FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Sorry for the long wait, and yes some of what I may post here sounds horrible, but that's just when I can't seem to write around it or feel much into it, no matter how much I try.

Hope you enjoy it, it's a longer read.

Chapter Ten: A Lover's Remorse.

"Hey, hey wake up."

I stood, frozen within the sounds pounding my skull. Darkness concealed and gathered around me, forcing shadows to tease my mind.

"Hello? Your gonna miss it!"

The voice was cherished, shining with excitement and youth. Focusing on her voice, sight finally came to my eyes, and I saw the beginning light of a blue, brightened sky. Trees stretched towards the dissapating shadows, covered in the evidence of a snowy night. Having the gathering light dig into my eyes, her face appeared to me, looking into the dark sky above us. Bringing myself up, my eyes scanned the furs that were laid across my chest. After a moments rest, I finally realized the blaze of uncomfortable heat from it.

"Get up."

Her voice slightly impatience with quiet shivers running through it; I brought my chest up, and removed the furs.

"Come here, quick!"

Her excitement rose, and I walked up to her, blankets in my hands. She had a small shiver, but kept her attention towards a clearing of the trees, that broke free from the forest. A golden blaze of flame broke above the mountain, and the sun flowed warmth all around the snowy mountainside; it sparkled and lit up, reflecting her white fur to match the snow. Wathing the sparkles of crystals and diamonds, my eyes oddly fell towards her.

It was the first time I had ever thought to have seen her like it, the details upon her stood out in my mind; the slightly long slender muzzle, the sharp beautiful eyes blue as saphires; the loving smile she gave towards the land, and the snowy fur that fell around her eyes.

"It's beautiful."

My heart almost lurched to the sounds of her voice, soft as the velvaty petal of a violet, yet guiding, like the moon and stars that night. Watching her shiver and shake, I brought out the fur blanket.

"Hey."

My voice soft, yet strong with a loving concern; was enough to make her turn. Wrapping the blanket around both of us, Her shivers run through me, until they ceased. I brought my head down, resting it on hers; she brought hers down to my chest.

My heart pounding so loud, I could hear it; she only revealed a small smile, and looked back towards the suns struggle through the darkned skies.

"Thank you."

Staring into her eyes, three small words raced through my mind. Knowing it would never be like that, I silenced them best I could.

"Your beautiful."

It came without thought, something that I should've never said. Staring into her, I looked away, and tried to keep her face from my thoughts. She Looked surprised, and even embarressed, yet she rubbed her muzzle upon mine after a hesitant wait.

"Thank you."

Her voice was the last thing I heard; then darkness once again took my mind over and drove me awake.

It was a room of stone, and sand. Mystified by a blood red moon, I looked out an extravagent curtain; made of wool, yet smoother then silk. Turning to the sounds of footsteps, I stared into darkness, slightly shifting the heavy wool around me.

"Your awake."

A voice came, one I had never recongized, within any thought or choked memory.

"Who are you?"

Growling out, My teeth showed fear more then they did death. Hearing a chuckle, a robe entered the room of moonlight.

"Someone who helped you... A friend if you think about it."

His appearence was only a cloak, shadows of flame that reached slowly for the corners of the room.

"Your lying."

Holding my teeth outwards; I locked my body, and tried to suppress the instinctive shaking a pup would have. Coming closer, his footsteps were suddenly quiet matching the flickering shadows reaching around him. A bare hand came slightly into my view, barely any fur on it, his hand reached to me.

"Don't touch me."

Growling louder didn't stop him from placing his hand on my furred scalp. Carressing it calmed me down, and my breathing almost instantly matched the speed his hand was moving; slow and controlled.

"Your just confused, and frankly by now, you should be."

Remaining within silence, his hand drew away and I was left with confused thoughts.

"Follow me, we'll explain as much as we can."

Letting out a sigh of regret, I followed the creature into a darkened hall of stone and moonlight. Holding onto the gathering silence, I stared towards the open portals of sky. Yet all I saw was the sands of eternity, and the stone city that hung miles below us.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

His voice, quiet yet strong, made me jump. Staring into his bright smile, he continued down the hall. Following shortly after, I felt the light breeze of the deserts wind, and heard cries of voices echoing through the sands.

Watching a light, flicker under a wooden door, he placed his hand upon it. Looking into the bare flesh, my mind wandered. Having the door open to the bright light; figures passed through the room, whispering in quick quiet chants of a different language

"Einai edo."

One spoke in that haunting tongue, it's voice sounded strong with mockery.

"No need to speak in Greek, Talaven."

Catching movement, the person was standing at the brink of darkness, watching every movement like a hawk.

"Very well."

His response strong, he proceed with his original conversation. Hearing whispers from the others, the cloak brought his hand foward, urging me to step into the moonlight. Standing further within the room, a figure stepped within. Watching through the light, I turned to look upon the faces of darkness itself.

"Hi."

The laughing creature cut into my heart, holding his jaws in a crooked smile. Backing up, I heard wingbeats in the night's sky. Staring back, nothing was within them, not the stars, or the moon itself. Looking into the cloak, I noticed the darkened blood that hung around it's neck, all the way to it's chest.

"You did quite the toll on our guardian here."

Feeling his voice digging into my ears, instinct told me to whine, as if begging to not be struck by him, yet my heart told me otherwhys.

"It bloody well deserved it."

Roughness and violence, it was what I showed to them; expecting them to strike me, only one stepped forward.

"No, we're just surprised you were able to hit her."

Ceasing my growl, I stopped for a moment to gather thoughts.

"It wasn't too hard."

"That's why we want to know how you struck her."

"I just attacked. Is this all you need me for?"

Having the shadow walk forward, I got a clean view of a jackel.

"No, we still have your friend to deal with."

His muzzle short, and his eyes bloodshot, Kiyoko entered my mind; causing me to create more of an uproar.

"If you touch her I wi-"

Being interrupted, I created a violent growl.

"Not her you fool, that demon your helping."

Hearing him growl, we caused a bit a dispute within the room. Until I stopped, revising his words.

'Demon?'

It repeated, again and again.

After that, I was led out of the room, and back into a darkened hall. Staring into the shadowing stone walls, I saw moonlight flow through here, and the staircase we were nearing.

"Over here."

A shadow formed in front of the sky, and I heard the mysterious voice of the creature. It was deep, like thunder; yet had a soft edge. Listening into silence, I had the sense that this wasn't going well. His footsteps were silent, and he had no scent. Driving into thought, I could only wonder what was already teasing my mind. Reaching to stone steps, I stepped down into a cold corridor with nothing but the scent of stale air and flame. A wooden door held, covered in cracks, holes, and fractures, yet it still held strong.

"Wrong way."

His voice sounded like the wind howling through the stone when a breeze of cold air shot through them. Rounding up to him, more stairs appeared; spiring down into a plunged darkness.

"Watch your step, one mistake and the fall could kill you."

Barely being able to even see the wall next to me I proceeded down slowly, into the long and tiring process of reaching the bottom.

Stone tiles reached into the outside world, only the figure of shadow stood beside a huge piller watching the moonlight flow onto him.

"Follow."

His voice was still soft. Stepping into the moonlight, people walked by the front of the huge towers. Looking into friendly figures both feral and anthro, simply walk by and live with one another. Never have I seen such a range of species in one place, nor had I ever seen them so humble and kind like these were.

"Come."

He slightly appeared from the crowd, then disappeared once again. Following only the fragments of his cloak, I was stunned by the size of this place. Built by the very fondation of sandstone; the buildings were all even, none too poor, nor none to rich. Everything was even and peaceful, yet I couldn't shake the feeling that this was all wrong. Passing by a curious shadow, I ignored who suddenly started following me within the city streets.

"Hi there."

Her voice was kind and soft. Not trying to be rude to her, I acted as if she was never heard. Stepping towards the sight of the cloak again, my road led towards an alleyway with no end. From there, the only sounds were both of our footsteps.

"Hello?"

She kept her tone at a slow, kind pace. Knowing that she would keep this up, I turned towards the surprising sight of snow. Her fur was white, with the odd offset of light gold around her chest and paws. She was a young feral wolf yet still older then me. I could feel in her eyes she had been in this city for a long time, they were amber with a cross of green, blending together so perfectly, there were no flaws within them.

"Hi there."

My response quiet, I turned from her, letting my feet guide me forward. At the end of my path, a small door was cracked so slightly, that the candlelight in the room was hardly seen by it.

"I'm Nieves, can I have your name?"

Pushing the large wooden door forward, I stepped into the room, feeling the shift from warm air, towards the desert night.

"Come."

His voice raspy, made Nieves gasp from behind me, feeling her presence beginning to leave, He spoke again.

"Both of you."

Her spirit showed nervousness, but even still she dared to follow me into the shadows of the room. From there I caught onto a scent, a scent too strong to forget.

'Kiyoko.'

Her name entered my heart, and I picked up my silent pace into the next set of rooms. A memory flashed, and I saw her; the stranger within my dreams. Shaking it away, I stepped into an open doorway, the moonlight flowed from an opened window. Two creatures stood by the sleeping pup, one of shadows, the other simply a kind old creature.

His face held age, staring into the black and white face I saw the small shed of youth still in him. When he stepped closer into the light, I believed that what I was looking into was a badger, yet I was wrong. A wolverine stood silently within the moonlight, watching and studying Kiyokos injured state. Stepping futher into the room, Nieves walked in with me, oddly enough I was surprised she honestly decided to follow me from the beginning. I sensed something was way off, but held that in the back of my thoughts.

"Your friend is fine, now we have a lot to discuss."

Looking at Kiyoko's abused and bandaged body, I turned from it, and witnessed the shadow leave this room.

"Now come, both of you."

Following him back to the front door, he stared into the two of us.

"You should thank Nieves, she's the one who brought you both to us."

My eyes sunk slightly, Mixed with rage and gratitude. I believed the Strazhi where trying to kill us, and still held this; on the other hand, Fylakas left us for dead, and she saved Kiyoko's life. Watching her look away from us; my voice came through to her.

"T- thanks for your help."

I kept it quiet after that, and only listened to the shadow speak.

"Fylakas is that demon you've been helping right?"

"Yes."

"Bastard, taking our cities name as his own."

he laughed a bit, then stopped.

"Fylakas came to us a couple years ago, he spoke in our tongue and said that he was a keeper like us."

"Keeper?"

Studying his face, my words wavered and staggered slightly.

"Yes, like keepers. We guide and make sure everything follows the right path."

Studying the room, the feeling grew stronger that something was wrong.

"We can't use the term demon, but it's the only thing we can say about Fylakas; we don't know what else to call him. He started talking about brutal violent actions within us, and breached the thoughts of some of our gaurdians."

"Gaurdians?"

"Strazhi."

Holding onto other thoughts, I looked out a open window, pouring moonlight through it.

"He's been using you and Kiyoko, the chain your wearing now, and the appearance of yourself is how he holds dominance."

"My appearance?"

"You honestly don't believe your a complete wolf do you? Look here."

He pulled out a small reflective piece, staring into the image, I was completely different from looking like a timber wolf. My ears hung slightly low, and my fur appeared naturally ragged and thick. Black fur on my back with the blaze of white on my chest down. My body appeared as if I was going to became a larger dog, with the long large white muzzle, and the sharpened eyes of a wolf, being amber with the shots of golden lines shooting from my pupil reaching outwards like lightning. Staring into my paws, I realized the odd blaze of golden fur from my forearms down along with my thighs being blazed with golden fur, and took note on the fur on my ears and scalp, being golden and blending into the black and white fur.

"You see everything is different, here and later on, Fylakas controlled you and changed what was important so he could use you. But now that your back to normal, regardless of the golden chain, you will be fine now."

"What do you need from me then?"

"You to help us correct this, He's been ruining and changing fate and destiny for people."

"Why should I believe this? Last time I did it got me into this mess."

"If you want to free Kiyoko, and possibly end this bloody conflict, then you should help."

Suddenly a loud bang struck the side of stone, all of us ran outside, and he stepped onto a wooden set of steps. Watching his shape move up, I felt an odd shift of heat from it's frigid night, towards the scorch of the sun.

"What the hell is going on?"

A figure came into my view above, steel around his body, gleaming and shining within the scarce moonlight.

"Your'll want to see this."

Reaching the roof, A large shadow struck for us. Wingbeats struck the skies sending sand and wind into a blinding flight. Finally sensing it striking for us, I looked to my left Nieves stood frozen at the sight of flame, bellowing along the side of stone. Dodging forward, I brought her to the ground. Placing myself on top of her; the feeling of burning flame struck above me. A loud roar shot out and vibrated everything around us. Yelling came from the streets below, as I saw it. Shadowed flame around a scaled set of wings, strike the side of a large structure, sending deadly stone to the panicked streets below. A small feeling came, like shaking, and I realized and felt Nieves fear. Looking into the black smoky skies, a pair of hands grasped both of us, and pulled us out from the cloud of darkness.

"You need to leave now."

Unable to object to this, I was stunned by his appearance without his cloak. He had no fur on his body, only it was covered by fibers of clothing from his neck downards. With the exception of his entire arms, which were left bare. His head covered by a skintight black and horrifingly shaped mask, I was able to state that within his hardly visible eyes, had he seen to much blood shed. A white blade was held in his hand, along with a shield that matched it's colours and perfect shine.The wind churned and howled, staring into his movements, quick and agile; the creature shot down from the heavens once more, the reflecting of darkened steel coming from it's structured wings. Hardly able to keep my eyes upon it, it's wing struck clean to stone, and took the stone in half. Stopped with amazement from it's strength, a soldier appeared above me, bow in its paws. Watching the wings shoot for us, I ducked down, but the steel body was too late. Being ruptured in half, the blood that splattered from the impact struck me across the face. I was close enough to even hear the wind smack against the scaled creatures wings.

Jumping off the side of the stone, I landed on the hardened and destroyed streets below.

"Over here, We need to leave."

Nieves voice called from behind me, yet the sight ahead stopped me. Blood dripped slowly from the rocks that had fallen; the torn and stripped bodies of innocent people laid here, all trying franticly to live through this night, only to be ripped of the gift they were given.

"Come on!"

Finally being persueded from the painful sight, I turned to Nieves, who was standing by a large gate. The way from the city, standing tall and strong; even though the rest was ripped from it's very fondation. A loud cry rang in the night as we passed the gates, and above all the carnage, I saw him, blade in hand striking downwards to the shadows, then nothing but the rest of the yells from the city. Staring into the endless dunes of sand, she started moving forward, into the drivin night.

"Where are you going?"

"You mean we."

"Fine."

Giving an annoyed tone, I knew that I felt more comfortable traveling with someone who actually knew these lands. "Where are we going?"

She shot a smile, then turned towards the nights sky.

"Constellations can help guide us back to where I found you."

She only stepped forward, picking my speed up to walk beside her, I spoke again.

"Why do you want to help me then?"

"I have personal reasons."

She kept quiet from there. walking on; we both kept stepping further and further into the open bared desert of mountains and sand. Kept so quiet that the voices and songs of travellers could still be heard, as if helping us find our way back home within our new travels and guiding us to finally stop what was caused so long ago.

Authors note.

The character Nieves was never thought up till just now, and the idea just blends in so perfectly in my thoughts for the later chapters.