FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Shortly after Ishon's 18th birthday.

Dragare POV

Ishon's birthday came and went, and while we celebrated it in our own way, it was barely a thing for us to pay attention to considering what trials still lay ahead. We treated it as merely a day that would have marked his Coming of Age ceremony had he been free. While I did give him one, of my own design of course, legally he was in a gray zone. Not that it mattered too much, really. He was happy, and so was I.

I woke up today Happy, an emotion that was once foreign to me, but also to Ishon doing what I feel any good Pet should do. Personally, I don't think that it would ever be a bad thing to wake up to your pet doing his best to bring your stubborn sex drive over its edge, and bring the both of you much joy and satisfaction.

At any rate, once we were cleaned up, and had eaten a fairly hardy, but small breakfast, we both put on our respective outfits we had picked out for today. For me, my handmade Demon Hunter outfit, bearing the crest of my Family, and of course my many weapons that allow me to perform my main Job. As for Ishon, he wore, aside from his required Slave Gear, a tough, but respectful outfit made from both Dragonhide and Imphide, (leaving it black with green spots in a very nice fashion), crafted by his own paws, with my guidance of course, and a large belt with the few tools and weapons a Hunter's Hound was allowed.

The reason for this is that today we were due at Castle Bragg for a, shall we call it, Conference with the Thief King and the Alpha Vampire and Head Slaver, Seirkaru.

I fastened Ishon's leash to his collar as he climbed onto my back, and then I jumped to the ground, landing with a bit of a thud, and a hard grunt from Ishon when his jaw hit my shoulder.

Of course, I made sure he was alright, before we took our seats on my Hunting Wagon with him in the very back, sitting in a seat I made to let him stand guard, and I at the front.

Thanks to a rather risky and profitable hunt, that had required me working with Seirkaru, I had recently acquired a new Daemon that was a type of Undead horse, so it was mounted to the front of the Hunting Wagon's yoke, awaiting my Orders.

With a snarled command from my lips, we were on our way, moving faster than a mortal horse could move, and at much more constant rate as well.

We were back in Fort Bragg Proper (that is the City itself and not the small village surrounding it as it has continually expanded past the old Stone walls and was now surrounded with wooden stakes until they could mine enough stone to build better outer walls), within an hour, whereas it normally takes 3 hours, and Amazingly, I was already being cleared through any and all checkpoints as Seirkaru met us at the Eastern Gate.

The town had changed vastly over the years, and yet was pretty much the same hellhole it had always been.

As luck would have it, in a sort of parody of what had happened the last time I brought Ishon here, that slave Dog, Aelon I think it was, was coming through, escorted by guards, this time however, he was clearly enslaved, and his will broken, but seeming very happy about those that were leading him around on a leash. He looked a LOT worse for the wear though, showing signs that were more indicative of severe abuse than the Guarding Job the Guild had showed he was to be trained for.

While I was concerned, I could not intervene. Not till I had fulfilled my Contract.

As Aelon disappeared into the distance, the Market was starting to get uncomfortably full, and as I looked around for prime escape routes should I need them, noticed that Darkscorn Manor, once the largest Noble house outside of Castle Bragg itself, had turned into a rather large pile of ashes and burnt stones, but Seirkaru made sure we still made headway to the castle in record time.

Inside, I parked the Wagon in a barn and moved my Daemon, who I have decided to name Vrael after the steed an ancestor of mine once rode into his final battle, into a corral.

With a stern warning to the stable slaves to not let another horse near it if they didn't want to lose it, I went and got Ishon out of his seat, and we followed Seirkaru through the Castle.

As grand as it was, I truthfully failed to take notice of any significant details beyond the turns I had to make to get out in a rush and the obstacles to avoid. Seirkaru lead us down into the Dungeons, and to a room where a grand table was sitting, red tablecloth down the length of it, and a few large Candelabras around the room, providing ample light.

A small meal was laid out, with a lot of blood sitting in a Golden Cistern in the middle of the table. Dabbing his lips, the Thief King stood up, his cloak falling to reveal, the EXACT same face as Seirkaru, but with the remains of a wicked gash across his face and glowing red eyes.

"Welcome, Hunter and Pet, make yourselves at home." The Thief King says politely to us, before harshly growling "Tshalt! Bring the Pet a proper slave-cushion!" at Seirkaru.

Seirkaru actually flinches and whimpers "Yes Master." before seeming to vanish.

"Now, Hunter, I know what brings you here. Do you?" the King says, with a smile on his face, waiting for me to react before saying "and it's not about this scar, or rather not directly."

I give him a questioning look and he chuckles and says "I take that to mean you only know that you and your slave are here to carry out a favor for me. This is true. However, for once, I don't have much more to go on than you, and I got myself into a place where neither me nor my Tshalt can go after this one. You see, I want you to acquire something for me, or rather someone. Someone who got himself into a much worse situation than you and your little dog."

He takes a deep breath before continuing, "As a reminder, you do not get to say no to this as it will forfeit both your lives and your Honor. I want you to locate, incapacitate, and abduct an old acquaintance of mine. You see, while I was letting my Tshalt rule the kingdom a few years ago, I went out to have some fun myself, and stumbled across a Master Thief and Assassin known then as Shadowpaw, and apparently now is known as Blood Paw. We became friends, imagine, me friends with a Mortal. And I daresay that I became quite attached to him. So much so that I plan to Turn him once I have him how I desire. Do not harm him beyond rendering him unconscious. If you do, your little mortal pet gets the same damage done to it. Understand me, Uizep? That is, Freak?"

I growl gently, noticing an armed Seirkaru creeping closer to Ishon, who was napping on the cushion

"Fine. Do you or Seirkaru have anything showing us what he looks like?" I bark out.

"Yep, take it, Half-breed." the King says, sliding a rolled up parchment to me.

I unfurled it with a snarl and studied it.

It was for the famous Vulpine Assassin know as the Blood Paw. No one really knows his real name. His look, was unique, even for a Fox. One of his paws was permanently a dark bloodlike color. Rumor has it that he always wears gloves to hide it. His face, somehow, bared no scars, and but again had strange coloring. The little black triangles that are supposed to be under his eyes were instead white.

"Alright, anything else My King?" I say as I stand up, furling the parchment before putting it in my satchel.

"That will be all. Dismissed. Tshalt, show them back to their carriage." the King says as he waves us on.

"Certainly, Master." Seirkaru says as he grumpily leads us back out.

"So, what are you then?" I inquire as we get our Daemon horse and carriage.

"You heard the King. I'm a Tshalt, a Ghost. Though not of the type most people think of. I am my Master's Soul torn from his body and given form, but I am very much a living being. Though you, fucking half-breed will not be able to kill either of us, so begone!" Seirkaru says as he runs off.

I look over at Ishon and say "Is what he says true?"

He looks questioningly for a moment before saying "Yes Master, it is true. A Tshalt is a Ghost, but it is a Daemon made from one's own soul. It comes at a great cost, the Daemon and the Master both will simply disappear forever once they are vanquished and both die at the same time as each other. It was in the last book you had me study, Sir."

"Right. Thank you Pet. Wareza! There are too many Daemons for me to keep track of! I am glad you remembered, Ishon." I exclaim as we head out to the Frozen Wastes of Vayshun, to a small fishing village that was the last place any information had surfaced for this "Blood Paw".