FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

***Chapter 3***

The city was in a bit of disarray. Talks about wild running carriages and so many people hurt in explosions and the crossfire of ranged weaponry. Guards were all sent to try and tend to the wounded, people injured from all of the battle and wild stampedes of folks running for their lives. Lorif did his best to make sure the people he passed by were as safe as possible before he went to the Prince’s palace.

He was glad to see his lieutenant arranged with the other Prince’s together, some more irate than the others. One Prince stood in Ahsee’s face, demanding answers for what was going on.

“Somebody better explain something! I’ve been hearing screams all over the city! Guards rushing about the place and some of your human soldiers practically kidnap me and race me out of my own district!” The Prince was a dust red striped cat, slightly shorter than Ahsee and with a golden tooth which Lorif only knew because his growling and hissing made it hard to ignore.

“Please, Prince Hatarah, calm down. Everything will be revealed when we gather the others,” Ahsee responded.

“Must be important if we’re all being gathered together,” said the large Tiger man, his deep booming voice echoing through the room.

“Typically when bad things happen, you don’t gather all the important people in one room,” Hatarah said as he leaned against a column.

“Captain Lorif has requested you all be brought here for your safety.”

“And just where exactly is Captain Lorif? If I may ask,” Prince Ayriss spoke up. He was a lithe striped white cat with a blue headscarf and robes stepped forward. He stared at her expectantly behind his thin glasses, lightly thumbing the spine of his book as he awaited her response. Before she could give one though, Captain Lorif came walking into the room, his hair still wet from his jump in the canals. He had changed his clothes, luckily gifted some new attire from one of the locals.

“Thank you for waiting,” he said simply, walking up to Ahsee. “Did you contact Aziqi?” She nodded.

“He said he would stay with the wounded to keep them safe. I have heard nothing from Kamath.”

“Lorif!” said the large Tiger, a low growl in his voice. “An explanation.”

“I was with Prince’s Sovu and Rasi. We were attacked near the marketplace by some robed people.”

“What?!” Said the Prince’s all immediately at attention.

“Why didn’t you tell us? We could have helped!”

“Did they kill them? Where are Sovu and Rasi?”

“Is anyone hurt? Were there any casualties?”

“Have we found the men responsible?”

“I’ll tear them in half!”

“Hang on!” Lorif interrupted the flurry of questions. “Hang on. I have guards sweeping the city to find any traces of these people as we can. In time we will-”

“But what about Rasi and Sovu? Are they okay?” Ayriss asked.

“I… was unable to rescue them.”

“No!”

“How?!”

“Lorif, please say you are lying!” The green haired man was unable to say much more beyond his failure. He had not been here long and had already lost TWO Princes. He took a breath and waited for the various questions to die down before speaking.

“My brothers!” A new voice came from the halls. “Please be kind to him. He is doing all he can.” Kamath calmly walked into the room, the young Prince Rasi in his arms, clinging tightly to his shirt. The previous shock and horror in the room was now replaced with relief, rushing to see their youngest brother safe and sound. So many questions were volleyed at the young Prince, the boy unable to do anything but smile and hug them all in return.

“_<Kamath saved me earlier. One of the men tried to take me away in a caged cart. I would have died if he wasn’t there!>” _The young Prince signed.

“What were you doing out there?” Ayriss asked. Kamath shrugged.

“Sightseeing.” He looked over at Lorif who seemed mixed between a smile and glare. He wasn’t quite sure how he felt about this cat right now.

“Prince Rasi,” he began, walking forward. “<I’m sorry I wasn’t there to help you. I was… in the heat of the moment and made a choice. I should have come to make sure you were safe first.>” He signed. Rasi shook his head.

“<You have nothing to apologize for. Except for not finding my brother yet.>” The smile on his face was harmless, a subtle dig at the captain's inaction. Lorif chuckled in response.

“I’ll get him back. I promise. But… I’m going to need some help from Kamath.” The feline smiled in response.

“As if you had a choice.”

*****

Deep beneath the catacombs of the city, long buried under miles of sand and dust, ashes of a city long passed, a band of unknown people gathered to meet their newest addition. The white cat barely struggled in captivity, out of breath from speaking the entire time.

“- If you had simply told me about this - OWW! The tiles in this underground haven of yours are really uneven! Please be careful! I have no shoes and a cat's paws are very delicate! May I please speak to the person in charge? I will hear everything you have to say-”

“Then listen!” Said one of the men, dropping the cat onto the table in the middle of the room. Sovu groaned but managed to sit himself back up. The mass of people around him were all human, grimacing and furious at the feline in front of them. But the most important person was a woman coming down the staircase. She looked in surprise at Sovu’s presence before frowning.

“Where’s the other one?” She asked the room. Only one of them stepped forward.

“One of the Prince’s… may have escaped.”

“What?!” She exclaimed.

“Yes!” Sovu laughed, turning to face the woman. “I knew they would go for him over me.”

“As did I!” She hissed at her compatriots. “Of the two Prince’s needed, you bring me the lesser one!” The white cat frowned.

“I will have you know I am a very important-” he began before one of his captors quickly gagged his mouth and tied it shut.

“We grabbed who we could! The other Prince’s were too well protected! These ones were in broad public. It was actually pretty easy to get them.”

“But difficult to hold onto, apparently.” The woman groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Fine. We can make this work. Did you remove all of his mana crystals on him?”

“Yes. He’s clean.”

“Did you check everywhere?” The followers looked lost.

“What?”

“These Cats are crafty.” She grabbed Sovu’s robes and lifted the shirt before going down to his pants, pulling them low and revealing his furred sheath… and a small, glowing blue ring around it.. The white cat was unable to speak in protest as she shoved her hand down his pants. Her hands were freezing and the cat squirmed in clear discomfort as she clutched the ring tightly, pulling with all her might. He regretted fastening the ring so tightly as every pull tugged The cat's sensitive malehood more than it was actually freeing the ring.

“Aghh! You’re gonna pull it OFF!” He screamed from behind the gag.

“That’s the plan!” She growled, giving one last pull and successfully getting the ring off the cat’s privates, pushing him to the floor as he groaned in pain. Sovu curled up in a ball, tail curled between his legs as he waited for the pain to fade.

‘Could have…. asked.. . nicely.’ He thought to himself.

“Trust me,” the woman began, handing the ring off to an unwilling follower. “That was no more fun for me than it was for you.” She then rushed to check under his tail and inside his ear. Nothing more was found and she would personally bring the cat to his new cell. Sovu was humiliated but held his tongue.

The woman was strong, her hands were muscled but boney and her overall physique was bigger than he expected of a human woman. The grip she had on his arm was tight, like a bear trap. Her fingers were thin, long claws at the tips of her nails that dug into his arm. The cold stone floor beneath him was falling apart, dust and small pebbles of rubble hurt his paws as he walked down the dark caverns of the underground. The hall was marked with an untold number of cells, spacious and dark with barely a touch of light reaching them.

He was soon tossed into a cell to join them, a cold puddle of who-knows-what splashing in his face. The woman snapped the gag off of his mouth.

“Don’t worry, White One. You won’t be here long. Once your brothers come looking for you, all will be set right.” Sovu pushed some of the hair out of his face as he looked back at the woman.

“If you wanted to speak with them, you only needed to ask.”

“Talk is cheap and your kind are not known for their honesty. I need proof they will keep their word. With you, I will get just that. Provided they care enough about you. We wanted the littlest one. Surely they would give all they had to rescue the sweet face of a child. But no. My men had to louse it up and give me YOU.” There was a faint golden glow in her eyes, as if a great fire would burst from them. Sovu faced her, dusting off his hands and began to sign.

“{I can always pretend, if that will make you feel better.}” He was certain she didn’t understand a single word he signed but in the end he flipped his middle finger at her. That got a reaction. Sovu was unsure about the meaning of this gesture but apparently humans greatly disliked it. She groaned and left the cat in his prison. Sovu sighed and dusted himself off, walking up to the cell bars. He felt how old the cell was, the rust dusting off onto his fur.

“To think… they’d been hiding here all this time,” he spoke softly. He hardly recognized this place. It had been a while…

“<Have I heard right? A Prince of the city is down here once again?>” A man’s voice came from the opposite cell. He stuck his head out and was briefly illuminated by what little light remained in the underground. The man was dark skinned, a full greying beard having grown on his face with grey hair on his head to match. His blue eyes stood out in the darkness and he looked tired. So very tired…

“<Yes. I am Prince Sovu. Who are you?>” The man gave a weak laugh and seemed to shift into a kneeling position, his hands cupped together in reverence.

“<The Lady of War has answered my prayers. She finally gives us one who can help save us. My name is Abir, my Prince.”

“<How long have you been down here, Abir?>”

“<Ohhhh I believe some… four years? Is young Rasi Prince yet?” Sovu lost his breath for a moment. This man was imprisoned here before Rasi was made a true Prince of the Nine. Four years spent down in this dark cavernous place wherever it was.

And Sovu never knew.

“<Y-yes. Yes he is. He is a wonderful Prince as well. Every bit as kind and attentive as his mother.>” Abir nodded.

“<That is good to hear. That warms my old heart.>” The man groaned as he leaned his back against the bars of the cell.

“<I am sorry. I swear by Our Lady of War that if I had known I would have come here to save you myself.>” The old man laughed, looking at the Prince with kind eyes.

“<I don’t doubt that, Prince Sovu. I was one of the few supporters here of you and your brothers. Not everyone else shared my… enthusiasm?>” Sovu smiled before shaking his head.

“<Others? What others?>”

“<Your cell. There are a few who still rest inside. A few in mine too. If my counting is still correct. It’s so terribly difficult to see in these halls.>” Sovu immediately turned around and saw, faintly in the dark, three people huddled by themselves in the dark. They barely moved, almost as if corpses but a scratch against the ground or moving of the leg confirmed their condition. When the prince took a step towards them, all of them recoiled in fear, going as far as to claw at the wall for some escape.

“<I swear not to hurt any of you. Lest Barka take my breath away.>” _ He spoke softly, hoping to ease their fears but it did not work. _“<I am Sovu, Prince of Rites Rituals. I promise I am unarmed. If you would->” He reached out to touch one of them, a woman, but she groaned, shaking violently in fear. Sovu backed away, giving them all peace. He sighed and leaned against the bars of the cell.

“<Who are all these people? Why are they here?>”

“<Just people. Regular common people from the city. There is a man in your cell with white hair. He was a bread maker. The woman next to him, a writer. There is a short woman in here with me who used to be a forgemaster. We don’t know why we are all here. Simply that we are.>”

“<Why is everyone so scared? Why don’t they speak?>”

“<Sometimes one of the robed men comes and takes someone but when they come back… they are not the same. They change completely. I have been unable to speak to anyone and they do not accept food.>” The Prince was about to ask another question before someone else came down the halls of the prison. They went to Abir’s cell and pulled him out, the man’s body malnourished and scrawny. He could barely measure a resistance as the robed man gripped him by the arms and pulled him to his feet.

“<Barka’s blessings my Prince,>” He said softly. Sovu could only growl as the man was taken away. He was going to help these people. Luckily he had planned ahead. His constant talking had made the people bound his mouth so they wouldn’t check. A special, last desperate move. He had to stick to the plan. The Prince reached into his mouth, feeling around the back for one tooth in particular unlike the others. It was loose, cold, and when he pulled it free from its space, it glowed a faint blue.

He spoke a word of power and the crystal glowed, the Prince smiling to himself as he gently touched his hand to the cell door. It creaked, groaned, before the lock popped open, the door leaning slightly ajar. He turned to the people still in the cell with him, all of them freaking out as they heard the cell open.

“I will get you all out of here. I promise. But I must do something first.”

_ ***Chapter 4*** _

Lorif and Kamath calmly walked down the narrow halls of the streets. The sun was setting, night not yet having taken hold and the people beginning to ready themselves for a city wide party.

“A shame I won’t be able to have any fun while the festival is going on,” Kamath said quietly as they passed by a happy crowd of people.

“The life of a Prince is difficult.”

“Very. But the people come first.” He gently took the hand of one of the women he passed and kissed it, making her blush. “Or so says my brothers. So, what is your plan?”

“The man who kidnapped Sovu used these canals to get to where they are. Do these go through the whole city?”

“Yes,” Kamath crossed his arms. “It’s designed like a web, makes travel easy and provides valuable water to the houses nearby.”

“Good. We need to find some people who saw them leave. Any eye witnesses that can give us a clue. Does the city have any neighborhood watches?”

“The guards usually take care of that,” Kamath smiled before looking down the canal. “But we do have some.” He led Lorif down the waterway, smiling to the people who recognized him and laughing along with them as he carried on. They passed by a group of guards patrolling the city, in disguise but recognizable by the necklaces they wore.

“Should the city not be under some kind of lockdown? People were hurt in the kidnapping of the Prince’s.”

“We don’t want this getting too out of hand. The wounded are being tended to, Tok’kaj is heading the security of the city and Taifa has asked we continue the celebrations in honor of Sovu. If we end the festivities, the people will be even more frightened.” Lorif frowned but didn’t say anymore. It seemed as though Kamath was expecting him to say something as he looked back at him with a raised eyebrow but the green haired man simply nodded. The two of them came to a building at a crossroads of the waterway.

Just before going in, Kamath paused at the door, turning to face the guard with a dark look in his eyes.

“My brothers know nothing about these buildings. What you are about to see is not to be mentioned to any of them, do we have an understanding?” The captain nodded.

“Indeed we do.” Kamath smiled and knocked on the door and it opened quickly, both men walking in quickly. Lorif gripped his sword in caution but Kamath was completely at ease.

“<Tsasa. I need your eyes.>” He said softly. The room was dark, almost pitch black with the only source of light coming from the open window, the Moons of Alvarys lighting the world below. The room was well put together but dusty. Books lined the desk by the window, one left open in front of a candle sparking to life at the Prince’s words.

<”Who are you?>” Many voices called out. Though Lorif couldn’t understand what they were saying, there was a tone of frustration from them. No one voice was louder than the other, each seeming to vie for supremacy.

“<Prince Kamath of Niezz, joined by the Myrinian captain Lorif.>” There was a silence in the room before the candle flickered to a bright blue color, a black cat walking just behind it. Lorif could barely see the cat, the only tell being their glowing blue eyes.

“We of the Path of Sight recognize you, Prince of Secrets. What do you ask of us?” Finally he could understand them now.

“My brother, Sovurub, he was taken by some strange robed men. Did you see him?” Tsasa purred, unmoving and unblinking as they seemed deep in thought. Before long, the purring stopped and they looked up at Kamath.

“The white furred one. He was spotted passing by three towers in his abduction. The last one was near the Mason’s quarters at the southeast of the city… They appeared to be going to the city ruins."

“Ruins?” Lorif asked.

“I will explain on the way.” The cat flicked an ear. “Was there anything else?” Lorif frowned at Kamath’s seemingly laid back attitude but said nothing. For now.

“Some have spoken of a woman who fell through the window of their home and stole their clothing.” Kamath frowned.

“Is she in any way connected to this?”

“We do not know.”

“Right…” The elder cat scratched behind his ear. “See if you can find this stranger. And have some eyes to guide us to the ruins of the city outskirts. Watch our back.” The house-cat nodded and looked out the window. The shadows of the room began to move outwards like a mist, a faint trail escaping before reforming into a new body, a small feathered crow that flew effortlessly in the night air.

“Thank you, Tsasa,” Lorif said as they began to leave. The cat’s eyes squinted in a kind smile.

“Clear skies Captain, My Prince.” The voices were but a whisper before the candle puffed out leaving the room barren and empty once more.

*****

Sovu slowly paced through the halls of the catacombs, his paws gliding silently over the rubble ridden floor. He checked every corner he went around, avoiding any guard that happened to be nearby. He seemed to only be going deeper into the underground, finding more cells but these filled with corpses, bones, blood staining the walls. It nearly made him vomit but he forced himself together, giving a small prayer before moving on. He continued down the hall, immediately hiding once he heard two people walking by.

“{You ever been to the Mason’s district? That cat can make some damn good swords},” the woman said as she passed by the corner.

“{What the fuck is the point of buying our new shit when the weapons are smuggled in anyway?}” The man asked, chuckling.

“{Wellll sometimes we don’t get anything! I swear they just give us the cheapest metals. Like… Iron weapons? Really?!}”

“{Hey! Even Iron has its uses.}”

“{For farming tools sure! But Bronze is clearly the better choice! Stronger, heavier, fucks with magic too.}” The woman listed off as her companion chuckled.

“{You’re so dull.}” The two laughed as they soon faded from earshot, Sovu leaving in the opposite way. He came upon an armory, weapons lined up on the racks but not a lot of them looked good. Crude and damaged, chipped along the edges and scratches along the flat sides. The furnace was recently extinguished, smoke still coming out but there was a little something left inside. It didn’t look like a weapon but rather a mask, not quite burned away yet. Sovu reached out and grabbed the mask, resting it on the floor as it was still warm but not enough to burn his fingers thankfully.

The mask was clearly damaged, markings lining the white parts of it but half of it was broken off and smoking. The lines around the face would glow with every touch Sovu made before it seemed to just flicker out. He would keep this mask for himself. He and his brothers would find out more about it.

The room had a window, looking out to sunset, now fading well below the horizon. Sovu moved over to the furnace and started to light the fires once more, tossing all of the weapons into the fire as he stoked it further. Speaking a small magical spell, the cat turned the flame from a bright orange to a strong red, burning the furnace along with the weapons as it slowly began to cave in on itself. Soon the fire grew more, the whole room going up in flames as Sovu ran off. Making sure to keep himself hidden as people came to try and put out the fires that only grew in intensity.

He safely made his way back to his cell and closed the door behind him as he saw the trails of smoke slowly make their way to the cellroom. The smell of smoke made him gag but he shuffled away from the growing smoke clouds dominating the underground hallways.

“{The fire is too big! Tell Niela we have to evacuate!}”

“{We can’t! The guards will find us out there!}”

“{It’s either that or we burn!}”

“{If the smoke doesn’t kill us first! Everybody out!}” Voices shouted over the roaring flames back and forth on what to do before one woman came barreling down the halls, coughing up a storm and part of her cloak having caught fire.

“Everyone up! We’re moving you!” She shouted, as the bodies all moved as if corpses brought back to life. Only moans could be heard as the people clamored to the sound of her voice reaching out for her as she banged on the cell bars.

“Everyone in line! {All in one!}” She commanded and all of the people got into a single file line, hand in hand with the one in front holding out his hand for their captor. Sovu stood still as stone before the woman banged on the bars again, scaring everyone and forcing his attention.

“You too, cat! Hurry!” She exclaimed. Sovu came to the front of the line and took the leading man’s hand, and she then opened the cell doors, guiding everyone out slowly. Both lines grabbed onto the woman’s cloak as she slowly ushered them to safer grounds, other cloaked and armed men rushing past her to put out the fires and escape with whatever they had. In the background Sovu could hear the voice of the woman who led them, the one he assumed was Niela, shouting and screaming for answers but none would come. The fire had seemed to grow too big and now putting it out was no longer the plan.

‘Now the hard part comes…’

*****

The crow had guided Lorif and Kamath to an old abandoned kiln, left to ruin many years ago. The home it belonged to was half destroyed, ashes left neglected years ago. A small shrine of foreign weapons was made in the middle of the dead kiln. Two swords, an axe and a spear with a shield holding them all. Kamath smiled at the shrine, seeing the footsteps on the ground around it.

“He made it,” the cat said quietly.

“What?”

“I… think I know where they are. We should call the guards. Tell them to meet us here. And bring my brother Tok’kaj.” Kamath looked over the house and searched around the building while Lorif contacted Ahsee.

“Ahsee, are you there?”

“Yes Captain. Is everything okay?”

“I think Kamath and I found out where they’re keeping Prince Sovu. Gather some guards and bring them to… The ruins of the outer city limits and bring Prince Tok’kaj with you.” Ahsee gave pause before responding.

“Uhm… I am hoping he knows how to get there.”

“Me too.” Lorif ended the communication and turned to see Kamath looking over the ruins of the city past the horizon. The crow on his shoulder gave one last caw before fading into a black mist. Lorif stood next to him and was surprised at the ruins. There was a whole neighborhood worth of destroyed buildings left behind here to fade into dust and ash. Part of a city robbed of its future.

“What is this place?”

“This was the original site for the city of Niezz. A few years ago we were hit pretty badly by the Western Kingdoms. We hadn’t finished making the walls so… a lot of people died. But that day… That was the day my brothers and I gained the favor of everyone. We fought hard. To the last man. The underground tunnels and catacombs ushered people to safe parts of the city and soldiers to the important battles.” He chuckled at this, grabbing at a mass of sand, watching it pour between his fingers. “The fact that some rag tag group of cats could stand against the might of these foreign invaders when the Highwreath in the capital couldn’t? We were like Gods.” Lorif looked over the destroyed buildings, weapons left behind almost completely buried under the shifting sands.

“These catacombs… Why are they still standing?” The cat didn’t respond, simply looking out into the ruins and waiting. They would not be waiting long as smoke began to crawl through the roof of one of the abandoned buildings. Just in time as Tok’kaj and a mix of Feraci and Human guards came to the ruins.

“Not a moment too soon,” Lorif commented as he greeted Ahsee. “It seems we already have a signal to move in.” He pointed at the glowing plume of black smoke coming from the building in the distance but also saw some escaping out houses and chimneys elsewhere around the ruins.

“Alright, here’s the plan,” Lorif said firmly as he took command. “The Prince’s and their soldiers know more about this place than we do, so we’ll split into two groups of manageable soldiers. Prince Kamath and I will take command of half while Prince Tok’kaj and Ahsee take the other half. Sweep through the levels swiftly, kill any who fight you and find Prince Sovu. Our primary mission is to find him and get him to safety. Clear?”

“Yes sir!” All the human guards agreed with the Feraci nodding in agreement once the orders were translated.

“Looks like a pretty bad fire down there,” Ahsee cut in. “How do we avoid dying from the smoke?”

“With these.” Tok’kaj was carrying a massive chest with him and slammed it down on the floor, opening it to reveal scarves and cloth, all magically enchanted with an insignia. “Wrap them over your face and head to protect yourself. Leave the eyes showing.” Everyone did as commanded, dividing into two main groups with several mini groups led by Lorif and Kamath on one end and Tok’kaj and Ahsee on the other. They readied themselves and split up, the Prince’s bringing them to the smoking ruins and busting it open.

“<Attack!>”

_ ***Chapter 5*** _

Sovu and all of the others were led down a long hallway with barely anything to light the way except for the torch in her hand. The smoke of the fires has begun to grow too much to contain or even put out, forcing everyone to simply try and evacuate. This woman had come to a dead end as part of the tunnel had begun to collapse from the fires, forcing her to turn them all back.

“Where are we going?” Sovu asked.

“Silence, Cat!” He had expected that response. The woman hurried to bring everyone down a different path and into a clearing where everyone was gathering materials and rushing out of the tunnels.

“{What are you doing?}” Asked one of the men running past her.

“{Moving the prisoners! We need to get them-}”

“{Forget that! Nana says kill them! We’ll find more!}” The woman looked shocked for a moment, looking back at her companion.

“{Wha - Are you sure?}”

“{Yes! Do it!}” The woman sighed, drawing her sword as she moved in to gut the prisoners with little mercy.

“No!” Just before the woman could strike, Sovu had rushed forward and tackled her to the floor, wrestling the sword from her grip. The woman was unprepared for the cat’s attacks, Sovu giving her two clean punches across the face before someone else intervened. Another robed figure came and hit Sovu in the back of the head, dazing him as he was shoved off the woman. She grabbed him by the neck and was prepared to drive her sword through his chest before she was stopped.

”{Not him!}”

”{But you said-}“

”{NOT! HIM! He’s too important!}” The woman practically hissed in response, glaring down as the snarling Sovu before striking him across the face with the handle of her sword, knocking loose a tooth.

Two others came and held the Prince in place so he wouldn’t be another problem. While he was distracted there, she went to do as commanded, sparing no mercy in killing the group of prisoners, each one going down in a bloody mess.

Sovu struggled against the grip of his captors but was powerless as one of them struck him in the face and stomach, forcing him to the floor. The cat groaned as he heard the people being cut down, but no screams. They would groan and fall dead but they seemed incapable of screaming. The woman was cruel, taking a sick delight in slitting the throat of one and piercing the heart of another. She even looked at Sovu as she did so, making sure he was paying attention. Last was Abir who gave no resistance to her attacks, taking the sword to the gut and falling to the floor just as an arrow came and struck the woman in the neck.

From the smoking tunnels, came a mass of soldiers, screaming and shouting as they gutted their ways through the robed men and women. Sovu would break free from his captor’s grip, ducking just as an arrow tore through the man’s eye. Sovu grabbed the sword from the floor and rushed to the bodies of the prisoners, seeing only Abir was still breathing but barely, holding the wound in his stomach.

He grabbed the man and pulled him to a safe corner of the room, protecting him from every incoming robed person just as more guards came to his side.

“My Prince! Are you okay?!” Asked one of the guards, wishing to treat his wounds.

“I’m fine! But this man is injured and needs medical attention! I want to make sure he is safely escorted out along with me!” Sovu said as he was brought a roll of bandages by one of the guards, quickly wrapping it around Amir’s torso.

“Yes, My Prince!” Sovu was guided along with Abir down the halls and to the nearest exit, pushing their way through the bodies of unprepared robes. Lorif and Kamath ran into the underground well of tunnels, both men flawlessly protecting the other as they carved a path through to the heart of the caverns. It was the massive amphitheater that Sovu had first come to and in the center of the smoke-filled room was a woman, holding a glowing bright red flame in her hands. She looked up at the two, her eyes squinting a smile as she let out a small chuckle.

“I wondered how long it would take you to find me, Young Kamath.” Kamath’s eyes went wide as he recognized that voice. “All grown up! I’ll never get used to how quickly you animals mature.”

“Been a rough 5 years, Nana. I’m seeing a lot more greys in your hair than last time,” the cat said as he unsheathed his knives.

“Better colored grey than red,” she said as she threw the fireball at Lorif who blocked it with his shield. Kamath raced forward and swung his sword at her, the weapons blocked by Nana’s arm, the whole of her forearm covered in a bronze gauntlet. The tips of her fingers were graced with golden claws which swiped quickly just in front of the Prince’s nose. Her attacks were quick, not needing any kind of real power to beat Kamath but instead focusing on matching his speed. The two of them were similar in size and build so every time one got the upper hand, it would soon flip and then they’d be on the defensive.

Lorif thrust his spear forward, piercing the woman’s side. A large gash opened up at her right side and she scampered back, readying herself for the two pronged assault. Lorif lunged forward and thrust his spear again, the blade blocked by Nana’s claws and directed to protect her from Kamath’s incoming attack, sending the guard into the Prince’s way.

After a brief moment to get themselves together, the two worked together to put her down, switching who was offensive and never giving her a moment to rest. Kamath’s moves were flashy, underhanded, his tail balancing his more acrobatic moves which always hid a more sneaky attack. He would get close with his sword and force Nana on the back foot before getting a lucky mark with his knife either against her leg or torso but as soon as she would catch his pattern, block the sword attacks and even push back, he would pull back and let Lorif handle it.

Captain Lorif was less flashy, years of military experience and training taking hold as he would fill in every role that Kamath didn’t. When Kamath was pushed back, Lorif took over and provided a fresh burst of energy that always forced Nana back. His main advantage were his weapons of choice: A shield to protect him well from any attack she could give and a spear to keep her at a distance. His skill with these weapons was insurmountable so she had to cheat by going for his feet to make him lose his balance.

But no matter how hard Nana would try, she just couldn’t compete with the both of them. Until she used her magic. Taking a deep breath, she exhaled sharply and her claws began to glow red hot, the heat capable of being felt even from a distance.

She swiped her claws at Lorif, both clawed hands scraping across the medal shield and the heat of the blades tore through, cutting into the captain's arm. He stepped back and Nana cursed under her breath, speaking an incantation before a burst of flames came from her hand. A deep red wave of magical fire spawned from the palm of her hand, fanning out and forcing her assailants to take cover behind some of the rows of the theater.

Her display of power had cost her the knowledge of where her opponents were. The lanterns illuminating the room had gone out and now it was just her in a pitch black room. She chuckled and held up a small flame.

“Hiding are we? Hmmm, as expected of a cat and southerner,” she sneered, taking slow steps through the shadows. “Tell me Captain; Do you really think you can beat my servants? You see this… ending well?” Silence. A long silence.

From the darkness, Kamath attacked her back, striking her in her lower back with his knife and making her scream. She whirled around, managing to scratch a part of his face with her burning claws before he disappeared again. She gave a wicked laugh before unleashing a torrent of flames in the direction of the Prince but it did nothing. He was already gone.

“You and your tricks, Cat! Got me pretty good… Though I’ve survived worse.” She brushed against a fallen stone pillar and ran her hand along its length. The scraping of her claws against it echoed around the room. She paused and then did it again, harshly scratching the stone before waiting. She took a breath before tossing a fireball into the darkness. It hit a wall and the explosion illuminated Kamath who was coming for another attack. But she blocked it, grabbing him by arms and digging her nails into them. The hot metal prongs burned through fur and muscle but the cat refused to scream, hissing and leaning in to bite her before he was pressed against a jagged rock.

He fought hard to escape her grip but all his struggling just earned him harsher burns as she stared deep into his eyes.

“You still have a lot to learn, little kitten.”

“Not... from you.” He grimaced, forcing a smile with a glowing stone in his mouth. Nana’s eyes widened as he spit it out in her face, the stone soon exploding into a bright flare, blinding her.

But not Lorif who lay in hiding behind a fallen pillar.

He leapt out from his spot and quickly ran his spear through her back, the tip piercing through her chest and coming out the front. The look of horror on her face was almost palpable and Kamath had to hold himself back from laughing. The fire in the woman’s hands slowly dissipated and she fell to her knees grabbing the spear in a weak attempt to pull it free. The Prince looked down at her in absolute disgust, growling as she soon chuckled in response.

“The fire… has gone out. But the embers will stay warm… For long after.” She gave one more cheeky grin before giving in to death, falling over to the floor. Lorif caught her and gently rested her on the ground while Kamath glared at her with his glowing green eyes.

“You alright?” Lorif asked, leaning down to examine the woman’s gauntlets.

“Yes,” he said plainly. “Why do you ask?” There was a strange silence between them.

“Just making sure.” The tunnels rumbled again and part of the roof had caved in, Kamath and Lorif rushing out of the way.

“This place is finally falling apart. We need to find Sovu and get him out of here!”

*****

“<Ahsee! Have you got a sight on Prince Sovu?>”

“<Yes captain! Tok’kaj and I have him! We’re making our way out now! The tunnels are unstable and beginning to collapse! Everyone out!!” She exclaimed. The guards all fled from the tunnels, even one of them beginning to help the more injured robed men and women escape. Those who were still left anyways. Everyone fled as quickly as they could, the unstable pillars all cracking and collapsing under the weight of the upper surface. The various stone halls and paths soon became closed off, some people having to retreat to find another way. Some would even have to be desperate and escape from the windows and chimneys, clawing their way out.

Tok’kaj had to carry Sovu over his shoulder through the tunnels, Ahsee guiding Abir out as well as organizing her soldiers to follow out. She made sure that those who couldn’t move were carried out and even some of the robed attackers were being saved. They had managed to just barely make it out of the tunnels, rubble and stone now covering the entrance as the last remnants of fire fizzled out. They all took a moment to catch their breath, light celebrations coming from the soldiers. Tok’kaj chuckled, still carrying Sovu who was quiet.

“My Prince!” Ahsee called as she rushed over to him. “Are you okay?” He looked up at her. A small smile on his muzzle.

“I am well. Better than any of them.” He motioned towards the guards who had come to save him, feeling bad at being the source of this whole ordeal. Tok’kaj placed the white cat down and he slowly limped over to one of the injured soldiers, doing his best to help heal his injuries.

“Tok’kaj!” A voice called from a distance. Kamath and Lorif had come with their gathering of soldiers and were happy to see that Sovu was alive and most of the soldiers were well. Lorif was happy to see all of the Prince’s accounted for and not losing too many people to his attack. Kamath quickly raced up to Sovu and gave him a big hug, lifting him off his feet as the cat chuckled.

“I am okay! I am okay, I promise. I only wish rescuing me had cost less lives.” The man at Sovu’s side gently patted his leg in reassurance.

”You are well worth the sacrifice, My Prince,” The guard said as one of his friends came and wrapped a bandage around his torso. “Were you harmed at all?”

”Mostly my pride,” the cat said as he gestured to his still nude form just as Kamath placed a cape around his waist and pet his head. “But the other wounds were nothing to worry about. I will heal. Be sure to meet with my brother Ayriss when we return to the city proper. He can tend to you all better than I.” All of the guards nodded in response as Sovu grabbed his brother's arm, bringing him close.

”What is it?” The Tiger asked.

”I need to speak with our brothers about the things that were going on down there. More importantly about HIM.” He motioned towards Abir who rested on his knees in the sand, covering his face. One of the guards came to try and lift him up but he freaked out, slapping the hand away.

“<Abir! Please! Let us help you!>” Cried the Prince as he quickly made his way to the shaking man who freaked out once again at the touch before Sovu gripped his wrists, forcing the man still. His eyes went wide in shock, instinctually hissing before covering his mouth. Abir struggled to get free just as Tok’kaj came and held him down. He too almost reeled back in horror.

“Lorif! Kamath!” The two came rushing over to see the struggling man being down, doing his best to escape the grip of the cats holding him.

His face… was missing! Eyes, mouth, nose, everything gone! It was like something out of a horror story, the guards holding him almost recoiling in shock and dropping him before Tok’kaj held him still.

“What… happened to him?” Lorif asked.

“I don’t know.” Sovu gently leaned out and touched the man’s cheek, doing his best to comfort him. This seemed to be the only thing Abir trusted as he calmed at the Prince’s touch. “We need to get him to Ayriss. Now."

*****To Be Continued*****