Runic and Bandit (and sometimes Red) by Becky Joy's handler for this seggie

The pounding pain in his temple was probably one of the reasons Zed remained motionless as he awoke. The second reason was that he felt someone female pressing tightly against him, and he reflexively paused to guess who he had awoken next to. The third on the list was the real clincher - he wasn't going anywhere while trussed up soundly, and locked in place next to...

<The sands of my life are trickling away faster if I'm not mistaken about who I'm next to. Dear Calypso, please preserve my foolish self...> Breathing as softly as he could next to a Feline ear, Zed whispered, "Fahari? Awake yet?"

A familiar voice sighed. "It doesn't matter.. You're not getting out even if she does hear you.."

Zed caught sight of a furry humanoid figure walk in and then out of sight. It looked like a pink bunny almost.

"That may be true, but given our close bindings I would hope she was sound of mind when she awoke," replied Zed. He quickly regretted responding at the same volume as the speaker - his own voice seemed to upset his noggin. (The disorientation that accompanied the headache, and the odd image made him question his mental state.)

Fahari's ear flicked with his breath, but her eyes did not open. Instead she nodded slightly and said low. "Calm, my friend. Do not let her words weigh on you. Marshal your strengths for the coming fight- do not waste them on escape." Meanwhile the pantress was getting her own heart back under control. She had every sense on high alert- and Zed's whisper had been a surprise shout to her.

"Very well, Fahari. Though it might be difficult to keep my limbs at ready without … breaching your personal space." Zed was already grateful that Fahari was still robed, though it hardly muted her curves and form with such little space between them. "I felt at least two different attackers knock me down - how many did you see?"

Fahari couldn't help but smile. "It is not the violation of my space that will get you in trouble- it is what you do while you are there. As for our attackers... I heard four heartbeats other than the rider's- although I was not sure until the last moment- they were very similar to each other... Odd."

In a curious solemn tone, Zed recited: "Sometimes, your reflection shows what you are not. Sometimes, your reflection isn't just a glimpse of the self you know. A passing contact reminded me of that old saying, priestess. Though I thought the two would rub each other the wrong way, were they to meet..."

"Speaking of rubbing the wrong way you may wish to shift your leg slightly." Fahari smirked. "So, you believe our attackers are of the Mirrorworld?"

Zed attempted to fulfill Fahari's request - and minutely budged his leg from … where it was. "The guy who rode in - his moves and stature are like a distorted version of Dash's. But like I said: seems like they've paired up with our versions. And sorry, feels like I'm stuck."

"That's quite all right." Fahari smiled. "I believe this is just some little joke courtesy of our hostess." A small growl came from her. "She probably awaits my moans."

"Probably shouldn't have made that remark about a cuddle session to her master then." commented Zed. "Alright - if we've got nowhere to go, and our captors aren't trying anything yet, think I'll take stock of myself (and my eroding reasoning)."

===========================

Meanwhile at the site of what little struggle had occurred beforehand a striped blur appeared and then stopped- becoming Cattaras and Red.

Cattaras took the scent of the air and then growled. "Crap." He then chuckled. "Looks like either way I go I get assholes today. You okay?"

"My head's a-spinning round and round... Hey, why'd you call me that?" asked Red.

Cattaras smirked for a moment, realizing just how good a match Red was for Becky. "Not you. Picked up the scents of a few 'old friends' when we arrived. Kind of friends that try to give you a haircut- by busting your skull with a sword."

"Second worst haircut, Mr. Catt - Ms. Joy keeps putting ribbons and bobbies in ours! And Goblina just giggles..." whined Red. "Do we have to meet them? They sound as much fun as Kadlin's been."

Catt was busy surveying the area, nostrils flaring. "Hmm.. there was a fight here but not much of one... two other scents.. One of 'em.. Fahari? Crapcrap CRAP!" He stood up, looking off into the distance before sighing. "Yeah... we're gonna have to meet these guys- and you're right- they're way more fun than Kadlin even."

"Oh... I really wished I had some roadkill pie before leaving them. Well, Ms. Fahari's nice enough so I'll save her from the mean ol' phooey's. Come on, Mr. Speedy! Ayiee!!" exclaimed Red, as he pumped his pudgy fist in the air, before Catt grabbed him again. "You'd have lost it anyway."

===========================

Runic's tail swished nervously. "How long do you think we have til they escape?"

Bandit sighed. "They won't escape.. besides, there's two of them and two of us. They're outnumbered.."

"How do you figure?" Runic counted on her paws. "I don't think two on two means they're outnumbered."

Bandit growled. "They are if we double team them.."

"What's the other one we're not double teaming gonna do?!" Runic asked. "Just stand around watching?"

Bandit shrugged. "So you come up with a plan then."

Fahari sighed. They were not going to come over and gloat as easily as she had hoped. She finally spoke aloud. "It is a shame that you cannot prove your prowess unless we escape."

Although they were in the other room, Bandit and Runic picked up on Fahari just as easily as she could hear them talking. Runic taunted her. "Quiet down, kitty, the adults are talking."

Fahari chuckled - for more reasons than Runic's response. "Then, perhaps you should be quiet so we can hear them."

"That's it!" Bandit yelled. "I'm coming in there, and you and me are gonna settle this with our fists!"

Runic cheered her on. "Go tell 'em, fox!"

"Yes," Fahari purred calmly. "Come prove your prowess to me."

"Okay, here I come." Bandit said. A minute passed and still no Bandit.

Fahari decided to get personal with it. Blind her opponent with rage. "I do not feel your blows. Perhaps it is because you are better at blo..." Fahari stopped, hearing the two laughing in the other room.

Bandit's voice was first. "Can you believe she actually fell for it?!"

Runic responded through her own laughter. "I can. Apparently her 'ego' matches our Master's."

"I'd say more than matches. Wanna go make out?"

"Sure!"

Fahari sighed. She was looking forward to a workout. She then stiffened, feeling something in the air- some.. energy. She then smiled as she caught his scent.

Well.. it wasn't her love Fumblies- but the big tiger would do in a pinch. She then chuckled and tried to shut out a far more Feline continuation of that idea.

Elsewhere Cattaras finished moving through a clear area on the trail of Fahari's scent. He set down a decidedly green Red and growled at him. "Wait here and guard the entrance. If anyone comes you have my permission to puke on them." He then entered the cell and knelt, working on the ropes that bound the pair.

Red collapsed on the ground. "A-Thanks. They'll regret the three week old meatballs almost as much as I do right'a now."

"Allow me to assist, Cattaras." Fahari had been applying pressure to her bindings all this time- not a lot but in all the right places and right ways- she relaxed the pressure and slipped her paws free! This had been her 'little surprise' for the suddenly sex crazed guards.

Cattars chuckled, taking the moment to admire more than just Fahari's free limbs. Fahari blushed. Normally in the past she would deal with such ogling with near violence.... but...

Fahari blushed. Was she thinking about the fact that Cattaras was a fine example of a male Feline? She shook her head and looked to Zed, working to untie him.

"Thank you, Fahari. And you, Cattaras." Zed paused before continuing, locking onto each Feline's gaze, and speaking as calmly as he could. "The three of us need to be very wary of the Forest currently - the ripples are very faint, but all beings within range of the life machine are feeling more zealous and uninhibited with the machine active. I'll say more of what I think later."

"Oh..." Fahari began but stopped when she heard Cattaras say 'THAT's why...' She glanced over at him and saw the shock on his face when he returned the glance. Well, shock and.. she'd better not think about the rest of that look!

'Oh but think! This guy, this gift from the Goddess, this magnificent cat-stud is thinking about what it would be like to bend you over and...'

Fahari squeezed her eyes tight shut and silenced the little voice in the back of her mind with a mental 'ENOUGH!'

.. if only she could quell the non verbal chorus from places other than her mind so easily!

She glanced over at Cattaras again- and found him smirking knowingly at her. Well.. it beat the other look. She then looked at Zed, who seemed a bit confused. "Then this may be a harder mission than I thought. We Felines normally tend to be ...urm.. that is to say..."

"Hornier than rabbits in heat." Cattaras filled in the blank for her bluntly, then chuckled as he looked at her. "Not that we always follow up on it. Otherwise I would have pounced her the moment I first set eyes on her."

Fahari sighed. She did NOT need to hear that- and the way the chorus grew in her body proved it! "We will simply have to pray to the Goddess for strength and guidance..."

She stopped at Cattaras' growl. "YOU can pray to the bitch. She and I haven't been on speaking terms since she let the Slavers have their way with my village!"

"In case you've forgotten, our captors haven't been dealt with, and they've had all this time to search." Zed interrupted coldly. "You tell me - do you want some of Hey Daze's worst to have access to this type of control of you? Or can we continue on, and try to contain this power; perhaps even use it carefully to achieve something remarkable?" The South Ireacan hunched down and waited for Cattaras' response - he wanted to avoid starting a dominance battle, or lashing out in frustration out of wounded pride and irritation. However, he felt the three of them needed to address their immediate problems first - whether they would continue with the mission.

Both Felines stiffened and tail-flicked, and Cattaras was only able to stop half of his bearing of fangs. Fahari finally said, "The Dark Ones must be dealt with sooner or later, and searching ourselves for this Machine may only end up giving its position away to the enemy."

Cattaras nodded, happy to have something to think about other than the sleek lines of the panthress that he had made Aleena copy before she left. "So, let's go break some demon heads and then worry about jumping each other's bones." The look he gave Zed as he said this was of only half hidden mayhem.

I really liked how Runic and Bandit turned things around on Fahari there.. We'll see how their escape goes later on. In the meantime, let's go visit a couple pieces in the Forest mission!