A frozen wasteland, a cabin miles away from the nearest village as the door opened up to reveal what looked like to be a large feral tiger walking upright. His base species being Siberian, his thick fur made clothing almost unnecessary. His attire would have a human dead in five minutes with his custom lightweight jacket and trousers.

Of course they had to be custom built, his body and limbs engineered so that if he ran on all fours he could quite easily be mistaken for a real tiger. He was of beast kin unlike the more common anthromorphs of his kind. Whereas they were closer to humans then they were animals, his kind were an almost equal balance of humanoid and animal.

He had not always live liked this. He used to live in a town in these parts until it was hit by the human madness. Both the anthros and beast kin had been the product of humans but the beast kin were not welcome, looked as being flawed and dangerous to be around. His town had burned under the assumption that they were planning to stage a raid and butcher on the neighbouring towns and villages. Now he lived alone in this frozen waste, a survivor who had given up hope on the world of man and their unwitting slaves.

Hefting his large axe over his shoulder, he ventured out into the frozen white for the nearby forest. Everything he had he had to work for now. The hunt for beast kin made it too high of a risk to venture to a populated area.

Tying the axe onto his back, he ran on all fours across the snow. His kind was very adaptable and could cover miles on fours. His fur billowed as he raced across. He had no worries about the shack he lived in; he made sure to keep it looking derelict but functional with hidden supplies beneath a hidden trap door.

Slowing his racing pace down as he came nearer to the woodland, he stopped briefly. Something yellow was in the distance, on the other side of the trees. His keen vision saw a bright yellow skinned character but he could not make much else out due to the trees obscuring his vision.

Making his way through the trees, he used the trees as cover and hid behind each one as he peered round each corner. There in the distance approached a stumbling figure. He was clothed heavily from head to tail, leaving only his smooth, yellow muzzle visible.
“A lizard?” he growled out in surprise. “What the hell is a cold blooded anthro doing here in this weather? Ancestors help me, he will die if I leave him. But...can I really trust him?”

After a brief consideration of leaving the yellow lizard to his fate, his consciousness made his mind up for him.
“Damn” he grated out as he sped rapidly towards the colourful lizard.

“Hey, you, what are you...!” he stopped in surprise as the lizard anthro collapsed in the cold fluff.
“Hey...HEY!!” he shouted, shaking him hard but received no response. “Crap, he is out cold. If I don't get him somewhere warm he will be out cold for good.”

Shaking his head, he decided looking for more firewood would have to take second priority. He knew he would regret his act of kindness, but he could not live with himself otherwise.
The trip which would have taken just five minutes alone took him more than double. He had to pause partway and wrap him up in his large jacket, leaving his thick furred torso bare to the biting chill. “Stay with me you lizard,” he grunted as he ran as fast as possible on two paws whilst carrying him in his arms.

Slamming the door shut behind him with a foot, his animal like legs made this much harder then it should otherwise have been and almost dropped the lizard he was trying to save.
Heart racing, he placed him right in front of the old looking log fire before piling his diminishing stash of logs in and, using an old, still working lighter he had scavenged, lit the logs alight.
“Hang on in there,” he growled, wrapping his body around the cold blooded lizards back.

*

“Mmh...wha?” The lizard stirred by the fire. Surprised he was alive never mind in an old looking shack and in front of a cosy fire.
The last thing he had remembered was...what happened again? He could remember his name but little else. He remembered a crash and terror but...that was about it.

Snuggling into the warm, fluffy blanket at his back he felt his worries melt at the warmth he felt. Yes this was much better than the snow he was in before. And he got here...how?

It was then that he felt the fluffy cover at his back move and shift slightly, followed by a deep breath.
“Um...?” he started before quieting, deciding to keep quiet in case it was some wild animal cuddled up to him, saving him for a snack.

Turning his head round slowly, he froze as a pair of wild yellow eyes stared back at him.
Screaming, he scrambled backwards before scorching his tail in the fire and shooting forwards into the tiger.
“Easy, you will kill yourself acting like that!” he growled, grabbing hold of his shoulders to halt him and keep him still enough to find his bearings.

“Wait, y-you talked? Wait, you are not an animal you are...what are they called?” he halted in his light, fast talking voice.

“How can you not know? Pretty much most of the world wants my kind dead so you can't get away from it. I am what is known as beast kin. Equal parts animal and...human,” he said the last bit in hesitation.

“What? Hmm, it does sound familiar but to be honest I don't seem to remember much in truth. I remember my name though, name's Castleton Casanova, or Casa for short if you want friend.”

Taken aback by his light and cheerful personality, the tiger felt a little at a loss. He had just escaped death and lost most of his memories. How can he be so cheerful?
“Uh...Red Tygon,” he said somewhat unsure what to make of all this before jumping back, the yellow lizard, Casa, thrusting his smooth hand out to him.

“What is the matter, you never had a hand shake?” he said, smiling at him and a happy thump from his tail. “And your name suits you, your fur is quite a deep shade of orange,” he added cheerfully. “It is nice to meet you Mr Red.”

He couldn't help a small smile, though not with his muzzle as it was not designed for such expressions. More of his eyes shone and his stance relaxed somewhat. “Just call me Tygon,
it is lucky I saw you; you’re really out of your element out here in the wastes. Even you anthro types are still prone to effects from your inherent species.”

“Hmm? Oh yeah, the cold. Really a bother. Don't like it. Wish I had a good coat of fur like you do to keep me nice and snug,” Casa said in his cheerful tone before wrapping his arms round him. “Mmh, you sure are so warm and fluffy Tygon. Hmm, funny you should be called part the name when tigers used to be tygers. You are not part lion are you? I wonder, mmhhhff.”

“Okay okay, slow down,” Tygon growled out as he clamped a large paw round his muzzle to stop his ever chatting mouth. “For someone who has lost his memories you sure know a lot about other things.”

Eyeing the beast-kin tiger, his tail twitching and the slight bearing of his teeth Casa felt himself go limp, feeling submissive from the powerful tiger's stature.
Removing his paw from his muzzle, Casa rubbed the smooth skin before saying in an apologetic tone “sorry Tygon. I can be very free of tongue and chatty which seems to not agree with some,” he said with a glance at him from his bowed head.

“Sigh look, I am not used to company okay? I am living in isolation to keep alive and the fur on my body. They skin us when they catch us, like animals. And there is talk that even anthros are under assault with slave trade. Seems that humans are determined to be the only ones free in their world.”

“Slave traders? Hmm that sounds familiar but...nope. I can't remember exactly,” Casa said, shrugging his thin shoulders and worked his thick top off. “You sure make a warm environment, mind if I curl up by the fire for now? I...feel tired,” the lizard said, yawning sleepily, curling up before even getting an answer.

“I...” Tygon said before deciding to close his muzzle shut and keep quiet. He couldn't turn the fire off, nor could he throw him back out. He was sure to die in minutes in such extreme weather.
Shaking his head, he sighed and picked his jacket up to drape over the strange lizards form.
Studying Casa, he noticed just how fragile and small he seemed with his lithe build. He guessed his age to be around the late 20's mark. Quite similar to his own age he realized.
“Wonder if you will find the answers in your dreams little lizard,” he muttered before strapping his axe to his back.

Throwing the door open, he checked himself feeling uneasy for some reason. He glanced to the side of the door before picking up his combat axe and strapping it to his side to be safe. There was something odd and he was not about to take chances.

Back with the lizard, Casa began fidgeting about as unpleasant dreams filled his head.
“Excuse me but, I would appreciate it if you would stop with the whip please,” Casa whimpered to some faceless humans.

“Shut up, animals shouldn't talk!” one snarled as he whipped him on his bare back as he, along with a group of others of a similar breed, were loaded onto a plane.

The dream seemed to fast forward to the plane in the sky, a revolt looked to have broken out of control as guns fired and lizard anthros of various colours bit and dug claws into their captors.
The plane seemed to lose control as a scream sounded from the cockpit, raised voices and cries sounded as humans and lizards tried to regain control without success before he opened a door, gathered a bunch of items and wrapped himself as he jumped out of the falling plane.

“AAAHHHHH!” Casa cried out as he sat bolt upright, his tail clutched in his hands and hugged to his trembling form.

“Calm down Casa, you were having a nightmare of some sort,” Tygon said, sitting in a beaten up chair and staring in concern.

Looking about with wide, panicked eyes the thin, yellow lizard gave a quick glance around before his eyes locked onto the tiger's form.
Yes...he was with another like him, that's right. No, not like him, he appeared more animal. He... “I remember what happened,” Casa thought as he remembered now how he was brought into slavery.

“You have the look about you of someone who has just remembered something important. Did you remember what happened to you before?” Tygon said in as gentle of a tone he could manage of his deep, growling voice.

Bowing his head, Casa looked as though he was going to cry or spill everything there and then.
But he seemed to look around and see the large pile of logs and the food he had hunted to eat. A look of realisation steeled over his face. He could not do nothing for this tiger who had taken him in.
Standing up, his tail swishing behind him he guided Tygon to the only chair, “please, I will tell you soon. Your paws must be sore and cold from hunting and gathering in the snow,” Casa said in his light, cheerful voice.

“What are you on about? I am used to it but I am more concerned about you. Please I will not judge you,” Tygon said, wondering if he was just making things worse and wished he could remember how to handle these situations.

“I know you will not, that is why I will happily serve you however I can,” Casa said, smiling as he grabbed at his foot.

Trying to pull away from him, Tygon's eyes went wide. The little lizard was a lot stronger then he looked as he refused to let go and started to kneed and rub his feet.
“S-serve? What do you mean serve? You are free to do what you want,” Tygon growled, his claws flexing as he felt the lizard's skilled hands massage and drain the tension out of his feet. He had to admit that it did feel good, very good in fact.
Letting a sound that was halfway between a sneeze and being cold, Casa looked curiously up.

For the first time, Tygon seemed a little embarrassed, “it's called chuffing, it's a sound us tigers make when happy or contented,” his face fur seemed to fluff slightly as though blushing.

“It makes me happy that I can make you feel contented Tygon,” Casa said as he worked between the soft pads of his paws before his smile vanished.
“Listen, I have remembered what happened before. I...was a slave to humans. We were on a plane heading over these frozen wastes. I still don't remember fully what happened but there was a group of lizards like me. We were being whipped as we entered the plane, but during the flight there seemed to be a revolt. The pilot got taken out and the craft began falling, they tried to regain control but couldn't so I...I picked up whatever garments I could before wrapping myself up and jumped into the snow. I guess the padding and snow was all that saved me from a horrible death.”

A painful growl came from Tygon; Casa looked down at his hands and saw with shock that he was digging his claws into his pads. “Agh, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me,” he begged as he suddenly dropped to his knees and bowed to him.

Taken aback by his sudden turn of attitude, Tygon's eyes went from wide astonishment to understanding.
Standing up slowly, he saw him cringe as if expecting a whip or beating.
Crouching down, he went level with the bowing lizard before putting his hand gently under his chin and tilting so his gaze met his. “Look at me, I know as well as you do the cruelty of humans. I would never do anything to cause you pain, ever,” Tygon said, his voice a soft rumble.

Casa's gaze met his, locked on and his eyes shimmered with relief as he seemed to come back to himself, relief came washing over his face. “Tygon...” he choked, trembling slightly against him.
The tiger couldn't bear seeing him like this; he would rather see that smile back and hear his soft chatting voice again.
Dragging him to his feet, he wrapped his strong, furred arms about him in a strong hug.

It had the desired effect, feeling Casa go limp against his furred chest he held him tight to him. His muzzle twitched for what passed as a smile for him as he heard the lithe yellow lizard give a happy whine of comfort.

“Those slavers will never touch you again, that I promise you,” the large tiger rumbled to him, stroking the back of his head.

“You...will protect me?” Casa whispered, hardly believing his ears. His memories were slowly returning and as far as he could remember since a kid he had always been a slave. And they were memories he wished he could forget again.

“Yeah, just don't expect a free ride of it,” Tygon smiled as he held him at arms length and grinned.
Seeing Casa return the gesture, he couldn't help but feel something long dead inside of him starting to come back to life. Ever since the unfortunate events that ended him in isolation, he had killed all emotions. But he could feel a sense of well-being and happiness slowly returning to him.

“Well, I am very good at giving massages and can haul stuff well. Though usually in teams, I...I don't like being alone much,” he said with the whimper returning.

Unsure of what to do, he stood there holding him to his chest. Looking down at him, he saw his muzzle in his soft fur and thought of something.
“Raise your arms up,” he said softly.

Looking at him questioningly he did as he was told, habit making him obey orders.
Shuddering as he felt those strong paws grip the bottom of the stolen jacket, he lifted it over his head to leaving his torso bare.
“Wh-what are you do-oing?” he chattered, shivering with cold despite the fire burning in the hearth.

His answer came in the form of a hug as Tygon pulled him in close to his body before laying down on the floor with the lizard spread on top of him, sinking into his soft thick coat of fur. “O-oh...” he gasped. The tigers fur and warm chest suffused the thin lizard in warmth, causing Casa to blush heavily.

“Comfy?” Tygon's gentle growling voice rumbled, the little lizard feeling his vibration through him.

Blushing harder, he nodded and settled his head down on his chest. Breathing in the tigers strong, musky scent and sighing happiness at feeling wanted and safe for far as he could remember.

Closing his eyes as he felt Casa settle into his thick fur, he idly ran his soft pads down his back, sending a thrill through his lithe form before Tygon stopped.
About halfway, near the middle of his back was a groove before he realized, “you got whipped quite a lot didn't you?” he said quietly as he fingered the deep scar.

Nodding and whimpering sadly, he placed his small hand on a large furred arm and guided it down to where the whip had bit in deepest. “They almost exposed my spine once they thought I was working with aiding the beast-kin. The slavers caught me sneaking out once with an armful of food and when I didn't satisfy their answers, they whipped me until my back nearly broke. But the slave charge-hand managed to reason with them that a broken slave was no use. They kept a constant watch on me though afterwards until Iwas told me and some others would be shipped off to the wastes for work.
I was on a...a plane to a particular location,” Casa stopped and scrunched his face in thought before he exclaimed happily as the memory surfaced, “ah that's right. To a volcano out here. We cold blooded types are good at surviving in that kind of environment you see.”

His barrage of information was halted as a strong hand clamped yet again with Tygon grimacing at the constant chatter and revelled in the relief of the silence.
An apologetic look from Casa's eyes was his reward. “So basically you and the others were expendable assets they could afford to lose if the volcano suddenly went off or if there were any 'accidents',” he said lowly.

“Seems an accident occurred that was quite unexpected,” Casa laughed before the sound died in his throat.

Tygon sighed and ran his paw over his head and wrapped his tail about his long, thick, smooth tail. There was something about this anthro that was so different to the others he had known. And he wanted to keep him happy as possible whilst around him.
“Were any of them...friends?” he asked him tentatively.

A shake of his head before burying his muzzle in his fur again was the response. “None of us...” came his muffled response, “dared to make friends as we never knew what was going to happen. The humans had little regard to our health.”

“Listen, you are welcome to live with me my little friend. And if ever those slavers come looking I will give them a message,” he said with a glance at his combat axe on the wall.

Casa's head shook and his expression went remorseful, “I really want to dear tiger. But I would not be able to live here without spending less than a few minutes outside before having to come back inside.”

Another sigh, and Tygon looked away from his kind eyes. He knew he would have to face the fact he would have to part with him. Company never seemed to last long with him. “Okay...I will get you to safety, don't worry.”

“Y-you will? But how?” Casa gasped. Even if you wrap me from head to toe I will not last long enough for the trip to the nearest town.”

“I...I don't know...” Tygon trailed off. He had no clue how he could get them both out and even if he did... “where could you go? Surely the humans will just recognise and take you back to the slavers?”

“Well...there is only talk about it right now but, well they say there is a group in a hidden town for slaves that have freed themselves and some beast kin also. They say, in parts of the world there are hidden pockets of resistances from all the none-human classes.”

“Oh?” Tygon said amused “And do you know where these are, or how to contact them?” When he saw his hopeful expression fall, he chuckled to himself. “Don't worry, we will sort something out. Just need to hunker down and sit tight for the time.”

The tigers eyes going wide, Casa wrapped his arms about his furred neck and hugged him tight, “you really are not used to this kind of treatment are you huh tiger?” Casa's light, chuckling voice sounded as he noticed his stiffness.

“No, uh I mean yeah...” Tygon stammered. It was the first time the lizard had seen him react like this. His cool, calm demeanour crumbled at a simple hug.

“You want me to stop?” he murred lightly into his ear, chuckling as the round, spotted ear flicked in confused feelings.

“N-no...I don't. In fact I am enjoying this,” his voice was hardly audible as his breathing came out faster and more rapid.
He noticed Casa's grip became tighter and more desperate “you have been alone for a long while too haven't you? That is why you like to be so friendly. I guess we have both suffered at the humans hands in one way or another and we both want someone there for us.”

Another nod from Casa, and as Tygon wrapped his arms strongly about him they both shed silent tears of happiness. Both finding a sense of comfort and peace with friendly company for the first time in a long while.

“Uh?” Tygon gasped softly as he woke with a start. They had both fallen asleep with each other, cuddled on top of each other's bare from.
A noise had roused him from his comfort induced nap, the sound of an engine that had suddenly cut off in the distance. It could just have been some explorers or lost their way. But no, something was wrong about this.

Feeling Tygon's muscles go tight and his body tense on up, Casa stirred from on top of him before blushing cutely at having done so. But he immediately sensed and felt his tension “Tygon, what is it?”

“Nothing yet, a vehicle cut out in the distance but I smell trouble approaching. Hide in the hidden tunnel” he said as he deftly picked him up and carried him over to a part of the shack that was unremarkable, looking as the rest did. “There used to be mining here, and they used this as a passage to smuggle some of the goods out to families or whoever,” he said as below lay some ladders and old tracks. “Go, now!”

“No, I want to help youUUUUUU!” Casa cried as he was shoved down the short drop, landing on his leathery rump. “What was that for?!” He cried out as he rubbed at his bruised backside.

“You can start by hiding out of the way,” Tygon growled before closing the hatch and turning round to grab his axes.
He knew there would be no talking to them, humans could be worse than any other animal when it came to feeling challenged. He knew it is why they sought to keep anthros on a leash and their 'mistake' beast-kin wiped out.

Cracking his neck and rolling his thick, furred shoulders, tail flexing as he geared himself up for the fight. He suddenly heard a voice from outside the shack. “We know you are in there Casanova, we had a survivor from that plane wreck. Now we would skin him and stick him up somewhere as an example but he tells us you were the instigator before he died. That you started a riot on the plane and then chose to abandon craft as it fell from the sky.”

Tygon paused, he would never believe Casa was capable of such a thing. However the slaver continued.
“But we would rather have the instigator strung up like a scarecrow. It will remind all these lower creatures, creatures that belong to us humans, that we are the masters and always will be. Now, if you choose not to come out we will just burn shoot the cabin and bury you in its ashes. Your choi...”

He stopped as the door opened; Tygon could no longer stand to hear his prattling any longer. “You say you will always be the masters? You think you have a right to do as you please?!” Tygon roared as he leaped from the doorway. His combat axe coming down and splitting the humans skull in half.

“F-fuck!” a slaver cried out, they were all armed with heavy duty magnum guns as they all began shooting at him. “Beast-kin, kill it, KILL IT!” A stocky slaver screamed as he came barrelling towards him and threw his axe to cut deep into his heart.
Tearing his broad axe from his back, he swung it in a large arc, his keen hearing picking up easilly the sounds of a human running towards him.

The humans head rolled off of his shoulders, blood spurting from the stump as the body crumpled. “Fuck this!” one of the remaining slavers shouted out as he flicked on a powerful torch that struck the tiger dead in the eyes.
Roaring in pain from his light-sensitive eyes he clasped his paws to his face to shield them, dropping his axe in the process.

Two loud bangs and two bullets thudded into his arm and leg, collapsing on one knee and unsheathed his claws in his good hand.
He put all he had in his good leg, trying to use his hearing above the roaring, chilling wind to find the remaining attackers. His aim was just off its mark before being whacked on his back by the hilt of a gun. “This is why you beast-kin should be all put down like the animals you are. Just look at what one of you have done,” a thin, tall slaver said smugly as he aimed his gun straight at his head, a foot on his back to prevent resistance in his weakened condition.
“Gaaahh!” the human cried suddenly as a thin, yellow lizard anthro dug his short claws into his neck.

“You leave...Tygon...Alone!” Casa said, trying to be brave but sounding more of fear, the cold quickly chilling him.

“Idiot...you should have taken those mine tracks towards safety,” Tygon growled out, his tail lashing in frustration.

A loud roar of engines suddenly drew closer, the sound heading towards them before cutting off. “Ohh, what now?” Tygon groaned, a similar groan sounding from Casa at the thought of more humans with guns.

A loud clang sounded as a heavy door fell open, followed by the rush of feet on the snow. Turning their heads round they saw three anthros standing before them. One a female Serval, her large ears moving and pricking for danger. The other two a wolf pairing consisting of a male grey and a female ginger. All three were decked out in custom made light armour and held in their hands machine guns at the ready.
“So this is where you ended up huh?” the Serval said in a surprisingly gentle voice for her fearsome appearance. “And made little waste of causing trouble for another in hiding it would seem. Come on, we will get you two sorted out,” with that, she gave a low meowing noise, the two wolves jumping to her command as they dragged Tygon into the truck.

Almost frozen with the cold, Casa could just stare in bemusement and shake as the pretty Serval carried him into the back of the truck and set off with a roar of the engines.

Laying on the bed that creaked and groaned under his weight, he stared at the yellow lizard, shivering until the heat inside began to warm him through.
“Casa...what is going on?” he asked in confusion, a slight pain in his voices as a dressing was put onto his bleeding wounds. Just how did they know of him and more importantly what were they doing here? It was too much of a coincidence they just turning up like this.

“I...I am still trying to sort through things,” came his stammering reply. He was as shaken up by how rapidly events had carried them. One minute he is safe and warm with his new friend, the next he was flung into chaos.

“It would seem your friend is suffering from mild amnesia, but I believe I can fill in some gaps,” the Serval said as she came through the dividing door between the drivers and the compartment.
“My name is Lyrise, we are part of a hidden movement of anthros and beast-kin that are trying to mobilize against the humans oppression. Castleton Casanova was to try and help stage a rebellion against their human slavers after a brief contact with him. But it seems things did not go to plan and they ended crashing a good 100 miles away from our base. Luckily he bailed and managed to find a kind tiger to help him. We hope that once he regains his memories that he can help us strike at their base estimated to be on the other side of the country. But for now, we will get you to our base and get you both taken care off. Tygon, Casa, your home will be with us until we can get you somewhere safe.”

Excusing herself so the two friends could digest what had happened, Tygon turned to the lizard, “well, jog anything in that mess of a mind?” His voice held something, maybe anger, confusion?

“N...yes, a little. I remember a bit. I am a pathetic coward aren't I?” Casa said with his tail slumped on the floor and his eyes downcast with shame.

“Idiot...you would have died as the rest and for nothing. Yes you probably did a stupid, rash act before. But I know, there is no life in a slave encampment. I know, they tried to tame us but we proved too violent. Too independent and so with their captured beast-kin they shot. All save for me as I managed to escape and left my friend’s to die...that is my sin. So I can't preach.”

“Oh Tygon... I never knew,” Casa said as he laid his smooth hand on his larger, more paw like hand.

Reaching out with his other paw, Tygon rested it on his head. The large hand almost half the size of his small skull “thank you Casa. Thank you for helping me remember what having a friend is like. Please...don't leave me,” his growling voice seemed to catch in his throat in a sob. The first time the small lizard anthro had ever heard or seen from him.

Touched by this show of emotion, he let his head be guided to his furred chest and sighed happily “I will not be going anywhere my friend.”

Looking back through the hatch of the truck, Lyrise smiled slightly. Seeing anthro and beast-kin like this was what she wanted the world to see it as. In harmony.