FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Circ dusted off his jacket. He was a slender housecat wearing a rather loose natural leather jacket and similarly rugged trousers to protect him on his journey. Carefully stepping up to the stone plinth, he observed the altar there. At the top of the platform a conical stone form held a golden ring. The cone itself was covered in carvings of tigers. The uniformly brown cat reached forward to wipe at the ring with his gloved fingers. He slowly trailed, working away the grime of ages.

The housecat stared at the clean gold and thoughtlessly removed his gloves. He slowly grasped the ring with his bare paw-pads, and with a grunt of exertion, raised it from the stone. After years of going through libraries and archives, he had finally found the ring. He smiled brightly, grasping the ring in his bare hand. It was wonderful to hold, after so long in search of it.

Circ shrugged his pack off his shoulder and pulled out a kerchief. Carefully he enfolded the ring in the fabric, before tucking the bundle into his pack again. He turned from the plinth and shouldered his pack once again, starting the long path back out of the temple and into the surrounding jungle.

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The feline must have been riding high on his accomplishment. Despite how grueling the journey into the temple had been, and how it took just as long to find his way back out into the undergrowth, he was feeling energized. He wondered if he could manage to put enough distance from the temple to only have to camp once more before getting back to town.

He flexed his fingers and winced a bit. He looked down at his tight gloves. They were digging into the webbing between his fingers more than he was used to. Carefully he peeled one glove off and looked inside. The cat then flexed his bare paw, seeing the webbing return to its proper shape, nearly up between the foreknuckles. Such things were very good for swimming, but unusual amongst housecats... He couldn't remember anyone mentioning the webbing growing up, but he did have a sheltered youth.

He peered inside the glove again and saw the problem. He had bought gloves made for hands without webbing by mistake! Strange that it didn't bother him until now. He removed the other glove and carelessly discarded them by the temple entrance, starting to walk off into the jungle.

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Circ paused in his hiking after hours trekking through the undergrowth and dug the last of his rations out of his bag. He was so hungry and he wasn't sure why. He was sure he'd eaten properly at camp this morning... he didn't eat at all in the temple, perhaps that was it. He thoughtlessly munched on his last ration as he walked.

Perhaps it would be a good time to set up camp. After all he had made it quite far in the jungle and if he kept this pace up in the morning, he would be sure to make it to town readily. Breakfast was a 'tommorrow Circ' problem, anyway.

The broad-shouldered feline started getting his tent ready, carefully working the poles with his thick fingers. He had to be careful, the webbing going up to his furthest knuckle on each digit made it a bit awkward in certain positions. He remembered it being a lot easier to set up the poles before. Perhaps he had gotten more tired than he thought.

When he finally got the tent set up, he shrugged his jacket off with a grunt. He peered at it, wondering how he got such a small jacket for an expedition. Low clearance was good for squeezing through the narrow passages in the temple, yes, but he needed full range of motion. His undershirt was similarly straining, but that was good for showing off his powerful muscles. He chuffed happily, trailing the dark stripes on his arms with his claws before giving a flex to watch them dance.

After a bit of self-admiration he took his boots off and his trousers as well, finding both quite a bit tighter than he'd thought they would be as well. In nothing but his undershirt and briefs he curled up inside the tent. He had plenty of clearance on each side, but he felt more comfortable curling up. The sounds of the jungle as night fell soothed him, and he slept soundly.

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Circ was awakened by his hunger. He growled in annoyance, squirming a bit as he found himself rather pinned on all sides by the wall of the tent. He grumbled, thinking that he shouldn't have gotten the small tent before leaving town. He squirmed and extended his legs. With a loud twang and tearing sound, the tent burst, allowing the large feline to spill out. His torso was long and broad, leading down to his relatively short digitigrade legs. His shirt was practically painted on, leaving a good foot of his white belly exposed. He flexed, and gasped as the fabric tore free.

His orange and black stripes rippled as he sat up, rubbing the side of his head. His stomach let out another growl of complaint and he sighed. He would have to hunt. He peered at his discarded clothes, rolled his eyes, then looked to his pack. All of that was worthless, except...

Circ dug his big paw into the pack, finding the kerchief he stowed the ring within. He carefully unfolded the bundle and looked over it. If he wasn't bringing the pack, he should at least bring the artifact. There was no way he could wear it with the webbing his variety of tiger was known for between his digits. He turned it over, looking over the gold.

He hadn't seen it before, but it was not a complete ring. There was a small hinge. It was an earring.

The bulky tiger took no further to think that before he carefully opened the hinge, brought it to his ear, and closed the hinge again. There was a brief pinch, but then the ring was in place, as if it belonged.

He chuffed and stood to go hunting.

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Circ swallowed firmly, the last of the struggling capybara writhing down his throat. The large rodent would be enough for now, but he would probably have to eat more soon. He casually sauntered from the place he'd finally caught his prey on all fours, the large Sumatran tiger flicking his tail. His only garb left was the ring on his ear, glistening when he travelled through sunbeams.

He decided to head home. The temple needed its guardian, after all...