I had just put the last marking down on the map and I looked at all of the books that I had piled up around me at the table that I was at.

'Great now I have to take care of these', I sighed, grabbed a stack of seven books, and went to put them back to where they went.

———————————

An hour later I was to the last set of books and man was this library big, for such a small area, there was a lot to look through and cover. It took a minute to get back to my table but no one was in with me yet so I grabbed the last set and went off to find their places. Occasionally I came back in between putting books away to see what was going on (if anyone had seen or stolen my work) but no one has even been in the library so nothing was stolen or even looked at. I guessed that I was pretty lucky at the moment that most of the others didn't get up early or stayed late and didn't wander around much enough to care about a library.

I turned the corners leading back, thinking about whether or not I should stay and try to learn more about this place; whether I should abandon my old country and explore this region. Or whether I should find my old team first and then come back after faking my death but first I should probably explore this place to see if it's suitable enough.

I guessed it was. I mean after all it seemed like everyone here was happy enough and I don't think that there was a giant sort of war that happened while I was out. I turned the corner to where my table was, looking at the time on the other side of the shelves. It was almost ten at night! I've been in here all day and didn't even realize. I checked the clock built into my virtual eye as well before letting it fade into the background. It was the right time, I had really been in here for hours. As I got to the table my map was still on I noticed someone already there, Luna, and she was leant over the table looking at it curiously.

I froze and growled internally at my stupidity. I should've grabbed it and the last set of books to keep this from happening. Luna seemed to be intently studying it, and I stalked up and slid over my notepad with a phrase already written on it.

What are you doing? It said and I seemed to have startled her because she jumped back, hair standing on end, with a sword pointed at my face. I didn't see a sword before I had come over, not on her back, or her waist, so either it appeared from thin air or it was somewhere I couldn't see it...right?

"Oh I'm sorry" she blurted, lowering the silver sword to her side and I held up my hands in a 'no harm done gesture'. "Did you make this?" Luna motioned to the map, looking at me, and I nodded scratching the back of my left ear nervously.

"Wow this is, this is amazing!" She said and I nodded in thanks, "Is it okay if I take a copy of this to my Commander, and would you be willing to show him how you got all of this done?"

I shrugged and she beamed, jumping once before running over to the front desk, ripping a large sheet of paper from the area next to it, and then she quickly sketched down the entire map, in less than five minutes no less! To say that I was surprised at her speed would be an understatement.

I waited patiently as she checked her map with mine and then rolled hers up and stepped aside. I folded mine into a small three inch rectangle and put it in my left front pocket, and then I hurried after her. She was so excited that she pretty much bolted out the door and flew down the hallways. I lost track of how many turns she took as I rushed after her and then she stopped at a single door in a short hallway.

Office of
High General Black

She didn't even wait to knock, she just opened the door and slipped inside. I stood there shocked. It was pretty big inside, and I would've stood there longer if Luna hadn't dragged my in by my arm.

I looked at her and then at the General in shock. His name was Black, Black what though, Blackfoot? Blackstripe? Black—

"Hey, Umbra" I was taken from my thoughts by Luna looking at me strangely. "Did you make this map or did you already know all of this?" I shook my head and pulled out my notepad and pen.

I knew the areas of the Fur Kingdom but not the other areas or places all over the Repliblic so I had to go by then books in the library that you have in this compound. Honestly if I am allowed into the Archives I may be able to narrow down the locations of the other species, but it's only a guess still.

I showed them the paper and the General seemed pleased and surprised, Luna was just plain surprised.

"Wait, you figured all of this out with just books?!" She gaped and I nodded, was that unusual or something. Maybe changing into this Red Wolf Fur has made me able to understand more information better than other Fur or Humans?

"I, um, I-I don't know how to understand this" she said holding her ears down, " I have been trying to do the exact thing that you just did for three years now, and you just figure it out within a few hours of finding the library. I just don't understand" She seemed to be looking at me for an answer after she was done, and I just shrugged, I didn't know how to react to it either, it just...happened.

I just followed the clues that were in the books that I looked at and marked down the areas that they seemed to be pointing to on the map that I got I wrote and showed her but she just growled and stalked out. Leaving me with General Black-something.

I just remembered something, the President of the Republic's name is Black as well, so are you using your first name, last name, or are you two related in some way?

The General's eyes narrowed at my writing and he looked at me, and seemed to be looking for something. I didn't know what exactly though but I had an idea. He was searching my eyes for trickery or slyness. Something that a deceiver, or a spy would have. I was completely against the King and I'm pretty sure that he saw that, but I did still plan on getting my friends back.

"I am the President's brother, while he is a Grey Wolf and I am a Tiger, we both were raised under the same mother, a Fox actually. And she was taken from us in a siege against the previous President during a party that my mother and anyone she was with were invited to," he seemed to be remembering a bad experience and I'm not sure I should've asked now, "Me and him were too busy fighting each other in the bathroom when it all went down. When we woke up, all bruised and in pain, we came out to see everyone dead and the President taken.

"I became a General in hopes that I would get the chance to do the exact same thing to that traitorous Lion King as he did to us, but I haven't gotten the right people, or rather person, to send in to kill him." The General slammed a fist on the desk, causing a fracture the entire length of the desk to appear. I shouldn't have asked, "And I don't want to send out someone that has just gotten used to being one of us, a former human that had no form of communication should I send you on a mission"

Actually when I was human I was a part of a special task force designed to infiltrate and end the presidents reign, or at least I thought we were. Instead of being sent after you, or the president, someone important over here. We were sent after the King, without real bullets either.

I wish I had at least one real bullet in my gun, because it would've been in that False King's entitled face the first chance I got. Anyways we used a form of communication with clicks since I was mute then too. One to check in, two for clearing a room or so, three for hostiles and friendlies, and  so on. We can still do that if you put me on a team to go after the King once again, but this time I can actually kill him.

"I see, okay then, if that's what you desire. I'll set you up to go after the King, but I'll need to bring this up to my superiors first and they'll probably want to meet you," General Black said and I nodded. As long as I got another chance to kill the punk who ruined my childhood I was satisfied. I nodded my head in thanks and went to leave but he stopped me.

"If this goes through might I ask who you want on a team with you?" His voice causes me to stop at the doorway and I smiled back at him. He knew exactly who I wanted coming with me, and there was no one else I was going to go with except for the first person that's been nice to me here. Though I did have something else I want to do too.

Also if this succeeds I want some friends of mine to join us.

He cocked his head at this.

"What friends?"

I just walked out leaving the General scowling at my back. Luna was actually by the door listening to what she could, and as soon as she saw me she tried to hide it by getting out her phone, but half-way to it she realized that it was pointless and that I was already watching her.

"You make it really hard to eavesdrop on a conversation you know," she said scowling and I grinned at her while I walked past. Hitting her on the leg with my tail while doing so, just because I could.

"What's happening?" She asked jogging up to my side to walk with me. I shrugged, not telling her that there might be a mission in the near future that involved her and me having a chance to kill the King if the Fur Kingdom. But she was having none of it as I was about to turn the corner to go to the cafeteria she stepped in-front of me with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Well?" I sighed. She wasn't going to give up unless I told her something. I took out my notepad and slowly opened it just to irritate her further.

I was just telling the General that I am able to go to the Fur Empire in a stealth mission and that I want you to come with me. I watched as she got past the last part and then her eyes started to water up, and I grinned again.

She hugged me.

I was at a loss, I didn't know what to do, the closest I could've ever come to physical contact that actually had some meaning to it was the time after I had survived the torture that I was put through and the Commander saw me in a new light, not as a weakling that had no potential in the future, but as a strong soldier capable of surviving the impossible.

"Why would you choose me out of everyone here? There are far more people that are better suited for this mission than me." She asked and I told her simply;

You were the only one that has been nice to me in this entire compound so far. You have never judged me for looks of disabilities unlike some others. I smiled showing it to her and then flipping to a new page. Also since we are probably starting soon. I need to brief you on the structure and people guarding the King. As well as the communication means that I use and what you are to do if threatened by capture, or if I've been captured.

She finished and looked at me with determination, and then she turned and lead the way to the armory. On the way I informed her about my means of communication with her and the weapons that I was using, and then I told her that the mission was going to be similar to the simulation game that I had played earlier that morning.

She suddenly stopped in her tracks and looked at me in shock, and then she pulled out her phone thing and pulled up a screen before showing it to me.

"You mean to say that this was you?!" Luna was flabbergasted, "No one's reached that far, especially not on their own."

I nodded cautiously and looked at her confused. Was that simulation supposed to be harder than it seemed to be for me?

I thought that the fact my name being clearly listed would give me away enough. I showed her and she looked down in embarrassment.

"Yeah I guess that it would," she said sheepishly. That thought does remind me though, is any Sheep Furs? I mean they are mammals, but then again cows and pigs are too and we still eat them almost every day. So maybe only the scientists of the past mainly used predatory creatures' genes to make the Fur Generation and that's why there are no cow or pig people, so that we could have a source of food.

"Can we be partners!?" I tilted my head questioningly at her strange outburst. What was this about?

"Sorry. There's this giant tournament coming up in the simulation chambers and even though I know a ton of people here. I couldn't seem to bring myself to ask anyone" she said and I smiled and nodded.

What is it? I wrote and she beamed jumping once and clasping her hands together awkwardly before catching herself and just grabbing my hand and walking.

"So every year there is this giant tournament that's randomly assigned as either a duos, singles, or groups tournament. The winners get enough money to pay for a lot of their lively expenses. The entire goal is just to be the last ones standing." She brought her hand down to her side and pulled outwards and a sword formed from the empty space she pulled it from.

"Last time I got sixth place with just this sword and even though it was a group tournament I didn't want to be in one nor have any extra attention from being on the top leaderboards," she slid the sword back into the space next to her and I raised an eyebrow. Of course no one could see as my face fur was the same as everywhere else on me, but she seemed to understand my thoughts exactly.

"We can carry our weapons around in here. No one is going to care what you do or don't have, but it's does give them an understanding on how you fight" she said and patted her non-exist and sword. "That's why I like to hide my plasma sword, it makes it easier to surprise people when they see me fight with it, and I like their expressions when I cut them in half and take them from the game"

She seemed lost in thought at the moment with a dangerous glint to her eye and I watched her with slight amusement and slight wariness as she seemed like she had a much darker side to her than I originally thought.

"I can't wait!" She yelled suddenly once again. That expression disappearing as she pulled me down the halls.

Thanks for reading (if you kept going to here).

I'll keep this short: I hope you enjoyed, please vote and comment to show me what's up, and I will see you in the next chapter.