FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

After the exciting and potentially life threatening visit to Diamond's town, as we called it, a fortnight passed before Draco arrived on the Friday night. During those two weeks, nothing much had happened, save for a Productivity Game at work, also known as 'that f*&king dot system'. I came second, beaten by three boxes an hour by one of my work-mates, who got a beer and a chocolate bar as a well done award.

I teleported to Central on Saturday morning, with all my kit as usual. For those who are still unaware, this was a decent length list of baggage. Back pack, water, lunch, snacks, heavy clothing, C.E.O. pistol, rifle, a wolven rocket launcher, and a wide brimmed hat, khaki coloured, because often the resulting walk through the middle of the day had resulted in sun burn. I also had sunscreen and insect repellant, but I hardly ever put the latter on, because Arachno disliked the smell of it. I walked to the food store and found most of the Outfit in there, eating breakfast. I acknowledged Valmeero, who waved from his table, and I spotted Takori talking to Brendan. I spotted Dev, Draco, Simba and Javid talking at a table, and I slid a chair over to their table.

"How's the dragon pack today?" I smiled, slipping the pack off my shoulders. Devlin spoke to me.

"Well, someone's cheerful today."

"I got religion over the week."I replied, grinning."So what's the planet?"

"Uncharted, but scans show it's fairly warm. Supposedly mostly jungle terrain. Thermo scans report that there are villages in the interior of the huge islands, and we shall beam down near one of them." Simba handed me a piece of paper with the basics. I read down the list.

"What are the life forms that are listed?"

"None found, as yet."Javid replied." We believe it might have been night time when this was done.And before you ask, the X-rays didn't penetrate the buildings. All we can guess is that they are about the same height as us or shorter, and that's by looking at the size of the building."

"I see. So how far away from this village will we arrive?"

"About two, maybe three miles."

"Well, at least we should arrive without anyone being aware of us.So, when are we leaving?"

"Just after breakfast. Have you had any yet?"

"Yes. I made myself some cereal just before I left.What about the others?"

"Brendan, Winslo and Grant are off to that elven planet, just to see what the goddesses have been up to. Time, because of her excellent personal skills, is going to the Avian planet with Takori and Doran.They are going away for a week, exploring the territory a bit more than we have done."

"Well, Time could get on with a troll that was trying to pound her into the ground." I said, and received a slap from the person behind me.I turned, and she was sitting there, listening to our conversation.

"You have to admit you are a people person."

"Yes, but did you have to put it like that?"

"So, how have you been?"

"Not bad. Takori and Doran are fully capable scouts, and the planets we have visited have been, enjoyable."

After breakfast, we all went down to the main hall. Two eagle like creatures had just teleported, Silverine had been speaking to them, Brendan's group were with him now, and a company of elves were chanting in a corner, preparing themselves for where they were heading to. The Lupogriff motioned us to come forwards.

"Alduin, you are aware of your goal?"

"Come into contact with the villagers, find out a little about the place, come back in one piece?" I suggested, a wide smile on my face. Time sighed behind me. Silverine chuckled.

"Close enough.Enjoy yourselves."

We teleported.

Javid whistled in appreciation as we started looking around. The terrain was thick jungle, almost reminiscent of the Amazons of Earth. It was quite warm, and I shuffled my long shirt off and put it in my day pack. I took a mouthful of water while my back pack was on the ground, and as I picked up the bag, I shouldered my rifle and SRAW. Javid was examining a brook, Simba was looking at the trees, and Draco was setting up his scanner.

It was thus I who saw the wood shavings on the ground beneath a tree, and as I looked up, I saw another come down. As I looked hard at the thick branch, I saw a creature there.

He was lying perfectly comfortable in the nook caused by the branch, and his scaled legs extended out across the branch, one leg hanging down in slight boredom. He was lizard like, and his entire body was covered in the same green scales.I noticed two small swords strapped across his back. His reptilian tongue flicked out, tasting the air, and his claws whittled away at a small wooden form in his hand. He was carving, and as I looked at him, he looked down.

As I took in the details, I saw he was wearing a fine black robe, with a hood, although the hood was down at this moment On his belt was a small black bag, which shined from the inside, as though lit with a light. His feet were bare, and he looked light footed. Underneath the robe he wore naught but a pair of shorts, and I thought to myself that this creature was exceptionally handsome among his own kind, and ours too.

"Good morning, my friends. You have been expected." His voice was sibilant, and his pronunciation of the letter S. went on for a bit longer than normal. His manner of speech was slow, he was not one who spoke often. He seemed slightly shy, and I, determined to make a good start, climbed easily up the thick branches to the one he was one. He turned, sitting on the branch, his feet dangling, and as I got up to him, I extended my hand. He shook it, and I spoke.

"Thank you for the welcome. My name is Alduin."

"Greetings Alduin. My name is Salbar." the lizard nodded graciously.

"So how did you know we were coming?"

"There are two distinct traits between the lizards on this world.There are those who do the fighting, and do it well. They are warriors. Then there are those who excel with magical abilities in particular fields, and they are the Elder lizards. One of these Elders has the power to see into the future, and he saw your arrival. I was sent here to welcome you."

"And to think that I thought no one would be aware of us from two miles." I smiled at Draco, who laughed. Both of us in the tree got down, and I made introductions.

"This is Simba, this is Javid, and as I have already mentioned, this is Draco." as each of them stepped forward, and shook Salbar by the hand.The lizard looked at all of us, and spoke slowly.

"I am, honoured to meet you all. I request you follow me, I have been asked to lead you to my village."

"Certainly, Salbar.Alduin, are you going to fly around for a while?"

"Yay!Aerial Recon! I was wondering when you were going to ask." I punched the air in happiness, and changed into my Lightning form. Salbar recoiled, and then bent down.

"How curious."He said, looking in slight awe at my brushed steel finish. Draco attached the camera, and I blasted off. There was no real track, but as I hovered upwards, Salbar led Draco, Simba and Javid towards the village. I cleared the tree line, and roared into the sky. I went deliberately high, cutting swathes of information from the area. The entire island, and even a five minute flight in one direction, I could not see any body of water, was covered in jungle. For fifteen minutes I flew, and then headed back to Draco, hovering in front of him as he trudged through the leafy undergrowth. By simply angling back a bit, I could propel myself along at walking pace, so I could talk to Draco easily.

"Got all that?"

"On these."he tapped the glasses."Nice flying, we got a shot of the village, although you probably weren't aware of it."

"I wasn't, but go on."

As he opened his mouth to speak, there was an unholy screech behind us, and everyone turned. Salbar shouted.

"Run!"

He led the way through the brush, the leaves whipping at our faces. I had changed back at the sound of the screech, although I was in bionic form, and my ribs hammered as I followed Javid.

Then we saw the source of the noise.It was absolutely incredible. What it was was thousands of insects, a whole huge swarm. They were spider like, with giant pincers. They moved with incredible rapidity, and Salbar shouted.

"It's a swarm of Ghan vrie! Their bite is poisonous, and they devour our flesh!"

Each Ghan was about ten centimetres tall, and about the size of my fore arm in width. I drew my pistol, and heard the others doing the same.

"Low setting, we don't want to burn the trees." Draco shouted.

We fired blindly behind us as we ran, and we heard a few individual screeches as one or more of us scored hits. Salbar gasped.

"The river! It's only two hundred metres away. I will halt them while you get across!"

He was suicidal, and I came this close to saying it out loud. But it wasn't as bad as all that. We came to the river, it was high cliffed, sort of like a gorge, and the river roared underneath us, about twenty feet down. Salbar stopped, and drew his swords. Draco went first, Simba second, and Javid third. I paused briefly, firing with deadly accuracy at the swarm.

"Alduin, get across, and fast!" Salbar shouted, swinging his swords lithely. The bridge was about thirty metres long, and as I started across, Draco had finished. It was a swing bridge, held at either side with spikes driven into the ground. I ran lightly over the planks, and got to the other side. As I turned, Salbar let out a reptilian howl, and brought his first sword around, severing a number of the leading Ghan. He was a great swordsman, and he decimated the spider beings as they tried to get near them.

Then something else happened. He turned, and his body glowed for a merest second. Then there was a flash across the bridge, and Salbar stopped suddenly fifteen metres behind us.

"Destroy the bridge!"he gasped. I drew my rocket launcher, and slipped a shell into it.Salbar turned as I fired. The flame out the back made the bark on several trees turn black, but the shell erupted from the bazooka, a white light as it appeared. The first Ghan were stepping on the bridge, and then the shell detonated.

Fire and brimstone, once more.Bits of timber were hurled into the sky, along with bits of rope and spider beings. More of it was blasted downwards into the swollen river, and the remaining section that hadn't been with in the radius of the fireball swung around in an arc, the burnt ends of rope striking the water with dual splashes. I stepped aside as a large fragment of plank landed on the ground with a whirring sound, and admired the damage my RPG had caused.

The Ghan were screeching on the other side, and I know it was because their prey had gotten away. Then I turned, and saw something horrible. Salbar was lying on the ground, completely outstretched, and for a moment I'd thought he'd been poisoned. We ran to him, crouching by his sprawled body, and he looked up, exhausted.

"Salbar, did one of them hit you?" I said, but the lizard shook his head wearily.

"Some of the warriors have special abilities. I can communicate telepathically, I could have told the Elders from your landing spot, but the other is I can run slightly faster than sound itself. But to do so, going at such speed, it causes adrenaline rush, and strain on my body. Every time I do it, I can feel my life span decreasing. The longer I do it, the quicker it drains me, and too much of it will kill someone."

I nodded to Javid, and the pair of us picked the scaly creature underneath his arms, helping him to his feet. He was unable to walk after the use of this potentially lethal ability. I took his arm around his shoulder, and he stumbled ahead. I took most of his weight on myself, and Simba was still recording facts about the Ghan vrie. Javid had gone on ahead, looking for more creatures, and Draco was walking just behind me, listening.

Salbar was still capable of speech, and he asked me about the weapon I had used to destroy the bridge.

"It's a special type of projectile explosive. When the explosive hits something, it blows up, in a big way."

Fortunately the town of Lizards,( I swear that's what he called it), was not very far, and suddenly the grass appeared very flattened. We guessed this was a road, but Salbar was reserving his strength, and said nothing. I couldn't blame him, I knew exactly what it was like, after using the missiles and bombs on my Lightning form.

Then we suddenly walked into a small clearing. The buildings were a mixture of stone, wood and thatch, and many of them ran down the clearing. One of the lizards rushed up,wearing a kind of heavy shirt. He looked at Salbar in alarm.

"Salbar, what happened?" but before the struggling lizard could reply, another voice came. This voice was somewhat mystical, enchanted tones. It came from a silver robed lizard, with a small band of silver around his forehead, and he came out of a hut with slow footsteps.

"Greetings, Alduin.Greetings, Draco.Greetings, Javid.Greetings, Simba. I am glad that you have arrived here intact, your fight with the Ghan went well, although Salbar had to resort to his special running ability.Your devices are very advanced, even I have trouble, and I can see into the myriad of the future.You come here seeking knowledge, and we will be happy to supply you with anything you need."

This was obviously the Elder lizard that Salbar spoke off, he didn't ask you what you did, he told you what you did, because he knew a good half hour before you did. There was more than one Elder, but this one was the Head Elder, because of his gift of prophecy.

"Greetings,"I paused briefly, and the Head Elder spoke, filling the tiny gap.

"My name is Cassandri, I am the Head Elder of this town. By the way, Alduin, do not trust the voice you cannot see."

And with this riddle posed, he bowed gently to us, and walked away. Salbar finally had the strength to stand by himself, and he spoke.

"To have the High Elder bow to you, that is most interesting. Please, observe our fair town at your leisure. I feel like I should have a nap."

Salbar walked slowly to one of the huts. Simba looked at the Head Elder as he went into another building.

"People like that worry me."

"Seconded." I replied, puzzling over what Cassandri could have meant. Obviously he had seen something about my future, which involved a voice that could not be seen, but as to what, it eluded me. Simba found the library, while our own people person, Javid, went to what appeared to be a metal worker, and easily slipped into a conversation. Draco went after the Head Elder, and I went into the hut Salbar had gone into.

It was a very nice hut. Salbar lived with no one, and the two room house was mostly bare. Salbar was lying on the bed, holding his bag in his arms while he slumbered. There was his pair of swords, resting on the floor, his robe was hanging on a hook in the bedroom.The bag still emitted light, and I was curious to ask him what was in it. I sat down on the floor, my back against the door frame, so anyone going near Salbar would come across me.

Someone did enter. Another Elder, they all wore a special band around their forehead, and long silver robes, came into the hut, looking at me pleasantly.

"Are you standing guard, Master Alduin?"

"Well, the poor Salbar exhausted himself with his ability.I thought someone should be near him. This place makes me worried, like those Ghan vrie."

"They are dangerous creatures,"the Elder nodded," several stand around the camp, in trees, to make sure there are none getting in. We have special ways of dealing with them if they get too close."

"I'm sorry to intrude on his personal belongings, Elder, but what is in his bag that emits such light?"

"It is a gem, a very rare type of gem that emits it's own light. He secured it, found it, and he kept it."

"And so it's a sort of lucky charm."

"Also it's a sort of comfort to him. Why do you carry that rifle, when you have more powerful weapons?"

"That's a fair point." I nodded.

The Elder came past me, and I turned as the Elder raised his hands over the unconscious lizard. I saw pure white light playing among his hands, and the Elder spoke softly.

"You do wear yourself out so, Salbar. But it was in great need, you did exceptionally well." he said, although Salbar was not aware of it.

Then he lowered his hands, and spoke to me.

"He is such a brilliant fighter, and honest, hard working, loyal. He's just the sort of person who could lead the warriors. He is very shy, and doesn't like the idea of it though."

"So you are a healer?"

"Very well thought out, Alduin. For those who's special abilities are, dangerous, I minimize the damage done. Also I cure poisons and wounds.It was a skill I inherited from my father."

"I see, Elder."

"Good afternoon, Alduin."

"Good afternoon Elder." I bowed to him, and he gave a short bow, and walked out.

Salbar was asleep for three hours, and occasionally Draco or Javid would come in to see how I was.

"You saw it in him, Alduin?" Draco asked me when he came in. I nodded.

"He's got the explorer's touch, his eyes flashed when I told him what we did. And he's got the skills, you saw how he made us get across while he defended the bridge.When he wakes up, and regathers his wits, I shall ask him."

"I'll vouch for him in front of Silverine, if necessary." Draco nodded.

Salbar's eyes flickered open after Draco left, and he looked around.

"Where am I?" he asked out loud.

"You are in your own bed, Salbar." I said gently. He sat up, slowly, and looked at me.

"Oh, Alduin, I didn't know you were in here." he made to get up, but I lifted a hand.

"No, don't get up. You need to relax. I feel exactly the same after I've gone too long in my form, or when I've fired my bombs."

Salbar lay back down.

We sat in silence. I heard Salbar's deep breathing, and eventually asked him a question.

"Salbar, have you ever wanted to explore new places?"

"Yes." he said promptly."I like travelling to places I haven't seen before."

"Well, if you don't mind leaving here, we could take you back to Central, and you could become a scout."

"I see."Salbar said."I shall certainly think on it."

There was a sudden shout from down the street, which was taken up. I could catch the words.

"The Head Elder has fallen!"

Salbar made to get to his feet, and I jumped up, giving him a hand. Then I ran, he staggered, towards where all the chaos was. The shouting was coming from one building, and as we pressed through the ranks of women and children, we entered the building. Again it was simple, but there were mystical symbols on the walls, and, on the floor, Cassandri. Two Elders were around him, chanting.

"What happened?" Salbar asked desperately to another.

"He gave a shout of pain, and we found him like this." Simba, the team medic, drew a device, and ran the device across the Head Elder.

"His mind has suffered a tremendous mental blow." he said, in the sudden silence.

Immediately, the Elders started casting a series of spells, and I recognised a variant of Mabel's Restoration spell, which removes curses, insanity, and the like from a single person.

Finally, the Head Elder opened his eyes. There was a cheer, and a mass breathing out. The Head Elder spoke slowly.

"Please, can everyone leave, save for the newcomers and Salbar?"

Everyone filed out, leaving us four aliens and the suddenly nervous lizard at my shoulder. The two Elders stayed as well, and as Cassandri stood, he looked at us.

"My friends, I have grave news. An evil is loose in this world, I can feel it now, among us. I tried to concentrate on it, and it repelled me. I can see that you will have to defeat it, banish it back to where ever it came, and while myself and the other Elders will try to fight it, the task will depend on you."

Oh dear, not again.Salbar bowed deeply to Cassandri, who received the bow with one of his own. Then he started to collapse forward, and I rushed forward and caught him with Salbar. He was surprisingly light, and as we carried him to his bed, he spoke.

"I am afraid I am dangerously weak. My mind was not made to withstand such evil." he looked deeply upset, and I vowed to make sure whatever had done this to him would pay. Salbar looked equally annoyed, to see his Head Elder so helpless. We rested him down on the bed, and then left the house.

Salbar said even less than usual on the way back to his hut, the sudden adrenaline rush having completely healed his aged system. Javid and Simba were deep in thought, Draco was venting flame as he thought, and I was loading and reloading my rifle, not firing a round. The Elder had been right, my rifle was a comforting presence, a one true reminder of home. Salbar, as he sat down on his bed, drew out his bag from his belt, and held it in his hands, his hands resting on his lap. He stared at it, as if trying to unlock all the secrets from this mystery.I started singing softly.

"I close both locks below the window, I close both blinds and turn away. Sometimes solutions aren't so simple, sometimes goodbye's the only way." I sung. Draco joined me in the chorus, he knew the song.His singing voice was quite melodic, and we finished the chorus, the silence coming back in. My voice was firm.

"We will fight this evil, whatever it be. The only thing is where will it be?"

Salbar spoke softly."The evil, if it knows, will find us.We must make it aware of us."

Simba thought about this.

"I've never tried to make an evil creature aware of me. How would you begin?"

"Cassandri said the evil is all around us, and it listens."

Javid thought on this.

"Shouting on the street?" he suggested. I thought on this.

"Come with me."

We went about five minutes along the path out of the town, and I loaded my rifle. Draco smiled.

"Do you mind me doing it?"

"Not at all." I aimed my rifle upwards."On three. Three!"

I fired the rifle, the bullet heading into the air. The crack echoed in the suddenly still forest, and Draco shouted.

"We know you're out there, and you will not hurt one more villager! You will have to fight us first!Or are you too coward to face your doom?"

He certainly had it down pat. His voice boomed across the miles, breaking through mere stone, rustling the trees. Branches fell under the power of his voice, and then all was silent. The sky darkened, and there was a distant rumble of thunder. Salbar spoke.

"You hurt the High Elder, thus I am vowed to destroy you. Not one step shall you take in this city while I have breath in my body!"

Salbar had a mighty powerful voice, when he used it.We stood there, as the darkness increased. The clouds rumbled over, and there was a louder roll of thunder. It started raining, and I shrieked. My life as a choir boy and actor had put a huge amount of power behind my shout, I could be heard over an entire crowd.

"I knew it!Such a coward will send in others before himself! You may have control over the weather, and even the trees themselves. The Ghan vrie can be your slaves, but you will sit there, a coward in your own hole. Face us yourself, if you dare!"

The rain packed up, and the clouds fled. The water dripped down my face, and I stared defiantly at the trees. The shadows clustered, and I heard howling across the forest, like the wind. We stood there, not backing away, as the howling increased, and I saw the leaves being blown into little eddies. I put my gun over my shoulder, and crossed my arms. Salbar drew his swords, and held them together in attack pose. As the wind whipped our clothes, Simba drew his pistol, and growled defiantly. Draco roared, inhaling deeply, ready to blast flame.

Then it stopped. The wind died, and leaves brushed over us. The howling wind, like the core of a blizzard, suddenly stopped, and the gaunt silence likewise washed over us. Salbar spoke quietly.

"We will sleep here. We can not enter the city now, until we have defeated it. Draco, get some firewood, we shall have a fire."

As the evening came on, the fire was lit, and the sun went behind the clouds. Draco spoke to us.

"One man shall stay guard while the others rest. I am not that worried against this form, but the Ghan vrie might go for us."

Simba volunteered first watch, and I went to sleep against a tree. He woke me three hours later, at the stroke of midnight on my watch. He curled up, and went to sleep.

Guard duty can be quite boring, but I was on tenterhooks, listening to the forest. When it was silence, only then did I know something was wrong. I turned, and saw the darkness. It was dark. But I heard something, a whisper in the wind.

This was no time to turn around. With my rifle in my hand, I spoke to the presence behind me.

"To attack a sleeping person is no honourable deed. If you truly want us to know we lost, why fight us as we rest?"

Then the response came back, no more than a breath on the wind.

"If you rest, it is on your own shoulders."

"But we are mortal. You are not." I turned, rifle trained, and the fire died. What was there was a dark mist, and a pair of dark yellow eyes, like cat's eyes, staring at me. I didn't flinch, and noticed I could see outlines, because of the light emanating from Salbar's globe.

"You are brave, mortal. You think you can stand up to me.But you cannot."

"I am not of this planet. You do not know my tricks."

"I can see right into your mind, creature. No fancy magic tricks can hurt me."

"I am not magical." I said straightly.

"It amounts to the same thing." the voice hissed. The shadows snaked out, brushing my body, and I felt cold.I summoned up a desperate feeling of power, and intoned words I had learnt from a game.

"Begone foul fiend, and return to the darkest pits of hell from whence thou came!" I drew my pistol, and fired a setting six at the creature. The blast seared straight through the mist, and it howled in anger.

The darkness disappeared, and the fire spontaneously burst into flame. I had only barely wounded it, it was affronted by my audacity. All my companions woke, to see the darkness drift away.Salbar looked at me.

"It tried to attack you?"

"It tried to break my will." I said, staring at the retreating mist.