In the Paws of the Servants (Part-3).
Her paw gently glided through her belly fur as she relaxed in his paws. Her lover was everything she hoped he would be and now she could understand her underling's obsession. Abigail Canny and her former master, Josephine Wintersprite, both wanted this todd but only Josephine succeeded in becoming mother to his litter. Now both are dead and she has him all to herself, unfortunately another female has a legitimate claim to him. She grinned; if the bunny really tried she would have had several litters from the todd by now, if the legendary Lapin multiplying rumors were to be believed. But she didn't thus it was her loss; Catherin McKeen was determined to produce his next litter.
He did everything correct, right down to waiting for her body to relax before proceeding to service her needs. Time, practice and learning to put the female's needs before his own certainly sharpened his abilities; perhaps it was his former mate that honed his abilities. Whatever it was she now reaped the years of training and purposely put off her duties in order to spend as much time as possible with him. Years he had, like most males, spent pleasuring many vixens all for the singular purpose of satisfying his own urges. Now through her cleaver entrapment he focused solely on her.
His paw gently pressed through her fur and moved alongside and then beyond hers. It found her breasts and as males are prone to do it fondled them gently, moving along their curves as this excited him. His fingers moved along her belly noting the other pairs of mammary that swelled during pregnancy, these were healthy and soft to the touch. Vixens didn't like males gawking at them thus clothes they wore covered them; naturally this guided his eyes up towards her primary breasts that were uppermost on her torso. These remained permanently expanded and produced milk when cubs were nursing, their shape made it crystal clear she was an adult in the prime cub-bearing years. She cooed as his fingers fondled them and he gently nibbled her neck, something she obviously found romantic and erotic. Indeed she was and he must have felt her reaction because his fingers searched for her erogenous zone finding them in record time. He was rewarded as she pressed against him very much like his bunny would have, his reaction was to mirror hers and hold himself as his maleness satisfied hers.
Catherin rested in this unnatural position for almost as long as last time. She had learned if she was to trap him she would have to learn some of his favorite positions and over time introduce his body to those she preferred, or at least perform some of those he liked every time she required his services. But she had to admit there was a certain satisfaction in his preferences hence keeping this position as the final one before she uncoupled and led him to the Jacuzzi until she absolutely must leave to perform the duties being Godfather of the Outback Isles required of her. They would spend time in the fur dryer holding each other and moving paws through the other's fur until the timer signaled time's up and shut off the unit.
She reached in front of her and picked up the mirror, positioning it so she could see him enjoying performing his duty, like his knot that just formed which now locked them together. Good... she was getting better at subtly manipulating him and now could almost command his body to perform upon demand. As they remained joined she tested his knot moving her body to different positions, enjoying how it felt and if she wanted he could be pulled along wherever she went. Regular exercise sculpted her legs and more than once she contemplated dragging him across the room. But all good things must end so the next can begin, and so it was with this. She was disappointed but it wasn't a complete surprise.
He seemed preoccupied as she applied the anti-irritation cream and left red lipstick lip-prints where she wanted. Her gruff vocal got his attention and he dutifully prepared her loins in similar manner she did his, including placing red lipstick lip-prints where her paw pointed towards. Males were slaves to their lust and he placed another somewhere of his choosing. She smiled appreciatively as his paws dressed her and soon lay down upon the rug which was his designated waiting spot until she returned. His eyes were lightly closed as she walked to the door, glancing back to enjoy him resting on the rug before she closed and locked the door.
She went into the next room and sat down at the computer, turned it on and waited for it to be ready. She navigated to the program and soon was watching the security video that showed what they just did for the past hour. Something was bugging her, the doctor told her how often she should expect to receive his fluid and she was hard pressed to remember the last time her loins received it from him. Certainly she enjoyed sex without it but the lack worried her. Sickness could cause his body to temporarily pause producing semen as injury was another common cause. Several minutes later she was nowhere close to discovering the reason and she resigned herself to picking up the phone and arranging a visit from her personal doctor, Dr. Black. He was annoying and needed better bedside manners, but he was the best doctor around.
After sending the message she closed down the computer and went over to her personal bathroom, defecated, washed her paws, and went over to her closet and changed into her proper clothing before heading to the meeting room. By now she had perfected a walk-stride that hid the bow-legged her legs naturally made after mating. Normally she detested the excessive swaying of her hips but this was preferable to announcing what she just did to everyone watching. She giggled softly to herself, this was how her mother walked at unexpected times and now she understood. If only a month from now she would be walking with several buns in her oven, something she was starting to desperately desire.
Buns in the oven... she stopped walking. A brief memory of her first pregnancy flashed through her mind and she relived the high points... and the low.
Gregor McKeen was the sire of her first litter. Tears of joy and sorrow dropped from her muzzle as she relived one by one. Gregor was a dutiful father as he tended to her best interest, albeit just a little behind his own. When the helicopter that grappled their motorcar was shot down he placed his body between her and the floor; the impact was severe but not serious enough to injure them. When her litter was delivered he held each in his paws as he took time to whisper the sacred prayer beseeching good fortune and long life ending with giving each cub the name that had been agreed upon. Unfortunately the attack leveled the hospital killing her litter as well as her sister. She woke to discover these deaths and that her husband had been killed as well, the funerals had been delayed just long enough for the medical staff to determine if she would survive.
As consort of the godfather she rightfully assumed the position, if she had died then either his right-paw mammal would have assumed the position or whoever was strong enough to wrest total control and gain allegiance of his fellow members. Adding insult to injury was an ancient bylaw stipulating her to get married in the first year of her reign or surrender her title to her former husband's right-paw mammal. She grumbled at the ancient law; if she was a male no marriage was necessary. Fortunately she already had a suitable todd on her wish list and now the only thing preventing securing her position was failure to become pregnant. Thankfully she still had adequate time remaining and soon the doctor will have the answer to her problem.
She resumed walking as thoughts of little paw-prints upon the floor danced inside her head.
Nick waited for the door to close before he got up and stretched. His next dosage wasn't due for a few more hours but he felt the withdrawal begin moments ago and didn't want to tip his paw. He barely remembered what he did before this vixen took him into her home, the price for allowing him to live here was to pleasure her body in exchange for access to this drug. It was called many things but the most popular was *Chasing the Dragon*, something that he remembered was about needing stronger dosage the longer the user was taking the drug. Thankfully he was skilled in taking small things with a slight of his paw leaving the victim unaware what he had taken, thus snatching extra dosages of the drug was cubsplay. He now had extra vials carefully hidden throughout this room.
Moments later he found his makeshift stash and put a caplet into his mouth, swallowing it along with the remaining water in the glass resting on the nightstand. Years ago taking this drug required a syringe and carefully sticking it into one of his veins, now some chemist engineered a convenient method which enabled the user to swallow it. He found this drug upset his stomach and eating just enough food soothed his discomfort, his preference was cookies and milk but he had to settle for water and a couple slices of bread. He lay down and waited for the effect of the drug to grab his body, as he waited he let his mind wonder.
As with most males it made a beeline towards sex, probably because his maleness was sore. A grin formed at the corners of his mouth as he relived the pleasant memory. Who was he to turn down a tail call in exchange for the drug he found so necessary to live? Each time she entered the room he was required to remove her clothes and massage sore muscles before she flagged her tail thus starting the routine. How he knew to rub certain muscles in a certain manner he pondered as he examined his palms. Memories suggested he had a life with a bunny, something akin to what he did with this vixen.
He giggled. How could he do so with such a small female? He admitted to himself he always was attracted to the shape of their hips, something about them stirred primal feelings and even today he felt the same. He felt his cheeks redden and become warmer as the thought crossed his mind. Damn. The vixen must have realized this obsession and mimicked it, why he wasn't sure but the pivoting and pressing her hips against his loins was an acceptable substitute. Why she chose to end their lovemaking in this position he wondered about. It was a female's prerogative and if she felt better in this position who was he to argue? For once a face formed in his mind's eye, one suggesting this was the female he once knew intimately.
He fell into a stupor as the drug took effect and his mind went into another realm. For several minutes he raced around chasing a golden dragon as it laughed manically while keeping just ahead of the fox as it tormented him, making comments about his inability to keep up. Finally as the effect started to wear off the dragon waved good bye and said it eagerly waited for their next playful romp. A tear rolled down his real face as the image of the dragon raced away its tail flowing gracefully as if blown by the wind.
Nick woke up still remembering the dragon chase. He hated coming down from the high but thankfully the effect of the drug would last a few hours before the withdrawal symptoms started. He wasn't certain why sex dulled the withdrawal but he eagerly took it and tried making it last as long as possible.
Dr. Black, a male panther, examined the patient carefully noting that the fox was lethargic. Although he didn't show it he was annoyed Catherin was nearby watching his actions like a hawk. He prided himself on his professionalism and ethical treatment of all his patients, even those he most likely would see only once in their lifetime. Like the mammal sitting before him who was enduring his drawing another vial of blood.
"Doctor... is this necessary?"
He nodded his head slightly being careful not to move his arm drawing the blood. "Yes it is, unless you don't want the answer to your question. I've been in your employ many years; in that timeframe have I ever disclosed a secret?"
Catherin sighed and shook her head in the negative. "No doctor, you have always been quite discreet. My apologies."
He nodded his head in the positive. "As it would be a break not only in patient-doctor ethics but also in my professionalism which as you know I take great pride. You've put quite the puzzle before me and I will get to the bottom of this mystery. I will keep the results between us, even if the ethics is questionable. I mean no disrespect by those words."
Catherin nodded her head and did nothing more. Fortunately the final vial was drawn and the tools put back in his case. He took the vixen to a far corner for what he wanted to say was meant for her ears only.
"Please be upfront with me as my diagnosis depends on it. Is this mammal under medication?"
Catherin's eyes narrowed. "Careful with your words, doctor. Lesser mammals have..."
He interrupted. "I'm quite serious. Certain medications have an adverse effect on sperm production and this would be an easy fix. My tests will tell me either way but I prefer to nip this dilemma here right now. Do you tell me or...?"
Catherin's eyes were still narrowed. "Fine. This is the medication he is on and this is the dosage. Do I have your word of honor this is strictly between us?"
The panther recognized the drug and kept his composure. The amount was low but even at this amount he knew it greatly affected sperm production. The solution was simple but weaning the fox off it would require herculean effort. He knew why she was using this specific drug: it pacified the male and dulled his memory. He typed the information on his notebook computer and moments later the answer arrived.
"Here is what I strongly recommend you do immediately if cubs are your desire. Here also is an alternative medication that will keep your todd pacified, although you must wait until this third medication purges the first medication out of his system. Shackle him if you must to control him but it is important to accomplishing your cub goal as quickly as possible."
Catherin forced her composure to become neutral. "I don't take kindly to accusations, doctor."
"And I don't take kindly to being brought here under pretense. I'll be monitoring him to ensure the medication is properly purged and the new prescription is working properly. The inquiry I made will most likely bring the GSD into my office thus I'll not disclose your involvement but I will answer their questions vaguely. Most likely they will read between the lines and assume this inquiry about an illegal drug was made about a vulpe, one that has had addiction to it years ago. For your sake I sincerely hope you didn't have a minion search Officer Wilde's civilian medical history, it would link the Outback Isles Mafia inquiry with mine."
The panther bid her good afternoon and departed the premises. Catherin looked at the printout he had given her and sat down. She knew he was right but wasn't about to lower herself to give him a public acknowledgement. It was enough she had to disclose the drug she was using, the one her minion found in his civilian medical records which he had been addicted to sometime in his youth. According to the information gleaned the todd was addicted shortly after leaving home and after being cured of the addictive drug he was placed under the care of another fox, one that had become his dear friend.
She reread the name... and grinned. She knew this fennec fox and he had been up here in recent times, looking for a couple missing vixens if memory served her correctly. She would be having him followed since if she were in his paws she would be searching for his friend. She just might let slip a clue that just might bring Fennick back into her territory, thus captured and used to control her pet. Too bad her agreement with the Servants of Truth gave them the bunny; the ornery doe would make for the final peg that would keep Nickolas obeying her every wish.
The panthers' trip back to his office was not a long one but he was mulling over in his mind what he just saw. An officer of the law was being held by the newly appointed Godfather, formerly the godfather's consort. Why she wanted that specific todd was a mystery to him, but female's preferences was not necessarily logical. He hoped she had plans to take proper care of famous fox for as long as she held him under her control. Fate didn't bode well for mammals that went against the vulpe, probably because of his lucky wife. The bunny was a case in mate selection herself, her path in choosing such would be keeping psychologist busy for years to come.
He arrived and after entering and taking a report from his secretary went into his office locking the door behind him. Waiting for him in the refrigerator was a tall glass of salmon swill, a milky-white fluid with just enough thickness to hint towards a milkshake, floating suspended was salmon eggs hence the name. After sitting in his thick office chair he took a deep draw and then pondered what was the most likely to happen in the next few days, would the first visitor be just a regular patient? Those that did come to ask about the fox, would it be law enforcement or would it be a minion of some mafia boss? Anyone other than a normal customer would require careful choice of words, perhaps a diversion for a chance to escape.
He opted for keeping quiet until it became obvious why they were here when they did come. If they came in guns blazing, proverbially speaking, they deserved leaving with no answers. The boss that sent them would punish them for not treating an important member of society with the dignity and respect his position warranted.
Soon two polar bears and a fennec fox entered asking in plain language if he knew anything about the missing ZPD detective, their body language remaining neutral and their words non-confrontational. Their reputation had preceded them; there was only one mafia boss that employed fennec foxes and polar bears and he was not one to be trifled with. The Arctic shrew was known to be fair once he got the information he wanted, and these visitor were quite polite hence making it plain they were showing respect as well expecting same in return. After getting their promise to bring the ZPD detective to his office he gave the name and dosage of the medication the fox was under, noting the deep concern appearing on the small fox's face. He assured them he would do what he could to restore the fox but time was of the essence. The Godfather of the Outback Isles was at the moment using the information she was given to ensure her todd was at his maximum virile, pregnancy was her goal and because of an ancient law she must birth a litter to ensure she retain the title. The trio left quietly, reassuring the doctor they would keep this between them and thanking him for doing his best to look after the godmother's consort.
He was not surprised the next visitors were less polite. He was arrested without questioning and taken to be questioned in controlled conditions. Before he could insist on calling his lawyer a panther entered and presented his credentials, explaining he was retained by Mr. Big and this doctor was his client as directed by the Arctic shrew. The proceeding was much more polite in which the doctor gave the detectives same thing he gave the trio before. He was released without further legal implication and waiting outside was two polar bears and a fennec fox. The lawyer and trio took him for dinner and returned back to his office.
Dr. Black had to admit: being upfront with the Tundratown boss had its perks, but now he had to watch out for the wrath of the Outback Mafia. It was technically breaking his professionalism but the newly appointed godfather was trespassing upon her equals' minion and thus either way he chose to answer would result in the other declaring him dead.
He turned his attention to the vials of blood hidden in a refrigerator carefully concealed behind a wall panel. Whatever Catherin told him was certainly not the whole truth: that would be revealed in the contents inside these vials. He slipped into the hidden passageway and soon was in his small laboratory. The chemicals and tests were performed and after the last one was completed a look of concern fell across his face, she indeed was not completely upfront with him. Either that or she was not informed about the rarely-used tranquilizer which left behind a nasty residue that would react violently with the medication he had recommended to neutralize the drug being used to control the vulpe.
As he dialed the number the little fox left behind hoping he wasn't too late to change his recommended medication. It was unfortunate but the ZPD detective would have to weaned off the drug *cold turkey*, something he knew would be quiet painful but currently the only known method that didn't react with the tranquilizer residue.
Grand Tracker Magnus Strongpaw watched the screen as it displayed multiple views. Technicians changed each view from one sector of the cavern to another. Strange disturbances had been noted at odd intervals throughout parts of the uppermost areas in the caverns. He was genuinely surprised to discover that Battle Priest Marquis had tangled with a few Zootopians deep inside the caverns. Unfortunately the screens showed these had eluded his grasp or at least they didn't succeed in killing him, as a closer inspection made clear. Thankfully the battle priest started making daily rounds around specific parts of the caverns, an act he would have done. Nevertheless he was troubled why the battle priest didn't see the need to inform the grand tracker, didn't realize that even with his superior abilities the Zootopians were evading him.
The elder wolf decided to do a search through old video files, see if the Zootopians had been filmed out of cloak in other areas of the caverns. Sure enough he found plenty of times they dropped their cloak, a close observation showed they couldn't report back topside under a cloaking field. What troubled him was the sheer number of times and places where they had been at, now he was forced to calculate where to place his trackers. Judging by the furthest distance from any access shaft he concluded they couldn't go below Level Seven and no further inside than the Eastern Market Square.
He grinned.
The Servants of Truth were bumbling idiots compared to his well-trained Trackers. It was cubs play getting them to agree to let him *evaluate* the wrist-mounted device that the female rabbit ZPD officer wore. They couldn't get it to operate thus the agreement, but so far his best technicians couldn't get it to turn on either. To stall the return he had a fake unit made and after showing the Servants his technicians succeeded in getting some basic information, they gave him more time to snoop through its files. He ordered false files created to complete the ruse, and a few more when time to return the unit came. It was a surprise when all attempts to open the unit failed, including attempting to drill through the shell.
It was annoying when the servants complained to the Triad Council, the newly-formed governing body that now governed the dark priesthood. He was no match against a dark priests' abilities, save only for the protective ward that hung around his neck underneath his clothing. Thus he agreed to return the device but only place it with the uniform the bunny wore when she was captured, all these were in a room where both he and the servants could access when either wanted. Since they had no better luck getting the device to work than his minions the elder wolf had no fear this device would disappear anytime soon.
He ordered several Tracker teams deployed through the caverns, some to areas he suspected the Zootopians headed towards while remaining in stealth. There were some means to root out things one couldn't see, some low-tech. Some gasses when released in large volume quickly would silhouette anything in stealth. Up in the topside world this was impractical, but down here it was a common tactic. It was especially useful against those attempting to flee law enforcement, a simple threat to use it quickly revealed the offender. He ordered the gas to be used but no warning given before activating the quick release valve; medical mammals would be nearby to give first aid to all civilians caught in the crossfire.
He had other teams already searching through the deeper areas of the caverns. The priesthood assured him he needn't worry about the cathedral as any foreigner would be a welcome chance to ply their dark trade. The grand tracker smiled; he was pretty sure they meant torture would be what waited the Zootopians. When he was a young pup he had seen exactly what abilities dark priest wielded, the husk of a barely-living mammal testified what they could do. Since then he made sure to never offend one, and now he welcomed their interest to seek out the hidden invaders. He heard a story about what they did against priests calling themselves oracles, which they were able to seek out specific priests across vast distances.
He would never say this to a dark priest; he heard stories that every time they met an oracle priest in battle they were bested. Thus he had a discreet message sent to the Great Library asking for the elder scholar to find any information about weaknesses of a dark priest, and anything about the strengths of an oracle priest. What he received back was alarming, both factions were equally powerful but each held advantages over the other. Dark priests could refresh their life-force by syphoning it from their opponent or a bystander; an oracle priest welded very strong magic that wilted-down their opponents' defenses quickly.
The grand tracker thought about what this meant. If such oracle priests entered his domain he needed to be better prepared, hence the request for information. He was disappointed no specific weakness was disclosed about these priests, but all priests in general shared a common weakness: concern for the individual. He would have to use this as the weapon against these, but other stories came to his ears: the actual numbers of the oracle priests were only a pawfull. Another story told him oracle priests existed in ancient times and disappeared but recently they came back. In all his years of living he was hard pressed to recall priests labeled anything other than simply as priests, not counting the dark priest he always knew. In his younger years he often went to the topside world and visited the various churches, noting whatever name was on the outside the mammal in charge was called *priest*.
He pulled up a list of Trackers he had paw-picked. One by one he evaluated their current performance and soon had several to go on assignment. Later in the evening the selectees assembled and he gave each their assignment. After they departed he went to his office and pulled out a flask containing his favorite beverage. He saluted these Trackers and took a gulp, resealed it and put it back in its storage place. The remainder of the evening he spent going over reports and videos sent in by the other teams. The Zootopians had either stopped coming, were elsewhere getting much needed rest, or simply learned how to evade his teams. He smiled: counter-espionage was his strongest skill and what enabled him to ascend to his position. This was a waiting game he relished and now had something other than computer simulations to compete against; living opponents always were more challenging as they tended to make illogical movements.
A pair of eyes watched him as he worked at his desk. It watched him carefully, cautiously. One small mistake and its assignment would end, possibly its life become forfeited. It couldn't send a report as this location was beyond communication range, but the data it collected was more valuable than its own life. Once it was convinced the route was clear it slipped out of the room and up the pathway towards the last place it could transmit its report. Knowing the patrols had just been increased it knew it had to find a spot with less public exposure. Its first priority was to warn HQ about the specific tasking to find stealth teams, if he was discovered while doing this he would continue until his electronic burst was completed. He would die if it ensured success in transmitting his report.
Their incursions back into their former homeland finally paid off. Months of slowly placing taps into the surveillance system now allowed them to watch the main thoroughfares. He knew they were taking a big risk here, after all it would only take an attentive technician to notice the subtle power increase in the system and if it was worth its salt would quickly spread the alarm. This was the other reason they made regular incursions: they had distracted certain shopkeepers in key positions while a tap was placed on the camera outside his shop. These taps had to be inspected regularly if nothing more than to ensure they were not discovered and removed by counter-espionage teams. Now as the days went by and no access available on the system, it was obvious the taps had been neutralized. It wouldn't be a surprise if these shopkeepers told what they knew when technicians traced the intrusion to their business.
It was these actions of tampering, sabotaging, unauthorized modifications... these were the causes for most of his teams' injuries. Wither protecting the one doing the tapping or by being discovered somewhere along the way this was the hows and whys. Thankfully the GSD sent teams using stealth to distract patrols from getting uncomfortably close thus discovering what was being done. Murphy and his laws made attrition a thing he had to keep his eyes on and weeks ago he was forced to suspend daily trips down into their former homeland. Now trips were done if absolutely necessary.
Grand Tracker Marquis smiled exposing a full face of teeth. He already made plans for this eventuality, a fail-safe to keep his counterpart Grand Tracker Magnus Strongpaw from discovering his other taps. The fake security cameras operated in dual mode; while its camera sent video feed as a normal unit, the built-in repeater sent an encrypted data stream to the nearest camera which passed on to the next until it reached the hidden computer tucked away in an abandoned topside access chute. Here one of his Trackers spent hours monitoring the entire security system. GSD was working on a better field computer unit that his mammals could operate from Topside, thus less chance for being discovered.
He lowered his head and said a short prayer for the trackers that were wounded or killed on these missions. Attrition lowered his numbers available to go on these missions to a point that only a couple paw-full were in any shape to perform these duties, now GSD took up the missions. His wounded currently in Zootopia Plainsburrow Hospital were being guarded by security provided by local law enforcement, those well enough was allowed to go back to the Hopps Farm where their care would be given by Bridget Canter, Charlene Snowshoe, and Amanda Grays. He was much more relieved every time one of his members were allowed to go back home, with the Servants of Truth being allied with the Dark Underground and the recent increase of their activities it was likely they would be working on behalf of the Dark Council. Who knows if the Servants already identified his wounded members and biding their time before abducting them to be sent back down to the caverns where the chancellor himself would hold trial and declare all guilty.
Wolves in sheep's clothing... blending in with the masses was the tactic he widely used; now it would be his nemeses. How can he identify who held membership in the Servants of Truth and keep his own teams clothed in secrecy? Such was the delicate balance his teams worked under. Colonel Kohle held meetings with him regularly and the dog had trusted members that were non-agents keeping an eye on these wounded. The Scottish terrier grumbled but relented when the grand tracker had his members moved to the Canter Burrow soon as they were able to withstand the ambulance trip. The elder wolf was concerned about the quickly deteriorating conditions as the Servants operated to enforce their precious *no mixed species relationship* mandate. At the present nobody could identify who held membership in the Servants of Truth thus his actions.
But Grand Tracker Marquis had a plan. He was there when the papers were signed binding the Servants to do the undercover work within Zootopian society, thus he had a good idea where to start. Unfortunately the couple mammals identifying themselves as chancellor and matron of the Servants would not be easy to locate. They were well known by most mammals but where they lived was secretive. If he asked GED to locate them most likely it would be cubs play, but recently it had been proved even the vaulted agency had been compromised thus these would be alerted before confirmation was sent back to him. No... he had to confirm this without their help.
Thankfully the Hopps family knew someone with sufficient skillset to be useful to him, namely an Arctic shrew that lived among bears. He smiled; he knew this one. It held position as Alpha Twelve and only recently started attending the Council of the Twelve's regular meetings, until he was accused of betrayal and an attempt to exact justice backfired resulting in several Alphas deaths. Scuttlebutt said the shrew was formulating something that would expose the Servants of Truth, if it was true he wanted to know more about it. What the rodent was working on could be quite useful for what he had planned, especially detecting possible traitors in his own mist.
Judy was barely functioning. Three times she was forced to watch this spectacle, this auction and murder of her family. How long she had been here she wasn't certain but judging from the average timespan it took between auctions she felt it easily was three days. Her captors were merciless; she was hit with a cattle prod every time she fell asleep. Now it took a stronger jolt to awaken her thus those that controlled this event were forced to wait several hours until she awakened. After all, the whole purpose of this was to inflict as much trauma upon her to break her will, and an unconscious mammal couldn't have its will broken.
Judy had been here before, not exactly tied up and forced to watch the murder of her family, but the game of wills against that rabbit with an erectile dysfunction. He was foiled only when her rescuers arrived just fractions of time before he accomplished his goal. Camp Billy had a special class for first-time attendees where they were taught the basics how to resist torture, unfortunately there was no boxing ring that she could use the *ropes* against her opponent. Like the other classmates she swore the pain was purposely inflicted harsher on herself, in reality it was borderline sadistic and meant to give them experience that they could anchor their psyche, something they knew they had gone through and survived. At the time she and her fellow classmates thought it was excessive, now she realized just how much the Instructors had pulled their punches, figuratively speaking.
275 siblings she once had; most were older than her but a fair amount was far younger than she. Many that waved good bye at the train station when she left for her first job in the ZPD at Precinct One were younger than her; obviously most were still living at home and some had left home. Her mother's first few litters were quite large averaging ten kits per litter. Stu used to say this was because he was an excellent lover; Bonnie simply said she loved him deeply hence the big litters. It also helped having a farm for them to run around thus the older kits made excellent farmhands. Judy was born somewhere around her mothers' middle litters and Bonnies' last litter was thirteen years ago, Cotton and Molly were the only ones in this litter and Bonnies' last daughters.
275... perhaps hundred fifty had been killed thus far, but she had been under duress so perhaps her count was off, she certainly was not about to ask for a tally. Many of these were strangers, extended family who were the young of her grandparent's generation. Since rabbits normally had many young per litter and many litters over a lifetime she knew her grandmothers' offspring numbered in the hundreds perhaps thousands, add to this the distant relatives and the numbers increased into the thousands perhaps tens of thousands. She was glad most of her siblings were still alive, something that by itself would be damming and selfish simply for thinking it. Still one could not be faulted for wishing this.
The bear was back and the others were as well, more numbers than yesterday probably because she had desperately attempted to escape rather than watch another group of her siblings to be killed in front of her eyes. Naturally she resisted but the numbers made quick work of subduing her and once again she found herself strapped onto the wheel-rack assembly and rolled back into the auction auditorium. As before she watched as another group of rabbits was auctioned off; thankfully these were mostly her distant relatives roughly her age and older. A silent curse fell from her lips as these were killed through no fault of their own except having the unfortunate circumstance of being her relative. As before these were killed and gutted according to the wishes of the predator that won the bidding. She still said a prayer as if they were her immediate relatives, certainly her family gnome would approve and bring their souls to the big meadow in the sky.
As with before this continued for many agonizing hours; the pace being set for obvious reasons.
Now she was nearing the end of what she called Round Four, she was expressionless as another of her family was killed before her. This one was a couple litters older than hers, the buck that often bullied her when they were kits. Now she looked into his eyes as the claw was poised to strike, she couldn't believe he was apologizing. She quickly whispered the prayer, knowing he saw her and fully comprehended what it meant. The claw struck and blood flowed, but remarkably he didn't make a sound. She saw his eyes close tight and teeth clinched together, and then just before life left his body he smiled.
A story crawled through her mind, one told of a bunny that found itself chased by a pack of predators. It had a mate and little ones, its hopping hither and yond was solely to keep the pack after it. Many times it had easily outrun the vicious ones, but now it hoped to lead them far enough away so that its mate could lead their kits a safe distance away from their burrow. The ending of the story was the bunny succeeded but lost its life: as the predators tore its body apart its mate watched from a hill far away. Her ears strained to listen to his death throws, but just as they were quiet during creating their family, he remained quiet as they killed him.
Judy couldn't help but feel this was something her older brother wanted her to be, defiant as they continued to abuse her. Resist... wait for an opportunity to run or perhaps slip through their paws and sow confusion throughout the caverns. She watched as the bidder prepared the corps according to what it had determined it wanted to eat the rabbit, wishing he would choke to death on his meal. An evil grin spread across her muzzle as she imagined a pair of paws exiting his mouth and grasping his throat, holding tightly until he collapsed. She felt better, perhaps morbid conditions required morbid humor.
Hasenpfeffer... that's what Kimberly called it. What could cause a society of herbivores to become so callous towards their fellow prey species becoming a meal for their own fellow ground-dwelling mammals? Self-preservation... better another be eaten than oneself? Viewing non-cavern prey species as lesser-mammals and thus undeserving to be protected? She shook her head; she could go on for many hours pondering this but at the end it didn't matter. She needed to stop the wholesale slaughter of her family, getting out alive would be icing on the cake.
Mercifully the end came and when the body was cooked and the predator finished eating what he wanted, she was removed and taken back to the room she was imprisoned in. As was their normal thing she was removed from the rack and the cattle-prong equipped rabbit thrusted his device towards her. But this time Judy dodged and made a pirouette her leg outstretched which kicked said rabbit and sent it towards the wall, recovered the prong and pointed it towards any of the guards that looked like it was about to lunge towards her. A slight sound told her the rabbit had lunged thus she sidestepped and the lapin flew by landing against his fellows. He didn't get a chance to recover as now the prone was forcibly shoved up his backside and the switch depressed, he now experienced the pain he eagerly gave to her so many times. She allowed a small smile as his screams made it clear he was not going to be trouble anymore.
The others left her alone, not even making any motion to avenge their comrade. They gathered his unconscious body and as usual departed the room without leaving behind food or water.
But she wasn't worried. Somehow someone entered the room and left food and water, and then reentered before the guards came to tie her to the rack and begin another day of watching rabbits die. How it knew when it could enter without being discovered she wondered about, but she was more annoyed why it felt it necessary to drug her to ensure she didn't see who it was.
*THUD*
The rhino lay against the floor holding his arm against his body; he had swung his fist towards the fox but finding the Vulpes' jaw made like concrete. Its mistake was losing situational awareness thus not realizing how close the fox was to the pillar; obviously the smaller mammal had dodged as the larger one made his move. He didn't have time to think of getting back up; the smaller mammal quickly put his full kick to the back of his head, effectively knocking the rhino unconscious. Now the table turned against the fox as multiple mammals regrouped and came en-mass towards him. As he jumped up into the air doing a pirouette he felt something graze his body and when he landed he saw the group had gone by where he once stood. A quick look down at his belly showed just how lucky he had been as freshly exposed skin testified to how sharp the blade was. Silently he thanked going to dance classes with Judy; it was part of the requirement they had to do during their training to become councilors at the elder's estate. Now it saved his life as he prepared to meet the group again.
This brought back flashes of memories, of situations when he had to attend additional training up at Camp Billie. Crowd control was only the beginning: it evolved into paw-to-paw fighting against multiple opponents as his *partner* would not enter the fray until *real time* had elapsed. Real time... as in how long it takes for Dispatch to get help to his position. Back then he had surprised his *opponents*, and the Instructors on just how resourceful he was. For example: how to use an opponent's confidence against itself. One wolf found its swing placing its knife into his fellow attackers' chest, and then discovering the other predators' knife in his own arm. These obviously didn't learn from the rhinos' overconfidence but the others might.
Two opponents temporarily knocked out of the fight and too many more to go. Nick knew the adrenaline would not last and hoped his quick dispatching of the large number of attackers would influence the Controllers as he called them to end this quickly. Otherwise he would have little choice but to kill, something up to this point in his life he only had to do on a pawful of times. Even after graduating from the ZPD academy with the authority to do exactly that if the situation warranted he never made the attempt. But now he was alone with no hope of backup, if ever there were a situation that called for an excuse or justification this was it.
Catherin McKeen cursed under her breath. Stopping the medication now seemed to have been a foolish risk as the todd seemed to have recovered his memories quicker than anticipated. Thankfully he still would be experiencing withdrawals which she could use to control him until the other medication could be administered. But this would only be a temporary setback as her paw motioned for her team to end the fight. A slew of darts impacted the fox and moments later his actions slowed to a crawl and finally succumbed to the medication. She watched as an orderly placed the fox on a gurney and she walked beside it was her guards moved it to the room he had been held in previously. The fox was shackled and after the guards left the room to assume their watch positions she laid down curled up in his paws. Soon she was asleep and unaware of the medical team that entered the room and administered the new medication, this time she wanted him to wake up and experience his first moments of disorientation. She wanted to tell him what she wanted him to know, rebuilding his memory so he would treat her just as he previously did.
If the new medication that Dr. Black prescribed worked she would soon become a mother again and the damnable ancient bylaw would be observed.
Judy woke up in the middle of the night, or whatever time it was. Looking around was the water and food as well as the portable toilet and she noticed something else: a change of clothes, another blanket, couple melons, and panty hose semi-stuffed with cotton. She figured whoever left these must have found a way for her to either escape or hide. Quickly she drank the water and ate the meal, used the toilet and brushed the crumbs off the rags barely passing as clothes. Before she could get near the door it opened and an otter walked inside, this one didn't need introduction but nevertheless Judy was greatly surprised.
"Nurse Teresa Riverbay. Are you behind this?" Judy pointed towards the empty bowls and portable toilet.
"Yes. We may not be on friendly terms but you are still my patient, even if only in past terms. I'm a nurse first and foremost, even though I strongly disagree with your choice in a mate. Still... I'll not have any patient of mine mistreated before the final verdict is delivered."
Judy couldn't help but feel a bit depressed. Part of her held a sliver of hope this female was some part of an elaborate rescue plan, now it was clear she only wanted to ensure the prisoner remained alive long enough for the kangaroo court to return with its verdict which the result was a forgone conclusion.
"I must remove these so the evidence is out of here, not counting that which you need to assemble your *other* self. You should change clothes now and get out of here quick as you can. I'll return and lock the door to ensure the ruse stays; afterwards there will be no return. Succeed or die trying, either way your fate is already sealed. No telling where the hallways lead towards."
The nurse gathered the bowls and closed the toilet's lid so the contents couldn't slosh out, then pushed it out the door. Judy couldn't help but notice what was left behind and that the door didn't close completely, she moved next to the door and listened to whatever might be on the other side. All she could hear was the portable toilet moving somewhere off in the distance, so she carefully opened the door and looked down the hall in both directions. She listened for a few moments trying to tell if the otter was returning, nothing discernable reached her ears so she closed the door and went back to her sleeping spot. After removing the garb that barely could be considered clothing and placing it upon the couple melons that remarkably were painted matching her fur. She giggled; the panty hose lying on the pillow looked convincingly like rabbit ears, if seen from a distance. Perhaps the nurse was helping more than she let on, or maybe it was an elaborate trap waiting to be sprung.
She went over to the door and opened it slowly, and when she was reasonably certain the coast was clear she stepped outside and slowly closed the door. Once satisfied she could open it should she be forced to return, she headed down the corridor. It was surprising how long this went; obviously she was going the opposite direction they normally took her. She wanted to know where they held all those rabbits that they purposely marched before her door. Thankfully it was a dimly lit tunnel and as she walked along she took time to look for depression in the wall should she need to get out of sight. Unfortunately the walls were somewhat smooth thus unless she could press flat as a tapeworm there were no hiding spot.
The tunnel came to a tee-intersection, and after listening for any sound denoting danger she glanced around, first one direction then the other. Few doors were scattered on either side thus either direction could reveal anything. She headed to the left, taking care to look into the small bar-covered window on each door. Prison cells: thankfully these in this corridor were empty, but in a few were scraps of what once were parts of clothing. How someone's clothes could be ripped apart she knew from ZPD training could be done in any number of ways, but she didn't have time to waste on speculating so she continued on. In more than one room she found small slips of paper with paw-written notes stating the author was kit-napped and please send help. She suppressed a giggled; considering where this was found chances for rescue was slim.
Another t-intersection and this time she went to the right. Doors along this were windowless so after carefully listening with her ear against the door she opened one at random intervals. Inside one room she found her original ZPD clothing and she put them in a bag. Inside nearby cabinets she found two Pip-Boars, hers was among these and she had a feeling she knew to whom the other one belonged. She grabbed both putting them in the bag and continued on her search.
Now she felt better as she made her way down the corridor, finding more intersections as she went. She would have kept moving but a strange pit formed in her belly, a feeling that strongly urged her to open a particular door. As before she carefully put her ear to the door and after confirming it was reasonably safe to enter she went inside. This room was furnished with what only could be described as a medical examination room combined with a torture chamber. A hallway at the far end led somewhere and although her rational mind screamed for her to get out and make a beeline towards safety, she went down it. Doors lined both sides and she took a peek through the small bar-covered window, most thankfully were empty. Except the last room at the very far end, its singular occupant she knew quite well.
She opened the door which stubbornly refused to open any faster than a sloth's pace, and then squeezed through leaving her footpad shoe to block the door open should it decide to close. Quickly she went over to the prisoner and assessed its general condition. Pulse... good. Breathing... good. Broken bones... none she could tell. Bruising... confined to her head otherwise minimal. Fingers... she suppressed an urge to barf as the bloody mess made identifying specific parts difficult. Bridget's matriarchal scent... good. She could even tell the scent of her brother's kits lightly.
Kimberly's eyes opened weakly, taking more time than normal to recognize the mammal before her. A very weak smile crossed her muzzle.
"You still live... good. Too bad we both have run out of luck. She will be here momentarily... please go. Save yourself, otherwise you'll doom both of us for sure."
Judy gently held her sister-in-law, putting on her wrist-mounted computer and talking as she waited for its start-up sequence to finish.
"Kimberly... what's going on? I saw you every... well I think every day for the past few days. You were... never mind, I see now it wasn't the real you. I know the Servants of Truth want me, but what do they want with you?"
Kimberly smiled. "It's not the servants that want me. The Chancellor of the Twelve wants my hide. I'm being *processed* and when properly broken I'll go before the Council of the Twelve where I'll be formally tried and pronounced as traitor of the underground. Maybe you'll be there to watch what happens to mammals that resist the will of the council."
Judy was certain she didn't want to know what all that entailed. She was weaker than her normal herself, but leaving behind this doe was a non-starter. She looked around the room for something to open the manacles and chains, finding a pair of bolt cutters that was blood-stained. This looked familiar and once she looked again at the doe did the truth become evident: several fingers were missing and when she looked at the feet she noticed several toes were as well. Instructors at Camp Billy told what body parts a torturer would remove using this and Judy resisted looking any further. An ear lay upon the table and by its general condition it hadn't been removed not too long ago.
"I don't think you want to know other body parts she used that on" Kimberly said weakly.
"Shhhh... let's get those bindings removed and you out of here."
"I don't think you'll get the chance" someone said from the doorway.
Judy noticed the look of dread upon Kimberly's muzzle; it was clearly an indicator whoever was talking was the one that did this to her sister-in-law.
"You waited too long, now both of us are doomed" Kimberly said as misery filled her face, clearly feeling what was going to happen somehow was her fault.
"I don't know how you got out of that room but I'll make sure you'll never leave it ever again. Servants failed to ensure a watch was kept; therefore you belong to me now. Shall you turn around so we can be properly introduced?"
Judy turned clockwise around slowly keeping her Pip-Boar hidden from view as normally she wore it on her left arm; she slipped her arm behind her back further concealing the wrist-worn computer. But what was before her eyes caused her mind to go blank and her eyes to stare at the mammal. Kimberly stood in the doorway and manically laughed as she pointed to the dumbstruck doe. Moment later Judy looked back at the doe still strapped upon the wall, and was sadden as the truth of the situation became crystal clear. She looked back at the doorway-Kimberly and took time looking it from head to feet, now aware of the subtle differences between these rabbits.
"Satisfied? Think you know who I am?"
Judy shook her head in the negative.
"Rachel" the doe upon the wall muttered weakly "Rachel was a couple litters older than my sister".
"WAS?! You speak as if I died. Do I look like a walking corps?"
Kimberly looked up at Rachael. "Far as we could tell you died in our mothers' paws, killed by the Great Purge. Your death was verified by the medical machine as well as by our family doctor. How could we not think otherwise?"
Rachel looked at Kimberly with such hatred Judy never saw before. This was hatred that bordered on the sadistic, that if possible would kill just by the force of its stare. Movies she saw failed to accurately depict what those eyes showed. She once saw two criminals that were angry at each other, but still this failed as well. Judy needed to be very careful; she was still weak and this doe was empowered by adrenaline and a very good diet. Judy's paw reached over and grabbed a steel bar; both were hidden from Rachel's view. If the doe reacted and moved towards the injured doe, Judy had only one chance to make the swing count.
"I didn't *die*. I woke up in the infirmary naked and alone. Imagine my surprise when I learned my own family refused to see me, refused to comfort me... refused to let me back into their home. I even went to their home and pleaded to be let in, but everyone refused to look at me or was pleased I was alive. I found complete acceptance for surviving the Great Purge in the hospital staff, raised as an orphan from that moment on. Do you have any idea how it feels to grow up knowing your family rejected you? As each year passed I watched from afar each of my siblings received gifts and praise."
Kimberly looked at the doe in the doorway, head leaning towards the earless side. "I am not aware you made any attempt but if you did it was to an empty home, we were put into quarantine shortly after your death and forced to stay many weeks. I do not remember how many but when I became a Tracker I found out we were kept in prolonged isolation from what the norm was, the *why* never revealed."
Judy watched the doe she now knew as Rachel with scrutiny she learned back in the ZPD Academy and further during her training to become a junior councilor in the Council of Elders. There it was again, the twitching of the nose. Mentally she slapped herself; her intuition was correct insisting the doe she met on first day she discovered she was a prisoner was not the Kimberly she knew. Now other characteristics became obvious: the black streaks on her ears which were thin, almost as if someone had put two rows of hair in a curved line in several lines. Freckles crossed the bridge of the nose and one ear tended to be more expressive than the other. Now that Rachel spoke more than a few short sentences Judy could tell her vocals were different.
She snapped her attention back to reality as it was obvious the sisters had continued talking.
"... he was a carrot farmer. A carrot farmer! Why couldn't mother have mated with a scientist... even a politician would have been better choice!"
"You should be honored, he was a Thumper buck."
Rachel face contorted. "Thumper buck... if I were male then you'd be correct. Don't you know what that family's genes do to their females? Oversized! Then there's the symptom of what a doe undergo if she continues having physical relations with him, she's driven mad! My genitals were checked by our doctors and they assure me mine are perfectly normal rabbit-size. Unfortunately something about my psyche is not normal thus bucks don't want a thing to do with me. Do you know how it feels to be rejected by even the most ugly buck? It's maddening!"
Inspiration struck Judy, Dr. Frankinmyrl had theorized somewhere in the Thumper family's DNA a mutated gene adversely affected the X chromosome. He was still studying why females became lethargic after somewhere in the dating relationship, old wives tales said this was due to them becoming infatuated with their Thumper buck. But the old goat wasn't convinced, there was something going on down in the genetic level possibly even an unknown process. Bonnie (Jumper) Hopps had dated a Thumper and felt herself undergoing some sort of change. When Judy started dating Nick the old doctor became fascinated and followed their relationship, mostly to see if something that affected the older doe changed DNA in one of her daughters thus caused the young female to seek satisfaction with another species.
As Judy watched the doe in the doorway it became evident her mental state was not normal. Judy wondered if having Thumper genes adversely affected her brain, and would this doe have a normal mind if she didn't have a Thumper buck as a father. It was an interesting topic for discussion but at the moment there wasn't time for that, escape was her priority.
Rachel was obviously emotional, possibly more irrational. "All I ever wanted was to meet him, to be with my real father. He may not be what I wish him to be, but I'm certain he would have been a better father than the one who was a fake. I always was disgusted by yours."
"Well... Dad treated you as if you were his own. Do you know how much it takes for a male to accept raising another male's kits? You know it's very rare and most are forced into it. He showered you with love and attention, your littermates as well."
"He wasn't my dad. He had no right to bully me around, no right to tell me what I can and cannot do. He was only a stand-in."
Judy glanced down at her wrist-mounted computer, pleased she had turned on its recording application. What was being conserved would help Dr. Frankinmyrl and the psychiatrists in Zootopia General Hospital in diagnosing how the Thumper family gene affected females, including their own offspring and most importantly their daughters that didn't have the physical characteristics.
What happened next was unexpected.
"Mother never forgave you for killing my father" Kimberly said weakly.
Rachel bellowed as if she was suddenly a bovine and then charged, never noticing the swing of the iron. A loud crunch signaled bone being broken and Judy felt her arm suddenly going weak. Rachel bellowed again... and again this time weaker. She bellowed one last time before collapsing down upon the floor, lying motionless for several moments. Judy waited for a moment before looking down at her arm. Her wrist-mounted computer chirped, onscreen was a program running, diagnosing a trauma its wearer had experienced. A sharp pain signaled medication had been injected and a moment later Judy felt greatly improved.
"Judith Lavern Hopps... biorhythms now within acceptable parameters. Seek medical attention at earliest opportunity" her Pip-Boar said to no one in particular.
"Wish I had one of those... mine is... don't know where it is" Kimberly said as she looked at the wrist-mounted device.
Judy opened her pack and removed Kimberly's Pip-Boar, attached it on the doe's arm and then turned it on. Both watched the screen as it went through the initialization process; afterwards a voice acknowledged the wearer as being proper owner it began a medical diagnosis. It injected medication and like Judy's wrist-mounted computer it directed the wearer to seek medical attention soon as possible. Judy used the bolt cutters to remove the shackles and chains, dropping it to catch the doe before she landed on the floor.
"What do you want to do with... her?" Judy asked pointing to Rachel.
Kimberly thought for a moment, obviously more coherent and functional than moments before. "Grab the cart that's over in the other room. We'll hog tie her just in case she's faking it. This way we will bring her along, she has much to answer for. First and foremost for what she did to me."
Judy thought for a moment and then opened an application on her Pip-Boar, and then pointed it towards the body waiting for it to finish scanning. A beep sounded and she looked at the results, her face remaining neutral. Suddenly like a gunslinger she pulled out her tranqu-gun and fired. Rachel writhed upon the floor and then rose up on her feet, her arms swinging wildly. Judy dodged her opponent until the chemical finally took effect and the doe fell unconscious upon the floor.
"What was that?" Kimberly asked, obviously still excited from seeing her step-sister attempt to harm her friend.
Judy showed the doe what was on her Pip-Boar's screen: UNDEAD.
"Wait a minute. She looks like a perfectly normal rabbit, how can she be an undead? Those dark priests have pale skin and glowing eyes, she doesn't so she can't be one. Her fur is immaculate and she looks like I always remember her."
Judy thought for a moment. "You said she died in your mother's paws. What happened to her body? How was it disposed?"
Kimberly looked incredulous, and then quick composed herself. "Bodies from the Great Purge were thrown into a specific ravine that was open to the ocean because the water is brackish thus allowing ocean-dwelling mammals to enter. These scavenge from the dead bodies thus removing the diseased carcasses. Normal bodies are thrown into a different ravine which is the deepest we know of, the decaying bodies are so far down the air currents rarely reach up where we are. How far down is the bottom? We measure the amount of time it takes for the sound to return after throwing the body... normally it is minutes before the sound returns."
Judy consulted her Pip-Boar. "It speculates the body must have settled down into a crevice and into an air-filled rock pocket. That rock layer must deteriorate providing oxygen while the neutronian radiation restarts the body's' metabolism and functions. No wonder she felt abandoned, especially when she realized where she was and what her family did. Climbing out of a graveyard must have done some serious psychological damage."
Kimberly smiled weakly. "Get your tail over there and bring something we can use to sneak out of here."
Moments later the body was placed inside a metal box, two hasps closed and locked, then strapped onto a motorized cart. Judy changed into lab assistant clothing and afterwards helped Kimberly into a medical technician uniform. After consulting the wrist-mounted computer for medication that would give both enough stamina to fool anyone not paying attention, she found a small bottle in a nearby cabinet and after filling a syringe with proper dosage she gave both of them the medicine. They needed to escape and to do this they needed to walk as if they were not injured. Judy insisted Kimberly ride on the motorized cart until her strength returned enough for her to help steer the cart around corners. Once both were ready off they went down the hall and soon out of the combined medical examination and torture chamber room, Kimberly directing which way to go, assuring Judy the route they were taking would avoid most of the Tracker patrols. Luckily one of her friends lived reasonably nearby and most likely would help them escape and get up to the Topside world.
Judy had a plan as well.
Once she got to within communication range her Pip-Boar would automatically connect to the nearest ZPD frequency. With any luck they would confirm she was exactly as she said she was, and send help bringing this container to a research facility, preferably one of the bunkers that Senior Technician Pangolin worked in. That panda worked miracles, often helped by Dr. Bevyton and Dr. Dexter, both scientists would surely enjoy figuring out what caused the changes that converted a perfectly dead body into an Undead that acted like a normal living mammal.
Bishop Charlotte Snowshoe watched a monitor carefully, noting where roving patrols were moving and where the two female rabbit prisoners were heading. What she was doing was treasonous but so too was punishing innocents that did nothing but follow ones heart. Loving a predator was practically an invitation to becoming dinner but if a bunny decided to do so then it sealed its own fate. It was she that suggested the otter nurse place food and substance in the bunny's prison cell, and to leave the door unlocked tonight so escape was possible. It was fortuitous the ZPD officer found the room where her sister-in-law was being held, but the undead sister of the former Tracker made an unexpected visit probably to extract another finger. Thankfully the ZPD officer was fortunate enough to neutralize the foul beast.
Nurse Teresa Riverbay stepped next to the bishop and quietly watched the screen.
"What do we do next?"
"Keep eyes open. Did you lock the prisoner's room?"
"Yes. They'll know traitors are in their mist, it's the only way she could escape. Think we'll escape all this?"
"Odds don't favor it, but doing what is right always is best. Perhaps the Divine will grant us a reprieve."
"I still don't approve her mixed marriage."
"Doing what's right doesn't require approval. She reaps what she sows. We will be there to help or bury, nothing more is required."
A door opening and closing announced another entered the room and neither female turned to see who it was. Bishop Gandoff, the male sheep and friend of the other bishop, stepped next to the female hare and watched the screen.
"I've made certain the nearest patrol will pass reasonably close but just far enough away to ensure these escape."
"Thank you, bishop. Perhaps we both will survive the upcoming battle to restart the priesthood someplace far away."
Teresa turned and looked at the other two. "Tell me again why we are doing this?"
The sheep waved his horns towards the otter. "We are the only living members of the Dark Priesthood. A fatal flaw in the priesthood has been made known to us hence why we are trying to fulfill an ancient prophesy, one that predicted the end of our order. Although it doesn't say wither our order ends permanently, we think it means reverting back into proper flesh and blood is what's due the Dark Priesthood."
The nurse looked at him incredulously. "How do you figure that?"
The hare turned and looked at her. "It is miraculous for one mammal to resist thrice the conversion process to become a proper dark priest; it is prophetic for two such mammals to do so in same time frame. The divine surely must intend for the priesthood to make a major change, we intend to do just that. Besides... the battle priest himself is undergoing transformation back into a mortal. Once the priesthood discovers this it will have no choice but to kill him before the process is complete. Therefore the bishop and I are keeping watch on his room, our presence is only thing protecting him and keeping his secret safe from discovery."
Teresa thought for a moment. "Are we going to be involved in the battle? Fighting against my fellow Zootopians isn't what the Hippocratic Oath pledged me to."
Charlotte smiled and placed a comforting paw upon the nurse's shoulder. "No, we will not be fighting; neither will we guide the intruders towards their goals. We will however help them through subterfuge because if this operation fails we need to have plausible deniability. We also need to be ready to help them make another attempt."
Gandoff placed a hoof on the nurse's other shoulder. "We will use this invasion to thin the numbers of the Dark Priesthood. Explosives have been discreetly placed so when the time is right we'll collapse the tunnel leading to the ancient conversion chambers. The rock layer used to convert flesh into... them... needs to be neutralized. Considering the radiation is strong enough it is possible we could set off a nuclear explosion, obviously we don't want that thus the staggering of small charges."
"Enough talking. The battle priest will be going to his room shortly, Gandoff and I will stand watch. You should go and do what we asked of you. We are placing great trust in you, don't fail us."
The three walked out the room and headed in different directions. As Teresa walked alone she thought about what was presented. She served the Servants of Truth faithfully thus was perplexed why these two priests trusted her without hesitation. Intuition... maybe. Hidden threat... most likely. Still the vibe she sensed didn't hint towards a veiled threat but neither did she sense naivety. What could they have which gave them assurance she wouldn't turn them over to the other dark priests? Were they that confident in that ancient prophesy she was just told about? Now there was something that made sense and as she walked towards her assignment she felt a growing sense of history about to be done, and this seemed to rest on which decision she decided to do.
M.