Mrokii's adventures - Part 1

[Mrokii]

Hi there,

here is the first short chapter of an (hopefully) larger story that I am about to write (if I am motivated enough that is). I hope you're having fun. Even if not, I'd like to hear about it. Positive, negative, doesn't matter. And remember, English isn't my native language, so there may be some strange words in there (hopefully not too many...).

- An encounter in the night -

Mrokii shuddered. A few meters away from here was a campfire dimly burning. Some people in dark clothes sat or laid around it, some of them were sleeping, some others were staring into the flames. Mrokii didn't know any of them but she suspected that they weren't of the nice kind, quite in the contrary, and Mrokii was nervous. Once again she cursed herself for her curiosity. Why did she have to crawl into this scrubs?

She shook her head, although she knew the answer. It had been the distant rough voices that had attracted her. She had been out in the woods, listening to the noises around her, as she did so often when she was plagued by nightmares. Then she could sit between the trees for hours, twitching her ears to all the crackle and other quiet noises in the dark.
The fact that she, being a Fenki, could see better than most othes in the dark made it a bit less exciting. But it was still good enough to her. And to raise the bar a bit, she often made a challenge out of it. Whenever she heard something, her instincts wanted to make her turn her head, to see where the noise was coming from. All too often she gave in, but sometimes she could force herself not to give in. Instead she then closed her eyes, for seconds, minutes or hours sometimes. Not only because she had found out that her hearing was better when she didn't rely on her eyes. She had also noticed that she could lure the animals in the woods closer to her this way. They still seemed to notice her presence, but instead of being scared away, they seemed to be interested in this strange, frozen, yet warm being. And they came closer. Sometimes, close enough to touch her fur ever so slightly, making her tremble sometimes and scaring the animals away at once. But in the few rare cases where she managed to stay calm and quiet, with her breath reduced to a barely noticable movement of her belly, the animals would come even closer than that, touching her for real and crawling over her arms or her legs. Mrokii sighed quietly. These were peaceful moments where she felt one with the nature around her...

A laugh coming from the fire startled her and she looked up. It was one of the rogues who had just turned his head towards one of his companions and had poked his shoulder. The other rogue looked up.
"I wonder how our guest is feeling."
The other rogue laughed evily. "I hope she shivers in pain. She deserves it."
The first rogue nodded. "Mhm. She may have lost a tooth or two. Serves her right, after what she did to Gnomir. Though it was funny."
Both rogues laughed loud. One of them said "Stupid, turning his back on her for a second. He thought she wouldn't be a threat to him."
"Never underestimate an opponent, that is my opinion." the other replyed
"Mhm."
The rogue chuckled. "She kicked him pretty hard. Did you notice his face?"
His companion laughed again. "Of course I did! And he deserved it as well for his carelessness!"
"Yes. Especially as it almost lead to losing our booty. We were lucky that Inari stood close!"
"Mhm."
"She gave this little sassy a good punch on the chin. Made her stumble backwards over that idiot and almost took a backflip. That was even more funny."
The other rogue chuckled. "Yeah. And I loved hearing her scream when Inari pulled her away by her long hair."
"She came out easy if you ask me. Had Gnomir gotten his hands on her, she would have suffered a far worse fate than just losing a bit of her pretty hair."
"Mhm."

Mrokii bit her lips and frowned deeply. She didn't like what she had just heard. Who were these thugs talking about? And who was this Inari? Mrokii looked around carefully, but she couldn't see a female amongst the group.
She shook her head. It didn't matter. She had heard enough to know that she had to help that poor woman these guys had obviously captured. She drew back from the bushes she were hiding behind when a hand landed on her shoulder.

- end of chapter one -

[Aramara Meibi]

that, what?, second-third paragraph.... simply amazing. yep.

[Mrokii]

Thank you! Actually, I wasn't quite sure about the quality of this section But I'll keep writing asap.

[Dannae]

A fun read and closer look inside Mrokii's character!

Love the tried and true cliffhanger chapter ending too.

[Onilise]

Great story! Cant wait to see what happens

[Mrokii]

@ Dannae: Thanks Mrokii seems to be pretty much a nature-loving, heh, though that is no surprise I guess. Lol @ the "cliffhanger"-part. I do love cliffhangers, can't help it. I guess that's the influence from all the TV-series I watched as a kid

@ Onilise: Thank you as well! I hope I can write another chapter soon (today possibly). Most probably it will contain a bit more action than the first chapter, but I am not 100% sure yet.

[Mrokii]

- chapter 2 -

Only a bit later Mrokii laid flat on her stomach. Inari, the woman these two thugs had talked about, sat on her and had her arms twisted. Mrokii's shoulder, where Inari had crushed a nerve, shot streaks of pain through her body. But she wasn't beaten yet. She tried to struggle herself free to which Inari increased the pressure on Mrokiis arms. Again intense pain shot through her body. Her shoulders were on fire and she yelped. As she laid still the pressure on her arms was relieved a bit. One of the rogues cam close laughingly.

"What a wild cub!" Inari hissed smiling.
"What did you catch there?"
"I don't know."
Inari bent down and grabbed one of Mrokiis ears rudely. She whispered "who are you, baby-face?" and snickered.
That word annoyed Mrokii even more than her mawkish voice and she reared up like a wild Rivnak, despite the pain in her shoulders. Inari was caught by surprise and thrown off of her, losing the grip on Mrokiis arms.
Mrokii stumbled to her feet, only to be knocked over. One of the other rogues had lunged at her and together they were rolling on the ground. The rogue tryed to grab her arms, which Mrokii tried to prevent. She snarled and swung her clawed paws at him. One of them struck is naked forearm and left some bleeding wounds. Now it was the rogue who yelped in pain. Mrokii rushed around, but Inari came flying with her hands raised. Again Mrokii was knocked down, rolling over the ground, only this time it was Inari she struggled with.
Mrokii growled angrily, Inari was screaming for help, then tried to grab her arms again. One of her companions jumped on Mrokiis feet while another was trying to press her shoulders down. In doing so he came close to Mrokiis snout. She snatched at him and dunk her fangs deep into his flesh, and the taste of his blood aroused her instincts. The rogue shrilled as blood flowed down his forearm and he began to shake it wildly. But Mrokii didn't let him go, biting him even harder and panting heavily as blood spilled over her face. The rogue still shrilled when a hard punch hit Mrokiis chin, making her go dizzy. It was enough for the guy to struggle himself free and a moment later Mrokii was laying on her stomach again. Her arms were twisted on her back for the second time, even harder than before and she screamed, some tears were rolling down her face. She whimpered, but was unable to move under the weight of the two people who sat on her.
Mrokiis' vision was blurred and she blinked a few times when another rogue came into her field of vision. He was holding a rusty dagger. "Let me slit her open" he growled.
"No!" Inaris voice yelled in Mrokiis' ears. "Go and look after Gnarlins' wound! And stay away from her snout, this cub has some sharp teeth!"

Inari yelled some more commands to the rest of her gang and soon Mrokii was tied up to a tree, a gag stuck into her mouth. Inari was close, staring into her eyes amused. She looked over her shoulder to the rogue named Gnarlin who had his arm bandaged. Mrokii noticed with satisfaction that the thick cloth began to soak with blood already again. His blood.
Inari looked back to her and caught her view. "You bit him pretty hard, young lady." She snickered "How did it taste?"
Gnarlin murmered angrily from the back. "You should let me kill her!"
"Yeah, right! And have her tribe hunt us until the end of our days! You're an idiot Gnarlin!"
"So what are we gonna do with her?"
Inari frowned, still staring at Mrokii. "Yes, what are we gonna do with her?" she wispered. "What should we do with you, cubbie, huh?"
She grabbed Mrokiis swelling chin and shook her head slowly from one side to another. Mrokii snarled at her and struggled her head free, her eyes gleeming.
"Careful!"
Inari laughed. "I know what I'm doing." She got a knife out and held it to Mrokiis' throat while grabbing her chin again with her other hand.
"Will you behave, little cub?" she asked in a sweet voice.
Mrokii was about to snarl at her again when a voice sounded in her head, one that she had known for a long time. She knew what that meant and wondered if Inari would notice it. But it was still dark, too dark for a Dermorian obviously. Inari was just continuing to look at her.
Mrokii listened to that voice inside her head meanwhile and nodded slowly with a grim expression.
"Good. You are not as dumb as you look."
Mrokii felt the anger growing in her again. Inari noticed it, but got up and chuckled.
"We have to guard her well."

"I say let's kill her and get out of here as f-"
Inari pounded at Gnarli at once, her dagger swung through the air, so close to his throat that Mrokii assumed for a moment that she had slit it. She squinted her eyes and there *was* blood actually. a drop slowly ran down where the dagger had scratched the skin. The rogue gulped.
Mrokii didn't see Inaris' eyes, but whatever they showed, it bound this rogues' tongue.
"You are not intelligent enough to make any decisions, so don't attempt to" Inari hissed at her companion. "Got it?"
The rogue named Gnarli nodded slightly after a short while, to which Inari dropped the hand with the dagger. She turned to Mrokii and examined her face thoroughly. Then she turned to Gnarli.
"Why don't you grab this cub and we go and introduce our two guests to each other?"
"Are you sure that is a good idea?"
Inari shrugged. "It doesn't matter really. Either we will get what we want from her father soon or she will be gone another way. In either case, they won't meet again."
"Alright."
Gnarli moved halfway to Mrokii, then stopped, looking suspicious.
"What if she decides to play it wild again?"
"She won't. Right?"
Inari chuckled as she kept on looking at Mrokii, waiting for a sign of rebellion. Mrokii only frowned a little, then cast her eyes down, following the voices' advice in her head.
"Good girl."

- end of chapter two -

[Karlyle]

All I can say is .... WOW 
cant wait to read more

[Mrokii]

All I can say is .... WOW 
cant wait to read more

As you wish 

I was finally able to write another chapter, so here it is:

- Chapter 3 -

Drip... Drop... Drip... Drop... Drip...Dr-
Mrokii's ears twitched as she listened to the constant rhythm that echoed in the huge cave she were in, only interrupted by the occasional howling and puffing of the Velnishi. The dimensions of the cave, distorting every noise, combined with the ever-blowing, quietly howling wind, made it difficult to locate the exact positions of the beasts. But Mrokii knew this cavern inside out and she was certain that they couldn't get up on this giant rock on which she and her fellow prisoner had been seated.
Unfortunately, the girl besides her lacked that confidence. Mrokii noticed her jerking and could scent her cold sweat intensifying whenever one of the Velnishi seemed to be close, its feet scrabbling and its claws clicking on the rocky surface.
Mrokii had tried to calm her down once, only to be yelled at by Gnarlin, who obviously wasn't in the best mood. She couldn't blame him. Not only did he obviously suffer from a great deal of pain, presumably from the wound she herself had caused (something she felt no remorse for); another contribution to his sore mood was the fact that he had been ordered to keep watch by Inari, something that was hardly necessary in a cave filled with a dozen or more bloodthirsty Velnishi. Much less with the Grendols of which Mrokii knew that they had chosen this place as their housing. Though she doubted that the *rogues* knew about them. She hadn't been brought deep enough into the caves, and she was sure that the rogues wouldn't have had entered the caves at all, had they known about the undead creatures that lurked in the darkness of the furthest passages.
Mrokii shivered slightly. She had been in these caverns numerous times and had never noticed Grendols anywhere near the opening. But logic implied that they must have had entered the cave at one time. And there was no telling of when they might feel like leaving it again. Mrokii only hoped that it wouldn't be right now. Because, in that case, they would inevitable come across the three living beings that had foolishly chosen their temporary home as a refuge.
Mrokii sighed. At least she would see them coming long before they would actually be close, did she remind herself. Mrokii and her fellow prisoner had been bound to some dry stakes in a way that they faced the inner halls. She wondered what the female besides her would do in that case. Though she wasn't even sure what she would actually see. To herself, the area in front of her was plainly visible. The few tiny holes, scattered among the cave's ceiling, were enough for her light-sensitive eyes. But she knew that other races weren't that lucky. Mrokii had noticed that again just a short while ago when she had been brought here. The rogues had quite a few problems, making their way through the woods in the middle of the night, some of them tripping over protrudent roots every few steps.
Mrokii was proud on her ability to see well in the darkness, and during the first few minutes of their journey she avoided all the irregularities of the surface. It was only that she began to change her behaviour, when Gnarlin started whispering with Inari.
"I think she knows this area too well" had he told her in a lowered voice, obviously not assuming that Mrokii could hear him.
Inari had looked at her suspiciously for a moment, then had turned to Gnarlin in an equally low voice.
"If that's the case, you are allowed to cut her tendons, to make sure that she can't escape".
Gnarlin had laughed gleefully. The noise had sent shivers down Mrokii's back.
After that she had slowly began to stumble occasionally, at one point even going so far to plummet on a sharp rock she could have avoided easily, letting it rip apart the skin on her bare belly, groaning in only half acted pain. Loud laughter from the rogues around her had been the answer and Inari's barked order to watch out better if she didn't want to be pushed down the next chasm. Mrokii didn't believe that she would have acted on her threat, but-

Her train of thoughts was broken, when Gnarlin got up grumbling. She giggled to herself, thinking that his name was pretty appropriate. She listened to his movements and realized after a short while that he had grabbed a flintstone and had begun trying to use it to inflame one of the torches the group had brought with them. Soon after she smelled smoke, heard the crackle of flames and saw reddish reflections on the cave walls.
When Gnarlin came closer Mrokii let her head sink to act as if she were sleeping or at least not paying attention. She noticed him nevertheless, scented his unpleasant smell and heard his gnarl when he knelt down. A moment later she was pulled back jerkily, a streak of pain shot from her tortured shoulders through her back and her head hit hard against the stake she was tied to. Mrokii moaned and Gnarlin let out a nasty laugh. He bent his head, whispering "Feeling comfortable" in her ear, then laughed once more.
Gnarlin got up and checked the fetters of the woman besides Mrokii with equal eagerness, to which she whimpered quietly. Mrokii heard him saying "With regards from Gnomir", then he went up again and trotted away.
Mrokii followed him with her ears.
Gnarlin swung his torch while climbing down a ladder and she heard the many-voiced hissing of the Velnishi. He moved further away and when it sounded as if he had disappeared behind a rock or possibly a cave wall, Mrokii began pulling frantically on her fetters. New streaks of pain shot through her body and she moaned again but tried to ignore them. Soon after she began to sweat and pant, but the stake hadn't moved at all. Worse still, she noticed that her hands weren't only bound to the stake but also to another peg or something similar. She turned her head to the left, giving the woman besides her and her ravishment a closer look for the first time. Mrokii realised that she had been bound in the same way. There was a small peg, driven into a hole in the rock. Mrokii turned away, then tried to get up by exerting her abdominal muscles and her legs. Pain struck through her shoulders once more, but she was able to lift her butt from the ground a centimetre or maybe two for a few seconds. The rope with which her paws were tight to the peg though didn't allow her to move up any further. She tried a few seconds more, then sank back, breathing heavily. She growled in frustration when suddenly she heard steps.
Gnarlin came back. He swung his torch again, hissing could be heard anew to which he laughed. When he reached the top of the rock he even started to whistle and Mrokii wondered what he had done at the place he disappeared to. She sniffed in the air, then made a sore face. It was quite obvious, and hadn't she been sweating herself, she would have had smelled it right away. It was awful. Her stomach rebelled, but she forced it to calm down. Obviously this guy didn't think much of personal hygiene.
Gnarlin came close again and Mrokii tried prepare herself for more pain and to stop breathing, praying that he wouldn't kneel down to her. When he didn't she sighed in relief. Then she heard his voice and turned her head.
Gnarlin was kneeling before the woman on her left. He had grabbed her chin, had bent her head up and stared into her eyes. Mrokii shuddered when she saw the expression on his face.
"Hi, beauty."
The woman just stared at him.
"Gnomir told me to give you a greeting from him" he said amused, then bent his head and pressed his lips on hers. The woman screamed muted and tried to turn her head away from him, but Gnarlin squeezed his hand around her chin and she whimpered. Gnarlin laughed and tried to kiss her once more.
"Leave her alone!" Mrokii snarled at him.
Gnarlins head jerked up and he looked at her angrily.
"What?"
"I said: Leave her alone you nasty, disgusting beast!"
Gnarlin got up slowly, then came close, staring into Mrokiis glowing eyes. When he knelt down, Mrokiis stomach rebelled furiously and she felt burning liquid rising up her throat and into her mouth. She squinched her face due to the abhorrent taste.
Gnarlin seemed to misinterpret her grimace and grabbed her chin violently.
"Maybe I should try *you*."
He looked at her lost in thought. "I never had a fenki."
Mrokii began panicking when he neared his face and the stench became overwhelming. More acidic fluid ascended her throat and she spit out, spilling the abhorrent fluid all over his face.
Gnarlin shrinked back in disgust and stumbled to his feet, staring at her furiously. Mrokii shivered, realizing that she most probably had stretched her luck a bit too far when another voice yelled from behind her.
"What is going on back there?"
Gnarlin obviously didn't notice it, he was wiping his face with the sleeve of the leather armour he was wearing. Another rogue came into Mrokiis field of vision, one of whom she didn't know the name. When he reached Gnarlin, he made a grimace.
"My, you stink like rotten rats!"
Gnarlin looked up angrily, then pointed to Mrokii.
"It's her fault!"
The other rogue chuckled.
"Yeah, right! You have always been a stinker, everyone knows it!"
Gnarlin snarled and put his hand on the handle of a dagger that was sheathed under his belt. The other rogue froze, then laid his hand on Gnarlin's. "Hold it!"
Gnarlin stared at him angrily. "What do you want!?"
"Inari wants to see you!"
"Why me? Didn't she punish me enough today?"
"She wants to see us all. Apparently a message came in. From this chicks father." The rogue nodded towards the woman.
Gnarlin relaxed a bit, then smiled. "So we are closer to our hard-earned reward?"
"I do not know. Inari didn't want to tell anybody until all of us are around."
"Hm... okay. But who is going to guard these two here?"
The other rogue shrugged. "Inari said the Velnishi are more than enough. She said we should take all torches with us, for the unlikely case that one of them would free herself."
Gnarlin chuckled. "A good plan. The Velnishi would love to dug their fangs into their young flesh."
"Yeah." The other rogue chuckled as well, then turned around.
"Let's go! Inari isn't known for her patiences as you know well."
Gnarlin nodded. He made a step, then knelt down and stared at Mrokii. "We are not ready yet"
"Gnarlin!"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm coming..."
He went up and trotted away, following the other rogue as Mrokii noticed.
For a while she could see the flickering reflections from the torches on the cave walls. After Gnarlin and the other rogue turned around a corner however, darkness surrounded the two young females.

- End of chapter 3 -

[Mrokii]

Okay... here is the next chapter. I am not 100% sure if it's any good, but at least it felt like being the right thing to happen to me. If you think this is way too unrealistic or have any other comments, please let me know. Tia, Mrokii.

PS: I guess the next chapter will show some more action again, heh.


- Chapter 4 -

As soon as she was sure that the two rogues had disappeared Mrokii bent forward, clenching her muscles. She moaned and bit her lips when pain shot through her shoulders again, but kept on pulling. Stars started to sparkle behind her closed eyelids, when she heard a noise and froze. Had the rogues come back?
"You should stop that."
A warm voice, not like Inari's.
Mrokii turned her head, panting.
The woman, a Dermorian stared at her. "You really should stop that" she repeated.
"But we must get out of here!"
The woman nodded. "But you won't be able to make the rope snap."
"You can't know that! We Enkis are strong!"
The woman smiled at her. "Strong and brave."
Mrokii blushed a bit, but nodded.
"And still, I don't believe you will be able to rip it. All you will get are grazes."
Mrokii gnarled angrily. "Do you suggest we should wait until they come back? You heard this stinking thug!"
The Dermorian nodded. "Thank you for your help."
Mrokii calmed down a bit and nodded.
The woman made a grimace. She turned her head and spat out. "His taste was horrible."
She chuckled, to which Mrokii showed a grim face. "I am sure he did! All the more reason to get out of here!" She turned her head and was about to start trying to rip the cords again, when the woman besides her started talking once more.
"What is your name?"
Mrokii's head flung up. "We have no time for that!"
"We do, so stop it!"
Mrokii was about to reply with a snappy comment but stopped. Something in the voice of the woman demanded her to comply. She sighed. "Mrokii. And yours?"
"Jénsà."
"Jénsà... a nice name. Does it mean something?"
"Mhm. In our language, it is the word for 'water'.
"Your parents named you 'water'?"
Jénsà nodded.
"Why?"
"My parents visited a seer before I was born. He told them that they would have a daughter and that she would have to face some great difficulties throughout her life. But he also told them that they didn't need to feel sorry, as long as they would teach her to act like the water in a river at all times. Often it flows slow, caressing gently all that lives within. But even in this peaceful times it bears great power, hidden within its waves and whirlpools. And sometimes this power breaks through violently, destroying everything that isn't able or willing to flow with it."
Mrokii couldn't help but smile. "That sounds poetic."
Jénsà smiled back warmly. "So you understand it."
Mrokii nodded hesitantly, then snickered.
"What is it?"
"When you kicked that rogue, was that one of these ferocious times?"
Jénsà chuckled.
"Tell me, Mrokii, does your name mean something?"
Mrokii shook her head. "Not that I knew."
Jénsà nodded. "Are you sure? If I should have guessed I would have assumed that it means 'fire'."
Mrokii looked at her. "That is a strange thought."
Jénsà shook her head. "No... because that is what you are. Or at least a good deal of you."
Mrokii blushed again, not sure if she should be proud or embarrassed.
"But fire has to be put under control, or it will harm others too easily. Or will burn out."
Mrokii sighed. "You sound like my mom."
Jénsà giggled.

"So, what do you suggest?"
"I don't know."
Mrokii snarled. "You don't know? Wasting precious time! We have to-"
"Stop it!" Jénsà glared at her and Mrokii shivered, sighing quietly.
"You can't always use your muscles... Fenki."
"You can see me?"
"Barely. But your behaviour left little doubt about your race."
Mrokii blushed again, feeling as if being reprimanded by a teacher. She sighed. "So what are we going to do?"
Jénsà looked at her for a while.
"You have claws, right?"
"Of course I do!"
Jénsà nodded. "Can you reach the rope with them?"
Mrokii's eyes gleamed, then tried to move her arms only to yelp again, as pain shot through her shoulders once more.
"Slow...." Jénsà shook her head. "You are far too impulsive, Mrokii."
Mrokii frowned. "My mother says that all the time."
Jénsà giggled again. "She may be right, you know. Now calm down, if you can. Be water... not fire."
"I can" Mrokii mumbled offended.
"Then do it now and stop talking. Close your eyes and listen to me."
Mrokii nodded reluctantly, then did what she had been told.

At first, it was very difficult for Mrokii to follow Jénsà's instructions. She was far too eager and far too impatient to get what she wanted her to do. And there was this certain kind of uneasiness she always felt when she was forced to follow somebodies' instructions and had to give up control. But something in Jénsà's voice, so quiet and contented, told her that she could trust her. And so Mrokii began to forget her doubts and gave in, little by little.
Suddenly, while Mrokii listened, a phrase she had heard a long, long time ago rose up in her mind. She remembered that it had been one her mother had used one day, when she had talked told her daughter about her father, whom Mrokii had never met. "Growing closer", her mother had said, "is something you will experience only very, very rarely in your life. And when it happens, you will know it and there will be no doubt. You will feel with everything you are that you can put your life in the others' hands."
Mrokii had nodded back then. She would have had put her own life in her mother's paws at any time and had told her so. Her mother had smiled warmly and had hugged her gently. And together they had been sitting in the darkness, each fenki following her own thoughts and at the same time enjoying the closeness they felt.
Mrokii remembered that there had been one other person she felt similar with. Her name had been Arioli, a Fenki at the same age as herself. But that thought came along tainted, due to events that had happened later and so Mrokii let these thoughts submerge in her mind again. This was not the time to think about these unfortunate events.
Instead she started to listen to Jénsà again, now with the realisation that she was one other of these special beings. The third one in her life she grew closer with and she shuddered, almost afraid. There was no doubt, as her mother had said. But still Mrokii wondered, only in the back of her mind, what she had done to deserve, to be blessed with three such beings already in your still young age.
When Mrokii was taken back into the here and now, Jénsà was still talking to her. For a moment, she feared that she had missed something essential, but that wasn't the case. Instead she realised that her clawed fingers had followed Jénsà's instructions most accurately. While Mrokii had been daydreaming, an image had formed in her mind, and it showed in great detail all the loops and knots of the rope her paws were tied with. Mrokii followed it with her minds' eyes, as Jénsà told her to, turning it around, looking at it at other ankles, until she finally found a possible way. Then she acted, moved one of her paws a little and was not concerned when she noticed that the rope began to tighten a bit. She kept on moving slowly and almost enjoyed the feeling of the tiny but hard strings that scratched over the furry skin of her wrists.
The time grew while she moved but she wasn't becoming impatient again. And finally Mrokii reached a point where two of her clawed fingers could reach one certain part of the rope, one of which she knew that, should she be able to unravel it, would free her. At that moment, she *did* become impatient again, wanting to use sheer power to reach her goal. But Jénsà seemed to feel it, because she used her voice as before, keeping Mrokii calm and quiet.

Mrokii kept on following Jénsà's instructions, suddenly realising that she had not told her once about the image that had formed in her mind. But still see seemed to know about it and Mrokii was contented with that. And so she began to pick on the rope again and used her claws to rip single strands within it, one by one.
At one point, it seemed that her patience would be swept away once again, when she began to realise that she actually made progress. But Jénsà's voice was there to calm her down once more and so Mrokii kept on pulling on the strings and ripping them apart. when the rope finally snapped Mrokii rejoiced, only to be reminded by Jénsà immediately that there was more work to do.
Mrokii nodded, then followed the knots and twists again calmly until she knew how to move. And when she did so, she felt how the rope was loosened little by little until she was finally able to wiggle her paws free. She sighed deeply, then looked at Jénsà, slightly worried.

"Go on."
Mrokii sighed and tried to turn her head a bit. "What if-"
"Stop it. Just go on."
Mrokii sighed again. Then closed her eyes. Again she began to follow the rope with her inner eyes and she rejoiced when she noticed that it was far easier this time. Not only had her mind began to get used to this kind of work, Mrokii also noticed that the rope she was tied to the big pole had loosened slightly. That was the first time when she felt convinced that she would be able to free herself. With this contentment, she started moving and turning her arms. And little by litte, the rope moved.
At this moment Mrokii heard voices coming closer. She hissed loudly and began to shiver, but did her best to move calmly, listening to Jénsà smooth voice again. When Mrokii heard noises of the ladder being leaned against the stone, the rope was finally loose enough for her to slip out.
Mrokii bit her lips to avoid a yelp, then jumped up to her feet, turning to Jénsà. But it was too late and both knew it. Jénsà nodded at her, forming a word with her lips, when Gnarlin yelled a warning at his companion. Mrokii wasted to time to look at him but jumped down from the stone and blended in the darkness.

- End of Chapter 4 -

[Onilise]

WOW!! Awesome!!! Not unreal at all very realistic and great detail too. I love it love it 

[Aramara Meibi]

excellent! I applaud you and your work.

[Mrokii]

Thank you Aramara and Onilise!  I am glad to hear that you like it. 

[Mrokii]

Okay, and here is the next (and last) chapter:

- Chapter 5 -

When Gnarlin climbed up the ladder he froze and blinked. He couldn't believe his eyes. That damned fenki that had bitten him was standing, not being tied as he had left her. He shouted to his companion, then hurried up, tripped over one of the steps and fell on his knees, losing grip of the torch he was holding. The other rogue snarled and fetched it, swinging it around to chase away some all too sassy Velnishi, then went up the stairs.
Gnarlin cursed while picking himself up, then lifted his head. The Fenki was gone. He became furious, made a leap to where the Dermorian was still bound and stared into the darkness behind the rock. But there was nothing to be seen, other than more rocks and stones. He turned around angrily and stared at the Dermorian. "How did she do that?" he yelled at her.
Meanwhile his companion had been climbing up the ladder, standing close and staring into the darkness. The Dermorian was looking up to Gnarlin, and the coolness in her eyes fired up his rage even more. He got down and slapped her hard. Her head jerked to the side and she groaned but remained still otherwise. "Tell me!" he yelled, grabbing the collar of the blouse she was wearing.

Meanwhile the other rogue had knelt down. He had taken the rope and examined it, then turned around. "Look at this."
Gnarlin stared at him angrily, then grabbed it. "What?"
"From the looks of it, I'd say, you should blame yourself and your amateurish captivation-abilities."
Gnarlin blinked, then jumped up, grabbing the other rogue's collar. His companion growled and snatched Gnarlin's throat, then shoved him back violently. Gnarlin coughed, stumbled back and tripled over the Dermorian's feet, landing hard on his butt. He yowled in pain, then heard something that sounded like a snicker and turned his head. The Dermorian was looking at him with wet eyes but still an amused look on her face. Gnarlin began to shiver. He raised his clenched fist but the other rogue stopped him by grabbing his wrist.
"Stop wasting your energy! We have more important things to do!"
Gnarlin tried to struggle his hand free for some time, then grumbled and gave up. He stared back into the darkness. "Cursed be this Fenki!"
The other rogue shrugged. "Forget her. We have to hurry now. Or you, to be more specific."
"What do you suggest? I won't follow her into the darkness!"
The other rogue looked at him thoughtfully. "Maybe you will when Inari hears about this. But I don't think so. Nothing is lost yet."
"So what now?"
"Leave. Go to Inari and tell her what happened. Don't mention how she escaped though."
"Why me!?! Why don't you go? I am wounded and every movement hurts!"
The other rogue laughed. "You're a sissy, Gnarlin. Sometimes I wonder why Inari let you into our group... Maybe it was during one of her samaritan-phases. Sometimes she's just too soft-hearted." He chuckled.
"Now back to you. That you are hurt is just one more a reason for you to go. This Fenki has fooled you twice. By now she is either on her way out, if she could find another escape, or she is still near, possibly watching us. From what I have seen by now I wouldn't be surprised if she'd try to free her fellow prisoner after one of us had left. But I wont let her. And I don't want to give her a chance to fool you a third time. Now go!" He turned around, examining the darkness without paying attention to Gnarlin any more.
Gnarlin stared at him for a moment, then mumbled angrily, turned around and grabbed one of the unlit torches they brought with them. He lit it on the torch of his companion, then climbed down the ladder slowly.

Mrokii hadn't fled but had crouched in the darkness, watching the two rogues intently. When Gnarlin slapped Jénsà, she let out a deep growl and tensed her muscles. She estimated the distance to a ledge that she could leap up to. From there, she would be able to jump onto the rock again. It was Jénsà's voice that stopped her. The word she had formed with her lips just before her escape. "Patience".
Mrokii sighed, her muscles trembled. It was so hard to have patience. But she realised that she would have not much chance against two alerted rogues who were looking out for her. So she waited and watched, listening to their conversation.

She sighed in relief when she noticed that Gnarlin was leaving. But at the same time she knew that he would alarm the others. They might even come in to look for her and then every chance to free Jénsà would have been gone. She watched the rogue, wandering what she could do, then did the first thing that came to her mind.
There was some rubble close to her and she carefully searched through it. One stone seemed suitable. She grabbed it, weighed it in her paw and nodded to herself, then stood up slowly, watching the rogue again. He kept staring into the darkness with no sign of seeing her. Mrokii stroke out and threw. The stone was flying way above him and fell down on the other side, followed by a many-voiced loud screeching. The rogue jerked around sharply and Mrokii jumped. From the ledge to the stone and then on the rogue's back, sinking her claws into his holey armour and the soft flesh on his neck. He screamed in pain and was knocked off his feet, then lost grip of the torch, which was rolling into a chasm between the stone and the cave wall, dunking the surrounding into darkness. The rogue tried to stumble to his feet, not able to see much any more, but Mrokii didn't let go. Instead she enforced her grip on him, making him scream once more and jerking violently. He stumbled again, fell on his side and, stuck to each other, they rolled over the rock's edge.
Mrokii yowled when the impact pressed the air out of her lungs. The rogue was moaning loudly, but was already trying to stumble to his feet again. He cursed loudly but Mrokii heard the vibration in his voice and scented his smell of fear. Without the light, there was nothing to hold back the Velnishi. He stumbled around helplessly in the shadows, but Mrokii wasted no time on him. She jumped onto the ladder, climbed up the last steps, then grabbed it to pull it up. Unfortunately she wasn't quick enough. The rogue had heard the noises and had come closer, grabbing the ladder from below. Mrokii hissed and clenched her muscles, pulling at it. She moaned, fearing she would lose it and then, suddenly, stumbled back, the ladder in her paws. She landed on her back and hit her head. Stars exploded before her eyes and she groaned. From down below the rock she heard noises that left not doubt on what was happening. The pitter-patter of clawed feet, the triumphal howling of the Velnishi and a moment later screams, the ripping of cloth and leather. Mrokii shuddered and tried to shut out the noises. Only now she realized what she had done. She was responsible for what happened and it made her sick. She moaned quietly, then shook her head and tried to get to her feet. She swayed slightly, then went to Jénsà. Releasing her was an easy task, now that she was able to use her claws freely.

Jénsà sighed, than rubbed her wrists and got up clumsily, making a grimace. Hours on the cold stone had made her stiff. Mrokii helped her to lean against the pole, then turned to see if she could get the torch out from the chasm. It was still burning but had fallen too deep to be reachable. But there were two more torches laying aside, Mrokii grabbed one and lighted it on the flames of the lost torch. Then she turned to Jénsà.
"Thank you."
Mrokii nodded smilingly.
Jénsà stretched her limbs, groaned and grimaced with pain.
"Are you alright?"
Jénsà grinned. "I have never felt better."
Mrokii blushed. "I saw Gnarlin hitting you."
"It could have been worse. At least we are free now. Thanks to you."
Mrokii blushed more. "I wouldn't have made it without your help."
"Maybe." Jénsà looked down the rock, frowning slightly at the noises coming from below. Mrokii shuddered and looked into the other direction.
"How can we get out of here? Without meeting these thugs and the Velnishi around."
"I know these caves. There are no Velnishi close to the other side of the rock and nowhere near the way we have to go. There is another exit. Well... not a real exit... just a small hole. None of these guys would be able to get through. Inari maybe. But I am sure you and I will be able to pass."
Jénsà grinned. "I haven't eaten for days, so that should be no problem."
Mrokii giggled. "Good. Then let's go."

They used the ladder to get down on the other side. While they were walking, Jénsà told Mrokii about her kidnapping. It had happened just outside the city gates of Hydlaa, where her father worked as a merchant. Mrokii had heard of that town but had never visit it. Jénsà invited her to come once this adventure would be over and Mrokii agreed happily.

When they reached the hole through which they were about to escape, Mrokii had told Jénsà about herself and the village she was living in with her mother. Jénsà had been very excited when she had heard that Mrokiis' mother was a healer and even more when Mrokii had invited her for a visit.

It took them some time to get out of the cave, because Jénsà wasn't used to climbing, and she had no claws to grab all the small slits and cracks. At one point Mrokii made a joking comment about the utterly useless fingernails of hers to which Jénsà formed a claw and scratched over Mrokii's back, making her squirm and squeal. Both laughed out loud.
Finally they reached the hole in the wall and a short while later they stood in the bright daylight. Mrokii sighed relieved with Jénsà at her side and enjoyed the fresh air. Then Jénsà turned and hugged her and Mrokii purred gladly, hugging her as well.

Later in the evening, when they had reached Mrokii's village, had alarmed the Enki warriors and had sent a message to Jénsà's father, they were both lying sleepily near a campfire. The Enkis of Mrokiis tribe had come back with empty paws. The rogues had disappeared, but Mrokii's people were sure to be able to hunt them down or at least to give the officials a hint on where to look for them. Mrokii was contented with that and fell into a deep sleep, laying close to Jénsà.

---

Epilogue

About a week later Mrokii was standing on a tower in Hydlaa, the biggest building she had ever seen in her whole life. She glanced down on the streets from above, speechless about all the busy ramblings down there. Jénsà was standing close, holding her paw. Later they would visit places like the library or a tavern, all of which left Mrokii excited. But the place she loved most was a large garden with a pool and a tree of a curious shape. She was sad when she had to leave, but she was sure to come back to visit it again someday.

THE END

[Onilise]

Yay!! Completely awesome. It was very detailed and very realistic. Also I loved the closeness of the characters... on both sides. Great work.