FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

==== POV returning to David ====

"So mind tellin me what happened exactly?"

"Our little 'genius' thought it would be a good idea to trust a stranger from the Clan."

I glared at Zerato growling softly with my ears pinned back, he only turned his head to look at Abyss and nuzzled him lightly then he grinned.

"I may be smarter than you, but no one is perfect. Of course i'm going to make mistakes, but the best part of mistakes as you should know is that you learn from them."

Druk nodded in agreement, I just sigh. I'm not letting Zerato decide what I do anymore, I don't care if he's older than me. Only one that will have say over me is Druk, I nod to myself then look around.

"Think there's any water in this place so I can wash this blood off?"

"Just lick your wound clean like your instincts tell you to, cause i'm sure further in this test there will be proper bloodshed."

Zerato stated, I make a slightly grossed out face and shake my head.

"It's not even my blood! It's not safe to lick up someone elses blood, you don't know if they had something wrong with them or something, I could get infected!"

I imagine myself licking myself clean then days later I end up dying from some infection in the blood.

"Then don't complain that it's on your fur, it's not the end of the world."

I growl softly and look away from Zerato, Druk wandered to the large opening of the cave and stood there.

"We should be very careful when going past here, there's something else living in here."

My ears perked up and I stare into the opening.

"Like what? Is it big? Small? What's it look like?"

"I don't know.. I just there's something there, it was hissing at me when I threw a lightning ball into it. I wanted to check further, but I didn't want to leave you guys unguarded while you slept. So now we'll just learn on what this thing is as we venture further into the cave now won't we?"

I nod slowly, I didn't llike the idea of wandering into a cave when we knew so little, but it couldn't be helped, we won't learn anything about it if we don't explore it. I walk up to Druk and nod again.

"Let's go then.."

I have the firebirds put my sword back into its sheath, but walk a little ahead of us providing light in the path ahead. The only thing I could hear now was just our footsteps in the dirt and the sound of the fire, I stayed on guard since all I could really rely on is sound and the little light we have.

"Zerato..?"

"Hm?"

I keep moving forward, not looking back to him.

"Do you hate me?"

"Why does it matter?"

I stayed silent for a bit, slightly looking to the ground then I shake my head slightly.

"Sorry.."

A part of me didn't want Zerato to dislike me, but I already dislike him myself. It's not the best for team-mates to be unable to cooperate with each other, so i'm going to try and overlook his flaws and become friends..hopefully.

"Hmph.. I don't hate you, but it doesn't matter if I do or not, as long as we can get this test done. That's all that really matters, then we probably won't have to put up with each other again."

Druk looked at me then stopped walking, my ears perked up and I look around. There was a sound, it was like a bug or something by what I heard but then the ground rumbled which was followed by a hissing noise like Druk said earlier.

"I guess that's what you heard, Druk?"

"Exactly, but I don't see it."

Zerato kept walking ahead of us, when he passed me I noticed his eyes were purple.

"It's underground."

"How do you know this? What is it exactly that you can see that we can't?"

"It's not what I can see, I can't see anything either, but it's what I can sense and I can sense some chaos magic in whatever that thing is. So let's keep moving till it shows itself, we can't do anything about it now."

Druk let out a sigh.

"You guys make me jealous with your magical abilities."

He chuckled and I give him an 'I'm sorry' look.

"I feel a bit useless on that part, but don't worry, I know I'm not. Everyone has their own talents."

I nod a bit and I hear a 'Heh' come from Zerato, Druk and I return to the path deeper into the cave. Other than the frequent earthshaking rumbles it was rather quiet, which only made me fear more what the monster was.

"Oh yay.. a fork in the road.."

I say with a displeased tone, there were not 2 but 4 different branches ahead. I stand with the others to look to each path.

"So which path do we take? And splitting up is NOT an option, I refuse to go down one of these tunnels alone knowing that there is some unknown monster in the ground."

Druk approached the tunnel on the far right and placed his paw on the wall, I tilt my head watching Druk curiously.

"What are you doing Druk?"

"Checking something.."

He spoke softly, his paw glowed a soft yellowy-gold a bit then he moved to the next tunnel doing the same thing, standing still with his paw against the wall. His paw glowed again but brighter, I started to get a slight idea to what he was doing.. I think.

"Trying to sense if there's anything down the tunnel?"

He nodded then moved to the third tunnel, which his paw didn't glow at all. He stood there for a little longer before moving to the last passage, he didn't even put his paw on the wall, he just stood in the opening and looked down into it, his tail lashed about.

"Far left tunnel is a definet no.."

I nod and look at the tunnel beside the one on the far right and point to it.

"So we go down this one?"

Druk turned his head looking to it

"This one has the least movement, but.. there's probably a reason for it. Traps or fragile earth.. something unsafe."

"So.. then far right.."

I walk over to the tunnel on the far right, Druk following behind me.

"Mhmm, there isn't much activity going on in here, but stay on your guard. I don't know details of what's down this path."

Zerato followed us quietly as Druk and I went down the tunnel, I conjured up a fire orb for each of us which floated over our shoulders. A few minutes down the tunnel and so far it seemed quiet, though I don't know if I was imagining things or the path was actually getting smaller and forcing us to walk in a line.

"I don't like this."

I say as I look around, I glance to the ceiling a cause I was also feeling like there was something else in here.

"Z..Zerato? Do-"

"Yes."

I stay silent for a moment, my ears folding back a bit as grip my staff firmly. So there is something else in here and nearby if Zerato is getting that feeling too.

"Hey, Druk. Uhm.. could I be in front? There's something I need to check cause I think whatever is in here is nearby."

"Hmm? Sure thing, just be careful."

I nodded and walked ahead of Druk, but then stopping only a few steps ahead. I pointed my staff out and the crystal began to glow as I channeled magic into it, I made little circles and soon a fire red outline followed turning into a fire ring.

"Hah~"

I thrust my staff into the center of the fire ring and it shot out a funnel of fire down the path, expandinng quickly, scorching the ground, walls and ceiling. I flinch and pin my ears against my head as there was a high pitched sound, from a bug or something followed by a couple of 'thuds'. The funnel died down but the painful screeching of whatever continued, I put my paws over my ears trying to cancel out the noise but it wasn't doing much help..

"Ahhgg, make it stop!"

I turned around to look at Druk and Zerato, Zerato seemed to be bothered by the sound as well. Druk on the other hand was slowly falling to his knees holding his ears, it seemed to be effecting him the most. I look back down the scorched tunnel and see a couple of bug-like things on the ground, I pointed my staff at one and shot off a small fireball. The frequency of the noise went down a bit, so i'm only guessing that I killed it off, I quickly aimed at another but there was a sudden bright light from behind me. I turn around and see Druk glowing, his fur spiked up a bit and sparks jumping off his fur, he litterally bolted pass me driving his fists into the two small bugs into the ground which killed them on contact cause the sound was gone.

"D-Druk?"

I stutter a bit, beyond surprised. I take a few steps towards him and he quickly shot a glare at me, which made me stop in my tracks, intimidated by him in this state.

"Druk, what's wrong?"

Zerato held his head and walked up beside me, looking to Druk.

"He is most likely pissed off, I'm guessing. If you didn't know, Cats have sensitive hearing.. meaning theirs are better than a canines. But the frequency that the bug was screeching at wasn't even that bad..."

Zerato's voice trailed off to a mumble then soon to silent, I look back to Druk who started to approach us. I jump a bit since I wasn't expecting to see him move, he reached out to Zerato and I. I flinch a bit kinda expecting to get electrocuted or something, but I could only feel a slight tingle and vibration through my body. He lifted us both into his arms, I blush a bit but panic a little not expecting to be carried.

"H-hey, what are you doin??"

"We need to get out of here.. fast.. Hold on.."

He took a running stance, wait, he's going to run while carring us?!

"Wait!"

Before I could even say what I wanted to say, he dashed off. I yip and hold onto his side tightly and close my eyes. The speed this guy is running while carring us, is just... wow. I can't even begin to think of what Zerato was thinking about this, I jumped a couple times as he made a few quick turns. Only thing I could really hear was my hooded cape whipping violently in the wind, Druk suddenly stopped which made it feel like all of my insides just moved, and if I weren't holding onto him I probably would have gone flying as well.

My heart was racing, I took a deep breath then open my eyes. Well we were definetly in a new area..Just seeing something I wish I didn't see.

"I really don't like what I'm seeing guys.."

The sound of hundreds of bugs crawling, talking and digging echoed in the massive opening which had pleanty of light coming from the large hole in the ceiling. Then something that was practically impossible to miss was a gigantic thing in the center, I could only guess that it was their core storage of something.

"What do we do? They'll sense us if we go any further, if we kill them that noise they make will probably deafen us, can't even begin to think how much hell Druk would go through."