FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Working through the system of tunnels that all led to and from the main valley was no easy task. It took the two of them a good three hours of endless crawling through the cramped, unpleasant spaces. Three hours filled with pain, complaints, bruised knees and elbows. Soon, a soft light could be seen at the end of their current tunnel.

"There!" Williams exclaimed. "Finally, we'll be getting out o' these damned tunnels. They better not send us right back in 'ere... I might end up killin' somethin'." He grumbled.

"Aye, aye... save tha killin' fer later, Williams. Trust me, ye will need tha strength if we're startin' a war." Bartleby sighed out in response. "Keep yer calm, these guys hate us enough as it is. With reason."

They crawled on, and as they reached the light, a frown spread across their faces. Before them were two giant planks of wood rendering their path cut off.

"Please... please tell me this is some sort o' joke. Ye can't be serious! We crawled this entire way, nearly lost our minds on tha way, n' now this?!" Williams shouted out loud. He grabbed a conveniently placed rock from just nearby and threw it at the barricade. A moment later, the sound of a sword being unsheathed silenced him.

"Do not even dare to move," A deep, unknown voice spoke before he could get a word out. "You are trespassing. This tunnel has been sealed off for a reason. I suggest you return from whence you came, and there will be no trouble."

The pair stared blankly, Bartleby gulping out as he slowly backed up towards Williams, not being in the proper mood to get skewered. "I dun' think this guy's jokin'." He stated knowingly, glancing over his shoulder at Williams before approaching the planks a bit cautiously.

Bartleby sighed again. "Look, we aren't here t'cause trouble. We're here 'cause we're in need o' assistance. This is th' only workin' tunnel leadin' to ye." He explained, waving a hand through the air as though it would make a difference. "The normal route has been destroyed."

There was naught but silence for a few seconds, the sound of a lock being fiddled with soon breaking it, much to their relief. The lower of the two planks moved and was swung open like a door, though there was nobody to be seen behind them. Whomever the voice had belonged to was not there anymore.

"Err... please tell me ya heard tha' conversation?" Bartleby asked, eyeing in Williams' direction with a pleading look on his face. "S'either tha', or I'm really goin' insane." He said, frowning. He'd slip out of the tunnel with the help of the remaining plank, stretching out both arms and legs as thoroughly as he could in the still rather cramped space. "Argh... I'm tellin' ye, I'll end up walking on all fours if this keeps up..."

Deciding to skip the chatter, Williams too joined Bartleby by his side, and they started to walk along the narrow hallway. It seemed to be another long walk, but at least they could walk it standing moderately straight. It did not take them long to happen upon two lit braziers and two doused torches just above. Before them was only darkness.

"I guess we grab a torch, then." Williams suggested, reaching out to do precisely that, though the moment his hand grasped the torch to lift it, the sound of a loud growl echoing through the hallway stopped him dead in his tracks. He slowly turned his head to look behind himself; though seeing nothing, his gaze quickly turned forth again. "It's-- there's somethin' in tha darkness, Bartleby!" He exclaimed.

"Ain't ye a bright one!" Bartleby laughed. "Come on, ye cowardly fool. Do ye want this taken care of or not?" He said, grasping the torch closest to him to light it. Without further delay, he walked straight into the darkness, disappearing.

"... oi, oi, wait up!" Williams stammered, charging in after him. "Are ye sure this is a good idea? I mean... ye heard tha growl, didn't ye?" He protested. "I really dun' feel like gettin' meself ripped apart by some beast." He muttered out lastly, sending an almost paranoid glance over both of his shoulders - twice.

He wouldn't have to search for very long. Within a few seconds, two large, red glowing eyes appeared from within the darkness, lighting up the creature's face just enough for small features to be seen on its face.

"Wha's yer issue, Williams? It's just yer head playin' tricks on ye. Come on. Just keep walkin' and we'll be fine." Bartleby said, never having stopped walking, that is, until he bumped into the towering shape before him, ending up stumbling back and eventually falling onto his rump. "Or maybe it really is somethin' there. Y'know, I was jus' checkin' the waters..." He chuckled nervously, beginning to crawl backwards. Much to the creature's dismay.

Another loud growl sounded, and whatever it was that stood before them lunged forth with its paw, striking Bartleby clear across his face with three deadly claws, the only sound heard after that being the splatter of blood as it hit the ground, and Bartleby's breath picking up considerably. "N-ngh... h-holy 'ell..." He stuttered out. "C-come on! Run!" He barked, struggling to get back up onto his feet, charging quickly in the direction they came from, though what he didn't consider, was that he had just left Williams in the dark... he had no torch.

"Bartleby! Ye fool! I cannae see a damned thing in 'ere!" He shouted with the hope of him hearing, but to no avail. He could hear the coarse breathing of the shadowy creature behind him as he desperately tried to make his way forward in the darkness, ignoring the pain from hitting the rocky walls over and over again. Then, in what seemed to be only a matter of a few seconds, the beast had stepped forth, and with another lunge of its claws, impaled Williams through his chest. Claws protruted in a grotesque, brutal display from his back, and the creature twisted those deadly talons within his chest.

Blood was spat up as he choked, coughed and wheezed in attempt to catch his breath, but there was no salvation to be found. No air to be had. Seconds later, he felt his knees give way beneath him, and he simply fell towards the ground once the creature had torn its claws free from his body, as they were the only thing keeping him held up. With his dying breath that came out only as a faint, faint whisper, he reached out in front of himself, closing his eyes as an eternal tranquility began to dawn upon him...