FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

-6-

The cafeteria was large, probably big enough for five hundred students at one time. I scanned the perimeter for seating and saw a table off in a corner, away from the cluster in the center. Perfect for my asocial tendencies.

The food itself was the same institutional slop I'd eaten for six years back in Emport. Today brought overcooked "meat"loaf, undercooked rice, dry lima beans, and canned fruit. The beverage choices were the oh-so-popular milk and fruit juice, each in various flavors. There were no vending machines, no ladies selling cookies, nothing. Just slop, calcium, and vitamin C.

I picked up a tray of slop and a carton of grape juice and made a beeline for the table. I noticed a couple of stares and whispering.

_You seem to be quite popular,_said Sparktrivis.

Debatable,_I replied as I sat down. _I'm quite sure they loathe me because I injured their precious 'roid boy.

At that moment, someone approached me. I looked up. It was the same boy from P.E. that had warned me what I had coming from Coach Calvinstamp.

"Mind if I join?" he asked.

"I do," I replied.

_Really?_chided Sparktrivis.

_ _

"That's too bad," he said, and sat down in front of me.

"If you were going to sit down anyway," I began, "why bother asking me if I minded?"

"It's common courtesy down here," he replied. "That, and I wanted to see how much of a douche you would be."

I couldn't help but smile. "Well, I've been told I can be insensitive."

"I can tell. You sort of have this permanent scowl that steers dragons away."

"Then why are you here?"

He looked up with a mouthful of "meat"loaf. "I'm a dragon's dragon."

I noticed I had not bothered to pay attention to his features, so I did so now. He had dark green skin, blue sclera, and green eyes. He had a row of purple spines running along the top of his head between two short purple horns. An even stubbier horn was on his snout, and his hands sported curled horns on their outer sides.

"Since we don't know each other's names," he said, "I guess I'll ask for yours."

"I'm Rex," I answered. "Rex Lightning."

"Well Rex, Rex Lightning," he replied, "I'm Joplin. Joplin Zocatto."

"I see you're a smartass," I said coolly.

Joplin grinned. "Well, you are as well," he retorted. "You should be happy to be in the company of like kind."

We continued to talk as we ate for about fifteen minutes, then everyone began filing out of the cafeteria.

"Lunch is over?" I asked.

"No," Joplin answered, "it doesn't end for another twenty minutes. Everyone just leaves at the same time because they're a hive mind."

"Where are they going?"

"Outside. Dragons play sports out there and whatnot. Shall we?"

"I guess."

I allowed Joplin to lead me to the slop disposal site, then followed him out of a pair of double doors.

Outside--that is, behind the school--was a vast, green field. In the center was a pair of football goals. In the top left corner was a set of basketball courts. In either bottom corner were benches. Way off in the top right corner was a walnut tree overlooking a tennis court.

"Variety's the spice of life, eh?" joked Joplin. "Let's sit over--"

He didn't finish the sentence because at that moment a gang of dragons approached us, led by the bright yellow dragon from yesterday. Well, my day was good while it lasted. Shame I didn't meet my goal.

"Are you here to avenge your friend?" I asked sarcastically.

"No," he snarled, "I'm here to beat the hell out of you!"

"Don't you mean_we're_ here to beat the hell out of you?'" teased Joplin.

"Stay out of this, Zocatto!" the yellow dragon yelled. I observed the crowds gathering in the distance.

"Bolt," Joplin replied, "when will you learn? We all know you're a pussy without your chemically-enhanced friend to back you up."

Bolt's face turned as red as a beet.

"Hey! I don't wanna miss this!" someone yelled.

I turned to see Bill Blue running towards us. When he arrived, he looked at us, then at the gang, then at us again.

"Two versus three is hardly fair, Bolt," Bill said. "Don't worry though, I'm more than willing to even things out!"

"Long time no see, Bill," greeted Joplin.

"Same," replied Bill.

I could see the sweat forming on Bolt's brow. And with my senses, could see the electric blips in him getting faster and faster.

"Your pulse is rising," I said. "Fight-or-flight?"

Bolt was opening his mouth to answer when there was a shriek in the air.

"Thunder...dragon!Thunder...dragon! Thunder...dragon!"

Everyone looked up and all jaws dropped. The 'roid boy himself had arrived.

Something isn't right about him since our last encounter,_Sparktrivis warned. _I sense a great evil dwelling within him.

_ Maybe the same evil Furon was talking about,I replied. _It feels similar to that evil aura given off by that Dragonet thing as well.

"Get back," I said to Bill and Joplin.

"We're not scared of--"

"I understand you want to help me, but trust me, something's not right. Get back. Now."

Bill and Joplin looked at each other and exchanged confused looks, but did as I told them.

"Chickening out?" taunted Bolt, grinning. "Welcome back, buddy!" he said as Curin landed. "We were just about to--"

Curin turned around to face Bolt and company. I heard a chuckle, then saw his arm rise and slam into Bolt and cohorts, knocking them down to the ground.

"Hey! What the he--"

"I don't need your help, weakling," Curin snarled. "Not with my new power."

Curin then turned to face me. "To think I lost to something so inferior," he said.

I smiled, and in the most inflammatory way possible, replied with: "Let's not hide behind a wall of superiority. Everyone here knows you're anally hurt because I laid you out yesterday with one punch. I know it, all of them know it--" I gestured to the crowd-- "your friends know it, and you know it, too."

I saw steam rising out of Curin's nostrils.

"Give me your best shot," I taunted.

Curin belched a stream of flames at me. I flipped over them and landed to safety.

"Bravo," I said, clapping. "At this rate you'll make juvi before you're fourteen."

That earned me another stream of flames. I took to the air to avoid this one.

"Hey!" I called down. "You do know you CAN adjust your trajectory, right? Oh wait, you're an idiot, of course not."

Another stream of fire was shot, but it fizzled out before it reached me.

_Stop taunting him and just end this,_said Sparktrivis.

If you insist.

I charged up a thunderbolt and shot it straight at Curin. It hit him in the belly, knocking him down. He did not stir.

He's still alive,_I said, _just unconscious.

I landed and was about to motion for someone to get help when I sensed an explosion of darkness. I turned to see Curin still lying on the ground, but surrounded by a purple-black aura. The crowd began backing away, and so did the teachers that just so happened to show up now (Really, where were they before this whole thing even started?). My left arm started to hurt badly where my birthmark was, so much so that I winced in pain.

"You alright?" Bill asked.

"I'm fine," I said.

There was a flash of white, and now I was in this realm composed of the purple-black aura. Before me was Curin, shrouded in a violet cloud. He was crying.

"No, please...," he whimpered.

There was a bone-chilling, evil laugh. "Mortals are such weaklings," something said. "I'll take over from here!'

Curin's eyes widened to the size of Frisbees. "No, no, n--AAAAUUUUGH!"

That weirdness ended and I was back in reality.

"Yo, what is up with you?" asked Bill.

"Yeah, you kinda blanked out there," said Joplin.

"I'm trying to figure out what the hell is going on myself," I replied. "What's wrong with me?"

"He's getting up!" Someone in the crowd cried.

"Getting up" was not the proper wording. It can be better described as slowly levitating into the air, writhing and screaming in agony.

"This is some freaky shit," said Bill. I could hear the fear in his voice.

The violet aura I had seen in the vision (at least, that's what I wanted it to be) returned and obscured Curin. There was a flash of light, then a crashing sound as Curin landed.

At least, I think it was Curin. He had mutated into some sort of wild beast with hilariously tiny legs with digitigrade feet. From the waist up he was all muscle. His wings had vanished, replaced with a row of sharp spines where they would be. His eyes glowed purple. However, the most significant change was the glowing V in the center of his forehead--the same one I had seen yesterday on the dragonet. But whatever this thing might be, one thing was clear--Curin--his being--was gone.

"Who or what are you?" I asked.

The beast chuckled. "I am a servant of Lord Vaal," it answered. "You can call me Delgrado."

_ That's the name of a demon,I thought, _the demon representing anger.

"What have you done with Curin?"

"The boy is in Purgatory," Delgrado replied nonchalantly, "and he'll remain there as long as I'm in control.

"You shouldn't care much for him," the demon continued. "He made this contract willingly."

I could see the looks of incredulity of everyone's faces. Had their parents even talked about the gods?

"I don't," I admitted, "but I'm sure his mother does."

"Hm. How cute."

"I have one more question," I said.

"Ask away."

"What do you want with me?"

Delgado pondered, then laughed. "Why that's simple..."

He threw a punch at me--I rolled under his massive arm and narrowly avoided his ham hand.

"...I want your broken body as a tribute to my lord! The one with divine current and the one with limitless knowledge must be eliminated, for they threaten his plans. Once I snuff out your life, it's only a matter of time before she reveals herself."

Divine current?_I thought. _Girl with limitless knowledge? This is all too much. But I am sure of one thing...

I unsheathed my claws. "It's time I sent you back to Hell."

Delgado laughed. "You can certainly fail trying."

He inhaled a bunch of air, then exhaled.