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[i][u]Third Energy Research - Subject Thirteen-B ("Reploid Base")[/u][/i]

[i]08-05-2043[/i]

[i]Recorded by Dr. Jane Addison[/i]

[i]Whilst Dr. Dixon was encountering a fearsome beast at Meridian-5, another anomaly had appeared on the western ocean. A base filled with cybernetic anthromorphs known as "reploids", most of whom had been kidnapped in order to fuel an illegal cryptocurrency operation. We received a message from Oddclaw who in turn received it from a passing pteranodon that his brother Barkclaw and his guardian Dronin (hereafter referred to as Stonevoice by his request), had joined forces with a reploid journalist known as Snappy Jack in order to expose the operation.[/i]

[i]Currently we are processing the base's former inhabitants, the workers held under arrest until their extradition back to their world once Dr. Dixon's team returns from Meridian. Most of the reploids, numbering up to 1000, will return home in order to testify against their kidnappers, but a small contingent of 76 have decided to remain here for the fact they have no life to return to, with their leader represented by a wolf-mimic known only as "Amy". While our base is not particularly vast enough to house more people, we can certainly find them a place to live for the little upkeep they require.[/i]

"So what exactly do you guys do here?" asked the wolf fingering her shirt.

"Research mostly," said Thomas with hands behind his back, "I can't tell you more until you settle in proper but we're a scientific base dealing with highly-sensitive concepts."

"Well it's gotta be something to do with space right, cuz your base did bring us here."

"I cannot confirm nor deny miss Amy. Are you sure your group want to remain here?"

"We don't have anyone to go back to," she shrugged with a gentle swish of her steel tail, "frankly we just don't trust our government enough to have any help offered for us and there are some who are not exactly...legal."

"Say no more," he raised his hand, "I understand, so long as you don't interfere with our research you are more than welcome."

"You sure you have enough space?"

"I've already made plans to accommodate you, not exactly on THIS base but we do have other places you can help us."

"Help you?" she stopped in the middle of the hall. "With what exactly?"

"Our research." He turned to her. "There are some places that are too dangerous for humans to traverse, and from what I've seen on your people's abilities you just might be able to help."

"What kinda places?"

"Volcanic, deep ocean, also space. We DO have some protective gear but we're also pretty fragile compared to your people."

"Wait wait wait," she put her hands up, "you want us to do research even though you haven't told us what you do, and we're all basically unskilled?"

"You can learn, we can put you on a skill basis, just to earn your keep."

"I mean, yeah we don't wanna be useless but you sure you wanna trust a buncha street mechs with all this tech?"

"It's not THIS tech you'll be in charge of," said Thomas spreading his arms, "the other bases we'll have you keep maintenance on, mostly upkeep and the odd report, beyond that you can live however you want, so long as you don't upset our work."

"Just maintenance?" She straightened her blue skirt. "That sounds easy enough, sure we could do that, a lot of us are pretty good with tech in just fixing ourselves for starters."

"Exactly. You'll be given full comforts and accommodation, and of course as representative, everything will go through you first."

"That would be great," Amy nodded, "gotta admit we never really worked with humans before, 'specially not ones this organic."

"I assume you've been introduced to the main staff?" he asked walking further down the corridor.

"Yeah we met them all the first day," she caught up beside him with creaking legs, "well except for that doctor Dixon, she's still up on the moon base?"

"Actually she just arrived today which is where I'm taking you."

They headed into a break room where the quantum physicist sat at a table reading a Carl Sagan book to pass the time, before looking up to see Brightman and Amy as the wolf shook hands.

"Hi there, I'm doctor Andrea Dixon, welcome to the base."

"Hi, Amy, nice to meetcha." They sat down altogether. "So uh, mister Brightman told me you guys might have some employment for us?"

"Yeah, he told me the deets when I was heading back from Meridian-5. Firstly I'm sorry about the whole dimensional anomaly thing."

"Sorry for what, your friend freed us from cryptoslavery!"

"Yeah that was...hooo," she clapped her hands with a grimace, "I mean I'm glad it all worked out but if you really wanna stay here we can find you a place to both live in comfort and also help us."

"Right, so what was this plan you had?"

"You know already that we have a base on the moon, recently installed."

"Yeah?"

"We have a small group of synthetic workers called badniks who already do a lot of maintenance on our central base here." She planted her fingertips on the table. "However it's not a large group, only twenty-nine so they're a little stretched thin between the base up there and the base down here."

"Right," the wolf nodded with hands clasped in business, "you want someone to run your moon base because we don't require oxygen, right?"

"Basically," she shrugged with apologetic grin, "you have to understand we're originally a base of about a hundred humans, just a small research station but we had recent expansions to accommodate our synthetic friends. Now we've used up most of the main building materials and the rest are all just for repairs, but Meridian-5 is recent."

"Was it another anomaly?" said Amy smirking. "Like with us?"

"Yeah, it was unplanned."

"Starting to think that none of these anomalies are planned."

"I can neither confirm nor deny on THAT part, but you see the kinda situation we're in."

"Right. So you wanna put a buncha reploids in charge of a space station?"

"No no it's just a base," stressed Andrea waving her hands slightly, "just one that happens to be on the moon cuz that's where it ended up, but I'm needed here and I can't keep going back and forth to check on things up there, plus you know how much upkeep a human needs."

"I gotcha," said the wolf-mech nodding, "I'll have to tell the rest of my peeps but I think we can sort something out, does this base got like quarters for sleeping?"

"Sure does, it used to be inhabited by humans but...well, no airlocks for a base that wasn't supposed to be on the moon in the first place."

"Damn...so these anomalies can just put you anywhere they want, like that sea base could justa been floatin' off in space?"

"Essentially," added Thomas with a vague hand. "We always roll the dice every time we do this."

"Well I got quite a few gamblers in my group so that won't bother them! You don't need too many people up there right?"

"I think about thirty is a good number to start with," said Andrea offering her hand. "So we have a deal?"

"Mmmm...no." The reploid pulled back her hand. "Like I said I better talk with my friends first, we'll decide on this together."

"Alright, that's fair in the meantime make yourselves comfortable."

"Thanks ma'am."

She bowed and stepped out to explore the base more fully, passing through the halls of silver gleam as she noted mostly humans with the odd robotic model she did not recognise, wasps and moletanks with apes, crabs and rhinos doing maintenance work in refitting the walls or replacing screws. Her own people the reploids were also amongst some of them, hawks with steel wings and a second set of limbs for hands carrying large plates of steel with the help of boars, elephants, dogs and felines who twisted their hands into screwdrivers and wrenches.

"So uh what sorta calibration you guys run on?" asked a crab.

"Forty-ought-six," said a tiger reploid, "what about you?"

"Thirty-four on average, some of us hit down to around twenty-seven."

"Daaaaamn, lowest we ever got to was like thirty-two."

"Hahaha," the crab twisted a bolt with his claw, "we don't have many of us here but now that you guys are around we're like almost equal to how many humans there are."

"Why?" snorted an elephant with lumbering steps. "You guys thinking of rebelling again?"

"What nooo this place is awesome, I'm just saying the more bots the merrier!"

"I agree." Amy walked up to them with a small fist-bump ritual to the pachyderm. "Sup guys you all doing good?"

"Yeah it's been pretty alright," said one of the hawks, "the humans round here were kinda weird about us at first, think they'd never seen a reploid before."

"They haven't Kes, that's the point."

"Right right, but still once we got over that yeah they're pretty cool."

"Awesome," the wolf clapped her hands, "so uh I need to ask you guys to set up a meeting with all the reploids."

"Somethin' up?" asked the boar twisting bolts with his hoof-shaped wrench.

"They wanna give us a place to stay but we have to learn some new tech about the place, basically they wanna employ us on their scheme."

"Employ us? Seriously?"

"Yeah I mean we have to earn our keep, it's only fair."

"It's awesome!" said a moletank drilling screws in. "You get to sleep mode in a nice dry steel room, they make this incredible oil from the plants round here and then synthesise it, it's just so GOOD!"

"I want all of you to attend alright?" asked Amy. "Meet up outside so we got enough space and I can explain the whole thing to you."

"Alrighty," said the elephant with a fistbump, "peace out Ames."

"You too!"

Leaving them to their work she continued making a track around the base looking over each room. The library was occupied by two hooded figures and three humans debating on the works of Gabriel Garcia Marquez; the cafeteria was mostly absent but for the kitchen staff working away with two badniks stirring and chopping ingredients; and lastly the rec rooms had more humans sitting around a TV watching the entire John Wick trilogy as they took a drink everytime John Wick killed someone without the use of bullets or blades. She only stopped fully once she reached the medical bay composed of several rooms split up from a larger central room, which was currently being commandeered by an older human in sandy robes and a short green-haired creature with a worm-like face wrapped in a blue gown.

"A bizarre fragment indeed," muttered Haytham stroking his beard.

"But it looks identical does it not?" gasped James switching hands between the large piece and his umbrella handle.

"No no I contest that it is, what puzzles me is how two objet d'arts manage to become so separate across existence. From whence did they come, for what purpose do they need?"

"Well let's look at this logically. Both fit easily into the hand not unlike a handle, both are sculpted from a crude metal rather imperfectly and yet both are capable of withstanding extreme heat."

"What of extreme anti-heat?" asked Durai picking the lone fragment up. "Perhaps the material it is based on was built within a volcanic region."

"Hmmm, could be!" noted James as they tried to put them together. "They do compliment each other but the question now is HOW do they work together."

"Either a butterfly symbol or inlaid on top of each other."

They tried to put the artifacts together in various ways whilst James scribbled down potential uses that they had originally as Amy stepped in to look at the patients' rooms with intrigue.

"Need a hand perrita?"

"OH. u-uhhh hey!" She turned towards Kevin leaning against the wall directly to her left. "I'm new here."

"Yeah I can tell, I'm Kevin the chief medic."

"I'm Amy," she shook his hand with a grin, "nice to meetcha, you got a great setup here I noticed a few MRIs, couple o' 3D printers there aaaaaand is that a scanning probe microscope?"

"Yep and the electron one is over there," he pointed to the bulky equipment on his desk, "you a science bot?"

"Yeah I used to work in a hospital, back in my old job that is."

"What sorta medicine you do?"

"Convalescence," she shrugged leaning beside him, "post-op, general nursing duties involving nutrition and hygiene upkeep, also got a full medicine cabinet inside me I can make mostly anytime, which kinda made me popular with the homeless shelter when I got replaced and kicked out on the street."

"Ouch, that sucks," he sucked in through his teeth, "so why'd you get kidnapped with the rest of these guys?"

"I was working down in Teslaburg at the community outreach," Amy looked up at the ceiling, "humans an' reploids that got left at the wayside needing help so I put them back on their feet, delousing, feeding, giving them some basic needs with the meds I could give when suddenly we got raided on suspicion of 'contraband' passing through our place an' they just rounded us all up. Last I heard the humans were let free, but the reploids like me an' some of the other guys were uh...processed."

"Damn that's fucked up."

"Sure is, but we're here now, thanks to Jack and that bug friend of yours."

"Oh yeah uhhh...shit he renamed himself I can't remember-"

"He did?"

"Yeah uh, he didn't like his old name so he wanted us to call him something new."

"Alright well, he helped us and such...kinda sad Jack didn't stay but he gotta represent us in court back home."

"You didn't wanna go back?" asked Kevin tapping his foot on the floor.

"I was just...I'm just tired," she threw her hands with fatigue, "when I first saw the skies here all full with stars I thought maybe this time things could be different. You can't see the stars at home with all the city lights, I know they exist but just...being able to see them for once felt like...freedom."

"Yeah...I know what you mean." He smiled with a sigh on his lips as he walked over to the door. "You wanna like, talk someplace else whilst those two are busy with their metal lumps?"

"Uhh...sure." She followed him out the room. "I mean I wanna ask you about your setup since we'll be living here."

"Well first what sorta medicines you got in ya?"

"Bisacodyl, dexamethasone, lorazepam, morphine, aspiron, sertraline, diazepam-"

"Daaaamn that's a full breakfast right there huh?!"

"Hahaha, not if you take 'em all at once."

"Well hey good to know if I have any patients acting out I can rely on you to be backup."

"Trust me." She flipped opened one of her fingers like a lighter to expose a hypodermic syringe. "I can handle any patient. Plus I never met a human who can outpower me."

"Niiiice, what about you reploids though?"

"I have other meds for that, mostly to stem chemiflows so it's not too big."

"I mean I got some pretty good kicks to handle bots," he shuffled his feet like a tap-dancer, "so if you want a door kicked down I'm your man!"

"Hah, sure Kevin, you alright if I call you that?"

"I'd prefer Mister Sunshine but Kevin'll do."

As the wolf and scientist departed the laboratory, James and Haytham placed the new artifact into a small fridge specially built for cryonic storage of samples. Time passed as they sat themselves down with the lemming and the hume checking over their separate notes.

"How are things on the moon?" James asked.

"Ohhhh rather a frenzied hullabaloo!" he chortled wearily. "A foul beast from the nether regions of space came upon us!"

"A-a beast?!"

"The size of a carriage, its head would have protruded through this ceiling and its girth was gargantuan, made quite the imbroglio up at the station."

"Oh goodness is everyone alright?!"

"Unfortunately one guard was killed, I am to attend the service later on the week once we have assembled our ruminations."

"How terrible," sighed James shaking his head, "so what does this mean for your research?"

"Well, rather it is Andrea's research," admitted Haytham scratching his nose, "but it did provide us with meritorious results concerning the third energy gate."

"Ohhh like what?"

"Well...care to swap notes?" The elder moved his notebook sliding across the table.

"Oh, yes!" James clapped his hands. "I would love to, we haven't done that in yonks!"

"Yonks indeed!"

They swapped their books and looked upon each other's handwriting, poring over their notes with fresh eyes as a means to help unstick their thoughts with a new puzzle presented. James started from the beginning, knowing his master would not mind as he read up on starting magical theorems, basics that everyone of his caliber knew. Page after page came fragments of fractions both mathical and mystical, numbers and symbols that bled into each other resembling recipes for alchemy. Then halfway through the filled pages he started to see the derivation into quantum physics, numbers familiar that were used in unfamiliar ways as the lemming did his best to parse through the science.

Haytham in turn was rapt with attention at his student's work on the same theories but with some alterations to his method. Both of them had written in their own language but they both understood each other's language in written context well enough to follow each other's strands as Durai flicked through page after page of intricate recollections and alternatives to the Art, until most recent where James had begun doodling the recent object and its potential uses.

"Your magikinesis looks formidable," he noted.

"Yes I decided to utilise the Antwerp theorem more in my magic," said James with a smug sweep of his hair, "whilst working on my special project for Oddclaw I thought I could revise it for personal usage."

"How is that faring, have you managed to contain the firagic formulaic?"

"Not quite, it still burns too hotly to be held but I am close! I just need to figure the right thermal equilibrium for maximum output versus minimal recoil."

"Indeed," Haytham nodded stroking beard, "hold on what is this?"

He pointed towards some new scribblings involving linking books and a cyclonic diagram of shifting numbers.

"OH, yes um," James nervously scratched his cheek, "I-i was just figuring a few things out with the linking book."

"Appears to be a feedback loop of some sort, are you perhaps trying to pull an object from another world into this scape?"

"O-only as an experiment of course, just to test the limits of the linking book after all it is my calling."

"Hmmm yes..." the hume furrowed his brow with a scrunching of his bearded lips, "this is veering into dangerous territory James."

"I know, that is why it is only theoretical!"

"Indeed but remember just because magic CAN does not mean it SHOULD."

"I know I know," he stressed with his hand up, "I am just examining the limits of what we can do with these books and then once we reach the barrier we can then examine all that we CAN do."

"Naturally," Haytham flicked towards the latest pages where the object and his weapon handle were being compared, "so I recall that you were the subject of auturgy yes?"

"I-i was...what?" James blinked with a slow turn.

"The premonition my boy, your kinderventure into the depths of prophecy."

"O-OH yes yes that, I um...well, what do you think?"

"I am rather surprised," said Haytham spreading his hands, "you have never shown such aptitude before, having placed you an elementalist rather than an evocator."

"I know," muttered James squeezing his neck, "the first time I ever dreamed anything like that so vividly...what do you think it means?"

"Well as a junior oneirologist I would daresay that a voice calling you 'descendant' within a bleak igneous cavern offering 'the key to your future'...would perhaps stress that your desire for knowledge is directly related to your personal quest."

"Iiii THINK I rather came to the same conclusion," he rolled his eyes with a huff, "I was hoping you had something different."

"My apologies James, sometimes a dream is that straightforward now back to reality, I see that you are theorising a dual-handle."

"Yes well," James pulled his lips still reading, "I had this silly idea at one point for one of them being for the sword and the other for my umbrella-shield to add better grip."

"That would make an interesting device, and one to aid in combative scenarios."

"But unless I can figure out a means to separate them easily then I am at a loss."

"Perhaps you should consult miss Kerkorian," Haytham raised a finger, "I recall during a discussion when I was perusing her tomes that she is quite adept at unravelling the fastenings of many a portal."

"What?!" gasped James looking up at him. "A-anna knows about such things?!"

"She once travailed at a locksmith for work experience at a tender age, she may well be able to develop a latch device should you want to pursue your theory."

"That would be fantastic, I shall ask her thank you!"

James skimmed through his master's latest entry as silence reigned the room briefly, the sounds of science tinkering away with gentle beeps that soothed them.

"So this gate interacting with the one on the moon-"

"Yeees indeed it is rather mystifying," said Haytham scratching his head.

"How exactly are both gates interacting?"

"Essentially they have both aligned towards the same signature of energy, a source they both create of similar length that allow proportionate synchronisation to occur. The problem we have remissed is that both signatures are so woven intrically, that should we disable the gate from the moon, the one down upon terra firma becomes inert."

"I see," muttered James leaning back, "that is rather unusual, I take it dismantling the gate on the moon would not-"

"It is not advisable," shook Haytham's head, "since Andrea fears that doing so would render her gate into permanent sleep, we must discover some means of disabling power from one gate whilst enabling the other."

"But does her gate not have its own power source?"

"Not exactly. The gate is not something that can be remotely activated, rather it triggers itself through conditions that are fed into an algorithm and when those align in the continuum of space-time it shall open itself."

"Hmmmmm..." the lemming stroked his hair and started to doodle on the page, "something to rob energy from one gate, whilst not...mmmmm draining from the...this reminds me of something."

"Yes?" Haytham turned to him fully leaning his arm on the table.

"Remember those waterbats during our travels that constructed dams to divert water into large chasms so as to create their own environment of water-logged caves?"

"Ahhhh yes I remember those well."

"So...they managed to divert the water in such a way so as to not completely negate the river's flow and yet provide enough water for their own environmnent. What if..."

James turned over a new page in the book and started to scribble a basic diagram of two gates with rivers flowing from both before one of which was stopped by a deep pit.

"Is it possible to perhaps trap the energy from the moon gate by creating a well specifically for it, like a sort of quantum dam so as to prevent it interfering?"

"P-pardon?!"

"I mean, yes I admit I am not particularly up on the science but strictly speaking if two currents are running towards a single point to share the same sea, then perhaps if you contain one like such?"

"......by, Faram's totems you have done it."

"What?"

He watched Haytham bolt from his seat and hunch over his shoulder at the sketch.

"It...COULD be a potential function, some sort of well for energy-AHH, YES! YES like that of the Jagd!"

"Is this good?!" asked James slightly flinching.

"More than good it is STUPENDOUS!" he grabbed his book with a firm shut. "James you may well have solved the greatest enigma of this base I must tell Andrea forthwith!"

The hume suddenly hugged him from behind with a tight grip and a kiss to his hair making the lemming blush.

"You are the finest student to have ever graced me with your evocative ketubim."

"M-master please, I-i learned it all from you!"

"Were that the truth I would have figured this solution before you but let me tell you that I dearly appreciate your contributions as a fellow journeyman and a friend."

"Tha-...th-thank you, master."

"One day I shall not require such titlement."

He felt Haytham release before a gentle pat on his shoulder as James turned to look up at him.

"There cometh a day when you shall call me Haytham, when you obtain the title of master, James."

"O-oh, please I do not think that-"

"No no. Keep your aspirations skyward and your nose to the roots, that is the way to keep yourself balanced."

"Right," the lemming nodded as he took back his book, "well, I suppose it is time for us to part ways to our partners yes?"

"I should say so yes," they bowed to each other leaving the room, "take care my lad! And um, for now let us just keep schtum on this theory until we have it in practice."

"Of course, I understand, you take care too and thank you for the help!"

James took a brief diversion to put back his weapon and the new object in his own room safely tucked to the side of his bed, before heading to a small rec room where a lone lizardman sat on a chair wearing a blue-powder suit, playing a cherry-red guitar that shone like a fresh Cadillac.

"Hello!" the lemming greeted with a beaming grin. "Sorry I hope I did not make you wait."

"It is fine," said Chanoch nodding with a smile, "we said 2pm."

"Oh, we did?! Well that's good, glad things are-wait, why are you already here then?"

"I like to be early, because I know you do."

"Right...yes." James blushed with a twisting finger in his hair. "So we are continuing our lessons yes?"

"Yes."

He offered a seat beside him where a bronze-laced guitar sat in waiting, the lemming sitting himself down with the instrument he strapped round his chest.

"How are you?" asked Jarogniew.

"Wonderful thank you," James smiled flicking on the amp to send a buzz through the air, "I think I just gave master Durai an idea to help solve a riddle that has long evaded him."

"Good!" he nodded patting the lemming's shoulder. "I am glad to hear, are you ready?"

"Yes," James gripped the neck of his guitar, "same song from before?"

"Yes."

James started with a tender intro of eleven notes, opening the floor for Chanoch to strum his deeper guitar to a constant rhythm that the lemming began to follow with his higher pitch. He sang a short song with a soft melodic tone he murmured the first two lines of before reaching upwards into a proper shout. Whilst not an especially good singer by any means, his sense of rhythm was practiced and his eloquent tongue gave a force to each lyric that punched the air with a sharpness for the next two-and-a-half minutes. They ended at the last line almost too quickly for comfort as the strings petered out.

"That was good!" said Chanoch proudly.

"Really?!" gasped James. "I-i wasn't sure on the third section-"

"It was good, you are getting better! Second bridge you must tighten your grip, part of it is confidence."

"Right."

"Hold your instrument with pride. Do not fear the failure, do everything with strength."

"Yes, th-thank you." He bowed gratefully. "Are you sure we don't need that last minute, I mean the song is normally longer."

"No need," the reptile waved his hand, "no fun if you cannot sing it."

"That is true," James murmured tapping fingers across the strings, "I am surprised you chose rather a bleak song, not that I don't dislike it, just it seems rather...dark."

"I like this music," he shrugged, "I like most rock music, but I like these lyrics. Also it is short enough to practice easily."

"Well you certainly sing this music better than I do," the lemming blushed. "Shall we start again, this time you sing?"

"MMmmm." Chanoch looked at him with a slight grimace. "I am not a good singer."

"What, noooo I love your singing!"

"Mmmmmmm...you have a nicer voice."

"Please Chanoch?" James widened his eyes like a puppy. "I would love to hear you sing again."

"Alright." The lizardman smiled with a little blush. "You lead."

He started once again, James plucking across the guitar strings with his bandaged fingers as Chanoch clicked off his translation collar and followed with his own voice into the main melody. Compared to the lemming he was a forceful baritone, a dwelling voice that rumbled from the depths of his soul that slightly struggled to come out through his lips as his tongue fought against the English language. But he managed regardless, tightening his face and forcing his mouth to open more than usual to the beat of the song which became less melodic in his somewhat-stilted singing.

"That was lovely!" cried James with clapping applause.

"I sound terrible," he shook his head.

"Noooo no you sounded fine, I loved it!"

"It was only fair, you sang first."

"Well why not sing together this time and make it a duet?!"

"Really?" Chanoch reeled slightly with an untrusting eye. "You are certain?"

"Of course, you're giving me a chance to practice my bard skills so why not have fun with it?"

"You wanted to be a bard?"

"Well...not exactly but," James scratched his cheek, "one always could do with a fresh set of skills, actually that made me want to ask, did you ever wonder perhaps if you became a bard, if your knight career turned out different?"

"No." He looked down at his electric piece. "For me it was a hobby."

"Fifty years is more than just a hobby, did you never consider making a career of it?!"

"There was no career choice in the castle," said Chanoch shaking his head, "if it was not battle, it was a hobby."

"Hmmm...well, consider this," James put his leg up with guitar resting on his thigh, "if you had not been banished, and you still remained back in your realm, would you consider being a bard or at least part of some travelling troupe?"

"With this face?" he pointed a claw at his sneering teeth.

"Why not, maybe a circus and pretend it's a very elaborate costume!"

"Hmhahaha, circus?! I loved the circus!"

"I love it too!" James almost squealed with hands on chest. "I went to the circus years ago when Alistair was quite young, there is another tribe of lemmings who practice entirely as entertainers and they are a delight!"

"I have not been to a circus in years," Chanoch sighed wistfully, "I went when I was little, they came from France."

"What sort of things did they do?"

"Costumes, pretending to be horses. Giant legs with stilts and heads like men that frightened my mother."

"That sounds wild," James leaned back drumming fingers on his guitar, "we had clowns in our circus, lemmings with strange hair and painted faces throwing pies at each other and slipping on puddles whilst trapeze artists do highwire acts."

"OH, we had highwire acts too!" The lizard clapped his hands. "They would dance on the ropes and they had tumblers, there were people who trained hawks to hunt or juggle knives at each other."

"Ooooh that sounds marvellous! ...I would love to bring you back to my realm and take you to the circus."

"Really?" he asked leaning closer.

"Yes...I'm not sure if I'll be able to."

"Why not?"

"There are certain rules," James winced pinching his fingers, "we shouldn't really bring people from other realms as our village has rather strict rules."

"It is fine," he patted the lemming's head, "why not take a recording machine and show me the circus then?"

"But you hate movies."

"I do, but...I would not mind it with you."

His hand brushed across to James' lap as they both stared at each other with flushed cheeks, taking a deep breath and starting up the song once again with James leading the intro and Chanoch backing him up. Together their voices made an interesting duet between high and low that blended like milk and dark coffee.

[i]"I see a red door and I want it painted black~[/i]

[i]No colours anymore I want them to turn black~[/i]

[i]I see the girls walk by dressed in their summer clothes![/i]

[i]I have to turn my head until my darkness goes![/i]

[i]I see a line of cars and they're all painted black~[/i]

[i]With flowers and my love both never to come back~[/i]

[i]I see people turn their heads and quickly look away![/i]

[i]Like a newborn baby it just happens every day![/i]

[i]I look inside myself and see my heart is black~[/i]

[i]I see my red door I must have it painted black~[/i]

[i]Maybe then I'll fade away and not have to face the facts![/i]

[i]S'not easy facing up when your whole world is black![/i]

[i]No more will my green sea go turn a deeper blue~[/i]

[i]I could not foresee this thing hap-pen-ning to you~[/i]

[i]If I look hard enough into the setting sun![/i]

[i]My love will laugh with me before the morning comes!"[/i]

The song ended as they laid back with relief and pulled their guitar straps off.

"Excellent," said Chanoch, "you are learning much better."

"That was fantastic!" cried James fistpumping. "You know what we could do, we should form a troupe!"

"What?"

"You and me on the guitar, we find ourselves a singer, someone for the drums, it'll be great!"

"Uh...hmm-"

"If I find a singer and a drummer, would you consider it?"

"...alright." He stood up and offered his hand. "Let us do it."

"YES!" James slapped his hand with a hard pull and lifted himself up into his arms. "This is going to be amazing, gosh I'm all fired up with energy I have not felt this way since I first started travelling realms!"

"Hmhmhmhm...I love your energy."

"W-well I mean why not do something like this?! We are both strangers in a strange land why should we restrict ourselves to our own ways when we can EMBRACE the culture!?"

"Hmhm...yes."

He wrapped his arms slowly round James' body and pulled him onto the balls of his feet. The look in his eyes told him everything as the lemming tried to push his neck upwards to reach his lips, the reptile bending down slightly to meet him in a feverish kiss that turned them breathless. Chanoch swelled his lungs with a tremendous depth that almost sucked James dry as he felt weak at the knees, clutching tightly against his thick scaled arms as he surrendered his breath to him in a desperate struggle before their lips parted with a soft suckling web of saliva between.

"Do you want-"

"Yes," gasped James, "anything you said, yes."

"Alright. Come."

"Wh-what are you-AAAH!"

James suddenly felt himself being lifted into his arms as Chanoch carried him in both hands, cradling him against his chest as they strolled off down the hall towards his room catching a few eyes from reploids and humans passing through.

"AH James!" Haytham raised his hand to them. "I am glad I caught you I jus-"

"SORRY NO TIME!" cried the lemming as they stomped past him. "Call me in a few hours!"

"O-oh, alright I shall see you soo-...ah."

He chuckled turning his head with a simple nod as Jarogniew finally reached their room, placing his lover upon the bed with Chanoch locking the door with a few beeps.

"Clothes off," he ordered.

"R-really?!"

"Yes, do not want them dirty."

"R-right, yes."

James slipped off his robe revealing his undershirt and cotton pants, hoisting it onto the side of the bed before slipping his shirt over his head with a bob of his snout and sliding his pants off. His arousal was showing already from the hairless sheath that plumpened to expose his rising 6-inch length above two peachy testes. Chanoch unbuttoned his suit from the top, slowly exposing his raw stone-scaled pecs as he swept his shirt off with a practiced sweep of his arms before hanging up his slacks. For the first time James saw the potent erection of Jarogniew's cursed figure, a primal slit that opened between his thighs to reveal a flowering protrusion with tapering head that thickened down his shaft. It was already much bigger than James' own as he bashfully covered himself.

"H-hoh...talisman I was not expecting you this big."

"It is fine." He slid himself down onto the bed beside his love. "We take this slow, yes?"

"Y-yes, please...I have only done this once."

"I know..." he pressed his scaled lips against James' skin, "you smell good."

"Th-thank you...I always like to keep clean."

"I know, we showered together." His hands wrapped slowly round the student's back to pull their naked bodies close. "Is this alright?"

"Y-yes...hoh," James whimpered against his chest, "not quite as warm as I expect until I feel your um...u-um-"

"Penis," he finished for him.

"Yes," James blushed at the burgeoning heat that started scraping up his leg. "Must be quite the um, chore to clean under the tail yes?"

"Not really."

"C-can I...feel your tail?"

"Of course."

He slipped his hands round the larger beast but only managed to reach as far as his lower back from the size of his broad chest. Chanoch slowly lifted his tail to press up against himself, slinking it over his side to let James feel its muscular strength, the smooth texture different from that of the lizardman's body which felt more coarse. The smell of dry wood wrapped in leather filled his nostrils as he nuzzled his snout against the silt-pebbled chest.

"Gosh your tail is so heavy," he murmured.

"It is muscle," he said stroking the tip at his cheek, "you like it?"

"Yes...I love every part of you."

He lowered his head towards the growing erection then back to his face, the lizardman nodding with a growing need in his beckoning eyes as James slipped his hand down towards the hottest part of the lizardman's body. Surprisingly even that was not as warm as he expected, the slippery shaft growing in his hand and gliding past his fingers to prod at his sac in passing and slither up against his belly. James grasped with his second hand and started stroking the beastly length, gasping at how it throbbed and flexed in his grip as Chanoch moaned beneath his breath.

"Th-that is good," he murmured deep.

"Yes?" panted James quickening his pace. "S-saviour's grace how are you s-still growing?!"

"I am...very big...aahh."

Chanoch pulled his head close, grinding their bodies together as the lemming kept stroking him off as they savoured their heat, the two easing themselves into their mood as they shared kisses between each other, tongues tracing across their flesh with gentle pecks between.

"I-i am so...hoh...Ch-chanoch please," James squirmed in his grip.

"Keep stroking," he whispered licking one of his claws, "I will help you."

"A-AAAH, mmmmph!"

James felt the slickened finger prod at his rear with a teasing motion, spreading his pucker with a thick scaly digit that crept its way inside as the lemming tensed up slightly. He felt the reptilian tongue press into his gasping mouth, eyes half-closed in fluttering lust as he pushed back against the invading finger that went deeper with steady thrusts, his warm tunnel stretching softly round Chanoch's claw that scraped and plucked against the rippling walls as the lemming started to pre with thickening spurts on his cock.

"H-HAAAH, o-ohhhh! Ch-chanoch p-please!"

"Does that feel good?"

"Y-yes, hoh, yes, d-deeper."

Encouraged by his smaller friend the lizardman reached further in burying his clawed finger to the very knuckle of his reach, almost tickling as James bucked without warning and smeared against his thigh with flustered little moans grabbing Chanoch's waist. He looked upon the tremendous shaft he still pleasured in his dexterous fingers, having to move himself downwards just to reach the base of the slit as he began fingering within the thick sensitive folds.

"MMMPH!"

"S-sorry, did that hurt?!"

"N-no," gasped Chanoch, "please...m-more...your fingers feel good."

"Alright...h-haaaah."

Struggling to compose himself from the deep fingerfucking as he kissed upon his chest, the lemming started massaging the slit with tingling fingers that rubbed and circled around the prodigious member that throbbed against his body, coating his hairless skin with glistening milk that turned thicker the more he fingered into the slit. Chanoch shuddered with beastly grunts as he snarled with excitable flaps of his tail behind him, desperate to breed as he started thrusting with deep grinds against James' chest to further smother him in his pre. The lemming's fingers felt wonderful as hot little hands struggled around his monstrous pillar, tensing at its full length of 14 inches from James' swirling, scratching and rubbing at the depths within his muscular slit that clenched and suckled at the student's fingertips.

"S-stop, stop please."

"H-huh?" James looked up at him.

"I need...m-more."

"A-alright but..." he looked down towards the beast between them, "I-i do not think that will fit."

"I know."

"What?"

"I want you...in me."

"Wh-...you want ME to-"

"Yes," he nodded with a pensive gasp, "unless you want me to try."

"No I...I-i am just surprised you would want to considering-"

"It is easier for us, and we both feel pleasure from it."

"Well..." James rubbed his neck with a nervous grin, "will not be the first time I've done this. Alright let's do it like you said."

Chanoch carefully pushed him back and sat himself at the foot of the bed as James stepped off to stand in front of him. Raising his legs the knight offered his rump to him as his tail slinked down to the floor, showing a thick black pucker at the tailbase that winked eagerly for James beneath his dark red slit where his cock continued to throb on his belly.

"Are you sure you want this?" James asked gripping his own erection.

"Yes," shivered him, "please...fill me James."

"Alright."

Standing closer he grabbed one of the lizard's legs as his thigh thickly sat against his shoulder, his other hand aiming his length towards the anal ring as he guided himself in. Chanoch barely resisted, his size allowing an easy passage for the lemming to surprisingly hilt himself much quicker than expected as his thin member slipped inside.

"AAAAH!"

"H-hmmmmph," the reptile bit his lip, "yesssss."

"I-is that fine?" he asked carefully.

"Yes, please k-keep going."

Steadying himself with Jarogniew's tail between his feet, the student grasped one of his tree-trunk legs to hoist over on his shoulder before he started thrusting. The knight had to clench to give James something to push against as the lemming whimpered from the sensation of sucking muscular forces that rubbed and creaked against his flesh. His balls gently whipped against the reptile rump as they both shivered with excitement, moans filling the room as they closed their eyes with a quickening pace in his hips. With confidence growing James slapped his body harder as Chanoch tightened more eager to milk his love, his large clawed feet tightening above James' head with twitching toes and breathless shudders as he wrapped his arms tight around his leg.

"H-haaah...James-"

"Ch-chanoch, hoh, f-feels so good, AAAAH!"

"Fill me please, p-please, I need this!"

"Y-you've never f-felt so warm, as this-MMMPH!"

"I need you..." He bent his chest forwards and stroked across his face, "I need your warmth, James."

"A-aaah...aaah!"

"My sweet little mage...m-mmmph."

His fingers crept across the lemming's features, stroking down his blunt thick snout as the curls of his hair brushed over the thick purple claws, catching his breath against his scaled palm with smoothened ridges like shale.

Building up his strength James tightened his fingers on Chanoch's thighs and pumped hard as he could with solid smacking sounds as the reptile shivered through his tail, spilling more pre onto himself as he resisted the urge to stroke himself knowing he was near his limit. Despite the size of his partner barely managing to plunge into his depths, he felt James trying to grind and scrape against his walls with enough vigour to make him pant faster, waiting for his lover to cum first with controlled clenching spasms to help further excite him to his climax as the lemming suddenly threw himself forwards with one last thrust and a whimpering scream.

"A-AAAAAH S-SAVIOUR, [i]CH-CHANOCH![/i]"

"Y-yes...YES! FILL ME JAMES!"

Hot little spurts of seed coated around the lizardman's walls as they became spackled in droplets, not enough to fill but certainly enough to send warm sensations through him as he clenched his hardest to milk every drop he could. James almost sobbed as he tightened up his body with gritted teeth, pumping the last of his seed that dripped from his balls and down the reptile's tail, grinding the sheath of his member at the puckered taint as he bent forwards to almost kiss the base of his lover's shaft.

"H-h-hhaaaaah...ohhhh...h-hohhh that was..." he looked up to Chanoch and his dripping cock, "was that good?"

"Yes," he moaned, "now help me...I am so close."

"H-help you?"

"Yes, please, stroke me, I want your hands, I need your mouth!"

He climbed onto the bed over Chanoch's body, through his legs in a desperate scramble with his cock dripping behind him as he laid on his side and feverishly stroked him. Chanoch tightened his muscles and put James' head down towards the head of his meat, drooling more pre by the second as he watched and felt him start sucking.

"Yes...h-hohhh, yes...aaaah..."

The second male James had ever tasted and it was somehow saltier than the previous one. Chanoch was flowing like a broken faucet with a hefty musk flowing through his nostrils as he tried swallowing as much as he could but barely managed to fit past a few inches. Stroking harder and faster he felt more of it flood down his throat with the reptile's claws on the back of his head, scrunching his soft green hair as he found his peak and struggled with all his might not to lose himself.

"H-HNNNGH[b]RRRAAAAAARGH![/b]"

"[i]GLLLLLRKHH![/i]"

The knight filled the lemming's cheeks to overflowing, stuttering coughs soon following after as James suddenly felt himself being forced to swallow as much as he could of the mighty river that burst from his lips and poured down his chin. Pulling himself off he coughed from the bitter jizz that soon splashed across his face and dribbled down onto the bed, Chanoch continuing to spray himself across his chest with a long sigh of relief.

"[i]KHHHHH! UGH-KHH![/i]"

"A-aaaaaah, hhhaaaaaaah...thank you."

"[i]H-hhhhh n-no problem...KHHH![/i] Y-you could have warned me at least!"

"Forgive me," he mumbled stroking James, "I-i could not...hold myself."

"Th-that is fine just...GUHH your seed is just incredibly-"

"I am sorry." He looked down at himself. "I hope you had fun."

"O-oh, yes I did!" James cried gulping back the last drops of seed. "I-i am very glad we did this, I was so...nervous how it would be that now it just...feels like a great achievement."

"Yes," said Chanoch smiling, "I am very happy...thank you."

"So...what do we do now?" he looked across the stains as their orgasm dwindled. "Perhaps we should clean up."

"Yes," the lizardman wrapped his arm round James and pulled him down, "but...later."

"Mmmm?"

"I would like to...rest."

"I would like that too," said James blushing from the stickiness against his belly, "i-if you do not mind being a little dirty."

"With you I love it. I love you." He kissed the lemming's cheeks.

"I-i love you too." He kissed the lizardman's lips. "I'm so...honoured you would even want to, with me."

"I trust you James, more than anyone in this world." He softly caressed the gentle hairs with twisting fingers. "Since we met, you always protected me."

"I-i mean...well...I know from my own history how it is to be...trapped." He cuddled up against his stained chest. "I'm glad that I could help you."

He smiled upon him as they fell asleep within embrace, a tender nap in the heat of their bodies coating each other for the next few hours away from the world. Never had Chanoch's heart swelled so greatly then that day beside his love.

[i]"We have arrived."[/i] Sulphide leapt off the raft at the northern shore beneath the Deep Mountains. [i]"Riptor can you hear me?"[/i]

[i]"Loud and clear,"[/i] said the earpiece vibrating his skull, [i]"all good?"[/i]

[i]"We all made it for starters,"[/i] he looked back to the few rafts where seven other raptors stepped from, [i]"so far everything seems normal, mountains, forest and what smells like a swamp nearby."[/i]

[i]"Plenty life must live there then. Travel east and find Sunscreech's pack, present yourself with your usual charm but remember-"[/i]

[i]"I know I know, no goddess nor mentioning him."[/i] He watched his group take their small pouches of food to sling round their chests. [i]"How is he by the way?"[/i]

[i]"Grieving,"[/i] said Riptor from afar, [i]"Radium is helping him but he has gone to a catatonic state."[/i]

[i]"I see,"[/i] he sighed shaking his head, [i]"I'm sorry, I wish I was there to-"[/i]

[i]"I will take care of Sunscreech. So long as his children survive and grow up healthy that is what matters most."[/i]

[i]"Still, Methyl was a good raptor. I could never imagine she would push herself to this."[/i]

[i]"We must move past this,"[/i] said his leader with a tightened jaw, [i]"it was a regrettable choice, but one she made and there is nothing that will bring her back."[/i]

[i]"Not everyone is as strong as you,"[/i] said Sulphide scratching the black silt from the mountainbase, [i]"none of us will ever be."[/i]

[i]"That doesn't matter, what matters is we are strong ENOUGH, understood?"[/i]

[i]"Yes Riptor. I will let you know of any further discoveries."[/i] He tapped the side of his head to click off the piece and turned to his crew. [i]"Alright, Ruby, Beryl, Platinum, stay here and look after the slaves."[/i]

[i]"Yes Sulphide,"[/i] three raptors bowed and stood beside the rafts.

[i]"We may be gone for a while, if need be one of you hunt whilst the other waits, there should be plenty food around to keep."[/i]

[i]"How far do we travel?"[/i] asked one silver raptor.

[i]"Sunscreech told me once he spent most of his days drifting and sheltering, but the actual travel length comes to around at least twenty days from his homeland. Remember, none of you mention his name to the locals, he was banished and we do not want them to think we are in cahoots with him."[/i]

[i]"What about the ones we bring back?"[/i] asked a bronze scout.

[i]"Well then they'll be part of us and they'll have to like it, can't have him banished from every place! Now let's go, keep your eyes and ears sharp and don't cause any trouble, we have no time for fighting giants."[/i]

Four raptors followed Sulphide to the east as they took a long walk across the shore with the inland marshes to the south. The first few days they made a straight venture towards east-by-southeast, cutting a slow diagonal through the hilly lands of wide open plans with few forests between points that the previous storm had filled to become flooded valleys. The first day was largely uneventful, some familiar species and fresh rainwater puddles allowing them food and drink to recover with as they scoped the land and sniffed out the air for any trace of familiar raptors. Finding a place to sleep was their biggest problem as they scoured for caves or trees to make shelter, the rain more common within the damp marshland to the point they resorted to digging out burrows from the hills just to sleep dryly in. The second day however brought a surprise for them when they caught a new scent on the breeze, travelling further southwards to uncover a most bizarre sight.

[i]"What the...fuck is that?!"[/i] gasped the silver raptor.

[i]"Is that a settlement?!"[/i] muttered another in cloudy-blue.

[i]"Sunscreech never mentioned this!"[/i]

[i]"He's a backwards idiot you think he even noticed?!"[/i]

[i]"Quiet!"[/i] barked Sulphide nipping the cyan neck. [i]"He just lost his mate don't you insult him!"[/i]

[i]"S-sorry, sorry I-"[/i]

[i]"We don't talk about our pack like that, understand Formic?!"[/i]

[i]"Y-yes, sorry Sulphide."[/i]

[i]"Now, let's see."[/i] He clicked underneath his earhole. [i]"Riptor, are you there?"[/i]

[i]"Mmmm?"[/i] The sounds of crunching bone and flesh burned through his ears. [i]"Myuh?"[/i]

[i]"Ah, sorry I didn't mean to disturb you, we just discovered a settlement of all things in this land."[/i]

[i]"WHUH?!"[/i] She gulped heavily with a belch that shook Sulphide's skull. [i]"A settlement?!"[/i]

[i]"Let me show you, if you are free."[/i]

[i]"By all means!"[/i]

Gently pressing a claw beneath his eye, Sulphide squinted carefully as he felt for the switch just on the inside of his retina until something clicked. Unbeknownst to anyone a signal transmitted through the prehistoric world as it shot straight back to the islands they came from where Riptor had activated her own wireless feed to receive. Sulphide's eye looked no different but for a new gleam from the biomechanical viewer that Riptor was now seeing through from one of her own eyes.

[i]"All clear?"[/i] he asked for confirmation.

[i]"Crystal,"[/i] she said staring at the raptors that looked at him. [i]"Bromous is on your left, Selenic in front and Formic on your right."[/i]

[i]"Good now let me show you."[/i]

Turning his head over the hill, the jaune-pale raptor looked over towards a large village that stood over a swamp with huts upon stilts and a plethora of strange beasts that wandered amidst the shallow marsh with weapons and tools in their fingers, clustered on all sides by giant tree trunks crafted into a solid wall of sharpened tips from which they could barely see over. Large pigs with drooping snouts alongside smaller stubbier versions in a mixture of red, blue and black, with giant lizards in green, blue and yellow that stared with their eyes twisting off in different directions. The sounds of machines could be heard above their voices, children playing in the mud and chasing each other with sticks amongst rumbling whirrs of shining steel shapes that stood humbly at the very back of the village.

[i]"Well this is interesting,"[/i] muttered Riptor through his ear, [i]"they seem advanced enough."[/i]

[i]"But not human,"[/i] noted Sulphide with relief, [i]"despite some of that machinery in the back."[/i]

[i]"Yeeees that does not look possible in this world."[/i]

[i]"What do you mean?"[/i]

[i]"Could you zoom in on that machine please?"[/i]

He honed his eye towards it as best he could, keeping his head still until Riptor spoke.

[i]"That is definitely for waste management, set up beside a farm no less to filter nutrients."[/i]

[i]"Farm?"[/i] asked Sulphide cocking his head.

[i]"An area of land humans tear up to plant their own fruit and vegetables."[/i]

[i]"But, why? Why can't they just take from the trees around them?!"[/i]

[i]"Because humans are pathetic weak little degenerates so inbred by their own incompetence that they demand control over every single thing in existence."[/i]

[i]"But these aren't human,"[/i] noted the yellow beast dipping his head.

[i]"Hmhmhmhm, perhaps we found the ancestors of humans, trying to pretend that they are gods and not failed abortions."[/i]

[i]"Iiiiii, beg to differ Riptor."[/i]

[i]"I know,"[/i] she scoffed with a little chuckle, [i]"but that machine does look too advanced to have made it out of stone around here...make a note of the village, continue your search for his tribe."[/i]

[i]"Yes Riptor."[/i]

He clicked off his eye-receiver with a gentle squish beneath his sclera, moving on with his group quietly before they would be discovered, heading further east over the hills and down the valleys that rolled from one to the next like a sea serpent on the hunt. Hours passed between hunts as they had their fill of the local flavour, keeping themselves out of sight from the strange villagers that went out hunting. The only other thing of note was when they crossed into the thickest swamp not too far from the northeastern beach, a mountain that shone like the sun scaling beyond their reach to the east as they clumped through sticky black water.

[i]"Ugh this place smells like shit,"[/i] snorted the blue raptor.

[i]"You're telling me,"[/i] panted the silver one, [i]"hope we leave this place soon."[/i]

[i]"No raptor would ever live here,"[/i] scoffed the deep-red beast beside them.

[i]"I have to agree,"[/i] added Sulphide, [i]"I can't even tell what creatures WOULD live here, this ground is unsteady and this water cannot be healthy to live in...careful."[/i]

His tail slipped gently round one of their necks in a silent clue, unlinking its seemingly-organic appearance to reveal its mechanical innard as they nodded quietly. Slowly they fanned out and made themselves into a small circle facing outwards as the waters started bubbling around them. Nine drooling shapes pulled themselves free from the mulch, long fierce jaws and even longer bodies with ridgebacked scales and tree-trunked tails.

[b]"Yer trethpathin, thtrangerth."[/b]

The largest of them spoke, shaking off the bogwater to reveal a thick-necked crocodilian whose mouth gaped without its tongue.

[i]"We have no quarrel with you,"[/i] said Sulphide tensing his claws, [i]"we are simply passing through."[/i]

[b]"Uh nevuh theen you bifor,"[/b] mumbled the beast, [b]"who urh yuu?"[/b]

[i]"Is that really any of your business?"[/i]

[b]"Uf yer pathin' through, yeh, thith ith thuh land uff thuh Waturjawth."[/b]

[i]"I...see, my apologies then,"[/i] he bowed trying to keep his nose above the swamp, [i]"we did not realise how vast your territory was, we were trying to not approach TOO deeply."[/i]

[b]"Hmm."[/b] The croc-beast stomped forwards on her vertical legs trudging sludge underfoot as she circled him. [b]"Yeah, yuu definutly nut frum heer."[/b]

[i]"We come from beyond the black mountains,"[/i] said Sulphide keeping still, [i]"we only wish to pass through."[/i]

[b]"Ulrigh', why?"[/b]

[i]"If you must know, we are searching for another tribe of raptors...I don't suppose you know of any nearby we could meet?"[/i]

[b]"Hmmmhhh..."[/b]

The croc flapped her jaw in ponderment as her fellow beasts stood firmly to attention with low grumbling shudders that warned the newcomers to not move.

[b]"Yuu got thum thwiftclawth in thuh treeth down thouth...nah they got feathurrth they're kinda weird. Only othurr thwiftclawth are out far eatht, look lahk you but leth...thtony."[/b]

[i]"Really?"[/i] Sulphide leaned forwards with gleaming eyes. [i]"The raptors out east, what are they like?"[/i]

[b]"Lahk...thwiftclawth lahk you ah guethh...why?"[/b]

[i]"Well they sound exactly the sort of beasts we are searching for!"[/i]

[b]"An' whyzhat?"[/b] She lowered her voice to a rumbling snarl that shook the waters. [b]"Whut you wan' with 'em?"[/b]

[i]"I do not think that is your business, not being a raptor."[/i]

[b]"Kunthidering they're mah friendth, you jutht MADE it mah problem. Now tell me whut you want, or mah children are gunna rip yer headth off an' zhit down yer throatth."[/b]

[i]"...hmph, fine."[/i] He gave an exasperated sigh and stood up primly. [i]"My...tribe are suffering from a severe lack of mates, we are on a mission to find other raptors we are able to breed with so we don't completely die out."[/i]

[b]"Whuh? Really?!"[/b] The croc snorted a deep chuckle. [b]"Why dintcha thay thet bifor, muh friendth'll help ya out!"[/b]

[i]"And how exactly do you know these friends, waterjaw?"[/i]

[b]"Three uff 'em help me kill a great beatht, been threatenin' mah tribe fer thykulth, now we got thuh whole land fer ourthelveth an' our familieth! Ah owe a lot to thuh thwiftclaw tribe, tho uh, they'll help you out uf yuu jutht go through thuh cave near thuh mountain."[/b]

[i]"Swiftclaw tribe...hmmm, alright then, we shall further head east."[/i]

[b]"Hope they can help yuu...an' uf you wrong them...you wrong me."[/b]

She gave her last words to him with a long smile, big enough to eat two of their heads if she so wanted as Sulphide gave a firm nod and made a motion for his pack to leave onwards through the swamp.

[i]"Ugh, glad we can finally leave,"[/i] gasped the blue raptor.

[i]"Seriously,"[/i] murmured deep red, [i]"that freak was something else, how does she know about any other raptors?!"[/i]

[i]"We shall soon see,"[/i] said their leader nodding sagely, [i]"for now let's just focus on leaving this swamp."[/i]

[i]"What about the other raptors she spoke of, the ones with feathers?"[/i]

[i]"They are not Sunscreech's tribe, perhaps we shall meet them on the way back but for now we head east."[/i]

Ascending out of the marshlands they soon made for the edges of the forest to stay far from any other territory if possible. The mountain paths led them trailing in a slow serpentine up towards the base of the Skylands where they found the cave allowing passage through. The end of the second day greeted them with the exit, as night fell forcing them to sleep at the foot of the mountain with a third of their provisions now used up. Morning soon came to the view of a lush and sweltering grassland, filled with travelling beasts and roaming herds that crisscrossed the plains to their own devices as they followed the northern ridge with the scents of the sea drifting from beyond.

Half a day they spent crossing the veldt as the sounds of the ocean came from afar like whispering hands across their ears, gasping winds through the emerald breeze of the grass beneath their feet.

[i]"Wow,"[/i] whispered the silver beast, [i]"this place is beautiful!"[/i]

[i]"No wonder Sunscreech is always mad,"[/i] muttered blue, [i]"I'd be pissed too if I had to leave a place like this."[/i]

[i]"Bear in mind we must NOT mention his name,"[/i] Sulphide turned his head to them, [i]"so from this point forth belay all talk of him."[/i]

[i]"Right, sorry."[/i]

[i]"Sulphide uhh, can I ask something?"[/i]

[i]"Yes?"[/i] He stopped and looked towards the red raptor of his group.

[i]"I was thinking...why do we have to bring BACK some mates, could some of us not just stay with the tribe here?"[/i]

[i]"You haven't even seen them,"[/i] he snorted, [i]"how can you even think of that?"[/i]

[i]"Well I-i thought, maybe by spreading ourselves out we could still achieve what Riptor wants but-"[/i]

[i]"I understand where you're coming from Bromous but Riptor's orders are our orders, you are welcome to suggest this once we get back but for the time being we mus-"[/i]

[i]"HALT!"[/i]

The cry of another beast made them stop as they were approached by a small cluster of raptors with sandy scales.

[i]"You are venturing into our territory,"[/i] warned the guards, [i]"we advise you to turn back if you plan to hunt."[/i]

[i]"OH, no no no I had no intention!"[/i] Sulphide bowed submissive as the others followed suit. [i]"My name is Sulphide and I have come seeking others like us with a need that only other raptors can cure."[/i]

[i]"Raptors?"[/i] The guards snorted at each other as one stepped forwards. [i]"You speak odd for a hunter."[/i]

[i]"My apologies, my pack are from far away and we've travelled many lands seeking help. May we speak with your leader?"[/i]

[i]"Whatever problem you have is not ours, why do you need us to help?"[/i]

[i]"Because my pack is dying."[/i] The ultraraptor took a deep breath and mustered his tears. [i]"We are but one family left, lost from a terrible calamity that killed most of us. We searched high and low for any others like us, and we desperately need mates, both male and female who wish to join us."[/i]

[i]"You want...mates?"[/i] They looked at each other confused by this problem.

[i]"We have all the food we need and we have a wonderful home for nests but we need mates. You wouldn't let a family of raptors die, would you?"[/i]

[i]"Hmmm...this is unusual, we never had any hunters come to us or even ask us for such a thing...wait here."[/i]

The guard chief turned to his group with a murmur as he made his way back into the nesting grounds, whilst the raptors remained to keep a stern offensive on the newcomers that said nothing and waited patiently. Around twenty minutes passed before the guard returned with a new raptor who had grey eyes and a crimson back disturbingly similar to Sunscreech.

[i]"Greetings hunters,"[/i] Fishclaw stood to his full height, [i]"I am the Alpha of the Hunters' Nest, why have you come?"[/i]

[i]"A tremendous honour to meet you,"[/i] Sulphide bowed even further to kiss the dirt, [i]"I am Sulphide of the Ultraraptors, I have come with an unusual plea that I hope you can amend."[/i]

[i]"You come desiring mates, yes?"[/i]

[i]"Exactly! You seem to be a vast tribe with such incredibly fertile beasts, that we come with an offer rather than a problem for your families."[/i]

[i]"You are the alpha of your tribe?"[/i]

[i]"No, I am the beta, my alpha still remains with them, we suffered a great storm and she is doing her best to keep things stable."[/i]

[i]"I see,"[/i] Fishclaw purred and stiffened his tail, [i]"but as my guard has said, this does not concern us."[/i]

[i]"I understand Alpha,"[/i] said Sulphide keeping his eyes permanently to the dirt, [i]"but would you at least hear me out? All I ask is if any of your tribe wish to come with us, venture to new places, an exciting adventure and the prospect of a new family within a bountiful land of great food and safety!"[/i]

[i]"And all you require are fresh mates?"[/i]

[i]"Yes, nothing else! We are only a single family and we do not wish to die out, so please have mercy, I ask only for a few."[/i]

[i]"How many of your family are there?"[/i] Fishclaw asked tilting his head.

[i]"Thirty,"[/i] said Sulphide standing up slightly.

[i]"Hmmm...that is a great family, but a small tribe...alright, you come with me."[/i]

[i]"Thank you."[/i] He bowed once again restraining his grin. [i]"Your kindness to allow me in I most deeply appreciate-"[/i]

[i]"But you come alone, your guards stay here."[/i]

[i]"Oh?"[/i] The ultraraptor looked behind to his group as they twitched their tails nervous at this addendum. [i]"Let me speak with my guards first."[/i]

He nodded and let Sulphide walk off out of earshot as his scouts clustered around together with a small conference.

[i]"Are you sure Sulphide?"[/i] asked a red raptor.

[i]"Don't worry about me, this is just negotiations."[/i]

[i]"But what if they attack you?!"[/i]

[i]"If they wanted to attack us they would have done so already, they are not idiots so let's respect that."[/i]

[i]"If anything happens to you-"[/i]

[i]"Nothing will. I assure you, now, stay here and wait for me. Do not cause trouble."[/i]

[i]"Yes Sulphide."[/i]

[i]"Good."[/i] He tapped his earhole with a claw. [i]"Riptor are you free for the next hour?"[/i]

[i]"I can be,"[/i] she said coming through, [i]"what have you found?"[/i]

[i]"The tribe our mutual friend came from, I just met with the leader who smells and looks very like him."[/i]

[i]"Really? ...alright, give me visual and let's see what they have."[/i]

[i]"Of course."[/i]

He walked back to Fishclaw after clicking on his eye-receiver and kept his head low with a mutual agreement, led into the grounds of the Swiftclaw tribe where the scents of many families clustered around his nostrils. From the grasslands he went to the large shore of a lake where dozens of families all clustered in their own nests playing and talking and eating with each other in raucous cacophony, a place far more energetic than his pack were with a whole different smell he only vaguely recalled from Sunscreech. Raptors were bathing themselves in the lake with others upstream of them drinking the sweet cool water as children rushed past his feet in excitable chatters of adventure that warmed his heart.

All throughout this Riptor was watching through her eye at the lush forests that reached beyond the colony, mentally counting how many adults were present as she gave orders on where to turn his head to keep track of things. The primordial beasts stared at him with deep rumblings of threat, warning him to stay away as he bowed graciously with gentle sidesteps and apologetic mews until Fishclaw stood in the centre of the grounds with his guards around their new guest, the large stone menhirs of the past leader's home rising up behind them.

[i]"Brothers and sisters! May I have your attention please?"[/i]

The raptors carefully approached with whispering snarls between them at the sickly-yellow newcomer with steel frills and hexagonal blue lines down the side of his neck.

[i]"A hunter from afar has come to us with an odd request. He means no harm but he wishes to speak to us from hunter to hunter, and I ask you to hear his plea."[/i]

[i]"Wh-what?!"[/i]

[i]"Why, he is not from here!"[/i]

[i]"Smells nothing like any hunter I have known."[/i]

[i]"Everyone please!"[/i] Fishclaw barked. [i]"All I ask is that you hear him, then you can make your choice. You may speak."[/i]

He said these last words to Sulphide who stood proudly to gaze across the sea of beasts with a subdued purr.

[i]"My name is Sulphide. I come from the Ultraraptor tribe far to the west beyond the Deep Mountains. You'll have to forgive my odd speech but I will try to do my best to explain this to you, I know this is strange to have another hunter come from far away into your nesting grounds and ask for your help. I am the beta of my tribe, and as such I did not take this decision...lightly."[/i]

His eye honed upon a raptor at the back of the group, smaller than the others with an unusual gait that disturbed him.

[i]"We are a tribe of whom only one family now remains and so we now have a most terrible problem affecting us. We have no mates to breed with and to have children with when we are all related too closely to each other! Our tribe suffered storms and a terrible enemy that tried to exterminate us and almost succeeded! But we have managed to escape, with just the one family left and now I beseech you...I beg of you..."[/i]

He started to shake with a pitying sob as emotions flooded from his heart, controlling himself a few moments later.

[i]"I do not know any of you, and I will not expect you to help me when you have such a beautiful home here. You have everything you need and that is wonderful, and so do my tribe except for virile mates, both male and female to help us breed and continue our bloodline. I cannot offer you much, except for a taste of adventure, of hope and a new beginning. Perhaps some of you want to start a new family, or make tracks to another land but have no reason to leave.

[i]"If any of you, even if just ONE of you want to come with me then I will call my mission a success for any new blood to richen us and to prevent the slow death of my beloved tribe. Thank you for listening to me, and I hope you can save us soon."[/i]

He bowed once more until his snout touched the dirt, giving looks of confusion and pity from the other raptors as Fishclaw stepped forwards.

[i]"I will leave that choice to you, brothers and sisters. If any of you desire to follow him and to pursue your own lives with your own families, then come to me and we shall plan your journey."[/i]

The tribe started to disperse back to their nests, curious but mostly indifferent as Sulphide turned to the leader.

[i]"Thank you for letting me speak, Alpha."[/i]

[i]"Do not thank me,"[/i] said Fishclaw with a gentle purr, [i]"thank my tribe if any of them decide to come forth to join you."[/i]

[i]"Of course, but...may I ask, who is that raptor over there?"[/i]

[i]"Who?"[/i]

[i]"The one that stands...differently."[/i] He pointed his shining blue claw towards the fully-erect smaller raptor.

[i]"Oh, that is my brother."[/i] Fishclaw bumped his snout. [i]"Considering how you look you should watch who you call odd."[/i]

[i]"Hahaha, very true my apologies. I suppose being so different myself I'm naturally drawn to others like him."[/i]

[i]"I understand, he is the same with other beasts. Would you like to meet him?"[/i]

[i]"If he wants to,"[/i] Sulphide bowed, [i]"but I don't want to be a bother."[/i]

[i]"I will ask him then, wait here."[/i]

Staying with the guards he watched Fishclaw head over to the strange beast as Riptor's voice vibrated through his skull.

[i]"I wasn't seeing things was I?"[/i]

Sulphide shook his head quietly.

[i]"That...that raptor looked...almost-u-ugh I can't even say it, th-that's not possible!"[/i]

Again he shook his head and pursed his lips gently in waiting.

[i]"He must be the 'degenerate' that Sunscreech spoke of, no question."[/i]

[i]"Hello!"[/i] The strange humanoid raptor approached him with Fishclaw in tow. [i]"I am Oddclaw, my Alpha said you wanted to speak with me?"[/i]

[i]"Greetings!"[/i] Sulphide purred with dipping head. [i]"I am Sulphide but I'm sure you already heard."[/i]

[i]"Yes, but I do not know how I can help, I have no desire to leave especially when I have a family."[/i]

[i]"Oh no no no I wasn't going to ask such, I was just fascinated because I have never seen a hunter like you."[/i]

[i]"U-uhm, yes,"[/i] he rubbed his neck nervously, [i]"I admit I have never seen a hunter like you either."[/i]

[i]"Oh of course I mean, that's why I was so intrigued by you because seeing other different hunters out there in the world is just wonderful!"[/i]

[i]"Well, thank you."[/i] The anthro bowed courteously with glimmering green eyes. [i]"Was there anything you wanted to ask?"[/i]

[i]"Not really,"[/i] Sulphide smirked with a bashful grin as he scratched his head, [i]"sorry for all this, I-"[/i]

[i]"AAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIGH!"[/i]

Oddclaw suddenly raced off to the base of a tree where a young raptor stood next to a smaller version of the anthro, a boy sobbing with red eyes whilst clutching his bloodied knee.

[i]"What happened?!"[/i] cried the father kneeling beside him.

[i]"A-AAAAAAAAA-H-HH-HHAAAAAAIIIIGH!"[/i]

[i]"I was just trying to help him climb!"[/i] squeaked the girl.

[i]"WHAT?!"[/i]

[i]"Mother was talking to someone else a-and we were bored!"[/i]

[i]"You NEVER run off like that!"[/i] barked Oddclaw. [i]"You always stay close to me or your mother, what if you were in danger?!"[/i]

[i]"I-i'm sorry!"[/i]

[i]"D-DAAAADYYYYYY!"[/i]

[i]"Shhhhh it is fine Seaclaw."[/i] The father picked up his bawling son and started kissing his face. [i]"Come on now shhhh daddy's here."[/i]

[i]"D-d-da, d-daddyyyyy!"[/i] the boy stifled his screams into Oddclaw's shoulder.

[i]"Tell me what happened son."[/i]

[i]"A-aah, a-ah, w-wuz climbin' a-an' I got u-up a-a-at the b-branch a-an-eee-EEEH-h-h-hHHH!"[/i]

[i]"Awwww...it is fine, nothing is broken, do you want to go in the water?"[/i]

[i]"H-h-HHHH, m-mmmhmm!"[/i]

[i]"Let us go clean you up then come on, the pain will stop soon."[/i]

He shot a fierce look towards his daughter who balked beneath his gaze.

[i]"NEVER do that again."[/i]

[i]"I-i-i was jus-"[/i]

[i]"NO, Skyfang, you never run off and climb trees without me or your mother!"[/i]

[i]"I-i'm sorry father I didn't mean it-"[/i]

[i]"You are going back to our nest and you are NOT leaving until your mother returns!"[/i]

[i]"I WAS JUS-NN-NNNNRAAAAH!"[/i]

[i]"[b]ENOUGH![/b]"[/i]

She kicked with a sudden fit until Oddclaw made a ferocious roar that silenced her instantly. He turned to Fishclaw and Sulphide with exasperated look still cradling his son.

[i]"I am sorry about this."[/i]

[i]"No no it is fine,"[/i] Sulphide shook his head softly, [i]"please, go tend to your children, it was a pleasure to meet you Oddclaw."[/i]

[i]"Thank you, I wish you the best for your tribe."[/i]

He walked off with his trembling son in tow, dripping blood off his knee from the scraping wound as Sulphide quickly lapped some of the droplets before anyone could see with Fishclaw turning to his brother.

[i]"Do you need help?"[/i]

[i]"No no I can manage, we shall not be leaving the nest at all today."[/i]

[i]"B-but, I was gonna play with my friends!"[/i] squealed Skyfang.

[i]"And instead your brother is wounded because of your stupid games, that is your punishment."[/i]

[i]"NNNGH!"[/i] She snorted with a fierce look unseen.

[i]"Do you want to stay in the nest for TWO days child?!"[/i] threatened the father.

[i]"N-noo?!"[/i]

[i]"Then be quiet and behave, and promise never to go climbing trees without us again. Now apologise to your brother."[/i]

[i]"F-fine..."[/i] she huffed up towards the mewling child in his arms who looked down at her tearfully. [i]"S-sorry Seaclaw."[/i]

[i]"I-ih, i-is okay...I don' hate you Skyfie."[/i]

[i]"You don't?"[/i]

[i]"Mm-mmm,"[/i] he shook his head shivering, [i]"yer mah sister."[/i]

[i]"Thanks..."[/i]

She nuzzled him carefully and started licking at his wound to help heal it, the family returning to their nest as Fishclaw took Sulphide back whilst they weaved between mothers and children that nipped and wrestled each other in little clouds of teeth.

[i]"I cannot promise we will help,"[/i] said the alpha, [i]"but at the very least I know a few of us will try."[/i]

[i]"So long as at least one of you joins us,"[/i] said Sulphide dragging his feet, [i]"I can call our mission a success...by the way, I encountered a...waterjaw I believe who spoke of your tribe."[/i]

[i]"Ohh?"[/i] He turned his head with intrigue.

[i]"She said that her friends in your tribe helped defeat a terrible great beast-"[/i]

[i]"Did this waterjaw have no tongue?"[/i]

[i]"She did!"[/i]

[i]"AH!"[/i] Fishclaw crowed with a chuckle in his throat. [i]"Frozentongue I remember her, how is she?!"[/i]

[i]"She appeared to be well?"[/i] shrugged Sulphide with a grimace. [i]"She had children and was guarding the edge of the swamp."[/i]

[i]"That is good, I am glad to hear. But yes it was me, Oddclaw and his mate Moonclaw that killed the great beast together."[/i]

[i]"What sort of great beast?"[/i]

[i]"The Deep Hunger, a fearsome long-neck that ruled the sea."[/i]

[i]"A long-neck...that lives in the sea?"[/i] Sulphide's eyes widened with a quiet shock as he felt Riptor gasp in turn. [i]"That...th-that sounds impressive, your brother and you are tr-tremendous hunters!"[/i]

[i]"Well truthfully that was the largest beast I ever hunted, Oddclaw has fought far greater things."[/i]

[i]"Greater than...that thing?"[/i]

[i]"I would rather not boast about everything my little brother has done,"[/i] Fishclaw chuckled shaking his head, [i]"he is rather humble about this sort of thing, he does not like when I tell others about his hunts."[/i]

[i]"Why not?"[/i] asked the ultraraptor looking back at the nests. [i]"He sounds a formidable hunter how many great beasts has he killed?!"[/i]

[i]"More than I ever could, that is all I shall say."[/i] They reached the outer rim of the hunters' territory as Fishclaw bowed to him. [i]"I wish you and your tribe the best and I hope my tribe can help."[/i]

[i]"Thank you, Alpha."[/i] Sulphide bowed to him and walked over to his group still waiting on the western plains.

[i]"How was it?"[/i] asked a red raptor.

[i]"Very...educational,"[/i] he muttered, [i]"now we just wait and see what fish will bite."[/i]

[i]"I'm a little nervous,"[/i] said the silver one, [i]"wh-what if they don't like us?"[/i]

[i]"They will,"[/i] he cooed with assurance, [i]"give them time to consider for a few days, for now we are free to roam this land and acquaint ourselves with the local prey. Just remember, do not approach nor interfere with this tribe for any reason."[/i]

[i]"Yes Sulphide."[/i]

They nodded and started drifting towards the sea to give the tribe some space, taking time to relax on the brisk hills as grass swept beneath their feet and the sounds of the ocean whistled past their ears. Sulphide stepped from his group as Riptor's words bled into his ear.

[i]"I can't believe this...of all the things I would see in this world, the ONE thing I did not expect was one of our own kind twisted into some sort of...s-some...sort of-"[/i]

[i]"Human?"[/i] murmured Sulphide.

[i]"DisGUSTING!"[/i] she shrieked. [i]"I thought the humans had already done everything they could to us, but to somehow infect even this place-"[/i]

[i]"He's not human."[/i]

[i]"With their blood and FILTH and breed such a-...what?"[/i]

[i]"I tasted the blood of his son. Not a single trace of human influence."[/i]

[i]"Wh-...wh-WHAT?!"[/i] He heard Riptor suddenly stand and march around her throne with snarls of confusion. [i]"But, but, h-how, he looks just like-"[/i]

[i]"I know,"[/i] he continued lowering his voice, [i]"but my tongue does not lie and all I could taste was pure raptor, and the leader did say that was his brother."[/i]

[i]"You mean to tell me that creature who resembles a twisted mockery between human and raptor is ENTIRELY natural?!"[/i]

[i]"I have no proof that he isn't!"[/i]

[i]"...hmm."[/i] She calmed herself with deliberation as she leapt back on her throne. [i]"This...Oddclaw was it?"[/i]

[i]"Yes, he seems like any other raptor would, has a family, cares for them and hunts, did you hear his leader speak of how he has hunted many a great beast?"[/i]

[i]"Including the long-neck from the sea,"[/i] she muttered grinding her teeth, [i]"I remember now...most of the killing wounds upon it were not ones a raptor could make from claws and fangs but rather that of-"[/i]

[i]"A blade?"[/i] he added raising a brow.

[i]"With the dexterity of a...[b]human[/b] disposition. That is disturbing to say the least and the fact that he can BREED with other raptors so furtively..."[/i] The sound of her teeth being tapped by claws came over the receiver. [i]"Alright, keep watch on him and study his movements, I need to know more about him."[/i]

[i]"That will be difficult,"[/i] he said looking back over the hill to the raptor nests, [i]"they are very tight-knit and their scouting positions are well-placed for such a large colony."[/i]

[i]"You'll find a way I'm sure, just don't cause any trouble I'm sure you can make friends with him."[/i]

[i]"I shall do my best, Riptor."[/i]

He bowed to her in spirit and clicked off both his earpiece and eye-receiver to sit down with his scouts and watch the nests. He had to wonder himself what to make of Oddclaw and what circumstances had allowed the birth of such a fascinating beast, knowing full well that Riptor was thinking the exact same thing.

[i]"What...ARE you, Oddclaw?"[/i]