FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

A chill breeze shifted along swaying grass and the leaves of the trees surrounding the potion maker's cottage atop the hill. Traveling with the breeze was a steady flow of customers coming in and out of the potion maker's store. As of late, the people of the village had heard the tales of the feline who could ease their bedside woes or add spice to their sexual lives in some sort of way with a magic concoction or two. A few rumors were about how the potion maker was a hospitable sort if you got on her good side, hospitable in the sense that she might be tempted to let you slip into her bed if she liked you. There weren't enough people going to the potion maker's cottage to call it a crowd, but there were enough customers to where any peddler of wares would be happy, whether those wares were wholesome or not and Layne Luness was certainly pleased today.

As the last customer filtered out of her store, Layne walked around the front counter and stretched with a sort of languid motion that suggested she was satisfied with life. The soft smell of sweet flowers danced around her shop from the various bottles she had left open full of her new mixtures. The scents weren't infused with any magic, but it was pleasant and a sample of what some of her new product smelled like. She was almost glad that she had been tricked by that kobold. If not for him, she would never have had the idea to make incense and scented oils after being poisoned by that flower and drawn to lust by the strange scent. It also seemed to pay off in a sense that the kobold wanted to repeat business in the future to search for dangerous ingredients, of course, she had given him the terms that if he wanted to work with her again then he would need to draw up a specific binding contract so if he betrayed her he would have to pay extra out of pocket with coin or blood. Even still, it was a good business opportunity and he had even agreed to put a good word in where he lived so occasionally she had a few travelers stop by her store.

Really, Layne couldn't be happier with how things were going. Her coffers were lined with coin, she had a steady increase of customers and special clientele and today things seemed at peace. Peaceful days were uneventful, but uneventful meant that she could relax. Too much of her life had been far too full of the wrong type of excitement and now that things were slowing down Layne was only happy to take in the moment and just relax. Just as she was getting ready to stock her shelves with fresh vials full of glowing mixtures and tinctures, the door to her store slammed open and her day became much less peaceful.

Layne's ears flicked and she turned with a spell in mind to sling at whoever was causing the noise. Generally, people who opened doors like that were either up to no good or just ill-mannered and both deserved the sort of metaphysical slap she was thinking about. She had her paw up with magic gathering at the palm when she caught herself before she acted too rashly. There was someone standing at her door that looked as if danger had been dogging at their heels for the entire evening. It was a gray-furred feline with big purple eyes that were darting from place to place as if she were checking every corner for some sort of sign, some sort of danger perhaps. She wore a heavy cloak that covered most of her body and looked too thick to have been made for this region's type of cold and she was taking in deep gulps of breath as if she had been running all of her life. Curiosity and concern both came to mind as she spotted little simmering tatters on the feline's cloak. A troubled feline at her door, what else could she do except offer her hospitality?

When she was just about to offer some sort of kind word or help, the gray-furred feline's eyes locked onto hers and she stepped to Layne with a speed betraying her breathless panting, "Please, just, just let me hide in the back of your store just--."

The sound of distant yelling set the new feline's hackles up and her own fur puffed out just a bit as well in response to the heat in the voices outside of her door. Not a single word was said and the newcomer was leaping over the front counter to hide herself underneath it. Layne rubbed at the back of her head and looked to her door which had closed by itself while the desperate feline had been asking for some sort of help. The yelling had stopped for now, but her concern had only doubled from when her new guest had just arrived.

Just as she thought to turn and question her unwanted guest, her door slammed open again, this time with a loud crack that surely meant she would be spending out of pocket for some sort of repair. Her tail was raised high and puffed out and a grimace on her features as she wondered just how bad the damage to her door was. Standing at the entrance now were two large lupin with canine ears raised and twitching. They sniffed the air and stepped inside with deep frowns and narrowed eyes. They each wore parted sleeveless robes and both had fur as dark as night, one with blue eyes and the other with soft green. Blue eyes was the one who cracked her door open and green eyes was the one who seemed to at least have a bit of remorse.

While Layne was standing there with crossed arms, it was the one with green eyes who stepped to her with lowered ears and tail to say, "I'm sorry miss, but have you seen a purple eyed cat around here? She ah, is a criminal we're tracking down."

Layne kept her tone as neutral as she could manage not wanting to reveal her guest just yet without some more information, "No. I think I've seen two men crack my door open and cause some damages to my store though." Neutral as she tried to be, she couldn't keep the venom from her tone and she had to smooth out the fur on her tail with her paws.

The one with blue eyes raised an ear and Layne expected him to retort with something foul, but instead, he blinked and looked to the door, "Shit, Baz, I think I broke this girl's door."

The one called Baz grabbed at his long snout before groaning, "Yeah, y'kind of did. She's a store owner too."

"Ah, sorry! Sorry. We're just tracking someone down." Said the now meek blue eyed lupin.

Layne rubbed at the back of her head. They seemed like grungy enforcer types, but at least they had good manners, well, good manners when it came to speaking at least, "Uh, I guess it isn't a problem so long as I'm compensated."

Baz sighed, "Right, suppose that's the least we can do. If you're a registered proper we can get you it a lot faster, ever had this place inspected?"

Layne tilted her head, "No? This store is fairly new. I was starting a business here that was just beginning to pick up."

The blue eyed terror groaned, "Look at that, new business n'everythin'. Baz handle this, I'm goin' to check out back."

The remorseful enforcer stepped outside, grumbling about something about too many scents in the store while the one less prone to violence stayed in her shop to keep pestering her. Layne had problems with authority, mostly because her family was related to the greater authorities at large, but still. All of this just meant trouble. She needed to decide if it was worth harboring someone here, especially if it meant that she would be getting an inspection because of it.

The large lupin known as Baz was explaining something about sending over an inspector in the coming weeks that would make sure her store was on the up and up and that he could at least compensate her for the door right now when she cut in while stepping around her front counter, "Excuse me, Baz was it? Right. I'm concerned." She said with a shaky breath while looking down at the feline hiding beneath her, "This village is a peaceful place. Has...The criminal been known to be violent?"

The look that the poor feline gave her was almost enough to break her heart, but it only made it that much easier to appear concerned with hear ears tilted back and her tail curled around her own side. Baz, being a kind soul it seemed, reassured her with a sweet tone, "Oh, oh nooo, don't you worry. My partner is a bit of a wild card tracker, but our criminal is just considered dangerous. She hasn't harmed anyone, but she's stolen a very important book. So, if you see something strange, out of place or you know, a feline with purple eyes and gray fur just send a bird down to the inn at the village."

Layne made her decision and a sigh of relief escaped her lips that was genuine, "Thank goodness. Well, broken door aside, it was nice meeting you."

Baz gave a curt bow and set down bright coins down on the table that she knew would only cover a portion of the repairs, but she took them with a smile and returned the bow with one of her own. Once he was out and her door was shut, she could see that the door had been cracked in places and indeed it would need to be replaced, but least it was whole. Now, to address the feline fugitive between her legs...

Layne spoke quietly and stepped back, "They're gone now. You can come up miss fugitive."

The feline got up with a sigh and leaned against the counter. She drew her cloak against her body with her eyes closed and Layne decided to simply watch and let her catch her breath for just one moment. When her guest was ready, she whispered, "Thank you."

Layne smiled, "I guess this makes me just as guilty as you, so now that I'm an accomplice, I suppose you won't mind telling me more about what you've done? You will be hiding out here after all and I do deserve to know as your partner in crime."

That brought a small smile to the fugitive's lips. She sighed and extended her paw, "I suppose I can tell you, but first...My name is Olea, I'm in your debt."

Layne waved her off before gripping her paw to shake, "Layne, and think nothing of it. I've already named my price." She could feel the fugitive's paw trembling against her own and in response, Layne gave a gentle squeeze to her paw before continuing, "You're safe here and free to stay until everything is clear...So don't worry so much."

Olea nodded and let out a shaky breath, "Right...I...Is there anywhere else where we can speak? The door is open and I fear they may return."

Layne looked over to the front door and rubbed her chin. She had handled enough customers for the day so she supposed she could close for the day. She didn't see the harm in it and besides, this was much more interesting. With a gentle paw, she urged her new friend towards the back, "Go on, I'll close up the shop so no one interrupts us"

The fugitive feline's shoulders slumped, relaxing for a moment and she began walking towards the back. Layne watched her and saw something glowing beneath her cloak. Curiosity crossed her features with a quirk of the brow, but she could satisfy that later with questions. For now, she moved to lock the door and turn the sign over to show that she was closed. Hopefully, those two enforcers would leave her alone now that they figured that she was innocent in hiding their little target. A peaceful and boring day was nice, but she supposed a little excitement now and then was okay, and besides, the fugitive was cute.

Dusting her dress off, Layne moved to the back of her store to find her new friend. She found Olea standing by the entrance to her home with her paws together and her eyes darting from side to side. When she saw Layne she gave a half-smile and mumbled, "I uh, I figured I should wait for you before heading in. It might be rude to impose too much."

Layne gave the nervous feline's back a slap and stepped past her, "Well, like I said, we're partners, so my home is your home for now. Come on, we can talk in my room."

Olea nodded and followed Layne while looking about, "Your room? Not to...Not to bother you further, but is there any place more hidden than your room? Surely there are windows?"

Layne paused and rubbed her chin. Was she that paranoid? Whatever she had taken must be of great importance, or she was just that much of a nervous sort. Layne didn't see the harm in it, so she offered, "I can take you to my lab. There's even a room there if you want to stay."

Olea tilted her head, "Your lab? Wouldn't that be in your store?"

Layne chuckled, "If I did that then everyone would get exposed to whatever experiments I tried. Come come."

The potion maker led her new fugitive friend through her home and all the way into her room where she had a bookshelf lined against the wall and a bed fit for two. Next to her bed, she had her dresser and a nightstand on the other side, both with several boxes on top of them. She stopped just before her dresser and leaned down to touch the floor with one digit. A circle of light appeared with several runes etched into the wood in blue ink. Layne took a breath as she stood, clapping her paws together and turning with a smile, "All aboard!"

Olea looked to the side nervously before turning to Layne and following her onto the circle. Layne took Olea's paws gently in her own and a fat grin played on her face as she teased, "I'm not very good at teleportation magic, but this circle should serve us well. Hope you don't get sick easily."

It was true that Layne wasn't the best when it came to teleportation, but she had been adjusting the circle every so often and she was certain that it could handle two people without either frying them or making them too sick, still Olea didn't look too happy about Layne's little tease about getting sick. Her new friend frowned and her tail lashed about, but she remained still while Layne closed her eyes and said a few words that activated the circle. It flashed and began to flicker and crack with power before the light engulfed them and they disappeared with a loud pop. The floor where they had been standing steamed and smoldered just a bit, but thankfully there was no fire this time. Layne would be thankful for that when she returned.

The potion maker's lab was somewhere underground hidden from those who would pry into her experiments and hidden from those who may or may not be harmed by what happened within. It was lit by small flowers along grey stone walls. There were tables full of devices for mixing herbs, oils and other ingredients that Layne could think of. A cauldron sat at the center for larger mixtures and all around there were book cases that held various tomes of magic and journals full of previous experiments. Near one of the book shelves, a circle of light began to shine brightly and both Layne and Olea appeared with a crack of light.

Layne felt her stomach turn over a few times, but other than that she felt absolutely fine, "Hah! No fire this time. I think my improvements have truly made the difference."

Olea was shivering as she stepped out of the circle and she thrust an arm out to hold herself up against the wall as she let out a huff of breath, "I feel like my insides are churning...I...I think before I leave I should help you make that better."

Layne blinked, "Oh come on! It wasn't that bad. Maybe you've just got a weak stomach."

"Or you've gotten used to it."

Layne giggled and stepped out of the circle before turning and kneeling to hide it with a wave of her paw. That should make sure that even if someone entered her store they wouldn't find the circle leading to her lab. Clapping her paws together, she turned and she smiled with a twist of her tail, "So, now we're ready to talk now that we're in private right?"

Olea took a breath and looked from side to side before reaching into her cloak to pull out a large tome with a black cover. The purple eyed feline moved slowly and set the book down on one of the tables in the room gingerly. Layne followed along with a quirked brow and stood next to Olea who was now leaning over the book with a small smile and looking down at it.

"This is what I stole."

Layne rubbed her chin and leaned in to stare at the book. There were no symbols on it, no title to try and determine what it was about or why it was so important, but all the same, she felt some sort of strange presence radiating from the tome that had the fur on the back of her neck standing up.

Olea placed a paw flat on the cover and whispered, "A grimoire. One on how to summon demons and bend them to your will."

Layne frowned just a bit at that and looked to her new friend with a curious look that was more concern than anything else, "And you stole this for what reason?"

Olea chuckled, "I study the deeper arts of magic, forbidden and not so much. Demon capturing is just one of them." She then turned to Layne with a small quirk of the lips, "So, you'll be turning me in now?"

Layne snorted, "Not likely! You stole a book, so what? Do you plan on summoning demons to take over the world or something stupid like that?"

Olea blinked and rubbed at the back of her head, "Well, no..."

Layne laughed, "I suppose I have no reason to turn you in then! Besides, I understand the allure of the forbidden, hence the hidden lab."

The feline's smile brightened and turned large and she grabbed onto one of Layne's paws to squeeze it tight with both of hers and purr, "Thank you so much, Layne. I really am in your debt for this. I'll repay it somehow you'll see."

Layne shook her head, "Think nothing of it. Besides, you'll be keeping me company for a bit and I imagine that will be enough of payment for now."

Olea sighed happily, "You have no idea how much of a relief this is. People don't usually take kindly to mages that operate with forbidden magic."

Layne shrugged, "Eh, if we did everything by the rules then life would be too boring."

With Olea's paws still on her own, she took note that there were glowing runes on the gray furred felines arms. Symbols of power that seemed as purple as the feline's eyes. It was interesting, to say the least and Layne's curiosity only seemed to grow the more she spent time with this one. There was also the matter of that grimoire. Layne herself had delved into forbidden things before and she wondered what the contents held, and what could be summoned with such a book.

Layne turned to Olea with a certain glint in her eyes as she squeezed back on Olea's paw and pulled her a bit closer, "Say...You're interested in the forbidden and the occult, so perhaps you'd like to use my lab for your own experiment?"

Olea blinked, obviously not expecting such a response. Her ears folded back and she looked down at the grimoire before looking back to Layne, "I...I don't think I could endanger you like that, or your lab."

Layne only tugged Olea closer until they were nose to nose, the potion maker displaying a chesire grin as she continued to urge her guest, "I insist. Besides, two mages are better than one when dealing with something dangerous right?"

Olea's eyes were wide now and again she looked to the grimoire, her ears raised on high and her tail curled around one of her legs, "If you're sure...The help would be welcome, but...Have you ever dealt with demons before?"

"Not a single one!"

Olea frowned, "I don't know about this then..."

Layne giggled, "You can teach me right? Besides... You aren't going to be leaving anytime soon right?"

Olea seemed to mull that over for a moment. Her ears twitched and her tail flicked about and her eyes darted from the grimoire to Layne before she finally sighed, "I suppose I could, and I guess it would be fine so long as we take precautions."

Layne giggled, "Oh perfect! Won't this be fun! Of course, we should do this tomorrow. I'll get you to the guest room and you can sleep there nice and comfy."

Olea smiled just a bit and nodded, "I suppose so...Just don't blame me if something goes wrong."

Layne grinned and didn't say it, but her thoughts were clear as day, if something went wrong, then at least things would be interesting. So much for peaceful days.