Her Blood On Your Hands: Part 8

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*This story is from Old Age Canon. Some of the lore may have changed. Author: WinterAnswer

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Previous: Her Blood On Your Hands: Part 7, Continued: Her Blood On Your Hands: Part 9

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That primal hunger again, something Nuly could almost taste in the air, was upon them.  You couldn't feel it in the middle of an ambush or in the silent approach that occurred a few nights ago.  But here, today at the very moment, Nuly could feel it's potency.  She watched her fellow troopers become frantic, salivating in anticipation of the slaughter.

A civilian caravan of considerable size and length was making it's way along the plains.  They might have seen them, but they did not slow or stop.  Instead, they continued on their way, most likely hoping they were allies.  For Shigus, an unarmed southern collection of people without any protection was a feast.  But considering the time of the day, they would be lunch for them.

There was no reason to continue their relaxed pace any longer, it was time to overwhelm them.  Rain knew this and gave the order to her troopers, lifting her lance in the air with her co-commanders doing the same.  The soldiers no longer hid their excitement, channeling it into their frenzied legs and jovial howls.  The lines sped forward, the thunder of their charging advance becoming the ever more louder.

Nuly tried to keep up with them, finding many of them disregarding the formation of their squads and melding into one another as they rushed towards their target.  She couldn't say she had their same enthusiasm, but again she had to forge some fury out of herself.  Flashing images of the enviable horror unfolded in her head, but she ignored them.  She only focused on the present:  the burning in her legs, the rage in her blood veins, and the weight in her hand that was her sword.

The Shigu stampede dispersed as did the frightened southerners, several soldiers flaking off to chase after them.  Nuly found herself frantically searching for something to maim, passing over bodies of both sergal and various farm animals.  She watched the soldiers chase males, females, and cubs of varying age.  It felt as if she was the only one standing still in that tornado of screams.

Then Nuly saw her.  The female tried to hold on to her apparent mate before they were tackled to the ground.  Panic forced her up and speedily away as her mate was torn into ribbons.  It was instinct to chase after her, Nuly thought.  She found herself drawn to the female who was only dressed in a faded yellow robe, the fabric partially ragged.  Her eyes enlarged with terror when she looked back to see Nuly there.

The female pushed through everyone that clouded her path, both soldier and her own.  Only when another trooper slammed into her did she stop, her frame crumbling to the dirt.  She didn't even attempt to get up again, her arms and legs coming around to make herself into a tense ball when Nuly was now in range to attack.  Make it quick, Nuly thought, it would be most appropriate.  When her blade came over her head, she could almost hear the female cry out something.

"Child."  That's all Nuly had heard her say.  Nuly then viewed the female's arms over her enlarged stomach.  The realization had only hit her when the blade was falling, the movement having been already registered into her brain.  She felt somehow she could stop herself, cease the action before it did any harm to her.  But something made her keep going, giving her no way out but for the blade to drive through the female's neck and severe her head off completely.

The blood came out fast, red coming over all the green and bronze on the ground.  The sword's blade had driven right through her, past all the flesh and bone to hit the soil.  Nuly felt as if she was limp, her mind coming over with some kind of shock.  But her hand that held her blade was as tight as ever.  She could still hear the sound of the carnage and feel it vibrating her armor and hair.  The whole scene felt so surreal to her now.  She saw a soldier chew at a young male's neck, teeth digging inward to the skin with blood gushing out.  A severed arm was kicked away without any notice.  Only when a young child passed her did she come back to the world.

The speed of her rage nearly matched the speed of her hand as she grabbed at the cub's brown tail.  She could feel the bones in his appendage crack and snap, pulling the boy to her with all her strength.  She nearly lifted the young one off the ground, but he simply fell onto his stomach.  He attempted to run again, but Nuly's right foot pinned him to the dirt.  Her foot claws buried deeply past his earthly-colored hide, arms and legs squirming and vocals barking at the pain she induced.  No reason to think about it this time, she thought, holding the blade up above the boy's neck before it purged into his flesh.  He twitched a little after Nuly impaled him, her foot becoming wet in a pool of blood from someone else.

Nuly's instincts took over her when another sergal sped towards her, noticing the female was almost as young as her.  A stream of blood leapt from the female's chest, Nuly's sword slicing a thick red streak up between her breasts.  A second after the body had hit the ground, a couple of soldiers ran her way.  "Hey!" one of them exclaimed, looking overtly anger and slightly disappointed as he viewed the now dead female.  Nuly could see their rage in their eyes when they turned back to her.  "What the hell?!" one shouted to her.  Nuly then jumped at them, baring her teeth to watch them flinch.

"Fuck off!" she snapped at them and they saw then she wasn't in a talking mood.  They trotted off somewhere else before voicing the word 'cunt' in a low voice.

It wasn't long before the endless screaming lead to still air and silence.  Blood was still leaking from the bodies while the soldiers took what they wanted from the dead, be it their meat or belongings.  Many troopers were spread far around the plains, evidence of the southerners' quick feet.  Some might have escaped, but Nuly didn't know and couldn't tell.  Again, three or four were spared death to be killed in the morning or late evening.

Nuly's eyes only showed coldness when happening upon a dying male.  He laid on his stomach, one of his arms under him while the other rested empty on the uprooted grass.  His breathing was shallow and erratic, his back convulsing with his hurried breathes.  Cups of drying blood bathed the ground around his midriff.  For some reason, Nuly just stood there watching the male's eyes lock on her with furious distain.  His pupils were slits of black encased in blue, his words very clear as he began to speak.

"You will die," he pushed out, eyes glittering.  "You will die and you will suffer.  Your children will...suffer w...when we shave off their fur and make them starve in the coldness of your land.  God will...make sure of it and the world will see to it."  Nuly looked around her, seeing that no other soldier was listening in on to what he was saying.  She was sure not to get too close to him if he had a blade hidden under him.  "You will hear me...laughing...when you fall into hell."  Nuly decided this was going on for far too long, but she asked herself would it be merciful to kill him here and now than to have him bleed to death?  It didn't really matter, he insulted her and that was reason enough to put him under her sword.

She walked over and stood over him, out of his arm's reach if he wanted to attack before his life was taken.  His claws dug into the dirt, voice increasing in volume as Nuly's blade rose in the air.  "We will dance on your corpses!  We will laugh a-," and he was no more.  A few soldiers had taken notice to the outburst, but their heads soon turned away.  Nuly found a discarded cloth that might have been a headdress to wipe the blood from her weapon.

Nuly felt it was necessary to search the wandering ranks for the General.  She milled around, head turning back and forth while she scanned the cluster of soldiers on the plains.  It was easy to spot the tall beast, a distance away from where she stood.  Nuly didn't want to walk a straight path towards her, a very suspicious action it would be indeed.  Instead, she preferred to either flank or go behind her.

She kept her head high and her eyes relaxingly subdued as she looked about her surroundings.  In her head, she proposed if this was the time, the right moment to complete her duty.  Rain was still in full armor, but with a quick cut to the gullet she would be done for.  The soldiers were spread thin, there was much room for her to run, but she asked herself how far she would get before the much faster troopers would catch up to her.  And where would she go if they didn't seize her?  All these lands were so new, unknown, and open to Nuly.  Even so, there was also to consider Silves' renowned reflexes.  "Her golden spheres see everything," Aduli advised which chilled Nuly through her heart.

Nuly could see that red painted much of the General's front, down her jaws and over the fur on her neck where white would be.  A couple of soldiers stood near her, talking away as she chewed on something fleshly with mouthful bites.  At that point, Nuly knew there was no chance she would survive the attempt.  There was probably no chance that her blade would even scrap the General's hide.  Nuly kept on walking, holding up a relaxed salute while she eyed several more bodies peppering the area.  She almost expected the General to see her, call her over to question her or something to that accord, but to her relief she didn't.  Had Rain still seen her, Nuly asked herself.  It didn't matter, Nuly thought again while she turned and moved around more groups of soldiers.

Nuly's feet ceased when her eyes looked south to see the obscure shapes of more mountains.  Her moment of awe was cut short when a fellow Shigu playfully pulled at her tail when she wasn't looking.  What a shame she couldn't have came here on better times and better terms.

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The plunder was good that day, exceptionally good.  Coins, food, and clothing for a good portion of the army.  Nuly saw a few soldiers gawk at the fine fabrics they took from the civilians.  The clothes they held were brightly colored from red, green, black, cyan to yellow.  The thread looked well made and was apparently quite elastic as the soldiers demonstrated with their own hands.  Nuly didn't feel the need to search for her own.  This was a war, not the time to better her fashionable assets.

The army moved away from the river they were following, favoring a path near a road.  Travelers would hurry away from them, their shapes becoming small specks in the distance.  Silves ordered everyone to disregard the patrons, and no one was to 'practice their aim' on them.  That didn't stop one archer from firing an arrow at a Nevrean crowd.  No one had been hit since the arrow had fallen short of doing so, but a captain had reported the misdeed to the General anyway.  The army came to an abrupt halt at the piercing sound of Rain's howl.  Many looked confused, only a few having seen the archer's arrow fly through the air.

"Who shot that?!" she yelled out at the squads, hastily walking down the right flank.  "Who shot it?!"  The perpetrator was pushed out into the open and stumbled to the feet of the General.  "Get up!" she commanded the now cowering bowman.  He saluted her a second before she had her hand clinched around his throat, and he attempted not to struggle against her grip.  With her hold still strong on him, Silves then pushed herself and the archer into the lines of her subordinates with everyone making a path for her to stop in the middle of them all.

"I want everyone to see what happens if they don't take my orders seriously!"  Everyone watched her shake the archer around in her grip.

"Please...,my Gen-"

"Shut it!" she screamed at him, his face contorting from the pain of losing air.  "You're an archer," she said, releasing her hold on his throat and grabbing the scruff of his neck.  The archer's eyes were half-opened, his arms sagging down with no resistance.  He would have been kneeling if Rain wasn't holding him up by his hide.  "You're lucky because if you weren't you would be dead.  You're lucky the commanders admire your skills so much, but there must be punishment!"

Silves told one of the soldiers to take hold of his arms, letting the male's knees hit the ground as his helmet was removed.  She wrapped both of her hands around the archer's skull, thumb claws extending and digging into his scalp.  She forced the soldier's head to bend downward, his ears pointing up before Rain's face.  She then opened her jaws and proceeded to chew at one.

She started with the left ear, eating at the very tip as if she enjoyed it like a piece of jerky.  She kept biting and chomping at his ear, the archer's cries going from soft grimacing to shrill screaming.  The soldier that restrained him held strongly as the General worked her way down to where the ear connected with the side of his head.  The archer was shivering now, his yelling coming down to pathetic sobs.  The General came close to his one ear and said something, too low for Nuly or anyone else to hear.  She then quickly bit off the archer's remaining ear with much force, spitting it out in front of him as she relented her hold.

When Silves ordered him to be let go, the archer's hands slowly lifted themselves to touch the bleeding tissue where his ears once were.  All they were now were holes that burrowed on the side of his skull.  He lightly touched the injured flesh, blood painting the tips of his fingers.

An ear-less sergal was a truly unpleasant sight, Nuly thought.  There were some she had seen, both here and at her camp, whom had nearly lost all of the flesh on their ears.  But the archer was now truly unsightly.  The wounds would scar, but they wouldn't hint at a tale he was proud to retell.  It made him look strange, as if he wasn't truly of his own race.  The soldier started to whimper, staring down at his right ear on the grass but the General wasn't finished yet.

She picked the severed ear off the ground and presented it to the archer.  "Eat it," she told him.  The soldier looked up to her eyes, only to see she showed a toothy grin devoid of any compassion.  At this point the soldier was overtly quivering, likely from his injuries and the degree of shame he was experiencing.  He cautiously took his ear from her hand, placing it in his maw to slowly chew at his own flesh.  The General seemed satisfied after his throat convulsed to shallow.

"I would have killed you," Silves spoke as she towered over the male who still knelt at her feet.  "I would have, but I've presented some mercy onto you.  Something that is far more valuable than your ears.  Now thank me."

"Thank you...my General," he said quietly without looking at her, the fur under his eyes now wet from his tears.

"Louder and look at me when you say it!"  With a twitching jaw and blood drying in his hair, he repeated his thanks with much more power in his voice.  "Good," she said, sounding quite pleased with the result of her discipline.  "Next time, I'll eat your eyes out."  She then looked around at the rest of her army circled before her and the archer.  "And the first offense from any of you," she moved her arm over the crowd, "will be met with me tearing the hide off your back and making a coat out of it!  Understand?!"  Everything spoke in accord with a strong "Yes, my General!"

Everyone returned to marching, their destination somewhere in the distance were the new mountains stood.  Nuly could feel a small amount of sympathy for the earless one, but she couldn't stop herself from laughing at Unkli's jokes about him.  "Do you think people will ask if he's a hairy lizard or something?"

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The plains were boring, excruciatingly boring for Nuly.  She could also see that many of her fellow soldiers were as unimpressed with the wide expanse of land, their mouths yawning wide throughout the day.  When you've grown up in such places, there is nothing much else to see.  Aside from the few travelers, traders, and wanders that they saw that day, nothing was much of any interest.

Nuly then heard something like quiet thunder over to her left.  The sky was sparse with clouds, none dark or appearing heavy with rain.  Something appeared to be of interest to the left flank, but the many rows of soldiers prevented Nuly to fully see for herself what the noise was.  Another caravan, she asked herself, but oddly the lines of squads kept moving.  Even so, the sound of thunder kept droning and becoming louder and louder with each passing moment.

Nuly tried to see over the soldiers' heads, finding something further away was traveling towards them.  The soldiers became more anxious, looking back and forward to the left flank and each other.  That was the moment the order was given for the squads to turn to the left flank, arms readied.  Nuly's sight of the incoming threat was more or less still obscured, but what she could tell was that there was many of them.  They were large as well, their howls echoing in the air and their speed never slowing.  But the command to attack was not announced, instead they were ordered to hold.  'What is hell is going on?' the question burned in Nuly's brain.  She could feel she was not the only contemplating about defying an order from the commanders.

When the threat was at it's closest they turned, their path going along the side and parallel to them.  They were livestock, Nuly realized, seeing the creatures' backs as they were herded along by Nevrean rangers riding on some other strange animal.  Just a herd that nearly plowed through the ranks of the army.  Nuly was confident that none of the animals would have survived the endeavor if they tried it.  After such an event the soldiers relaxed, voicing soft spoken curses in the air before they moved on.

After a few more rekusus that day, the army was given a rest surprisingly early with the General's order.  The sun was still high and Nuly's legs were more than willing to go many more lengths before they would tire.  Over the horizon, Nuly could see smoke lifting to the sky, the same direction they were heading.  The General wanted an audience, inviting everyone to crowd around her to listen to her speak.

"Do you see that over there?" she pointed in the distance where the smoke originated from.  "That is Unigeta, a Nevrean city.  But most of all, an ally to Clan Shigu."  She stood with her lance's end staked in the ground, one of her hands wrapped around it's handle.  To Nuly, the weapon looked too heavy to lift with just one hand, but the General had demonstrated many times before she is capable of do so without any strain at all.

"They are of Clan Nugoa," she continued,  "a clan that is not associated with the previous Nevrean clans we have faced.  They have agreed to shelter us for a day and I have promised them our people will not harm theirs.  I plan to keep that promise, and I know none of you would defy your commander, right?"

"Yes, my General!" everyone shouted, covering their left eye and she nodded with a smile.

"You will not kill, you will not rob or steal, you will not harm or harass any of their people be they Nevrean or Agudner or talyxian.  Even if you see a southerner, you will ignore them.  You will not break or burn anything.  You will act as if that city is your home which it will be for the next day or so.  If anyone does not follow these instructions, I will give Clan Nugoa the full authority to have you beaten and executed.  Understand?"

"Yes, my General!" Nuly and the rest asserted once more.

"Good!  And if you behave," she grinned even more, "you might receive some free food and drink."  Now that was something the soldiers wanted to hear, tongues licking at their lips after heeding such a possibility.  They eagerly reorganized into the lines and there was a more enthusiastic boost in their step as the army drew closer to the new city.

The city was located near twin peaks Nuly didn't know the names of.  More and more traffic came around them, the majority being Nevrean and maybe a few Agudners, talyxians, and sergals.  People watched with curious, almost fearful and hateful eyes.  They whispered among themselves, few words coming their way.  Those that did were voiced with odious vocals with terms like "war scum" and "brainless harnatis."  Harnatis meaning 'whore's lover.'  A few Shigus took offense to their hash words, but the captains and commanders made sure they didn't break formation and open their jaws again.

The city's territory began with simple farmlands with a variety of crops and livestock.  It was the late afternoon when the army flooded into the main threshold of the metropolis.  Guards waited around, below, and on the tremendous metal gates that provided entrance into the city.  They cradled odd weapons in both hands, objects that looked only as threatening as small clubs.  Nuly knew not to underestimate the tools having seen such weaponry at Camp Hilitolo.  She only saw a few apprentices practice with similar gadgets, the few being mostly Nevreans.  She couldn't tell if her fellow soldiers knew what they were, but by their chatter it seemed few did.

To Nuly and from what she could see on her allies' faces, Unigeta was a whole another world to them.  Structures and buildings of at least seven or eight stories towered above while on the streets crowds of Nevreans of many colors and hues walked by and passed them.  Some even rode on bikes and carts on paved roads that hissed and rumbled with smoke and steam as males graced the sky to fly towards structures built on the nearby mountains' vertical slopes.  All around them was the sound of commerce and discussion, much of it probably concerning their presence.  An array of smells came to Nuly, from smoke, garbage, cooked food, and the Nevreans' own stench.

The population was a mixed of the blessed and ill-fated.  There was those who wore rags or maybe just a single sash around their waists.  Those of the more fortunate variety were dressed in colorful fabrics and cloaks.  Buildings were painted in the same kind of colors, heavily decorated with chimes and eye-catching sculptures made of wood, glass, and metal.  They also showed their pride towards their clan with it's banner over windows and doors:  Orange with a blue eye placed around white lightening bolts.

Nuly could only see glimpses of it all through her fellow soldiers, but everything was so alive and busy.  The vendors sold meats that smelt and looked explicitly appetizing, items that looked to be more valuable than anything she had or could ever own.  All the while, other thoughts raced through her skull.  'Was this clan really an ally to Clan Shigu?' was one of them.

Why, Nuly asked, haven't she seen any of this technology in Shigu hands.  She had seen the efficiency of their firearms, and if every sergal was issued one the Shigu advance would be insoluble.  Maybe they were just neutral allies and didn't actually support the war effort in any way.  But what frightened Nuly to her core was the possible access to such equipment.  If Silves needed their weapons, she could simply buy them, or considering the General's persuasive skills, she could also ask for a courteous donation.

Nuly didn't like the possibilities that ran through her head as they neared the city's square.  The buildings around here looked less disheveled, the architecture less haphazardly placed and more planned out.  It was the governmental district of the city, the streets less packed with people and sellers.  Several official looking Nevreans waited on the stairs before the entrance to the largest building while others watched from a balcony on the third floor.

The General regarded them with a wave before turning her attention back towards her soldiers.  "Like I've said before, these patrons," she pointed her weapon at the Nevreans, "have generously allowed us to stay here.  For that, we will treat this city like our home with the utmost respect and politeness.  Those who don't, will not exit this city with us.  I'll let you rot in their cellars.

"If you wish an audience with us, me and the captains will being staying in this area.  The rest of you will be staying wherever you find suitable, be it in the streets or in a lodge.  Have some fun and, oh wait."  She cut herself off and walked briskly towards the individuals watching them, starting a short conversation before returning.  "I've been informed that the businesses on Kuvnuv street will serve free ale and food to all Shigus.  Other marketplaces, on the other hand, you will have to pay.  At noon, tomorrow everyone will return here.  Understand?"

"Yes, my General!"

"You are dismissed!  Don't make any trouble!"

"Yes, my General!"  And the lines dispersed, everyone breaking off into their own groups as the captains and the General met and greeted the apparent city leaders of Unigeta.  Nuly stood motionless, staring as the General smiled away and conferred with the Nevreans.  She fancied a nightly visit with the General tonight.  Hopefully no other plans would hinder her, she hoped.

When Nuly met up with her friends, Unkli insisted they check out the vendors for anything that they might want to purchase.  Akuna thought it would be better to go get a drink right away before they ran out of their brew.

"Foolish talk," Unkli said to Akuna, "they won't run out.  But the sellers are going to close before nightfall."  She could have been wrong, but Akuna decided to agree with her and stay with the group.  It was a safe bet her and Rupland would be staying the night together, Akuna lacing her left arm over Rupland's shoulders.  Rupland said that Niyi and Budio were off having a drink somewhere.

Nuly and the others followed Unkli's lead through the late afternoon crowd whom more than cautiously avoided their path.  Some gave those same disgusted glances as they past, but no one was foolhardy enough to confront a fully armored group of Shigus.  Such a sight made many of the vendors nervous with their hands hovering close to their bodies, waiting for the moment to strike with a concealed weapon if they were forced to.  They stayed clear of the sellers they couldn't understand, some speaking in a foreign tongue none of them had heard before.

Unkli reviewed the array of fabrics and clothing around a merchant's stall.  The small shop had attires from a simple scarf to robes and tunics.  Nuly noticed that much of the items were undersized and couldn't fit their sergal frame.  "Do you have anything for sergals?"  Unkli asked.  The female found three hats of differing design for her to look at.  Each one seemed to interest Unkli who used Nuly as a type of model.  Nuly tolerated the amusing act as she placed each hat individually atop her head, taking her time to assess how it looked on her.  The blue one was the one she was most interested in, the hat covering the entire scalp while two black straps flowed down to go behind the ears to dangle on your back or front.  "How much is this?"

"Twenty runks," the Nevrean answered tensely in an accent, eyes darting between the four of them.  Unkli searched through a small brown sack, the noise of coinage sounding as she fished a single silver coin for the female Nevrean to see.

"And this is a runk?" she asked with the coin held into sight between her forefinger and thumb, the vendor nodding.  "And this is...five runks?"

"Yes."  Once again she nodded.  Unkli retrieved three more silver discs to hand to the seller.  She was pleased with her purchase, putting on the garment and tying the two straps together under her chin.

"Pretty," Nuly said as she touch it, "makes it look like it's part of your fur."  She was right, the fabric blending well with the hue of Unkli's hair.  There were still many stalls to choose from and browse for wares.  Tools, food, clothing, armor, utensils for cooking and writing.  Akuna became confused when they happened upon a stand selling small exotic pets.  "They use dasos as pets?  I thought they were only good as food," she laughed wholesomely.

Nuly was in a buying mood as well, selecting a merchant selling various weapons laying a blue blanket on the paved ground.  Swords, knives, daggers, steel claws, batons, chains, and clubs.  No guns, though.  Nuly was looking for a small knife, cheap but still able to cut well.  Unkli asked why she was interested and she reasoned that she 'wanted a backup if she lost her sword.'  Actually, it would be the tool used to gut the General tonight.  She only wanted one made with efficiency, no craftsmanship or attractive metals needed.  She had her choice with the least glamorous batch, but their edges had been sharpened well.  She picked one of the smaller ones, it's iron blade also having the strength Nuly desired and a leather sheath to come with it.  It's valve was twelve runks, more than twice Nuly had expected.  "Nine," she retorted and the seller swiftly agreed.

The next stall was one that sold jewelry, Unkli looking for a replacement for her bronze earring.  There were dozens of variety, from crescents, to rings, spheres, shards, and more abstract shapes.  The gold and silver sets were the only ones that Unkli studied with a careful eye.

The stall was supervised by two people, one blonde sergal and one Nevrean, the Nevrean being less nervous than her assistant.  Nuly could see his claws were out, one finger picking at the leather belt around his waist where a holstered knife waited.  Nuly tried to ignore him, but Akuna seemed content to stare at the young one, probably sensing his tension.  Nuly found no reason for such, the group was only shopping and no trouble was needed or desired.  Unkli tapped a claw on the wooden shelf before a golden shard with a lone sapphire embedded in the middle.  She asked for it's price.

"Sixty," the Nevrean said, arms crossed around her chest, face cast in a sneering mask.  The southerner didn't look too pleased with the customer crowd.  Nuly saw it and Unkli did too.  She then pointed to a silver crescent with no emeralds or diamonds.  Again, "sixty."  Nuly could almost feel their disgust as Unkli stared at them blankly.

"How about thirty?" Unkli tried.

"Sixty or get the hell away," the southerner then spoke with the Nevrean advising him to quiet himself.  Unkli now knew there was no use in bargaining with them.  The General's orders were the General's orders, but...

"You got something up your ass, boy?" Akuna spat at the young blonde-haired.  His muzzle wrinkled, eyes filling with anger, but his superior ordered him not to say anything.

"Go!" the Nevrean told them, "leave now!"  Unkli began to move away from the stall, but Akuna still wanted a word with the male.

"I would remove the bones from your fingers and where them as earrings," she heckled, but it only encouraged the male to retreat and press his back against the wooden stall even more.  Rupland took it upon himself to try and hold back the wrathful female, pushing her back so she wouldn't jump over the stall's bench and rip into the southerner.  The last thing Akuna did was give the boy a slight derogatory gesture by sliding her thumb upward on the top of her muzzle.  Unkli found it was now the best time to leave the markets.

"Damnit, Akuna!" Unkli screamed at her, "Don't make any goddamn trouble, you stupid bitch!"

"You should have at least retained some honor by laying into that little shit!"  Both of the female's fists were clinched, Rupland staying well away from Akuna for fear of bodily harm.  Nuly stayed near Unkli, ready for the heated conversation to turn violent.

"Ignore them!  That's what we were told!  Don't fuck up and we won't get our throats cut!"

"Wait 'til night and we'll kill the little boy and nobody will know."  Akuna sounded serious and Unkli's face lined in revulsion and shock.

"What?!" she yelled.

"Enough!" Nuly finally intervened.  "Goddamn you all!"  She leered at both of them, their teeth still half bared.  "Are you both going to use this time to fight each other, or are we going to get bloody drunk out of our heads, or have our stomachs filled?  I know I do."

Unkli turned away from Aduli, and they both started to back away from their positions.  "Does this mean we can get a drink now?"

"Well," Unkli began, "we sure as hell can't really go back, can we?"

"Don't blame me for these southerners' pettiness."

"I'm not!  I'm just," she squeezed her eyes shut and let out a frustrated growl.  "Let's just go.  Shit!"

Kuvnuv street was well away from the markets, a narrower street with the more established businesses and fewer crowds.  A diversity of restaurants and bars took in however many customers they could hold, the rest spilling out onto the streets.  Bands of soldiers sat in chairs or on the ground lapping away at their drinks and chewing meats and breads from ceramic platters.  Nevrean guards policed the road, staying watchful with guns in hand and swords holstered on their belts.

Several hopeful customers stood outside two businesses on opposite sides of the road.  One crowd was female, the other being male, both standing before the colorful allure of the brothels.  A few Nevreans came out in stunning garbs to persuade their potential clientele.  The curious and the willing were taken by the hand in through the entrances.

Compared to the noise on the street, the clatter inside the buildings was exceptionally louder and more coarse.  Apart from the chatter and cheers of happy patrons, a selection of musical instruments could be heard in there too.  Akuna was disappointed that much of the more popular bars were too crowded.  "We'll go later when the drunkards have left," Unkli assured her.

"I hope I'm not too drunk before then," Akuna said back to her.  The bar they decided to enter still had room to take them in, but the benches and booths were more than full.  It's name was written in characters on a plank above the door with a painted avian creature spreading it's orange wings over the lettering.  No one could read it.

Inside they were asked to remove their armor and relinquish their weapons.  Apart from Unkli's newly bought hat, they all didn't have much else to wear.  Nuly saw that most if not all of the crowd was nearly unclothed sergals.  All Shigu armor was accompanied with a fabric undergarment skit, so all four of them had at least one article of clothing on their person.  The one person that had more than one was Rupland, who wore a vest with multiple pockets under his chest plate.

They made their own pile of armor with the others, and Nuly was sure to remember which was theirs.  She looked at Akuna to see her examining her knife.  "Even daggers?" she asked the waiter at the door.

"Even daggers," he responded calmly.  A rather tall Nevrean female waited next to the exit, observing them with her hands on twin pistols in their holsters at her sides.  Akuna didn't want the trouble, settling the blade atop her armor pieces.  Nuly decided to leave her newly bought knife in the pocket of her skirt.

They waited a little before a trio of Shigus left and a waiter escorted them to a booth.  The table and seats were a bit small, not designed for sergal size.  A male Nevrean was their waiter, his feathers colored a deep purple while the middle of his end tail feather presented an eye of blue.  He took a paper pad and a pencil from the sash around his chest to write down their drink orders.

Ale, ale, and ale with one order of water for the four.  Akuna, Unkli, and Rupland stared vacantly at Nuly who had asked for the alcohol-less beverage.  "What?" she asked them innocently to their unblinking eyes.

"You don't like to drink?" Akuna asked her, sounding somewhat offended.

"No, I like to drink.  I'm just taking my time."  It was the best excuse she could offer.  She didn't want to get drunk with such an opportunity in her grasp.  She still had to plan it out, locate where Rain would sleep, and find an escape route out of the city.  West to the desert, many, many rekusus to travel.  It would be worth it, but the act still needed to be executed and not under an inebriated head.

"Lightweight," Unkli laughed.  "Take it in while you can and regret it in morning.  Throw up while we're marching.  You'll run might lighter as well."

"I can't wait," Nuly said after giving a small giggle.  The crowd was laid back and a group of five started up with a song Nuly didn't know the words to.  Nevertheless, she enjoyed listening to the drunks' attempt.

"Oh," Akuna started while they were still waiting for their drinks.  "Funny thing happened when we took on that convoy.  I had already killed three, all females, but this male, really old male wanted to fight.  And I mean old, dying old.  Fur completely gray, and," she cut herself off, laughing for a bit before continuing.  "When he came at me, he tried to get me with his small knife.  And all I could see was that he had completely no teeth, just pink gums.  I couldn't stop laughing at the old bastard when he was cringing towards me."

"That was unfair, Akuna," Unkli interjected.  "You should have at least given him a stick or something to use as a crane.  He might have beaten you if he had one.  Actually, it's no doubt he would have. "  Smiles all around, even for Akuna.

"He wouldn't even need a cane or even a knife to beat you, Unkli.  No teeth either to bite through your thin ass."  Unkli laughed, showing she enjoyed receiving the insults as much as dealing them.  "I do have to say the old man did have some spirit in him.  Took three blows to his head to bring him down for good."

"How many did you get, Rupland?" Unkli asked him and he held up three fingers.  "Nice," she declared as he started picking through his pockets.  A long thin sting of silver chains with a small piece of silver in the middle was fished out of his vest.  Etched on the silver piece was a single sergalian character: Might.  Everyone looked to appreciate the craftsmanship of the necklace.  Rupland then waved it towards Akuna to present it to her.

Akuna looked at the trinket with an almost surprised expression.  "I don't wear jewelry," she said to him, "but I'm flatter.  Give it to Unkli since people here like to be selfish with what they sell."  Rupland's hand then turned to Unkli.

"Was that on someone you killed?" she asked after looking at it for a moment, and he answered with a yes.  "Then it didn't help it's owner much," she smiled before asking, "Would you like it, Luka?"  The question surprised Nuly since she really thought Unkli would jump at the chance to receive such a charm.  Still, she didn't want to reject it considering Rupland had been told the same by everyone else.

"Much appreciated," she told both of them as she took the necklace from Rupland's hand.  It glittered from the candles in the bar.  The chunk of silver with might scribed on it appeared to have been hammered into a diamond shape.  Whoever had made it was an amateur of the craft, or had been painstakingly created by less trained hands.

"It's a necklace, dear," Nuly heard Unkli tell her lightly.  She looked at her dumbly for a second before realizing she still held the object in her hand.  She brought both ends of the necklace around her neckline and tied them together, letting the silver piece rest in the middle of her collar bone.  "Look's good," Unkli said with a small smile on her face.  "Let's hope it gives you more luck than it's previous owner."

"Let's hope it has any luck at all," Rupland added.  Their drinks were soon delivered to them, elaborate glass goblets with crisscrossing lines added on their surface for style.  Akuna didn't find it appropriate to take sips, downing the contents of her glass in one sitting.  She would ask for many more, sometimes two glasses at once.  The waiters were patient, and performed without a stutter.

After the sun had set and the gloom of the night was upon the city, Unkli had decided it was time to move on to the more luxurious bars.  Akuna was still able to walk fairly well without any assistance after drinking six glasses of ale.  The next business was a restaurant with the same lettering Nuly couldn't translate with a painted representation of a platter of food with wavy lines over it.

Inside, the customer crowd was more subdued and liquored up for the most part.  The tables were centered around this small stage where someone might have played music or danced on.  Tonight there was no such thing, just the quiet murmurs of drunks.  The smells were more inviting though; spices with the air of food baking, boiling, and frying.  That's when Nuly realized her unfilled stomach and the saliva building up in her mouth.

It was easier to find a table, one quite larger than the one they previously sat at and crafted more masterfully as well.  Candles were lit all around including three large chandlers.  "What would you have?" a more yellow looking Nevrean now asked them.  This time a glass of ale for all of them, Nuly feeling she was capable of at least holding some alcohol in her.  Food was also on their minds, all four of them ordering with the singular word of 'meat.'

"Out of meat," the waiter informed them, and they all frowned at the fact.

"What do you have?" Unkli asked him.

"Eggs, rolls, flat-cakes, soup, and diskea."

"What is diskea?" Nuly asked.

"Broth with vegetables and noodles."

"I'll have that and some rolls," she responded.  Such a meal would suffice for the evening.  Unkli requested the same as did Rupland while Akuna didn't feel like eating.

"Just a stomach full of booze will do," she said, her words slurring with her breath.  She kept rubbing up against Rupland as she drank away, licking the side of his neck and biting at his hide.  That's not to say Rupland didn't like it as he laughed at the frisky female's playful advances.  Nuly and Unkli could only sit and watch the two while their food was cooked.

Their food was served in white ceramic bowls, heat rising off the alluring soup.  The broth was a greenish yellow with noodles and cut vegetables floating around in it.  The taste of the vegetables only reminded Nuly of the meals back at her camp.  The rolls were hot and tore apart well while she lapped away at the liquid broth, scooping up it's contents with her tongue.  When it was empty, it was clear that she had dipped the tip of her nose into the soup more than once.  Unkli was having the same problem, but she found a solution when she decided to remove the broth in Nuly's fur with her tongue.  Nuly returned the favor.  Spoons were given, but never needed.

Little by little, Nuly sipped at her drink which was a brew of spiced ale that made her wrinkle her muzzle a little.  She was on her second when Unkli was on her fourth, Rupland on his third, and Akuna on her seventh.  Even so, the drinks were making her sway in her seat to put a crooked smile on her face as a heat rose in her stomach.  "I think it's time for us to get a lodge," Unkli announced after downing two more bowls and a few more additional glasses of ale.

The direction of the lodge places was given to them by a pair of on duty guards.  They ignored Akuna's half-formed statements to them with Rupland struggling to hold her up as Unkli and Nuly held all their armor.  More examples of the lovers of drink could be seen around and stumbling with their associates.  Nuly saw a few Nevrean youths talking it up with a less than sober soldier.  One second it was civil, the next the soldier had his jaws around one of the females' neck.  Nuly and the group found it was necessary to just keep on walking with the screams echoing down the street.

They were greeted with 'no more room' or 'no vacancy' at the  first, second, and third lodges they entered.  Thankfully, the one they could stay in was a fine-looking establishment.  Yes, it did take much of their conserved runks, but the carpets were colorful, the walls were polished, and the rooms smelt of flowers and other fresh scents.  Unkli was generous enough to lend Rupland and Akuna a few coins for a separate room.  She also stated to the clerk there was no need to have a two-bed room with a giggle as she lead on Nuly.  They didn't have the cash to rent one either.

The room they were given was large enough to accommodate their size, the ceiling minor spaces away from touching the tips of their ears.  The room was on the third floor with a window overlooking the street, and like the downstairs, the walls and floor were considerably well maintained.  The bed was located opposite to the door and further down.  Near that was a kind of dresser with a pot of green and yellow flowers resting atop it.  The dresser also had a large built-in mirror which instantly caught Nuly's eye.

She laid her armor next to the bed and Unkli did the same as she walked towards the mirror.  The image reflected was clear, albeit it was kind of dark and the only light was a single lit candle.  She examined the state of her fur, it's texture again becoming fouled with the duties of the past days.  Her wound was becoming less and less noticeable, white hair now crowding the angry red line.  There were a few dark spots on her too, dried blood from the slaughter of that day.

When Nuly moved her eyes, she found Unkli smiling relaxingly behind her.  Her arms then wrapped around Nuly's waist, claws racking through the fur on her belly which turned to pads massaging the muscles there.  Unkli started to rub the side of her face against Nuly's, licking at her cheeks and nibbling at the hair.  She pulled her in close, her front coming against Nuly's back.  Nuly placed her hands atop the ones moving around her stomach, but she didn't feel like removing them.

She could feel Unkli hooking her claw around the waistband of her skirt to pull it down.  It was time, no more teasing and no more leading her on.  This room was private enough to commence the act, and with a little ale in her, Nuly felt overly calm.  By the smell of Unkli's hot breath she was in the same state.  The fabric garment fell loosely around her feet, the fingers on Nuly's hands twitching as she heard Unkli say, "Let's see how soft the bed is."

Unkli persuaded Nuly's movement to sit on the bed's blue-dyed sheets that were far from coarse.  Unkli came in close to Nuly's face, muzzle against muzzle with her tongue wetting her hair.  The tongue moved over her lips, and Nuly opened her mouth to let her own touch hers.  Smooth on the bottom, less so on the top, and she found it strangely pleasant with her forearms shaking a bit.

Unkli moved slowly down the side of her face to her neck, biting her hide playfully with a eager smirk when she looked up at her.  Nuly showed her the same, contrary to the overwhelming anxiety she was experiencing.  Two males, but no females.  Tonight that would be changed.  Unkli kept licking her fur while she inched down closer to her chest.  When she got there, she groped a breast with her hand and suckled at the nipple with a warming touch.  From there, she moved onward to her stomach where she pressed her nose down hard to absorb her scent, then further more down to tickled her hood also with her tongue.

The foreplay had had some effect on Nuly's arousal, but when Unkli held her at the thighs and began licking at her slit, her excitement burned bolder.  "I thought you didn't go that low," Nuly joked.

"I'll do it this time and free too," she clattered back at her.

Nuly's lower tongue twitched and laid on Unkli's muzzle while her left hand stroked the hair and ears on Unkli's head.  Her breath increased in pace while her toes and feet tremble with Unkli's quite evident experience.  Unkli's tongue sped faster, going deeper and stronger between her folds with the passing moments.  Quivering moans escaped her throat, claws digging into the mattress.  Each second brought her closer and closer to the edge and the moment made her yelp when it came to her in an eruption of pleasure.  She collapsed with her back arching against the bed sheets, Unkli still licking softly at her privates.

"I take it you enjoyed it?"

"Yes," Nuly responded, chest still jumping, "you really know how to use your tongue, don't you?"

"It's a skill.  Would you like me to teach you?"  Nuly accepted her offer, but she stated she had never done such before.  "Don't worry," she said as they traded places, "the tongue is all you need, no teeth, and move slowly then go deeper in time."

The moving walls of Unkli's vagina was smooth and slick with warmth.  She didn't taste so bad either, Nuly remarked, a little salty with a meaty flavor.  She swallowed what liquid she could, not wanting to offend her lover by spitting them out.  "You're doing well," she would say, hands softly touching her ears.  Unkli let out a struggled breath when she had reached her peak, her's being less overwhelming than Nuly's.  Either way, she still sounded satisfied with Nuly's work.

"Get up here," she patted on the bed, "how many females have you've been with?"

"None," Nuly answered, placing herself on the mattress with her.  The size of the bed was undersized for the two of them, but they made due.

"I have something fun to show you then."  Unkli and Nuly faced each other and Unkli began to lay her back against the sheets, spreading her legs open.  She told Nuly to do the same and soon their legs were interlocked with Nuly's right overlapping Unkli's left and over her shoulder.  "Now push."  Their genitals were pressed together now but when Unkli started grinding into Nuly as did she, the pressure quickly turned to pleasure for both of them.  Unkli grinned as Nuly moaned tenderly, her strength beginning to wane after many moments had passed.  Nuly would collapse as her orgasm rolled through her in a wave of bliss.

The next position was Nuly laying on her back with Unkli over her and upside down while she had her way with her downstairs.  It was a mutual effort again as Nuly performed the same action, Unkli legs pressing against the wooden wall.  Even after Nuly finished, she still provided Unkli her share of ecstasy.  For the entire stretch of time that they were together, the scent of their lovemaking melding in the air with their breaths, moans, and giggles, Nuly found it to be very fun and enthralling.

With much of their energy spent, they laid together on the bed with their arms around one another.  It was the same familiar hold she had felt during those nights in the forest.  It was comforting and tranquil, and Nuly felt Unkli's subtle movements while she rested her head next to her's.  Then she remembered what she planned, the recall removing her smile in an instance.  She would stay there until Unkli was asleep, her breath relaxing Nuly's now hastened mind with her leg hanging off the edge of the bed.

###### =====================================================================

Nuly partly jolted herself awake, nearly slipping into sleep with the calming sound of Unkli's breath in her ear.  Nuly slowly unclasped her arms from Unkli's torso and withdrew from her hold.  Unkli was so out of it she hardly even moved when Nuly lifted herself off the bed and stood over her.  Would it do any harm to tell her she was leaving for just a minute, Nuly asked herself.  One more harmless lie wouldn't hurt, and it might actually be the last one Unkli would ever hear her say.

Nuly shook her lightly by the shoulder and it took some force to actually get a response from her.  At first, she merely groaned and shuffled without opening her eyes.  "Hey," Nuly whispered to her and she finally parted her lids to peer at her.  "Hey, I'm going to do something quickly.  I'll be back soon.  Okay?"

"Ww...what?" she mumbled, the alcohol in her system still having an effect on her.

"I'm going to go somewhere quickly.  I won't be long.  Okay?"

"Ookay."  She didn't even finish saying the word before her eyes were shut again, sleep hitting her fast.  At least she'll sleep well, Nuly thought as she dressed herself in her skirt, feeling the weight of the knife she bought still in her pocket.  She looked one more time in the mirror, her fur now in more disarray than it was before.  She had almost forgotten she was still wearing that necklace, now untying it around her neck and putting it with the knife.  She threw one quick glance at Unkli, making sure she was still under the spell of her slumber before quietly closing the door behind her.

Nuly found she was feeling a bit tipsy from the dinner drinks, having to concentrate to correct her steps before leaving the lodge.  The moon was now falling in the sky towards the horizon, it's glow partially illuminating the buildings and street for her.  There was little to see at that hour; just a few scattered soldiers too lazy or too short on money to buy a room, unconsciously slumped on the side of the road with their friends.  A few trios of Unigeta citizens would walk by, uncaring or afraid to start a conversation with the lone trooper.

"You alright, solider?" a Nevrean guard asked her neutrally, his partner mimicking his unconcerned stare.

"I'm fine," she burbled without locking eyes with them.  "My lodge is up here," she pointed up the street.

"You need assistance?"

"No," she answered bluntly before they allowed her to move on her way.  There were a few more groups of Nevreans to avoid and ignore.  One male decided to ask if she 'wanted to make a few runks' and she repeated her answer she had given the guards.  She had looked up in the sky attempting to pinpoint the Ticlo star, but the buildings blocked her view.  Only when she turned down another road did she find it and designate west, the direction she wanted to head after the deed had been fulfilled.  West to escape to the desert, true allies waiting for her.  Her parents would be there too.  Nuly knew she was hopelessly homesick and this single act would be her elixir.

The soldiers would most likely riot when they find the General dead, but considering Unigeta's potential arsenal they could probably contain the uproar.  Her mind elaborated on what would happen to Unkli and likely Rupland, Akuna, Niyi, and Budio in the aftermath.  There was a probability they would be charged with associating with the enemy when they found Luka missing from the roll call.  Nuly tried to suppress those musings, knowing it wasn't a bright future for them.

She retraced the directions she and Unkli had taken after being dismissed, using her memory to lead her back to where Rain, her advisors, and captains would reside.  After moving past the markets, now silent and bare, she turned several more corners to find the road that lead to the governmental district.  The entrance to the many buildings weren't as clear as Nuly would had liked them to be, seeing a couple of guards standing imposingly in a few doorways.  The one that caught Nuly's eye was the one building with sergal guards.  Don't think for a second that the General would trust another race to protect her life.

They immediately targeted her from a distance, tracing her path with their eyes.  She walked as casually and as unthreateningly as possible.  The placement of her first step on the stoop leading up to the doorway was met with a shuffle of armor and hands clutching weapons.

"Stay your legs, soldier!" the smaller one on the right barked at her and she obeyed, a shook of fear jumping through her limbs.  "What business do you have coming here?"

"I have to see the General," she said clearly with a touch of concern in her voice.  "I have to inform her of something.  It's urgent."

"Tell what you know to us and we'll pass it onto her."  The male's voice was void of any haste or care.

Nuly shook her head.  "I have to tell the General personally.  I cannot pass it along with someone else.  Please, I have to tell her now."

"Now is not good.  It's late and the General is likely sleeping.  Can't it wait and can't you not just tell a captain or advisor?"

"No!  Now or it will be-," Nuly was quickly cut off by a ear-piercing scream coming from inside the building that made all their eyes enlarge with alarm.  The guards swiftly entered the building, disregarding Nuly who also went in.  They quickly turned to run up a flight of stairs and Nuly now followed them with other startled sergals and Nevreans trailing behind her.  Their feet hammered against the wooden floors as they hurried up another flight of stairs past hallways with closed doors and loud voices could be heard up the next floor.  Nuly stood frozen at the top of the stairs, finding the two guards standing before a fallen Nevrean body down a hallway, blood soaking much of the floor it laid on.  Standing over the presumed corpse, the General stared emotionlessly at it with an aged talyxian to her right.

Others pushed past her to see what had occurred.  Words were exchanged, hurried voices entering Nuly's ears as she processed what she should do next.  She should leave she thought, the opportunity having passed, but before she could Rain's eyes targeted her.  "You!" she sang out, pointing a claw her way.  Her associates turned their heads to look at her, Nuly's left foot partly risen off the floor.  "Come here!"

The proposal to run entered her mind, but the act would only make her look guilty.  Instead, she found her legs and walked towards the group of people which parted to let her stand before Rain.  She almost forgot to salute her.  "My General, I wanted to see y-,"

"Wait," the General interrupted her, sudden realization entering her expression.  "You're the soldier in the forest, Lupa?  Yes?"

"Uh, Luka, my General," she corrected her, feeling Rain had enough reason to kill her now.  "I wanted to see you.  I'm sorry it's such a late hour, but," she looked down at the dead green-feathered female, moving away from the encroaching puddle of blood it was producing.  "What happened?"

"The bitch tried to serve us poisoned drinks," she spat, eyeing the body with disgust.  "I could taste the poison, I'm used to it's favor by now."  She smiled a proud grin and returned her gaze to Nuly.  "What are you here for, Luka?"

"Uh, I wanted to give you this."  Nuly's hand entered her pocket but the moment it did, the talyxian pushed forward and grabbed her at wrist.  Their eyes locked and Nuly then knew who exactly the male was.  Zyn Crotzwell, the name rang clearly through her head.  Slowly she withdrew her hand from the pocket, silver chains interlaced through her fingers.  When Zyn saw it, he released his grip.  "I've never actually or properly thanked you, my General."  Nuly presented the necklace in full view of Silves, who eyed it curiously.  "I owe you everything and this," she held it higher, "is just a fraction of my continued gratitude."

The General extended her hand and allowed the silver piece to rest in her palm with the silver lacing hanging off the sides of her hand.  She brought it close to her face, almost like she was smelling it.  She appeared impressed with it, even examining the glittering chains.  "What does it say?" she asked.

"Might."

"Where did you get it from?"  Her eyes didn't move from the trinket.

"A friend gave it to me.  The word only reminds me of you."

"You can read, Luka?"  She now looked at her, golden orbs watching her closely.

"Yes, my General, but I can't say I'm the best."

"What clan are you formally from again?"

"Clan Nacacona."

"Reading," she was looking at the silver piece again with a probing claw, "a indispensable skill.  Who taught you?"

"I was friends with the local scribe and he helped teach me.  I still feel guilty leaving him to be trained before I could finish his lessons."

"Hmmm," Rain growled, seemingly uninterested in her little story.

"She wanted to tell you something, my General," the guard from outside spoke behind Nuly.  "She said it was urgent."  The fear hit Nuly hard and it almost channeled into her expression and stance.  That lie was coming back to bite her.  She would need a new one to cover her ass.  She attempted not to stammer, and opened her mouth to speak.

"I didn't think I would have the chance to give you the necklace personally," she reasoned, shame entering her face with her eyes glancing away.  "I'm sorry, my General.  I just wanted to give you the necklace."

Silves lend in close, nose taking in her smell.  Nuly felt she was getting ready to bite at her, tear away the flesh on her muzzle with her deception revealed.  "You're drunk, Luka."

"Ma'am?"

"You smell of it and...other smells as well."  Nuly could see her smirk a little.  It appeared she couldn't hide any scents from the General either.  "Go get some sleep, get a lodge.  Stay away from the drink too.  I don't what you drinking anymore tonight.  Understand?"

"Yes, ma'am."  She straightened up, lifting her arm to salute.  "Thank you, my General."  The General responded with a small nod, Zyn staring at her unblinkingly.  Nuly then turned, went down the flights of stairs, and out onto the darkened roads back to her lodge.

She felt lucky, but Nuly could also feel this overwhelming sense of disgrace upon her.  She was so unprepared, so amateurish it pained her to recall those young moments.  She was disgusted in her inability, the opportunity seemingly so close but so easily missed.  That could have been it, that could have been her end.  Again, she felt lucky.  She clinched her teeth, desiring much to let out a howl of despair towards the stars, but she didn't want to bring any more attention to herself that night.

When she entered the rented room, she found Unkli still laying down, but now awake and sprawled on the bed.  "Where did you go?" she asked, her vocals still sounding tired.

"Went to go see the General.  Gave her that necklace from Rupland.  She seemed to like it."

"Really?" she sounded like she didn't believe her words.  "That's sad.  That necklace looked nice on you.  Why did you give it to Silves?"

"It's part of my thanks towards her.  Sometimes I think taking southern lives doesn't show it enough."

"Well," Unkli started when Nuly settled down onto the bed next to her, "I hope you're not thinking about offering her sexual favors.  I'm not one to share."

Nuly displayed a small grin, leaning over to press her muzzle against Unkli's.  "No.  I doubt she would even accept my offer."

"That would be her mistake then."  Unkli wanted another round and Nuly did so too, desiring a distraction from her failure that night.  The only thing she could promise herself was that she wouldn't pass up another chance.  The General's death would be inescapable now.

###### ===========================================================================

The entire army seemed to groan in chorus with one another, the results of last night coming to haunt them with nausea and hangovers.  Even Nuly could feel a twinge of pain inside her skull as the squadrons assembled, the General watching from a distance on the stairs to the main courthouse.  After roll calls were taken and a few stragglers had been found, the General then came before the lines of soldiers.  It looked to Nuly that the General decided not to wear her gift.

"I take it everyone had a good time?" she yelled out towards them.

"Yes, my General!"

"Good!  Now show some gratitude towards the ones that allowed you here in the first place!"  She pointed her lance at the Nevrean city leaders waiting on the third story balcony.

"Thank, sirs and ma'ams!"  With sufficient thanks given, the squads turned and were lead out of the city.  The citizens watched of course, their faces painted with what could be called relief.  A Nevrean child had a pleasant time throwing small pebbles their way before her mother came to beat her.

As they entered the flat plains once again, Nuly caught a conversation from a couple of soldiers behind her.

"Smelt very nice," a male soldier remarked.  "They feel similar to any other sergal female, but different."

"What do you mean?" Another male asked with high pitched vocals.

"I'm not sure.  They're covered in feathers and I'm only used to fur.  So it was a little different than laying with a sergal female.  They moan differently too."

"Would you pay for it again?"

"Absolutely."

"Disgusting," the other male laughed.

"What?"

More travelers to pass by, more cattle to see in the distance, and no one daring to shot an arrow or throw a spear at either.  It wasn't long before they exited the city's territory, out of the shadow of the neighboring mountains and into new land.  New was an overstatement, just more plains to travel over.

Something interesting did come about though, someone waiting for them in the distance where the plains touched the blue sky.  They were in well enough range to present their clan banner: Green with black stars around a bird of the same color.  They were Nevreans and in large company as well.  Some rode on the same strange creatures Nuly saw the ranchers ride on while others stood on their own feet.  Males started to fly over head and the females stood their ground as they moved into action.  They didn't charge at first, only after the empty fields had become filled with the crackle of gunfire.