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War and MG Part 2

Page history last edited by bob charles 9 years, 7 months ago

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Tomas unfurled a map, smoothing it as flat as he could manage on the grassy, rutted ground. Around him were the other seven men who had volunteered for service.

 

“Okay, we are here…”

 

Tomas pointed at a location on the map that was near the western edge of the town.

 

“And over here, is our objective.”

 

He moved his hand and pointed at a building that was near the center of the town.

 

“Now, we know Reia and her forces have deployed there in defensive positions. Given that they have eight people as well, she’ll likely keep them close at hand. So, we probably will have an easy time getting through most of the town. Additionally, we know they’re there, but they don’t know when we’re arriving.”

 

Earlier in the day there had been a coin flip for who would defend and who would assault. Tomas lost the choice of which to do, though the attacking force was given a 24-hour window to begin their operation - something to offset the defender’s advantage. Tomas had elected to begin just before dusk, hoping to use the setting sun as additional cover.

 

“We’ll be splitting into two teams as we discussed earlier. Again, Team A will consist of myself, Alex, John, and Marc. Team B will consist of Peter, Emil, Louis, and Gregory. Peter will be the team lead. Got it?”

 

The others surrounding Tomas all gave their affirmations.

 

“Okay, good. We’ll be moving together, one team on each side of the street, along this path,” Tomas said, tracing a line across the map with his finger. “We’ll be taking these side streets as hopefully they’ll allow us to avoid being spotted and lose the element of surprise.”

 

Tomas looked up, meeting the eyes of each man.

 

He was nervous; he’d never led men before. Though he knew bits and pieces of tactics from his training, he figured there were others here who had more knowledge or experience. When he brought up his objections about leading the group to Serlov, she laughed lightly and said that he’d be fine. According to her, the ideal characteristics of a leader were courage and initiative. Both of which he supposedly demonstrated by being the first to volunteer. As long as he was willing to lead and be the first to put himself into harm’s way, others would follow, she had said.

 

He was skeptical of her words, but everyone did appear to be listening to him. He wondered if it’d be the same in a real fight where their lives were at stake.

 

“Any objections?,” Tomas asked, pulling himself from his thoughts to the present.

 

Peter shifted, then spoke.

 

“Why have two teams if we’re going to be together anyways?”

 

“That’s because we’ll be advancing one team at a time. Team A moves, gets into a covering position, then B moves past them and so on,” said Tomas.

 

Peter nodded.

 

Nobody else seemed to want to say anything.

 

“Right. We should go over the equipment then,” Tomas said, reaching for the odd gun that he had set behind him.

 

It looked like a compact rifle, but was rather light and had a large pressure cylinder that doubled as a stock.

 

“Remember, the range on these is much shorter than with a normal rifle. You’re probably not going to hit much beyond 150 meters. You’re also limited to about 50 shots, so watch your fire. Then we have the grenades,” Tomas said, patting his chest, then reaching around his belt to find one. Discovering one, he unsnapped it from his belt and held it up.

 

“These explode in a small cloud of powder or something, so they’re mostly harmless. Though you can still get hurt if they go off right next to you.”

 

Though the other men had not experienced these weapons yet, Tomas had the dubious honor of being a target for them the day prior. The rifle fired pellets filled with a bright dye that broke open on impact, marking whoever was hit as a causality. He was assured the chances of them penetrating the skin was low, but they still hurt like hell when they shot him from across a room.

 

Reia then demonstrated one of the dummy grenades on him. Though it went off a few meters away from him, bits of the casing still managed to leave stinging marks. Then there was the powder. Rather than being some kind of dry powder like flour, they packed it in a bit of oil or something to wet it. Supposedly this was done to ensure the powder wouldn’t explode as well. Unfortunately it meant that it stuck to everything, and attempts to remove it just wound up smearing it everywhere.

 

Leaving Tomas covered in welts and a powder that proved to be challenge to wash off, Reia seemed to take great enjoyment in her ‘demonstrations.’ All so that he’d be able to lead better, she assured him. Tomas was more than a little suspicious of her claim, though he was a bit happy due to the attention she’d been showing him as of late ever since he had volunteered.

 

“And remember, if you get hit you’re supposed to just keep still. Once the area clears out you’re to head north, here,” Tomas said, pointing at a lone building on the north side of the map.

 

“Once we’re done with this exercise we’ll all meet up there then head back to base.”

 

Folding up the map and slinging the rifle over his shoulder, he stood up.

 

“All right. Let’s get a move on gentlemen.”

 

--

 

Tomas peeked out from behind a concrete stairway, looking towards their objective. As he had figured, most of their journey through the town was quiet. The building was maybe 500 meters away, but it wasn’t quite a straight shot. About a 100 meters further down the street, a building jut out, the street bending into a “U” shape before continuing on.

 

Across the street and behind him, the other group of men were using a narrow alley as cover. Looking to them then back to the building, he guessed that if anything were to happen, it would be now. The shutters were all closed, so it was impossible to tell if anyone was inside. Exhaling sharply, he then waved for the other squad to advance forward. Tomas pointed his rifle at the building; the others behind him did the same.

 

Team B dashed forward, eating up the ground in their sprint. Tomas hoped that they’d make it safely, and for a time it appeared they all would. He heard a few soft thumps, then the last man running in the group stopped – it was Louis. Turning slightly, Tomas could see a few blossoms of dye on Louis’ chest.

 

Grabbing his chest in mock agony, he fell to his knees.

 

“Oh no, I’ve been hit! I’m a goner! Tell my wife… tell her I love her…”

 

Louis collapsed to the ground, then lay still, smiling slightly.

 

Tomas rolled his eyes at the melodrama, then quickly scanned for where the shots could have come from. Fortunately the rest of the B-team scurried to whatever cover they could find.

 

The shutters were still all closed, and from the location of the shots that hit Louis, they had to have come from the structure immediately in front of them.

 

Turning back to the trio behind him, Tomas asked, “Did you guys see anything?”

 

“Sorry, nothin’,” said Alex.

 

“But… look up there. There’s a big piece missin’ there.”

 

Alex pointed towards the top of the building, motioning towards a gap in the small wall that enclosed the roof.

 

“Hmm, roof-top sniper then,” said Tomas.

 

He waved at the remaining three men in the B team, then once he had their attention he motioned towards the top of the building.

 

“Let’s get in there and clear it out,” Tomas said, turning to the group assembled behind him. Looking up along the roof, he tensed.

 

“Go!”

 

Tomas and the rest of the men sprinted from their positions, rushing towards a door on the side of the building as quickly as possible; they managed to make it without incident. He opened a shutter slightly, then broke a window and tossed a grenade inside. Once it detonated, he motioned towards the door with his head and raised his leg. Marc stepped up and raised a leg as well, then the two of them kicked at the same time, breaking the door open. Alex and John then ran in, rifles raised and ready to fire.

 

 

“Clear!”

 

Tomas and Marc then ran in, the group looking for any movement.

 

“Stairs,” Tomas said, approaching the steps with the group in tow.

 

Ascending the stairs cautiously, he poked his rifle up through the banister as he reached the floor above, then his head. Pausing to search for anything, he continued walking up, then took a kneeling position at the top of the steps and signaled for the others to come up. Across the room was another stairway.

 

Once everyone was up, Tomas proceeded to the next set of steps that lead to the roof. Glancing around the wall looked up, he saw that the door leading out onto the roof was open. Alex walked up behind him, attempting to look as well. Before Tomas could tell him to get back, he heard a tinking noise and saw something lobbed down. He instantly turned and sprinted from the stairs, but apparently Alex did not hear or see the object.

 

The grenade exploded into a large cloud of white, completely enveloping Alex.

 

“Ah, you idiot,” John said.

 

Stumbling from the settling cloud and entirely covered with the powder, Alex coughed and waved his arms about.

 

“Aw, sorry sir. Looks like I’m a dead man. God damn that hurt, went off right next to my leg it did.”

 

Tomas looked at his legs, and noticed his pants were torn around one of his ankles, a bit of blood showing on his skin.

 

“Take a breather if you need to, but I guess head up to the extraction point once we’re done here.”

 

“Yea, sorry ‘bout that,” Alex said, attempting to wipe off some of the powder from around his eyes.

 

He began to walk back towards where they came up, then sat down.

 

Tomas wasn’t sure what to do now. He was down two men and they hadn’t even spotted Reia’s forces. He was tempted to just leave the building alone, but then he’d just be sniped at unless he chose another path. Guess it was time for some of that courage and initiative. He waved John and Marc over.

 

“I want you two to both throw a grenade up there. Try to make it so one goes right and the other left. When they go off I’ll run up, then you two follow.”

 

“I uh, if you say so,” John said.

 

Marc simply shrugged.

 

The pair readied their grenades, pulling the pin. Looking around the corner, John threw his first and then Marc lobbed one. Tomas began running up the stairs even before they had detonated. By the time he got halfway up, both grenades had exploded, providing a powdery cover for his exit. Bursting out onto the roof, he saw a shadow to his right and began firing. Marc and John were right behind him, turning to cover his back.

 

Marc saw something moving to get behind the stairwell shed and fired off a couple shots, then he lingered too long and felt impacts along his legs. John attempted to rush forward, but tripped and fell onto something soft.

 

As the smoke settled, the men took in sight of what had occurred. Tomas was quite impressed with himself. Near his feet was one woman, an oni, completely covered in both white and John as he attempted to get to his feet. Marc had managed to score a few hits on a dejected looking wolf-woman. Tomas had managed to score kills on a wurm and lamia.

 

The wurm was rubbing her forehead where she was hit by a pellet, and a couple other splotches shown on her neck and chest. The lamia was tangled up in a heap with the wurm, lying face down on the ground. Several patches of dye adorned her backside.

 

The oni stood, holding John up with one arm. With a sigh she set him down, then crossed her arms in front of herself.

 

“Well done I suppose, I was looking down when you threw that grenade up,” she said, then sighed again.

 

“Seems we were all caught without heads out in the open.”

 

The wolf-woman came up the group, hands behind her head. She looked over at the tangled wurm and lamia.

 

“At least I didn’t go out as shamefully as them,” she said with a grin, “and, I got one of you to boot.”

 

“Well, good job,” Tomas said to the pair of women, “You managed to get three of us. Though I didn’t expect to find four of you up here.”

 

“We were actually in the middle of a rotation. Those two over there were coming to relieve us,” the oni said, jerking her thumb back towards the wurm and lamia.

 

The two appeared to have untangled themselves and were now approaching the group.

 

“Well, we probably shouldn’t be talking like this. Still a live exercise, after all. I suppose John and I will continue as usual, leaving the dead to rest in peace.” said Tomas, smiling slightly.

 

The oni and wolf nodded, then went to meet their companions.

 

“Well, if being dead means getting to spend time with four ladies, I think I can handle it,” said Marc, giving Tomas and John a grin.

 

“Yeah yeah,” said Tomas, turning and walking towards the stairs.

 

As he exited the building, Peter came up to Tomas.

 

“How’d it go? I see you’re missing two.”

 

“Yeah, Alex and Marc both got hit, though we took out four of them.”

 

“Four? Why were there four up there?”

 

“I guess they used pairs and rotated them out. We caught them in the middle of a shift change.”

 

“Hmm, lucky for us I guess. Five against four now.”

 

Tomas nodded.

 

“I think I’ll keep the teams the same. We’ll move out in the same pattern.”

 

“Got it,” Peter said.

 

--

 

Huddled against the side of the objective, Tomas was attempting to figure out the best way to enter. He knew there were three entrances into the building. Two doors at ground level on opposite sides, then a door to the root cellar.

 

Their journey across the remaining distance was painfully slow, punctuated by a mad dash across the last of the open ground. The sun had nearly set, the last of its light staining the sky red.

 

“Think we should wait for nightfall?” Tomas whispered to Peter.

 

Peter half-frowned as he thought about it.

 

“What if they can see better in the dark? That’d put us at a disadvantage.”

 

Tomas hadn’t thought about that.

 

“Good point. Let’s move in now, then.” He looked at the root cellar entrance, then to the doorway they were crouched near.

 

“Probably too risky to go around. Peter, take your group into the cellar, John and I will go in through the door.”

 

“All right.”

 

Peter leaned towards his group and repeated the plan in whispers, then the trio slinked towards the cellar. Tomas and John crept towards the door, stopping to peek inside a window. Unable to see any movement, they continued to the steps leading up to the door. Looking towards Peter, he saw him testing the cellar door; it appeared to be unlocked. Tomas touched the doorknob, giving it a slow turn. It took was unlocked, though the ‘chack’ noise it made gave away any hope of surprise.

 

“Now!” Tomas shouted, and threw the door open.

 

Peter and his group descended into the cellar as Tomas and John burst into the darkened room.

 

Sweeping his rifle around, Tomas didn’t see anything. Taking careful steps forward, he heard a dull thump, followed quickly by two others beneath his feet. Grenades, most likely. He glanced at John, motioning with his head that he should follow him. Trying to find his way through the red-hued room, he found a staircase that led down. John took a position directly in front of the door, weapon ready, as Tomas opened it. Seeing that it was clear, John carefully descended down the stairs, followed by Tomas as he watched their back.

 

Down in the cellar, Tomas and John found themselves in an almost comical scene. All three men, two women, and a sizable area of the cellar were covered in white powder. They were hacking and coughing, stumbling around wiping the material from their face. Were either of the women Reia? He couldn’t tell due to the poor lighting. No time to waste, he thought.

 

“Come on, back upstairs,” Tomas said to John, “There’s still two of them somewhere.”

 

Tomas took point with John following this time.

 

Approaching the top of the steps, he carefully peeked around. Not seeing anything, he squatted and made his way towards a nearby couch. As John left the safety of the stairwell, Tomas suddenly caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He whipped himself around and fired, but it was too late. His shots landed at the same time as a few rounds struck John.

 

“Ah! That stings like a bitch!,” John yelled as he fell over.

 

“Guess you’re on your own now,” he said while rubbing his neck.

 

The target on the far side of the room also slumped over, falling from the shadows into what little light remained. The cyclops looked up at Tomas, giving him a pouting face, followed by a rude gesture. He considered tossing his remaining grenade at her.

 

 

Now it was one left for each side, and with his luck, Tomas figured it would be Reia. Hiding behind the couch, he again looked to John. He appeared to have been hit at least three or four times. Was it possible for the cyclops to fire that fast? Probably not. The last one had to be there in the shadows somewhere. Perhaps the grenade would be a good idea, after all. Pulling the pin, he lobbed it in the direction of the cyclops, much to her horror.

 

Sure enough, he saw something move to avoid the impending explosion. Shortly after its detonation, he used the cloud of powder as a screen to dash forward, vaulting over the fallen cyclops.

 

Clearing the fallout, he saw the last enemy combatant leap through a doorway. Or attempt to, anyways. Her shoulder clipped the doorway, stopping her dead. Though in testament to her quick wits, she rolled and began firing at Tomas just as he let loose a few rounds. Unfortunately her aim was off, and nothing hit Tomas. Her yelp, however, let him know that his shots found their mark.

 

Keeping his guard up, his victim slowly stood up.

 

“You’re right, those do sting. Especially when you get shot in the ass.”

 

The voice sounded familiar. She started walking forward, into the last of the dying light. Tomas was rather pleased with himself; he had managed to ‘kill’ Reia.

 

“Good work,” she said.

 

Tomas lowered his rifle, relaxing. He let out a sigh of relief.

 

“I’m the only one left. I don’t know if this counts as a victory.”

 

Reia shrugged.

 

“Well, I’ll admit your attack plan wasn’t the best. And you got lucky that these doorways are far too narrow,” she said, her voice slightly sulky.

 

She rubbed her should for emphasis.

 

“That hurt!”

 

Tomas looked behind him to see the Cyclops getting up.

 

“It blew up right in front of my face! I could’ve been blinded!”

 

“Ah, sorry about that,” Tomas said.

 

 John walked up behind the cyclops, still massaging his neck.

 

“You think that hurt? Try getting shot in the neck.”

 

“Hmph!” was the only response from the cyclops.

 

The group trailed out of the building, walking towards the rendezvous point. Tomas and Reia were at the rear, walking a bit more slowly than the rest of the group. Once he felt he was out of earshot of the others, Tomas stopped walking, drawing the attention of Reia.

 

“What’s wrong?,” she asked.

 

“I ah, had fun today, even if it was supposed to be a serious exercise.”

 

“That’s good, I suppose.” Reia raised an eyebrow

 

“But that’s not all you want to say, is it?”

 

She walked towards him, narrowing the distance between them, causing Tomas to laugh nervously.

 

“Yeah… I was wondering…”

 

“You were wondering…?”

 

Reia towered over Tomas. Though a tall man, the top of his head still only came up to her chin. Her cow-like tail was flicking side to side, swishing against her baggy uniform. She placed a hand on her hip, looking expectantly at him.

 

“I… was… wondering,” Tomas stammered out.

 

Reia rolled her eyes.

 

“Oh for the love of… you want to ask me out, don’t you?”

 

Tomas looked stricken, then mustered his courage now that his intentions were known.

 

“Yes – would you please ah, go steady with me?”

 

The look on Reia’s face made Tomas think that she would at best reject him, or at worst laugh at his attempt. He’d never attempted to ask a girl out before, but he had the feeling he was less than romantic and confident in his attempt. He looked away from her stare. As soon as he did so, he felt himself being wrapped up and hoisted. Now eye level with the tall minotaur, she look positively thrilled.

 

“Of course! I was wondering how long it would take you to ask. I’ve seen the way you’ve been looking at me lately.”

 

She suddenly furrowed her brow.

 

“Though I can’t figure out why you’d pick me.”

 

“It’s because… because you’re big and strong… but still kind…”

 

Tomas was struggling to keep his voice from wavering.

 

“And… I think you’re cute,” dropping his voice to a whisper.

 

Suddenly he felt himself being crushed against the mighty woman. She rubbed her face against his.

 

“That’s very sweet of you. And yes, I think I might fancy you as well.”

 

She then set him down, beaming brightly.

 

By now the rest of the group had realized Reia and Tomas had stopped, and were now staring at them, causing Tomas to blush. He looked up at Reia, and noticed she didn’t seem to pay them any mind. She reached out and took his hand with hers, then brushed up against him.

 

“For now, let’s get going. It’s very nearly dark.”

 

Tomas nodded, then the two walked off, hand-in-hand.

 

 

 

Serlov stood inside the door of the meeting room, keeping a checklist of everyone as they entered and took a seat. She had been surprised to find out three new couples blossomed from the training exercise yesterday. Tomas and Reia were considered something of an inevitability, but the other two had apparently come about in the spur of the moment. She thought it a great stroke of luck since she had wanted to include women guards for the tour of the homeland anyways.

 

Checking off the remaining name from the list as the last person arrived, Serlov closed the door. Moving towards the front of the room, she set her list down on the desk.

 

“Good evening, everyone,” Serlov said, looking around the room, holding her hands behind her back.

 

“As you are all aware, the purpose of this meeting is to go over the agenda for the tour through our homelands. We will depart four days from now, and spend three weeks there. Once we arrive, our tour will take us through ten to twelve cities, depending on how well things go. Our first stop is the city that contains the portal - Kalos.”

 

Alex hesitantly raised his hand before speaking.

 

“Contains the portal?”

 

“Yes,” Serlov said, “contains the portal. While it has appeared on open ground here, on our side it’s contained in a large structure as a security precaution.”

 

“Oh,” Alex muttered as he lowered his hand.

 

The wurm next to him poked at his arm playfully.

 

“Aren’t we great,” she said, her voice a hushed whisper.

 

“I s’pose…”

 

Serlov cleared her throat.

 

“So then. When we cross through the portal we will proceed to a rally within a few hours of our arrival. You all will be the star attraction; the main event. And yes, as you may have guessed, this is mostly for our benefit. While our war has some support, there are many who think we were too quick to respond with force. I – we- wish to demonstrate that our methods have merit.”

 

Serlov paused, allowing for some time for her words to sink in. She had considered saying nothing more about their journey than the absolute minimums, but she had developed an attachment of sorts. What started as a mission, an objective, slowly grew to bear some emotional weight. It was only right, she thought, to give these men an idea of what was to come.

 

“Does anyone have objections to being used as a showpiece?”

 

Serlov observed the men as they considered her question. None of them seemed particularly troubled by the idea.

 

“I don’t mind being paraded around if it means I’m treated well and not being shot at,” said one man.

 

“Yeah, it ain’t so bad. I mean, we’ve already agreed to join up with you,” said another.

 

The others nodded in agreement, except for Casey. He seemed rather neutral on the subject, Serlov thought. She couldn’t tell if it was due to some internal conflict or if it was simply due to his recent wounding. Well, she had a surprise for him after this meeting that might lift his spirits. She had considered letting Emrald in on her plan, but decided that she’d be unable to keep the secret.

 

“Good. In addition to you men, your new-found partners will also be permitted to attend.”

 

Emrald and Reia gave no real reaction; they likely had anticipated coming along anyways.

 

Yvonne and Viole, however, seemed to be delighted at the news.

 

Yvonne threw a claw around Alex, pulling him into a half-hug.

 

“Yay~ Aren’t you glad?”

 

Alex did his best to reciprocate the gesture, but the wurm’s size meant he couldn’t quite reach her opposite shoulder.

 

“Guess you’re not getting away from me that easily,” Viole said, bumping her shoulder against Marc’s. Though she attempted to appear nonchalant, the furious pace of the wolf-girl’s tail revealed her true thoughts.

 

“I’ll manage, I suppose,” said Marc, shrugging his shoulders in false exasperation.

 

“Now then,” Serlov said, raising her voice momentarily to silence the others, “these will also be scripted events. People on-stage will ask you a series of questions, and your responses to them are written here.”

 

She rested her hand on a stack of papers that were on the desk.

 

“You are to read over these and memorize them as best as you can. There will be cues to help you, but the more natural your responses sound the better.”

 

Several of the audience gave audible groans. Serlov ignored them and continued.

 

“Lastly, you are to be on your best behavior. You will be in a very precarious position. You will be closely watched, judged, and inspected. Though you have been in military care, you will see our civilian life for the first time. They will not be as controlled and disciplined as you have seen so far.”

 

Serlov frowned, unhappy about having to explain these matters. Though she wasn’t expecting anything to happen, she still worried about the safety and health of the men. They were going to be amongst a land that was almost entirely female. Temptation would be very strong for both genders. Another benefit to having them come as couples.

 

“Thus, I trust that you will carry yourselves with honor and pride.”

 

She looked around the room, stopping to meet the eyes of each man to reinforce the meaning behind her words.

 

“You are all dismissed. Don’t forget to pick up a script.”

 

As everyone stood up, she moved to the side of the room and waited for Casey and Emrald to come near.

 

“Casey. Emrald. I want to see both of you in my office,” Serlov said, then left the room.

 

The two looked at each other, then towards Serlov as she left.

 

“Huh, wonder what that’s about?” Emrald said, her tails twitching about as she thought.

 

“Who knows, I haven’t done anything recently.”

 

“Well, maybe that’s the problem?”

 

Emrald gave Casey a sarcastic grin with her last comment. Casey shrugged in response, and then went to collect the script from the desk. Flipping through it, he and Emrald then left the room and headed for Serlov’s office. The pair met Serlov just outside her door. She opened it, waved the two in, and then closed it behind herself. She purposefully kept her face impassive as she slithered to her desk, then picked up a small lacquered box and turned towards them. Emrald and Casey looked on curiously.

 

Holding the box with both hands, she approached them slowly and deliberately. Once she was within arm’s reach, she halted, looking at Casey as if studying him. He shifted nervously, glancing down at Emrald who gave him a look that indicated she didn’t know what was going on either. Finally, Serlov’s face cracked and a lop-sided grin spread across her face. Casey suddenly felt more nervous as he desperately tried to recall a time when the reserved lamia had ever smiled.

 

Serlov shifted the box to one hand, opening its cover with the other. Nestled inside a padded velvet cushion was a small, golden medal. It was in the shape of a five-pointed star, and inlaid with deep blue enamel with a small silver star in the center. Casey noticed one of the legs of the star was longer than the other, appearing to point down to offset the blue and white striped ribbon that rose from the top. She then looked at Emrald, who by this point had figured out what was going on and accepted the box from Serlov.

 

Taking the medal from the box, Serlov held it one hand, bringing it to Casey’s chest.

 

“For your courage and willingness to defend the lives of soldiers of the Coalition, for being wounded in the process, when you had no duty or obligation to do so, I, Mirona Serlov, Colonel in the Armed Fighting Forces of the Coalition, present to you the Star of Valor for your actions.”

 

Serlov then pinned the medal to Casey’s left breast on his uniform, smiling all the while.

 

Casey was speechless, but found himself flushed with pride. He attempted to say that he did not think he deserved such a commendation, but quieted the words before they passed his lips. He thought himself a traitor to humanity, that he had acted due to a simple fling or fleeting emotion. Lives were saved, but others were extinguished, and the choice had weighed on him heavily. Now, for some reason, he felt that he had done the correct thing; that his action rather than inaction was correct.

 

As Serlov distanced herself from Casey, she snapped him a smart salute, to which Casey replied in kind. After holding it for a moment, Serlov relaxed and again smiled at him. Casey looked over at Emrald who appeared to be on the verge of tears.

 

“It may not mean much coming from me, but I am proud of your actions. I like to think you did what you did because you believe that we are not an ‘enemy,’ but perhaps something more, or better,” Serlov said.

 

“Thank you, sir,” is all Casey managed to say.

 

“Carry on… soldier.”

 

Casey nodded, and began to head towards the exit. Emrald trailed along belong him.

 

Closing the door behind her, Emrald looked up at Casey who was staring at the medal pinned to this chest. She wiped a tear from her eye, then reached up with one hand and stood on her toes to give Casey a kiss.

 

“I…I had no idea they would do something like this,” Emrald said as she fidgeted with the box.

 

“Yeah… me neither. Since then I’ve been thinking about it non-stop, but now… now I feel more like I made the right choice.”

 

Casey looked down at the petite kitsune, observing her happily cavorting tails.

 

“Oh, so I am the right choice? That’s good to know,” said Emrald with a playful tone to her voice.

 

“Well, I think you deserve a reward from me as well then,” a coy smile appearing on her face

 

“Ah, isn’t it too soon? It hasn’t even been two weeks…”

 

“Hey, who’s the doctor here? It’ll be fine. I’ll be gentle, don’t worry.” She stood up again and gave him another kiss, then a light tug on his hand.

 

They walked through the hallways wordlessly, Emrald leading Casey along with his hand. Entering her – their – quarters, she turned and locked the door to ensure there wouldn’t be any surprise interruptions, then tossed the box onto her desk. She gently shoved Casey onto the bed, climbed over the top of him on all fours and began to smother him with kisses as they removed each other’s clothing. They rolled about on the bed and exchanged positions to remove each article in turn; shirts and pants tumbled away onto the floor, undergarments soon following in a lazy arc.

 

Now with any obstructions gone, they admired one another’s naked splendor. Emrald slowly crept her way up and over Casey as he lay on his back, leaving kisses along his body, neck, and face as she went.

 

“I love you,” she said, pausing her kissing and resting her forehead against Casey’s.

 

Casey peered into her deep green eyes, finding them filled with passion, desire, and longing. Since their first night together they hadn’t been able to engage in any love-making due to his wounds. Though he deeply desired her touch and warmth, he suspected she pined for this moment more than he did.

 

“I love you too,’ he said, smiling with his eyes.

 

Emrald gave a small sigh, allowing herself to sink down onto Casey’s chest.

 

“Ah, this doesn’t hurt you does it?”

 

Though her body lying atop his did cause him some discomfort, he didn’t want to spoil the moment.

 

“Not at all.”

 

“Liar. I felt you tremble. But, if you’re okay with it…”

 

Emrald looked up at Casey and smiled as she spoke, then curled herself up slightly. Her tails wrapped them up with a softness and warmth to match any blanket. Casey responded by hugging her tightly, and the two remained that way for a long while. Occasionally her ears would twitch from Casey’s breath, tickling the bottom of his chin. Reaching up to scratch her behind the ears, Casey loved to touch her fluffy, velvety ears as much as she enjoyed being stroked there. He could feel her warm body relax even further, almost as if she could melt.

 

Tilting his chin down, he took the tip of one of her ears into his mouth and nibbled at it lightly, causing the kitsune to giggle and shiver slightly. During their previous impassioned night, he discovered that her sensitive ears also served as an erogenous zone. After toying with her ears for several minutes, Emrald’s breathing was becoming heavier, turning into small pants. Twisting her head to free her ears from Casey’s touch, she then lifted herself off his chest. Peering down at him again, he noted that she had become flushed, her expression and eyes burned with desire.

 

“I’m supposed to give you a reward, but here I am getting all the attention,” she said, locking him in a kiss to prevent any response. Breaking away only to take a breath, tendrils of saliva trailed between their lips after the long, deep kiss.

 

Gazing up at her, Casey realized his passion for Emrald went beyond the simple physical pleasures of the flesh. He wanted to be one with her, to enjoy the warmth of her spirit and being. Despite the short time he had known her, he had never felt this strongly about anyone ever before. Her presence filled him with something he couldn’t quite describe, yet made him feel whole. But, there were shadows lingering in his mind, whispering to him their doubts. Was it possible she was just taken with him like a new toy? Would she get tired of him?

 

Emrald’s hands sought out Casey’s, her fingers interlocking with his as she pulled herself up, moving to a sitting position on his pelvis while still kneeling on the bed.

 

Looking down at the man she was straddling, Emrald wondered how such a depth of emotion was possible. She admitted to herself that he only caught her attention due to being the first human male she encountered. His gentle demeanor and willingness to cooperate had been an unexpected surprise, and she found herself increasingly infatuated with him. Though his casual attitude and almost apathetic view of life may have fooled others, she knew there had to be passions hidden within. When she finally broke through his façade, her infatuation became love in an instant as his passions broke free to embrace her. In that night not even two weeks ago, she discovered something unique and beautiful that had been entirely unknown to her. And it was kind of scary. It made her unsure and nervous; it wasn’t something she could simply think through.

 

“H-hey,” they both began, suddenly nervous.

 

“D-do,” both of them again speaking at the same time.

 

Somehow, they both knew the words the other had tried to speak. Casey and Emrald simply smiled at each other, their worries fading.

 

Raising her hips and then sliding herself down upon him, Emrald licked her lips.

 

“I’ll have to do something about this swelling immediately,” she said with a wink and a slightly lecherous smile.

 

--

 

Casey took a deep breath in through his nose, enjoying the scent of Emrald’s hair. Laying on his right side, she had cuddled up into his arms, sharing her warmth with his. Through the musky scents of desire, the warmth and pleasure of intermingled flesh, and the sounds of gasps, moans, and pants, the two had managed to communicate their worries and misgivings in a way no words could.

 

“What… what do you think of children?”

 

Emrald’s sudden words broken Casey from his reverie. He blinked a few times rapidly.

 

“Children?”

 

“Yes… children.”

 

She rolled over in his arms to look him in the eye.

 

“I want children… your children, you see”

 

“I, uh.. I guess children are fine? But isn’t it a bit early?” Casey said, confusion ringing his words.

 

“Don’t you love me?”

 

“What? Of course I do – I love you more than you could know.”

 

Emrald giggled as his words, taking great joy in hearing them from him again. She brought a tail up to her face, as if trying to hide behind it.

 

“Then, why not allow our love to bear fruit?”

 

Suddenly, Casey felt like he was being manipulated by the crafty kitsune again. Her eyes blinked at him moistly; she fidgeted nervously behind her tail. Why did he feel so strongly about this demon again?

 

“Fine… though I can’t guarantee I’ll be a good father.”

 

Emrald’s nervous appearance vanished instantly. He knew it. Though, she did appear to be genuinely happy with his words.

 

“You will be a fine father if you treat the children like you treat me,” she said, reaching up to stroke his hair.

 

“Well, when do you want to start trying?

 

“Oh? We already have been.”

 

A sly smile appeared on her face.

 

“What? You mean you haven’t been… using any kind… protection?”

 

“Well, contraceptives aren’t really required for us, you see. So every time you poured your love into me…” she said with a wink

 

“So that means you could already be…?”

 

Casey was in slight disbelief now.

 

“Possibly, yes.”

 

Casey groaned, spitting Emrald with a mock glare and pursing his lips. Emrald winked and stuck out her tongue in response.

 

“Roll over, if you would,” Casey said

 

“What? Why?”

 

Casey gave her shoulder a push that flopped her onto her back.

 

“Fine, fine…”

 

Now with her back to him, Casey scooted up against her, lifting her upper leg. She looked down and saw he was ready to go again.

 

“Then we should make more attempts to ensure success, don’t you agree?” he said, sliding into her warmth.

 

“Oh you beast~ How can you go so many times in a night?”

 

“It’s easy, really. I just have to look at your beauty and my body does the rest.”

 

Emrald let out a little squeal of happiness, then hooked her arms around Casey’s neck, craning her own to kiss him.

 

--

 

Serlov rubbed at her eyes, hoping that every time she did so the mountains of paperwork would vanish. It never did. It didn’t help that she was being distracted, causing her thoughts to drift from her work. She was regretting having her office adjacent to the dormitories now. In the quiet of the night, she could hear the chorus of love being sung. With every new crescendo she would pause her work and think about herself and her future. Though her station prevented her from associating with most of the female base staff on a personal level, she wondered if it would be all right if she attempted to claim a man for herself. With a groan, she fell forward on her desk, wondering when exactly she started thinking like a love-sick little girl.

 

Her thoughts of envy and jealousy troubled her most deeply though. She sat back up, crossing her arms in contemplative thought. If she felt like this, how about the rest of the women here? Or what about those back home that see the happy couples? There were many wealthy and powerful individuals that would stop at nothing for a similar taste. Serlov thought back to earlier this evening when she warned of possible dangers. At the time she considered it a relatively minor thing since they would be in military care for the most part. Now, after reflecting on her own emotions, she wasn’t so sure.

 

She shook her head and let out a deep sigh. No, she thought, she had to avoid thinking like that. Once mired in dark thoughts it was nearly impossible to escape. It will all be fine.

 

Another throaty noise seeped through the walls.

 

“That’s it, I am moving my office,” Serlov muttered to the emptiness, resuming her attempt to conquer the mountains of paper.

 

 

 

“… too damn early,” Casey said in a barely audible mumble as he fumbled about to shut off the noisy alarm.

 

Rolling over, Casey was greeted by Emrald looking him in the eye as she stretched and yawned.

 

“Morning, love,” she said, planting a quick peck on his lips.

 

Casey gathered her up in his arms in response, returning her affection several fold. Letting out a little happy squeal, she freed herself from his grip, then rolled over to sit up and stretch again. All the while, Casey watched and admired her like a love-struck youth half his age.

 

Emrald soon picked up on his stare.

 

“I know you would like to continue from where we left off, but we can’t afford to be late this morning,” she said, using the most authoritative voice she could muster.

 

Crawling over him and hopping off the bed, she threw on some clothes she picked up from the floor, then motioned for Casey to do the same.

 

“Come on. If you get up now, we can shower together.”

 

“I suppose that’s worth getting up for,” he said, yawning.

 

He smiled to himself as he stood up and began donning what clothes he could scrounge from the floor. Casey was still amazed at how such a simple morning routine could make him so happy.

 

--

 

Grouped up outside, the only person missing was Serlov. Casey’s gaze wandered over everyone else assembled, noting that the new couples all appeared to be rather tired. With a smirk, he looked over at Emrald. There hadn’t been an early night for him in almost a week now. Attempting to stifle a yawn, he wondered when he’d have to tell the insatiable kitsune, “no,” and what her reaction would be.

 

The women were chatting amongst themselves, occasionally looking at one of the men. He had no doubt about their topic of conversation.

 

Casey then noticed Serlov approaching out of the corner of his eye.

 

“I apologize for being late. Had a few urgent things to take care of,” Serlov said as she slithered out to the group.

 

Everyone’s conversations came to a halt at Serlov’s appearance.

 

“Everyone get onboard and let’s get moving,” she said, heading straight for one of the vehicles.

 

--

 

Once aboard, Casey and Emrald found themselves opposite of one of the new couples, Marc and Viole.

 

“Hey, haven’t talked to you much lately,” Casey said as he smiled at Marc.

 

“Yeah, you haven’t been around much. You’re doing all that , ah, clerical stuff while you heal up yeah?”

 

Casey nodded.

 

“Yeah, for at least another two or three weeks. Doctor’s orders and all,” he said while pointing at Emrald.

 

She simply smirked.

 

“Heh, lucky you. Though ah, I guess those restrictions are lifted at night?”, Marc said with a knowing smile.

 

Casey didn’t respond verbally, but an uncontrollable grin gave Marc his answer. His eyes wandered from Marc to the taller woman seated next to him. He thought her dirty-grey hair and fur were a bit odd, but even stranger still were her hands and feet. Her legs ended in very large, wolf-like paws. Her hands appeared to be slimmed-down paws, complete with pads. She was missing a finger from each hand, but at least she had thumbs.

 

Viole poked at Marc.

 

“It’s not nice to pry into someone else’s personal life, you know,” she said.

 

“Aw it’s just some fun between guys, right?” Marc said, looking back at Casey.

 

“In that case, since you know about me… how about you?” Came Casey’s reply.

 

“Well, ya know…”, Marc said sheepishly while looking at Viole.

 

“She’s pretty wi-“

 

Whatever he was going to say was cut off by a paw on his mouth, Viole spitting him with a glare.

 

Emrald, who had been quiet up to this point, started laughing.

 

“Feels good, doesn’t it?”

 

Viole blushed at her words, nodding slightly.

 

“W-well, it’s certainly better than with another woman.”

 

“Wait, what?”, Casey interrupted

 

Emrald laughed even more, patting Casey gently on the shoulder as if he was a child that had just lost his innocence.

 

“We still have urges, you know. If there are only other women around… well…” she said, turning to look at Viole.

 

“But it was never very satisfying. It was simply scratching an itch, so to speak,”

 

Casey considered what would happen if he was raised in a society in which women were nearly non-existent. As much as he hated to admit it, perhaps she had a point.

 

Viole burned a deeper shade of red at Emrald’s worlds. Seizing on the opportunity, Marc threw his arm around her, taking the wolf woman by surprise. Casey noted her tail started to thump against the seat.

 

“Hard to image the gal who could probably throw me across a room is so sweet,” Marc said, laughing lightly, then giving her a peck on the cheek.

 

Her tail broke from a gentle thump into a flurry. Apparently Marc had already figured out how to charm Viole.

 

Never one to turn down an opportunity, Casey mimicked the gesture and drew Emrald into a one-armed hug along with a kiss to the cheek. Though rather than become flustered, she simply sighed and laid her head on his shoulder.

 

--

 

The portal was an awesome sight - it was the first time any of the men had seen it. Looking at it from the front or rear, it was very tall and wide. Big enough to fit an entire division of troops at once, Casey thought. Looking at it from the side, however, seemed to make it completely disappear. What he thought most impressive was how it seemed to give off a perfect image of the other side. The edges were a little hazy, but otherwise it was as if was looking through a window into another world.

 

“Hey, Casey,” he heard a voice call, pulling him back from his wonder.

 

“Casey, get over here,” Emrald yelled.

 

“Ah, coming”

 

Once he rejoined the group, Emrald handed him a paper bag.

 

“What’s this for?”

 

“You’ll see.”

 

Casey noticed everyone else was also holding one of the small bags.

 

Serlov, along with several people he hadn’t seen before, were talking near the portal. He wasn’t close enough for him to hear what they were talking about though. After some more time milling about and making small talk, Serlov finally called to them.

 

“All right. Everyone up front.”

 

The group made its way over to her, lining up at attention. Nodding in approval as everyone kept near-perfect formation, she turned, heading towards the portal.

 

“Forward march!”

 

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Casey began to walk in stride with the rest of the unit. Serlov disappeared through the portal, though he soon saw her reappear on ‘the other side.’ He wasn’t quite sure what to expect as he entered the portal, but he instantly understood nothing they could have said would have prepared him.

 

When his foot entered, he felt an electric jolt course through his body. The sensation increased in intensity the further his leg entered, until it was almost unbearable. Emrald shook her head, watching him gingerly enter the portal like it was a pool full of cold water. Walking behind him, she gave him a hard shove that sent him completely through. With a bit of hesitation, she closed her eyes dashed in right behind him.

 

The world as Casey knew it ceased to exist. All the light around him bent and compressed down to a single, white dot in front of him. Then it exploded out, completely saturating all his senses in blinding, bright noise. He felt himself cease to exist as a person, like his consciousness was freed and could explore the stars.

 

As suddenly as the sensations saturated every part of him, they faded just as quickly as reality snapped back into existence around him. Dizzy, light-headed, and nauseous, he realized why he had been handed the bag.

 

The contents of his stomach now inside the bag, he was somewhat relieved to see that he was not alone. Even Serlov was looking woozy, attempting to steady herself by leaning against a vehicle.

 

Behind him, he heard the sound of retching. Turning around, he saw Emrald making full use of the bag. With a sigh, he walked over and held her long hair up as she was hunched over.

 

“Th-thanks,” she managed to slur out before her stomach continued to empty itself.

 

Casey winced slightly at the scene. She appeared to be having a far worse experience than he did.

 

After a half hour had passed, most everyone had managed to recover. There were a handful of people that appeared to have suffered more heavily than others. Some of the staff here were helping them out to the courtyard, be it lending them a shoulder or a wheelchair. Most of the guards and staff Casey saw appeared to be used to this sort of thing. It gave him a small measure of relief to know the horrid sickness effected everyone.

 

Walking towards the exit, Casey was beginning to feel a great deal of trepidation. What would this world look like? As he emerged through the doorway into the courtyard, Casey looked around.

 

“This is… is… kind of the same,” he said, feeling deflated.

 

“What were you expecting?” Emrald asked, walking up from behind him.

 

She was still holding her stomach.

 

“I’m not really sure. Something… different?”

 

“This is not different from what you’re used to?”

 

“I… it is, but… It’s more like… everything I already know, just advanced a bit.”

 

“Hmm, so you were expecting something more exotic?”

 

“Maybe?” Casey said with a shrug

 

“Well, there will be plenty more to see than just around here. Perhaps you will see something that catches your interest as we travel. Though for now we should probably head over there,” Emrald said, looking towards Serlov.

 

She was standing near what appeared to be some civilian cars. Casey nodded.

 

Rejoining the group once again, Casey noticed the interiors of the cars varied, and some of the vehicles were larger than others or oddly shaped. Before he could speculate on their purpose further, he and Emrald were directed to one of the few he considered normal by his standards.

 

--

 

Driving through the city, Casey was amazed by how familiar everything looked. Well, everything except for the many different races of women that populated the city.

 

“You’re such a tourist,” Emrald said.

 

“What’s wrong with being interested in a different world?” Casey responded, looking out the window the entire time.

 

Then he felt something soft and fluffy tickle his cheek. Turning around, he saw Emrald was holding up one of her tails in front of her face. By now he had figured out she did this when she wanted to appear shy.

 

“Is it more interesting… than me?” Emrald said, her voice carrying a slight quiver of uncertainty.

 

Though he knew it was an act, he couldn’t help himself. He cursed himself silently for succumbing to her wiles time and again.

 

“No, I guess not…” he said with a sigh

 

“You guess not? That’s hardly convincing…”, said Emrald, tickling his face with one of her tails.

 

“But, I’ll take it.”

 

“Hey, look at that!” Casey exclaimed while pointing out the window on the other side of Emrald.

 

When she turned her head to look, he reached out with his hands, splitting his index and middle fingers into a V. Each ‘V’ shape fit neatly onto each of her ears, then he stroked up and down vigorously.

 

“Ah~”

 

Emrald let out a little gasp and tensed up, her tails poofing out in Casey’s face.

 

“Is that enough attention for you?” he asked, stopping after a few seconds.

 

Emrald looked back at him, pouting.

 

“Not nearly enough… and get around the base this time…”

 

“As you wish,” Casey said with a grin.

 

--

 

Several minutes later, the car pulled into an area that reminded Casey of a fairgrounds.

 

“Looks like we’re here,” Casey said as he ceased scratching Emrald’s ears.

 

“Ahh… I wish that could have been longer. That’s the first time you’ve attacked my ears so viciously, you brute~. I guess I’ll have to return the favor sometime…”, she said with a giggle, then stuck out her longish tongue and narrowed her eyes seductively.

 

Casey’s flank flared up in pain as he thought about what was to come this evening. Dare he say no?

 

Mercifully, the vehicle had parked just in time, freeing Casey from an obligation to answer the kitsune. He opened the door and dashed out, stopping a few feet away to wait for Emrald. She got out sluggishly, looking a bit peeved before standing next to Casey.

 

“Don’t think you’re getting away that easily,” Emrald whispered, wrapping a tail around his waist.

 

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Casey said, avoiding eye contact with her.

 

The driver then lead the pair towards the back of a large stage where large groups of people had already begun to assemble.

 

Seeing a few people he knew, Casey drifted over towards them. Several of them were rehearsing their lines again, reminding Casey to pull the script from his jacket pocket. Finding a wall to lean again, he spent a few minutes reviewing the questions and answers, occasionally looking up at Emrald. She was constantly looking around, almost like a predator, running her tails through her hands or otherwise looking bored.

 

“Shouldn’t you look over this,” Casey said, drawing Emrald’s attention.

 

“No, I think I’ll be fine. I am, however, rather bored with all this already. I almost wish I had something to do besides make you look better.”

 

“Oh? And here I thought the whole point of this trip was to make you lot appear better,” Casey said, looking up at her.

 

“I meant you specifically, you see.”

 

“So you’re saying I don’t look good?”

 

After not hearing any response for a few seconds, he smiled. For once he had managed to vex the sly fox.

 

“That’s… that’s not what I meant and you know it,” she finally said.

 

“Do I?”

 

Unfortunately Casey could no longer prevent a smug grin from forming, drawing a scowl from Emrald.

 

“Fine fine, I give up,” she said, waving a hand in the air as a signal of defeat.

 

“I will leave you alone for now.”

 

With that, Emrald walked off into the crowds. Casey laughed to himself, then decided to see out a few of his fellow men.

 

--

 

“So how are things with you and Reia?”, Casey asked Tomas.

 

“…Not bad.”

 

“Aw c’mon, ya gotta tell us more than that,” Alex chimed in

 

“It’s nice. But I’m not saying more than that,” Tomas said, crossing his arms defiantly.

 

“Well, what about you Alex?”

 

“It’s great. ‘Specially her hugs; the way she wraps herself ‘round me…”, Alex said, grinning to himself as he recalled the experience.

 

“Her scales feel really nice…”

 

Alex paused, as if contemplating what he just said.

 

“That sounds kinda strange, don’t it? Though who woulda ever guessed I’d be datin’ a gal like her…”

 

Tomas and Casey both nodded in understanding.

 

At times Casey wondered if he was asleep somewhere; if this was all just a dream.

 

“Everyone on stage,” came a yell

 

“Well, looks like it’s our time to shine,” Casey said as the trio proceeded towards the back of the stage.

 

Reaching the stairs leading up onto the stage proper, Casey saw Emrald was leaning besides them, her eyes closed. He turned back towards Tomas and Alex, giving them a little smile. They paused and watched as he walked up to Emrald, then pinched and rubbed the fluffy tips of her ears between his fingers. Her eyes shot open in surprise, then melted into something resembling bliss for a few seconds before they again changed to annoyance.

 

“Gah! Don’t do that, not here!”, she yelled, giving Casey a slap on the arm.

 

Tomas and Alex each gave Casey a pat on the shoulder as they walked past wordlessly.

 

“You can touch my ears all you want later… just not now. You know how it gets me in the mood!”

 

“Well, that’s why I did it. You tease me so much, I thought I’d return the favor,” Casey said with a little wink.

 

“I think you are becoming too much like me,” Emrald complained.

 

“Hmm, maybe I am?”

 

Emrald gave him another playful slap, this time on his rear, then shoved him towards the stairs.

 

Atop the stage, the pair were ushered into position by the various stage hands. Casey saw Serlov talking to someone else – it appeared to be another kitsune. Though from the lines on her face, he assumed she was much older than Emrald. His thoughts were cut short however, as the curtain began to rise.

 

All at once there was a great thunder like nothing he had ever heard before. Casey’s heart leapt to his throat. Is this how actors felt?

 

Then his breath caught in his throat as the audience became visible.

 

“There’s thousands of them…”, he whispered to himself

 

Emrald gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

 

“You’ll be fine,” she said, almost yelling to overcome the clapping.

 

He hoped she was correct.

 

 

 

Casey slumped down into the seat of the car, closing his eyes as he settled in. Taking a deep breath, he exhaled slowly in an attempt to release the built up tension.

 

“That was the most nerve-wracking hour and a half I have ever experienced,” said Casey, letting his head slump to the side on the seat. A familiar tickling sensation brushing against his cheek, Casey opened his eyes. Emrald was peering at him, smiling brightly.

 

“You did well. All of you did, really.” She brushed at his cheeks with one of her tails again, finally getting a smile out of him. Reaching out, he began to stroke one of her tails.

 

“I don’t know what you were so worried about. Everything went according to the script. The audience seemed thrilled to see you lot,’ she said, speaking softly. As she spoke she gathered up her tails, draping them on him one by one.

 

A small sigh escaping through his nose, Casey let himself flop over onto her tails, burying his face in the fluffy blanket. As if she had anticipated this course of events, she leaned over and began stroking the back of his head and neck. His body practically bled out its tension as he relished the softness and scents of her fur; the caress of her hands on his neck. Closing his eyes, he remained on her tails for a long while, allowing himself to fully relax.

 

“You’re good at this,” he said, the thick fluff muffling his voice.

 

“How could I say no to someone who loves my tails and ears so much? “

 

Casey thought about that for a moment. Would he have allowed himself to enjoy the sensations of her animalistic features if they didn’t belong to what was otherwise a person? Taking a deep breath in through his nose, he reaffirmed that there was none of the musky animal aroma that he would expected from fox fur. It wasn’t quite human either. It was a unique scent – Emrald’s scent.

 

“Lovely tails to match a lovely lady,” he said quietly.

 

“When did you become such a sweet-talker?” Emrald said, giggling softly.

 

Rolling his head, he looked up to see Emrald gazing down at him, a small, content smile softening her features. Much like their first encounter, her striking green eyes were utterly captivating. It was almost like they cast a charm on him. Which made him think.

 

“Hey, you said kitsune are strong magic users, right?” Casey said, sitting back up.

 

“Yes, why do you ask?” She said, tilting her head slightly.

 

“Other than the thing you did that let us communicate, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you do anything… well, magical.”

 

“Oh? Am I required to show off?” Emrald leaned away from Casey, raising an eyebrow.

 

“No, I just meant… I’m curious as to what you can do. I guess I’d just like to know more about…” Casey looked her in the eye, hoping it’d increase the impact of what he was about to say next. “About the woman I love.”

 

She closed her eyes and sighed, her stiff posture relaxing. Casey did his best to suppress his victory smile.

 

“How can I say no when you ask like that?”

 

Holding a finger up in front of her, she looked at the tip, then to Casey. A small blue flame snapped into existence, hovering above her finger. Then she pointed her finger at him, causing the small flame to drift forward.

 

“Don’t worry,” she said as Casey recoiled away from it. His eyes shifted rapidly from the flame to her and back again. “If you say so…”

 

The lazy flame brushed against his skin, but rather than burning, it simply felt warm. It trailed around his arms, leaving behind small blue arcs that continued to give off warmth. Emrald smiled at Casey as he watched the flame run across him like a brush.

 

“It feels… nice,” he said.

 

Then, just as suddenly as it appeared, the flame winked out of existence.

 

“I, or rather we, are adept at using magics that affect the mind and senses, you see. That is why no one but me could allow you men to understand us,” she said, a familiar smug grin appearing. Truthfully he was impressed, but he would rather not admit it.

 

“Does that mean you could make me imagine that this pain doesn’t exist?” He asked, patting at his left flank.

 

“I… could yes, but I would not. It requires concentration to keep the effect active. Pain is also a convenient way to make you take it easy, you see. If you felt no pain the healing process could be slowed, or you may even hurt yourself further...”

 

Slightly disappointed, he suddenly thought of a different way to ask the same question.

 

“What’s with that sly smile…?” Emrald said, her voice ringed with trepidation. Just as Casey had become wary of certain expressions Emrald would wear, so too was she beginning to dread his.

 

“But if I wasn’t in pain during our love-making, just think of all the things I could do.”

 

His smile spread from cheek to cheek.

 

“That’s… That’s… Why do you tease me so?” Emrald said, turning red as her imagination took hold.

 

“Like I said… it… it takes concentration to maintain. We also are not to use magic so recklessly.”

 

By now even the driver was beginning to laugh. Casey looked at her through the rear-view mirror, sharing a grin.

 

Hiding behind her tail, only her eyes peeked out at him.

 

“M-maybe if you really want…”

 

“Hey, none of that in here! Try to contain yourselves for another two hours, we’ll be at the hotel by then,” the driver yelled to the back, a note of amusement tinging her words.

 

“Hmph! Like I’d do anything in the back seat of a car. What sort of uncouth kitsune do you take me for?” Emrald said, crossing her arms and turning her head to the side. Reaching over, Casey gave her a comforting hug, laughing at how easy it was tease the fox.

 

“Fine, fine, I’ll just endure this if you think it’s for the best.”

 

Emrald sighed, wondering at what point she went from teasing him to being teased by him.

 

--

 

Standing alone in the center of the council room, Serlov was slightly worried. After the rally, she had been told to come here immediately as there was a Council of Representatives session in progress that wanted to question her. What made it worrying was that she was told it was an ad-hoc meeting of representatives that happened to be around, but it appeared that nearly all of them were here. She narrowed her eyes as she looked around the chamber.

 

This meeting was not by entirely by chance. Rather, whoever had called this session had seen fit to not tell her until the last minute. What motive could there be in hiding that information? Was it to get her away from the unit she had led here?

 

A gavel banged behind her, followed by a booming voice.

 

“This meeting is now in session. As this is an irregular meeting, those who are unable to attend have been excused. This session is to discuss the legality of Colonel Mirona Serlov’s methods regarding the supposed voluntary human recruits.”

 

So that’s what this is about. But why here instead of a military tribunal? Letting her gaze wander, she attempted to identify the members who were aligned with the so-called “Liminal” party. They believed themselves to be higher beings than humanity, and that it was their right to rule over them. Though initially weak, they had managed to garner significant support in recent years. Serlov figured they were the most likely to have called for this emergency session.

 

What did they have to gain by doing this now, after the rally tour had been kicked off? Were they that desperate? Or was there some other machination involved?

 

“Representative Ashay, you have the floor,” the Speaker said from behind Serlov.

 

“So it is them,” she muttered under her breath as a wyvern stood. The dragons, and those related to them, seemed to have the most pride on this issue. They’d been pushing the most heavily for the subjugation of humanity. Serlov hadn’t seem this particular woman before.

 

“Fellow Representatives. As you all know, the tour that these human men have begun has proven to be rather popular. Far too popular.”

 

What was that wyvern getting at?

 

“I worry it has become a moral hazard, but that is a point for another day. While the rallies have been approved and I do not mean to contest that vote, it is unknown to us how exactly the human males have come into the service of the Colonel,” Ashay said, peering down at Serlov.

 

“Are we to believe that prisoners of war would so willingly side with an enemy after just a few short weeks? Obviously not. They had been coerced, and their baser instincts were appealed to.” Ashay let venom drip into her words, pointing with a wing at Serlov.

 

“They had been lured with promises of riches and sex. Surely you all saw those humans standing there, flaunting our people like trophies?

 

So that’s their angle this time. With a groan, Serlov realized that’s why she was summoned alone. Without the accused here to give their defense, Ashay’s argument could not be directly refuted.

 

“Is this so-called ‘co-existence’ merely whoring ourselves out? We should be parading those humans around in a cage, not letting them run amok, doing what and who they please.” Ashay paused to look around, gauging the reactions from her peers. The other Liminals were nodding in agreement, spurring the wyvern on.

 

“As the war has shown, we are clearly superior to them. There is no reason for us to debase ourselves by descending to their level,” Ashay declared, her voice filled with contempt.

 

Very good, Serlov thought. Use the success of the war to your advantage; use it to claim our superiority. Never mind that our ‘superiority’ is due solely to years of focused weapons and civil research in preparation for hostilities. Had it not been for a total war economy for years on end, we would likely still be behind humanity. How quickly they forget. And how quick they were to impress their might upon humanity.

 

“And let’s not forget how Serlov targeted wounded men – those would be at their most vulnerable – for capture. She had intended from the very start to force those under her command to engage in close, physical relations in order to captivate and persuade the humans.” The wyvern then stood silent, looking down at the lamia.

 

Serlov looked back at the Speaker, who nodded at her glance.

 

“Superiority? Debase ourselves? Whoring ourselves out?” Serlov said, stressing an increasing incredulity with every question, casting her arms out in disbelief. “And forcing my units into physical relations? How can you make such accusations so blindly?”

 

Ashay sneered. “I would name my source, but then you would most certainly retaliate against them. I will not risk them unless absolutely required.”

 

How convenient. It was also worrying that she had possible moles slipping out intel.

 

“Then as you will not give your proof, then I do not feel compelled to offer anything other than my word. I have never, and will never, give orders, explicit or otherwise, to anyone under my command to participate in any sort of romantic of sexual coercion. As for physical contact, that is to be expected as the humans work and live within close proximity to us,” Serlov said, keeping her voice as calm and even as possible.

 

“And why were they in close contact anyways? Cou-,” Ashay said, but was cut-off mid-sentence by Serlov.

 

“Because they required medical treatment, care, and my station did not have prisoner barracks. And, that’s the point of coexistence, is it not? To be able to live closely to one another?” Serlov said, glaring up at the wyvern. Ashay attempted to speak again, but Serlov cut her off before the first word escaped her throat.

 

“We targeted a medical camp that the humans had left in their retreat. Yes, they left their fellow man to die. I can’t answer for their actions, but I felt it would be an excellent opportunity to show that we are not some sort of wrathful, conquering army. We saved human lives, and we saved our own as we did not have to risk combat to capture them. And yes, it was my hope that by demonstrating our compassion we could prove that we are only retaliating against an assault on us. That we only wish to secure our safety.”

 

Serlov took in a deep breath and snorted through her nose after her monologue, returning Ashay’s burning stare. The whole war had been concocted in the first place by the Liminal faction. As soon as the envoys were killed they were quick to fan the flames of anger and beat the drums of wars. Diplomacy was never an option to them.

 

During the lull in the exchange between the wyvern and the lamia, another member from the assembly motioned to speak.

 

“From your testimony then, you claim your actions were driven by some kind of altruism?” Serlov broke from her staring contest with Ashay to identify the new voice.

 

Though soft spoken, Serlov knew to be wary of the voice’s owner – an old, tired looking arachnee named Mica Lusino. Part of the Fatalists, the party that was against any sort of intervention within the human realm, she was nonetheless often viewed as an arbitrator between the Liminals and the United Front – the UF held the current majority and was the party pushing for coexistance.

 

“Altruism? Not entirely. Saving them coincided with our goals,” Serlov said, keeping her voice level.

 

“So then you admit to using them towards your own ends?” Ashay shot back before the lamia or spider had a chance to say anything else. “You used these men, turning them against their own people! That’s a serious warcrime, you know.”

 

Serlov ran a hand through her hair in frustration. This wasn’t a questioning - it was a witchhunt. Before she could formulate a response, Mica spoke up in her stead.

 

“I think what she is saying, Representative Ashay, is that she saw an opportunity to lend a hand that ultimately proved beneficial for both sides.” Mica turned from Ashay towards Serlov. “And she did so with the support and knowledge of the commanding staff, correct?”

 

“Correct.” Serlov almost allowed a smile to form. Looking around, she was surprised at how calm everyone was. Most of those assembled here kept an impassive mask on. The firebrand oration Ashay was attempting did not appear to be swaying the minds or hearts of anything except for other Liminals. She wondered how many here actually cared about these rather trifling matters.

 

“Then, what about the women that were with those humans? How do you explain that?” Ashay said, shifting the argument. Serlov narrowed an eye. “…What about them?”

 

“If you did not offer your troop to them, then explain their presence.”

 

Serlov laughed in spite of herself, drawing the wyvern’s ire. “Are you really asking that? Have you listened to nothing I’ve said? Or that anyone else has said? While you may see humanity as scuttling creatures for you to step on, others are not so narrow-minded. They willfully pursue relationships,” Serlov paused after emphasizing her last word, “so that they may attempt to experience what it means to have a normal life. A life long denied to most of us for many generations.”

 

Ashay blanched at Serlov’s words.

 

“So you assert that some of those under your command have willfully committed to… joining with these men – men you captured, supposedly without ill intent?”

 

“Yes, that’s correct. Why are you asking me these things now? Why not before you approved their entrance to our world?”

 

Mica intervened, this time on Ashay’s behalf. “I believe it is because outside of the military, few of us were aware of the circumstances that led to them coming here.” Ashay shot Mica an annoyed look. Right question, wrong tone.

 

“Well, now you know. Do not think that those you see are all that I have. Most of the prisoners elected to stay loyal to their homelands. You may visit my compound and ask them yourselves if you wish. There has been no duress upon them – they have been treated fairly despite their decision.”

 

Mica nodded, satisfied. Ashay, however, launched into another barrage of questions. Serlov was beginning to tire of this game. Curiously, no one from the UF had said anything. She looked up towards their chief member, a spry kitsune by the name of Thayla Dirz – Emrald’s great aunt. Thayla seemed rather pleased with how events were unfolding. Glancing towards Serlov, she smiled with her eyes.

 

So then she has nothing to fear from what has been said so far, Serlov thought.

 

--

 

While Serlov waited for the cheaffur to bring a car around, she saw Thayla approaching. Serlov nodded to her as she came near.

 

“Good afternoon, Representative Dirz.”

 

“No need for formalities, Mirona,” Thayla said, smiling easily. “You did well on the floor tonight. I don’t think anyone has changed their opinion of your operation.”

 

“That is what I hope. Still, for them to call a session on such a trivial matter seems…”

 

“Petty?” Thayla said, finishing Serlov’s statement. “Yes, I agree. As did most everyone there, even some of the other Liminals. The fringe members are beginning to tire of the antics from the vocal minority. They’re getting desperate. If that first rally was any indication, I don’t think we will have anything to fear in the next elections.” Thayla’s smile had faded into a slight grimace.

 

“Desperate? Are you saying we might be in danger?” Serlov shifted uneasily. She was regretting not bringing more of her own people with.

 

“Possibly. They want to squash your, and our, popularity before it gets out of hand. I think most of them are still shrewd enough to avoid anything rash. Still, watch yourself out there.” Thayla looked over at the car as it pulled up to the curb where the two of them were. “And tell my niece I said hello,” she said, her smile returning.

 

Serlov returned the kitsune’s smile. “I’ll keep an eye out. Thanks for the warning. And I’ll let her know.”

 

Inside the car, Serlov rubbed at her temples. She knew this wasn’t going to be easy, but she didn’t expect such a confrontational meeting only hours back on her first day.

 

“This is going to be a long journey,” she whispered to herself.

 

 

 

“So that’s what we’re going to be riding in?” Casey said, looking through the building's windows across the tarmac. Some distance away sat a large, grey-colored machine.

 

The warm, late afternoon sun poured in through the windows, warming his face as he peered out.

 

“Correct. Our next destination is across the channel onto the mainland, quite a ways towards the east. If we went by land it’d take an entire day. But, with that machine, I don’t think it will take more than two hours,” replied the lithe, smallish kitsune next to him. “That machine, by the way, is usually called a ‘jet’.”

 

Casey glanced towards Emrald, then back towards the aircraft. He figured it was as long as three buses, and a little wider than one. Two large, swept back wings extended out from the sides at the bottom of the cylindrical body, and a small pod was affixed to each wing. Apparently those were the engines, and they were supposedly quite powerful, but from here they seemed rather small.

 

Prior to seeing this transport, his knowledge of aircraft was limited to the smaller, silver-colored things he’d occasionally see darting about in the sky around the base he was kept at for those months. Then there were those rickety, flimsy things of humanity called airplanes that he figured were decades, if not more, behind the technology presented by these women. Now here he was, about to board that machine that was at least two, no three, times larger than any bus he’d seen. And, supposedly, this was still rather on the small side compared to the heavy-haulers that could transport several vehicles and tanks. He’d thought it several times before, but the sight reminded him that humanity had no chance should these people dedicate themselves to conquest.

 

Emrald smirked. “Do you really have to be amazed at every little thing you see? I thought you would have become used to it by now.”

 

“That’s not a little thing – that’s a very large thing. One that I’m going to be inside, and one that will take me very high in the sky. I’ve never even been in a balloon or dirigible, you know?”

 

“It will be okay, don’t worry. It’s quite safe, you see. I’ve been told that even if one engine fails, it can still kind of fly, and it has other gadgets that help it navigate and fly safely,” Emrald said, pointing out the window in the direction of the aircraft.

 

“Kind of fly?”

 

“Kind of, I think.”

 

Casey sighed deeply, attempting to expel the butterflies from his stomach. Much to his dismay they seemed content to stay where they were.

 

“Oh, and before we head out this evening you’ll have some quick parachute training.”

 

“Parachute?”

 

“A device you wear that will probably save you if you need to jump out,” Emrald spoke nonchalantly as possible to avoid worrying Casey further. It didn’t work.

 

“Why…why would I need to jump out? I thought you said it was safe?”

 

She could see the anxiety in his eyes and let slip a little groan. How could a man who shot at, and was shot by, others be so afraid of everything? Looking up at him for a moment, she lightly scratched the back of her neck, head slightly tilted.

 

“It is safe. But that does not mean it’s infallible. There are safety precautions everywhere, yes? Just because we probably won’t have an incident doesn’t mean we should be lackadaisical in preparations should one occur. I thought you’d be familiar with this by now since you were in the military as well.”

 

Casey shifted back and forth in front of the large window, looking from the aircraft towards the fox-woman. “It’s not very reassuring to hear you say it like that.”

 

“Well, how about if I said that I wasn’t concerned? I’ve flown many times in my life, you see.”

 

“I guess… but, weren’t you nervous the first time you flew?” Casey said, crossing his arms as he stared down at Emrald.

 

She let slip a small lop-sided grin. “A little, maybe.”

 

What was he going to do with her? Maybe she was right; maybe he did worry too much. Still, something nagged at him. “Isn’t the snow going to affect anything?”

 

“Not this much, no. Look, it’s barely covering the ground,” she said, shaking her head back and forth.

 

Casey focused more of the wiggling of her ear tips as her head shook than her words. “Yeah, I guess…” he said, looking back out the window.

 

--

 

Inside the aircraft, the accommodations were far less luxurious than Casey or any of the men could have imagined. They were used to military travel, but this seemed spartan even by their standards. Rather than individual seats, they were relegated to barely-padded benches on either side of the fuselage. Their seats didn’t even have any backing other than the ribs that made up the aircraft’s superstructure. Not only that, it was almost unbearably loud and chilly inside, even with the back ramp closed.

 

“This is awful!” Casey shouted, even though Emrald was seated next to him so close as to be touching. He had been given a headset designed to block out the sound of engines, and was now fiddling with it on his head, trying to get the bulky thing comfortable. It was ungainly, but it prevented him from being deafened by the shriek of the jet fan hanging not far from where he was sitting. Groaning and adjusting endlessly, he took some solace in watching Emrald, glad that his relatively small ears were easy to cover.

 

“At least your ears aren’t the size of your head!” Emrald yelled back, sliding her headset every which way to make it bearable while her ears wriggled and re-oriented themselves to try and accommodate the cumbersome thing. Rather than a pad that settled around the ear and skull, it was sort of a clam-shell device that clipped around each ear and plugged the opening. Casey thought the contraption looked even heavier than his and far more discomforting.

 

The headsets did have microphones that would have allowed for easier communication. Unfortunately their aircraft was lacking the required jacks, necessitating that they shout to one another.

 

Casey thought that, at the very least, he had it better than those who couldn’t sit. Serlov and Yvonne were forced towards the back of the aircraft, owing to their lack of legs and long bodies. He had a basic buckle on the bench that would hold him down, but those two had to be tethered to the sides not entirely unlike cargo. Additionally, owing to the complexities of their bodies, they had to wear their parachutes at all times since it was looped and strapped around their entire length. Yvonne in particular was looking unhappy with the situation, constantly fidgeting and adjusting things while casting glances at Alex.

 

“How much longer until we start moving?” Casey shouted, poking Emrald to gain her attention.

 

“What?”

 

“How. Much. Longer. Until. We. Start. Moving?”

 

The kitsune frowned, reminding Casey that though they could understand each other’s speech, his exaggerated lip and mouth movements meant nothing to her. Or, that’s what he thought. Emrald seemed to think hard about something, then yelled a few words he did understood even without the aid of her magic. “Soon,” she mouthed in a similar manner as he’d just done. “I think.”

 

Casey was rather surprised. When had she learned English? And why hadn’t she ever used it before? Maybe she’d only felt comfortable using it here when he couldn’t quite hear her – no doubt the words were heavily accented.

 

Reading the surprise on his face, Emrald shot him a little grin, but said nothing further.

 

A sudden jolt forward signaled that they were now in motion, as if her words had cast a spell. The interior of the transport had no windows, forcing Casey to interpret the sensations of movement, rather than see what was going on. He’d been a bit saddened when he discovered that he would not be able to view the world from up on high, but anxiety gripped at his heart now, despite being on the ground yet. Perhaps it was for the best that he couldn’t see out of this flying tube.

 

He could feel the transport rolling across the ground, bouncing and hopping, slowing and turning every so often. And then it came to a halt, as far as he could tell. Just as he began to wonder what was going on, the engines roared to life, far eclipsing their previous volume. Casey could feel the vibrations in his gut, not unlike when he’d been near artillery as it fired. Emrald brushed his cheek with a tail, distracting him from his anxious thoughts. Blinking a few times, he placed his hand on hers and squeezed lightly, drawing out a smile from her.

 

Then the vehicle launched, shifting Casey, and indeed everyone, backwards slightly. The acceleration never ceased; an invisible hand pushing him back for seconds and seconds. Anxiety and fear began to break into wonder as he thought about what must be going on. Finally, the aircraft tilted upwards, and he could no longer feel the aircraft skip along the tarmac. He was now flying, an odd thrill now fully replacing his nervousness.

 

--

 

Eventually the flight leveled out, though the howl of the engines never abated. According to what he’d been told earlier, travel time would be about 90 minutes from take-off to landing. A look at his chronometer revealed that ten minutes had elapsed since the flight had leveled out. He sighed, and then shifted about uneasily on the hard seat, attempting to find a position that was slightly more comfortable. Despite all his squirming, he gave up when nothing he tried would alleviate the growing pain on his bottom. The chill nipped at him as well, despite his long coat and warm clothing.

 

Glancing over at Emrald, her eyes were closed, but she had wrapped her tails around her for another source of warmth and comfort. Envy surged through him, but there was little he could do except flop against her, resting on what little fluff was exposed to him. She opened one eye briefly to look at him, then closed it again. Taking that as a sign she had no qualms, he did his best to share in the soft fluff and used the opportunity to close his own eyes.

 

With his eyes closed, he soon determined that the engines would not allow him to sleep. However, he also realized that with the constant noise and his eyes closed, the rest of the world seemed to disappear. Once he tuned out of the whine of the jets, the only real distraction to his thoughts was the occasional bounce or shake. He’d never much had the chance to be alone with his thoughts in quite some time.

 

Normally there would always be something to do, or someone to talk with, or he’d simply drift off to sleep at night once all was quiet. Now he had some time to simply think. Think mostly about how he got in this position in the first place.

 

What had happened that resulted in him being traitor so easily, he wondered. He’d killed men, and even got shot, for this invading force that captured him and many others. True, he didn’t have much attachment to his country or solidarity for his fellow man, but he still had his family. How could he turn on them for the dainty fox-woman he’d scarcely known? It felt right and wrong at the same time - a contradiction he couldn’t solve, even now.

 

Others had joined him in pairing up with the women, but he was the only one who still had an actual family. The rest were loners or orphans, even more so than he was. Not only that, but he was the first - perhaps serving as the impetus for the others. If he so easily shrugged off the love of his family, what does that say about his love for Emrald? Opening his eyes and biting his lip, Casey wondered if his attachment to her was as strong as he thought. Though he wouldn’t ever admit it to her, knowing that she could use illusionary magic to alter someone’s perceptions, and even feelings, worried him at times.

 

Was the love real? Or a spell she cast on him? Would he abandon her as readily as he let go of his family if the spell broke? From what she’d said, there was even the possibility she could be pregnant with his child at this very moment. That thought made him feel almost… trapped, in a word, and it worried him. Shouldn’t he feel excited about the possibility of a child, rather than anxious? After a while, reaching the same conclusion no matter how he thought about it, he soon decided that he ought to talk to Emrald about this the next time they were alone.

 

Another check of the time showed that 45 minutes had passed, roughly half the flight time. He yawned and stretched, thinking flying wasn’t quite as exciting as he thought it would be. His motions roused Emrald, mirroring his yawn with one of her own.

 

Before either of them could say anything, however, they were interrupted.

 

A massive boom resounded throughout the aircraft, shivering and shuddering the whole frame. Then the aircraft listed to one side as if it was turning. He could feel something attempting to correct the tilt, but it seemed to simply slow the rolling motion.

 

Moments later, the door separating the transport area from the cabin flew open, a haggard looking harpy filling the frame. She was frowning heavily, and cast a glance at everyone before zeroing in on Serlov. Her steps were sure despite the shaking, tilted floor, and she reached the lamia in no time. Watching them speak, it was then that Casey realized the shriek of the engine that should have been behind him was no longer there.

 

The harpy and lamia exchanged words; Serlov’s face displayed horror for a moment before she hardened her expression and her eyes played across everyone here. A few more words were said, and then the winged woman went straight to the bins of parachutes and began throwing them towards the stunned passengers.

 

Another woman appeared from the cabin, this one a wyvern that didn’t appear quite as old as the harpy. Rather than helping the harpy hand out the parachutes, she instead made straight for the back of the aircraft and slammed a button, opening the loading ramp. Instantly a vortex of wind formed inside, forcing Casey to narrow his eyes and it nearly stole his breath away and chilled him to the core.

 

Hanging onto an overhead railing, the wyvern made her way back to the passengers, and began assisting people with putting on the parachutes the harpy was tossing out.

 

Looking at Emrald, Casey was amazed to see that she was looking neither scared nor worried. Like Serlov, her face was a hard mask, her lips pressed into a thin line and her eyes narrowed. He could also make out muscles bunching at her jaw.

 

“What’s going on?” He yelled as loud as possible, slapping her shoulder to get her attention. Her eyes flashed to him, her pupils narrow slits. If he had to say, she looked angry. Very, very angry. Her features relaxed after a moment, though the after-image stayed with him.

 

“I don’t know, but we’re getting out of here.”

 

“What? Getting out of here?”

 

“Yes,” she nearly screamed, pointing to the parachutes being handed out, “Getting out of here!”

 

He wanted to ask why, but the behavior of the aircraft and the prior explosion likely meant this vessel would not be airworthy for much longer.

 

Looking out the open ramp, he could see everything was… tiny. Very tiny. No doubt they were thousands of feet into the sky, and very soon they would be jumping out. What then surprised him, as he looked around, was the relative calm of everyone. Maybe it was a mutual thing – their calmness granted him the strength to take everything in stride, and in turn, his cool behavior allowed them to remain composed.

 

Once the wyvern had assisted someone in putting on their parachute, she led them over to the ramp and hooked a long strap from their equipment to a rail near the mouth of the exit. Then they’d leap off, the strap would pull taut, and a large, white sheet would unfurl over them. Nearly identical to the pictures Casey had been shown during his very brief ‘training’ session earlier.

 

The row he was on seemed to be the first being evacuated; maybe an effort to reduce weight on his side of the aircraft?

 

Across the center he glanced at Reia and Tomas. Reia practically oozed calm confidence, which seemed to be soaked up entirely by Tomas. Casey’s eyes met that of the large man, and the two of them shared a nervous nod. Though it may not have affected his outward actions and expressions, Casey’s heart still raced, freezing from every shudder of the aircraft as it attempted to main a level crossing. No doubt Tomas and the rest felt the same.

 

Though time had seemed to drag on and on, a look at his wrist revealed that less than two minutes had elapsed since the boom that rocked the aircraft. The row was clearing quickly, and then it was Emrald’s turn. The grizzled harpy threw the kitsune a pack, then the wyvern helped her put it on in mere seconds, though not for its ease of use. There were countless straps and buckles, which the scaled woman seem to know exactly where to snap into place, and was able to adjust them nearly instantly.

 

Emrald was spun around in circles several times before being stopped, facing away from the scaled, winged woman to perform one final check. She reached out to Casey’s hand, and the two held onto each other for the briefest of moments before she was ushered towards the exit. A quick glance back, and then she was gone, riding aloft the winds. He attempted to keep track of her with his eyes, but then it was his turn to be equipped with the large pack. The rough, expedient treatment by the wyvern caused him to lose sight of Emrald, at least until he was pushed towards the ramp as well.

 

“Ya ever jump from a high place, kid?” The wyvern yelled in his ear.

 

Casey thought for a moment. He’d climbed trees and such, but nothing quite like this. He knew that when falling from a high place one had to bend the knees and try to roll, but that was about it. Perhaps that’s what she meant?

 

“Yes,” he shouted in response. “Tuck the knees, right?”

 

A wordless smile and a nod is all he received, then she snapped a hook to the rail, indicating that he should quickly vacate the premises. Searching the sky quickly, he spotted the parachute that was still the highest up. That had to be Emrald.

 

Gritting his teeth and squinting his eyes, Casey halted his breath and leapt.

 

He wanted to scream, but held it in is throat. The free fall lasted only a moment before the hook pulled his parachute free, slowing his descent to something slightly faster than gentle. Gasping out his held breath, he looked up at the aircraft as it sailed away, then his breath was stolen yet again.

 

The right wing was on fire, and appeared to be severed where the engine was – nearly half the length was missing. He had no idea how it was able to still fly, as he thought both wings were required to be fully intact. And it was missing an engine. Casey gave silent, heartfelt thanks to whoever had designed such a sturdy craft, and the committee that had agreed to it.

 

As he stared up at the transport, another person jumped free of its confines. He couldn’t make out who it was due to the dark of the night, but he thought he saw a wolfish tail.

 

Breaking his gaze from the aircraft, he searched down and around, trying to locate Emrald. A moment passed, and he located the chute he thought belonged to her, if only because it was the closest to him. Fortunately the moonlight made the white fabric easy to see, but unfortunately he seemed to drift further and further away, being blown away from the line of parachutes dotting the sky.

 

There were handles on each strap that went up to the rectangular sheet above him, but he had no idea how to control the thing. The ten minute lesson bestowed upon him didn’t quite go into that detail as it was cut short at Serlov’s insistence that they needed to get moving. His attempts at tugging at the handles had sent him into a slow spin, so he elected to leave them be for now. Further and further he grew distant from Emrald and the others. Even the person who jumped after him seemed to be following the others where he alone was separated.

 

Frowning, Casey was at least partially comforted in knowing he could survive alone for a night, though he was concerned that the thick forest below would make finding one another difficult. Then he had the thought that his chute would likely catch on the canopies, dangling him far above the ground. Maybe that’s what the harpy was talking about?

 

He continued to drift lazily through the night sky, watching his breath condense into a fog before dispersing. Another check of his chronometer showed five minutes had passed since he bailed out. The forest was very close now, and the flaming aircraft was beginning to drop rapidly through the sky. Not a particularly pious person, he still prayed nonetheless to whatever gods may exist in this land that everyone had managed to escape to safety.

 

Closer and closer the trees came, until Casey thought there was less than a hundred feet to the first branches. Bracing himself for the impact, he hoped the branches were thin enough to allow him through.

 

Even if the collision with the ground didn’t hurt too much, passing through all those branches was not going to be pleasant, especially with his still-healing wound. Emrald would kill him for aggravating his wound if he didn’t die outright, he thought with a bitter smile.

 

--

 

Turning and twisting, swearing and cursing, Emrald wished she’d been in field gear. With no knife, getting herself out of the parachute harness was proving to be difficult. Many of the ropes had become tangled around her tails, pulling on them whenever she moved or the wind would tug at the chute.

 

“Maybe I should just amputate the damned things,” she cursed bitterly to herself, glaring at her fluffy appendages.

 

Pausing for a moment, she at least considered that she had the good luck to land in a relative open area, narrowly avoiding crashing down on top of a tree.

 

After she jumped, she had watched Casey follow soon after her, then slowly drift to one side. Then he begun to spin lazily about, heading further and further away. What did that man do, she thought to herself, keeping a careful eye on where he would land as she neared the ground.

 

 But, before she could go to where he was, she needed to break free of this thing’s grasp.

 

A brief gust blew, causing her to be pulled a short distance by a tail. Yelping in pain and surprise, Emrald then growled and attacked the ropes with her teeth, no longer caring about trying to maintain some sort of dignity.

 

Several minutes of chewing later, she stood triumphant over the mess of rope and straps. Well then, she thought, time to locate Casey. Thus far she’d heard absolutely nothing, so who knows how far everyone was scattered. Or when a rescue would arrive. Orienting herself using the moon, she took in a deep breath of the crisp air and set off in the direction she hoped would lead to her lover.

 

--

 

Emrald glanced at the time yet again; 30 minutes had passed since she began her search, and remarkably she’d discovered no one. The forest was still as could be except for the crunch of frost under her feet. Fortunately the floor was mostly clear of brush, and the land was mostly flat making for easy travelling. Her pace was still slow, however, as she searched with her eyes and ears carefully and methodically for any indication of her comrades.

 

“Well, maybe they all headed in the same direction… and here I am, the only one who took a different way to search for some fool,” she muttered to herself, hoping her own voice would soothe her concerns; it did not.

 

Stalking forward for another few minutes, something caught her eye up in the trees. Something hanging from far up. Emrald walked over towards it, and soon realized it’d been what she sought, but not quite how she had hoped. Still, the sight dispelled the unease she’d been feeling.

 

Once she was nearly underneath the thing, she looked up and yelled. “Hey, are you okay?”

 

At her words, the hanging thing wiggled about slightly before responding.

 

“Uh, yeah, I guess. Kind of uncomfortable up here though… is that you, Emrald?”

 

Casey seemed to be fine, if in a precarious position. He had to be at least fifty or sixty feet in the air, hanging from his chute.

 

“Yes, it’s me…” Emrald said as she paced about underneath him, looking around at the trees for some way to get him down.

 

“Well, I’m glad you found me. But, I’ve had a lot of time to hang out here… and as far as I can tell I’m not going anywhere unless I want to break a leg or two.”

 

Letting out a sigh, the kitsune looked to the side before returning her eyes up to the man above. “You couldn’t have landed where there aren’t any trees? I mean, there’s a clearing right over there.”

 

“Hey, I tried. I just wound up spinning even faster and then crashed into the trees here. No one told me how to control this damn thing.”

 

“Well, whatever. We will think of something. Are you hurt anywhere?”

 

Casey delayed a moment before responding, making a bit of noise as he shifted himself in the harness. “I smacked my leg on a branch, and this thing is riding up my crotch real bad, but otherwise I’m fine.”

 

Emrald scratched at her ears, grinning at Casey’s words. Mostly unharmed and in somewhat good spirits, not too bad all things considered.

 

“Hey, do you think you could undo your harness?”

 

“Uh, I could try, but then I’d just kind of fall.”

 

“Yes, don’t try anything now. I was just wondering if we find some others that could catch you, you see.”

 

Emrald didn’t like it, but she would probably need to leave him here to search for others and lead them back. Or, that’s what she thought until the dull thump of rotors became audible. Her ears twitched and swiveled to home in on the source; it appeared to be originating from the east – towards where they had been headed.

 

The only thing is, it shouldn’t be possible for that kind of aircraft to reach their location so soon. The jet they were on would still not have reached the city yet, so the approaching craft had to have been airborne already and then redirected to their location.

 

A stroke of luck, she thought.

 

“What’s that noise?” Casey said a moment later, his ears now able to pick out the noise.

 

“A helicopter – another kind of aircraft.”

 

“Oh, a rescue already?”

 

“Maybe, or just something sent to make sure we’re alive.”

 

Her opinion soon shifted, however, as she heard the sound of a second helicopter. One was good luck, but two was suspicious, especially considering there shouldn’t be any airfields or airports closer than their destination. Adding in that the aircraft they were in wasn’t known for catastrophic engine failure, and things were becoming suspicious indeed.

 

 

 

“Yeah, just… keeping hanging there. Or something,” Emrald said as she watched the two helicopters settle down in a clearing not too far away. She could make out several people disembarking, but couldn’t tell who they were. One detail not lost on her was that they were most certainly armed.

 

“Well, I think I can manage that. But, what about them? You don’t seem very happy to see them.”

 

“Like I said, something doesn’t feel right about this…”

 

Five people departed from each helicopter, then after some kind of short discussion they began to fan out. Two of the ten were heading almost straight towards Emrald and Casey.

 

“Look, I am going to hide myself, but I’ll be close by. Don’t worry.” Emrald looked up at the dangling man, wishing there was something she could do to free him so they could escape.

 

“Okay, got it. It’s not nice to leave me hanging like this, you know.” Casey yelled down with a hint of laughter in his voice.

 

Emrald rolled her eyes and sighed. She wanted to rebuke him for not taking this seriously, but there was no time. Scuttling off behind a large tree, she laid down on her belly and peeked around the tree, watching the two people approach. If necessary she could conceal herself from their mind, provided there weren’t too many loitering around at once. Two she could handle, three maybe, but four or more would certainly be pushing her capabilities.

 

Closer now, Emrald was able to make out more of their details. They were wearing combat fatigues, and their weapons were kept at the ready, but facing towards the ground. The closer of the pair appeared to be a Jin’ko, and the further was some kind of horned woman with a swishing tail, though too small to be a minotaur. Emrald silently cursed; she could likely simply avoid the cow-woman’s notice by keeping low and away, but the tiger-woman’s eyesight would make her efforts futile. And, if anything physical broke out, she had no hope of outrunning or overpowering the powerful cat.

 

Biting her lip, she focused intently, willing herself to vanish from the tiger’s perceptions. To the outside observer it’d appear as if she was doing little more than staring, but most of a kitsune’s magic was silent and invisible, except for those times they wished to show off.

 

As they crept closer and closer, Emrald began to hear the crunch of frost under their feet. It was then she realized that if one looked closely, one could tell someone had been walking around underneath Casey.

 

A few dozen paces out, the Jin’ko suddenly took notice of Casey hanging in the trees. For his part he’d been absolutely silent, but something of an obvious outlier in the canopy.

 

“You, up there! I am assuming you are from the aircraft that crashed nearby?” The tiger-woman bellowed. To Emrald’s relief her weapon remained pointed at the ground; perhaps they were here simply to check out on things after all.

 

“Yeah… I’m kinda stuck up here though.”

 

Raising her arm into the air and waving, the tiger beckoned her compatriot over. Waiting for the cow-woman to come over, she turned her attentions towards the ground. Emrald clenched her jaw, redoubling her efforts on the Jin’ko, attempting to break her interest in the footprints.

 

Whether it truly worked or not she didn’t know, but when the cow-woman reached Casey, the two of them began to look up towards Casey, walking about in a lazy pattern. Emrald let her jaw relax, happy that their own footprints would obscure those she had made.

 

With the cow-woman close now, Emrald figured she was some sort of holstaurus, judging by how far out her chest seemed to extend. Fortunately they weren’t known for their keen senses, so she was able to simply lay low, pressing herself and her tails down to the ground to escape notice from that one.

 

“Has anyone else been here?” said the Jin’ko.

 

“…No, just me. I’m getting kind of cold and I’m kind of in pain. Do you folks think you can get me down?”

 

The tall, powerfully built cat-woman nodded to the cow, then looked back up. “Can you get yourself out of the harness?”

 

“Yeah, probably…”

 

Rolling her shoulders and neck, she handed off her weapon and positioned herself directly under Casey. Emrald looked on in surprise – she knew their particular species was strong, but catching someone from that height? She wanted to burst out from hiding and tell them no, but her gut feeling was that they weren’t here for rescue. How she wished she could apologize to Casey for letting this happen.

 

“Okay then, get out of that harness. I’ll catch you.”

 

“Uh… are you sure? This is pretty high.”

 

A cocksure grin spread across the tiger’s face. “Don’t you worry. Your ass might hit the ground, but nothing will break. Probably.”

 

“Probably…”

 

Casey was beginning to share in Emrald’s bad feeling about these people. No matter how strong someone was, trying to catch a falling man from this height was going to get someone hurt. What would happen if he decided to be disagreeable?

 

“Ah, that doesn’t seem very safe… can’t you get someone else to help you catch or something?”

 

“I’m all you got. Either cut yourself free or you’re gonna be up there for quite a while.”

 

Casey groaned. If he spent another 10 minutes up here, let alone an hour, he’d probably go crazy. Not only that, but every time the wind blew it chilled him to the bone and set him swinging.

 

“Fine… get ready…”

 

Getting the straps undone from his position was somewhat difficult and slow, but finally the last one was ready to come loose and then he’d drop down.

 

“Here I come,” he said, unbuckling the last one and gulping at the same time. As it snapped free, he entered free-fall. The Jin’ko was quick, and re-positioned herself to catch him. Her knees, back, and elbows slightly bent, she bore the brunt of the impact of his fall, dropping to a knee to bleed momentum and holding her arms tight but not locked as they pivoted to the ground. True to her word, Casey wound up hitting the ground, though the impact was more like falling a scant few feet rather than sixty.

 

Emrald smiled broadly, partly from relief and partly because that woman had actually managed to do it alone. The holstaurus was smirking as well, though she gave Emrald a brief scare when her eyes swept over the concealed fox. Thankfully her tails were tucked behind the tree trunk, and she had kept her ears folded down. When the cow-woman’s eyes did not linger, Emrald looked upwards and sighed as relief flooded her again.

 

Cracking the knuckles in her paws, the Jin’ko flashed Casey a fang-filled smile. “Told ya, though I’ll admit you’re heavier than ya look. That a ‘man’ thing?”

 

Sitting up on the ground, he shrugged. “I guess men tend to be heavier than women.”

 

“I see… I wonder what else about ya is different,” she said, eyeing him up and down with her paws on her hips.

 

Worry coursed through his mind momentarily, but then she shrugged and walked over towards the holstaurus. As Casey stood up, the Jin’ko took her firearm back from her companion, who had remained entirely silent throughout.

 

“Anyways, you don’t seem too fighty, so I’ll give you a choice. You can come along with us peaceably, or we can use force.”

 

“Than- wait, what?” Casey reeled at the Jin’ko’s words. Come along peaceably? Was he under arrest or something?

 

The knot in Emrald’s gut grew several times its previous size at the tiger’s words, and for once she regretted being correct about something. Were they after him in particular? The men? Everyone that had been aboard? She desperately wished to do something, anything, but there was no possible way for her and Casey to escape from ten soldiers. So far they didn’t appear to be aggressive, but it could be a ploy to get their captives to lower their guard.

 

There was too much she didn’t know, and too few options to buy time. Now, she also realized that there weren’t any unit patches or names on the uniforms. They weren’t standard military, that’s for sure. Special forces, maybe? But then who had deployed them before their plane had burst into flames?

 

Countless thoughts raced through Emrald’s mind, but in the end she was forced to stick to her ‘wait and see’ plan.

 

“Yes, that’s right,” the Jin’ko said, her demeanor still relatively amiable. “I’d much rather not use force, and I think you have an idea of my strength. I can assure you that you will not be harmed while in our custody if you cooperate.”

 

“What… what’s this about?”

 

“I’m not at liberty to say. Now, will you come along?”

 

The tiger’s pleasant attitude was rapidly becoming flat, and if he kept hesitating things would probably escalate. Casey wanted to look towards where he knew Emrald to be hiding, but didn’t want to give her away. Instead he nodded his head, and stepped forward.

 

“Excellent. I’m glad you’re reasonable. Now then, head towards the helicopters with your arms raised, please.”

 

Nodding, he did as he was told and began walking forward. The two soldiers pulled up behind him in escort.

 

Emrald was cursing and swearing internally all the while, angry with herself for not having any real combat capabilities. Other questions began to surface in her thoughts, such as if they had captured anyone else, or if Casey was the first. If she made herself known now, in order to stay close to him, would they wind up shooting her? There were the other soldiers that had fanned out as well – even if she was to try and find those of her own unit, she’d likely run into members of this unknown force instead.

 

Emrald felt utterly powerless as she watched this unfold. The logical thing to do would be to remain hidden until they departed, then report all she had seen once she was back somewhere. But, when it came to Casey, logic seemed to fail her.

 

Once Casey and the other two soldiers reached the helicopter, they seemed to talk briefly to someone inside, and then he hopped inside and sat down. The helicopter remained silent, along with its companion. Neither of them appeared to be going anywhere soon.

 

“Good,” Emrald whispered to herself. It would seem they were here for more than just him. That meant she had time.

 

Licking her lips and glancing around, she tried to remember if the other soldiers that had fanned out were alone. If so, she might be able to acquire some information on what exactly was going on. Only one way to find out, she decided, raising from her hiding spot and looking around.

 

--

 

Forcibly coiled on top of herself and bound with silk to prevent escape, Serlov glared silently at the spider across from her within the helicopter’s confines.

 

The arachnee closed one eye, focusing the open eye on the lamia. “Don’t give me that look, Colonel Serlov. If you had been agreeable we wouldn’t need to resort to these measures.”

 

Tugging on the silken strands running from the bound lamia to her hands, she caused the binding that held her arms behind her back to pull even more taut, squeezing her shoulders together painfully. Serlov winced, but did her best to not let any pain show.

 

“Be thankful we were under strict orders to avoid shooting you, and those with you. Two of my women are going to be enjoying stays in a hospital, thanks to you.” Another tug on the strands pulled Serlov’s arms together even further, underlining the venom in the Arachnee’s voice.

 

Twisting her pained grimace into a smug grin, Serlov savored her minor victory – at least she had not gone down quietly or easily.

 

As one of the last to leave the stricken aircraft, she had barely managed to escape in time. It also meant she had traveled the furthest east, and thus was amongst the first to be found by this mysterious force. She knew it was far, far too soon for a search and rescue, though her plan was open confrontation rather than hiding away.

 

“Come quietly and we can assure you that you will not be harmed,” a large oni said as she approached Serlov.

 

Serlov simply hummed to herself, remaining still. The oni seemed to take that as an indicator of submission – a mistake she would not soon forget.

 

Raising a portion of her snake-body just above the ground to avoid raising any suspicion, Serlov struck out once the other woman was close enough. Her solid, muscular tail impacted with tremendous force across the oni’s chest. She flew several feet through the air before landing heavily on the ground, rolling and clutching at her chest as she groaned. That one wasn’t getting up anytime soon.

 

Her partner, a manticore, seemed to be stunned briefly by the sudden show of force. Her hesitation wound up costing her, as Serlov darted forward faster than one would expect from a snake. She attempted to take to the air, but only rose a few feet into the air.

 

Serlov again hooked her tail through the air like a scythe, catching the manticore just above the knee. The impact up-ended her, crashing her down into the ground head-first. Collapsing into a heap, she remained entirely motionless. Though it was a foe, Serlov was compelled to verify the manticore was still alive – a spill like that could break one’s neck.

 

Her fingers resting lightly on her neck, she verified that there was still a pulse and she was still breathing. Good enough, she thought.

 

Casting a wary glance around before escaping the area, the sound of a snapping twig froze her in place. Trying to locate the source of the noise, another snap rose up, this time closer and on the other side of her. Backing up slowly, she kept herself partially coiled in order to quickly strike at anything should the need arise.

 

More twigs snapped around her, occurring at intervals and locations that shouldn’t be possible from any one person. Leaves rustled above her, but not from any wind. There was nothing she could feel, taste, or sense in the air.

 

“Fighting from the shadows is hardly fair, don’t you think?” Serlov said, attempting to goad her foe into revealing themselves. All she got was silence. “No,” she whispered to herself, “I wouldn’t have that luck would I?”

 

A burst of footsteps to her right drew her attention, and too late did she realize it was merely a diversion as they disappeared as quickly as they had made themselves known.

 

“Hmph,” the lamia pouted, looking down at the furry paw that held a long, sharp claw against her jugular. She then felt a weight on her back that rapidly increased until the entire woman had appeared, near as she could tell.

 

“Well, you got me. What now?”

 

“Nya-ow we go back, and get those two some help,” the woman on her back declared.

 

 “Do you really talk like that?” Serlov said, her face contorting in disgust at the lilting, cat-like tone.

 

The weight on her back shifted about, and then she felt legs swing down along either side of her, almost as if she was being ridden like a horse. From the sensations on her scales, she realized whoever had gotten the best of her was nude, and had furry legs and feetpaws as well. While some species could render themselves invisible, it would not extend to any clothing they wore.

 

“Nyahaha, well, you nya-ow…some of us can’t help it.”

 

The furry digits beside her throat then all popped out claws, and the woman controlling them alternated which one pressed against her throat. Serlov couldn’t tell if the cat riding her was crazy or simply wanted to see her blood flow.

 

“You’re very bold to be going about in this weather without clothing.”

 

“Nya ha! I hear that often… but it’s worth it with people like you around~ So ma-nya lose their cool and freak out. That’s nyat fun at all. Anya-ways, let’s get going.” To add insult to her words, the cat kicked at Serlov’s body like one would when riding a steed. She fumed, but with the claws at her throat she had no option.

 

Making her way towards the helicopter, the cat remained quiet, though her claws seemed to randomly dig in more firmly than usual at times. Finally they caught sight of another person, and she could feel the cat wave her other arm atop her.

 

“Hey~ over here,” she shouted. The other soldier ran over to them, seemingly unphased by the appearance of a nude cat riding a lamia. “There’s two down back thatta way, they nya-eed a medic.” Nodding and running back to where they came from, the other trooper soon disappeared, leaving the cat and lamia alone together again.

 

“Hey~”

 

“What is it, cat?” Serlov practically growled.

 

“You seem upset~”

 

No, Serlov thought shaking her head. She would not be toyed with like this. The cat riding her continued to laugh, but otherwise said little once she figured out the lamia would not play her game. Soon they researched the clearing where the helicopters were, along with the arachnee.

 

While the spider was binding Serlov, the cat leaned forward and licked the back of her, then whispered to her. “Nya haha~ you’re kinda cute~ I think the nya-xt time we meet, I’ll have to eat you up~”

 

Then she vanished as quickly as she had arrived – Serlov never did see who had gotten the better of her. Apparently the spider had overheard her words, grimacing slightly as she put the finishing touches on the silken chains.

 

And now here she was, bound in custody with an unknown foe. Initially four helicopters had landed nearby, but two departed shortly after she was captured. A few of the other men, Yvonne, and even Reia had been taken as well, arriving slowly one after another. They’d looked to Serlov for something; an answer, but all she was able to give them was a nod.

 

So far they’d remained unharmed, but who knows for how long.

 

A radio crackled to life; a message from the other team. “We’ve detained another male – a Casey Smith, along with a female wolf-girl named Viole.”

 

Serlov closed her eyes and thought. Casey and Emrald had both jumped nearly the same time, so they should have been relatively close together. Either the two had yet to link up, or Emrald managed to hide herself. The crafty fox was unlikely to be taken if she knew what was going on, Serlov thought. Provided she avoided doing anything stupid.

 

Opening her eyes, she stared defiantly at the arachnee. Not one to back down, the spider returned the lamia’s gaze with equal intensity. She had to be the leader of this expedition, Serlov thought. Or, at the very least, the one leading this platoon.

 

Nothing was spoken between the two for quite some time; the silence was only broken periodically by the radio as the other team reported people captured or subdued. Eventually, according to Serlov’s mental checklist, only one person remained - Emrald. There was also a report of a soldier who had failed to check in on time. It didn’t take much to put the two together.

 

Serlov allowed herself a little grin, then snorted through her nose.

 

“Say,” she began, “I don’t even know your name. Or anyone else’s. It seems no one here refers to each other by name or rank, not even on the radio. Isn’t it proper respect to at least give your name to a senior officer?”

 

The spider considered her words for a moment, though the scowl shaping her features never faded. “While I would like to, we have been prohibited from revealing anything about ourselves.”

 

Interesting. It would seem these troops were mercenaries rather than any official military unit. Though technically illegal, merc units had gained popularity as most of the state militaries had been deployed through the portal. Serlov relaxed some, deciding that she should save her energy for when it mattered. Glowering at this Arachnee wasn’t getting her anywhere.

 

The traces of dawn were arriving, and Emrald had yet to be captured. The arachnee was becoming nervous and impatient, much to Serlov’s enjoyment. Eventually she could wait no longer, and called for everyone to regroup and dust off.

 

Sailing over the tree tops, Serlov wondered where the kitsune had managed to hide herself. Then she wondered if she’d be able to mount some kind of rescue considering she would have no idea where Casey and the others were being taken. At least Serlov knew they were heading west, though she couldn’t hazard a guess at their speed or exact time in the air.

 

Eventually they landed in a large clearing and were shuffled off the helicopters and grouped together. Serlov took note of everyone, letting a sigh when everyone appeared to be unharmed. At least the group that had rounded them up kept to their vow of not harming though, though it begged the question of why they resorted to such drastic measures to bring down the aircraft they were aboard.

 

Spotting Casey, Serlov slithered over to him. “Did Emrald escape?” she hissed out in a whisper, attempting to avoid bringing attention to herself.

 

“I don’t know. How I got caught is… kind of a long story, but I’m pretty sure they never found her. She wasn’t hurt in the crash or anything, I know that mu…”

 

Casey was cut short as one of the guards approached and yelled at him to be quiet. He nodded, then threw a nod towards the colonel. Reia and Tomas came near as well, though they remained silent as the guard was still nearby. At the very least, their presence provided Casey some comfort that everyone was alive and well, and maybe things would remain that way.

 

After some time passed, a series of trucks arrived, along with a few more soldiers. Unfortunately, Serlov and her unit were blindfolded and cuffed before being herded aboard the vehicles. The remainder of the journey was quiet, but lengthy. Being blindfolded and stuffed into cargo trucks made for an unpleasant trip, to the point where most of them were thankful when they arrived at their destination. Though she had no basis to think as such, Serlov wondered if forcing them to endure discomfort and then rewarding them with a reprieve from it was some sort of psychological conditioning.

 

Someone tugged at her cuffs, leading her away from the others, or at least she figured that’s what was going on. They had initially disembarked on grass, but now she was moving across concrete or asphalt – her belly scales weren’t able to distinguish between the surfaces. She was brought along a considerable distance, turned this way and that, and even made to backtrack. Whoever was leading her had obviously wished to disorient her as much as possible.

 

In time, she felt herself be lead into a structure of some sort; the sun’s light no longer warmed her skin or scales, and the surface upon which she slithered had become smoother. Then she heard a series of doors opening, and she was lead through each one. Then she was brought into an elevator, and to her surprise it went up rather than down. At least that meant she was likely in some kind of ‘normal’ building, rather than a military bunker.

 

The chime of the elevator went off, and she was lead out and down another smooth hallway. The person’s shoes in front of her clicked sharply on the surface, leading her to believe it may be marble or stone in an undecorated hallway. She was lead through another door, and then finally, she was halted seemingly in the middle of a room.

 

“You may take it off her now,” a familiar voice said.

 

A hand reached up to remove the blindfold, causing Serlov to squint momentarily as her eyes adjusted to the sudden influx of light. The blurred image came into focus after a second, and she blinked several times to make sure it wasn’t some kind of illusion. There, seated in a large mahogany chair behind a similar deep, rich desk was a familiar face to go with the voice.

 

“You? What are you doing here?”

 

“Ho? Is that all you have to say?” Came the elder kitsune’s reply.

 

“What is the meaning of this?” Serlov demanded, bringing herself up to full height. The kitsune scoffed at the display, waving her hand dismissingly.

 

“Please. Save the intimidation for people who would be bothered by such things.”

 

“I would not expect you, of all people, to attempt this. Especially after what you said to me earlier – what do you hope to gain from this?”

 

The kitsune sighed, sagging into her kimono slightly. “I suppose you’ve a right to be hostile considering the circumstances.”

 

She fiddled with a fan in her hand, folding it and drawing it out to its full shape repeatedly, before she folded it one final time and pointed it at the lamia. “I assure you I had meant to simply force your aircraft to make an emergency landing. The fuel line was supposed to be cut, forcing you from the skies in a somewhat controlled manner. Instead, from the reports I’ve read, you had something of a fiery escape.”

 

Serlov’s upper lip twitched. She fought to keep her face passive and neutral. Displaying emotion here would not aid her one bit. “I suppose. But that does not answer the question. What do you want?”

 

The kitsune smirked. “Amelia, please come in.”

 

Serlov narrowed her eyes. That name wasn’t familiar to her in the slightest. At the back of the room a side door opening, and in strode a woman. Serlov’s eyes went wide.

 

“You… but, how? You’re supposed to be extinct!”

 

“Oh, darling. What a cruel thing to say,” the woman said, her pointed tail darting back and forth behind her.

 

 

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