A boot kicked against his cheek aware enough to feel the blunt pain still his mind as he fell against the floor on his side. Outside the cheering and cries of humble servants welcoming their Mistress was a dull noise within the cellar he was held in, tied to a chair and bond by his wrists and ankles. Wincing painfully, Kirill spat out a wad of blood onto the floor, cursing to himself.

Denzel had not forgotten about him that night. After rushing to send the letter to Valcian, he was taken in by a few soldiers and dragged to the cellar, abusing him quite thoroughly. That fox hasn't shown his face yet.

"So talk." the one who had just kicked him implored. He was a brutish looking tiger with a low brow, holding a hand to his hip as though he were bored while staring down at Kirill. They were acquainted with one another, but there was never time for friends when you were inside the Ministry.

"I'm missing a celebration because of you." the tiger, Bolish, finished.

Kirill chuckled with a wrinkled brow, curling in himself a bit as a squinted eye looked up, "So sorry to keep you up. We haven't spoken to one another for a while and I thought this might be a nice time to get to know each other."

He was rewarded by another kick to his stomach for his jest.

"I wonder sometimes about your sense of humor. Now talk. We know you helped with the escape of two criminals. And we believe you've sent them to Ex-General Antonis. Tell me where they are."

"I suppose you wouldn't believe me if I told you that I didn't know." Kirill smirked after a cough, "But I'll say it, because it's true. Call it a security measure. I know nothing of where they went."

Bolish knelt over Kirill, grabbing a handful of his shirt to pull him up by, striking a hard blow to his face with a fist. He didn't seem satisfied with that answer.

"You talk more than you give facts, Kirill."

The leopard shook his head, blinking away the blurred vision, "Trained that way, I guess."

A sound from the door caused Bolish to release his grip on Kirill, letting him settle back against the floor while he stood back. Kirill looked up to see two figures enter, closing the door behind them. Pale blue eyes widened as he realized just who they were.

"I'm very surprised to see you here, Mr. Nabokov! It seems this fellow...this--"

"Mr. Bolish." Denzel added, his head bowed humbly as he stood next to Fyren Valente.

"Yes, Bolish! He's given you some counseling? I doubt you've said anything informative, however. I've taken the time to dwell on your records, Mr. Nabokov, and found that you're quite an important figure concerning intelligence and communication divisions." Fyren commented with a widened smile, "So I doubt you don't know anything."

Denzel waved to Bolish to exit the chamber, who obeyed quickly, leaving the three of them alone. Fyren crept just around Kirill, glancing down to the tied up leopard, continuing his lingering walk. Kirill only watched Fyren carefully with a silent expression.

"Not going to speak?" Fyren asked innocently.

"There's nothing to say when I haven't been asked a question."

To that, Fyren let out a small laugh, stopping in front of Kirill's face, hands held behind his back. "Fair enough. What do you know?"

Kirill frowned, almost glaring at Fyren, "I know what you are. What you really are. But I wouldn't think you want the others to know about that." To this, he tilted his head towards the door, signaling all the cheers from outside. "And to know that someone like you slithered inside here?..I don't think the others will take kindly to you. I've done my own research." Kirill finished, lifting a testing brow.

Fyren stood where he was with the same amused smile as though everything Kirill had just blackmailed was no matter to him. Instead, the cat knelt next to Kirill, moving a thin hand to lightly stroke the black spotted fur along Kirill's head and neck. In reaction, Kirill flinched at the petting with a confused look.

"He has very lovely fur, doesn't he, Mowinckel?" Fyren asked.

"Uncommon to see his breed around here." Denzel replied expressionlessly.

Fyren began to clutch at the fattened tissue of Kirill's neck, testing the depth of the fur, "It would be such a waste to see such fur damaged from neglect. Did you know that a certain group in the East specialize in skinning the fur right off the body? Some say they won't even feel it, the fur taken off with such skill, so all that's left is flesh and bone. But I hardly think that's the case. These people enjoy it, a sort of hobby if you will. They use a type of curved knife, you see, and peel around the skin, just like a peach! Of course the ones being skinned are still alive, the Eastern group enjoy that too..."

Kirill's features contorted into something between fear and disgust, feeling a terrible squeeze in his bowels. "I don't know where they are!" he exclaimed with bated breath.

"I didn't ask that." Fyren said, "But I believe we've come to an agreement that neither of us can reveal that I am...what I am and you are a traitor. How's that?"

His spine felt cold as Fyren pulled at the skin around the back of his neck, forcing his eyes away from the cat.

"We'll let you settle on what you have to loose before coming back. Perhaps then, you'll answer our questions more...efficiently." Fyren finished, removing himself from Kirill and stood up, turning for the door. Denzel opened it for his commander, glancing towards Kirill on the floor for a moment before he followed Fyren out.

The cellar door shut with a cold and empty sound, leaving Kirill to think about many things, mainly the possibility of his own skinning.

-----------

The cellar door opened with a loud clank, a piercing light penetrating the darkness within the chamber. Kirill was still lying on the floor strapped to the chair, his stomach caving in and his cheeks hollow than before. His eyes were glazed and distant as he blinked through the light, seeing two silhouettes walking inside. Behind him, his wrists were bloody from failed attempts at escape, the rope binding them together almost digging into his flesh.

The door closed, and with his eyes adjusted, found Fyren and Denzel standing before him. The fox has a large bundle within his arms. It seemed like a tarp, very heavy looking...

"I would think you've had enough time to think things over." Fyren interrupted Kirill's examinations, causing the leopard to look up to the cat.

"...Only of what can happen..." he replied tiredly, pressing his cheek against the floor, "But I do not know where they are."

"Oh, I don't question that. I've had something else in mind." Fyren said, kneeling down beside Kirill, placing an elbow against a bend knee. "You see, you knowing what I really am proves very troublesome if you decide to taddle to the others, something I do not have the time for. So the easiest thing to do with you is to kill you. But that's very pointless in my opinion. To have you figure out my little secret proves your capabilities of intelligence gathering very well. So instead of killing you, I've decided that I will simply use you."

Kirill eyed Fyren silently, figuring that whatever Fyren had in mind would not necessarily come in agreement with his own morality, but he was hungry and tired. He'll hear what's offered.

"Use me?"

"That's right. But to better understand, I will have to explain what is happening. General Valcian had come to meet O'luca quite recently and she plans on taking control over the Sel'Kanite lands."

Kirill blinked, running the details of his own knowledge, finding action and reaction to this decision. "But...The Ministry would have taken over that land years ago..." Kirill muttered, squinting his eye lightly.

"Yes, but that was her little lie. She's had her sight on another land in particular...one that ensures the Ministry's dominance throughout the middle country." Fyren explained, lifting a brow with interest to see how well Kirill could see through these hints. He was pleased when he saw a look of concern on Kirill's features as the leopard appeared to be thinking these things through carefully.

After a long moment, Kirill's eyes widened as he gazed up to Fyren for a few seconds, as though he were trying to find the right words to express himself. "Y-You...But the Treaty..!"

Fyren couldn't help but laugh at that little implication of hope at the mention of 'the treaty', "What about it? You and I know that's just a show for good measure. To keep things "at bay"."

Kirill seemed to struggle with the idea. Not only was General Valcian, the one with whom he had allied himself with for the escape and rebellion, a hint as to what Fyren implied, but also the thought that the Ministry had set her eyes on Faholgal. "The Ministry would be destroyed against the Faholgalian armies!" Kirill fought, glaring up at Fyren, lifting his head as best as he could.

"Ah, ah, ah. Not so fast, Nabokov." Fyren smirked, waving a finger down at the leopard, "Although we may not have enough brawn, we certainly have an abundance of strategy." At this, Fyren grabbed Kirill's chin, squeezing each side of the leopards jaw as he pulled him closer, a malicious grin curved along his features. "And that is what I will use you for. You are not only good at intelligence gathering, but I've also heard you're pretty good with a knife."

Attempting to pull his head away, Kirill could only glare up at Fyren to this suggestion, "You'll have me kill someone and gather information? Nice plan." He added sarcastically.

Fyren lifted a brow gently, "Oh, it's much better than it sounds. Especially on who I want targeted."

"And who would that be?" Kirill spat, a faint growl rumbling in his throat.

Fyren released Kirill's chin, wiping his hands as though he were ridding dirt as he stood up. "I like to set my goals high, Nabokov. If fact, I always do. But what is high enough to seat at such a royal throne as the King himself?"

"That's absurd!!" Kirill shouted, jerking at his bindings to the mere thought of assassinating the King. "I will never do such a thing!"

The cat sighed in disappointment, turning towards Denzel and waved his hand, beckoning him forward. Denzel stepped up and transported his bundle to Fyren with slight haste, as though glad to rid himself of it. Afterward, Fyren lowered himself next to Kirill again, setting the load down to the ground, causing a flapping sound to echo. In the dark, Kirill had trouble figuring what it was, though it smelled of leather.

"I would have rather been civilized, Kirill." Fyren said, grabbing hold of a certain area of the leather-like tarp. "But I wonder. You would be such a waste to me with your intellect. You are, no doubt, smarter than most here in the Ministry. But others? I don't care about them at all. In fact, all I think of them are just fur and bones."

At this, Fyren held a large portion of the tarp before Kirill, his hand curving over the top of the solid area. It took a few moments for Kirill's eyes to adjust to the darkness, only to realize the thing Fyren held in front of his eyes was the face of a dog, only the eyes and lower jaw taken out from the head, two hollows staring back at him.

Kirill withdrew immediately with a gasp, never seeing such a horrifying thing in his life.

"Do you recognize him?" Fyren asked, only to see Kirill still staring at it in confusion. "I suppose you don't. During the time you've been locked up in here, I've decided to try my little threat on the one who helped you with the escape. Wasn't his name Jacob?"

Kirill glanced lower from the head, seeing in detail the rest of Jacob's fur. Everything was still connected...he could see the hints of arm fur along with the legs....the body a large furred pad. He didn't realize tears dripping down his cheek as he stared at his friend. He never expected this...Kirill saw a few canines peeking from the mouth, the wrinkle of the brow in unimaginable pain.

"There were some soldiers from that Eastern lands I was speaking of earlier. They did a good job." Fyren commented, turning Jacob's head towards himself to examine it. "I wonder what your Emily would look--"

"Don't you fucking touch her!" Kirill shouted fiercely, jerking at his bindings in rage to the mention of his love. "I swear to God, if you touch her--!"

"I'm afraid you have no control over that, Kirill." Fyren replied calmly, lowered the skinned fur away. "Unless, of course, you agree."

Kirill bit his bottom lip, glaring to the manipulating cat as he thought over his options. He couldn't risk Emily. She was innocent...just like Jacob. He could never live with himself if anything happened to her. The fierceness in Kirill's eyes wavered, his head sinking against the ground in defeat as he closed his eyes, brows dipping over his eyes in anguish. There was no way out. He was powerless to the threat.

"I will return later to hear your final answer. I'll have your friend warm you in the meantime." Fyren said before he rose, draping Jacobs fur over Kirill's body before he turned away to exit through the chamber.

Kirill shivered violently as he felt Jacob on him, a disturbed expression in his eyes as Denzel stood watching him silently. The leopard felt the gaze on him, lifting his own to the fox with a pleading look.

"You'll be doing the right thing." Denzel began quietly, "She won't be hurt and you could save hundreds of lives by simply complying to the request."

Kirill didn't answer, only looking at Denzel until a few minutes, the fox deciding to leave him afterward, shutting the door behind him.