Forgotten Wanderer

The Beginning

            The brisk autumn wind blew through hir ivory, vulpine fur, casting hir ebon cape to one side. Soft, violet eyes shown in the ever growing darkness, hir gaze cast over the city below, the final moments of twilight barely illuminating the barren cobblestone streets. With a quiet sigh, the young vulpine held out hir arms, hir body falling forward as shi embraced the wind, hir slender form plummeting towards an alley-way among the streets of the dark and barren city.

            Hir silken fur now ravaged by the wind, the young fox let hir body relax, almost ignoring the promises of agony silently whispered by the swiftly approaching city street. With only one paw, the young vulpine landed, hir arm softly bending to ease hir to a stop, hir slender frame almost perfectly balanced on hir delicate finger-pads.

            For only a moment did the young vulpine remain, hir slender arm straitening swiftly, thrusting hirself back into the air, for only a moment before hir feet silently came to rest on the cobblestones. With a faint grin, shi made hir way along the street, every footstep as silent as the last as shi wandered the dark alley-way.

            With a sort of grace the young vulpine walked, gliding silently through the dark streets of the seemingly empty town, guided by the distant sound of music. The sweet smell of fine liqueur caressed hir ashen nose as the well played melody grew ever nearer, hinting to the presence of a nearby tavern.

            With hir violet eyes barely open, the young vulpine approached the tavern, pausing for a moment to enjoy the well played music before brushing the tavern door open with the back of hir paw. Hir almost silent entry drew not even a glance, the faint creaking of the closing door all but stifled by the roaring voices of the drunken patrons.

            The sweet stench of strong liquor, the sound of the flute and mandolin, all played on the white vulpine’s senses, though shi didn’t seem to notice them, hir silent stride carrying hir to stand by the counter.

“Welcome t`the Boundin Bunny,” spoke the naked lapine woman, her lower body just barely hidden by the counter-top. “How can I help y–”

“Absinthe..” Spoke the young, white vulpine, hir voice awkwardly quiet.

“A might` strong drink, y`sure it’s wha` ya want?”

            The vulpine’s soft, violet eyes slowly danced over the lapine’s gently curving figure, a soft pain showing in the almost lifeless orbs as shi gave only a silent nod. Something about the room seemed to calm the young vulpine, the sigh of the naked lapine men and women causing hir gaze to wander; shi silently admired them, the passion they had for their work.

            A soft sobbing drew the vulpine’s eyes to one table, the sight of a young, naked fox catching hir attention.

“So ye saw him too..” came the voice of the lapine woman, trailing the sound of a glass being set against the marble counter. “Poor lad, made the mistake of greeting one of our.. More violent, customers.” with a sigh, the lapine simply turned around, minding her own as she began to rearrange the bottles on the shelf behind her.

            Quietly, the young vulpine snatched up the glass of absinthe, taking a drink as shi let hir silent stride carry hirself towards the table. With an almost flawless grace, the vulpine gripped the back of a young cougar’s head, hir grip almost unnaturally firm as shi lowered the glass from hir lips.

“It’s not polite, to try and force yourself on someone so young..” said the white vulpine, hir quiet words echoing from the walls as the roar of the tavern’s patrons suddenly vanished, leaving only an ominous silence.

            Terrified, the cougar tried to escape the vulpine’s grip, his arms leaving the quivering fox to reach back for the vulpine’s wrist, though all in vain. As the cougar began to stammer a plea for mercy, the young vulpine slammed his head against the table beside the fox, the cougar’s body going suddenly limp as the impact sent a spray of blood in every direction.

            Seeing the brutal act, the panthers two hyena companions stumbled to their feet, drawing their bastard swords as they stared the vulpine down. With no more than a moment to react, the vulpine drew hir shortswords, the hyena’s lashing towards hir with vicious strikes, each proven in vain as the vulpine parried them with ease. With a blur of gleaming metal, the hyena’s both went wide-eyed, the tips of the vulpines shortswords protruding from their spines.

            With only a flinch of hir arms, the vupline drew hir bloody blades from the hyena’s, the movement hurling them against the table, their heads stacked almost perfectly upon the panthers shattered skull. Moving with an almost unnatural speed and grace, the vulpine sheathed one sword, and took a blade from one of the hyena’s, their frightened screams piercing the air for only a moment before the white figure sent the dry blade down with a final, vicious strike.

            With the sound of metal scraping bones, the two hyena’s fell limp, a look of terror frozen on their lifeless faces, the three bodies held against the table by the almost perfectly erect bastard sword. With the danger passed, the vulpine sheathed hir second blade and turned back to the counter, leaving the now blood-soaked fox against the table, near eye to eye with the dead panther.

            “Get the lad some water, and a piece of cloth.” Spoke the vulpine, to the lapine bar-maid, hir voice unshaken and calm.

“Y-Yes sire.” spoke the lapine in an unsteady voice, near sobbing, trying her best not to stare.

As quick as she could, the lapine dipped a glass into a barrel of water and took up her cleaning rag, running to the still quivering fox, trying her best not to spill even a drop.

            Hours passed, and not a note was played in the quiet tavern, allowing any to hear the soft whispers being spoken by the fearful patrons, their eyes casting a glance over the young vulpine cautiously every few moments.

            Suddenly, the young velpine felt a tap on hir shoulder and glanced over it to the young fox, who now was trying to cover his crotch with both paws.

“Th-thank you..” stammered the fox, his mouth opening as if to speak, though he was cut short as the velpine shook hir head. “Think nothing of it lad.”

With a nod, the fox turned to walk away, though took not a single step. For a few moments he stood there silent, his tail swaying slightly.

“M-My name,” Spoke the fox suddenly, his voice still quivering slightly. “Is Niles, Niles R. Connar.”

            The young vulpine drank down what was left of the absinthe now, setting hir glass on the table and brushing it away with the back of hir paw. With a sigh shi looked over hir shoulder once more.

“Well met, Niles,” shi said, offering the faintest of smiles. “I am Vael.” shi added simply, then returned hir gaze to the wall behind the lapine barmaid.

            As the fox turned once again and walked away, the young vulpine leaned close to the lapine barmaid, taking out a small pouch.

“Here,” shi said quietly, setting the pouch in the barmaids hands. “Give the fox your best room.”

The lapine scrunched her nose for a moment, then opened the pouch, going wide eyed as she saw it filled with several hundred small diamonds.

“Y-Yes.. Right.. Right away!” stammered the barmaid as she nearly leapt over the counter to catch up with the departing fox.

Fin-