FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The afternoon was cold, the air heavy with a presence of malice. Over the Kingdom of Olcas, dusk was beginning to turn to night, replacing the red hues of the sky with darker overtones. The bustling city was slowly beginning to wind down and people were moving back into their houses as shifts changed, and guards began patrolling for the night. But, in the Forest of Madness to the North of the city, someone was still awake.

Johnathan hacked his way through the shrubbery in front of him with a sour look on his face. He was a boy, specifically a Beastkin of primarily Canine origins, with a mixture of auburn and black fur. He looked no older than 11, and a boy his age shouldn't be in the dark and dangerous forests at this time of the evening, but he had every reason to be, in his mind.

Johnathan was training to be a knight: that was apparent from his clothing. He bore a loose, slightly heavy leather chest-plate over his torso, and a pair of cloth pants. Heavy iron guards covered his shins, but left his canine feet bare to press against the cool grass below. His arms were protected too, and a cloak around his shoulders kept him warm, but his head was completely vulnerable, lacking a helmet. He had ditched it a number of meters back, letting it rot away and be forgotten amongst the foliage.

Many had said he wasn't good enough. His mentor said he was too weak, his father told him he was too awkward and too slender to be a knight. He had wanted the job all of his life, but his parents had insisted he'd do better as a hunter. However, all Johnathan had wanted was to be strong. He wanted to protect those closest to him, to be heralded as an iron wall, an impenetrable fortress...yet that dream seemed to be drifting further and further away with each passing day. He simply 'didn't have the strength'.

"I'll show 'em." He grumbled to himself as his small shortsword cut and hacked through branches and twigs alike. He hadn't a plan, but he knew that a number of different monsters lurked in the Forest of Madness. He'd heard many stories about them, and he knew what he had to do. If he slayed one and brought it back with him, they'd surely realise he's strong. His stupid, 11 year old brain thought this was a good plan.

As Johnathan walked, he came across a tall wall of vines blocking his path, and his nose wrinkled. He stared at the wall and poked it with his sword, trying to see through it. He could spot trees on the other wise, but such a growth of vines was...odd, at least.

"Hmm. Is this the work of sorcery...?" Johnathan had a habit of talking to himself. Having very little in the way of friends meant he had very few people to talk to, other than himself. He peered upwards, squinting as he tried to find the top of the 'wall', but the night was growing darker, making it harder and harder to see. He groaned to himself and rubbed the back of his head, taking a step back. He held his shortsword firmly in his two hands, and raised it above his head. After a moment, he huffed in exertion, bringing the blade down as hard as he could.

The vines cut effortlessly from the blow, and Johnathan was momentarily surprised, expecting the wall to fight back, in some way. His sword dug into the dirt on the way down, and he quickly pulled it from the ground, slicing his way through until he made a suitable hole to crawl through. It was a little cramped, but it'd do.

He sheathed his sword and lifted his foot up, stepping through the hole he'd managed to cut. He ducked his body down and followed his foot through, wincing a little as he felt thorns picking into his clothes, scratching along his skin. None of it hurt that much, though it was definitely quite bothersome.

"Shit." Johnathan grunted and tumbled to the left, falling out of the hole he'd created and appearing on the other side of the wall. He tumbled to the ground and groaned a little, clasping the bleeding gash on his arm. It felt as if one of the thorns had suddenly grown in length and cut him. He peered down at the wound and realised it wasn't that deep, but it definitely stung. He felt his eyes water and quickly wiped them away. This was no time to be crying like some baby.

He realised, after a moment, that he felt a little colder than before, and he reached up to his shoulders. His eyes widened when he didn't feel the comfortable cloth of his cloak around him, and he peeked down through the vine hole. He couldn't even see his cloak on the other side, so where had it gone?

But as he watched, he saw the hole slowly shrinking. His eyes widened when he realised the vines were growing back and sealing itself shut, and he gulped, slowly straightening up. He shouldn't panic: he could just create another hole if he wanted to. He still had his sword. He patted the hilt to be sure, and blew a small sigh. Despite his solution, the magic wall clearly meant that he wasn't meant to be here. He felt a quivering in his stomach, and knew what it was immediately: Fear.

He slowly turned to face the dark of the woods in front of him, and he squinted, trying to find his way. It was too dark: he could barely see the trees in front of him. He took a step forwards and immediately stumbled on a root, and he quickly reached forwards to grasp the tree in front of him to stop him injuring himself. He'd have to be careful.

He slowly began making his way forwards again, half-hoping he might find a way back. Sure, his initial plan to hunt a beast remained, but part of him was scared now. Had he gone in too far? Maybe he should turn back, but his pride wouldn't let him. He had to find a monster, and kill it. It didn't matter what it was.

As he continued onwards, he couldn't help but feel something was here. He could feel a prickling on the back of his neck, and he associated that with his own instinct. Generally, his gut feelings tended to be correct. He slowly began to look around him as he walked, placing his hands on various trees to help guide him as he walked in the dark. He knew this was dangerous, now: a beast could be stalking in the dark out of his eyeline, ready to pounce.

He tried his best to use his ears for their primary purpose, and he tried to listen for sounds other than his own. As he walked, he suddenly felt the trees in front of him disappear, and he nervously poked his foot forwards, trying to feel for the ground in front of him. It appeared he was still on grass: perhaps he was in a clearing. It might be the ideal time to set up a camp, whilst he still could. If he couldn't find a way out, he'd have to camp for the night. He wished the moonlight could guide his way, but the trees that towered high above him obscured any light, which also hindered his navigation. It was no wonder people went mad in the forest.

He slowly stepped forwards and listened intently, hearing the whistling of the wind through the trees. His ears twisted left and right, and he could hear nothing but an eerie silence. Suddenly, there was a rustling, just to his left. He turned his head, but the darkness obscured his vision, leaving him blind to the dangers that skirted just out of sight. He felt his heartbeat quicken as his fear slowly began to get the better of him. His breathing quickened and he felt the urge to bolt, but the fear had him frozen in place.

He felt something brushing up against his leg and immediately yelped, leaping back and pulling his sword from it's scabbard. He wildly flung it about, attempting to cut whatever was in front of him, breathing hard through his nose. As his wild attacks stopped and he began to draw a breath, he heard it. At first, there was silence, but then came the quiet, low growling of a beast. It sounded like some sort of wolf, only worse. It was many growls layered one over the other. Was it something demonic? Something monstrous? Then, the realisation hit him: There was more than one wolf.

They attacked. Before Johnathan had a chance to swing his blade, a heavy, furred mass barrelled into his chest and he was effortlessly pushed onto the ground. His head smacked off the dirt below and he was momentarily disoriented, surrounded by wolves. He began to feel a pinching on his skin as he realised he was being bitten by them all over, from his arms to his legs. He scrabbled and thrashed, reaching up with his arms to shield himself. Their teeth never seemed to prick the skin, but in his fear, Johnathan didn't seem to realise it.

He felt a sudden coolness on his chest and he reached down with a hand to realise one of the wolves had sliced right though his armour with it's powerful paws. It must have done it with a keen precision: Johnathan felt no wetness, no tell-tale signs of blood oozing from wounds. It was at if the Wolf hadn't even grazed the skin, but it had shredded his armour, regardless. He felt a pressure on his leg and something pulled at it, and he felt the skin guard sliding off his feet.

Suddenly, all the pressure on his body was gone, and he wondered whether the wolves had decided to leave him alone. He lay there for a moment, his clothes torn to pieces, yet somehow miraculously still alive. He knew this was his chance to escape. Quickly, he rolled onto his front and got up onto all fours, scrabbling across the grass as he tried to get up onto his feet.

The wolves had been waiting for him. He felt a sudden weight on his back and it forced him down onto all fours again. He tried to push his back up, but whatever was atop him kept him firmly in place. Johnathan wriggled and struggling for a moment as he felt something wet and slick sliding up against his rear end. He paused and his eyes widened, completely taken aback. Part of him was scared: he couldn't quite place, in his mind, what sort of thing it might be. A monstrous tentacle? Some sort of slime beast? But what worried him more was that he felt it at all. He hadn't realised until now, but his trousers had been to shreds as well, leaving him more or less naked. That sudden realisation made the colour rise to his cheeks in shame, but his mind quickly snapped back to the matter at hand.

He didn't have to wait long to find out just what the wet feeling was. The mass above him suddenly began wildly thrashing about, primarily at his rear. In the dark, Johnathan tried to crane his head to see, and the trees appeared to part just a little so that he could see what was happening. The moonlight filtered in through the trees into the clearing below, and for the first time, he caught a glimpse of his attacks, and what they were doing.

He counted 5 of them, in total. They were as he suspected: wolves, with particularly shiny coasts, and definitely strong and tall. He could spot the small fragments of his clothing and armour scattered all over the clearing, and his eyes finally managed to centre on what, exactly, was lined up against his rear end. He realised the wolf was over the top of him, it's crotch bumping up against his own rear end. The wolf's front paws were wrapped firmly around his torso, holding him tightly in place and forcing him to deal with the weight of the dog above him. He'd seen this position before: a nuber of dogs in his city did this to one-another. It was mating.

"W-Wait, no, don't!" Johnathan squealed out when he finally realised what was happening, but it was too late. The moonlight disappeared away again as quickly as it arrived, leaving Johnathan in the dark, with the fear of the unknown seeping into his bones. The wolf wildly swung it's hips back and forth as it's heavy nuts slapped back and forth. The tip suddenly shot out from it's sheath and prodded firmly against the canine cub's tight little button. Johnathan winced and felt tears bubbling at the corner of his eyes, his chest heaving in panic.

He let out a whimpering whine as the wolf found it's mark again, and it's appendage engorged with blood rather quickly, and it's hips swung with gusto. It stuffed it's thick, knotted cock into the cub's asshole and quickly grew to full mast without much coaxing, the knot swelling at the base, pressing down tightly against Johnathan's backside. It didn't stop there: the wolf began to hump with unbridled passion and in a wild frenzy, it's hips pistoning back and forth like a steam engine. It's tail wagged happily left and right as the knot slapped into the boy's backside, over and over, filling the air with the cub's cries and the sounds of the wet, sloppy slaps against his tight ass.

It appeared that the wolf using him wasn't the only one that wanted to have fun. The coolness of the wind blowing on Johnathan's face was suddenly blocked by the mass of something else, and he suddenly felt the weight of another Wolf atop him, pressing down into his back. His forearms wobbled and struggled to keep up upright, but he suddenly felt something squishing up against his face. The heavy scent of a canine filled his nostrils and he whimpered again, unsure what to do.

The wolf at his rear end seemed to be reaching it's limit rather quickly, as most canine beasts did. It shoved with a degree of finality, it's fat nuts swinging down and bouncing off of Johnathan's tiny pouch that housed his balls, and after a degree of forceful pushing, the wolf's knot forced it's way into his backside. Johnathan groaned out in a mixture of pain and pleasure, feeling a warmth shooting deep into his insides, in a way that no other had done before. Johnathan had never even lost his virginity to a girl yet, but already, a wolf had taken it from him. He felt the tears trickling down his cheeks, a mixture of pain, fear, and sadness.

The wolf moved off him without much ceremony, but remained firmly embedded in his backside, which only gave the other feral beast at his front more room to get comfortable. The first wolf rotated a complete 180 degrees and stood facing away from the pup, it's knot firmly keeping it's throbbing dick locked into his ass, continually spurting and pumping tiny dribbles of cum into his backside.

Johnathan begged for it to be over, but it felt as if it had only just begun. The sheath smeared and pushed against his nose, leaving Johnathan reeling with a mixture of different sensations. The wolf bore down on him, it's hands wrapping around his waist and clasping him tightly as it's hips began to swing back and forth in front of his face. Johnathan couldn't see a thing, but he was suddenly greeted to a wet feeling against his lips. He parted his lips to wonder aloud about what it was, but his mouth was suddenly stuffed by something warm, wet, and dripping.

His first instinct was to bite down, but he knew this was probably the wolf's cock, and he had a feeling that they might treat him with more cruelty if he injured them. The appendage stuffed deeper and deeper into his mouth until he felt it brushing against the back of his throat. He let out a grunt and tried to pull back, but the wolf didn't listen to him. His eyes widened in panic as the cock stuffed deeper and deeper.

Johnathan couldn't let out a sound as the knotted member slid right down into his throat, stretching it to it's limit and leaving him without any air intake. He heart pounded in his chest as he felt tears rolling down his cheeks, wondering if this might be the end. The wolf pulled back and thrust again, and the knot forced it's way into his mouth. This one clearly didn't take as long as the rest: after a moment, he felt the warm pumping of the knotted member in his throat, shooting a thick load of cum down into his stomach. He was stuck between the two wolves, unable to breathe.

At first, he struggled. He tried his best to move, but there was no position he could swap to that could make it easier. He tried to tug his mouth back, but the knot was stuck firmly into his mouth, and the wolf merely wriggled forwards, closing the distance between them.

He felt his head growing light and his eyelids fluttering, knowing it was futile. He knew he'd fall unconscious long before he eventually had no air in his lungs, and he felt it coming before he even realised it. His vision went black, and his body sagged.

• -x- -

Yet, somehow, he wasn't dead. It felt as if no time has passed when he passed out, but he was certain it had been a while. At first, he felt nothing, but then there was a warmth on his skin. He slowly stirred a little and began to open his eyes.

He could hear all sorts of things. There was a chirping of birds, a faint twittering in the air and the occasionall buzz of a bug flying back and forth. It was bright, unbearably so, and he had to squint as he sat up to be able to see. One thing was for certain: it was definitely daytime now. The sun was beaming down upon him, and he peered up to see the trees above parted in a pure, complete circle.

"So you've awoken."

Johnathan practically jumped and he whirled around in his seat to locate the source of the noise. Part of him wished he hadn't done so: he was met with one of the most terrifying beasts he'd seen.

It wasn't that they looked big, nor strong, but it their rather lanky proportions and oddness that made him scared. At the far end of the clearing sat some sort of canine, of sorts. Its arms and legs were awkwardly long, and it's body muscled and firm. It was clearly bipidel, and presumably incredibly tall. It sat right up against a tree, lounging, watching him with an intense gaze. Johnathan ran his eyes over it's midnight black fur that seemed to shift and move in his vision, before his gaze snapped up to the startling green eyes that bore down upon him. The beast held a presence, one that Johnathan couldn't shake.

Slowly, the cub looked down at himself, realising it was altogether indecent. It appeared last night had truly happened: his clothes were in tatters, and Johnathan realised they had taken away a good portion of his clothes. He was more or less naked, bar from a tattered sash that covered his slightly bulging stomach. He cleared his throat and covered the small member between his eyes, glancing up to the beast again. His eyes darted around to scan his surroundings. All he could see was trees, and nothing but that.

It took him a while to notice, but a number of wolves were laying at the black beast's feet, and Johnathan realised they were the wolves from the previous night. One of them was staring right at him, but the rest were sleeping soundly, curled up around what was, presumably, their master. Johnathan wrinkled his noes: just what was going on here?

"I can tell you're confused. Allow me to enlighten you: you stepped into my territory, and my...well, my kin decided they would teach you a lesson. Let's hope you've learnt it." The beast spoke in fluent English, but with an accent that Johnathan couldn't quite place.

"I...what? Your territory...?" He frowned and didn't quite understand what the creature said at first, before it finally dawned on him. "Oh. That ivy wall was...you?"

Slowly, the black beast nodded, affirming what Johnathan was saying. Slowly, the canine cub bowed his head and pressed it to the dirt, almost in a prayer. In actual fact, it was a custom amongst his people, a sign of apology.

"I'm sorry for trespassing on your land, sir." He spoke clearly and concisely, knowing it was better to be respectful and honest. If he were rude, then this could go a whole lot differently. The beast quietly grumbled.

"I should apologise as well. I should have simply sent you on your way when I found you, but I'll admit I've kept you here. I do not take lightly to my kin enjoying a feast without me." The beast muttered in response, and there was a chorus of whines beneath him. Johnathan watched as the wolves sitting around him all raised their heads to him, staring right at his face.

"...Who are you?" Johnathan seemed momentarily in awe, but also slightly scared. The creature must have smelt the fear: he slowly got to his feet, and the cub gulped, realising that the creature was towering far, far above him, at least 10 foot or more. He crossed the distance between them and squatted down to a position that was, at best, slightly above eye level.

"You've not hear the stories of me?" He seemed a little hurt by that, and Johnathan offered a worried expression. He didn't want to offend.

"I-I...I'm afraid not...?" The cub meekly pointed out, and the creature sighed in response, looking down at the floor.

"I am Mezs. I am the Guardian, or rather, Ruler of what you simple folk call 'The Forest of Madness'." He explained loosely, and Johnathan realised just how much trouble he was in. He paled a little and gulped, rubbing the back of his head.

"I-I...my apologies, M'lord. I didn't know this was your forest, a--"

He was cut off by a swift hand, held up to silence him. Johnathan clamped his mouth shut, realising the creature probably grew a little tired of all of his apologising.

"The only reason you are not dead is because you are but a child. Children are stupid, and naturally make mistake. I should not be surprised you have not heard of me yet." He grumbled in a clearly sour tone, and the cub lowered his head. He knew he'd hit a sore spot.

"Regardless, you may leave," The creature began, and Johnathan perked up, eyes wide. "On one condition."

"What is it?" The young boy was keen to leave as quickly as possible.

"As I said before, my kin enjoyed a feast without me. Now I shall do the same." He pointed a finger down, and the cub followed the direction he was pointing. His eyes slowly lowered and eventually fixated on the piece of meat that hung between the beast's legs. He was a lot more well-endowed than Johnathan would have expected, but he hadn't even noticed until now. He slowly gulped and snapped his gaze back up to the creature, looking a little apprehensive.

"You are small. You will not take it all, but some." The beast knew what it wanted, and wasn't taking no for an answer. Slowly, Johnathan removed his hands from his crotch and shifted, sitting back on his rear. He slowly spread his legs and exposed himself, glancing up at what he assumed to be a deity in front of him. He'd have to do what it took to leave, even if it meant being molested by a powerful creature.

"I appreciate the sentiment, but let me take the lead." The beast mumbled in response as a large hand scooped underneath the cub's behind. In an effortless flick of his wrist, he flipped the pup over onto his front, and pinched Johnathan's tail between two fingers, lifting it up and out of the way. He began to slowly move over the boy's form as the wolves watched in the background, tails wagging.

At first, nothing happened: Johnathan felt no stinging pain, no intense pressure. But then, he felt something smearing against his rump, and he craned his neck back. It wasn't the beast's thick, humanoid appendage, but rather his finger, pressing and kneading into the boy's small button. He pressed the digit firmer and firmer as he slowly rubbed the flesh in circles, gauging just how tight he was. The young canine began to wriggle a little, feeling a prickling sensation on his auburn fur.

"Just keep still." The beast commanded, and Johnathan froze, trying to remain as still as possible. After a moment, he felt the firmness of the digit pushing into his rump, and he gritted his teeth. It was an odd feeling: there was the uncomfortableness, mixed in with an odd pleasure that he couldn't quite place. He felt the colour rising to his cheeks and a hot sigh escaped his lips.

Johnathan let out a small grunt as he felt the pressure building up within his body. He wriggled, arching his back, unable to keep still as the dick stuffed deeper and deeper into his rump. He felt the beast flexing it's finger in his ass and he suddenly felt a hot stab of pleasure shoot up his spine. He gasped, his mouth agape.

"What did you just do?!" Johnathan exclaimed, overcome with pleasure as the beast pushed the sensitive spot again and again, making him whimper and moan, almost on the verge of begging for more.

"You like that, do you?" The beast seemed rather amused at the boy's squirming as his finger flexed back and forth, coaxing the poor pup closer and closer to his orgasm. However, he eventually pulled back, leaving the child a panting mess. Johnathan rolled over onto his back and his arousal became apparent: his small, humanoid member was standing to attention, twitching against his stomach, with a small dribble of pre-cum on his tattered clothing.

The strange beast took one look at his member and smirked, before his hands lowered down again. He lifted the pup up, stroking his own cock with his other hand. His prodding and fingering had already stirred him into half-mast, but it took a little more coaxing to pump his member up to full hardness. Johnathan stared down at the thick cock and his eyes widened at the size. It looked to be almost 15 inches or more. He quivered a little as he watched the swelling glans press up against his rump, kneading against the entrance.

"It wont fit." Johnathan complained immediately, realising that the creature was far too thick to be penetrated by him. "I c-could do something else, though!"

"No, no. It will fit." The beast was adamant on what he wanted, and even Johnathan couldn't sway him. The thick glans pressed firmly against his stretched behind and began to push. The canine cub let out a quiet groan of complaint, but Mezs's hand firmly held his hip, keeping him in place. Little by little, the head of the thick member stretched the boy's backside until, after some coaxing, it finally slipped into the tight behind. Johnathan's muscles spasmed and clamped down forcibly as his eyes widened, gritting his teeth. It was too thick!

"See? There we go. A little snug, but..." The beast pushed forwards without much ceremony and Johnathan let out a teary whimper in response. The searing pain in his rump spread up to his spine and he quivered, arching his back. Mezs didn't seem to care too much as he leant over the young boy's form, stuffing himself deeper and deeper as the young boy writhed and squirmed beneath him.

"P-Please, stop, it...it hurts!" Johnathan complained again, reaching up with his hands and grasping firmly onto Mezs's forearm, trying to pull the hand away from his hip so that he could scrabble away. The creature rumbled in annoyance and raised his other hand, bringing it to the child's chest to hold him down. Slowly, he pulled his hips back, and the cub winced in pain as the cock slid backwards, up to the ridge of the glans. Then, the beast pushed forwards again, sinking deeper than he had the first time.

Mezs began in on a steady rhythm as he used the boy's body for his own pleasure. Johnathan's muscles instinctively clamped and squeezed in all the right areas as he winced and whined, trying his back to kick out with his feet, or fight back in some shape or form. He was powerless against the somehow god-like creature and, despite knowing that, he fought regardless.

Slowly, the tall, wolf-like creature began to move with a bit more gusto, his glowing green eyes glinting in the sunlight. Each thrust with met with a quiet rumble of pleasure as the beast slid back and forth. What was once slow thrusting was beginning to quicken with the aid of the creature's own pre-cum, seeping into the boy's innards.

"P-Please..." Johnathan tried pleading again, but he knew he was powerless to it. He continued to struggle even still, and Mezs somehow found that an admirable trait in the young pup. Of course, it helped, too: each movement made the pup squeeze, and he seemed to grip down even tighter when he was fighting back.

"Mmh. Do you know what happens when you fuck a god?" Mezs asked casually as he leant forwards, hovering his face mere inches from the cub's own, forcing Johnathan to stare up into his glowing eyes. Quietly, the cub shook his head, not quite understanding.

"This." Mezs suddenly grasped the boy's head and twisted it to the side, exposing the supple flesh of his neck. The wolf opened his mouth and bit down into the soft flesh, piercing the skin and biting deep. Johnathan let out a tiny whimper, wincing and closing his eyes. He had expected more pain, but he was suddenly filled with a vast pleasure. He opened his eyes and his irises glinted with a faint, green light.

It seemed that Mezs was finished in that moment, too. The wolf-like beast firmly gripped the boy's hips with both hands, his mouth firm embedded on the boy's neck as he thrust forward, bottoming out all 15 inches of his cock into the cub's backside. The pain would have normally been unbearable, but the sickly pleasure that swam through Johnathan's body seemed to erase all feelings of pain. He looked almost...happy. His tongue lolled and he let out a blissful sigh.

The god-like beast let out a small grunt as his balls tucked up firmly to it's lanky body. His cock pulsed and throbbed, before shooting a thick, heavy rope of cum into the cub's insides. Johnathan's belly swelled a little with the sheer quantity of sticky, gooey cum filling up his insides. The pup's toes curled and he let out a whimper of pure ecstacy, arching his hips up against the beast and gripping tightly onto his fur. He was being filled up, over and over, and he felt oddly good about it, all of a sudden.

"Mmh...that's it. Accept it." Mezs muttered quietly, and Johnathan didn't quite know what he meant. All he knew was that a power was coursing through his veins, mixed with a feeling of pleasure. The sensations in that moment was enough to stir his own body: his little dick was still standing on end, and he suddenly orgasmed, shooting out tiny little strings of cum that splattered his own stomach and matted his fur.

The lanky beast heaved over him and slowly unhinged it's fangs from the cub's neck, leaving behind prominent holes. After a moment, they began to heal, but scarred remained beneath the fur, unseen to the untrained eye. Johnathan rolled his head back, stroking his belly in post-coital bliss, though he didn't quite know why. He was delirious, overcome with the feelings that coursed through his body. It was only after a moment, when the beast's cock finally pulled from his behind, that he was left with nothing but questions.

"W...What did you just do to me?" He finally began, sitting up and staring down at his half-limp dick, and the swollen belly filled with the beast's seed. The creature stumbled back and flopped down into the same position as he was before, fitting perfectly amongst the other wolves nestled around him.

"Consider it a gift, for that inner battle of yours," He gestured with a weary hand. "And a token of my appreciation."

"Inner battle?" Johnathan didn't quite understand, wrinkling his nose.

"You wanted to be stronger, did you not? Now you have it. As I said...a token of my thanks," Mezs mused, staring at the bewildered child. "I'm sure you'll figure out what it means soon enough, but I'll give you a hint...simply ask, and you shall receive."

With that, he waved his hand. Johnathan still had more questions, but he didn't seem to get the answers. His vision faded again, and he felt a feeling of being sucked into the earth. He gasped for air and none came, but he didn't wait for long. Mere seconds after his vision was obscured, it re-appeared again. He was standing on the outskirts of the forest. His clothes were still in tatters, but that didn't seem to be on his mind. He stared at the city in the distance, and the towering castle. Slowly, he reached up and stroked the scars on his neck and shoulder.

There were so many questions. But, he did definitely feel stronger. Much, much stronger. He'd show them, for sure.