FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 1: Trapped Spawn

Introduction : Hello. My name's Jack. Mind you, that's entirely all I know about myself. Take me literally. That's really the only information I have regarding my identity, since having appeared in this mysterious foreign Universe. That, and the fact that I'm supposed to be human. I mean, I assume I'm from somewhere else, clearly. I feel it in my blood and Soul. The way I'm naturally accustomed to things tends to elude the alien dynamics of this new Universe. That's not to suggest I've any memory of my previous life left, but rather a subconscious enigma leftover from it. I suppose it would be comforting, at least to know how I got here... I hope.

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I appeared with a gut-wrenching sensation squirming within my stomach, as if something terrible had happened. Billows of smoke, or some kind of black fog swirled around me, emitting strange whispers, plus a mysterious whistling sound, which faded into something low-pitched after a moment of these lingering demonic mutterings. The shivering darkness eventually subsided into nothing, leaving me idly on my knees. My vision slowly began to materialize. I scanned my surroundings, spotting an endless disarray of contorted trees, unified as a deep shadowy forest. I gazed into the dreary woods around me. I took the time to look above me, observing a milkyway of stars cut off by the thick shades of trees swaying around in the breezy wind. I glanced forward into the deep again. My nonexistent memories gave no comparison to how unbelievably creepy everything was, with all the ghoulish moans, silhouettes shifting in the darkness, and the occasional mischievous whisper just within the farthest earshot. However, despite my extreme lack of worldly knowledge, my body still trembled instinctively with confusion and fear. Looking past trees with vast bunches of black leaves, I flexed my hands to feel the sensation of my own flesh... Except, there was not only flesh. To my surprise, it felt fuzzy, as if blanketed by soft fur. My exteriors fuzzy texture was contrasted by smooth black paw-pads. Taking in the foreign sensation of claws, as well as fuzz against my palms, my heart beat a little faster as I realized one more thing wasn't right. "What the fuck?" I cursed aloud, now twisting my body around for my eyes to observe. I currently wore nothing, only adorned by dark-gray fur, blending in with lighter patches of silver fluff puffing out slightly at the tuft of my chest. Looking down, I rotated my arms. They had small pads where fingertips should've been, with dark charcoal claws stuck above. They bore light gray glove-like hands... Paws... Grabbers... Mitts? Alright, whatever they were, they certainly didn't look similar to human hands. My gaze intensified downwards as I stood up, gathering the details of my clawed feet, their somewhat silvery sheen stretching up past my ankles, and fading into suffusion towards the knee of my leg, where all the fur grew darker. 'Where the Hell am I?' ... 'WHAT the Hell am I?' I thought, reluctantly daring myself to step towards the shadows.

And to my mistake, I did in fact, dare to take another step. It was simply by instinct that I ducked, not understanding why I did so, until a brief moment later... I felt a sudden gust swish past my ears. A sharp pain, -and I mean literally sharp- swept across my right ear, leaving me screaming as I tightly held my paw over the wound. To my surprise, I let out a pained doglike whimper. Though I didn't have time to judge myself while being attacked by whatever lurked in the shadows. My unseen assailant let out a hiss, not in the trees far away, but directly behind me. My heart skipped, just as I jumped a foot in the air. I almost fainted in terror, but somehow my legs were moving, as if seemingly on their own. I looked back, not running, but sprinting like a madman. "Oh fuck, oh fuck!!" I screamed with my eyes widened, my canid feet taking me surprisingly fast through the passing trees. To my stupidity, I glanced backwards for a mere second. Horrible shivers ran through every follicle on my back, my brain taking a picture of the giant hooded figure, dressed in a massive dark curtain; A black cloak. I couldn't tell if the two protrusions poking from its hood were horns or ears, since they were black as the Night around me. The entity's eyes were a raging red, like flickering flames under its hood. Though I couldn't make out its hidden visage.

As I ran, this creature gained on me, and there wasn't enough time to discern what kind of weapon it brandished. All I could identify were the skulls adorning the blade of a curved apparatus, held steady as the specter easily levitated closer behind me. To my dismay, it gained on me without much effort. My feet and palms were beginning to sweat. Slight fatigue coerced me to open my mouth and pant. Hellish despair filled my chest, hearing the sadistic feminine chuckles echoing from the figure. Somehow, a simple female demeanor made this creature's laugh sound even creepier. While in the midst of running, my nose decided to whiff up a strangely familiar scent. Though there was nothing in my memory that I could compare it with, the aroma was delicious nonetheless, even as I was being chased by a murderous specter. Unfortunately, this odd smell served only as a distraction. My foot stumbled over a broken log, leaving my ankles with scrapes as I face-planted into the mossy dirt. A leaf got stuck in my teeth as I turned around, leaning with my hands in back of me. There, my eyes met face-to-face with the red orbs hidden under the hood of my pursuer... Those rubescent fireballs never seemed to falter off of me, continuing to peer into my very Soul. I kept scooching backwards on my hands, her voice reaching me like a creeping shadow. "Goodbye, little demon. It was fun while it lasted." She whispered mirthfully, as if in enjoyment. A pair of pitch-black wings unfurled from behind her as she cackled manically. 'What kind of specter is this?' I thought. My golden orange eyes widened, I received one good long look at her weapon; A gigantic pitch-black scythe. The upper part, which bore the blade below was clad in white skulls, each revealing distorted skeletal features in the creeping starlight, and demonic protruding fangs. Such an object truly resembled death-incarnate. She held the blade back, its shoulders twisted, ready to lunge. I braced for impact. Looking West, I caught a glimpse, looking at the head of a smaller scythe attached to her swaying tail. The freakish skeletal blade was fused to the end, curling with the white ridges of slightly exposed vertebrae. This is when I officially realized my attacker was irrefutably a monster.

Unprepared for agony and death, my tears caught at the seams. I trembled as I saw the blade lunge towards my gut. At first, reality hadn't set in for me, my mind eluding the pain that'd just been inflicted. There's something indescribable about being impaled through the torso, then being turned into a living shish-kebab. A sense of dread came along with every agonizing second of pain that shot through me. I could hardly believe what had happened as I gagged on my own blood, drowning in the taste of iron. Though that still doesn't even come close to describing the intense anguish I felt. Hell lingered on, as if fire were shooting through my limbs. My helpless body was elevated with ease, hoisted by her scythe. This wretched creature perched me on her shoulder, my limp, soon-to-be cadaver stuck around the arch. I watched the ground spin around, until all I could view was the blackened starry sky. My limbs dangled down, accompanied by a traveling warmth, which I assumed to be a waterfall of my own blood, soaking the forest dirt. Two main questions occurred in the back of my mind; Why...? Why in the cold dark Hell wasn't I dead yet? And why was this happening to me? I knew nothing about her, yet I felt sheer hatred, raw anger... But especially, pure, unadulterated fear. Suddenly, I heard the strangest voice, though it came from the entity herself. It was as if there were a completely different person with her, accompanying her within the same cloak. "Hmm... What a familiar smell... So nice." She muttered to herself, sniffing at the air. She currently sounded like an innocent youth, as opposed to the demonic echo she bore earlier. "Wait a minute. That's-" Her sentence ended just before she continued. Somehow in that same moment, I found myself falling backwards towards the ground, now suddenly free of the blade I had protruding through my chest. It didn't occur to me that Miss freak-show had inexplicably disappeared. I was too busy writhing in pain once my wound met an unnecessarily sharp landing of rocks. Of all places to fall into, of course it had to be the only mass of stone I could spot in the entire woods! This shitstorm, whatever it was... It just wasn't my Night.

Now, of all times to black out, I finally found some solace. That smell I detected before, it was the strong odor of wood, mixed with the scent of BBQ and fresh forest air. The familiarity pounded hard against my unconscious mind, memories cracking the surface, yet never fully breaking. I awoke from my forgotten dreams, roused to consciousness by a strangers voice. "Damn it... She'll be back any second. Wake up!" A paw pushed me abruptly on the shoulder. "You're wasting precious time! Get up, or we're all cat-food!" The voice exclaimed, this time more urgently than before. "By the Gods, how much beauty-sleep does this boy need? Get the Hell up!!" My upper body swiftly jolted upwards, my forehead smashing into something hard and fuzzy. The dull inner 'thump' reverberated through my head, shooting a jolt of pain into my face. "Ow!! Errm! Stupid demon!" The voice blared at me. I turned to the side in confusion, facing the irked expression of a an old mahogany Wolf covering its left eye-socket. She had bronze-colored eyes, and wore a rusty old pendant around her neck. Her angry scowl cocked towards an iron throne, decorated in black transparent curtains. The old furniture piece appeared to be decorated in strange archaic symbols. "Your Highness, what's wrong with these summons!? Shouldn't he have spawned in the cave!?" The Wolfess irked, holding her bruised eye. I gave a cursory glance around, studying the interior of the dank and cavernous room. "Ugh.. I don't like this one..." Her complaints trailed into a growl, most likely talking to whoever was behind the curtain. I took a moment to gather my thoughts, rubbing my sore head as my vision shifted from torches to lanterns. I heard a contemplative groan coming from the odd throne. "Hhmmm... What to say? He's probably not ours." Replied the silhouetted figure as she stood up, revealing a set of glowing lavender eyes. She continued talking, sounding oddly professional at whatever authoritative position she was in. "Our summons was supposed to be female, after all. To top it off, he's not even the correct demon." The she-Wolf's ears twitched, then flattened. "What? How's that even possible? Literally nobody else can do this!" Her finger pointed at me, as if I'd been some status accomplishment.

I stared, more confused than a drugged puppy. My brain panicked at utter nonsense I was hearing. "W-what is going on? Where am I??" I blurted in a haste. Though I quickly felt like I'd interrupted, the moment their glares reverted back to me. Their aggressive stares didn't feel right. Despite one of their faces being blocked, I could tell by their condescending silence, that they were pissed off somehow. "Oh, quiet! We've witnessed that oblivious act a thousands times, and from smarter ones than you!" The reddish Wolfess sneered. She pulled out a silver chain from her tattered coat, letting it drag on the stoney floor. It was a rather long one, with far too much length to be a necklace. In almost a second, she lunged with insane speed, her knee slamming into my face, propelling me backwards into the flaxseed pillows. I saw the darkened top of the cave above me, adorned by tiny flickering candles, which started to spin and blur through my vision. I felt the skinny chains wrap around me, parting through my fur. I was held down by the head, staggered with dizziness and disorientation. "There... If you're gonna to be playing mind-games, we ought to keep you unconscious." The Wolfess said. My head struggled to lift itself, officially plopping into the pillow. The Queen -or whatever she was- blew a sigh at her helper. "Mirla, you fool..." I thought I heard an audible facepalm as she paused. "You tried so hard to wake him up, only to put him back to sleep?" Another pause was reciprocated, this one more awkward. I heard her servant stutter a bit, stumped by the lecture. Looking sidelong, I saw three other blurred figures dressed in white, sauntering towards me. I heard the mysterious leader behind the curtain bark orders. "Head to the ship! Make sure he's properly stowed. We don't want the entire Kingdom discovering him." The last thing I heard before blacking out again, was a diligent male voice, somewhat resemblant to a butler. "Yes, your highness. Shall we head off to Dracoplike?"

Before I heard an answer, I fell completely into the void of unconsciousness. My endless torrent of questions fell with me... Unanswered, yet unforgotten.

Being knocked unconscious is just bizarre. One might think they'd remember the dark abyss staring back, or the hours it stole in the recipient's absence. I was so confused to find myself laying down, greeted by a rather comfy surface pressing below my back. My eyes opened, expecting to adjust to a whole new atmosphere. Instead, a pitch-black darkness lingered where I was. Feeling the urge to get up, I pushed my arms outwards, only to realize they were stuck to my sides. The cold metal of small chains rode into my fur again, vaguely reminding me of the events I'd witnessed firsthand. My mind flashed back to visions of that hooded figure chasing after me, armed with that deathly scythe... A minor flashback of PTSD blinked through my brain, flashes of that scythe's impalement searing through my chest, as if teasing me with the awful reminder. Slowly, I began to regain memory of those strangers who'd either saved or abducted me... Possibly both. Thinking back to when I was clunked in the head by that Wolf-bitch, I was so preoccupied with observing my captors, I now realized I'd been brutally stabbed through the torso way beforehand. My first instinct, surprisingly, was to stay completely calm, despite how I should've been wracking my brain over the fact that I had no wounds. Wasn't sure why, after all this insanity, that my instincts were telling my heart-rate to slow down. I was currently undergoing the oddest sensations, feeling no fear, and ignoring my confusion as my ears adjusted to the sound of muffled voices outside. I couldn't make out their words, but I could discern at least two were female. Responding a bit closer to me was that servant's voice again. I could only define one of his sentences. "Mistress, we've arrived." The consecutive vibrations of footsteps followed behind others, until they were completely gone.

I felt my world of darkness begin to rock steadily back and forth, as if it were floating on water. 'Am I on a boat?' I thought, my suspicions clouded with uncertainty once I heard the hiss of an advanced engine die down. My ears must've drowned out the loud whirs while I was unconscious, because now I was staring into the dark nothingness, with everything left ridiculously silent. Laying there for solely a minute felt like I'd been trapped inside this... Whatever it was, for an hour. If I didn't know any better, I'd say it felt like I was stuffed inside of a coffin. And an oddly comfy one at that. The details of the outside world were clearer to my ears, and my eyes were somehow adjusting to the thick darkness which flooded my surroundings. Those little contortions occurred, the shadows twisting to better greet my eyes with the fancy white cushion below me. Everything else was shiny black, like a piano. "Holy fuck..." I muttered, as I came to realize that I'd jinxed myself a moment ago. Was this really a coffin? You have got to be kidding... 'Why the Hell am I in a coffin??' I thought. This is where my calmness subsided, my panic spinning a muddy shit-storm inside my thoughts. My heart began to race. "Get me the FUCK out of here!!" I screamed, wriggling back and forth frantically. This did nothing, as those weak-looking chains I saw before held me firmly in place, as if they'd tightened around my limbs independently. I noticed a slight squeeze coming from the chains, robbing me of air whenever I tried to jerk around.

"Damn it!" I yelled, using my freest foot to kick against the side. The strain only tightened around me, making me more claustrophobic. I wasn't afraid of coffins, neither was I of darkness, or even being buried alive... It was the concept of being alone, forever forgotten under the ground, with nobody to talk to. For reasons unknown, the thought of this itself, scared the living fuck out of me. Who was I exactly? And why was this my fear? I was so terrified, I started to cry like a child... My pathetic sobs went unheard as I laid uselessly still. Unsettling nightmare-fantasies of me being tossed into the sea, and locked inside of a lonely coffin flooded my brain. I tried to stop moving, in order to prevent the chains from constricting tighter around me. My frantic struggles ceased once I heard a voice. The voice of somebody I hadn't heard before, someone new. My fears immediately cleared up, as if I'd already been saved. There wasn't just one, but two of them, standing and walking from room to room, getting closer to my painfully silent prison. Their voices grew clearer once they entered my general proximity, somewhat revealing what they were. "Are these guys in the clear?" One of them said, routinely. "Yeah, I guess so... But what about the coffin?" Said the other. My best guess was that these two were the authorities, or perhaps somebody who wasn't supposed to discover me here. A smile curved up my tear-soaked face. This was my chance for freedom. I used my right foot-paw to pound as hard as I could against the strange material, then I screamed. "Hey!! You two, help me!! These psychopaths are gonna bury me!!" My heartbeat finally increased, then kept slowing down again, as if battling my adrenal glands for mental composure. Something about this didn't seem right... These two just resumed talking to one another, ignoring my plea for help. "You think we'll find anything?" The other asked casually. A brief pause came, and I was completely at a loss for words. Though I forced myself to scream again, loud enough to hurt my throat. "I'm in here, you fucking idiots!!! Help meeeeeee!!!" I yelled, straining my lungs to the point of deflation. Again, they just kept talking, as if I really were a voiceless deadman. 'What the Hell? Can't they hear me?' I thought.

"Hmm... Nah. Lass said her Father's in there. Risking a desecration felony is worse than anything smugglers ever snuck in. Just leave it." Their footsteps headed back down where they first entered. Nothing but small croaks rasped in my throat as I tried to scream again, but ended up coughing up my own breath. With that, my heart sank, hearing their last words fade down the entrance. "Bet they're sneaking that 'Harkite' stuff... Why'd the Goddesses embago that stuff anyways?" Their steps fully dissipated, once again leaving me quietly unaccompanied. "Fuck", I cursed, finding myself helplessly whimpering and growling. It was the closest I've felt to being a sad and confused puppy. After ten minutes of deafening silence, there was finally a vague collection of noises outside. Despite my recently discouraging events, I slowly calmed down. My ears passed the time, honing in on the surrounding whirs of other engines starting up. After hours of keen listening, and futilely squirming around, my ears perked up to the vibration of footsteps. Uncertainty was a bitch. I assumed they were the anthropoids who brought me into this mess, but I also figured they were either smuggling me somewhere as a slave, or were going to dispose of me somehow. Unfortunately the latter seemed more likely to me. My intuition told me they were about to approach the coffin, which turned out to be true. I could hear their foot-claws pattering lightly on the ground, grouping closer around me until I could hear their breaths just outside the coffin. I didn't expect the lid to flop off so suddenly, immediately blinding me with a burst of intense light. Just like before, I still couldn't see, despite finally being exposed to the outside. What a fantastic shit-show of irony.

"Gaah! Damn it!!" I yelped with an irked face, my ears folding down as I tried to peak through the cracks of my fuzzy fingers. "Please, don't kill me!" I pleaded, still covering my eyes. "I have no idea what's happening, but please! I'll be your slave if I have to! Just don't hurt me!" I said this dishonestly, knowing-well I'd rather die than be enslaved to anyone. They just stared down at me, looking puzzled as I studied their faces through my fingers. Each of their stares looked perplexed and curious. "Slave..? What's a slave?" One of them asked curiously to the other. I opened my mitts a little more, allowing myself to see all 3 of them while my eyes adjusted to the light. "Don't know. Don't want to." Said the red Wolfess, now narrowing a pair of suspicious eyes at me. She was the most readable among the trio. The other two were entirely different; A pale-blue Lizard with curious orange eyes, giving one of those familiar reptilian head-tilts. Standing on his left, a beige feline with gray stripes glanced down at me with a discomforting smile. She had a pair of brown, yet almost humanly eyes. I stuttered, not knowing how to react to the practically childlike question I heard. Considering it came from my captors, I didn't expect such naivety. I chose not to answer, my mind steering towards other topics. Just before I started to beg these strange anthropoid animals to spare me, I was interrupted by a harsh grab. An awful amount of strength came from the sky-blue lizard lunging, then grabbing around my bicep. He pulled me up almost violently, making me yelp again like a typical dog. "Get out," he said neutrally, dragging me out, like some mistreated rag-doll. His expression held no semblance of violence or ill-will, yet there I was, being tossed across the room. I didn't get the chance to comply, having been rolled over the hard metal floor. It was strangely smooth against my fur, almost like wearing socks against a perfectly flat kitchen surface. Somehow, as if by magic, the previous chains were nowhere wrapped around my body. I scanned around myself, confused yet another time, wondering if it loosened off.

A bold female voice blared behind me, addressing the three creatures in front of me. "What are you doing!? Did I say to THROW him!?" I turned around, my eyes greeted by the same figure I saw sitting on the throne before my last concussion. I nearly jumped when I saw she was wearing a horrific skull on her head. Her lavender eyes peered through the darkened sockets, slightly glowing inside. Her visage was hidden, just like last time at the throne. Unknowingly overrun by my canine persona, I subconsciously tilted my head and ears. "You again..?" I dreaded, remembering our last meeting in the cavern. "Look, I don't want any trouble!" I said carefully, putting my hands out in front of me. Caught in a moment of fear, I'd forgotten about their blatant misdeeds. I was too cowardly to be angry like I desired. "Don't worry. My subordinates will not harm you anymore." She looked past me, aggressively squinting her eyes. I looked back to see the trio shamefully averting eye-contact. They practically behaved as though they were children who'd just been caught committing an unruly act. I reverted back, facing their leader curiously. "You're... Not gonna hurt me?" I asked. My worries began to slightly wane. Though I wasn't going to let my guard completely down anytime soon. "No... Causing you harm was a mistake, and we offer our sincerest apologies." She replied genuinely, lightly lowering her head. "We've done some important research, and we've discovered..." She paused, pondering the proper words. "Unsettling facts, about your existence here." She continued, scratching her chin with a unique set of metallic claws. I stared, feeling somewhat numb. I sure as Hell wasn't looking forward to anymore surprises. Though I was very curious. It couldn't hurt to know more about myself, or especially where I was, and what was happening.

"Okay..." I said shakily, trying to ignore all the bullshit that befell me, and finally take the opportunity to find some answers, before the off-chance occurred, of it all slipping away from me. "Can you tell me everything? Who am I, and what's happening?" I asked as boldly as I could, standing up on my trembling legs. The trio behind her turned their heads away from me, their eyes darting back and forth. Everybody besides the cat, appeared somewhat uncomfortable. "First, before we answer anything, let's get you some clothes. You're naked." Their leader stated bluntly, pointing down as she stared only at my face. My silver-tipped tail curved up between my legs, guarding my intimates from sight. I heard the stripped feline in back quietly mutter something that sounded like "Well, that's a shame." My ears pointed straight up. Surprised, I turned around, frowning towards the cat-lass in embarrassment. The Wolfess next to her seemed a little pissed off, rubbing her temples in a disgusted facepalm. She growled at her, keeping her face buried in her paw. "What is wrong with you? You don't even know what he isyet!" She whispered, her teeth clenched. I tried to ignore their conversation, but my hearing was superb. I receptively jumped for the umpteenth time when I heard a 'clap' sound twice behind me. "Zelt! Go fetch our spawn some clothing!" Their leader yelled, her voice aggressively reaching someone past the left cornered threshold. Not too long after, a diligent tone responded back. "Yes, your highness! I'll be there shortly!" For some reason, my attention was cast on the reptile. who was being rather quiet this whole time. I only noticed him because his conspicuousness practically faded out of existence. His face still bore no expressions, despite how oddly his team was behaving. I shrugged off the unrelated thought, hoping to focus on the topic at hand.

"Okay, so while your helper is getting clothes, please tell me now... Who am I, and what's happening!?" I shouted impatiently, finally boiling to the top. She nodded understandably. Turning around, she stepped towards a white panel on the side of the wall. "Fine then. But you'll want to sit down for this." She assured me, before placing her paw over the panel. The apparatus flashed around her fingers, and just a second later, a cut-out piece of the floor floated up next to me, shaped as a steel-blue rectangle. Smaller square panels lifted around it, each producing a seemingly holographic back-base composed of blue light. I would've never noticed the preset outlines of these shapes etched into the floor if they hadn't been activated. One came up behind me, pushing behind my knees, thereby forcing me to sit down at the levitating long-table. Each empty cutout rose up, slowly filling out the space in between. I was mesmerized, despite having no memory of technology to compare this to. I sat there as my -hopefully former abductor- pulled up her own chair straight across from me. She looked to her companions, signaling them to come over. "You three. Over here." Each of them complied, the two mammals grumbling under their breaths as they took a seat. Their fellow reptile stayed reverent and expressionless, attentively facing their leader.

Their leader had her hands clamped together, resting them on the platform. Her pale lavender eyes peered through that skull, across the table, and into my Soul. I felt uneasy, even now keeping my guard up. Once everything was set, I saw a tall horned creature waltz in, holding my clothes. My eyes widened, unable to move from its appearance. Walking on all fours, its limbs resembled a Dragons, though its digitrade toes were displaced by massive black hooves rather than claws. Grayish blue-green fur covered its entirety. The creatures silver horns branched outwards, then up, like sharp handlebars. I couldn't tell if it's face looked more like a goat, or a horse, but its ivy eyes resembled neither of those things, with dark pupils taking a diamond shape. Despite its heavy appearance, it treaded the floor quietly, producing minimal sound. Its tail swayed behind it, studded with shiny black orbs lining the top. I was even more surprised when it spoke. "Here is our guest's attire, your Highness." A lump nearly climbed down my throat as I nervously examined this creatures posture and details. He was a colossus, almost taking up a quarter of the room! "H-holy shit..." I muttered very quietly. To my surprise, everyone heard me. I could tell by the way their eyes causally panned over to me once my words spilled out. Clearly they all possessed an acute hearing ability, just as I did. "Don't let Zelt's intimidating appearance alarm you. He wouldn't hurt a fly." She assured calmly. My eyes widened further as he approached me, carefully and considerately handling my clothing. "It's true. There's no need to fear me. I am here to serve." He declared modestly, looking me in the eyes. Somehow his comparably softer voice made it easier for me to grab my clothes without any reluctance. I stifled out a "Thank you" before he gave a faint smile and walked away. Watching the oddly studded tail slither out and disappear past the leftward threshold, I snapped back to my senses, scanning over the clothes on my lap. There was a gray tunic, tied together with glowing white threads. What looked like black sweat-shorts were the most confusing to fit around my waist, baring a tiny hole in the back. With some moments of awkward silence, and a group of anthropoid animals staring at me, I figured out I had to force my tail through. The whole time, they blinked at me with a row of deadpan looks. The Pantherine gained an urgent look in her eyes, her fists clenching impatiently, as if wanting to walk over and assist me.

Once my head popped through the collar, my sight was greeted with attentive eyes, all fixated on me. I didn't care how awkward it felt. I had my questions locked and loaded, and I was ready to fire. "Okay... So, does anyone know who I am, or how I got here?" I shot my first question, my tail flicking behind me impatiently. Their leader cleared her throat. "I expected one of those to be your first questions." She replied wittily. "Unfortunately, we don't know who you are, since this was a summoning mistake." She paused, fidgeting with the claws of her thumbs. "Notwithstanding your hollow identity... We're the ones responsible for bringing you here." I cocked an inquisitive tilt, glaring at her with an almost offended look. "A summoning mistake?" I repeated in shock, trying not to picture myself as some sort of dark spectral entity. "So I'm some kind of monster... Or a demon?" I asked in puzzlement, mildly tinged with anger. "No, no. You're not a demon, nor a monster." She denied, putting her hands up defensively. "Then what the Hell am I!?" I inquired, gesturing my arms out. "Just calm down. Let me explain..." She reached down for something I couldn't see, shuffling through what sounded like a bag attached to her waist. The three servants waited patiently with me, the feline purring flirtatiously as her tail whipped behind her. My nervous eyes silently darted from her, and back to their skull-masked leader. "Alright, here we go." She said finally, setting what looked like a round paperweight onto the table. "While you were locked safely away in that coffin, we visited somebody called a Truth Oracle." Their leader and I exchanged a silent conversation in one pause. She already knew what my questions were, and we both knew the last thing I needed was another curious topic. So she continued, answering my unspoken question. "She's a mage who specializes in Truth-Magic. We conversed with her about you, and she said some very interesting things. Apparently you're not a demon, but rather a human. For millions of Years, we believed there was no difference between humans and demons. But for some reason, you're the only exception we've ever come across."

It took a moment of awkward blinks and stares for me to fully grasp what she just said. The red Wolfess chimed in, her rougher voice making their leader's sound softer in contrast. "That crazy hooded bitch you barely escaped was the DemiGoddess of Death. She hates humans and demons, so she mistook you for another one of her jobs." I thought back on the dreadful experience, a lump forming in my throat, my fears hit with the word 'DemiGoddess of Death'. 'That fucking THING was Death?' I thought unpleasantly. "S-so I was just, face-to-face with Death??" I blurted out, my eyes widening as my ears swept back. "Yep, that's just about right." Their leader confirmed, doing little to sugarcoat it. My pupils shrunk slightly. "Don't act so nonchalant about it!" I retorted. "That creepy bitch impaled me through the chest! It's a miracle I'm even breathing right now!" I observed the room, noticing a shift in their attitudes. Suddenly their group gave a reaction I didn't expect. All four of them stopped frozen, brows raised, their eyes more opened than before. Even the reptile who'd neglected to show much emotion blinked excessively at my statement. Somehow, they all looked mortally terrified. Their leader let out a deep breath, as if a boss were getting ready to fire a decent employee. She sounded disappointed on a crippling level. "Damn it..." She replied, slowly burying her masked face into her hand. "Then we have very little time!" She exclaimed. I tilted my head, my ears perking again. "What the Hell does that mean?" I asked, my heart picking up into a gallop. She grunted, getting up quickly to deactivate the table. As the panels and beams of light shrunk back in, tiles absorbing back into the floor, she explained. "Back in those woods, we used a spell that sends people back home to a place they remember, by incorporating a familiar smell. We're aware that your assailant was from another Universe, so that should've bought us some time... However..." She walked up to me and clenched my shoulders. I irked at the roughness. Her glowing lavender eyes displayed a stern concern as they abducted my attention. "If you're still alive, especially after Death herself attacked you, then you've been marked for Death. That means she's using you to track us! There's no place she won't be able to find you!" My heart only raced faster, and I still had a load of questions. As I scanned my mind for which of them to ask first, it was like grabbing random mice scurrying rapidly in a box.

I wanted to exhaust all of my curiosities in one sentence, but only a series of nervous stutters and haphazardly remarks left my mouth. She interrupted me, putting a paw over my muzzle. "Listen..." She said calmly, yet firmly. As if entranced, I did exactly that. "I'm very sorry, but we don't have time to answer all of your questions. Please, will you play this by ear, just a little longer?" Her tone sounded a bit more compassionate. Maybe because I was marked for death, doomed to be reaped by some Godlike entity. But somehow, she sounded more certain than that, as if I'd survive, as long as I did everything she said. That's what I silently extracted as I nodded acceptingly. The other three awaited her orders, standing diligently in a row. "Awaiting your orders, Highness." Said her reptilian subordinate, tacitly hurrying her. She responded while rushing into the captains room. "No time for orders! Just do what you're supposed to! Let's hurry to Dracoplike!"

(End of Chapter 1)