Hey everyone! Managed to squeeze this chapter out fairly quick. I wanted to reply to a review of the last chapter here because I think everyone was kinda getting the same idea.
A big admirer of time: Seems like every mage besides Nick are getting buffs. Which I'm fine with, since he's always felt a little too OP.
Yes, Nick was a bit overpowering in the last couple of chapters. This was on purpose because he's had 300 years to practice. This chapter also talks about it a little as well.
If you have any questions about why I did things a certain way, please send me a message or write it in a review. I'll be more than happy to answer them.
I also wanted to say that if you want to know where I got the inspiration for this chapter look up Dead Posey-Boogeyman. Thanks!
Where am I? Judy's mind slowly began to regain consciousness. First becoming aware of something wrapping around her. Something warm and soft. Before opening her eyes, she used her other senses to try and pinpoint where she was. Naturally using her ears first, she couldn't hear anything that would suggest where she was. She then used one of her front paws to feel what was around her. Moving it back in forth in a sweeping motion, she determined she was in bed and it was very comfortable and welcoming.
She then turned to her nose. While not possessing a strong sense of smell compared to other mammals, especially canines, it was well enough to help her identify her close surroundings. Taking a few quick sniffs, she noticed something that tingled her nostrils. A strong musky smell that she couldn't pin point right away. One that at first triggered a signal to her brain to run.
Instead of her muscles tightening and preparing to flee, they relaxed and she fell further into the bliss of emotional comfort. What is that? She wondered, taking in a few more sniffs. Slowly opening her eyes, she looked around at her surroundings. Quickly realizing she was not in her billeted room, she sat up on her elbow to look around at the rest of the room. Glancing around she caught sight of a chair with a shirt on the back.
With a sharp gasp, her paw instinctively clasped her chest. The shirt was the one she had been wearing yesterday that Nick let her borrow. Looking down upon herself she saw she was still wearing her uniform, minus the metal armor. How did I get here? Judy furrowed her brow and rubbed her temple, trying to will the memory of what happened back.
Recalling the wall of fire coming from his tail and the sound the sword made after Nick pulled it from the other mammal, Judy suddenly wished she hadn't tried to remember. Now feeling sick to her stomach, she slid out of the bed and went to the living room to look for Nick. Quickly glancing around she couldn't find any sign of the red-haired fox. She started to walk towards the kitchen and rounded the chair he sat in last night. That's where she found his body.
Nick's body was lying face down on the floor. The first thing Judy noticed was the wound from the arrow. It was crusted with dried blood. She cursed under her breath at her failure to care for her friend last night. Dropping to her knees beside him, checked for a pulse and called his name trying to get a response. Unresponsive and with no pulse, Judy's heart began to double in speed from the previously hasty pace, she rolled him onto his back.
Seeing the pool of dried blood where his muzzle had been and the flecks that crusted his lips, Judy began to nearly panic. She laid her head on his chest, using her superior hearing to listen for a heartbeat. Hoping to feel the rise and fall of his chest and his breathe against the ear she placed on his muzzle. But neither came.
"No…no…no, no, no, no, no! Please Nick wake up! Don't leave me like this!" She screamed, as she lifted herself from his chest. Looking onto his motionless face, she leaned forward and grabbed his cheeks. "Please come back to me!" she whispered. "Come one slick. You can't die now, I just found you."
She moved herself up to cradle his head in her lap. Slowly running her small claws through his fur on top of his head. Trying to remember everything he had shared with her through the kiss she couldn't remember. She searched his memories for a way to bring him back. Then she found something she had not intended.
A memory of herself with a shocked expression. A sensation of pressure on her lips. When the image of herself pulled away. Judy suddenly felt her lips being licked. But she could see her whole face and her tongue had not come out. Heat began to run through her face and up her ears. Causing them to shoot upwards. Her heart was racing. Her stomach was in a knot while a lump became lodged in her throat.
"His lips." She softly whispered. She was seeing his memories of the kiss that shared the memories. He felt the softness of her fur, the blush of performing such an intimate act the first time. The butterflies in his stomach and the lump in his throat from the nervousness. He had kissed her and he like it.
Looking down at the still face in her lap, Judy reached a shaky paw up to touch his lips. Nearly touching, reality came crashing down around her. She would never be able to kiss him, to feel the tenderness of his touch or his breath across her face. The agony of the lonely future before her broke the dam of tears.
Why do I feel this way? I just met him? She began breathing heavily while tremors with every breath became fiercer. She wrapped her arms round his head and pulled it in closer to her. No longer able to hold back, her tears came freely, soaking her cheeks and his lifeless head. After several minutes of uncontrollably agony, Judy's ears began to slowly raise up. She slowly sat up, eyes beginning to widen.
"Nicholas." She softly whispered. Looking down at the face of the vulpine still in her lap, she began to laugh. At first just a giggle and slowly rose to be nearly uncontrollably. All the while hugging his face to hers. When a sudden sharp pain from the back of her head had her falling over and rolling onto her back. There above her stood the ram that Nick had bludgeoned the night before. The last thing she saw was his hoofed hand reaching down to grab her.
Judy's ears were ringing, causing her to wince from the pain. This caused what felt like her head being smashed by an anvil. She tried to place her paws on her head to help soothe the pain only to discover she couldn't move them. She also couldn't see. She struggled for a moment to free herself or at least discover what was holding her. She was apparently tied to a chair with a blindfold over her eyes.
Taking a couple of deep breaths to calm herself, she concentrated on trying to hear what was around her. Gently raising her ears above her head, she rotated them from front to rear taking in every sound around her. She could hear muffled voices. There were a lot of voices. A large group or gathering. There was also music playing. It sounded like they were throwing a party.
With her headache beginning to subside enough for her to concentrate properly, she could make out various string instruments that she couldn't identify. As well as what sounded like a strange wind instruments. Before she could make out more she heard voices coming towards where she was. Still muffled by the walls.
"I'm telling you I saw it with my own eyes!"
"It's crazy. Impossible. There is no way a fox can do that kind of magic without the serum."
"I saw him up close. I was in his face. His eyes were just as normal as mine and yours."
"Normal for a fox you mean, sly devils. Can't trust that trash. Anyway, you said he's dead, right? Then we don't have anything to worry about."
The door to the room she was being kept opened. The sound of the music and crowd increasing in volume.
"Ah, good. You're awake."
They walked up beside the tied down bunny. She could hear a blade being drawn before feeling the cold metal pressed under her chin. "Try anything stupid and I'll slit your throat. Do you understand?"
Judy nodded her head slightly, making sure not to press down hard on the blade against her.
"Good. Jesse."
She felt her paws being untied from the chair. She thought for a second about trying to escape, but reconsidered when the blade under her chin slid back to press against her neck. Once her paws were free, the one holding the blade told her to stand. She slowly raised herself from the chair and her arms were tied behind her back. The blade was removed from her throat only to be pointed into her back along with a hoofed hand being placed on her shoulder.
"Move." The voice behind her spoke along with jabbing the blade hard into her back. Walking out the door she could now tell that the voices and music were below her. She felt like she was on a balcony. If her blindfold were removed she could probably look down on the animals below partying and listening to music. Walking what felt like several hundred feet away from the source of the music she was brought to a halt.
"You can remove the blindfold." A female voice said.
Judy felt the blade against her back disappear. Along with someone tugging at the material that covered her eyes. Once removed she had to squint to see until her eyes could adjust to the sudden onslaught of light. Which was rapidly bringing back her headache.
Blinking several times, her vision began to clear to see a blue-eyed ewe sitting in front of her.
"Assistant Chancellor Bellwether?" This was probably the last person Judy expected to see giving her kidnappers instructions. "What are you doing here?"
"Judy! I'm so happy to see you're ok!"
"Okay?! I'm tied up! What is going on?"
"I'm sorry Judy it's just a precaution. You understand, don't you? We have to make sure you aren't being manipulated by that fox." Practically spitting the word fox, Bellwethers face turned into an angry scowl. As if the word itself was venom.
"Manipulate me? He didn't manipulate me he helped me after I was attacked…by…those…rams." Judy started to look around the room they were seated in. There was a large window to her left that allowed someone to look out on the floor below it and to see the stage where the musicians were performing. Next to it was a ram knight wearing the same kind of armor as the ones who attacked her and Nick. Looking around further there were three other rams in the room as well. One of which Judy recognized as the one Nick knocked out.
"Yeah about that." Judy turned her attention back to Bellwether. "I'm afraid that was a terrible misunderstanding. You see, that fox, is a wanted criminal. My personal guard were on the way to arrest him when they saw you leave his home. They assumed you were in league with him and that's why they attacked."
Judy looked down at the floor to ponder what Bellwether had told her. She reran all the events since starting this assignment in her head. Two things stood out. Nick had warned the sheep she injured in the first time to tell his master to return the stone. Second was when they came to Nick's house they offered to let him leave. If he's such a wanted criminal why take the risk of letting him leave.
Replaying the events once more Judy remembered something Bellwether had just said. 'My personal guard' These were her guards that attacked her. They weren't interested in Nick, only her. But why?
"The peace stone." She softly whispered.
"I'm sorry I didn't you." Bellwether politely asked.
"You have the peace stone!" Bellwether's smile faltered for only a moment. But Judy's analytical skills caught it along with the dread that reflected in her eyes.
"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about Officer Hopps."
"You said so yourself, these are your personal guards. Personal guards don't worry with the police work of catching criminals. They were after me all along. You didn't want me catching on that you stole the peace stone."
"Oh Judy, it would have been so much better if you'd have just played along."
"So, you admit it then."
"What difference does it make. You're my prisoner and no one knows where you are or even how to find you. Bogo won't even think to look for you for a month. But don't worry, you'll be gone long before that." The last sentence said with an evil smile.
"Nick will come for me." Judy retorted.
"Nick? The fox? You mean the dead fox! Wow you really have lost it!" she started laughing.
Judy never changed her expression. "He will come for me. He'll find me, and together we're going to take you down."
"You expect me to believe that an undead boogeymammal fox is going to walk through those doors. Make it past all my guards and mages just to come for you? You may have bested two of my least powerful mages last night but you don't stand a chance at beating those guarding this building."
And almost as if on que the main hall where the music and sound of partying were happening went quiet. All the torches and candles in the building became very dim. Dawn ran to the windows to look as far down below her as she could where the entrance doors were located. Her jaw dropped and eyes shot wide. Running up beside her and looking down as well, Judy couldn't help but smile from ear to ear at the sight of a fox wrapped in flames.
"Nick!"