Felin

Third Marshevian

As the dust and smoke cleared and the sun rose on a new day, the Beasts of the Refuge counted their loved ones. The majority of the fire had been in the central area of the small town and was stopped from spreading by Kicit’s Release. However, in their sadness the Beasts worked with a quiet efficiency to remove the charred ruins of houses that had been engulfed by the flames, sometimes finding ghastly sights within. 

Overall, the whole operation of clearing out the damage and starting to rebuild had been swift, headed by Dhenu. A black and white speckled Bovidae with a knack for proving cool and calming words, his voice a beacon to those who didn’t know what to think of tomorrow. 

He had been the one to organize everyone into groups, one to help dismantle the damaged buildings, one to gather new materials and assist with building, one to take care of the wounded and gather the dead, and finally he had tasked Tontashi and the militia with determining what had happened and devising ways to help prevent it in the future. 

Kelkera had been voulen-told to help gather new materials to build with which she found to be back breaking work. She was tasked with hauling water up from a well to use in some sort of sticky substance placed between logs of wood to make a watertight seal. As she pulled on the well rope and huffed, she still counted herself as one of the lucky ones after seeing what others had been told to do. Mostly Cervines and Canines due to their size and strength had been told to help move massive logs from the tree line, where others were chipping away at their trunks with sorely inadequate tools, to a designated area within the Refuge. 

Kelkera started to feel isolation creep up on her, an odd sense that she never even had felt even within Carran’s Rest. Everyone had seemed to abandon her, Mathias, Kicit and even during her monotonous work she noticed the others side eyeing her and whispering behind her back. Although with the exception of Ragun who seemed to genuinely not care what others thought about him. But his nasally voice grated on her ears after too long and he had been busy scurrying around outside the Refuge. So instead, Kelkera attempted to branch out to others that she worked with during the day. 

One was a diminished Canine who had quite a bit of years on him and held a constant sneer. The other was a young Rodent, probably in his early teens, Kelkera couldn’t really tell, but he barely spoke a word to anyone and from what she could surmise he had lost someone in the attack. 

Both of them paid her no attention, particularly the Canine who nearly spat and looked down on her like she were lesser. So she continued the day in silent struggle until she saw Kicit striding across the middle of the Refuge. 

His absence had been clear. Even though they were sharing the same tent he seemed always return after she had fallen asleep and leave before she had a chance to get up. Upon seeing him now she stole a glance back at the two others she had been working with, determined that they’d be fine without her, and raced towards him. 

“Kicit!” She yelled out after him. His blue feathers seemed to jump and he cocked his black beak towards his name. “Just stop for one moment!” The Avian seemed uneasy as she approached but did wait for her. 

“Kelkera, please excuse me I’ve got an appointment to get to.” He said in his peculiarly polite tone. He meant it in the best way possible but the brushing aside brought on a low growl. Now that he stood before her, an anger welled within and her fur stood on end. Memories of Luka flooded back and how isolated both of them were, her pads clenched and she tried to bite her tongue to hold it back but there wasn’t any way to now. 

“What’s wrong with you!” She belted, his face suddenly blinking to one of immense surprise at the outburst. His beak stammered but she continued, voice rising with every word. “I travel all this way, return your stupid book, save your life and you can’t even talk to me? Most Esurians I’ve met at least did that, and they tried to kill me!” Kelkera couldn’t hold the growl down any longer and it rumbled from deep within her. Kicit backpedaled still at a complete loss, his eyes blinked a few times before he swiftly bowed with rigid tact. 

“Apologies Kelkera but I must be going.” He said, voice cracking with nerves. He then turned and much to Kelkera’s surprise extended out his full wingspan. Then with a great flap he lifted into the air and soared away leaving Kelkera dumbstruck. A few other Beasts who had taken notice of their argument stood just affixed on the sight as Kelkera. 

“Fascinating!” A voice said. It was close enough to break the surprise that had taken over her and she twirled to see a half naked Esurian, chained to a tall post that had been driven into the ground. His skin had a layer of dirt caked to it and a positively rank smell wafted to Kelkera’s nose. Her first instinct was to turn away but it reminded her that she had once been in a similar position. “Odd creatures Avians to be sure. Had only read about them in books myself and was positively taken aback by seeing Kicit here, but I had no idea they could actually fly.” He finished, the spotlight gaze of his piercing eyes directed towards Kelkera. She took a few tentative steps towards the prisoner, tilting her head to the side a bit in curiosity. “Seen you running about here and there, so your name’s Kelkera?” He asked. 

“Yeah,” she finally said. “And you’re that Eusiran?” She’d heard through some of the gossip that floated through the town there had been some sort of prisoner but she had not paid close attention to it. Now that she saw him she felt an immense sense of pity and her pads came together to remind herself of what had happened to her. She pondered what they might have done to him but he looked to be in good spirits, oddly enough. 

“The only one in this fine Refuge that I can tell, name’s Sullin, a pleasure.” The corners of his lips curled up in a smile and his jovial tone betrayed his look. Kelkera settled in front of him but her pity from the similar circumstance quickly gave way to images of Esurians rushing to her, weapons drawn. 

“What gave you the right to just attack all of these people?” She said, a bit of a snarl left over from the spat. 

“Oh you’re mistaken! I had no intention of attacking any one of you fine individuals, much less a bustling town like this one, oh no no no.” He shook his head. “I came to warn, inform, tell, however you’d like it to be, about the coming attack but got held up in some nasty brush.” He squeezed his hands and tugged on the thick rope wrapped around his wrists. “The way it goes I suppose, and now many of your kind lay dead and I’m here.” His head nodded in the direction of a makeshift mass grave that had started to take shape right outside the Refuge, a grave where her friend lay. 

“Then why do they have you tied to a post like that?” Kelkera asked but he only shrugged. 

“Everybody gets scared, people tend not to act rationally in emotionally charged situations and I’d say an attack on your home is quite the charged situation. Not to mention that Canine in charge of your defense, she’s quite an…um.” He seemed to search his mind for a word to fit. 

“Mean?” Kelkera offered. 

“I was looking for something more verbose but yes, though I believe you know a thing or two about Canine’s brutality.” His gaze centered back on her. 

Kelkera’s brow furrowed. Way more Eusirans had slighted her than Canines but their attitude towards her had been on the colder side. Tontashi especially hadn’t shown her any kindness  when they had been introduced, Mathias being the one who had been able to actually say more than a word or two to her. 

“My my my, where were you raised?” He asked, eyes wide with surprise. 

“Carran’s Rest.” She said after a brief moment. Sullin nodded his head in understanding. 

“I’ve heard of it, yes, small little thing on the road right? So that explains it, you weren’t raised by your kind.” Kelkera could only shake her head, what was this Esurian talking about? There seemed to be this massive secret kept from her and she barked back. 

“So what? I’m just as much of a Vulpine!” 

“Yes yes! I don’t mean that you aren’t, please excuse me! Only that you have been spared the poisonous ideas between the two Species.” Kelkera at first didn’t believe the Esurian, his quick talk, his way of forming his words felt like he were scheming but knowing more about her people, about where she might be able to fit in took over her. She took a step forward to which Sullin continued. “Thousands of years ago Canines and Vulpines were one and the same! A Vulpine was a Canine through and through. But it wasn’t long before Vulpines disregarded the Canine Progenitor Eukithor, quite curious it didn’t happen sooner if you ask me, and then adopted Adium as theirs. Splintering the species in two, they never reconciled of course.” He said. 

“Get away from it!” The sudden order broke the connection between the two of them and Kelkera turned to see Tontashi striding towards them, her green eyes narrowed with anger. Kelkera took an involuntary step back as the Canine approached. Her ire fully directed towards Kelkera. “Just what do you think you’re doing?” Tontashi complained, her teeth fully bared, ready for a fight. 

“We were just having a conversation, the Vulpine and I, no need to be testy.” Sullin offered but Totnashi kicked her foot in his direction, spraying his face with dirt and sand. 

“Shut it, wasn’t talking to you.” 

“And just what is your problem?” Kelkera huffed, letting her fur stand in an effort to give an air of confidence. “We were just talking!” Tontashi leaned over Kelkera, her muzzle snarled and voice flush with anger. 

“It is my problem when a Fox newcomer, who just happened to show up with a soldier of the Atheson army, is having a private conversation with an Esurian after they just destroyed the Refuge!” Her words grew into barks as Kelkera attempted, but not successfully, to withstand the affront. 

“Mathias died protecting all this!” She threw back but it just seemed to bounce off of Tontashi. “In case you forgot, they were trying to kill me too!” Kelkera continued, trying to use the same barking tone but instead it just came out weak and feeble. Tontashi dug a finger into Kelkera’s chest. 

“My job is to keep this place safe, any sort of potential dangers I need to know.” Her claw started to dig into Kelkera’s chest and she was forced to take a step back as the sharp point pushed on her. “You and your silver tongues.” She scoffed and backed off. Kelkera felt a rage build inside, her stomach churned and mind racing with ways to get back at the Canine. It felt like Tobias again! Her pads flexed unconsciously for claws but she was met with the empty feeling that was growing all too familiar.  

No way would she be able to do anything against the Canine, she stood a full tail taller, looked to have the strength of a Torobrick and snarled with such veracity that Kelkera could have mistaken it for a rabid feral. So, in an embarrassing display she lowered her tail and backed away from the Canine who never changed her fixed gaze. “Just give me one reason.” She held up her clawed finger again, a bead of blood dripping from the tip. “One more and you’ll be here with that.” 

Kelkera attempted one final bark back trying to keep up with the same tone but had nothing to say and it ended up being a verbal prostration. Tontashi took it as a victory and Kelkera sank away.

It was another thing to add to her shoulders, another problem that had somehow been thrust upon her without anyone telling her. Now she had to watch out for Tontashi. But would leaving the Refuge be the worst thing? It had crept into her thoughts before. But the opportunity of trying to find someone to help her save Luka had kept her here, in fact she had thought of asking Tontashi at one point, even in the face of her unpleasantness, but those hopes had been dashed. Any Canine help was seemingly out of the question. A sigh escaped her muzzle and she trotted back to the tent, her tail still threaded through her legs in defeat. 

Felin

Third Minoian

The next morning played out like a copy of the other days, Kicit and his Master were nowhere to be seen. With a huff she crawled out and set about preparing for her day when Ragun’s dark orange head poked into the doorway. 

“Kelkera!” He called and her ears perked, finding it nice that someone was calling for her and that the tone was agreeable. “Glad I found you! Let’s go together, they need help with the feast.” Be it her silence or the look that she gave him, he immediately understood that Kelkera had no idea what he was referring to. “For…you know Adium’s Day.” There was that name again, Adium, the same one that Sullin had mentioned. 

“Adium’s Day?” She questioned and Ragun’s eyes widened and his muzzle dropped slightly before he shook his head. 

“I told you it was coming up.” He said but Kelkera stayed quiet, so he beckoned with his pad. 

“Come on, I’ll show you.” He said. Kelkera followed Ragun out of the tent and down one of the streets of the Refuge to the far corner of the northwestern side. Here she saw a few other Vulpines, all generally older than her and Ragun, busily rushing about. Fires for cooking had already been lit and kettles had been set on them to warm. Under a pavilion-like structure, with a wall to the outside tree line but open on the other sides, was a table covered with different ingredients. The variety of food considering the state of the Refuge and its supplies stunned her. 

“All for Adium’s Day.” Ragun started, seemingly anticipating Kelkera’s question. “The great feast is one of the best parts, but honestly this is nothing compared to what you’d see in Adiumour. But I’m proud of what we gathered.” As they drew closer Kelkera made out colorful vegetables, tomatoes, carrots, peppers lined up with mounds of uncooked rice and beans. A small batch of fresh fruits and berries also lay at the end and Kelkera pondered where one would even be able to find it. In the center was a collection of game kills, wild chickens and hare, ready to be butchered and used in some exquisite meal. Kelkera couldn’t help but ogle over the food, her muzzle watering at just the thought of eating it and the smells that wafted from to her nose. 

“Just what is Adium’s Day?” She asked, forcing herself to look away from the collection of ingredients. There was one Vulpine, a vixen like Kelkera only with faded orange fur and gray tinged black ears busily stuffing herbs into a mesh like bag and then dropping it into one of the kettles who gave her a side eye. “And who’s Adium?” Kelkera followed up with. More eyes turned to her and a few had muzzles gaped but Ragun patted her back. 

“Living isolated on Accaran, you’ve probably never been told of our Progenitor?” He asked and Kelkera shook her head, trying not to focus on the absence. Ragun paused, trying to find the right words before speaking. “Beast’s weren’t always here like the Esurians, but while they may have walked here first it doesn’t mean we are any lessor. See, each Beast Species has their own Progenitor, the very first of their line.”

“So Adium was the Vulpine Progenitor?” Kelkera filled in and Ragun nodded. 

“He was the first of all of us and each year we dedicate a day to him and thank him for giving all of us life, hence Adium’s Day! Greatest day of the year!” He threw his hands into the air and was met by a few cheers from other Vulpines. Kelkera looked around her and noted maybe about twenty other Vulpines all doing various jobs. She was slightly taken aback because if you had asked her how many Vulpines were in the Refuge she would have said only a few but seeing them all in one place showed their true numbers.  

“But where did he come from? If Esurians were here first, how did he come about?” Kelkera asked but Ragun just shrugged.

“That I don’t know, just that he was the first.” Kelkera pondered for a moment and then remembered what Sullin had told her yesterday.

“What about Eukithor? Whose he?” She asked but Ragun shot her with an odd stare and patted his pad as if to say ‘hush’. 

“How is it you know about him but not Adium?” 

“I just heard about him yesterday, in the same breath. Is something wrong?” Kelkera asked worried that she had overstepped some sort of imaginary line. 

“No no, it’s fine. Eukithor is the Canine Progenitor.” He winked at her and jabbed an elbow into her side. “Adium defeated Eukithor in a duel, Canines have always been uptight about it. But it’s also why we hold Magic in such high regard as without it we wouldn’t be here!” The word magic jumped out to Kelkera as she listened.

“Yeah?” She said trying to keep her tone low from the others. 

“You really have been out of it!” He joked. “Release is why we exist, it’s what gave Adium the power to defeat the dark wolf Eukithor. Every young Vulpine wishes to be like Adium and looks forward to the day they are tested for any aptitude in the art.” He paused for a moment and looked at his own pads, drawing a deep breath as he flexed his fingers, focusing on a his missing index finger. “Those who are found to be able to Cast are held up on pedestals, the rest of us there to help them.” 

All of this had sent Kelkera into a whirlwind of thoughts, she had always heard of magic but never had seen much of it until the last few weeks. She followed his actions and looked at her own gray pads pondering if she had the power. 

“Can you?” She asked him but was met with a curt shake of his head.

“Never showed any affinity to it, my sister did though and she was quickly taken up at Anzou, the Vulpine School of Casting.” He added the clarification just as Kelkera was going to ask. “Don’t know what happened, she could have failed her Apprentice exam for all I know.” He shrugged, Kelkera was going to ask what he meant but the vixen who had been stuffing the mesh bags called to her. 

“Oh! Can you give me a hand with these kettles?” Steam was now starting to pour from the lids and she would have guessed that they would have started to sing at any moment. “Just draw them out of the fire and place them around it like this.” She instructed, grabbing one of them and placing it just a step away from the flames. 

The rest of the day went mostly along those lines, someone would call out for assistance and she would help as best she could. Kelkera did find herself enjoying the work and felt a renewed sense of happiness, spending all this time around people like her! None of them turned their noses away from the strong scent, the food that they were preparing fell in line with what Kelkera often pined for, she felt mostly part of it. Yet, there was still a sense of being out of place. Periodically they would mention something or start talking to her about an event or other years celebrations to which she could only shake her head. They would then grow quiet for a bit leaving Kelkera with an empty feeling and then turn to leave.  

***

The sun started to dip over the tree line, cascading deep shadows across the Refuge but in the small corner large bonfires blazed with a flickering light. Chatter that one could only find at a dinner table filled the air as Vulpines each sat around the fires in large circles talking with one another and enjoying the fruits of the day's preparation. Kelkera found herself near Ragun with a rough cup of the herb tea that they had spent all morning preparing. It had a bitter taste with a finishing tinge of sweetness that Kelkera found to be its only saving grace but she assumed that it was some sort of traditional drink and sipped at it regularly. Until, that is, Ragun leaned in and explained that they didn’t have the traditional alcohol and the tea was a poor substitute. She put her cup down and didn’t touch it for the rest of the night. 

After a while a great roar of applause and cheers caught their attention, two other Vulpines stood up and walked pad in pad to a central area near one of the fires. They took a position like statues; standing with one pad raised to the skies and the other down at their side with tails pointed directly out. Then around her all of the Vulpines started clapping their pads together, making a dull thudding sound that mimicked a drum. Once the rhythm had settled they began to move. 

An experienced eye would have said they were not graceful nor were they accurate but to Kelkera and the rest of the Vulpines in Beast’s Refuge it was perfect. The rhythmic timing encompassed their movements as they danced to and fro, arms and pads flying in graceful arcs over each other's heads. Their tails swished in time with the beat as they circled around one another, the fire casting a flickering glow that added to the enchantment they cast over the audience. Kelkera found herself clapping along with everyone else, caught up in the ceremony's emotional charge and hoping that it didn’t end. But for how mesmerizing it was, the dance was short and the two Vulpines finished, only this time both pads pointed directly to the ground. Kelkera didn’t exactly know what was going on and she celebrated with the rest of them, cheering on the performers as they fell into a more basic dance that everyone else started to join in on. 

 Ragun jumped up with the others and offered a pad out to Kelkera but she shook her head, content with watching for now as everyone else danced. An argument rang in her head telling her that she should get up and give it a try, everyone else looked to be having a fantastic time but another part of her told her that she wasn’t fully included in the group. On top of that she didn’t want to do something wrong. Soon though, the part of her compelling her to get up began to win out and she got to her feet. However, right as she was going to jump in something caught her eye. A shadow, not moving like the rest of the Vulpines ducked behind the pavilion where the food was held. 

At first Kelkera thought it may have just been another Vulpine, but it did seem much too large to be one. A thought appeared and it was the only thing she could focus on, the only one that really could have fit the large shadow. Canines. Then, without warning a loud CRACK rang through the air and the Pavilion sagged to one side and then crashed into the small crowd of Vulpines sending screams into the air. 

Kelkera stood, stunned in place for a moment. She looked to where the Pavilion had stood, not a soul stood behind it, so she dove in to help. Cries replaced the joyous claps and dancing as the Vulpines who hadn’t been crushed by the heavy wooden Pavilion worked feverishly to dig out those who had. Yet, part of the wreckage landed in the fires that had been set and they quickly ignited in the blaze, spreading across the wreckage. Horrified screams and hacking of Vulpines caught up in the flames filled Kelkera’s ears but she froze, images of the attack rushing back to her. Without thinking she cried. 

“Kicit!” She knew that he probably wouldn’t hear it and besides he’d been avoiding her. How would he know what was going on? How would he know they needed help? But a figure covered in a cloak rushed forward from the darkness, a mumbled canto already coming from his beak. In a flurry of motions the fire vanished and immediately, as if compelled by the Gates themselves, the timbers retreated into a neat pile out of harm's way. The Vulpines who had been trapped looked around in astonishment as darkness descended, but they were safe. Some still cried as they had burned and limbs had been crushed but their lives had been saved. 

“Kicit!” Kelkera said again, the Avian let out a breath and turned towards her, taking off his hood. She could barely see Elacce’s dark feathers in the blackness, only the flicker of flames bouncing off his eyes. He then whispered something, moved one of his taloned fingers on his good wing with minuscule twitches and the fires, confined to their births, roared back to life. He straightened his back and glanced at Kelkera, offering nothing but a glare. He then turned and faded back into the darkness, his black figure disappearing completely after little more than a few steps. 

What stuck out was his complete and utter calmness in the situation and how easily he seemingly had been able to pull off the Releases. Her only other comparison had been Kicit and every time he performed a Release he was left out of breath and it looked as though he had been through some intense physical trial. But Elacce, it seemed to be as easy as breathing. 

Some of the other Vulpines were tending to the wounded and Kelkera made her way to where she had seen the shadowy figure. She scanned the ground in the flickering light, looking for any sort of evidence of what it may have been. It could have been a trick of the light or shadow cast but it was certainly big; bigger than any Vulpine she had seen. 

“What happened here?” The voice sent a shiver down Kelkera’s back and she found her fur standing on end, Tontashi. She was standing over the sight, dressed head to toe in a cape like thing that fell to her feet-pads. A slight sneer crossed Kelkera’s muzzle, Tontashi was the last person she wanted to see at the moment. Her eyes narrowed on Ragun who had narrowly missed the falling debris himself but had managed to give himself a burn trying to assist others. 

“It just fell!” He said nursing his singed pad. “On top of all of us!” 

“I mean why were all you Foxes out here.” The word caused a few Vulpines to recoil, a poor choice of word in any situation much less after all of this. 

“Adium’s Day.” 

They continued to speak and Kelkera tuned it out; but it wasn’t very long before she heard Tontashi call out towards her in the same commanding tone. 

“What are you doing behind there!” She yelled, moving up behind her. Kelkera swiveled on her pads to face the Canine who stared her down with such an intense eye that Kelkera could have sworn they dug right through her. “Oh,” She said, dismayed at the sight, “it’s you. What are you doing?” 

“I saw a Canine back here, right before it fell!” She spoke before she had thought of what to say and immediately recoiled. But, to Kelkera’s surprise Tontashi stood for a moment, musing over it. 

“You did? Did you see who? Alhstan, Kenway, Isobel?” Her tone turned more sour as she listed the names before breaking for but a second to let Kelkera in. 

“I don’t know who it was!” 

“What did they look like then? Fur color, Ears, pads, what were they wearing?” The follow up came quickly, like Tontashi knew the answer Kelkera was going to give. 

“I didn’t see them.” Kelkera finally said, “but I did see a shadow moving behind the pavilion right before it fell.” She pointed to the ground as if to say ‘right here’ but Tontashis eyes were trained directly on her. 

“You’re telling me that a Canine, who you didn’t see, couldn’t make out, couldn’t even smell, decided to randomly do all this.” Tontahi’s voice only grew with annoyance and she brought up her still sheathed sword and pointed it towards Kelkera who drew a few paces back. “But I can tell you about someone I found at the scene of the incident that for sure was here at the time it fell and they’re trying to pawn off the blame.” Tontashi’s white teeth glinted against the fires as Kelkera struggled to come up with anything to say. What could the damn Canine be thinking? Of course she didn’t do it! But her question was only met with stammers as Kelkera struggled to form words. 

“Tontashi, come on, that’s absurd. There’s no way she did this, she was with us the entire time!” Ragun said, approaching the two after he noticed the tense exchange. Tontashi shifted her eyes to him before letting out a swift huff and lowering the sword. 

“Elacce!” Kelkera finally blurted out, “Showed up right after and performed some sort of magic to help and then…” she trailed off looking in the distance of where he’d left. Tontashi followed her gaze and then finally affixed her sword to her waist. 

“I’ll need to pay him a visit.” She said and locked eyes with Kelkera again. “This doesn’t mean I’m not watching you,” and then she left in the direction of the communal tent. 

It didn’t take long before most of the Refuge had woken to see what the commotion was about and had chipped in to help. Dhenu directed the wounded to see the doctor and mingled among the still stunned Vulpines offering soothing words and calming tones. It was a miracle that the worst of it had been burns and broken bones.