FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

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CHAPTER 3

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Laguna

"I'll see you guys later!" I waved to Tristen and Roxis as I left them.

It had been a long shift on the Northern outpost. It had been colder than I expected it to be, an unusual wind had been sweeping down from the North, unusual for this time of year. All the warriors were talking about how strange it was, complaining that it was as cold as winter during the middle of summer.

I hated the fact that both Tristen and Roxis were on separate duty shifts from myself. But it was nice to see them, however briefly, since they were also posted to the same outpost. I ran to catch up with the rest of my group, who had gone on ahead without me. It was a seven-hour trek back to Zangar from here and I'd rather a little company during the walk back.

"Hey wait up!" I called as I neared them, my breathing heavy from the run to catch up.

"You're always last!" Kassandra spat as I approached.

"Hey! I just wanted say hi to my friends!" I explained, with a slight whine that I hadn't intended.

Kassandra snorted and turned to keep walking. I ran the last few yards so I could walk next to her. I liked Kassandra, despite her bitchiness. I was as surprised as anyone when she joined the warrior ranks. She had always made a point of beating up any male or warrior who so much as looked at her funny, and now she had put herself right in the middle of those she hated. Even now she wasn't particularly liked, but her reputation for her fighting skills had kept most of the warriors from confronting her.

Fighting amongst the warriors was frowned upon by the higher ups, and severely punished as well. And since most warriors couldn't stand her attitude they kept her at a distance, since they didn't want to punished for fighting, even if she was the one that would start it.

I had felt sorry for her, particularly after her Grandfather had died last summer. He was her only family, and she didn't really have any friends either. Remembering how she and Malakye seemed to be close... well maybe close wasn't the right term. It was more like she tolerated him. I had even seen her crying at the memorial service in which he had died.

Malakye... that ass-hole! I had wanted to stay and fight with him! But he had me dragged away! I might have been able to help! He could still be alive if only... no... back then I'd have only been a burden on him. He died so that the others could reach safety.

We had all watched how he had held off the wolves, with an incredible display of skill. After the fight we had discovered that he had killed no less than a dozen wolves! To this day I still don't know why he had stepped back through the gate. He had stopped the wolves long enough for us to get the injured to safety, he could have come back and helped us defend the last gate!

He had somehow managed to get past the packs of wolves and attacked them in the caverns leading to the Eastern gate. We had no idea what had happened when there was a sudden pillar of fire erupted into the night's sky, followed by several large explosions.

The explosions had all but stopped the wolves in their tracks, causing confusion in their ranks. Warlord Xavier had seized that opportunity and ordered us to attack. Many of the wolves had begun to retreat, those that fought were quickly overwhelmed by our archers and benders. The wolves that had retreated had all be been slain as we pursued them. They were trapped by the fire from the explosions, their only means of escape cut off and the fire also prevented their reinforcements from joining the fight.

We never found Malakye's body...

I had been among the many who had volunteered to search the ashes of the devastation that had cut the wolves off. The rocks had been scorched black from the flames, the blackened husks of bodies were nearly impossible to identify amongst the ashes.

We all knew that it had been Malakye who had set off the explosions, he had caused the barrels of black powder to explode. Eventually they called of the search. Despite many protests, and many tears from his fellow warriors, many of whom kept searching for his body until we had no choice but to give up our search. His body must have been ripped apart by the explosion. We had all seen what a single barrel of black powder had done to the outer gate.

I slipped and stumbled but managed to remain standing, the near fall ripping me from my thoughts of the day I had lost my best friend.

"You're such a klutz!" Kassandra sighed.

I grinned sheepishly and kept walking. I had made a point of befriending Kassandra, or rather attempting to befriend her. She was pretty, all the males said so, but none of them liked her because of her attitude. It seemed like she tolerated my presence much like she had Malakye's. Unlike the other warriors who attempted to speak to her, I wasn't insulted and told to go dunk my head... or at least nowhere near as often. But despite the tolerance I had gained from her she always kept me at a distance, which as hurtful as it was, always made me try harder to earn her friendship.

Like I said, she was pretty. But I wasn't that interested in females, much to my father's dismay. He and mother always wanted grand-cubs, but they didn't force the issue. But Baroc and Loire were already making their wishes come true. Loire's wife was pregnant with her second while Baroc and his wife were busy trying for their first.

The rest of the journey back to Zangar was relatively quiet and peaceful. Despite the cold wind from the North the weather held out and was relatively pleasant. I had used the opportunity to practise my bending, using my nen to warm me. Combined with the furs I wore I was relatively toasty the whole way. Unfortunately, my nen was not strong enough to maintain my body heat for that length of time without wearing furs like Malakye used to be able to.

Malakye had been amazing at everything he did. He was an incredible fighter, his nen was immense, he learned everything so easily. But most of all he was a good friend... and very talented in bed. I miss him.

"So do you want to go and get a drink to warm up?" I ask Kassandra.

She just snorts at me, but she hasn't said no!

"Come on! I'm buying! A tankard of ale will make you feel better!"

"Don't you have a wife to annoy?"

"No I don't!" I grin. "Guess that leaves you!"

She knows perfectly well that I'm not mated, to a female or a male for that matter. But she often used it as a point to insult me by asking if there was something wrong with me. True most males my age were mated or at the very least arranged to be mated.

"If I have a drink with you will you promise to leave me alone?" She snorts.

"Sure... how about I buy you some dinner as well?"

She stares at me incredulously. "I'm not fucking you!" She snarls.

"I don't want to fuck you!" I grin. She snorts at that, I'm not sure if it was a snort of annoyance or amusement but I keep smiling at her. "Come on! A nice hot meal after a long week on patrol. Food tastes better when you share it!"

"You're not going to give up are you?"

"Nope!" My grin widens.

"Fine... but after that I'm going home. Alone!"

I nod eagerly and we make our way to one of the quieter places to get a bite to eat. I know she hates crowds, particularly crowds of drunken males. Despite her objections, this was our routine. I would treat her to dinner and drink after a long week on shift, and she would insult me and call me an idiot.

I'm not sure if she thought I wanted to actually fuck her or not, but I found it amusing how she always said it. It was like it was a joke, because sometimes, just sometimes I would catch her smiling afterwards, as if remembering a fond memory. Her eyes twinkled and her blue scales around her muzzle twisting into a smile. Each time she caught me looking she'd scowl and punch me in the arm as if I had seen something I shouldn't have. Maybe she was just embarrassed.

Whatever it is that she's thinking about proves to me that she isn't as much of a bitch as she acts. I think she acts that way so she doesn't get hurt, afraid of letting anyone close so she doesn't have to feel the pain of loss. She's always been so hostile for as long as I've known her. Since she first arrived in Zangar with her Grandfather. I always wondered why they came here, this remote, nearly non-existent village high up the mountains. I'll probably never know. She's a mystery wrapped in anger and spitefulness. I get asked why I put up with her, why I even bother trying to be nice to her when all she does is punch me and call me names.

I do it because I hate to see anyone lonely, and it is hard I won't lie. Kassandra is pretty difficult at times but it's worth it to see her smile. She is probably the most beautiful female I've ever seen when she smiles. Whatever male finally manages to break through that anger and win heart is going to be the luckiest drake alive.

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Our meal was spent in near awkward silence. After her first drink she began to loosen up, but it wasn't until after her third that we began to speak casually. She was always so uptight it took a few drinks to loosen her up.

"Did you hear about Krer and Jacques?" I asked, barely able to keep myself from laughing.

"No."

"Well it would seem that they got caught by the outpost commander screwing while on duty!" I laugh, a laugh which is made longer by the bewildered expression that graces Kassandra's muzzle. They had thought that they could hide in the darkness of the eclipsed moon long enough to release some pent up stress. I smile at the thought. "From what I heard he made them finish with him standing them staring at them."

"What?!" She squeaks, a giggle escaping her maw.

"Oh yeah... he made them keep fucking until they couldn't get it up anymore. Then he made them finish their shift and then marched them over to the officer's quarters where he made them spend the day servicing officers until their next shift."

"That's bullshit!"

"No I'm serious!" I insisted. "Hans told me."

"Hans?" She snorted. "He's always starting rumours!"

"But did you not notice that Krer and Jacques were nowhere to be seen the fifth day we were there?" I ask. "That's because they were in the officer's quarters! No one saw them, even during meal times, until they started the night shift the next night!"

"I still don't believe you!" Kassandra laughed taking a mouthful from her tankard of ale.

"Believe or don't, but it won't change that fact that it's true!"

"Yeah whatever!"

There was a long silence as we continued eating. The stew we were eating was nice, I prefer my stews with a rich thick gravy, but this one was a little on the thin side, but seeing as this is one of the cheaper place to come and eat I can't complain.

"So what are you going to do with your week off?" I ask to break the silence now that I've all but finished my meal.

"None of your business." She says bluntly round a mawful of food.

"Oh come on!" I whine.

"Stop complaining!" She snorts. "It's not like we're courting or anything! Despite what the others say."

I laughed, I had heard the rumours as well. Because I actually spent any time with Kassandra everyone thought I was trying to sleep with her, or was, depending on who you asked. I found them incredibly funny, considering I was quite openly gay with no interest in females.

"Well if you want to hang out sometime you know where to find me." I grin. I knew better than to push with Kassandra. She was stubborn and would likely try harder to refuse any offers of friendship the more I pressed. "Besides I'll probably see you at training."

"Probably." She downed the rest of her drink and took one last mawful of food before standing. "I'll catch you later."

"See you later." I smiled.

I watched her leave, her travel cape fluttering almost dramatically behind her, her pack, made of black fur, tossed over her shoulder. She didn't so much as look over her shoulder as she left. I really don't know why I put in the effort to befriend her... but I guess I like the challenge. Malakye had somehow managed it, Asurmen only knows how.

But I'll keep trying. Everyone says I'm nuts, maybe they're right, but it keeps things interesting. No doubt she'll head to the dojo in the next day or two, I might meet her there. I joined as a way to feel closer to Malakye after he... I was amazed at how strong he had been. He had not only held the gate long enough for us to get to safety but killed who knows how many wolves.

He was a hero.

He was a hero to me before that. He was always so strong, so determined and yet he had this humbleness that made him so approachable. He wasn't like any of the other high born, from rich and noble families. He didn't think he was better than anyone else, and that fact made him better than all of the high born; at least it did in my eyes.

Anyway, I should head home. No doubt father has some chores for me and mother will want to fuss and make a nice meal to celebrate my coming home like she always did. I grabbed my travel cloak and pack and headed home.