Just follow me.” Leading Sandstone into his parent’s room.

Zarith and Catox’s room if anything is slightly smaller than his. Rohoka had never noticed this until now, it stands as a stark reminder of how much his parents loved him. It also makes the room crowded as he and Sandstone to stand there in its only open floor space. Making his parent’s lingering scents all the more painful for the young Draco-Fox.

Sandstone’s ears fall to their sides, while shi lacks the actual talent to feel what Rohoka is feeling. The Draco-Fox’s body language, along with everything shi’s learned about him makes it obvious even to hir that being in this room is emotionally painful to him.
Especially as shi watches him walk up to the only other piece of furniture in the room other than the nest like bed. Crude but sturdily made dresser and the drawers it contains.

Geared for an adult Draco-fox, Standing at his full height, Rohoka’s horn tips are barely level with the top of the dresser. Leaving the brushes and combs out of his reach even if they aren’t what he’s after.

‘I may be a year away from being considered an adult…’ Rohoka’s eyes linger upwards. ‘But I still have awhile to go before I’m my mom’s or dad’s size…’
Grabbing the wooden handle of the drawer with his short clawed hand. The sound of wood sliding on wood fills the room as he pulls it open before reaching inside.

The scent of Catox, his mother, hits him flat against his muzzle as he pulls out one of her few shirts. Having one more set of clothing that he and his father simply because said set was a birthday gift to her from his father and him not long ago.
Closing his eyes, and putting the shirt to his nostrils Rohoka takes a deep breath in. Flooding his mind with his mother’s scent. Trying to make sure he’ll never forget it, for he’ll never smell it again after today.

Lowering the garment, he glances over to Sandstone. Noticing shi has one of those accursed daggers held loosely in one of hir hands for the first time since shi followed him up here. His protest about hir having it dies before it can even reach his throat as a dark thought crosses his mind.

Approaching Sandstone he holds out the shirt with his long clawed hand, and points to the dagger with his short clawed hand.

Wordlessly shi accepts the trade and exchanges it for the shirt.

“It’s a bit big, but it will cover your upper torso. For the lower one though.” Rohoka quickly looks around the room for ‘something’ to use. None of the trousers from either his mother or father will fit Sandstone. Lacking a better option, he grabs one of the smaller and thin sheets off his parent’s bed, tossing it to hir to scramble in grabbing it.

“Wha? How am I supposed to wear these things?” Shi folds hir ears back a bit at hir tail twitches, Rohoka just shrugs at hir confusion.

“How should I know? I’m not the one with a whole extra torso and set of legs to deal with.” Glancing over hir whole body, then down at the dagger. His short-clawed hand tightening around its handle. The thought of using it to kill the human who killed his parents running in his mind.

“I’ll let you figure it out, I need to get a few things from my room.”

He doesn’t even wait for Sandstones reply of ‘how’, leaving hir in his parents room as he returns to his own, closing his door behind himself.

Walking over, he picks up the bag of holding in his short clawed hand and sits down on his bed. Quickly stuffing the dagger inside and that dark idea to the back of his mind. Even with its minimal magical enchantment from the person who made it, the cloth’s protected from the sharp edge of the blade.

Not even a moment later, he lowers his head, and lets the tears fall from his eyes.

Every part of the rooms up here brings back its own memory of his mother and father. Let alone the memories made in here, his own bedroom. From one side of his bed to the other, he slowly sweeps his neck and head. The mind’s eye playing them back as he cries. That is until his gaze lands on something utterly personal to him.

Sitting on the only other table like surface in his room, a much smaller and even cruder looking two drawer dresser. A piece of furniture his father made because he had to have at least ‘something’ to put one of his two outfits in as he wears the other. Is a doll made from worn out fabric and stuffed even more cloth that can’t serve its purpose even as a dishcloth anymore.

Other than his parents, it’s the only thing constant in his memories. A companion with him in and out of bed, and all his adventures when he was younger. Only when he was six or so, did Catox tell him she made it because he seemed lonely being the only one to hatch, out of the only clutch she’s been able to lay.

Standing, he walks over. Switching the bag of holding to his long clawed hand, Rohoka gently lifts it with his short clawed one as the early morning sun bathes it, and him from the tiny window in here. The stuffed fabric arms, legs, neck, head and wings flop about as he holds it. The darker fabric eye patches look lifelessly back at him, and he stares back at it for a moment.

Then gently and carefully he places it into the bag of holding. Turning, and with tear dampened cheek fur. It finally hits him this can’t be his home, not any longer. No matter how much he wants it to be.

‘So I’ll just have to take what I can with me…’

Strength renewed and purpose in mind besides ‘leaving town’. Rohoka grabs his single straw stuffed pillow, then feeds it to the bag. This is followed by a blanket from his nest like bed. From there, he quickly walks over to a corner of the room. Kneeling down and sticking the tip of one of his longer claws into a small hole in the floor that just looked like just some random defect in the wood.

Lifting the floor plank shows his allowance stash, or horde. A human term, that much he knows. One his species adopted like those beasts of burden and such. He knows many other Draco-Foxes do this. Hide away things for safe keeping. The glass jar of many copper pieces and the hand full of silver coins he ‘just’ earned yesterday’s pulled from the empty space between the floorboards of this floor and ceiling of the first floor.

It, too is fed to the bag of holding before he stands. Not even bothering on putting the floor plank back in place. ‘No use hiding anything here anymore…’ The weak magic candle, used to just barely light his room at night’s the next thing he grabs. From there he makes a second pass through his small room for anything he may have missed.

It ends up being the last personal object he stores in the bag of holding before exiting what was his room.

---
Meanwhile, in what was Catox’s and Zarith’s room.
---

Watching him leave, then close the door to his room behind himself, Sandstone looks down at the shirt and thin blanket.

‘How ‘am’ I supposed to wear these things?’ Shi drops the blanket onto the floor, holding up the shirt that seems big enough hir parents can wear it. Maybe, unlike the shirts shi’s seen them wear, this garment lacks the extra fabric in the front needed for those things.

Not that shi has to worry about that because shi’s not yet grown any, not that shi’s too far off. ‘They said another year and mine will start to grow in. Still, where are the buttons on this?’

Eyeing the loops and strips of cloth, shi sighs and opens the shirt up before putting it on.

‘No way the town guards won’t notice me looking like this.’ Pinning hir ears back shi looks at hir arms, which don’t even poke out of the long sleeves. Shi can feel most of the back of the shirt laying in the small of where hir upper and lower torso backs meet while the front of the shirt drapes all the way down to about the knees on hir fore-legs. It just looks overall comically large on hir.

Pulling the sleeves back so hir hands can poke through shi spends the next several minutes trying to tie each cloth strip and loop together to close the shirt. With each attempt failing just as bad as the last one.

‘agh!’ Shi cries out mentally at the ceiling after yet another attempt at tying the strip of cloth inside the loop fails to secure it. Hir tail lashes about in frustration before trying again, only for the knot to tighten with the shirt not fully closed this time.

“Why can’t they have buttons or velcro like everyone else!?” Sandstone grumbles at the shirt, then glares at the blanket. ‘No clue on how I’m going to wear that!’

Shi nearly jumps out of hir fur as in response to hir thought’s, both the shirt and blanket float upwards. Catox’s shirt slips up and off of hir like it wasn’t even on hir. Both suddenly swirling with bright blue and green wisps of light, similar to, yet shi can tell it’s somehow different from the red and orange ones that shi saw earlier.

Sandstone’s jaw hangs open as the blue light sucks itself into the shirt, Shrinking to hir size. Excess fabric from this is put to use restoring the thickness of the rest of the fabric to like new. Seemingly not satisfied, the blue wisp also shrinks, and hardens the cloth loops into buttons. Slits for the buttons replace the cloth strips on the other side of the shirt. Next, it adds a bit of loose fabric to the front of the shirt for future growth and long term use of the garment.

It’s then dropped back onto hir upper torso while whatever force is doing this gently pulls Sandstone’s arms up, so they can be inserted into the sleeves. With it settled on hir frame, the buttons work themselves through the slits, closing up the front of the shirt and showing it’s a perfect fit.

Shi has no time to think on this though as now the green wisps get to work on the blanket. Simultaneously, it cuts, sews, and molds it using the excess to restore the fabric of the now full set of taur pants to like new.
Said pants are the kind shi has to put each of hir four legs into the corresponding pants legs, before pulling them up. Joining both halves over the spine of hir lower torso, allowing hir to button it closed. Which happens to hir a moment later as the green whisp finishes them, because both colored wisps suddenly lift hir up, and like the shirt. They dress hir rather than letting Sandstone dress hirself.

It actually reminds hir of hir parents doing it when shi was slightly younger…

When the final button’s secured at the small of hir back between hir two torsos, the wisp’s gently lower hir back onto hir feet. Disappearing whence they came, their task done.

“What the he…” Sandstone stops hirself, remembering too well the taste of soap in hir mouth for saying that swear word in front of hir Dame and Sire.
“What was that?” Looking at the now well, if not a bit loose in the front shirt. Then the taur pants, which feel a bit restrictive since shi’s ‘never’ worn a pair before.

‘I hope I don’t have to wear these long enough to get used to the feeling of it…’ Shaking hir head, shi walks over to the doorway and looks over to the closed door to Rohoka’s room just in time for him to open it. Dressed in cleaner but still scuffed clothes, the fur on his muzzle is damp enough shi can see the red and copper colored scales underneath the fur.
Looking into his eyes a moment after eyeing the bag in his long clawed hand as he stares back at hir eyeing hir now properly fitting clothing.

“Where did you get those… Wait, those are the same colors and patterns as the shirt I gave you and the blanket. How did you make them fit you?” He points at hir clothing while shi just shrugs in return.

“No clue. Strange lights made them after I got frustrated at trying to tie the shirt closed.” Lifting a bit of the fabric the shirt’s made of idly. Only Rohoka’s attention’s drawn to the buttons.

“What are these?” He taps a claw tip on one of them. Making him even more curious as they feel neither metal nor bone.

“Wait.” Sandstone pushes his short clawed hand back. “You’ve never seen buttons before? Seriously, they’re like on every piece of clothing where I’m from.” Tilting hir head a bit at how he doesn’t know this.

Rohoka shakes his head. “Looks like something some rich member of our clan would have on their clothing.”

Sandstone just looks at Rohoka like he’s weird before pointing to the bag he’s holding. “What’s in the bag?” Changing the subject before it gets to Zippers. Shi doesn’t know how shi would explain ‘that’ to this draco-fox.

He just holds it up a bit. “A couple of personal items, a blanket and a pillow.”

It’s now Sandstone’s to look at confused. “That bag is too small to fit a blanket and a pillow along with anything else.” Shi stares at him like he’s lying.

Rohoka holds it up for hir to look inside it. “You looked at me weird for not knowing what buttons are, yet you’ve never seen a bag of holding?”

Somehow inside is a wadded up blanket and a pillow, a magic candle lies on said pillow and all three cover the cloth doll and jar of coins. Which is good because he wouldn’t know how to explain it to hir without hir laughing. Not that Rohoka wants hir to see it.

“I mean it’s not a fancy one, so it can’t hold a lot of stuff. Doesn’t remove most of the weight of the items inside either. It was useful for me though yesterday in getting all the groceries mom and dad wanted though…”
Taking a breath, he has to stop his ears from lowering at the thought of his parents.

Stepping back, hir tail twitches curiously. ‘Wonder why we didn’t have nice things like this even though we lived close to what’s left of the ship?’

“Other than some food, if we can find any among that mess downstairs, is that all we came here for Rohoka?”

He shakes his head. “Gonna grab whatever is left in the register too… Mother and Father… won’t need it anymore.” Now he doesn’t bother stopping his ears from drooping.

Seeing this, Sandstone takes another small step back, letting out a sigh. Shi can’t feel his sadness, but shi can tell when his ears look like that. Shi knows he’s sad. Causing hir to feel guilty over even asking.

“Sorry about bringing up something that would remind you of your parents.”

This causes Rohoka to look at her in surprise. Body tensing at, to him, the indication Sandstone was lying about not being able to feel his emotions. “I thought you said you couldn’t….”

Sandstone quickly holds hir hands up. “Whoa, I wasn’t lying. I can’t ‘FEEL’ what you’re feeling.” Shi lowers them as her own posture deflates. “It doesn’t mean I can’t ‘TELL’ that you’re feeling sad when you lower those large ears of yours. I mean they’re bigger than mine, and you’re not a mammal like the teachers said.”

He relaxes his posture, ears drooping again. “No clue what a ‘mammal’ is. Still, we should get moving. I think, if we can get food from the one stall that I know should be open this early to go with whatever we can find downstairs. We can reach the next town north from here before nightfall.”
Looking into the living / kitchen area and to the stairs down to the ground-floor, he sighs and starts walking. Grabbing the books off the shelf and stuffing them into the bag as he goes without a second thought. More for the memories of his parents than any practical reason.

Shi quickly follows behind him. The room giving off an impression shi’s not welcome here anymore. Shi’s too young to place it, but to anyone else older than hir. It’s the feeling of walking on someone’s grave. So much so the aggravation of going ‘down’ stairs not designed for taurs is preferable to staying. Not that shi would want to be left behind either.

Rohoka waits for hir at the bottom of the stairs, staring out at the absolute mess of the place. Looking back at hir, Rohoka flicks an ear while shrugging a shoulder before wading into the mess to try to find something usable. Following right behind him, sandstone stays quiet for lack of anything to say to him.

Both walk carefully to avoid broken glass from jars or bottles as they weave between the shelving. Only stopping if Rohoka finds something that’s intact, and is something he thinks could be of use to them. A jar of skill preserved flour here. A small tent there, left because it’s too small for an adult.

Even with the limited amount of body language shi knows of the Draco-fox in front of hir. Shi can tell that this is hard for him, but bearable. That is until they reach the front, and facing the register laying on its side. Money til open and contents spilled, where shi takes a step back at him going completely still.

“Whoever did this took almost everything and smashed what was left.” Letting out the words shi was holding in the whole time before shi can stop hirself.

“It was those fucking humans and a gods dammit hero with them!” Rohoka clenches his long clawed hand as his ears stand straight up with tail deadly still. The fur on it on end making the scales underneath visible. Sandstone can just barely see a hint of a red glow in his long clawed fist before it fades as Rohoka’s ears lower back down to their neutral position.

“They wouldn’t take that we were closed for an answer. Broke in, and he killed my parents as they rightfully tried to defend what little we had.” He stomps up to the register, and with more strength that shi would think a kid like them should have. Rips the til out of the register causing a handful of copper and silver coins to scatter on the floor between the register and the til.

Rohoka drops the til as more cracks appear on the claws on his long clawed hand. Ignoring the pain, he kneels. Picking up the scattered currency with his short clawed hand. ‘Thank you mom, dad, for continuing to keep your stash behind the til.’

Sandstone opens hir mouth, but then closes it. The school classroom shi was in well before their ‘test for their empathy talent’ covered a bit on how humans with skills can act like they can do anything. Yet shi has nothing to say to Rohoka till shi squeaks out.

“Hero?”

He doesn’t pause as he counts the amount of coin in the stash before stuffing it too into the bag, his short clawed hand finding his own jar of coins inside and adding them to it.

“Those we asked our ‘gods’ to give us from other worlds to help defeat the continuum, again. Only this one is no gods damn hero and when I’m older I’ll prove it to everyone!”

He visibly strains as he lifts the bag as it’s starting to get heavy for him with everything he’s put in it so far.

Before even thinking about it, Sandstone hops to his side, and in a feat of strength that amazes the young Draco-fox. Considering he doesn’t know Chakat muscles are far stronger than their leanness would indicate, all by design of their human creators, lifts the bag of holding onto hir lower back. The top of the sack held over hir shoulder with one hand helping keeping it in place.

“You’re stronger than you look.” Rohoka just stares at the feat.

Sandstone just glares at him. “I’ll take that as a thank you for helping your furry and scaly tail.” Lowering hir gaze and hir own ears.
“So where is this stall you want to stop by before we leave this town?” Shi more or less can sense they’re done here.

Breaking his gaze from Sandstone, he looks over at the door and the full light of dawn streaming in. “Follow me.”

Leading her out of the building, Rohoka takes one look back at it, the only home he’s known so far in his nine years of life. ‘One day…’ Shaking his head to stop himself from bringing up more memories, he leads Sandstone away from the building set between identical ones. The only one of the row lacking activity and life.

“My father was, addicted, to the stuff she sold, he and mother were actually planning on having a supply contract made with her, so we could sell some of it too.”

Flicking an ear idly Sandstone follows him down the street. “What does she sell?”

“You’ll see.” Is all he says as he leads them through the streets that are a bit less empty than the hour, or so, they spent in the building. Early risers, early bird shoppers, and those who have contracted work to get to join them on the town’s streets. Brining life to the town.
Few paying them heed outside those weary of unaccompanied minors considering the rash of child slip-purses recently.

Even those who are wary of them end up being few and far between. The neatness and professional looking cut of Sandstone’s ‘clothes’ place hir in many observer's eyes as a child of high class parents. Despite the sack shi’s carrying and lack of adults around hir and Rohoka.

Throughout their walk, it’s the distraction of ‘people’ watching that stops Sandstone from pressing the issue of who this person is. Until Rohoka stops as they enter the human part of town at the edge of the town square. The nondescript stall standing apart, but not away from the daily market is their destination as it’s the only one on this street.

‘Well, we’re not first, but that human priestess shouldn’t buy much. Never seen them do so when I’ve seen them in our store…’ Only for the minor skill he has, that made him notice the box Sandstone’s parents talked into when he saw them from the roof of the honor board. Draws his attention to the outline of a large sword under the priestess’s robes nearly the size of the human’s entire height. It tells him its of great value.

“I recognize that shade of tan. The only person I’ve seen here so far wearing that was the human lady who convinced my parents to at least take the effort to drop me at the orphanage, and not just on the street in the middle of that crowd yesterday.” Sandstone pads up next to Rohoka as he stands there watching the robed woman and the lady running the stall converse with each other.

“Oh.” He looks at Sandstone, then back to the priestess. “Come to think of it, I thought I saw a priestess wearing something similar talking to your parents when I was on the roof of the honor board yesterday.” Then back at the stall before approaching the two.

Trotting to keep up, Sandstone tilts an ear. “So you were in that giant crowd yesterday? What was it for?”

“Welcoming the ‘hero’s’ to our town.” He spits out as he hears the tail end of the conversation between the priestess and the milk lady when they get closer.

“… Can’t sell that to you for any less than five copper Ms.” Said Milk Lady points to a half wheel of yellow cheese sitting between her and the priestess before her eyebrows raise. Catching the sight of Rohoka and Sandstone approaching, though she doesn’t know who the latter is. Her heart skips a beat at the former, considering what she’s heard through the rumor mill.

Her reaction also makes the priestess turn and look behind herself. Just like when Sandstone saw her earlier. She’s covered head to toe in tan robes, gloves, boots and even has a veil across her face. Leaving only her eyes and a bit forehead exposed.

Her attention goes to Sandstone upon seeing hir. “Oh it’s you, did the orphanage give you those clothes shir Sandstone?”

Rohoka and Sandstone just look at each other, the former motions for the bag, while the latter looks to the Draco-Fox to answer since shi thinks it might not be a good idea to say ‘magic lights made them’ and shi has no other answer to give the lady. Rohoka just returns the look with one saying, ‘it’s your problem, not mine’.

“Not exactly.” Shi replies nervously as shi hands Rohoka the bag. He strains his arms to carry it over, placing it on the counter of the stall. “Hello…” Only to eep in surprise as the milk lady vaults over her counter, kneels, and bear-hugs the young Draco-Fox in one swift motion.

“You’re such a nice kid, I feared for the worst when I heard the gossip that your parents killed each other over your class.” Rohoka stops himself from correcting her. They’re here to get food to go with the jar of flour, and trying to convince her that it was one of the ‘human’ hero’s would take time and possibly cause her to not sell to them.

So, instead he just pats at her arm when she gets a little too tight in hugging him, and she eventually gets the message. Letting him go, and letting him breath.

“Sorry.” Standing and dusting her dress off, she turns to the Priestess. “Would you mind holding on for a minute Ms. Ryine.”

“Then where did you get them Shir Sandstone?” Raising her hand and giving a thumbs up to the stall owner as her answer, she doesn’t look away from Sandstone and how curious hir actions are. ‘While I need to get out of the town soon, the fact this Chakat’s clothes reek of mana is more interesting than trying to haggle for cheese.’

Turning her attention back to Rohoko, the Milk Lady smiles. “Come with me.” The fact she nearly drags the young Draco-Fox into her stall shows his compliance isn’t strictly necessary in this matter.

She eyes the cheap bag of holding, then looks to the young Draco-Fox. “You must be here for food, right Rohoka?” Smiling at him while moving the half wheel of cheese on the table into his bag of holding, not even waiting for his answer from him to do so.

Followed by several wrapped blocks of cheese.

Watching each one going in makes Rohoka’s ears to twitch. ‘I know we need food, but I don’t know if I have enough coin to pay for all this.’

Sandstone ‘uhms’ a couple of times as shi racks hir brain to make up an excuse. ‘Will this priestess take me away somewhere else if I tell her blue and green wisps of light made them and dressed me in them?’
“I used a skill?” Hir statement coming out more questioningly rather than what shi wanted, as a statement of fact. Hir body tense as shi looks back at the priestess trying to gauge if she bought it. All the while said priestess stares down at Hir.

‘Hmm. While it’s true the Neo Chakona republic considers skills illegal, it’s hard for them to prove if anyone uses a skill or even has one, outside displaying it publicly. Shi would’ve been taught by this age from hir parents to not so brazenly admit shi has one in public. So, ‘that’ wouldn’t be the reason shi’s here. My own skills aren’t alerting me of hir manipulating my emotions either, weird.’ Her right eye twitches at the fact the merchant just ‘gave’ the young Draco-Fox the half wheel of cheese she was trying to buy, only to mentally sigh.

‘I’ll let it go. I can buy something else later.’

“A tailor’s or I guess seamstresses skill?” She motions to Sandstone’s clothes.

Seeing a way out of this conversation presented by the Human woman, Sandstone nods, grabbing a hold of the exit. “Yes, yes it is. Didn’t think it would do this though.”

The priestess just nods, hir doing so confirms something she’s suspected of the Chakat cub.

Gathering the courage to stop the milk lady from stuffing his bag of holding full of cheese. Rohoka gently places his short clawed hand on her forearm when she’s about to place a sixth block of cheese inside. “I. Um, I don’t think I have enough coin to pay for all this food you’re giving me.”

Gently laying said block onto the table, The Milk Lady turns, kneeling in front of Rohoka, so she and him are eye level. “Considering it’s pretty obvious you and that Chakat…”

Hearing the word causes Sandstone’s ear to twitch, but shi has the wherewithal to stay quiet least shi make the Priestess even more suspicious of hirself from the look in her eyes.

“Are heading out of town. I mean, you could stay here. You’ll starve though, since I know for a fact you’re not the kind of person to steal. Even for food, since the orphanage doesn’t get enough to feed all the children unfairly dumped on them.” She places her hands on his shoulders, smiling at him while speaking.

Swiveling his head, he looks at his bag of holding then the block of cheese before looking back at the milk lady. “What about the informal contract between my den and you? Can’t I just um pay for that amount? I mean that’s a lot of cheese, and a lot of money you could’ve earned selling it to someone else.”

Not letting go of him, she shakes her head lightly. “That agreement was between me and your parents. With them no longer around I’m free to do what I want, and I want to give all this to you because I also don’t want you to go hungry. You’re too good of a kid for that.”
Letting him go, she stands and puts the block of cheese with the others, inside the bag of holding.

‘Mainly because of your clan rules I can’t adopt you. No interspecies families. I’d be beating down the door of that sorry excuse of an orphanage to take you home if they did.’ Musing as she then turns to look at the young Draco-Fox.

Rohoka opens his mouth, but then closes it. Unable to think of a retort to the logic of the situation she’s presented to him about this. They ‘do’ need food, they ‘don’t’ have a lot of funds, and they ‘do’ need to get out of the town, so they can get to the one to the north of here before it gets dark.

So he lowers his ears in defeat, and gives a small smile to her. “Thank you.”

Letting the ‘Chakat’ comment slide from the Human lady running the stall, shi looks up at the nearly fully covered one in front of hir. “Um, why did you do that? Convince…” Shi’s about to say ‘hir parents’ but stops hirself.
“Them to take the time to drop me off at the orphanage rather than right there on the street, in that large crowd like they were planning on doing?”

Ryine would smile under the veil. “If I couldn’t convince them to keep their cub. Yea I could tell you’re their cub…”

‘Like all chakats they’re bad lairs, being so unable to do so to others of their kind easily due to their talent, they have no practice or skill for when it’s needed. Not to mention relying on said talent to convince non Chakat’s that they’re telling the truth rather than lying.’

“I would convince them to dump their child at an orphanage. So they wouldn’t end up prey to the nar do well’s of a town this size.” Not dropping her smile as she watches Sandstone’s ears flatten, having guessed right the two adults were hir parents.
‘It’s no secret the neo-chakona republic culls undesirable talented cubs. So no one else other than their parents would be willing to abandon their children rather than see them die.’

Ryine gestures to politely to both Sandstone and Rohoka. “What are two cubs gathering supplies for? Doubt you’d be able to keep other orphans out of them, so I know you’re not going back to this clan’s orphanage.”

Rohoka looks to Sandstone, who looks back at Rohoka both trying to come up with an answer while hoping the other does it for them. Only for the other adult in the group to speak up.

“Ms. Ryine, I think it’s obvious why they’re doing this. They’re heading north to the neighboring town of Toullac. After all, if they stay here they’ll either starve on the meager rations the orphanage has, or have to steal food like the rest of the orphans due to the war.”

She does frown while saying this and looking down at the young Rohoka, mainly because she would never want to see him resort to such a thing. He in turn, only looks up at her sheepishly a bit embarrassed she guessed right before opening his mouth.

“I’m hoping clan shiny-metal’s orphanage is less crowded… Mom and Dad… Would be angry if I stole things.” His ears lower upon mention of his parents. Even if they’re now dead, he could just imagine them coming back to life to scold and punish him for stealing from other merchants.

After all, how would he like it if someone, like that human ‘hero’ stole from his parents.

“We’ll be fine!” Sandstone pipes up with hir ears and tail standing straight up. Sensing the adults will object to this plan, thus keeping them here.
“Rohoka has a class and a skill, I have, um, another skill other than a seamstress one. We just needed food and that’s why we came here. To get some food.”

“Yea.” Rohoka joins in though his confidence falters a little at the stern face of the Milk Lady, and the stern eyes of Ms, Ryine as both adults look at the two nine-year-old kids skeptically. Similar to how an adult would look at a kid if they said they could do something even they as adults would have a hard time with.

Both turn their gaze to each other, the Milk Lady’s stern look slowly morphing into a smile sensing an opportunity to be had here. “Ms. Ryine, I think I have a deal for you.”
With strength running counter to her size, she pulls out a larger wheel of cheese from a box in the back of her stall and places it on the table with a thud. Big enough it dwarfs the half wheel the priestess was haggling over a few minutes ago.

“If you, a Battle priestess. Yes, I know your robes convey that station, of the order of Victoria. Let alone the great sword you’ve got strapped across your back under that robe. Would be as so kind to escort these two kids to Shiny-Metal’s Orphanage in Toullac, I think, I could part with this.” She pats the wheel of cheese.
“One of my finer wheels of Cheddar cheese. Easily six silver worth of food, all for you. What do you say?” That smile turns near predatory.

‘After all, If I can’t adopt Rohoka and help him with the poor hand he has been dealt. I’ll do my best to make sure he’ll get to a place where he can.’

Ryine’s eyes meet the Milk Lady’s as she mulls this over. ‘By their insistence, I can tell these two would go regardless of what we’d say on the matter. Sigh, not to mention I don’t ‘have’ six silver to buy what she’s offering normally.’ Only to hold out her hand to the Milk Lady.

“Deal.” Pulling out a much finer and high quality bag of holding, Ryine watches as the Milk Lady slips the wheel inside. The bag, no heavier than before is placed back under her robes, attached to her belt where it goes back to rubbing against her ‘condition’ on her hip.

Rohoka looks between the two again, sensing they’re being left out of the decision. “But we can handle ourselves!” Walking back around to the front of the stall, Sandstone joins him as the both of them grab Rohoka’s much lower quality bag of holding off the table.

Placing it back onto Sandstone’s lower back, shi grunts with how heavy it is. Only for hir to eep as Ryine lifts it with a single hand, slinging it across her shoulder with ease.

“Having a skill and actually facing combat with it against some nar do well are two different things Rohoka and Sandstone. Or if you’re unlucky. You’ll run into one of the Continuum’s reject alchemy experiments. They like to dump them ahead of their army to weaken their foes.”

Both of them look at Ryine, then each other. Neither thought about that, only thinking they’d have to deal with a wild animal. Not to mention, her having their stuff more or less has makes their decision for them contrary to whatever they want.
“Fine.” Both say at the same time before looking at each other. Causing the Milk Lady to giggle lightly at their antics.

“Rohoka.” She says, causing him to swivel his head over to her. “Stay safe, and come back when you’re older. This place won’t be the same without you.”

He tilts it and then one of his ears. “I, um, do plan on coming back once I’m an adult.” Before smiling at her. ‘In a year…’

“Be sure you do then.” The Milk Lady returning the smile and adding warmth to it.

Tapping his shoulder, Ryine speaks up. “Rohoka.” She then looks at the Chakat next to him. “Sandstone, If you two want to get to Toullac before nightfall, we need to get moving. They should be opening the city gates soon.”

With the both of them walking next to her, Ryine leads the way to the town square. Leaving the Milk Lady behind.

She lets out a small sigh as she watches them go. “Gods speed Rohoka, and stay safe…”

Crowds of both human and Draco-fox gather as the group enters the town square, approaching the front gate. Many of the Draco-Foxes gather around the Honor Board updating their status with completed, or failed contracts or checking on the status of another. The rest are with the humans in the town square’s market setting up their stalls or being early birds trying to catch good deals before the general populace shows up.

Nearing the gate-house of the town, the three of them find themselves among the crowd of travelers, all ready to leave. Waiting for the town-guard to raise the gates for them. Ryine quickly spots Sandstone’s parents among the group. Standing right in front of the gate and looking a bit too eager to get out of the town. Slowing their group down, She tries to make it so the three of them will be in the back of the crowd. All so the mass of the delayed by a day travelers stands between them and Sandstone’s parents.

Ryine glances down, catching movement in her lower peripheral vision seeing Sandstone shifting hir weight from one side of paws to another. As Rohoka, standing next to hir, is trying to shift his weight onto the tips of his feet as he stretches his neck upwards. Attempting to look over the mass of the crowd to see what has everyone stuck here.

“This is stupid! We should be out of the town by now. Why did they close everyone in yesterday?” Rohoka quips as he and Sandstone look at each other, then Ryine. Sandstone just shrugs in response while Ryine thins her lips behind the veil while keeping the two in her sight.

‘Most likely to keep rowdy and ‘lonely’ soldiers from causing havoc in the town. How to frame it for these two, so they could understand it? It’s not like I can wait for a few years, and they’d get it because puberty would’ve hit them. I’d rather ‘not’ try to explain that to a male Draco-Fox and a Chakat who has both.’

“For protection. It is your Skulk’s army, and we are in a war. So in case the enemy attacked while they’re camped here overnight it would help protect the town allowing them to direct all resources to fighting the enemy.” Making eye contact with the two as she speaks seems to do the trick in convincing them. So Rohoka stops trying to see over the crowd, settling down onto his feet while Sandstone short-sits, the crowd waiting to leave only getting bigger by the moment behind them.

Not too much later they can see a couple of the towns-guardsmen leisurely walking along the top of the town wall. Between the crenelations, then into the top of the gate-house. Deliberately ignoring calls for them to hurry up.

A few minutes after the door closes behind them, the inner and outer gate slowly ratchets upwards silencing the calls from within the crowd. Their voices replaced by all the noise of people picking up their packs and otherwise getting ready to move now the wait is over.

Unheard by the three, are the slurs directed to Draco-Fox Town-Guardsmen by Sandstone’s parents.

Ryine, quickly takes up her position in leading the three, soon find themselves outside the city proper. The sheer mass of the crowd behind them forcing them forward.

Said crowd spontaneously thins once outside the town. Dissolving quickly as everyone else has their own destination or direction different from the three. Theirs has them taking the road going north, with no one else following them northward. Many though pass them heading south toward the town. The road, still cobblestone for now, making it an easy walk. Ryine glances at her two young charges and wonders, how well they’ll handle it when cobblestone transitions to dirt a few miles north?

She slows the pace of their walk as they approach the army encampment, off to the side of the road. Sitting several yards into the clearing between the town wall and the agricultural fields with the forest not to far off in the distance near the horizon.

Both Rohoka and Sandstone divide their attention between the road in front of them, so they don’t trip, and looking over at the spectacle of such a large encampment. Row upon row of canvas tents fill up the field with fire-pits spaced about every dozen or so. The top of a larger tent rises above the rest not to far into the camp with the flags of the Skulk ruling these lands, the local Clan flag of the town, Elysengrad’s flag, and a smaller flag of the Neo-Chakona republic. All of them fluttering in the light breeze of the morning.

Moving and mulling about in between all the tents, mostly walking down the rows to the various fire-pits, or sitting around said pits loiter the bulk of the encamped army compared the few who entered the town the previous day. All out of their gear and wearing the bare minimum for decency by law.

The fact that the human army, and the Draco-Fox army keep to themselves. Neither of them venturing into the other’s segments of tents. Even if the former seems to have better gear and food than the latter. Goes ignored by both Rohoka and Sandstone. Both more awed by their sheer presence than the subtleties of those going about inside it.

Flicking an ear, Rohoka looks over to Ryine, then folds them back and looks away. Wondering if she came here with all of them, before going back to watching the encampment as he follows them. Sandstone though speaks up before Rohoka could gather his courage to ask the human lady first, breaking the silence. “Did you come with all of them? My… My Dame and Sire arrived just hours before they did.”

Ryine lightly shakes her head. “I arrived a couple of days beforehand.” ‘Don’t know why they’re here though, there’s a quicker road south, which doesn’t pass through as many towns as this one.’

Sandstone ohs lightly, and is about to ask why she came here. Except a loud mechanical whine silences hir and draws the attention of everyone walking on the road. Shi just looks in the direction it’s coming from with a lite sigh, realizing what it is. Rohoka and Ryine join in with the few others near them looking around for the cause rather than stopping out of fright.

Doesn’t take the two of them long to notice the army encampments not phased by the sound, as if they’ve heard similar ones before.

“That’s… Just the piece Ancestor Tech my parents brought me in.” Sandstone grabs a hold of both Rohoka’s and Ryine’s hands to stop them from moving. The latter of which for some reason unknown to the young Chakat, was reaching for a long object tied to her back under her robes.

A deep, fast-paced thumping sound replaces the mechanical whine. A sound they also feel in their chests as much as their ears. Causing everyone and finally a few in the army encampment to drop what they’re doing and look in direction of the sound.

Which only nets them a face or muzzle full of dust and grass as a blast of wind radiates from the source of the noise and over all of them.

Slowly from not far off behind the army encampment rises a peculiar amalgamation of advanced technology while at the same time a copy of an historical craft, to the Chakats. Mainly because they lack the infrastructure to make, to them, the modern replacement craft.

Much to their ruler’s frustration.

In the front, one set of incredibly fast spinning blades like the longest swords both Rohoka and Ryine have ever seen sit attached on a small pillar. Bellow that is a stub-nosed front with some kind of clear material through which they can see two Chakats. Both sitting calmly as they grab something in front of them in one hand and touch flat oddly lit surfaces around them with another.
Said stub-nose is attached to a rectangular body with rounded corners. The lower two corners on each side a semi-circular bulge running along the entire length of the craft. Bellow, which oddly shaped and colored wheel seem with the help of no hands, are pulled into the body of the craft.

Their eyes follow along the shape of it to the much larger pillar in the rear of the thing and on top of it, another set of those fast spinning blades, spinning in the opposite direction.

“What kind of magical beast is that?!” Rohoka yells, pointing to what he wouldn’t knows called a helicopter. A similar reaction’s observed from both the human and Draco-Fox soldiers, only to get scolded by their fellow officers. Those being the first of the army to arrive and to witness its initial landing.

“That’s Chakat magic Rohoka. Amazing, isn’t it? If they’d just share how to summon these constructs, the current continuum war would’ve ended months ago when the first gates opened in the northern continent between Elysengrad and Skulk Reynard.” Ryine moves her hand away from her sword.

‘If they were actually going to attack, they’d have the advantage with a flying construct like that. Even if you could hear it for miles away.’

Sandstone sighs and stares at Ryine. “No, that’s what… My parents would call ancestor technology. We could use it in the inner ring of the capital because my Dame and Sire had strong enough empathic talent…”

They all watch as the helicopter gains altitude, slowly becoming quieter, and smaller, but the thumping noise not going away fully til it takes off in a southern direction, towards the Neo-Chakona Republic at a speed many feel impossible. Including Rohoka and Ryine.

“Technolo what?” Rohoka tilts an ear, looking over to Sandstone from the odd occurrence.

Said Chakat glares back at hir similarly aged Draco-Fox companion. “Technology. Don’t know how it works but our ancestors had them back in the world we came from.”

Putting her hands on their shoulder’s Ryine slowly urges the two of them to continue on down the road. They have a schedule to keep after all.

“As I said. Chakat Magic. They use some arcane method of summoning it. From what I read in the old scrolls, they, in return for it to complete the tasks they ask of it, have to feed it special fluids or some intangible thing called elec, something. As well as care for it when or if it gets injured. It will otherwise either refuse to work or come apart after it leaves the shell you see.”

“I don’t think it works like that Ms. Ryine.” Sandstone counters as best shi can as they continue on down the road. Few people stay still staring in the direction of the helicopter went, and they’re moved around by the rest of the traffic while they try to process what they just saw.

Smiling under her veil, Ryine glances at the Chakat cub as they walk. Soon they become the only people on the road as others take side paths or forks in other directions. “Then do you know how they work Shir Sandstone?”

Laying hir ears back at being caught unprepared. All shi knows is that it’s ‘not’ magic. Because some part of hir somehow knows that if it was. Shi’d know how it works. “I know it’s not magic. Um, there’s metal, and electricity, fuel too. Kero something.”

“As I said special fluids, and yea it’s electricity, I just couldn’t recall how it was pronounced because it’s been several years since I’ve read those scrolls.” She pats Sandstone on the head causing hir to playfully swipe at the hand to stop.

‘In hindsight, I should’ve copied those scrolls when I had the chance.’

Both Rohoka and Sandstone go silent, focused more on keeping pace with Ryine as the sun slowly rises higher into the sky. Warming the day further, and turning dawn to late morning, just before noon. That’s when she starts noticing her Draco-Fox charge is lagging behind, if the yawn he just gave wasn’t indication enough they need to take a rest.

Sandstone yawns a moment later. Cementing the decision to stop.

“Alright, time for a rest. You two seem tired.” Ryine looks between the two. ‘I shouldn’t be pushing nine-year-old kids so hard, but we do need to make good time to get to Toullac before dark. The roads aren’t safe at night even when there ‘isn’t’ a war going on…’

“I’m not tired!” Both say at the same time, causing the two of them to ‘again’ glare at the other.

“Hey, not my fault! Your clan barely gave us anything to eat! That wouldn’t even count as a snack back home!” Sandstone points at Rohoka, who in turn points back at the Chakat.

“Your crying kept me up all night!” Not that he would admit to the real reason, not in front of hir let alone a ‘human’.

“You were crying too!” Sandstone pads closer to the Draco-Fox puffing up hir fur and standing as tall as shi can. Only to realize shi’s still shorter than Rohoka.

In turn, he arches his neck a little to look down at Sandstone.

Recognizing the aggressive body language from both of them Ryine quickly moves in. “Okay you two, calm down. We’ll take a break, have some food and then continue on. Does that sound good?”

Sandstone’s stomach’s, mainly hir lower one answers before shi can speak. Disarming the situation fast enough to cause Rohoka to yawn again as the small adrenaline spike in his system leaves as fast as it came.

“There’s a spot for travelers to take a rest up ahead.” Ryine points to an area with a frequently used fire-pit is shielded by some trees and a few hills up ahead of them. Causing both Rohoka and Sandstone to speed up a little to get to the campsite. Each trying to get there first for some reason that escapes Ryine considering from what she can tell, the two only ‘just’ met.

Only for both kids to remember Ryine is carrying ‘their’ bag of holding and with it all ‘their’ stuff. So rather than caring who got to it first, they just end up standing there for a few minutes, waiting for her to catch up with them.

Both hungry. Except Sandstone one more thing bugging hir.

Hir eyes see the traces of multiple fire spells used in the past to light the fire-pit. Causing an idea pop into hir head on how to start a fire hirself. Despite it not being cold enough to need one. ‘It’s like when I saw the locking spell on Rohoka’s house. It calls for me to touch it, but, I also see there’s something strange about Ms. Ryine. So maybe I shouldn’t show that I can do this…’

Entering the campsite, Ryine shrugs off the cheaper bag of holding, placing it down in front of the two of them. “Here’s your gear.”
She then pulls out her own from under her robes as Rohoka sweeps away detritus from the magic shaped stone under them. Watching curiously as he pulls out a clean but a bit threadbare blanket from his bag of holding.

Which both he and Sandstone quickly occupy as she takes a seat on one of the many blocks of stones around the fire-pit shaped for such an activity. Gently placing her own bag of holding in her lap as to not aggravate what she’s been suffering from. Ryine watches the two kids lay themselves out onto the blanket as Rohoka pulls out a block of cheese from his bag of holding.

‘They seem to get along pretty well, even if they butt heads. I get the feeling they only recently come to know each other though. So time will tell if this continues.’ Ryine silently observes as the young Draco-Fox uses his long clawed hand, ignoring the cracks in his talons. To cut the block of cheese into pieces, handing some of them to Sandstone. Eating the rest himself just as eagerly.

Turning her attention to her own bag of holding, Ryine pulls out a piece of the cheese from the wheel she got as payment. Followed by some hard-tack bread she got in the previous town. Placing both on her lap next to the bag, she lifts pieces of her meal carefully under her veil to not reveal what’s underneath to the children.
‘They wouldn’t understand if they saw it, and to be frank, they shouldn’t know.’

Glancing in the direction they came from, she sighs. ‘I find it rather suspicious they chose Draguilliers to stop by rather than out away from any town.’ Her mind mulls over this and where to go after completing this little side quest as she eats.

Finishing her meal, she’s about to call over to her charges to get ready to continue on, only to let out a sigh at the sight that greets her. The block of cheese’s gone, obviously, but both nine-year-old kids are out cold. Rohoka’s neck’s curled slightly so his head rests on his folded arms with is feet and tail sprawled out.
Sandstone meanwhile lies on hir side, head laying in the crook of hir elbow of one arm. The other’s draped across hir upper torso lazily as hir legs sprawl out towards Rohoka and hir tail tip twitches as shi dreams.

Muttering to herself. “Sigh, kids… So much for getting to Toullac before dark. Still…. This does give me an opportunity to settle some questions about the Chakat cub.” Laying her bag of holding on the ground next to the rock, Ryine silently makes her way over to the two.

Kneeling down on the ground near their heads, she pulls off her gloves. Laying them on the ground before looking at her hands as if she’s trying to determine if anything is new about them. Her left hand looks normal till about a bit bellow the wrist where the skin looks red and irritated, so she sighs in relief at that.
Ryine’s robe hides the reason even if she fully knows the cause.

The right hand though, fully encompassing her wrist, but ending a bit before her thumb protrudes Albino white Draco-Fox Scale and fur. The boundary between this and her Caucasian skin ‘s red and inflamed like one would have with poison ivy or oak and it has moved about a millimeter up her hand since a few days ago.

Shaking her head Ryine sighs. ‘Itches like hell, though only minuscule growth. It might even be stopping for now. I would like that actually. Sigh.’ Tearing her gaze away from her hands. She then holds them over the heads of Rohoka and Sandstone.

‘Alright. Let’s see who they are.’ Closing her eyes for a moment. Ryine uses the same, yet more advanced version of the skill Guardsman-healer Anther used the day before on Rohoka.

Larger blue windows with white text appear above both of them. She ignores their names. Does note Rohoka’s lists his parents as dead, while Sandstone’s are not. Then glosses over their conditions and statistics till she sees their classes and skills.

‘They both have classes. Rohoka only said he was the one with a class. So either Sandstone doesn’t know or…’ Ryine then uses the skill to show information about their classes.

Rohoka:

Class: The Vulpine Dragon.

The name of your species has been lost to the sands of time, to the name those from another world have called you, Draco-Fox(Ryuu-Kitsune). A combination of two mythic beasts of Human mythology and power. This class can draw on the aspects of both, for a cost to the user if not balanced between the two wisely.

Skills General: Dash, Mercantile Eye

Class Skills; Dragon: Dragon’s Claw[Uses:3], Kitsune: None

Nature: Leaning Kitsune.

Ryine stares at Rohoka’s information, never has she seen such a class on a Draco-Fox. Nor has she seen this complex a class in the historical scrolls outside the recorded information on past. Or even current summoned beings by the gods. It also slightly worries her about the ‘nature’ part, knowing some of the more powerful classes are double-edged swords to the bearer if they nurture them incorrectly.

‘If he has this, then what does the Chakat have?’ She turns her attention to Sandstone’s window.

Sandstone:

Class: Child of magic.

One who was conceived over a leyline when it’s at its magical maximum. Any skill or talent the child would normally be born with is replaced with an innate mana sense, this class can consciously and unconsciously shape mana and cast spells. Similar to a sorcerer, who needs no preparation to cast, but the mana they call may not come or follow their will in a way they desire.

Skills General: None

Class Skills: Mana Sense-Visual, Innate Arcane Knowledge Minor(patterns,glyphs,text), Mana Disruption Minor(touch only).

Spells:

Element Air: Air-shot

Element Water: Minor Alteration(clothes)

Element Fire: Flame(75% learned)

Element Earth: Minor Creation(clothes)

Element Nature: None

Element Holy: None

Element Darkness: None

Ryine falls onto her rear in surprise. ‘Just who the fuck are your two?’

Chapter Text

Services No Longer Required: Chapter 4: Purpose

Pulling on her gloves Ryine dusts herself off as she looks down at the two enigma’s sleeping on the threadbare blanket.

‘What am I going to do with you two…’ Shaking her head at their class information, Ryine dismisses the two windows and sits down onto the stone block next to her bag of holding. Idly scratching her wrist where skin and scale meet as she mulls this over.

‘Neither of them can be left alone, that much is for sure. That last line in Rohoka’s class disturbs me. Similar people, though in their case summoned, with similar classes, left unguided ended badly. For the summoned, and or those around them if they weren’t careful with their class.’ Recalling one such case from the order’s records as she forces herself to stop scratching her wrist.

‘It was a human gifted a class allowing them to become a hybrid of a beast or, alchemically created monster of their choosing. Gaining abilities and powers of said beast. Except, if they leaned too much into the changed form. Or selected badly for what they would draw on. They’re mind would be subsumed by the creature.’

She stares wearily at Rohoka. ‘Which according the scrolls, it eventually happened. Forcing their party to put them down… Taking said party with them too. Along with most of the town they were fighting near when it happened.’

Ryine sighs. ‘Which is why it’s always a party of four now. Three summoned hero’s and a battle-priest strong enough to take out any of the hero’s if something similar happens.’

“Guess that makes my choice for me then. Someone has to at least help him shape his class, so he doesn’t become a danger to himself of others before too long.” Quietly saying to herself. 

Ryine turns her attention to the other cub, cursing under her breath. “Sandstone though, I need to keep you out of the hands of the order no matter the cost.”

‘Hir class is rare, but not exactly unheard of. Many towns, and at least one city I know of are built over lay-line due to how they encourage abundance in agricultural growth. Magical maximums happen regularly on any active lay-line. The interval between them varies between the lay-line in question though. Shi is though the first Child of Magic born in the past a few hundred years, at least, and the first one who’s a Chakat that anyone has known of.’

Ryine looks up into the early afternoon sky and shakes her head. ‘No. I still have a choice, I just don’t like that option.’

Looking back down at the two cubs, she shakes her head and in the process, losing a few strands of her long human hair unknowingly. ‘Killing them both.’

‘That option, even if I could stomach it. Wouldn’t be any easier. Children of Magic are hard to kill when they’re young. The same Mana they call on that seems to have a mind of its own, protects the child. Accidents happen, spells that never went wrong backfire spectacularly. There’s been more than one who’s ended up as a research subject, simply to find out how this happens and why. For Rohoka, with how the two of them get along. That protection might extend to him too.’

“Yea, not doing that… Guess I’m stuck with them. I never did consider myself mother material, but here I am, with two children. All I got paid for it though is a single wheel of cheese.” Letting out a light laugh gets her to look over to the two sleeping cubs worryingly that she might have woken them prematurely.

All they do is just roll over and shift positions in response to the noise she’s made.

“That lady back in Draguilliers is more crafty than I gave her credit for. Her talents are wasted on just running a stall like that. She could be running something much larger with her cunning business sense.” Ryine shakes her head, then pulls out a map from her bag of holding. Unrolling it onto her lap.

Copied from the order’s archives, that in turn copied from one made by Chakat magic made form the flattest piece of glass ever seen. It’s easy for her to find where they are, and she wastes away the next couple of hours planning her route past Toullac. Her destination is still the same, even if the reason has changed along with the time frame. ‘Can’t travel as fast lugging children. Yet, I think we’ll get there soon enough and find what I am looking for before anyone else remembers its existence.’

Shaking her head and losing another strand of hair. She goes back to planning their route.

So absorbed in her task of planning and checking her maps, Ryine barely notices the passage of time till Rohoka loudly yawns as he wakes. Storing her map and looking up in the sky she sees it’s now mid-afternoon as the sun has long ago started it’s decent to the other side of the sky.

The young Draco-Fox bolts up to his hands and knees as he too notices the position of the sun. His sudden movement wake Sandstone with a jolt, causing hir to tail to fluff up as shi catapults into a sitting position.

“It wasn’t even noon a moment ago, I, I just closed my eyes, I swear…” Hurriedly he stands and looks around. Half expecting their ‘escort’ to have abandoned them as they slept. Sandstone just rubs hir eyes to get the sleep out of them as shi too stands.

Only for them to both stare at Ryine as she just waves lightly from the stone block she was sitting on before they ended up falling asleep.
“You two looked so tired after we left Draguilliers, I didn’t have the heart to wake you after I saw that the both of you fell asleep.”

This gets Rohoka to his feet as he moves his head about to get a good look at the surroundings. “We’re not going to make it to Toullac before nightfall now!” Ears standing on end showing his distress.

“Wha?” Sandstone yawns, then when Rohoka’s words filter through the remainder of the sleep. Shi too bolts to hir feet. Ears and tail up too. “What about the wild animals and all that? Mom and dad said that’s why they have walls back home.”

Rohoka shoo’s Sandstone off the blanket and with hir off it, Rohoka hastily stuffs the blanket and the empty cheese wrapping paper into his bag of holding. He attempts to heft it up only to be stopped by Ryine as she has abandoned her seat to place a hand on both his, and Sandstone’s shoulders.

“It’s okay. We’ll be fine. Both of you having a proper rest is more important than us getting to Toullac a few hours earlier.” Saying in a calming tone of voice that does seem to work a bit on the two. As both of them lower their ears, and Sandstone hir tail.

‘Especially after what I’ve learned about you two’ Ryine keeps to herself. Yet doesn’t let go of the two till they show they’ve completely calmed down. At which point she lets go, and hefts Rohoka’s bag of holding over her shoulder, rather than let the cubs handle such a heavy object themselves.

“We’ll go at your pace, and once we reach Toullac I’ll have a proposition for you two if their orphanage is not as empty as you expect it to be.” She keeps to herself that it most likely is just as crowded as Draguilliers’s. Their entire Skulk is in the war, so one clan’s city is going to have their fair share of orphans and what not as the next.

With that Ryine moves to stand at the edge of the rest area, letting both Rohoka and Sandstone stretch and work the sleep induced stiffness from their limbs, so they can follow her at their own pace. The former stretching, while the latter halts mid lower torso stretch, all so hir eyes can stare at the nearby fire-pit.

Giving this movement up, Sandstone soon finds hirself next to it, peering down into it like it is the most interesting thing in the world.

Magical lines that resolve into incomplete arrays. Words written in the same language that shi never saw till yesterday when looking at Rohoka’s house fill them in with incomplete words. All while they glow a warm red. ‘It’s all so clear…’
Shi shakes hir head as those gaps fill themselves in via that same entity that spoke to hir yesterday. Crystallizing into hir mind on how to make fire, bring flame, and warm things that need it upon command.

Sandstone’s staring contest with the fire-pit’s cut short as Ryine calls out to hir and Rohoka. “Come on, let’s get going.”

She doesn’t let on she was watching Sandstone for a few moments to see what would happen before alerting hir.

Shaking hir head, Sandstone trots up behind Rohoka to keep pace with the two as he jogs to catch up with Ryine. The priestess only stepping back onto the road proper once the two of them are a few feet behind her. Setting a bit of a brisk pace to help catch up some lost time from the nap the two had.

Their pace slows after about an hour as the flat cobblestone road transitions to a compacted dirt path. Littered with wagon ruts, holes, and tree roots sticking up at regular intervals. Said roots coming from the ever thickening groups of trees to one side or the other as the path makes its way into one of the many nearby islands of mostly untouched forest.
Ryine keeps pace with both Rokoha and Sandstone slower speed as the former’s foot wrappings lack traction in the dirt compared to Ryine’s boots, and the latter’s bare paws lack the thick callouses she’s seen on adult chakats.

“Why is it called clan Shiny-Metal?” Sandstone glances over to Rohoka in between scanning the path ahead of hir. Partly out of boredom and partly out of distraction from the aches in hir paws.

He returns the look even if he too has to watch his step least he slips. “Um, mom and dad said it was because when they first settled there. They found neat shiny rocks in the nearby river. It turned out to be metal, and our clan has been trading for it from their clan.”

‘Gold most likely.’ Ryine thinks to herself as she keeps aware of her surroundings as the path angles towards the forest for more serious reasons than keeping her footing.

“What kind of metal?” Sandstone replies as shi maneuvers around a small thorn covered bush growing in the path. Not eager to have any of it stuck in hir paws.

Rohoka shrugs. “Mom and dad didn’t say. Only it was worth a lot to the point that there are some mines upstream of that river where they go as deep as they can into the earth for more of it.” Then has to tread slowly as he traverses a divot in the path, his foot wrappings making it harder than it should be.

As they enter the forest, Ryine’s attention’s drawn to the disturbed grass, missing leaves on some bushes and a bent but not broken limb from a young tree not to far in from where the path joins the forest, not from any skills she has but from experience.

‘Someone’s entered the underbrush from there. Trying to cover their tracks as well.’ An adjustment to her pace places her slightly ahead of her charges as Ryine notices this.

‘It could be scouts from the army encampment doing long range patrols. Highwaymen waiting to ambush refugees and travelers, or worse.’ She scans the thick vegetation on either side of the path for further evidence. Looking for signs of them leaving the underbrush, spotting anyone trying to hide from sight just behind the thick leaves.
Finding no such signs, Ryine adjusts her bag of holding underneath her robes. Loosening the strap for her scabbard, and prepares to drop her companion’s bag of holding to free up her hand.

“Do you know what color the metal is?” Sandstone recalls the jewelry hir Dame and Sire wore. ‘Gold and silver, must be one of those maybe? Do they make jewelry out of other metals?’

Rohoka just shrugs. “Mom and Dad wouldn’t tell me. Don’t know why.”

‘Maybe to keep him from going out on his own to find some?’ Ryine idly wonders as she keeps watch. The longer they walk along the path, following the trail through the forest without signs of an egress from the underbrush to match what Ryine saw. The more it worries her they may be walking into an ambush.

‘If I was alone I’d have my sword out, but with kids in tow. I don’t want to give them an excuse to attack from the bushes without announcing themselves. I wouldn’t be able to protect them in that case. If these are highwaymen, I want them to do the typical walk out in front, then behind to ‘trap’ us.’

Her eyes catch a bend in the path up ahead, creating a blind corner. ‘Perfect spot for an ambush.’ 

Sandstone glares at Rohoka. “Well then it must be gold or silver they’re the only metals that are valuable according to my parents!” Causing Rohoka to glare back over to hir.

“Copper is valuable for making bronze. Bronze tools are valuable. Same with Iron tools and that metal that’s harder than Iron.” He sighs at memories of his parents. “Last year, if my parents bought something made of copper that we couldn’t resell. We’d sell it to a blacksmith because bronze mirrors were popular along with tools due to a shortage of iron.”

Sandstone tilts an ear as the three round the bend in the path. No sooner than they progress along enough they can’t see beyond it down the way they came, does a green scaled Kobold leap out of the bushes a couple yards in front of them. Followed by two Anthropomorphic Wolves stepping out behind them, boxing the three in.

All three clad in the sleek leather armor, each set covering their torso’s arms to their wrists and legs to their first ankle. To both Ryine, by her skill’s and Sandstone to hir mana sense, the armor gives of a light glow showing they’re enchanted. Cluing them off of who they are, if their non-native species gave any doubt.

The growls from the two wolves draw Rohoka and Sandstone’s attention from the fit and style of the armor.

“Should’ve figured it would be Continuum Soldiers.” Ryine both chastises herself for not paying as much attention as she should’ve and in saying so, alerts both Rohoka and Sandstone to who they are. Causing them to take a step back towards Ryine as she lets their bag of holding slip from her grasp to the ground between them with a thud.

In one fluid motion, Ryine draws her sword. The shining silver tinted blade as long as her torso ends in a fancy bronze hilt with two sapphires on either end. Fine leather makes up the grip, ending in a round pommel with another sapphire in it. Holding it at the ready while pointing the blade at an angle down and to the side of her at the ground speaks volumes of her training. Ryine does note the sound of the two wolves behind her pulling out swords of their own.

The green kobold pulls out a much less ornate, yet just as serviceable shorter blade. Due to his size though its scale compared to the wielder is similar to that of Ryine’s sword. So he carries it in much a similar fashion as her. Just with a less disciplined grip, almost casual in form.

“Here I am surprised at finding one of the order of Victoria with only two young-lings. No heroes, no army. It’s three against one and two hostages Priestess. Lay down your sword or my two companions will end their lives before you get a chance to raise your weapon against them. It’s a good thing we’re scouts here to gather intelligence and take prisoners, soldiers aren’t allowed to.”
The green kobold gestures with a stubby talon fingered hand at the two behind Ryine and his companions slowly moving closer to Rohoka and Sandstone.

Rohoka lays his ears flat as the image of the wolf moving closer to him becomes overlaid with the memory of the human thief who killed his parents. ‘If only I was bigger! I could’ve actually been able to do something to him!’

“Stay back!” Sandstone holds hir hands up at the other wolf as shi stands next to Rohoka. Hir claws in hir hind-paws digging into the dirt as the hand-paws of hir front legs do the same as hir tail bottle-brushes in fright.

Ryine just smiles at the Green Kobold. “Three on one, I almost feel sorry for you three.” An adjustment of her wrist moves the edge of the blade up. Readying it to attack the oblivious Green Kobold as she tenses her leg muscles in preparation of activating a dash skill to close the gap between them.

‘Better trained than I thought, but not by much.’ She notes as the Green Kobold shifts into a ready stance, yet with the blade up and held horizontal to his torso like an armature.

“Kill the young-lings! I’ll handle the priest.” He sneers back at Ryine.

Only for Ryine to stop in shock, a moment before she planned to dash forward and show the kobold how much of amateur he is, a red flash emanates from Rohoka. Drawing everyone’s attention to the young Draco-Fox.

Standing there, where a nine-year-old Rohoka should be, now stands what a nine-year-old Draco-Fox male would look like if he was many times bigger. This larger Rohoka, confused as to why he still ‘feels’ like his normal size despite now looking ‘down’ at the wolf nearest him.

Said wolf folds his ears back, tucking his tail between his legs and stares ‘up’ at Rohoka with frightened eyes. He takes one step back as Rohoka takes a step forward, glaring down at him as the now giant Draco-Fox eyes glow. Raising his long clawed hand to strike at the wolf is what convinces the wolf of the old saying. Discretion is the better part of valor. So taking another, more hasty step back, the wolf nearest Rohoka turns and dashes back into the bushes.

Ignoring the growling call of the other wolf to stay put.

Seeing this act of cowardice from one of his comrades, the Green Kobold dashes forward with a horizontal slice at Ryine’s chest. “So he has a skill, so wha…”. His dash forward and his comment get cut short by the priestess who with a simple change in her stance, and grip of her sword stops him. Their blades clang together, only for Ryine to shift hers so the Kobolds sword slides down hers till their guards hit each other with a ringing clang. Then with a twist of her wrist and arm she forces his sword arm and the sword to the side and away.

Exposing his torso for the kick that comes a moment later sending him flying back due to his small size. “Head-Priest, and wide open.” Ryine mutters. “Who taught you it was a good idea to commit so thoroughly.”

The other wolf holds up his sword in preparation to stab Sandstone. Seeing this at the edge of his vision, Rohoka swings his head to look right at the wolf, but discontinuity between how his body feels and the height from where he is viewing things slows his reaction time.
He desperately moves, trying to close the short distance in time. Yet knows he won’t make the few short steps to get the other wolf in grabbing range in time before the other wolf stabs Sandstone.

Except it doesn’t matter, and he gets a front row seat for what happens next.

Sandstone, still holding hir hands up and yelling ‘Get away!’ at him. Shi watches in amazement as two blood-red spell matrices form. Each floating in front of hir outstretched hands. The wolf only has a moment to pause at the sight before gout’s of flame burst forth from them. Enveloping him in magical fire from ear tip to toe, marking the sight as the last thing he ever saw as his eyes melt. Dropping his weapon and clawing at his burning flesh, he runs screaming away into the bush, away from the Sandstone.

His screams fill the backdrop as Sandstone just stands there, hir mind trying to process what shi just saw while Rohoka gulps trying to keep himself from heaving as he had full view of the wolf’s flesh ‘burning’ upon being touched by the flame. He’s able to force it back down in time to look over to Ryine.

The Green Kobold though only hears his comrade’s scream, unable to see it as he has to use both feet and his open hand to stop his backwards momentum from the priest’s kick. Standing up, his eyes land upon the priestess as she casually lowers her leg from the kick like it was nothing.

“Nope!” Suddenly recognizing he’s completely out-classed. “Not dealing with a head battle-priest. Not getting paid enough to do so!” The Green Kobold is only able to turn, and take a step away from the three before Ryine makes her move.

The attack she was going to open with before her charges showed yet again why they’re too dangerous to be left alone.

Red streaks of light pass around and through the Kobold, stopping him in place. His eyes follow their progression to a few feet in front of him. Where Ryine now stands. Sword held casually in one hand with the tip pointing to the side. Dripping blood, his blood from the scent that suddenly hits his nose.
It’s only a moment from when he looks down at the welling blood stains on his armor and the new holes in it and his body they’re coming from. That he collapses muzzle first into the dirt, dead.

In the background the screaming wolf goes silent, yet the scent of burning flesh lingers in the air. Providing a stark contrast to the late afternoon sunlight filtering in through the leaves.

Moments later, Ryine suffers the cost of using the skill she did, which is unique to her. A small spurt of growth of the pale white Draco-Fox fur and scale up her abdomen. Replacing her human skin and causing her to shiver from the sensation. As it passes though, she flings the blood of the kobold off her sword, sheathing it, then turns her attention to her charges.

Ryine’s by their side a moment later, as Sanstone’s collapsed onto hir lower torso’s belly. Upper torso bent over, held up by hir arms. Muzzle open as shi dry heaves into the dirt. That horrible image of the Continuum Lupine burning as fire jets from hir hands has etched itself in hir mind, refusing to leave. Shi can see it no matter if hir eyes are open or closed.

Next to hir stands a Rohoka that even towers over her who looks just as sickly, but isn’t heaving. ‘Yet…’ She muses. Knowing this reaction from anyone who’s never killed before. Let alone anyone so young.

Kneeling next to Sandstone, Ryine places a hand on hir shoulder. Helping the young chakat’s upper torso back up, before wiping hir muzzle. She then looks over to Rohoka as he speaks up. His voice is comically the same despite his new size.

“Why? I wanted to be bigger, but this…” He looks at his giant hands, yet they feel the same size as before to him.

Ryine sighs. “It’s an illusion Rohoka.” Replying while holding Sandstone’s upper torso.

“That… Did I kill that person? I.” Ryine shushes Sanstone by placing a hand on hir muzzle.

“I think we both know the answer to that.” Ryine shakes her head lightly ‘Too innocent for this, but, I guess it’s better done sooner than later.’

“He would’ve done the same to you, Sandstone, if given the chance. You did nothing wrong in defending yourself.” Shi just looks back at Ryine as she lets go of hir muzzle, opening hir mouth, instead of the words shi wanted to say, shi just starts crying.

Then mewling for hir dame, Veldet-Rose and hir sire, Nebula. Shi can’t get the sight of it out of hir mind and isn’t finding this adventure ‘fun’ anymore, if shi ever did in the first place. Whatever ‘made’ hir parents abandon hir being the cause of it notwithstanding. Shi just wants to go home and be held by them again.

The sight pulls heart-strings in Ryine’s chest she didn’t know she had, before she knows it. Ryine’s sitting in the dirt road, pulling Sandstone’s upper torso into her lap. With hir laying there, She hugs hir head against her chest. Petting the head-fur between Sandstone’s ears gently like a mother would.

“An illusion?” Rohoka says awkwardly, seeing sandstone collapse like this. He too can’t get that sight out of his mind, but. Compared to the red tinged sight of him bisecting a human the other day. It’s somehow, a little less shocking.
He wonders why, but is soon too distracted to dwell on the matter.

That red light, which enveloped him earlier returns. Unlike before, where the transition of his point of view was instantaneous. This time, it slowly returns to his normal height, with the vertigo that follows being the cause of ‘him’ dry heaving into the dirt. Rather than seeing such a macabre sight.
Blinding him to the fact that when he reaches his normal size, he sheds some fur into the breeze. Not a lot, but enough to make him look like some of his kind do in the dead of summer. Which isn’t long from now. At the same time, the cracks in the talons on his long clawed hand mend themselves. Leaving them pristine, like he’s never used the other skill at all.

Ryine watches this change in fascination. ‘So that’s what the last line in his class description meant. Going to have to make sure he doesn’t use his skills too often then. Don’t think I, or he would like the results if he uses one side or the other too much.’

Looking down at the quieter, but still crying Sandstone while she continues to pet hir head. ‘What have I gotten myself into here? This chakat killed that Continuum scout as quickly as I did. Rohoka scared the other one away without even fighting him.’

Rohoka, done unwillingly trying to void what isn’t in his stomach anymore, crawls a bit closer too Ryine and Sandstone before flopping on his back. Looking up at the branches and leaves above them. “Why?”

Ryine glances at Rohoka. “Why what?”

He thinks for a moment, a lot of why’s are going through his head right now. “Why could I do that now, and not when that ‘hero’ was killing my parents? Why did they attack us, Sandstone and I are just kids. And…”
He turns his head to look at Ryine. “Why’s a head battle priestess here with us? Mom and Dad said they stay in their churches in Elysengrad all the time?”

Ryine sighs. “I can see why some would have that view of us hiding in our cathedrals, not churches. Leaving the interactions with the outside world to the lower ranks. As for why I’m here, that’s… Complicated. I promise I will tell you later.”

She looks down at Sandstone, seeing and hearing shi’s stopped crying, so she lets go of hir head and moves hir torso so shi can long sit next to her. Which Sandstone reluctantly does. Considering Ryines lap was nice and warm. 

“And to be fair, I don’t know much about you two, past your classes. Yes you ‘both’ have them, so I’ll leave answering that question for a later time. I will answer your other questions though.”

“I have a class?” Sandstone looks back at Ryine who nods then looks over to Rohoka.

“It was your willpower that awakened what I can guess is an illusion skill. Still, I have a couple of questions of my own. Were you wishing to be bigger before it happened? And, have you ever seen a red skill?” She observes Rohoka, his body language as he answers.

“Do you mean the glow that happens when someone uses a skill?” Cocking an ear to the side he reaches up to scratch an itch on his muzzle as Ryine again nods yes.
“No. My mom and dad had blue skills… I have been angry whenever I’ve used Dragon’s Claw…”

“When he used that to hit my Air-Shot back in the orphanage his long clawed hand glowed red.” Sandstone pipes up while sniffling snot out of her muzzle.

He looks at his long clawed hand, only to stare. Noticing the cracks have vanished, and that it no longer aches.

“Unlike Blue skills, Red skills have a cost. With your Dragon’s Claw skill. The cost you pay are the claws themselves. That illusion was a Red skill too, the cost, was some of your fur.” Ryine points at Rohoka’s forearm.
So focused on his own claws, he didn’t notice his fur coat is a bit thinner.

“It’s not summer yet, and I now have my summer coat?” Rohoka sits up, opening his shirt a little to look inside. In turn letting the shed fur out.

Ryine stays quiet as she watches. ‘If he uses a skill that would fit with the myths of Dragons the summoned humans brought with them, he starts losing the Draconic aspects that gave their species half their name. Same with a skill that fits with the myth of the Kitsune. He used an illusion skill, they’re known for making them. He lost some fur. I’m going to have to teach him to use the skills sparingly. Or as his class description states, get him to balance their use.’

“What’s my class?” Sandstone moves to look at Ryine. Eager for something to take hir mind off of what shi just did. Thus cutting off Rohoka before he could speak.

“You’re a Child of Magic Shir Sandstone. It’s why you do not have the empathic talent of other Chakats. Making you, unique I guess. A Chakat that doesn’t have their natural inborn talent, and one who can exist for long periods of time without other’s of their kind around. I recall the old scrolls saying your kind need that contact for some reason.”

“But I’m not a chak….” Ryine interrupts sternly poking Sandstone’s nose.

“Possession of and or strength of a talent or ability does not determine what you are. I know the Neo-Chakona republic likes to divide their populace by empathic talent rating, and euthanize cubs with too low of it. So just because you are a child of magic, having a class replace your inborn talent. Doesn’t make you any less of a Chakat than they are.” She glares down at sandstone while wondering what hir parents taught hir.

‘Before they found out shi had no empathic talent they must’ve taught hir those with a weaker talent were lesser. To be honest, lacking it might make hir better than them. Shi won’t lean on it like a crutch and use it like a cudgel to beat people with in every interaction. Shi’ll have to learn to be civil like everyone else.’

Sandstone just stares back at Ryine. ‘How did I forget that?’ The voice of hir sire saying similar things to hir as they lay in that small prison cell inside the old ship echo in hir mind now.

Words shi said after sandstone apologized for being the cause of them being put in that cell.

Turning his attention back to Ryine, Rohoka tilts an ear. “Why did wanting to be bigger allow me to do that? I don’t get it, I mean yea, If I was bigger ‘he’ wouldn’t have been able to stop me using that skill after he killed my parents. I didn’t want that to happen so, why did me wanting something now caused this?”

She looks over to Rohoka as she gets back onto her feet. “I’ll answer that at the same time as your question as to why they attacked us. We’re their enemies, it’s as simple as that. They were going to kill you two, you and sandstone in turn, didn’t want to die. That will to live, and whatever heavenly power, which grants us magic and skills listened to your momentary desire to be bigger and granted you a skill to fulfill that.”
 Ryine looks down at Sandstone as shi looks up at her.

“Same with you Sandstone. I heard you yelling at them to stay way. I also noticed you looking into the fire pit at the rest area earlier. I’m guessing whatever mind is in the Mana that you can ask and command just put two and two together for you.”
Going over to the dead body of the kobold, Ryine strips him of his weapons. A sword and a small dagger.

With both in hand, she returns to the two, who’re now standing, and at from the looks of it. Sandstone at least wants to get as far away from this place as possible. Thinking for a moment, Ryine examines the two weapons. Making up her mind, she gives the dagger to Sandstone and the sword to Rohoka. Since the dagger seems better suited to the Chakat cub’s size. ‘And Rohoka should learn how to use a sword.’
Ryine thinks to herself.

“Wha?” Both say at the same time as the weapons get handed to them, and Ryine picks up the dropped bag of holding once her hands are empty. Considering recent event’s neither cub bothers to go after the other for, again, speaking at the same time.

“Both of you. Your skills need to be used sparingly.” She looks at Rohoka first. “For you, mainly because of how your body pays the price of their use.” Then to Sandstone. “Child of Magic is a class coveted by many, and all for the wrong reasons sadly. If anyone asks for your class, say you’re a mage. A low power magic user that can cast spells without saying anything. A sorcerer ‘if’ you must, but never a wizard. Don’t ‘ever’ try to claim you’re a wizard and make up words as you cast spells by pure thought. They’re enough wizards around to know you’re faking it, so you’ll be quickly found out.”

She points to the dagger in Sandstone’s hands. Then to the sword in Rohoka’s. “Use those to defend yourself first. And I think, due to recent event’s, I would like to change my proposition to the both of you.”
Ryine looks in the direction of Toullac. “On the rest of the way to Toullac. I want you two to seriously consider coming with me, rather than staying there. Or at any other orphanage in any other town.” She takes a few steps away from the two, then looks back at them.

Both Rohoka and Sandstone look at each other before following the Priestess, seeing this, Ryine leads them down the road. Leaving the corpse where it fell to both native scavengers and ones other humans brought in past ages.

“Why?” Sandstone speaks up after a few minutes of following, looking at the weapon, and wiping hir nose to get rid of more snot. Walking next to hir, but behind Ryine, Rohoka too wants to know, yet is to focused on the fact that if he uses his skills, his body will pay the price.

‘My claws if I use Dragon’s Claw, my fur if I use that illusion skill… If this is what having a powerful red skill is like, I’d rather have blue.’

Ryine replies with a bit more of a lighthearted tone than she wanted too to the two. “Why do I want you two to think about that shir Sandstone?”

She pauses for a moment.

“Because, to me, it wouldn’t feel right to leave two children with such powerful classes alone to fend for themselves. I can also teach both of you to use your skills properly and to defend yourselves without them when needed. Neither of you will be defenseless anymore, and neither of you will be at the mercy of others.”

When she finishes speaking, she has to lightly bite her tongue at herself. ‘Goddess dammit, I feel bad at saying that, but I can’t force them to stay with me. Nor can I delay too long in my own goals. Yes I would feel bad at leaving them to fend for themselves, yet I should’ve just waited and not promised that. I can teach them, but they’re both grieving and vulnerable and I just played on those emotions. No better than the chakats that threw Sandstone out.’

As he follows Ryine, Rohoka looks over to Sandstone, then back at Ryine in front of them. In between watching his footing in the path as the trees thin. The route they’re on changes from cutting through the forest, to going alongside it before curving away from the forest altogether.

‘I know Ryine’s telling the truth about my skills. My fur is thinner and the cracks in the claws on my long clawed hand have disappeared. Every time I use dragon’s claw they ache and cracks form.’ He looks over to Sandstone as the path they’re on meanders around or over hills.
Hir ears are low, hands clasped on the dagger as shis seems to have stopped caring where shi steps barefoot on the path.

Sensing somehow that he’s looking at hir, Sandstone returns the stare with a similar one.

Hir emotions make hir want to let hir tail hang low, Causing hit to consciously keep hir tail at least horizontal with hir lower torso. Mainly because shi already knows how much of a pain it is to clean from when hir parents took hir out on picnics. Seeing Rohoka let his thicker tail drag in the dirt clues hir off that he’s of the same mind as hir.

Can I trust Ryine?

Rohoka breaks eye contact first between the two, looking ahead at Ryine who’s walking at a pace they can keep up with. Then down at the sword in his hands. “If you can help me get stronger Ryine, so I can pay that human hero back for killing my parents.”

The last few words said with malice in the tone of his voice.

“Then I will go with you rather than stay at Shiny-Metal’s orphanage.” He glances over at Sandstone as shi, again looks back at him. Missing the slight hitch in Ryine’s step at hearing such words and venom come from someone as young as him.

‘So that’s what happened. I figured there was more to the story than his parents killing each other. While such a thing does happen, it seemed, odd to happen on the same day the summoned heroes arrived in town.’

“I accept that reason Rohoka, but I want you to make sure you’re ‘really’ want to this. It’ll make you an enemy of many. Including your own clan, so think about it some more and tell me when we get to Toullac.” Ryine slows her pace, just a tad, so she walks closer to the two. In case they start talking to each other, so she can hear them better.

Rohoka huffs loudly, folding his ears back at the mild rebuff. “Okay, but I’m sure I won’t change my mind by then.”

“I think…” Sandstone turns hir attention to Ryine, speaking up the moment Rohoka closes his mouth. “I think I’d want to do the same thing Ryine wants to do. Someone changed my Dame and Sire. I want to make that Shir pay and get my parents back.”

“How so Shir Sandstone?” Her voice though shows no hint of curiosity, despite the question.

“They weren’t happy when they learned I couldn’t sense their emotions, I admit that. Yet, they didn’t do what the Dames and Sires of other’s my age did that day. They didn’t hand me over to the guards as soon as they learned this.” Looking down at the dagger in one hand, shi tightens hir grip on it. Then to hir other where shi felt a small marble of fire form as shi was talking.
Shi didn’t even think about making it, and yet, it’s here. Trying to will it away, only results in the opposite.

“They… Took me out of the school before the guards came to pick up the others. We went home, and they left me in my room while they did some talking. Talking, which would be loud one second and quiet the next. I, I don’t know how long that took, but later they came into my room and wouldn’t let go of me. They said they’d find a way to make this work and I would be alright.” Thinking back like this causes hir to start crying again.

“Not long after the guards broke into our home, taking all of us to ‘that’ room in the old ship. Not long after they took me out and stuck me in a separate room for a long while. Only to put me back with my parents for some reason.”

Sandstone looks over and up to Ryine as shi follows her, not noticing the slight burst of light as something forms in hir open hand.

“After that, I went to sleep with my mom and dad holding me and saying it will be alright. Only to awaken to them tearing my clothes off and dragging me to that piece of ancestor technology in the morning.” Looking down again, shi clutches the dagger in one hand, and seeing this tiny flame floating in hir other. Trying to will it away.

It doesn’t listen, growing bigger and floats around hir upper torso. All the while Rohoka looks at hir sympathetically with his ears low. In between keeping track of Ryine and where he’s walking of course.

‘I, don’t know if that’s better or worse than them being dead.’

Ryine for her part, tightens her grip on the bag of holding as she leads down the trail. ‘If I had to guess a stronger empath of their kind messed with their heads. There are rumors of such going around in the high court of Elysengrad, straining tensions with the Neo-Chakona republic. Guess this confirms the rumors.’
Taking a few breaths and loosening her grip on the kid’s bag of holding. Ryine turns her head slightly, adjusting her gait, so she can glance back at Sandstone.

“I feel sorry you had to go through that Sandstone, and I can also accept the reason you want to take up my offer. Still, I want you to do the same as Rohoka. Think it over more, it’s not a path to tread lightly on.”

‘Revenge never is… Yet here ‘I’, am.’ After noting the will-o-wisp floating around the chakat cub, Ryine turns her gaze back down the path they’re treading on. Eying bushes and outcroppings of trees along the way wearly.

Sandstone’s ears go flat back. Shi tries focusing on this conversation, hoping the now will-o-wisp like fireball floating around hir will disappear if shi ignores it. “I think I have thought it over enough Ryine.” Biting back at Ryine as the memories of the long night last night reappear. Memories of hir ‘trying’ to think of why hir parents would do such a thing to hir.

Much to hir annoyance, the wisp won’t disappear. So Shi ends up swatting at it like one would an annoying fly.

Finding nothing the in the diminishing underbrush, Ryine slowly shakes her head. ‘Come to think of it, I don’t go with them. They’ll just try to do it on their own. With the way they act now, and how old they are. I can tell it won’t end well for them. Rohoka will lean too far to one side or the other and the negative effects of his class will take hold. Sandstone though, no, the order, my former order. They should never get their hands on such a magic user.’

Ryine glances up to the sky to judge the time, seeing that the sun has dipped ever lower towards the horizon. Then back down to the path as it leads them past the last few hills in the area before the flood plain of the river their destination’s next to.

‘We’re getting close to Toullac.’ Ryine realizes, only to glance back at her charges due to the commotion she hears coming from one of them.

Noticing Sandstone’s behavior from hid peripheral vision, Rohoka glances over. “What are you doing?”

“Trying to get this thing to go away!” Shi swats at the will-o-wisp of fire floating just out of hir reach, again, as he tilts an ear.

Pointing at it. “Can’t you just, tell it to go away with your magic. You’re magic made it right?”

“What do you think I first tried to do!” Sandstone angrily glares back at him, then swats at the wisp again as it floats into view, taunting hir. Only for it to mockingly move out of hir reach with each swat of hir hands.
What follows for the next few minutes is a semi comical sight to Ryine of hir chasing it around and swiping at it. All the while Shi completely ignores everything around hir, even as the road transitions back to cobblestone the closer they get to Toullac, easing travel for both of her charges.

Including both her and Rohoka. The latter having to duck his head at one point, while she has to side step Sandstone charging after it a moment later. Sighing loudly, Ryine sets off at a sprint after hir lightly chanting a spell under her breath.

Catching up to the annoyed Chakat cub, she douses the fire wisp in water using her free hand. Putting it out and ending Sandstone’s pursuit of it as she looks down at hir. All the while the deep shadows of dusk stretch across the cobblestone path.
“You may not have your race’s empathic abilities, but it seems Mana will react to your emotions.” Looking back and watching Rohoka catch up to the two of them before looking farther down the road.

“We made better time than I thought we’d make. We’ll be at the entrance gate for the town of Toullac within an hour. Just after dark from the looks of it.” 

This news excites both Rohoka and Sandstone, so both sets of ears perk up as they look to each other. Only to go back to looking at Ryine as she taps them on the shoulders to get their attention.
“Both of you need to stay close to me, okay? Don’t say anything unless spoken to either, and Sandstone?”

Ryine makes eye contact with the Chakat cub to further put forward the seriousness of what she has to say.

“Try not to make any more wisps. I know the one you made wasn’t a conscious decision, but we can’t be advertising what class you are. Wisps are hard for skilled magic users to make after all.”

Rolling hir eyes Sandstone just lowers hir ears a bit. “Not like I wanted it to begin with. It just kinda formed on its own.”

“I know.” Ryine smiles under her veil. Then turns and leads them down the path again. Sandstone keeping pace with her but Rohoka lagging behind a bit lost in some thought about what she just said.

“You think they’d have the gates closed?”

Noticing he’s being left behind, Rohoka ups his pace to get closer to Ryine as they continue down the road. Already in the distance they can see the town walls and the torches lining the battlements on top of towers and in between the crenel’s along the wall.

“Of course they will. There’s a war on, their skulks army is about a day’s walk away with their destination a point between this skulks territory and the Neo-Chakona republic only a few days further south. If they didn’t close the gates at night, the townsfolk would have the clan leader’s head for endangering them.” She says in a mater of fact tone, only to chastise herself.

‘Ryine girl, these are kids remember?’

Sandstone’s ears perk up as hir tail twitches as shi puts tow and two together. “Oh! That’s why you want me to not try to make more of those wisps.” Shi joins in on the conversation.

“Yes shir Sandstone. As I said, it’s not easy for sorcerers or wizards to make those, and out of the realm of possibility of mages. They’d never have heard of a ‘child of magic’ either since it is such a rare class. So what do you think they’d assume?” Asking to test the chakat’s intelligence considering shi ‘just’ made such a quick logical deduction.

‘The smarter shi is, the easier, and harder it will be to help shape hir class.’ Ryine muses to herself.

“They’d think we’re the enemy.” Both Rohoka and Sandstone say at the same time. Causing both of them to glare at each other, yet again.

“That was my question, not yours!” Sandstone snaps at Rohoka who just rolls his eyes. “Hey, we’re all in trouble if you make the guards for Shiny-Metal think we’re from the Continuum with your magic.”

Sandstone moves closer to Rohoka, glaring up at him. “Says the one who wants to kill the ‘heroes’. You heard Ryine, I can’t exactly control it!”

“Quiet you two!” Ryine bites at them, saying it in a bit more forceful manner than she wanted too, but it does the trick and the two stop bickering. “We’re almost there, and they may soon be able to hear us.”

Both of them stop glaring at each other to look past Ryine, in the post dusk night, they can make out the closed and guarded Southern gate-house for Toullac. Guarded on either side by towns-guardsmen carrying torches. Said guards are already walking onto the cobblestone road from their posts on either side of the gate having spotted them even at over a hundred yards out.

Rohoka tries to keep his ears from drooping to the sides and his tail from dragging at the sight kinsmen treating him as such. Sandstone though only succeeds in the latter as they casually close the distance.

“HALT!” A brown fur and scaled male Draco-Fox on the right calls out. Long clawed hand holding his torch up, short clawed hand resting on the pommel of a sword strapped to his waist. Ryine stops in her tracks and both Sandstone and Rohoka do so directly behind her.
He walks forward, armor rattling as he moves before stopping a few feet in front of Ryine. He moves the torch out and away from himself to get the three more into the light it casts.

“The Toullac town gates have closed for the night, we won’t open them till after dawn tomorrow.” He eyes Rohoka and Sandstone in turn, the latter with more disdain than the former. “Now if your travelers in need of help or refugees from further south, we may be able to make an exception.”

Keeping a smile off her face, despite being behind a veil, thus not visible to the guard, Ryine replies while hoping both her charges stay quiet like she told them too.
“We are in need of some help, I guess. We were supposed to arrive here before the gates closed as I, a priestess of the order of Victoria got tasked with escorting these two orphans. From the orphanage in Draguilliers, to the one here.”

The short clawed hand on the guardsman’s sword relaxes just a tad upon hearing this. Still, humans are hard to trust in his eyes. Yet, on the other claw. The order has done some good work, even if they’re only presence is outside the city walls on the north side of the Toullac. ‘Another war orphan and yet another neo-chakona reject, sigh.’

His ears and tail stay professionally still. “What happened to delay you in your contracted task Priestess of the order Victoria?”

Ryine glances back at her charges, then choosing the least likely of the two to do something unexpected, motions for Rohoka to come forward. “Hand me the sword please young one.”

Rohoka does so, Ryine gently takes it, then shows it to the guard.

“A Continuum scout party of three, I think their species were kobold and lupine, ambushed us in a blind spot on the main road here. Just inside where the road bisects the forest. Being a rather skilled priestess of the order. I was able to defeat them and defend the two children from them. Though not without having to spend time to console them from such a sight, thus delaying our arrival.”

The guard’s posture stiffens at the sight of the weapon and the news. Lifting his short clawed hand he motions for Ryine to keep the sword. She hands it back to Rohoka who goes back to standing next to Sandstone quietly. The both of them looking at each other, curious as to why Ryine is twisting the truth when in their minds that isn’t necessary.

“You did a good job in defending a child from our sister clan, and the other orphan. You bring honor to your order. Yet bring ill news with your arrival. Enemy scouts behind our skulks army? They passed through here no more than a few days ago too. Meaning the army may have a tail on them, which is bad.” Swiveling his head, he looks over to his assigned partner for his shift.

“Change the fire-color to blue and stay here. I’ll escort them inside and deliver the news to our commander. The sooner they can send a messenger to the army, the better.”

His partner runs over to the scones on either side of the gate, throwing power into them from a pouch on his belt. The orange flames instantly turning bright blue. Moments later horns blare from the nearest tower, followed by every torch and flame along the wall going blue as runners dash across the top of the wall. Spreading the signal across the entire structure that surrounds the town.

He looks at this for a moment before turning his attention to the three. “Follow me.”

Ryine does so, and with her, so does Sandstone and Rohoka. The Chakat cub though looks at the fire, then at the guardsman. “Why do that?”

He’s silent for a moment before speaking as he leads them to a large, but still smaller than the main gate, iron and wood door, in an alcove with murder-holes on each side. “Right. You’re a Chakat and you’re not of our skulk. You wouldn’t know. Blue is a warning color. I just alerted all guard stations to stay alert for enemy scouts. You ran into three on the way here, so there’s possibly more lurking out there in the darkness.”

Sandstone oh’s and goes quiet. A bit more fearful of the night if it contains more things like that wolf…

Looking around, both Rohoka and sandstone can see the glint of metal arrowheads through the gloom just inside the murder-holes. Seeing this, they quickly turn their attention back to Ryine and the Guardsman.

The Guardsman calmly inserts a key into the door, then presses the same hand on a metal plate above the keyhole. To Rohoka and Ryine, they just see a slight red tinge disappear from the door. Sandstone though sees the magic in the skill the guardsman used, to turn off the magic in the door that made it just as hard as the surrounding stone, and near impossible to open without this skill and the key.

Other than the points where shi can see some error in the pattern. Just like the door on Rohoka’s home.

As the door swing’s open, the three need to blink a few times, adjusting their eyes to the brighter light. Compared to the guardsman who’s not phased by the change in light level for some reason.

‘Probably a skill related to his job.’ Ryine muses.

Inside they’re greeted by more guardsmen, both male and female. The latter of which either have staves marking them as mages or wizards, or wing finger blades. Marking them as scouts or gliding skirmishers. The former though range from swords, axes to more bows.

This group of guardsmen stand at the ready, then relax a moment later upon seeing their kin with the three.

“Someone fetch the commander! I need to escort these three into the city.” Their escort yells out, causing the group to scatter quickly. With them gone, he leads them through the rooms and halls inside the city walls, speaking as he walks. “It’s too late at night to take them to the orphanage Priestess. The pantheon Priestesses would have closed and locked it up tight for the night by now.”

Ryine nods, figuring as such, even if that’s not their actual destination. “I have enough funds for a night at an inn.”

The guardsman inwardly smiles as this just makes his job easier.

“Good, because we don’t carry coin while on duty. So I wouldn’t have any to give you. Though to be honest, our orphanage isn’t any less crowded as I guess Draguilliers is. Plenty of war orphans lately, many who’re newly orphaned as news of their parent’s demise reached them with the army. Ending the care contracts over them with neighbors or distant relatives. Not to mention it seems the Neo-Chakona Republic is having another cub purge. So the Chakat cub with you marks the twentieth dumped on our doorstep this week. Can’t imagine how Draguilliers or other clans closer to the border deal with it.”

Turning his head around to look at the three for a moment, he then leads the three to the nearest door leading into the city. All the while mentally sighing to himself.
‘Those chakats breed like damn rats… Guess it helps if each of them have both sets of equipment in that regard, when they come of age they can knock each other up. Surprised we’re not up to our horns then them already.’

When the guardsman turns his attention to unlocking the door, Rohoka and Sandstone look at each other while Ryine just watches the guardsman work. She recognizes the look he gave Sandstone, but declines to act on it.

‘Okay, maybe it was a good thing we met Ryine. If Sandstone and I had gotten up here alone. We’d have nowhere to stay. I don’t even know how to get to the next town from here either.’ Upon hearing the guardsman open the door, do they look forward towards Ryine.

Then blue torchlight from the wall combined with orange light from the magically enchanted streetlamps from just beyond the threshold. Both colors of light keep the street and the wall of the building beyond that from being in pitch black darkness.

“Here you go.” He turns to look at Ryine, Rohoka and Sandstone. “Head left down this road, then at the three-way fork, take the right most street. There should be a few inns on that road still open at this hour. Can’t say on how much it will cost you, you ‘are’ arriving a bit late.”

Giving him a polite nod, Ryine glances back at her charges, it’s all that is needed to get them to follow her out onto the street. She turns to thank the guardsman, only to just catch him closing the door behind them. ‘Could’ve at least given me his name.’ Ryine frowns.

“Didn’t see these street-lamps back at Draguilliers.” Sandstone looks to Rohoka.

Rohoka looks up at one of the lamps as they walk by, following Ryine as she follows the directions given to them. They quickly find themselves among rows of Inns of various sizes and states of repair. “That’s because Shiny-Metal clan’s richer than my clan.”

“Because of the metal they found?” Sandstone looks over to Rohoka and he nods.

Ryine for her part, focus more on the signs each Inn has hanging over the street, denoting their name. Magic wording floating under them if they have no rooms available. Along with the general look and upkeep of the front of the building.
‘Quite a few seem to be fully booked. Ah, there’s one. ‘All those who wander’. Huh, odd seeing a human phrase written in the Draco-Fox’s native language like that.’

Glancing back at the two kids, again bickering over what kind of metal, Clan Shiny-Metal got its name from.

“This one.” Ryine points as soon as she has their attention. They stop arguing and look in the direction she’s pointing before Ryine gives them the same look as before they entered the city. Telling them to be quiet, before she walks up to the door and opens it.

Modest is what comes to mind as they look at the lobby area, except for Sandstone who finds it, like everything else here. Weirdly less sophisticated than back home. They clean their shoes or feet respectively at the provided set of brushes attached to the wall just inside the building before stepping on the worn but well maintained rug.

A storm-cloud gray colored adult female Draco-Fox stops playing with a ball of light, tossing it between her hands. She dismisses it before looking up at the three as they enter. Narrowing her eyes at the sight of a Chakat cub that she knows is large enough. Meaning old enough to have their ‘talent’, so she guards herself against its use.

“Hello and welcome to the ‘all those who wander’ Inn. How may I help you?” She lifts her wings a bit, a Draco-Fox polite greeting for females to anyone in general. She then gives a toothless smile because of the Human in the group, as Ryine walks up to the counter.

Ryine smiles back, letting Rohoka and Sandstone follow her. “Do you have an available room for three?”

The receptionist pulls out a poster sized slab of Iron-tree bark, setting it on the counter between the two. Tapping several places and bringing up blue windows with white text, which hover over the enchanted slab. Sandstone’s positively enthralled as shi watches the magical enchantments do their work. All the while the female Draco-Fox brings up a list of guests currently staying in the Inn.

“If you mean a room with three beds, no, we do not.”

Ryine shakes her head. “No, a single bed will be fine. Just large enough for the both of them. I’ll sleep on the floor.” She looks down at Rohoka and Sandstone, noting the latter’s enthrallment at the tablet. ‘Shi’s going to learn another spell, isn’t shi?’ The look is enough to silence any protest from Rohoka about this before he opens his mouth.

Smiling behind her veil, Ryine waits for the female Draco-Fox to finish messing with the enchantment. Soon she looks up at the priestess. “We do have one room with a bed large enough for both of them. For three guests, it’s three Silver a night.”
The cost causes Ryine to flinch internally. That’s all the coin she has left on her, and for the establishment’s location in the city. She can tell that if she brought them only a few hours ago, it would’ve been in the copper coin range.

‘Beggars can’t be choosers after all. They one of the few still open with rooms.’ Using her free hand, she reaches into her own bag of holding. Taking out the last three coins on her person, then places them on the counter in front of the storm-cloud colored female Draco-Fox much to her surprise.

‘She has a Chakat with her and didn’t try to negotiate that down? I only threw out three silver thinking she’d leave. Or try to have that Chakat get me to bring the price down, forcing me to kick them out.’ Picking up the stack of three silver’s, she deposits them into a pocket in her uniform. Safely stored there, she rapidly taps her claw tips all along the blue magical window.

Turning off the vacancy sign outside and registering the room as taken.

“The room is yours till the noon sun tomorrow, otherwise it’s another three silver.” Rotating the large slab of Iron-tree bark, she looks up at Ryine. “Sign please.” The female Draco-Fox points to where she needs her to sign.

Ryine uses a gloved finger to do just that without saying a word, she turns the enchanted object back around to face the female Draco-Fox.

“Thank you Ms Ryine. Your room is upstairs, last one on the right. Enjoy your night.” She hops off the stool and goes to deposit the three silver as Ryine gently takes Sandstone’s hand before pulling hir away from the counter. Heading for the stairs with Rohoka following right behind them.

Only when they have the room’s door shut and locked, that Ryine looks at Rohoka and Sandstone again.
“So, what’s your final answer on my proposal. Keep in mind Rohoka you may become the enemy of your own clan Skulk and even your own people. Sandstone, it won’t be an easy path for you and you may not succeed.”

Both look at each other, then back at Ryine.

“We accept your offer.” They say at the same time, without bickering at each other. Ryine takes this as a sign of how serious they are over this. Considering how many times they ‘have’ bickered before over doing the same thing.

Holding their gaze, Ryine slightly nods once. “Alright, but with the fact that this room cost me my last coin, I’ll have to go see a friend just outside of town. So I won’t be here when you wake up. Stay in the room till I get back, I ‘will’ be back well before noon though.” She gestures for them to get on the sole bed in the minimally decorated room. Mainly just the bed, a dresser, and an end table. Once both Rohoka and Sandstone climb on, she places their bag of holding on it next to them.

Moving to the side of the bed, she pulls out a blanket from her own bag of holding. Laying it out next to the bed before extinguishing the magical candles in the room with a snap of her fingers.

Chapter Text

Services No Longer Required: Chapter 5: Old Friends

Ryine doesn’t need an alarm clock spell or enchanted item, having trained herself to wake up. Or rather, being trained by her family to. She can only sleep a few hours a night if need be. So it’s with practiced ease she pushes herself up from the blanket on the floor.

The dim light of the moon and the streetlamps bathe the room in dim light as she glances over to her charges. Rohoka and Sandstone, both agreeing to take half the bed. Or, so it would seem, except for the fact that as she watches them sleep, they move a bit closer to each other.

‘It might be them becoming friends, or…’ Ryine glances to the window as she feels a light breeze in the room. ‘The fact there’s a decent draft coming in from the window, cooling the room off. This place wasn’t worth the silver I paid for it.’ Shaking her head, Ryine quickly gather’s up her blanket. Stuffing it into her bag of holding, then clips said bag to her belt. Being as silent as she possibly can, despite the wooden structure of the inn creaking. She slips out of the room and down the stairs as to not wake the two, or anyone else.

A quick glance to the front desk to check for the receptionist shows a glowing sign saying ‘no service till dawn’. Then under it, another sign saying. ‘If you leave, you will not be let back in till after we open at dawn’.

Shrugging lightly, Ryine steps out to the empty streets. Looking around at the buildings and street signs, she gets her bearings before heading north. Following the signs pointing to the northern gate-house. Blue firelight still mingles with the orange-red of the streetlamps near the wall, showing the alert is still active. Prompting her to stay in the shadows between two buildings, next to the northern wall.

‘I know I could’ve waited till dawn, but that’s assuming my friend is still there and hasn’t been replaced by someone else.’ Tightening the strap of her sword under her cloak, Ryine judges the height of the wall as well as the time between guard patrols as they walk across it.

‘Good thing I only need blue skills for this.’

Dashing towards the wall, Ryine mentally evokes ‘Jump’. Enhancing her normal jump to one that will launch her to the top of the wall. Before her boots touch the stonework, she follows up with ‘Lesser Silent Step’. A hard skill to gain and the only Silent Step skill those without a Thief or Assassin class can get. Making her landing more or less inaudible to anyone not next to her.

Walking briskly, yet cautiously. Keeps her foot falls silent to the patrol heading her way. Reaching the other end, she climbs between the two battlements taking a deep breath to steady her nerves. The mental pressure of multiple skill use weighing upon her. Two active blue skills is pushing it for most normal people, but she can handle more. Each one is a drain on her physical and mental stamina after all.

Mentally muttering ‘Feather Fall’ Ryine casually takes a step off of the wall, floating down to the ground rather than falling. She descends fast enough to not be spotted by the next patrol yet slow enough the height will only cause Ryine to lightly strain her ankles rather than break them. The moment her feet touch the ground, Ryine takes off down the path. Breathing only a bit heavier. Continuing down the cobblestone road till it comes to a fork, she takes the left branch without a second thought.

Her breathing steadies as the Jump skill wears off, followed shortly after by Lesser Silent Step, then finally Feather Fall. ‘They stayed active longer than I thought.’ Slightly shaking her head before speaking under her breath. “Extended- Dash”.

‘Good thing you only have to mutter it and not yell it to get the verbal boost. Every second counts if I am going to have to make it back in time for the two of them to still be asleep.’ With the skill activated, she goes from walking pace to a fast run.

Her well-trained body allows her to keep this pace longer than someone normally could, allowing the effects of the skill to last she can see the magic lights in the windows of the small church. Sitting at the edge of the town’s last crop field.
Slowing to a walking pace, Ryine can’t help comparing it to the cathedral she used to work in, making it seem too small. Three floors tall, it’s still the tallest building in the town of Toullac. Bigger than the two-story ‘mansion’ belonging to Shiny-Metal’s clan leader.

The fenced land is also larger than the gardens of it too, coming to the same size as an entire crop field. A graveyard belonging to the Shiny-Metal clan, along with for those faithful to the church here and in towns less than a day’s ride from here takes up most of the space though.

Walking up to the main gate, a four-foot tall stone wall on either side provides a strong indicator of where the Clan property, and Church property meet. Ryine removes a glove from one of her hands, pressing her uncovered hand against the gate itself. Silently, the wood gate swings inward, only closing after she clears the path of the door.

Shaking her head lightly at a stray thought over still being considered a Priestess by the enchantments, she follows the cobblestone path to the main door. Again, Her touch unlocks the door. Ryine though smiles at correctly expecting it to be locked at this time in the morning. ‘He hasn’t gotten soft, if he’s still here.’

It, like the gate before, closes behind her once she’s out of the path of the doors. She slips the glove back onto her hand upon entering the Church proper.

Being well-adjusted to the nocturnal starlight by now, her eyes sweep across the homely reception area. Then to the large hall with rows of simple wooden pews beyond it. Entering it, she admires the simplicity in the decorations, compared to the ones she used to have. All of it still doing a good job in conveying the Order’s teachings to those less than literate, rather than the gaudy and gilded ones from where she was stationed.

‘Not that the Order has done anything to change the problem of illiteracy of the masses.’ Her eyes land on the simple wood plank alter at the end of the large hall, above it hangs the symbol of their order, or at least the one outside the archives in the Conclave. Three stylized stars, with one down low, one up high and one in between. Going from left to right that is. What’s not there is the outline of a Human and a Draco-Fox praying to them.

Bowing her head slightly in reverence at it, she gives a small prayer. One for strength to take down the monster who has usurped the order. With that bit of piety done, and hoping it helps. She proceeds beyond the pillars on the left side of the hall.

‘If this place follows the same floor plan of all the other remote churches. The cellar access should be this way.’

Following the wall further into the Church, Ryine ignores the stained-glass windows depicting the Church’s teachings as they color the moon and starlight. Focused instead on where they end, a plain stone wall that continues on to the back wall of the hall. Along with the singular door set in it not far from where the windows end.

Uncovering her hand again, and grabbing the handle. Ryine feels the magic in the handle unlocking the door for her. Unlike the others though, she has to close it herself. Complete darkness meets her as she turns around, so thick the twilight gloom peeking under the door can’t pierce it. Stuffing her glove into an inner facing pocket of her robe, she holds up a single finger into the air at face level.

“Minor light”

A small spell array forms on her fingertip creating a marble sized ball of light. No stronger than a couple of candles, enough to light the way down. One floor down Ryine looks into the large cellar. ‘Housing refugees in case of emergency.’ She looks at the row upon row of benches and beds.
The floor bellow that is another large cellar, made into a storehouse for all the food and supplies needed for said emergencies. Her uncovered hand allows her entry into this room, just like all the others.

Ryine leaves the door open, not trusting that she’ll be able to open it again once closed.

‘The Church stole The Republic’s food preservation magic, I remember how livid their representative was. They weren’t in the right for hiding it though. This stuff lasts for years, decades even in deeper cellers.’

Examining shelf after shelf of packaged food. Stored in material she knows is made from the disgusting smelling black tar, which just seeps out of the ground in some places. It crinkles like thin metal as she picks one up, but feels light as paper. Sure it has an odd smell, and the older ones feel a bit slimy to the touch.

She cringes as she picks one of the older ones up, only to set it down hastily. Wiping the residue off onto her robe just to get it off her fingers.

‘Yet, even as disgusting as those are. It still keeps food within well-preserved.’

Eyeing newer ones, Ryine reaches for the packs in boxes on the same shelf, only to freeze in place as a snap of a finger from the entrance echos though the room, lighting all the magical candles. A couple of blinks is all it takes to adjust her eyes.

“You’re either some Thief that went to ‘far’ too much trouble to be stealing from a place of charity and, or, a Fool. Someone who thinks they can take on a highly trained Priest of the Order of Victoria.” A stern male human voice booms from the doorway. A voice Ryine knows.

‘Oh good, so he is still here.’ Smiling under her veil like a mother about to see one of her children, she turns in the direction of the door.

“Come out peacefully, and you won’t be harmed. You have my word on that.”

“Did you consider maybe the Thief in question has a teleport skill?” Ryine speaks in a dutiful, motherly manner.

‘That voice…’ The male Priest in his sleeping clothes, cap, and carrying a quarter staff stiffens and stares in the direction of the voice. A look of surprise written on his face.

Leaning the staff against the wall, he stares a bit downwards to the robed and veiled woman who emerges from the rows of shelves. The same height he remembers her being. “Because teleporting is a high cost red skill. Said cost would not be worth it for just simple food packs.” 
His tone of voice answers the motherly one with one of a student hoping to have answered the question correctly.

“Correct, Mathew. You must always be on guard though, which is why you came armed with that staff. Good boy. I’m glad to see my training wasn’t wasted on you despite you being just a simple Priest.” Ryine tries to casually slip the glove back over her hand, as it’s the one with the scale and fur on it.

‘He shouldn’t see me like this…’

The man laughs, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. “Ever the teacher Ryine. Or should I say master? You also taught us even a Priest’s job isn’t a simple one.” Sighing and letting his posture drop a bit, he stares at her sternly.

“We ‘all’ lose contact with you two years ago. No word from Headquarters other than you’re on a ‘pilgrimage’. Then you show up here, out of the blue, trying to raid the emergency ration stores in what is considered a punishment location of the Order.”

“That’s a rather complicated story…” Ryine sighs.

‘Oh the hell with it. He needs to know, so he can help me.’ 

With a shaky movement of her hands, Ryine removes the veil. Baring what’s behind it to her former student. Bellow her human forehead, eyes, and nose. Sits a mouth a smidgen larger than it should be for a human. Giving her a slightly demonic look. Looking closer to one found on a Draco-Fox really, if one flattened their muzzle into the shape of a human face.

From the corners of her mouth down to her neck and under the shoulders of the robe. Run lines of Albino white Draco-Fox scales with Albino White fur pushing out between them. Reddened and irritated skin surround these lines, yet the rest of her skin looks smoother. Younger even, than what he remembers what Ryine’s age should be, more than her normal looking younger than she actually is.

She smiles warmly, also showing sharper than human front teeth to show. “How about we head up to your quarters, and I’ll fill you in on why I am here.”

She then sighs.

“And why I ‘really’ need your help.”

Nodding once, Mathew gestures for her to follow him out of the room. “Let’s go up to my residence where we can have a seat, and you can explain everything.”

--
Two Years Prior
Elysengrad, Kingdom of Elysengrad
--

A fully human Ryine, in normal Priestess clothes. A robe like dress, a sacramental scarf, and a tall hat. Looking like she’s in her mid-thirties, but is actually in her mid-forties, kneels next to a Chestnut colored adult Male Draco-Fox. He’s wearing a more peasantry set clothing, and a towel on his head between his horns to catch sweat from his head as he works.

Using rags with soapy water, both Ryine and the Male Draco-Fox scrub the lacquered wooden pews in the grand hall of Her Lady’s Church. Residing in the Northern part of the capital city.

“I’m perfectly able to clean the hall myself Exulted one. No need for you to dirty yourself in such work.” The tone of his voice, and the fact he said it in English rather than Draco-Fox native. Shows it was more in ‘jest’ than anything serious. Causing Ryine to smile, she in fact starts to work a bit harder in scrubbing the pew’s of dirt brought in from the parishioners this morning rather than stopping.

The late afternoon sun streams in through stained-glass. Highlighting the opulence of the place, the exquisite murals, the marble floors and pillars, inlays of gold and silver everywhere. Both ignore it all as they work.

“And if this Exulted one rather prefers helping someone such as you, so maybe we’d be finished before dusk. Then what you would do hmm?” A hint of a giggle in her voice as she replies shows she’s thoroughly enjoying his company. Even if all he is supposed to do is come in, clean, then leave like he was never there in the first place.

“I guess, I can’t stop her then. I don’t have the authority to say no to you.” Smirking back to her, moving to keep pace with Ryine. Before long, both of them finish cleaning the last wooden pew in the hall. Throwing their dirty rags into the wooden bucket still filled with soapy water, followed by both of them plopping down on a dry pew to rest their respective knees.

“No, no you cannot. If I want to clean the place rather than just sit around in my office and stipend apartment all day after services, I will.” Her hand finds his leg before He places her hand in his long clawed hand, squeezing gently.

“Anyway, do they have you working past sunset elsewhere again today? Or are you going to have a night off to yourself?” She looks over to him hopefully, watching as he takes off the towel from his head before laying it back, letting the length of his neck curve over the top of the backrest like a noodle.

“Not work perse. I was given a letter addressed from the Grand-Priestess when I arrived this morning. She wants to see me after my shift, don’t know how long this will take, but we might be able to have dinner together afterwards if you want?” Ryine excitedly grabs his shoulders, pulling him over to face her causes him to raise his head and look at her, tilting his head a bit.

“That’s good news! No, it’s great news. She’s always been one to reward hard work and dedication. Maybe you’ll be permanently assigned here? Maybe they’ll even give you more coin?”

He just gives her a halfhearted smile. “One can only hope considering…” Only to get brought into a fierce hug.

“Yea I know, this Kingdom isn’t too friendly to your kind. Yet as long as the Church exists, you and other Draco-Foxes will be welcome in the Kingdom regardless. We’re supposed to shepherd you, take care of you, and guide you and help you grow after all.” Ryine lets go of him, allowing him to return the favor of placing his long clawed hand on her thigh over her robes.

“Heh, well you certainly shepherded ‘me’. I think you may be leaning a bit too much into the spirit of the scripture though. Rather than the letter of the scripture most subscribe to.”

Moving to lean against him Ryine smirks. “And don’t you forget it!” Grinning at him before she looks forward to the Altar. “You don’t have to worry, the letter matters less than the spirit of the wording from what I can tell right now, as long as she’s around I don’t think there will be a problem.”

Sitting back up, she turns to fully look at him.

“Besides, if anyone does cause you trouble. I, a head Battle-Priestess will be there to help!” Miming pulling a sword from her back and holding it at attention. The spectacle just gets him to laugh a few times considering she exaggerated the motion for comedic effect.

He knows all to well she can do a lot better than that.

“With moves like that, who would think you’re telling the truth.” He ribs her back jokingly, causing her to mockingly pout in response. If only for a moment.

“I’ll have you know.” Moving to point a finger inches from his snout, Ryine parodies the movement of an older Priestess scolding someone. “I trained both the Grand-Priestess’s current Bodyguard, and the Ceremonial-Escort in case Heroes have to be summoned.”

He just looks cross-eyed at the finger, as Ryine moves it just that inch closer before… 

“Boop”

She grins, then breaks down laughing sitting next to him again. Flicking his ears, he just joins in a moment later.

Shaking his head, he just grins at her. “I’ve yet to get you back for all those, and yet you add another one.” Then picks up his towel from the pew. The action erases the grin, and Ryine’s overall good mood at being with him.

“Do you have to go?” Asking, yet she full well knows the answer.

“Yea. The Church may stay the hand of the Crown’s distaste of my kind. Yet it cannot stop others from discriminating. The Taxi Carriages don’t peddle their services to us Draco-Foxes, If I’m going to make it the Church Conclave on time and get back here to take you to Dinner, I better start walking now.”

Sighing, she moves to give him one last hug. “Take the main roads only. No back alleys! And no shortcuts!”

He returns it and holds it for a moment, both of them letting go simultaneously if a bit reluctantly. “See you tonight Ryine.”

Ryine smiles in return, and watches him walk down the aisle, then out of the grand hall. Closing the door between it and the front reception room. She just stares at the door for a few moments longer, before sighing and picking up the bucket. Heading for a door a bit behind the Alter and the more plain stone building residing behind it.

Closing it, she places the bucket next to others, and mops in an alcove serving as a cleaning closet for the cathedral. A nearby table has a blank wooden head, where she carefully places the ceremonial hat. Under it, she folds her ceremonial scarf. Placing it with similar care as the hat.
Slipping off the robe revealing a more fancy set of trousers than her Draco-Fox companion, along with a blouse cut for her bust. She just hangs it on a wooden peg attached to the stone wall near the table.

With her office’s garb stowed, Ryine walks down the hallways humming a happy tune to herself. Next comes a set of switch-back stairs to the second floor of the back half of the Cathedral. Taking a right at the second floor landing, she opens the lone door on the wall to one of the perks of being in the Church. Her rent-free apartment, free furnishings, and services.

Closing the door behind herself, Ryine snaps her fingers, lighting the candles to illuminate the living room of her single bedroom apartment more than the dusk light streaming in through plain glass windows can.

‘Should take him an hour or so each way at a normal walking pace. So I don’t have long to prepare myself for our date.’
Walking past a fancy, but not ornate table and chairs making up the centerpiece of her living room. They face one wall filled with shelves full of books, ranging from religious texts, to manuals of martial arts and everything in between.
Some sit half read on the table next to lamps where she left them last night. She spends not an insignificant amount of time studying them. Not feeling deprived at all for entertainment, only knowing tales of her ancestors of ‘moving pictures’ and other things.

The doorway to her bedroom sits open with the well-made door perfectly balanced on its hinges. Still in the position, half open, as she left it in the morning. Upon entering, Ryine quickly sheds her clothing, then her simple cloth undergarments. Folding them up and placing them on a table along with others, ready to be handed to one of the other Draco-Fox workers assigned to the Cathedral. The one who does her laundry.

Ryine helps her out just as much as she helps the one she’s going to have a date night with. Just without the being in love part. She does care for the Female Draco-Fox though, like an older sister does for the younger sister. She would protect her as such too. That poor young Draco-Fox is just trying to do the best she can with the hand she was dealt after all.

From there it’s just a quick jog in the slight chill of her unheated room, from her bedroom to the bathroom. Passing by the unlit wood stove attached to wall siting between the two smaller rooms of her apartment.
Inside the bathroom, she stops next to one of the perks of the office she holds. Enchanted indoor plumping, and an enchanted tub with full control of the temperature of the water via yet another enchantment. The design said to have been made by a Summoned Hero who ‘wanted to make sure proper hygiene got followed’ by everyone.

Sadly, it never made it out to the masses like he intended. The poor guy dying from old wounds and old age before being able to make the production version. Those he taught quickly learned they could make better coin only making them for Nobles, Church Officials and Heads of State rather than the people like he originally intended. So no one bellow a basic noble even knows of its existence.

“Well, outside the Chakat-magic version.” Ryine mutters to herself, touching runes to set the temperature right, then the ones fill the tub with water of that temperature. Slipping in with a sigh, she relaxes sore muscles in her legs.
“Like everything else of theirs, they protect it with an iron fist… Or paw in their case. No exports, harsh penalties for those of their kind trying to show others the magical process to make them.”

Lathering up she cleans every part of herself with the soap scented with the smell she knows her date likes.

“Damn four legged fur balls and their emotional manipulating abilities. Too bad the good ones are far and few between, if they survive being dropped as cubs almost into the literal wilderness because their abilities don’t match up to their state’s standards.”

Ryine stops that less pleasant train of thought in favor of wondering what kind of dinner he has planned for her. Quickly dunking herself under the water to rinse out her hair. Coming back up she reaches up and wrings her long hair out. A few minutes later she pulls herself out of the tub, then touches the runes to dump the water down the drain. Grabbing a worn, but still soft towel to quickly wick away the moisture on her body before the chill gets to her.

From there she makes the return trip to her bedroom just as quickly. Donning some clean clothes quickly after entering. Good underwear, good blouse and trousers. A more simple robe of her office follows that, so those out on the town know who she is.
“This should keep undesirables away. At least not the stupid ones.” Muttering to herself as she tweaks a few things on her outfit here and there to make herself look just right in front of a tall bronze mirror.

Taking her enchanted timepiece off of her nightstand, a copy of a Chakat-magic made one. Ryine pockets it, clipping the end of the chain to her belt. Then grabs her personal enchanted sword, sheath and all, strapping it to her back. On the way out the door of her apartment she impulsively pockets some coin from her coin-purse sitting on a small table.

‘With how little they pay him, I’ll be damned if I let him foot the bill for our food tonight.’

Closing the apartment door and locking it, Ryine jogs down the hallway. Taking a turn to go down a different set of stairs rather than the one leading to the Grand Hall, this path leads to the side of the building. Locking the exit behind herself, Ryine leans against the wall. All prepared now for him, she just has to wait.

The wait is so long, the setting sun has long since given way to night by the time she suspects something’s wrong. Pulling out the enchanted time piece causes Ryine to grit her teeth. Not in anger for what may look like being stood up on a date from the outside.

She knows better than to assume that. He’s punctual and honorable to a fault sometimes. He’d never do that to her.

More for the fact with each moment the enchanted item uses magic to move a small red needle round the clock face, marking the passing of seconds. Is a second more she worries something bad has befallen him, and he is crying out for her, or anyone to help. Thrusting the timepiece back into its pocket, she sets off at a near run for the Church’s Conclave in the center of the capital on a mission.

“Oh I am ‘so’ going to ruin the day of whomever has harmed a single scale of his.” She mutters to herself as her imagination turns up multiple possibilities; from rouge Church Officials doing things they shouldn’t, to Criminals or Adventurers doing something they shouldn’t to him in some back alleyway.

‘To be honest, there’s a thin line of difference between what an Adventurer is and what a Criminal is.’ Muttering to herself as she stays to the sidewalks. Barely suppressing the desire to use her movement skills to get there faster.
As much as Ryine wants to dash across, then leap between rooftops using the skills that serve her well in battle. Doing so is not only against the law, it’s not befitting of her station, personal matters be damned.

Slowing her pace only when passing a Tavern, or a Bar she knows ‘Adventurers’ frequent. Just enough to use one of her detection skills to see if he is nearby. Each time she finds he’s not there, removes some weight of fear from her shoulders of what happened to him.

‘Maybe just Church Bureaucracy is keeping him? If he was getting rewarded, that would entail stacks of paperwork for him to fill out. Goddess knows I had tons to fill out when I chose to take up this station rather than stay an Instructor for hot-headed greenhorn Battle-Priests and such.’

Shaking her head at her own thoughts to clear her mind, she sees the Conclave gates down the road. Looking distraught would not help in granting her entry this late in the day. The guards at the gates stop her, with a calm demeanor, all she has to do to get them to let her in is to show them her status screen.
Using the ‘Show Status To Other’ skill from her long list of skills. The only known one allowing a person to summon their own status window, so others can see it rather than only themselves.

Giving the user full control of how much to show, just not what it says. They can hide a skill, class, or whatever they want. It’ll just show {Hidden} instead of the information. Compared to the skill of reading other people’s status’s, where the strength of the skill determines what will be shown. Leaving stuff the skill is too weak to see as a blank spot.

Glancing back to the guards, they professionally close the gate behind her without a sound. Now inside the Conclave grounds, it’s hard to crush the desire to run for the ornate front doors in front of her. Ryine makes her destination a side door of the Grand Cathedral, the heart of the Church Conclave.

An odd sight forces her to a stop midway through the hallway to the back of the building.

‘An empty Guard Station? Inside? This close to the Grand-Priestess’s residence? That’s a severe lapse in protocol, how?’ Moving behind the counter serving as a shield for weapon and spell-fire alike, thus built to survive such. The fact it’s not just empty, it’s the fact everything’s left where it was. Like the guards just suddenly stopped what they were doing, got up, and walked away confuses her even more.

‘Like they just up and vanished? Sigh, a mystery for later. I have a Draco-Fox to find who’s late for his date.’

Continuing down the hallway, Ryine now pauses at a four way junction. With yet another empty Guard Station, a second line of defense that’s empty.
‘The Grand-Priestess’s residence is that way.’ Looking left. ‘The roundabout way back to the Grand-Hall is that way.’ Glancing right. ‘Neither of which I would expect them to direct him down for an audience with her. Straight it is then. To the Dining and Reception halls.’

Taking the center path, it’s just a hard right corner before the first positive sign she’s on the right track reveals itself to her.

‘There’s his work pack!’ Excitedly jogging up to it, Ryine hefts it from the floor into her arms, looking it over. Then placing it down to the ornate chairs next to the similarly ornate double door. The entrance to one of the smaller Reception Halls.

‘He must be inside…’ Ryine looks back and forth down the hallway. ‘Yet if the Grand-Priestess is here, where is her personal guard? Where is she? I trained her better than ‘this’.’

Stacking that thought in the same box as the mysterious lack of Guards elsewhere, and as much as she wants to rush in. Ryine takes a few deep breaths to calm her breathing and heart rate. Followed by smoothing out her robe, making it look like she didn’t nearly run across a good portion of the City to get here. Having done just that notwithstanding.

‘Once I figure out why he’s been here for so long, I’ll inform the Grand-Priestess of the ‘Severe’ lapse in security in the building. No doubt she’s too busy inside to even notice their absence.’ Double-checking her work on making herself presentable for her superior. Ryine steps up to the doors for the Reception Hall. Taking a breath to steady her nerves. She grabs the door handle in one hand, depressing the thumb-lever latch before pulling it open.

The sight greeting her is not even close to what she expected, not even on the list of possibilities in her mind. Rooting her to the spot, if only for a moment before her anger propels her forward.

Her close friend, her Boyfriend. Suspended in the air, over what to her looks like a perversion of a spell array for a high level healing spell. It rotates slowly while glowing sickly red. Bathing the room in its light. A light mysteriously never reaching past the door, so no wonder she didn’t notice it before entering.

‘How? How can a spell array written in reverse even work?’

The grotesqueness of the situation doesn’t stop there. The one casting the array, the one energy is flowing into outstretched hands. Coming out of her boyfriend while he slowly withers before her eyes. Is the Grand-Priestess herself with a face of glee. A softening one, smoothing out as each moment goes by.

Ryine’s yanks her sword free as the last wisps of life drain from her Boyfriend. The perverse spell array fading from sight as he, with barely a breath left in him. Drops to the floor like a puppet whose strings have been cut.

The last thing he sees before the darkness takes him, is of an Albino female Draco-Fox phasing through the other half of the double door like it wasn’t there. Along with Ryine, leaping across the room. Nearly a streak of light as she flies straight at the Grand-Priestess.

“What did you do to him?! I’ll fucking kill you!”

Dismissively, Grand-Priestess moves one hand in Ryine’s direction, forming a white spell array. Effortlessly blocking the enraged slash of her sword. It clangs against it, like the array as if it was made of dense steel rather than just floating letters. The action of Ryine Causing the Grand-Priestess to scowl angrily at her that it didn’t just send Ryine flying back.

“If you had just stayed at your post tonight, and thought he stood you up like the low-life’s they all are. This would’ve been so simple to sweep under the rug. Especially for someone as promising as you are for my well-being. Sigh, Now not only have you seen something you ‘really’ shouldn’t have. Thanks to spending time blocking your foolish attack I’ve also lost the opportunity to take his soul to compensate for what his pitiful life-force couldn’t do.”

Adding her other hand to the spell array puts enough power into it to send Ryine flying back despite the Battle-Priestess’s force of her attack. Upon hitting the far wall, a painting next to her falls to the floor, along with her sword as it slips from her hands. Barely even noticing it clattering to the floor as she’s struggling to refill her lungs with air from the blow.

“Sigh, and I liked that painting too! So strike two against you Ryine. I can’t take your life force and kill you either, you’re too high up in our Order’s hierarchy. Too many questions will pop up from too many people if you turn up dead for ‘any’ reason. Too many noses snooping about. Can’t have that now can we?”

Dispelling the array, she feels her face. Disappointed on how little youth she got as she walks closer to Ryine. Mindlessly stepping over the desiccated husk of a body like trash. Glaring down at her like she isn’t even worth being treated like a human being.

“I’ll just have to think up a punishment to not only get you out of my hair permanently. A punishment that will also make it so no one of importance will believe you if you go about telling this to anyone. Not to mention, a punishment for your ‘disgusting’ behavior towards a lesser being too.”

--
Current Day
--

Sighing, Ryine looks over at her former student across the simple table. “She couldn’t kill me. You and the others would question how I would die so easily. I couldn’t completely go missing either for the same reason. So the Grand-Priestess came up with the ‘novel’ idea of infecting me with a Mana-Worm.”

The moment she stops speaking, Mathew opens his mouth to reply. Only for Ryine to cut him off by holding up an uncovered hand. The one with scales and fur encroaching past her wrist.

“Don’t ask, already tried whatever it is you’ll say! It can neither be removed nor reversed in any way shape or form through common methods. Not even prayer to our Goddess could do anything.” Putting it down as she finishes speaking.

Sighing he closes his mouth for a moment before moving on to another subject. Deciding he’ll pick it up later after some research. “You could’ve asked me instead of trying to steal from here.”

“And put you on more thin ice than you’re already are? Besides, I had no idea if you would’ve been moved or excommunicated by now.” Ryine gestures to the Sky-Blue Draco-Fox female sleeping soundly and utterly fulfilled in his bed off in the corner of the studio style apartment.

“You’re already here because you, like me, go by the spirit of the scripture. Not the letter of it.”

Mathew’s posture deflates for a moment, before he rights himself and gestures with an open palm at Ryine.
“So instead of killing you, you’ll eventually become an Albino Draco-Fox pariah. Unwelcome in Elysengrad because of being a Draco-Fox. Unwelcome in any Draco-Fox Skulk because of the stigma on Albino’s being the mortal embodiment of death. Their presence supposedly summoning disaster. The only thing that doesn’t change is that the Chakats won’t have you either as they consider BOTH Humans and Draco-Foxes inferior. What are they going to do when it becomes obvious you’re not returning after your ‘Pilgrimage’?”

Mathew does believe her, his teacher. His body and face language though show he doesn’t buy that’s the entire idea of the curse. It doesn’t seem as much of a punishment to him.

Ryine shrugs in the ‘hell if I know’ style. “Make up some random cause of death or just list me as missing? Not that I intend for it to go that far, I have a rather, far-fetched idea on what I can do to stop it. Despite how using Red skills causes the change to happen faster rather than their original cost. Strange as that is.”

Accepting this, he tries to steer the conversation back to the original question. “So why do you need those preserved foodstuffs though?” He’s still curious about that.

‘It’s not like her to need to steal…’

“I mean, I know you. You’re not going to take this sitting down. You’re going to go after her. Or whatever she is to get revenge. Why do something shady like this though?”

Ryine deflates as she lets herself look a bit weary in front of her former student. Someone she could consider her adopted son.
“I’m flat broke Mathew, and I fear the order is keeping track of me via you know who, and the Heroes. If that wasn’t enough trouble, I’m… kinda now taking care of two kids with the most unusual and dangerous classes as well. A Draco-Fox, a boy no older than Nine. Sigh, don’t know why ‘she’ wasn’t constantly watching the Heroes like her station requires, like I trained ‘her’. It would’ve prevented that Thief class one from doing what he did. Still, what’s done is done. Said Thief class Hero killed his parents in front of him. Now the boy is dead set on a path of revenge, and…”

‘Yea this is more like Ryine.’ He smiles inwardly. ‘Caring, even if doesn’t seem like it.’ He finishes for her, continuing to smile.

“And you accepted to help out with his plan for revenge.”

Ryine looks him in the eyes. “Yes I did.”

A slight stirring in his bed draws their attention. The sky blue Draco-fox female yawns, showing all her sharp, white teeth. Then rolling over before the sound of her lightly snoring returns to fill the room. He turns his gaze back to Ryine. “The other one, and their classes?”

“The other is a Chakat cub. About the same age as the Draco-Fox. Recently abandoned by hir parents. As for their classes, hir’s is tied to the reason shi was abandoned. The boy, his class is ‘The Vulpine Dragon’ From the description it’s more in line with a Hero class the Order, that I trained ‘her’ to deal with if they go out of control. It even has a clause that worries me greatly. This ‘class’ can draw on the aspects of ‘both’, for a ‘cost’ to the user if not ‘balanced’ between the two ‘wisely’.”

Mathew deeply frowns at this, already imagining how badly it could go in multiple ways. ‘Yea, talk about a ticking trap ready to blow in peoples faces.’

“And the class of the Chakat?” He’s now curious of hir’s, while dreading it all the same.

Ryine looks back at him with a look he has not seen since she trained him and the other two once their class skills started manifesting. One of eagerness.
“Shi’s a Child of Magic, because hir kind’s innate empathic ‘skill’ was overwritten by the innate Mana Sense skill. According to hir, shi is a level zero Empath. Drawing the attention of the rumored Empath’s in the New Chakona Republic that can mess with your deeper emotions. Such as turning Love of something into Distaste or Hate. Shi was abandoned because of this, and Shi too wants revenge on the Empath that made hir parents go from loving hir, to treating hir like an unwanted object.”

This causes him to laugh before he covers his mouth, looking over to the sleeping Draco-Fox, only to relax when he sees he didn’t wake her with the outburst.
“Just like last time. You took a rebellious nigh uncontrollable son. A son who wanted revenge on his low noble family for kicking him out due to his own bad behavior. Along with two girls, one rejected by their village for being a Druid just because the skill system liked she had a green thumb. The other, who ran away because she still didn’t have a class yet like she was supposed to. Whipped us all into shape through methods others would find crazy. Now we’re all good and respectable people in the world. You did so well, you earned not one, but two high posts in the Order.”

Patting his chest, he smiles. “Look at me for instance. I was that ‘snob’ of a kid. Pissed off my parents at every turn. Yet here I am a respectable…”

He glances over to his bedmate.

“Priest, at least here, and I made bread with my parents. I still write and receive monthly letters from them, maybe one day they’ll let me visit. The others two either have the duty to make sure any Heroes don’t go rouge, or protect a ‘legitimate’ Grand-Priestess. Positions of honor really.”

His demeanor changes though, he looks saddened at Ryine.

“So, after all of that, what’s the real reason you need food that will keep for years? Can’t be ‘just’ because you’re broke and have mouths to feed.”

Ryine moves up to scratch some scales forming on her neck. “I’m going to the Silver Stone Tombs with them. It’s a good place to start their training while I look for one of the Swords, and a Shield from the Heroes that drove back the Continuum at the end of the first age. Not to mention the Staff of the founder of our Order is there as well. They’ll need them for their plans, and I’ll need the equipment to kill whatever that thing is, which is posing as our Order’s Grand-Priestess.”

His Jaw nearly hits the table upon hearing this. “Ryine… That’s no place to bring children, even if they have strong classes!”

Ryine actually tilts her head at him, before she stops herself. A Tick that she’s been happening more often as more scales with fur appear on her body. She knows what it signals as Draco-Foxes do it when confused.
“Why not? It’s empty. The place isn’t known as the actual Tomb of those Heroes, as far as the public’s concerned they’re in the fake Dungeon made and run by the Church in the capital. We won’t have to deal with ‘Adventures’ etc getting in our way. Not to mention the army and the current Hero’s won’t go there. They’re heading further South to a Continuum beachhead.”

‘In fact that’s why they’ve lied to the public about it. The last thing any of the Skulks or Countries need is some Adventurer with a delusion of grandeur to wield powerful magical artifacts causing a ruckus.’ Musing to herself as her former student absorbs what she said.

Realizing Ryine must’ve been out of the news loop for the past couple of years calms Mathew down as he sighs.

Making eye contact with her, Mathew fills her in with the news about that place.
“Two years ago, before this new war with the Continuum, the Tomb was empty as a grave it is, should be. Now it’s.” Pausing to decide the best way to describe it.

“It’s crawling with these ‘things’ that appear to be warped, mutated, and Goddesses Damn MELTED Continuum soldiers or other things. No one knows if this is something the Continuum is doing or if it’s the Dungeon itself doing it. At this point, no one really cares, and simply for how dangerous it is no one has tried to find out. Only two made it back from the large group sent to clear it out when they were first sighted. Thankfully nothing from there has shown up here at Toullac. Doubt the Guards could handle one let alone a horde.”

Getting up, Mathew rummages through the chests he keeps in his room. Pulling out weapons and gear alike, holding them in his hands. “Look, I know you must be in need of something that you will be able to use as this, curse progresses and you become, well you know. After all the gear you have on is enchanted for Human use only. Per the rules for all Church weapons.” He places everything he’s grabbed onto the table in front of Ryine.

“Take these items instead, they’re not as strong, but should serve you and the kids well. Till you find something stronger that is.” He then takes one look at Ryine’s face and slumps his shoulders in defeat, knowing the look too well.

“Your dead set on going there anyway, aren’t you?” Saying flatly.

All she does in reply to this is grin at him, showing her now sharper teeth as he goes to put the gear away. Then sitting back down across from her.

“In that case Mathew, I’ll go alone. Those relics are non-negotiable for our plans. I just need you to take care of Rohoka, and Sandstone. That’s their names by the way. I should only be gone a couple of weeks at least. While I am away, you should be able to keep them here safely out of our Order’s eyes til then. Maybe you can even start their training for me too? For I ‘know’ you remember how I trained all three of you.”

The slight shiver he gets causes her to widen her smile a bit more. ‘I had to go through that training from my parents. Then enjoy it when I put you three through it. Now it’s your turn to get some satisfaction on having someone else go through it while you watch.’

Calming himself, Mathew looks her in the eyes as she closes her mouth. “That being said Ryine, and don’t get me wrong, I am willing to help here. This ‘is’ considered a punishment position by the Order. I am under more scrutiny than any other random Church outside Elysengrad. So I can’t help you forever. I do get regular visits from the Conclave to see if I am ‘being a good boy’.”

Ryine questioningly looks over to the sleeping Draco-Fox female in his bed. “And her? How does She fit in?”

Ryine has to crush a tiny, yet strange bit of jealously over the looks of the Sky-Blue Female. Wings the perfect size and shape with the right amount of muscle in them. Lithe arms, nice round muzzle. A nice long tail and an interesting spade scale at the end of her tail. All signs of a ‘very’ attractive Draco-Fox Female.

He was about to open his mouth about the Chestnut colored male she was dating two years ago. Only to wisely think better of it, tactfully shutting his mouth, if for a moment before answering her.
“She’s smart as a well-made blade is sharp. Knows how to be quiet when needed, sometimes before me. She’s already used to acting as the Church’s Servant Girl when I get my regular check in’s. Thank the goddess that our noses…”

He awkwardly looks to Ryine’s nose, while still human, he can still see a tiny sign of it not being as untouched by her changes as he previously thought.

“Are not as good as Draco-Fox or Chakat, otherwise our relationship would’ve been known long ago.” He smiles inwardly at the memories of the pleasant night they had last night, rolling around in his bed and elsewhere in the room.

Ryine relaxes at this, even if she smirks inwardly at what her slightly heightened sense of smell tells her of her former pupil and his nocturnal activities.

“And the food?” Asking when she turns to look back at him.

“Take what you need, but nothing more Ryine. It’s there in case of disasters for the local populace according to all the aid treaties. I’ll just pass what you take as faulty in the register when it gets restocked on their next visit.” Standing as Ryine does, Mathew opens the door for her.

Following her back down to the Main Hall of the Church, Ryine glances back at him. “I’ll go get the two kids after this and drop them off here on my way up to the Tombs, that being said, you don’t need to escort me down to get the food. I know the way.”

Gripping Ryine’s shoulder and pulling her into a hug, he smiles down at her. “I haven’t seen or heard from the person I consider my second Mother for two years, so let me have this moment, please.”

Not fighting the hug, Ryine returns it. He reluctantly lets go of her a few moments later, and following down to the storeroom. He watches as she doesn’t take long to put a month’s worth of food into her personal bag of holding. Just in case it takes her longer than she expects in the Tombs.

Now with what she came for, she reattaches her veil, and puts her gloves back on. All signs of her curse hidden again from the outside world.

“I’ll be back in a couple of hours or so. Can’t use the quick way to get back to the Inn like I did to get here.” Her voice filled with annoyance. Mathew nods knowingly, opening the Church’s front door for her, then quickly presses a token from his pocket into a gloved hand.

“Yea don’t want to make the locals realize the walls are useless to those with the right skills. Anyway the token allows you entry and exit without scrutiny from the guards. No need for them to question why they didn’t see you leave and now need back in either.” His sarcasm gets Ryine to shake her head, but before she exits, she places a hand on his shoulder lovingly.

“I’m proud of you Mathew, and thank you, it will help.” She lets her hand slip off his shoulder.

Smiling at her, Mathew watches Ryine leave the Church’s property. Taking the path back to town. ‘I just hope this isn’t the last time I’ll see you Ryine. Human OR Draco-Fox, your still family to me.’

Following the path at a walking pace this time, Ryine’s mind keeps going over one question she has about all of this. ‘The Tomb’s supposed to be empty on purpose to not draw attention to the actual resting place of the Heroes and the powerful artifacts within. What’s going on there?’

No answer comes to mind despite how many times or angles she looks at it with.

Approaching the town gate, she pulls out the token, showing it to the Draco-Fox Town-Guard. He in turn taps it with a blue glowing short claw hand, then nods at her approvingly. Letting her pass without a search or the daytime entry fee. Ryine pockets the useful bit of metal and quickens her pace towards the Inn.

‘Can’t be the Continuum, not when they have Slaves and Prisoners of War to do experiments on. They’d rather throw Soldiers into the meat grinder.’

Even this early in the morning the streets are already full, mostly with Draco-Fox’s. A Few lone Humans here and there, and ‘very’ rarely, Ryine sees a Chakat. The last one though so far all she’s seen on the streets are just Cubs. Unlike Draguilliers, each one’s escorted by a local Priest, Priestess, or Town-Guard. None left to their own devices.

‘Advantages of a rich Clan I guess.’ Musing, she turns onto the right street, then walks up to the Inn they’re staying at. Entering, she gives a polite wave to the same Stormcloud-Gray Draco-Fox female Receptionist at the counter, heading on up to the room they reserved last night without stopping.

“I don’t think she abandoned us.” Ryine pauses listening to Rohoka’s voice through the door. His words causing her stand there for a moment, so she can listen to more of the conversation. Find out how they feel, and if they trust her.

‘On the one hand, looking in from the outside he might be a bit too trusting me. Only having met me Just a day ago. On the other, he watched his parents get killed just a day before that and is seeking the stability of a parent… Can I be considered as such now?’

“Then where is she?” Sandstone snappily replies, walking to the single window in the room. Looking outside to the sky and holding hir hand up at the horizon, then the sun. “It’s almost Noon? We only have the coin for another day.” Shi pauses for a moment. “Well you, have the coin.” Ryine hears Rohoka follow hir a moment later.

“No it’s not Noon. You’re reading the time of day wrong.” He holds up his short claw hand like he was taught and adjusts his fingers to show what shi is supposed to do.

“Hey!” Sandstone glares at him. “You didn’t move your fingers when you did that thing last night.” Shi points to Rohoka’s short clawed hand.

Rolling his eyes, he glares back at hir. “If you had asked ‘how’, I would’ve told you. You take a finger away for the warmer months of the year since the sun goes higher in the sky and moves slower across the sky compared to the colder months. At night, you don’t need to move a finger for the moon depending on the year since it moves at a constant pace.”

Both of them instantly shut up as Ryine enters, shutting the door behind herself gently. Both turn to look at her.

“Told you I’ll be back before noon.” She smiles at the both of them. “Anyway, we need to head over to my friend’s place. He’ll take care of you for a few weeks while I take care of something important.”

Folding their ears back, both Draco-Fox and Chakat cubs meet Ryine’s gaze skeptically. The former speaking before the latter can. “I thought you promised to help us?”

“I did, and that is what I’m doing.” Ryine doesn’t shy away from the glare, even if it does sting. 

“Some more recent news from my friend caused me to change my plans. Originally I was going to have you two go with me to the Silver Stone Tombs up-river from here. It was ‘supposed’ to be empty, thus safe for you as I start your training as I look for a few things laid to rest there.”
She walks over to the bed, hefting their cheaper bag over her shoulder. The two of them don’t stop her. Sandstone’s tail twitches though, showing hir annoyance at this.

The fear of being abandoned, again running through hir mind.

“What changed?” Sandstone’s tone of voice makes Ryine inwardly wince. Speaking volumes of the loss of trust she gained with hir back in the woods.

Ryine sighs and decides to be as honest with them as possible. “What can only be described as Monsters have taken up residence in the Tomb. Not even Adventurers based here in Toullac are going there to fight them, and said Adventurers are leagues stronger than those Scouts we ran into. They’d hurt you and I don’t know if I could stop them.”

She didn’t want to touch such a sore wound, and the sight of their posture falling shows how painful of a subject it still is on top of all the other pain they must be dealing with or ignoring, for now.
“Look, I trust the guy. Trained him myself. He’ll take care of you for the two to three weeks I expect to be gone. Starting your training in a better way than I had planned, in a better location. So when I get back I’ll see how well you two have done, and we go from there.”

Rohoka steps closer to Ryine, glaring up at her. A small part of him telling him ‘this is why you can’t trust humans, breaking even an informal verbal contract’.

“Why can’t you wait till you’re done training us to go there? It’s a Tomb, No one goes to Tombs. That’s what Mom and Dad said.” She sees the hurt in his eyes upon him mentioning his parents.

Ryine kneels down to their level looking softly at both of them. “To answer that question I need to let the both of you in on a little secret. So, you can’t tell anyone about this. I know it, and my friend does, but no one else should. It’s related to why I need to go, but I need you two to not tell anyone, okay?”

Sandstone and Rohoka look at each other, then back to Ryine, she watches them for a few moments longer before both nod once. Both feeling they can at least give her this bit of trust.

“Both of you know your history, how after the first few groups of summoned Hero’s, one was ‘finally’ successful in driving back the Continuum when they first tried to invade. Right?”

Both Chakat and Draco-Fox nod again. Sandstone though a bit more hesitantly. What shi was taught at school differing a ‘bit’ from that.

Ryine smiles. “Their resting place isn’t in Elysengrad, the City and Capital of the Kingdom of Elysengrad. No, that place is for tourists and to fool Adventurers, set up by my Order. Their real resting place is in the Silver Stone Tombs North of here. I intend on grabbing the Sword and Shield of the leader, and the Staff of the founder of the order of Victoria, my Order.”

She thinks for a moment, something to sweeten the deal for them, and help. “Might also grab the Staff belonging to their Mage too. For you Sandstone. That’s why we don’t have time to do this after your training, can’t let someone else find the stuff first. Right now the Monsters are driving people away, eventually they’ll attract them instead. Wondering ‘what are they protecting’.”

Sandstone’s ears perk, followed shortly after by Rohoka’s. “You’re going there to get something for me?” Shi sounds rather doubtful, and hopeful at the same time.

A part of Ryine winces. ‘This isn’t how you build a relationship, or it shouldn’t be…’

“What about me?” Rohoka chimes in. His tone of voice of one who feels like he’s being left out. Causing Sandstone to look at him with a glare.

“She was talking about me!” Folding hir ears back, tail tip lashing about at the young Draco-Fox boy.

“Hold it you two.” Ryine puts a gloved hand on each of them. Causing the two kids to turn their attention back to her. Stopping the bit of bickering between them in its tracks.

She looks Rohoka in the eyes. “You can ‘try’ to use the Sword and Shield from the leader of the group Rohoka, if they will have you. Supposedly, per the historical scrolls, they choose their wielder and are picky. Either way, I can’t go there with you two in tow, not safe for you and I can’t fight at my best if I’m trying to keep you safe. So do you two agree to stay with my friend while I’m gone?”

Both Chakat and Draco-Fox look at each other, then back at Ryine.

“Okay” Rohoka Answers, followed by “As long as you’re telling the truth.” Sandstone too answers with a bit more skepticism. “Fine.”

Ryine cannot blame hir considering what happened to hir parents. “Alright lets get going.”

--
A short trip later.
--

Mathew stands at the door of his Church, not moving from the spot since Ryine left hours ago. Watching the now group of three approach, the nice set of clothes on the Chakat Cub surprises him.

‘Offspring of a noble? Don’t they get a ‘bit’ of leeway in the Republic’s purges?’

Rohoka’s state of clothing though, does not surprise him. What does is him already having the typical Draco-Fox thin summer fur coat in Spring. Showing more scales, and retaining a bit less heat, for they are just as warm blooded as Humans after all.

Both children follow a couple of steps behind Ryine as they approach him. “Mathew, this is Rohoka.” She gestures to the young Draco-Fox. “And Shir Sandstone.” She gestures to the Chakat Cub.
Then she points to him. “Both of you, this is Mathew, former student of mine and Priest of this Church for Toullac.”

Waving at the two, only gets him a curious if skeptical looks from them. ‘I can understand the boy’s distrust for Humans. The Chakat though, must’ve had at least some of their Republics education taken to heart for hir to have that look at me.’

Ryine steps back to allow the two to get a bit closer to Mathew. “At best I’ll be gone for two weeks. The Worst case, It’ll be closer to a month. I trust your judgment on what to do if that’s the case Mathew.” She smiles behind the veil at her former student who nods to her in return.

He’s trying to ignore the two of them sniffing the air in his general direction. More than likely scenting his activity last night well before Ryine’s intrusion and attempted theft triggered the alarms and woke him.

Letting the cheaper bag of holding slip from her shoulder, into her hands, she holds it up for a moment in the direction of Mathew. “This bag of holding contains all of Rohoka’s belongings minus the dagger I gave Sandstone. So don’t lose it.”
Ryine places it on the ground just inside the property gate. Allowing herself a look back at the two, a more motherly smile forms on her face. Not that they can see it behind the veil.

“I’ll be back before you two know it.”

They turn to look at her, waving nervously as they watch her take the other direction on the path, towards the river. Both of them in their own way wondering if she is telling the truth, or if this was just some big ruse to dump them on someone else.

Mathew loudly claps his hands together, once, and along with it. A small breeze ruffles the two’s fur and clothing, grabbing their attention.

“Alright! I’ll get the bag in a minute. You two though, it’s still early enough in the day to do this, so your training starts now!”

Rohoka turns to look at the Human whose demeanor has totally changed from laid back Priest to something akin to a position that has no place on this world yet, but, if they were to talk to anyone recently summoned from Earth. They would call it, Drill-Sargent.

Looking at the two, Mathew keeps his posture stiff but neutral, yet he puts full authority into his voice as he speaks. “Take off anything that isn’t needed by Clan law to keep you decent! Rohoka, that means your shirt and foot wrappings. Sandstone, since you’re not old enough yet for ‘that’ part of your chest to grow. Your shirt goes too, but keep the lower torso garment on.”

“Why?” Rohoka looks up to him. Having no clue on what kind of training requires the shedding of clothing and risking breaking Clan law.

Mathew shrugs off all clothing but his trousers and shoes as an example. Revealing a near perfectly sculpted body full of muscle. “Because the both of you obviously only have one set of clothing, and it would be a shame to ruin them with the training I am going to put you two through. The training you two agreed to with Ryine.”

Both children close their mouth’s, about to ask what this training is going to be only to be stopped as Mathew continues with a raised hand.

He starts stretching his arms and legs, seeing that he’s serious, both the Chakat cub and the young Draco-Fox comply with his request to remove parts of their clothing.
“Ryine’s ancestor, a Hero of a surviving, but not the victorious party at the end of the First Age. Developed this training method from what Ryine claims, a strong person in the world they came from had used to become a great Hero just to be a great Hero.”

Stopping once he’s sufficiently limber, then gazes at them with an intensity that tells the two there’s no room for questioning what he’s about to say.

“For today only, we’re just going to see what you two can do as I do it for my daily exercise. First, you two will attempt to follow me in a Six and a Quarter Mile run. We’re going to do multiple laps around the Church’s property to achieve this. Then we’ll see how many Push-Ups you two can do.”

Pausing to look at Sandstone, He thinks only for a moment how hir body shape can do push-ups. He then points at hir. “For you Shir Sandstone. This will entail you laying flat on your lower belly, lowering your upper torso to line up with your lower torso. Tucking your fore-legs and fore-paws up against your body. Then lifting your body with your arms while keeping your two backs straight as possible using your rear paws provide the pivot point.”

Then he points to Rohoka next. “You will have to keep your tail off the ground as you do them. Male Draco-Fox tails are extremely strong, and this is about arm strength.” He then leads them to the edge of the property on the inner side of the wall. Keeping them on Church property.

“Then will come Sit-ups, Squats, Pull-ups, followed lastly by an exercise to help you limber up. Something Ryine’s family calls Jumping Jacks and then Stretching. What you achieve today will be your goal for tomorrow, so no trying to set the bar low or will double it!”

He pauses to let it sink in. “That will be just the morning routine after you get out of bed. Then you will have your first meal of the day, and about an hour to rest. After that, I’ll take out the swords, and we’ll go through some fundamentals. In short, after we do this, I’ll get you some food, and we’ll start the swordplay part for the Afternoon.”

Both just stare at him. The same thought running through their minds. ‘What did I just agree too?’ With Sandstone being the first to voice hir concern on the matter.

“But I use magic. How does all this help me get stronger? Isn’t magic all in the mind?”

It doesn’t take hir non-existent empathy skill to tell shi shouldn’t have asked that as Mathew smirks. Understanding what Ryine meant about the satisfaction of being on this side of the regime now.

“One, I’ll let it pass for the first time. From now on though, questioning me like this after you’ve agreed to it will result in extra laps etc. Two, to answer your question, it will in fact make your magic a ‘lot’ stronger. Rather than a singular muscle. Magic depends exclusively on the fitness of the caster. Your stamina and fitness will allow you to cast more and cast more powerfully too. You’ll be able to move to defend yourself better and keep your opponents in range. As well as giving you options if you must resort to melee. You don’t want to be casting a fireball in a hallway or small building as not all your battles will be in the wide open outdoors where you don’t risk getting hit with blow back from your own spells.”

Sandstone lowers hir ears a bit. Understanding this, and with the understanding comes the dread on how hard this is going to be. Shi looks over to Rohoka, and from what shi can tell by his body language. He feels the same about this.

Mathew nods at the two, understanding their apprehension as he and the other two felt the same when Ryine did this to them. Like them, hopefully these two will thank him and Ryine once they start seeing the results it produces.
“Alright, enough talking. I’ll start off, you two follow. Try until you can’t go on any further for today, and again, don’t even think about trying to set a low number to make it easy. I’ll know.”

Starting slow, Mathew sets off at a light jog. Though to the both Rohoka and Snadstone, that ‘jog’ looks more like a run, as they move to follow at a much slower pace. Except, that with Sandstone’s four legs compared to Rohoka’s two. Shi quickly pulls ahead of him, well before they make their first lap. Not before Mathew has already lapped them once in return.

He mentally sighs. ‘Right, four legs instead of two.’

Mathew thinks for a bit, about a fifth of a lap. ‘Might have to double hir laps anyway to get the same effect. Then again, I don’t know if Chakats have the same endurance of us Humans, or Draco-Fox in that regard. Especially with those two fore-paws that look more like hands than feet. Sigh, questions for later.’
He shakes his head and continues on with his morning routine. Rohoka and Sandstone soon flagging a bit after a couple laps around the Church’s property.