FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

This one doesn't have any sex in it either :(

But I assure you there is more. I hope you enjoy the story all the same, though!

I hope to have chapter 6 out before the week is over.

Give me your thoughts!!

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Mako stood on the edge of the river, staring off across the water at the Aurum Tribe's temporary camp. Tomorrow was his Ascension, and he'd made up his mind that he was not going on the hunt. He hadn't confided that in anyone except Osso, but he was certain that it was the right choice.

He and the bat had been woken early in the morning by Kosh, reminding the otter that he still had chores and duties to attend to, and that Chief Ronan and Selena were heading back to their camp. Osso had promptly gotten dressed, though had made sure to show off in front of the older wolf as he did so.

As soon the bat had left, Kosh had taken full advantage of the still-nude otter, joined quickly by Zeke. Mako had to sneak down to the river to get clean with his brothers before their chores could really start.

Already the sun was starting to set; chores were finished, meals were being prepared, and some of the elders were, no doubt, helping to prepare for his Ascension tomorrow night. Some of the Ormus Tribe had crossed the river to help the Aurum tribe, or merely to socialize and meet new people and vice versa. Mako considered going over to visit the other tribe, maybe find Osso to spend more time getting to know the bat, but he was still rather hesitant.

Osso was the first person he'd ever truly talked to outside of his own tribe, and there were so many people over there; it was a bit overwhelming to think of. Everything would be different, too. Culture, clothing, mannerisms, even their species! He'd never seen a bat before last night.

The otter glanced back to his own camp and then sighed, looking ahead. "If I'm going to get anywhere... I'm going to have to take chances," he thought resolutely, nodding. He looked down at the water, braced himself to jump in...

And nothing. His legs wouldn't move. Mako took a step back from the shore and grit his teeth, willing himself forward, but again, nothing happened. He couldn't just go over there alone, unarmed, into a camp full of strangers. Mako sighed and sat down on the shore, flopping back into the grass. "What's wrong with me," he thought sullenly.

Zeke spotted Mako in the grass as he approached, being kind enough to step on a stray twig, making some noise. "It seems like you've been sitting out here by the river every chance you get,"

Mako had heard the approach, though didn't know who it was until Zeke spoke. He let out a heavy sigh and sat up, looking back to the older wolf. "I like coming out here,"

The black wolf flopped onto the earth beside the otter, wrapping an arm around him and hugging him. "Yeah, I know. Means a lot to you, doesn't it?"

Mako frowned, looking up at Zeke as he leaned on the wolf. "The river? Why would it mean anything to me?"

Zeke shrugged. "Well, you've never been on that side before. The river goes for miles and miles in both directions, too. It's practically another world on that side of the river."

"It's just a river, though," Mako said, unconvinced. "I mean, it's not like it's any different over there."

"How would you know? You've never been. You've never had that experience before. If you crossed to that side, you'd be cut off from home by that river. Everything you know is on this side, and everything you can only imagine is on that side," Zeke said, looking across the river to the camp.

Mako was silent for a few minutes as he considered that statement. Why hadn't he crossed the river before? "There was never a reason to do so," he thought. "It'd be difficult, and if I wasn't strong enough, the current could sweep me away or even drown me. Why take that risk?" he thought. He cleared his throat and looked over to Zeke, frowning. "Maybe I will, some day. I don't know. Why bother?"

Zeke sighed and leaned back on his elbows, resting in the grass. "Yulesson, our grandfather, wrote something not long before he passed away. You were still kind of young; though I guess I was, too," he said, chuckling and then furrowing his brow to remember what it said.

"There is a chance the river is too wide to cross;

There is a chance we will step on land far on the other side

And see the great spirits we've long forgotten.

Though much is long gone, much still remains; And though

We are not now those people which in years passed

Shaped mountains and rivers alike; that which we are, we are.

One unified collective of heart and soul,

Weathered by time and tribulations, but solid in foundation

To think, to dream, to be, and never to give in."

Mako listened to the poem, frowning from the confusion. "It's... pretty, but, I don't understand,"

Zeke laughed and shook his head, smiling sadly as he thought of those words. "There is a chance you could fail, but there's a chance you could succeed. Sometimes it's better to have taken the risk,"

Mako thought over the words and then looked back to the river. "I didn't really get that from the poem,"

"We find meaning where we can," Zeke said, sitting up and ruffling Mako's long, messy hair. "I think I'm about to head back and get some dinner. You probably should too,"

Mako nodded, then looked back to the wolf who was standing up. "Zeke,"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think any of us are capable of... err, well, magic?" he asked.

"Magic?" Zeke repeated, a little surprised. "I know some of the Aurum are capable of doing so; I imagine that a few people could have that potential within our people as well," he said. "Why, do you want to be a shaman?"

The otter's face flushed and he looked down at his paws sheepishly. "Osso made a little ball of light appear in his hands. It was amazing. I'd love to be able to do something like that," he said.

"Well, then I suggest you ask him about it," Zeke said, looking off into the river and grinning wide.

Mako tilted his head as he looked up at Zeke, and then followed his gaze to the river. About halfway across, Osso was swimming towards them, doing remarkably well considering how light he would be in that current. The otter's breath caught in his throat and his cheeks reddened. He glanced back towards Zeke, only to see that the wolf was a few dozen steps away towards the camp.

The otter turned his attention back to the swimming bat, reaching down to help pull him out when he was near enough. "Well, good evening! I... didn't expect to see you over here again," Mako said, smiling warmly.

Osso took a moment to catch his breath, worn from the effort he had to put into fighting the current. "Well. I wanted to see you,"

"Oh?" Mako's eyes widened.

"Oh, nothing in particular. Just see you," he said, bowing his head slightly towards the otter. "I had fun last night, you know. I felt bad for having to run off to early,"

The otter grinned wide as he thought back to the previous night. "So did I. I... actually had a question," he said, ducking his head sheepishly.

Osso tilted his head to one side, spreading his arms and letting his wings expand to dry off. "Oh? What about?"

"How... would someone know if they... were able to use magic? You said some people tried for years and never could," Mako said, looking down at his paws.

The bat smiled and held up his paw, focusing his will and whispered, "Luxos." A small, bright sphere appeared in his paw before winking out a few seconds later. "You just... have to try, really. Focus your will, your thoughts. Try and block everything out and then... make it happen,"

Mako frowned, held his paw palm up and focused for a few seconds before saying, "Luxos." Unsurprising, nothing happened, except the bat giggled.

"The word doesn't mean anything. It's not a magic word or anything like that. It's just what I say when I want to bring light into my hand," he said. "Intent is important, not what you say or do."

"I don't understand," Mako said, frowning further, already a little annoyed that he presumed himself capable.

Osso ran his paws over his short, smooth fur, trying to dry himself off. "It's a little difficult to try and explain. If you want to make a light appear in your hand, you have to visualize what you want to happen. Part of me saying that word is to help solidify that intent. Words don't' so much have a power, but they have influence. If I say... arrow. You'll think of an arrow, probably the same one over and over, maybe a different one,"

Mako's mind immediately flicked to an image of an arrow when the bat said that. "Alright?"

"Okay, well, with magic, sometimes words can be the same way. You make up a word of your own, training yourself what to imagine what your intent is when you speak that word. When I'm focusing, and say "luxos", my mind is picturing that small, bright white ball of light," the bat explained.

Mako nodded, following a bit more this time, but still a bit confused. "Okay, so why not say "light", then?" he asked, hands on his hips.

"Because if I say "light", then I might be thinking something different, and it could be much more dangerous or counter-productive. Or, most often, nothing will happen." the bat said. "Words we speak every day are tainted with our preconceived notions of what they mean. If you create a word of your own, you can tie your own imagery and intent to it," Osso explained.

Mako frowned a little and flexed his fingers. "How do you just... create a word? How would you know what to use?"

Osso laughed and placed his paws on the otter's shoulders, squeezing gently. "You just... have to force yourself. Think of something, make up a word, imagine in your head a clear image of what you want to do,"

The otter tried to think of a word he could create, tied to a small ball of light, and several came through his mind, but he felt too silly to say them. "This is just really... awkward. I feel dumb,"

"It's not easy. It's not something I'd imagine you getting on the first, second, or hundredth time. But we have time, and I'll help you find out,"

Mako and Osso had been sitting by the river for almost two hours, the otter doing his best to meditate and calm himself. It was frustrating to put in all this effort and be getting nowhere, but he had to believe it was possible; Osso had shown him several times. He cleared his mind and focused his will and intent, imagining a small sphere of light sitting in the palm of his hand. "Corsol," he whispered. Nothing happened. Again.

Osso was sitting behind him, paws rubbing his back and shoulders to help him relax. "We can always try something else, you know,"

Mako groaned and leaned back against the bat, shaking his head. "I just don't think I can do this. You said not everyone can,"

The bat nodded, frowning, and just hugged the otter from behind. "It's true, but all the same, it takes practice. Maybe you need to try something else, something you'd really want to do? Did you ever do things as a kid? Play games and pretend?"

"I guess," he said, brow furrowed as he remembered running around playing with his brothers. He chuckled and shook his head, clearing his mind as he thought about how he would pretend to hurl fire at them, and they would do the same. He focused, felt an odd building in his chest, but paid it no attention. He used to call himself Fumal when they were playing; he was a spirit of fire. They'd had so much fun playing back then, back before any of them were old enough to worry about things like hunts.

The otter stretched his hand out in front of him, thinking of those moments, how happy he was during their games, looked down the bank of the river at a piece of driftwood that was sitting there, and said in a calm, determined voice. "Fumal,"

A searing heat burst from his hand, just as he'd pictured when he was a kid, and streaked through the air, striking the piece of driftwood and setting it ablaze, not enough power behind the hit to move it more than a few inches. He stared, dumbstruck at the driftwood crackling with fire, his heart racing, barely hearing the whoops and cheers of Osso behind him.

"YOU DID IT!" the bat was shouting, shaking him almost violently and hugging him, laughing wildly. "Oh my god, I can't believe it!! You can do it!"

Mako just stared, muzzle slowly breaking into a smile and he laughed nervously, shaking. "I... I did that?"

"You did," Osso said, standing up and pulling the otter to his feet, hugging him tightly. "Do it again!"

Mako's face flushed with embarrassment and a bit of pride and he looked down at his paws where he'd felt the heat erupt from. He focused back on the memory of playing with his brothers, pictured what he'd just seen with his own eyes, and pointed it back at the driftwood, a warmth spreading along his arm as he said "Fumal!" this time with a bit more vigor and effort behind it.

The blaze of fire came from his paw and struck the driftwood, bursting the already-charred piece of wood into splinters and igniting some of the dead grass along the banks.

Osso was jumping up and down excitedly and he turned the otter's face towards his own, holding his head in both of his paws and kissing him hard, excited.

Mako returned the kiss happily, holding the bat close, overwhelmed by the elated feeling of accomplishing what he would have considered impossible a few days ago. As he felt the kiss deepen, paws roaming his sides, he felt a sudden weight pulling him down. He was exhausted, and felt drained, as if he'd just been working all day. He was more than just exhausted, really. He felt like he might pass out any moment, and his limbs and body felt heavy. He slumped against the bat, breaking the kiss, and managed to whisper out a worried, "Osso?" before everything went black.