FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The breeze blowing in the window carried with it the smell of freshly mowed grass and the pungent scent of burning wood. Inga leaned out the window to her room, closing her eyes and enjoying the warmth of the sun on her smooth, white and brown spotted fur. Inga was a young horse, and considered by more than a few to be the most attractive servant in the employ of any of Crown City's nobles. She whinnied happily as a cool breeze rustled through her long brown mane. It was the first day of fall, and the weather was absolutely delightful, a welcome change from the dreary rains which usually plagued the region at this time of year. In the distance she could see the outline of Crown City, rising triumphantly next to the seemingly endless expanse of the Sea of Tears.

Inga looked down, into the vibrant, well tended gardens below. On a stone bench sat a coyote, dressed in a fine blue suit and an expensive looking maroon vest. The canine puffed on an intricately designed ivory pipe and perused disinterestedly through the day's newspaper. Although he was reaching into his early forties, lord Clang was still a very dashing looking fellow. His well trimmed whiskers and still toned frame made him one of the most distinguished and imposing looking nobles in the empire. Inga sighed as she looked down at the coyote. She thought to herself how lucky she was to serve him as his maid. Not only because of his dashing looks, but also because he was perhaps the most kind, and reasonable nobleman in Crown City.

The coyote seemed to pick up on the fact that he was being watched and he looked up, giving young Inga a warm smile.

"Ah! Good morning my dear!" The coyote shouted up, "Why don't you come down so we can talk?" Inga laughed to herself.

"Coming mi'lord!" she replied, turning from the window. She quickly made her way downstairs and out to the garden, no small task when one considered the overall size of the mansion. Indeed, Clang manor was one of the largest homes in the vicinity of Crown City, and inside it was a veritable maze. As she stepped out into the garden, Inga took a moment to let the smell of the prize winning roses that grew by the door fill her nostrils. She savored the soft, nostalgic smell, storing it away in her memory to keep her company during the long, dreary fall and winter months to come. "How does this morning find you lord Clang?" Inga inquired politely, giving a courtesy to the coyote. Lord Clang gave her another smile, patting the bench beside him and gesturing for her to sit down. Inga tentatively took a seat beside her employer.

"What do you make of this my dear Inga?" The nobleman asked, holding up the newspaper and pointing to a large article on the front page. Inga leaned over, peering at it intently. The headline read, "War?" and was followed by a rather winded article about the prospects of war with the nation of Galleo at some time in the near future. Inga sighed.

"I am an imperial citizen my lord." Inga said wearily.

"And it doesn't bother you? The prospect of war with your homeland?" Clang inquired.

"I have not set foot in Galleo since I was a small girl." Inga told him. That article had been reprinted in the newspaper (Although slightly reworded each time) for some period now and each time someone would try and see what she thought of the idea of war with Galleo, as if testing her loyalties.

Letting the subject drop for the moment, Lord Clang pointed down to the corner where a large ad had been placed.

"And what of this?" Clang questioned, pointing to the ad with one clawed finger. The Ad read, "Exotic Slave sale!" in bold letters, followed by promises of healthy, erotic, and well trained slaves.

"I'm afraid I don't understand sir." Inga answered at last, looking up and peering into the canine's bright, intelligent green eyes. "Are you asking my opinion on the slaves they are selling?"

"I'm asking your opinion on slavery my dear." The coyote expounded, "Do you approve of it?" The equine maid hesitated a moment, considering her response.

"Well my lord," She responded at last, "I should say I approve of it as a punishment for criminals and prisoners of war."

"And what of those innocents who are captured in slave raids?" The lord pressed.

"I cannot say that I approve of such practices my lord." Inga replied, being careful not to sound too abolitionist. The nobleman merely smiled and nodded approvingly.

"Neither can I my dear." The coyote spoke, his voice sounding a bit detached and his eyes fixing on something in the far distance, "And yet I have a most peculiar favor to ask of you."

"Yes Lord?" Inga responded eagerly.

"I have need of you to go into the city today." Lord Clang explained, "And I would like you to purchase one of these slaves for me." Inga nodded. "I would like a young male, preferably about twenty or so if possible." Inga listened intently making note of her lord's unusually particular requirements. "I would also like it if he were darker furred, a few lighter spots being acceptable. Canine only!" The coyote added emphatically, "That's most important! I only want a canine!"

"Do you... only like canines?" Inga inquired, a more than idle curiosity in her words. Lord Clang gave her a warm grin, perhaps garnering a bit of what she had truly meant by the question.

"My dear, so long as I have lived I have been a constant shame to my family." The coyote laughed, "I do not intend to change that trend in any way." Inga giggled. Indeed, Lord Clang had always been the black sheep of his family, his distaste for politics and business being only part of it. Old man Clang, the coyote's forbear had intended for his other son, Roger Clang to be his heir. When the young man had vanished during a trading mission to the western Isles, the title had reluctantly fallen upon the current lord. Inga knew he hated it, as he would much rather be out exploring the world. His adventurous nature having been something the old lord had attempted to discourage at every opportunity.

"I'll have the coach take me into the city then my lord." Inga said, standing up and giving a curtsy as she walked off. The equine made her way through the labyrinthine manor and out to the back lawn. The back lawn was really just that part of the rear of the manor that was not occupied by the gardens, which stretched from the manor's side all the way around to about the middle of the rear side, where a tall hedge separated it from the lawn. A long dirt path wound its way from the door back to a small cabin that had stood behind the house for nearly three generations, the residence of the estate's groundskeeper. Further back still stood the small, eloquent barn where the lord's coach and horses were kept. It was here that the coach driver lived, in a small apartment in the loft of the barn.

Inga made her way down the old path, looking occasionally out across the dreary moors to the silhouette of the city. She loved going into town. She usually only had the opportunity to do so once a week when she went for groceries and today was quite the treat to her. As she approached the barn, she could see that the large, wooden double doors were open and the coachman was inside, dutifully grooming one of the brown and black mares that were used to pull the carriage.

"Good mornin' to ya Inga!" The coachman greeted, giving a friendly wave. The coachman was a human, one of many in crown city. His once red hair was now mostly gray and his movements had slowed down with age, but Inga could tell he had once been a quite handsome fellow (As far as humans went).

"Good morning Walter." She replied, giving the old man a grin, "Be a dear and get the carriage ready. We're making a trip into town." Walter cocked one of his grey brows in curiosity.

"Oh?" The coachman answered, "I didn't think ya were due for a grocery hunt for nigh on three days?" Inga nodded.

"True. But Master Clang has a special request. He is sending me into town to purchase a slave."

"Really?" Walter gasped, a look of shock on his face, "Never known Lord Clang to be one for slaves. Never expressed any interest before has he?" The maid had to agree. Lord Clang hadn't owned any slaves previously, nor shown an interest in doing so.

"Either way," Inga told him airily, "We can get the shopping for the week done first, and then pick up this slave." Walter gave her a nod and a smile, then went back into the darker parts of the barn to fetch the rigging.

Meanwhile, Vanamee and his friends were being herded off of the ship by a group of Imperial soldiers who had been waiting for them, along with the other slaves. Vanamee shivered as he took his first step onto deck that morning, the air here being much cooler than what he was used to. The captain hadn't spoken to any of them since he had given Vanamee the strange, lust inducing drug the day before. He had probably assumed, and rightfully so, that the young wolf would have no interest in talking to him. The canine boy sighed as one of the guards gave him a shove, pushing him down the wooden gangplank that led from the ship to the dock. He had been dreading this moment ever since they had left the islands, the day he would lose his friends and be all alone.

"If it makes you feel any better," Edwin spoke up, "Kura will probably be released way before we are. What with being pregnant and all." Vanamee snarled at the long ear, thinking this to be some sort of bad joke. When he caught sight of the rabbit's brown furred face however, he realized he was serious. "Don't be mad at me Van." The rabbit sighed, lowering his face, "It's just the way things are."

The Crown City docks were unremarkable, being the same sort of long wooden piers covered in crates and barrels that Vanamee had seen in Jade. What caught the wolf's attention was the city itself which they were being led toward. It was a wonder to behold. Never had the lupine imagined that so many buildings and people could be in one place! In one glance across the street that led from the docks, he saw more people than he believed had ever even LIVED in his town. The grey, stone buildings that loomed on either side of the cobbled street were several stories in height, and filled with row after row of expensive looking glass windows. That was the first time the young canine had ever seen windows with glass in them. In the usually hot, humid climate of the western isles there was little need for anything to fill the windows. As they marched along, none of the slaves spoke, all of them appearing just as mystified by the sights as Vanamee was. Edwin was perhaps the only one amongst them who seemed to be less than dumbfounded, having been from a region close by to begin with. As the street came to a four way stop, Vanamee saw something else he had never seen. The street that intersected the one upon which they were being led was a great deal wider, and paved with larger, smoother stones. Down this wider path Vanamee saw three large wooden boxes on wheels, each being pulled by a team of feral horses. One of these boxes, a fancy black one with more of those glass windows on the side, passed in front of the group, and the soldiers halted them so it could pass. Inside Vanamee saw a young equine woman, dressed in a plain black and white gown, smiling at them as she passed.

"What was that?!" Vanamee gasped, watching the receding form of the carriage as it moved down the long, winding street.

"You mean that carriage?" Edwin replied, laughing at his friend's confusion, "My old master owned one. It was nowhere near as nice as THAT one was though." The guards gave them a shove and the group was off again, wondering down the crowded streets of Crown City. The people were so thick that the group was forced to stop a couple of times and push the crowds back. Vanamee marveled at the sheer variety of the beings that passed them by. He saw humans, canines, felines, rabbits, avians, reptilians, and all manner of other creatures in great abundance. At one point he even saw a strange looking human with pointy ears who turned their rather long nose up at them as they passed. On his left, Vanamee noticed a large cathedral, its towering spires reaching to the heavens. On the front side, just above the door was the largest window he had ever seen, except the glass in this one was seemingly painted. The glass held the image of a mighty looking human warrior, clad in armor and fighting a wicked looking reptilian whose scales were a magnificent gold. Beside the door of this building there was a large stone, covered in writing. The canine boy stared at it for a moment, trying to decipher what it said, for although he prided himself on his ability to speak fluent common tongue, he couldn't read it worth a jot.

At last he turned to Edwin, nodding his head toward the stone, "What does that say?" The wolf inquired. The long ear glanced over, and then looked back at Vanamee in confusion.

"Can't you read?" The rabbit asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Yes I can read!" Vanamee replied defensively, "Just... not common tongue." The rabbit shrugged in answer.

"It says, 'This church is dedicated to Kyrael and all those who's spirit cannot be broken.' You know... The usual church stuff." Edwin told him. The group moved on, and soon the magnificent church with its wondrous window were gone from sight behind more of the tall, grey structures. After a few more minutes they arrived at an enormous wall, atop which the wolf could see more of the Imperial soldiers patrolling. At the base of the wall there was a large, iron gate which could be raised and lowered as needed. For a moment the lupine was certain they were about to leave the city, but as the group got closer, and he could see through the gate, he realized that there was much more city beyond. At the gate stood several soldiers, brandishing shiny halberds and stopping each person that passed through. When they noticed the group of slaves, some of them started to point and laugh, whilst others simply shook their heads and went about their business.

"Didn't bring any male slaves with you?" One of the gate guards asked jokingly.

"Not like anyone could tell the difference." Another chuckled, "Those islanders all look alike to me." Kuramee whined, putting a hand on Vanamee's shoulder as she took up stride beside him.

"Don't listen to them Vana." She whispered kindly, "These mainlanders are all so ugly looking anyway." The young slave boy couldn't help but crack a smile at this. The group moved quickly beyond the gates, down more wide and winding streets. At last they arrived in a large open plaza where a multitude of merchants had set up their wooden booths, peddling a vast plethora of items to the people of Crown City. In the middle of the plaza a large wooden stage had been erected and a great deal of people were gathered beneath it, each holding a small wooden sign with a number on it. Behind the stage Vanamee could see several furs gathered around a small shack. As they were headed towards the stage, a fat, pompous looking bovine hurried over to meet them. The fellow was dressed in a black suit and tie complete with a top hat and a monocle. Over all of this he wore a large, black vest, which only served to accent the great bulge of his stomach. He tapped his hooves impatiently as the leader of the Imperial soldiers approached him.

"You are nearly a half hour late!" The bovine grunted, glaring hatefully at the guard commander, who seemed completely oblivious to the bovine's irritation.

"Whatever." The guard replied, reaching beneath his armor and producing a roll of papers which he handed to the irritated steer. The bovine rubbed one of his shiny black horns as he opened the papers and quickly perused through them. "Can't be too mad at us anyway." The soldier added, "It's these damned munchkins' fault we took so long. They move so slow I just want to give them a hard kick!"

"I would prefer you didn't commander." The bovine said with a sigh, "Hurts profits and what not." The cow put the papers into a pocket on the inside of his vest and nodded. "All right then." He told the soldiers, "Everything looks in order. Why don't you take them along that little building behind the stage so we can get them ready? We can't wash them since you're so late, but we can at least get their collars and such on."

The group was moved swiftly to the tiny little building, really nothing more than a few sheets of wood put up into a basic square shape and a roof added onto it. The slaves were lined up, and led inside one by one. As he was waiting, Vanamee turned around to find Kuramee, her eyes tearing up.

"Please Kura..." Vanamee whimpered, leaning forward and embracing the wolfess in a tight hug, "don't cry..."

"Vana... maybe if we run..." Kura began, but Vanamee cut her off, planting an unexpected kiss on her lips.

"No Kura." He retorted, "If we run, they'll just catch us and whip us. Then they'll sell us anyway."

"But I don't want to be alone." Kura sniffled, burying her head in Vanamee's chest. The wolf boy didn't know what to say, so he just stood there, holding her tight as they waited in line. At last the line had thinned down and the guards noticed that the wolf boy and girl weren't moving.

"HEY!" One of the soldiers growled, taking hold of Vanamee's shoulder and giving him a shove, "Stop that and get moving!" The wolf turned around to find that it was nearly his turn to go into the shack. In front of him stood Edwin, looking sad, but by no means frightened. The long ear turned around and gave Vanamee a weak smile.

"I know it doesn't mean much," The rabbit told him, "but I'm really going to miss you Vanamee. Not often I find a wolf as short as me." Edwin and Vanamee both gave a soft, strained laugh. He didn't know where it came from, but the wolf suddenly knew he had to tell his friends something before they were separated.

"I'll get us all free." The wolf told them, not really knowing what he meant, "You'll see. I promise, I'll find you both and we'll all be free."

"Call me crazy," Edwin replied, "but I won't be holding my breath." And with that one of the guards pushed Edwin forward and into the booth. Vanamee watched his friend enter, but there was a sheet over the doorway that blocked his vision of anything after. The wolf turned one last time to Kura and gave her a kiss, and then he too was moved into the shack. Inside was a small, annoyed looking weasel and two large boxes. The weasel reached into the first and pulled out an odd looking device. It was a red, rubber ball with holes in it attached to two strips of leather on either side.

"Open your mouth." The weasel ordered. Vanamee obliged and the fellow rudely shoved the rubber ball into his mouth, using tiny metal clasps on either end of the straps to lock it onto the wolf's face. The weasel reached into the other box and produced two leather cuffs, which put on the lupine boy's wrists before binding them behind his back and pushing him out the other side of the shack.

On the other side stood a guard who immediately took hold of Vanamee by his head fur and gave him a push towards a set of wooden stairs which led up to the stage. The auction had apparently been going on for some time now and the pompous looking bovine was standing impatiently in the middle of the stage, beckoning for Vanamee to come to him. The wolf walked slowly forward, blushing a bright red under his fur. Every eye in the crowd was trained on him and the young wolf felt like he could die from embarrassment, so many eyes watching him walk nude across the stage. When he was next to the bovine, the fat heifer turned to the waiting audience and began.

"Our next item is a spirited, young, healthy male! He's fluent in common so he can understand any order you give him. He's been properly trained to care for his master's needs, and we assure you complete submission!" The bovine announced with a flourish, "Shall we start the bidding at five-hundred gold?" A young ursine in the front row was first to raise his bidding sign, giving the wolf a devilish grin as he did so. Vanamee whimpered through his gag, hoping that he wouldn't end up with the rather cruel looking bear. Another sign was raised, then another and another. The bid was quickly at a ridiculous sum of one thousand gold! The bidding stopped for a moment on an awkward looking moose, who stood nervously with his sign up. For a moment the bidding seemed over, but another sign was suddenly raised, this one held by the lovely, young, white and brown furred mare that Vanamee had seen go by in a carriage earlier.

"Ah! A bid on the account of Lord Clang!" The bovine noted, pointing to the equine girl, "The bid stands at one thousand two hundred gold! Going once.... Going twice... going three times.... Sold!" And with that Vanamee felt a guard take hold of his shoulder and lead him off the stage.

A short while later the wolf was led over to the young mare that had purchased him. She was an exceptionally lovely young woman, and she carried herself with a certain poise and manner that simply enthralled those around her. The bovine auctioneer even came over to make a point of thanking her and someone called "Lord Clang" for their purchase, stating what an honor it was to sell to the illustrious nobleman. The girl politely thanked him then looked down at Vanamee, a kind and reassuring smile on her face.

It was some time later that evening that Lord Darrius Clang walked into his study, clad in nothing but a red woolen robe. The study was a large room, the walls covered in volume after volume of books. In the middle of the room was a large fireplace, the fire in it roaring and crackling peacefully. The coyote made his way to a large, plush armchair that had been positioned in front of the fire, sitting down with a sigh and pulling up a book. The nobleman enjoyed his privacy and no part of that privacy better than his times in his study. He was a well educated man, and like most well educated men, he was a voracious reader. Tonight however, he found it difficult to concentrate on his book. He had spent all day thinking about his "plan". He had fretted endlessly over Inga and the slave she would be bringing, something that was intrinsic to the plan. If the young canine she picked didn't look just so...

The coyote's musings were interrupted by a loud knock at the door, followed by the sound of quickly retreating footsteps. The coyote roused himself from his seat and walked across the polished wooden floor to the door. As he opened it, he came face to face with what at first he was certain must be a fennec, as it was far too short to be anything else, but as he looked closer, he realized with a start that it was a young wolf. The black and white furred young canine stood outside the door, looking extremely nervous. He was gagged and his hands were tied behind his back. Atop his head a small bow had been tied, like it was some sort of gift. The coyote stood looking at the young, naked wolf for some time. Finally something struck him about the tiny visitor. His eyes! The wolf boy had red and blue eyes! Darrius chuckled to himself as he took hold of the wolf's shoulder and pulled him into his study. Inga had done VERY well today.