FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

This is my second story commission for catprog, who gracfully allowed me to post here even though he has it up on his site as well. I hope all of you like it.

A magic closet stands before you filled with numerous costumes. Furred creatures and wonderful feathered beasts line the edge walls from front to back. You stroll through the long path toward the back of the closet and as you near the edge wall, a small whisper can be heard just inside your head. A nice, petite, and apparently barely worn, kitsune suit hangs at the back of the room in the corner. The orange fox costume sits, complete with two black tipped ears and a long patch of white fur down the chest. As you touch it you can feel the warmth and furred texture of the overwhelmingly realistic fabric. The seemingly real costume is so exquisite you just have to try it on. The fact that it is a vixen doesn't bother you since you have always wondered what it would be like as a girl, even if only in play, and, intending on playing around for a while, you don the suit. Each furry paw is filled perfectly by your hands, almost as if the costume was tailor made for you. Your feminine transformation comes full circle now as you pull the suit's head over your own and zip the back up to the neck. The world around you seems somewhat shaky since your vision isn't quite as wide inside the costume but that isn't all that seems odd. Your balance seems to shift and the weight on your chest increases. You can feel the front of you shift as if to fit the suit. As your groin shrinks and inverts into that of the female anatomy so does your chest increase in size. You truly do shift now, into the suit you've picked. Your skin and the fabric become one; no longer a suit. A body of lithe proportions and sleek style is now at your command. But before you can do another thing you're whisked into a blanket of blackness; fainted.

You awaken in a dusty room, staring blankly at a tattered and paint splattered ceiling. A fan hangs from the aching panels and slowly turns. There is no power, the fan turns by way of the wind. As you stand, your two silver tipped tails swirl about in conjunction to keep your slim frame balanced. You sway forward but catch yourself on the brown stucco wall. As your paw comes down on the broken wall the plaster beneath gives way and you fall through the wall. The outside light shines down on you with the wind whipping about your whiskers and ears. A whole street of decrepit houses lay before you. Everything seems horribly desolate and deserted. Broken columns, overturned cobblestone, broken wood and frayed fabric hangs about in drab fashion about your entire surroundings. You stand once more, supporting yourself on a far more sturdy section of the wall than that which had just given way. You look up to notice an odd sight. Overlooking the desolate urban landscape is a greenish sky and three suns. The wind whips throughout the hollow grey building. A few rusted cans and bushels of litter line the street. As you step out into the street a bird_or what seems to be a bird swoops low and clips your back. As you duck and cover your ears the winged thing speeds off screeching at the sky. This new mysterious place seems abandoned, possibly for a long time now. You catch a glimpse of a corpse laying in an open doorway across the street; another fox, from the look of it. You look away, trying to keep your composure as fear begins to settle in the pit of your stomach. With no way to be sure what is around the corner you creep low and stalk throughout silently. A can shakes as a ratlike feral shoots out and into the gloom-ridden shadows of another building off in the distance. The smokey dust of the beaten street whips in and out of the buildings, obscuring you sense of smell for the time being. Proceeding further into the city, you stick close to the buildings as you near the street's intersection. A low rumbling sound approaches your position from up the street and around the corner. Dashing into the building, you take cover beneath the shroud of it's shadow. As the sound comes closer it gets terrifyingly loud and in response your ears lay back to block it out. Just when you think you'll need to cover them with your paws, the sound stops and the place becomes quiet enough to hear a pin drop. An eerie feeling befalls you and the cold wind eats at you while your mind tries to fathom what could be outside. The fear races in and throughout your form, consuming you. A few voices shatter the quiet and call out from where the sound had stopped. Standing with your back to the wall and just inside the doorway of a building, you haven't managed to see what's happened as of yet. The voices move off a ways and you peek your maw out to catch a look at what's going on. A huge vehicle is stopped right in front of your building. A single wolf, a bit taller than you, stands atop the gray APC. It's large guns on the sides make it a truly opposing site at seven feet tall. With trepidation you yearn to talk to the wolf but he appears dressed in military garb and has a look about him that is not indicative of regular military, if military at all. Even if he were military, he gives you the impression of danger. He holds a swagger that screams self proclaimed bad ass and keeps a paw-pad firm about the trigger of his odd gun. You decide to wait and see what happens, holding out hope that these people can help you. Your hopes are completely dashed and your fears realised, however, when the other voices return. You can now see that they belong to two more wolves and a female feline. The feline appears to be carrying the fox corpse on her arm as the other two follow behind her. The two wolves behind her make play at defiling the corpse as they walk. "Got another one of these lousy wretches hiding in the buildings. He must have died hiding from us. The poor sob was clutching a wretch charm." The feline says to the wolf on top of the APC. They all laugh as she throws the body against the side of the APC and tosses the charm up to the wolf. From your estimates it seems the one on the vehicle is in charge. The three on the ground are now rending the corpse limb from limb, making fun at it in the most grotesque manner imaginable. Just as you're about to scream a paw comes to your muzzle from behind, silences you, and drags you into the embrace of a a taller old fox. He peaks down at your from above and whispers, "Hush child. Come this way and stay quiet." The complete sincerity and kindhearted tone of the older vulpine lends you to trust him, if only in part by instinct. The elderly fox guides you to the rear entrance of the building and sits you down, sniffing and looking you all over in an animalistic manner. "You don't seem to be injured, are you alright Kee?" He asks. What is Kee? You wonder to yourself. After a moment of you not responding to him he comes again with the same question, "Are you alright Kee?" Forced now, you ask, "What is Kee?" He steps back for a moment, apparently horrified and confused. "Kee, the sacred word of fox. Have you not heard the ancient language spoken before?" No... What is the ancient language? Who are you and where and am I?" You ask; very just questions for someone in your situation. The old vulpine waits for a moment before taking you by the paw and dragging you out the back entrance and through the decrepit old buildings. Each of his steps are incredibly graceful for someone who seems so old. You are led through the rubble and debris to a small tunnel underneath a large concrete slab. He continues onward with you in tow. The two of you move quickly and quietly down the passage. The tunnel appears to be a den and as you move farther down, the light fades from behind you. Just as the light from the suns has nearly faded, there comes another light from ahead of you, this one far softer than the harsh green sunlight above ground. The tunnel opens into a large spacious room carved out of the dirt and bedrock. The cavernous room is dimly lit by lanterns suspended from the large rock pillars holding the ceiling up. Shadows creep around you and the light as several Vulpine figures appear out of the darkness. They are carrying rifle-like weapons and many are either very young or old, many with scars and patches of fur missing. They were obviously in their fair share of combat. The old Vulpine moves toward the group that has appeared before you both and begins talking to them in an unfamiliar language. You cannot hear them clearly nor can you understand a single word that's spoken. As the conversation continues it's tone shifts to that of an argument. Several glances are tossed your way by the group before their gaze is redirected to the older Vulpine, who is now raising his voice and becoming clearly feral in his argument. It is painfully obvious at this point that the group does not care for your presence. You can sense their hostility and uncertainty. Every one of them tighten their grip on their weapons and some tap a footpaw anxeiously on the ground. In a moment you make your decision; escape. A quick dash to the side leaves nothing but a shadow of you on the wall by which you had just stood. A shot rings out and a small pain creeps into the edge of your arm as fur flies from your bicep. The hit causes you to tumble for a moment. Touching down you roll and collect yourself into a sprint toward the tunnel entrance. The older Vulpine stands in front of the group and stops them from firing but your senses and instincts deny you the opportunity to turn about. You sprint up and into the green light once more, ducking between rubble and debris. A crashing sound from your left flank catches you off guard and you miss your step. The rocks under you do you no favors and your fur and skin is torn. Your legs and sides are bleeding with several deep gashes but you can only stand to confront the sound that had broadsided you. As you look up the only thing you can see is the large steel panel of the APC from earlier and as each rivet, gear, piston, and wheel grinds closer you take off again. Your side keeps you from running properly and as you limp around corners the vehicle is right on your tails. Mere feet remain between you and the beast when you duck into a large thick walled building. You're more than sure that they cannot break through the wall. Just as you turn to look back toward the entrance, you're greeted by the APC crashing straight through the doorway with almost no effort. You have nowhere to go. The walls in the building are made like a maze; a prison. Almost every doorway is blocked by collapsed boards and the trash on the floor makes hobbling throughout the building even more intensely painful. Your breath has left you by now and each step keeps it from you while your pursuers follow closely enough to nearly taste your flesh. A final turn down a hallway and through an unblocked doorway lands you in a room with no other exit and a collapsed wall leading to the second floor. You try again and again to grab at the ledge on the top of wall to gain elevation. The APC is finally bogged down by the debris but the furs are still behind you. Unable to get away and given no choice but to fight you turn toward the doorway, ready to pounce as soon as they step through. With your heart racing you draw your claws. As soon as they draw near, however, the instability caused by the APC's damage to the building causes the doorway to give way just as the feline steps through. Her body disappears before you and the cloud of dust kicked up by the collapse blinds you for a moment. Her gun is tossed forward in commotion, landing at your feet. You're dead tired from the chase and the loss of blood has you uneasy. The ground seems to shake as your footing eludes you. You decide to sit, presumably before you fall. The trash shifts under you and your sitting becomes laying, which soon becomes sleeping as you pass out from exhaustion. You don't wake until the suns have already set, leaving you in the somewhat dark night of two full moons. The greenish glow on the faces of the moons is reflected on the broken concrete and scattered leavings around you in the small room you sit in. The roof of the building is missing and the moons are plainly visible through the large second story gap. Tinges of immediate pain cover you like a dark shroud as you attempt to stand. Though you are in great pain you are thankful for your body healing the open wounds. You've stopped bleeding but you're still far beyond tender. The boards knocked loose by the collapse make for an excellent ladder but you are unsure if you can climb them with such severe injuries. Steeling your nerve, you persist. Several failed attempts and an hour's worth of exhausting work finally produces your escape. The last handhold atop the ledge feels like a slice of heaven as you climb the last foot upward and swing your paws up and over. Lying on your back staring at the moons you realise that you're going to need help here in this world, regardless of their willingness. You venture through the filth ridden mess of a structure and backtrack to the entrance of the cave. The soldiers from the APC have left in the belief of your death during the collapse that killed their comrade. Following the tunnel back down once more you find that the large room is vacant. The dimly lit lanterns and vulpine inhabitants have vanished. Perhaps gone to escape the APC crew? You think. Wandering throughout the system of tunnels you see the belongings of several families but not a soul in sight. A rifle butt lands squarely on your maw, knocking snot and mucus the from back of your mouth and your body to the flat of the floor. The swift motion leaves you breathless, blind and grasping at your face in self defense while the tears and blood flow. Scurrying along the ground, you try to get away from what you cannot see. The edge of the wall stops you cold and sends a shiver down your spine as realize there is no escape this time. Just as you're about to lose any remaining bladder control, a paw is outstretched, taking yours. It does not jerk or thrust you about but lifts you gently and as your hearing returns you can hear another female voice trying to calm you. Arms wrap around you in comfort as you struggle to see and perceive the world around you. Your sight comes back slowly, mirroring the decrease in your heart-rate. She apologizes whilst holding you tightly. Wiping the last of your tears away, you can see the other female and what stands before you frightens you to the bone at first. A long furred gray wolf stands before you. Her scarred face resembles that of someone caught in an explosion while her piercing gaze simply rends you to the core with an unshakable chill. You jump, by instinct and by reflex. She tries to hold you still, to keep you upright, but you want no part in having her in your vicinity. She smiles and from the view you have she looks like she's baring her teeth at you. You try to take off but as you turn you run smack into the old fox that helped you earlier yesterday. He doesn't say a word but simply holds onto your trembling form to keep you from running. You manage to calm down and finally get a truly good look at the she-wolf. You can see the smile for what it is now and her face appears so disarming. The blood in your veins thaw and you take a deep breath. She speaks with you and explains that this group is a resistance against those she ran into earlier. They are fighting the ones who hurt you and chased you the day before. The Felines joined with the Lupines three years ago and took over the city as well as several surrounding areas. The alliance was a pact to exterminate the Vulpines. Their political and true militaristic goals were a mystery but they were obviously here with more than enough firepower to win the city. The two sides have already been fighting constantly, laying waste to the city and farmland alike. The shear defensibility of the tightly nit streets were the true reason why the had held them off so long despite being outnumbered and overmatched. Even with all their valiant efforts, however, the shear might of the invaders simply overran them. With little left of the city, the Vulpines have reverted to their dens from ages ago. The old tunnels keep them from sight during the day and allow them to work beneath their enemy. She goes on to explain that she was a commander of one of the original forces that took the city but once she saw what they were truly doing to the populace she deserted. Her betrayal earned her the scar that blankets the side of her face. As she left the column, her APC was caught in the flank by one of her own tank's fire. The shrapnel in the cockpit shredded across her face and ruined her eye. She was captured by a resistance member after left for dead and granted asylum in return for aiding in the defense and resistance. With her guidance they managed to take back a very small quarter of the city within the last couple of months but their fight becomes more desperate with each passing hour. She pleads with you to stay and fight. With little choice_between your wounds and your predicament here in this world_ you agree. The group disperses, all except for the She-wolf and the old fox that had helped you yesterday. The two lead you to a room deep within the den with a bed and a candle. The wolf leaves but the vulpine remains for a moment to assist with your wounds. As he moves forward to take you by the waist you recoil. "Please my child, I must attend to those cuts. I mean you no harm, I know you can sense that in me by now. If it helps you any, I assure you that I cannot see you." "There is plenty of light, how can you not see me?" You retort. "I cannot see you... For I do not see anything. I am completely blind. However, what my eyes cannot see, my other senses can perceive far greater." "Alright. But don't try anything stupid." He smiles at you disarmingly as he moves to clean and prepare your wounds. After he has finished he advises that you lie still for several days. You are hardly in a position to argue at this point and decide to at least take advantage of the hospitality as long as it's given. For days you lay underground; thinking; contemplating; planning. You don't want to fight, you don't want to truly help these people either. This world isn't your's, you think, why should you? The bed you lay on is comfortable enough to keep you from hurting yourself when you move but the food doesn't agree with you much. You do your best to eat and relax. The gray and brown walls flicker in varying shades among the light of your candle and keep your mind racing even when you close your eyes. The whole ordeal is beyond your control and you feel like a puppet. Is this a sick game, or someone's personal endaevor? Only time will tell... Several days pass, seven, a week, by your estimate, though, without access to the sunlight you cannot be sure. You still don't have any clothes and though this world does not appear to require them in society, you feel somewhat barren without them. Your new female form feels so vunerable to the elements with nothing to wear. You tear away some of the bedding's sheet and wrap up with it as you begin your journey. In your mind, you are escaping, though these people would probably let you come and go as you please. You make your way down the hallway, around the corner and into the large room once again. A single guard is standing at the entrance to the tunnel but turns away for a moment to check something on the wall. You sieze your moment and bolt for the tunnel. The guard whispers something to you as he lets you escape, "You'll always be under our gaze. Walk always lightly Kee." With his words echoeing in your head, you take off for the light of day. The harsh green light of three suns returns once more as you step out into the midday blaze. The temperature in direct sunlight is nearly painful but you manage to stick to shade for most of the day. Your objective is to make it out of the city, and hopefully out of harms way, until you can return home. The large ancient city leads you on for hours with winding streets, darkened alleys and dimly lit causeways. You are fortunate enough to not run into any of the many patrols that can be heard meandering throughout the devastated urban wasteland. Night falls as the trinary stars set behind an aqua sky, setting it ablaze in shades of purple and orange. It's the first truly beautiful thing you've witnessed since you've been here and you take your time to admire it. As the sunset fades and the temperature drops you seek shelter for the night. An old building with rusted pink paneling has an old bed in it and a few cans of food, from what you can discern. You're not sure why you can read the writing on the cans but the words simply come naturally to your mind. You eat and sleep the night away underneath the ghostly green glow of the moons. As you sleep you dream of the wolf and shewolf. It is a confusing journey of two opposing forces and two opposing veiwpoints. You try to discern the meaning of the dream once you wake but you're interrupted by a patrol moving close to the building. The group's vehicles grind against the narrow streets and beat at the ancient pavement. One feline spots you; a shot; an explosion; a missing wall. You're completely exposed now to the group. You dash wildly through the back entrance of the building and wind your way down the alleys and corridors. The maze seems to confuse your assailants but you know they'll find you if you don't keep moving. You can see a break in the skyline several yards ahead; the edge of the city. Running at full speed you race toward open land. The buildings recede and are eventually left far behind you. You now stand in a massive green field. Tall grasses and loud insects surround you. Your pursuers are nowhere to be found and neither is the APC. You're in the clear for now. The field leads to a dense treeline. Figuring that it would be safer among the trees than in the open, you decide to hide among the forest. Hours tick by quickly and the suns seem to speed across the sky while you scan the horizon for hostile movement. Whether you want to deal with it or not, you're at war at this point. Your life is in peril every moment you stay on this world. It dawns on you that you are going to be hunted until you're killed, or you fight back. But how? At this point, the resistance won't want anything to do with you, you ran out on them. You decide to find some cover; a house perhaps; something, anything. The woods are thick and tangled. Green and brown shades mingle and mesh between the tall trees and thick yet strange vines, which litter nearly every inch of the forest floor. The sounds of the wildlife around is nearly deafening. As you wander almost aimlessly through the woods you eventually come to a clearing and a house. The building doesn't resemble anything from the city. This small structure is make of large, twisted and knotted wooden logs with vine lashings and thatch-like roofing. The walls have mud built up around the edges, presumably to keep the warmth in the winter, if there is a discernible winter in this place. The door is ajar and seems terribly inviting, especially with the wind picking up and the sun going down. As you step inside you find the dimly lit structure to be nearly empty. A few leaving from what must have been vagrants or campers, litter the floor in spots. The thick varnished wood is worn and scuffed but seems very solid. The wind dies against thick walls as they shield you from the cold. There are clothes in a closet, further in the house. This seems odd, however, considering these people seem to deny any clothing other than military garb. You pick out a pair of sweat pants and a shirt. Reaching into a pocket, you find a crumpled photograph, worn and faded. Holding it up to the light you're surprised by what you find; humans. A human couple. This house must have been theirs, abandoned long ago by looks of it. The clothes smell of must and age but they keep you warm in the weather-beaten house. With the temperature continueing to drop and the clothes not being enough, you're forced to make a fire. The fireplace, which stands at the center of the house, seems older than even the house itself. The spiderwebs and dust on it's bricks appear centuries old. There is no wood stock in the house and the basement door is sealed tight. You try to start a fire with some of the junk strewn out about the floor but it isn't enough. You decide to use some of the old clothes from the closet. For nearly an hour you sit, struggling to catch a flame. It's not until your arm is nearly ready to give out, that the flame catches and you are able to kindle a small fire. You huddle the small cinder into the fireplace and huddle up around it, feeding it slowly. The soft warm glow and crackling of the fire slowly lulls you to sleep. The sound of smashing glass violently wakes you from your sleep. They've found you. You rush toward the basement door, dashing through it and tumbling down the stairs. The house above you shakes and rumbles ferociously as a vehicle plows through the walls. You hide under the stairs, amidst the dark, damp and must ridden basement. Your paws stand on broken glass and uneven pavement but your fear of the enemy keeps you quiet and still despite the searing pain. You cannot smell a thing through the thick scent that permeates every inch of the underground room. Loud voices shout and call above you, issuing orders to find anyone there. Two come down the stairs, rifles in hand, vests on and noses sniffing for you. You move back into the shroud of darkness, completely concealed and undetected. Once they reach the bottom of the stairs they turn toward you but the dark conceals you so well that they glance over you, easily missing your dark, dirt-matted fur. With each of their footsteps your heart pounds and your mind goes black. They look around for a moment and then leave back up the stairs. You let out a breath of relief as you hear them move onward and away from the house. It isn't until the last sounds of their vehicles fade into the distance, that you move again. Suddenly the pain in your footpaws return and you stumble backwards. You crash into something rough and boney. As you look over you come face to face with two skulls. The mummified remains of two long forgotten humans; caretakers of the house you previously took refuge in and what now most certainly lays in ruin above your head. You jump back instantly out of instinct but try your best to maintain composure. Suddenly the must ridden smell of the room makes sense. The bodies must have been here for years. These two had died holding one another and possibly hiding from the same force you yourself just hid from. The poor souls never had a chance. A bullet wound through each of them show how their story ended. The man seems to be clutching a small book, a journal. As you pry it from the body, a small sigh seems to whisper throughout the house, though nobody is around. The ancient pages are littered with hastened words and quickly jotted sentences. The man must have known what was coming. As you read on you discover that when the wolves first came to power, they had taken the humans completely by surprise, toppling their legacy within months. Everything that was human was eradicated as best as it could be. They wanted to eliminate every last shred of their existence. These two people, Lori and Tom, were some of the last survivors. There is a date on the last page but you cannot read it. You slowly make your way up the stairs, sniffing the air and looking around cautiously. Before you make it to the top you decide to return the journal. It isn't of much use to you now anyway, and you figure that you could respect their memory by returning it to the man. You place it back into the clutches of the corpse but his remains give way and both their forms become dust and bones on the basement floor. The bewildering sight is instantly etched into your mind permanently. Your body goes numb as you stand again and leave up the stairs. Each step you take is cursed with searing pain, not only from the horror that you've just been through but also the glass which remains in your footpaws. You stand at the top of the stairs and look around for a moment at the remains of the house. Insulation, wood, glass and clothes lay strewn across the floor. Little is left, aside from a corner wall section, and a meager foundation. Guessing that you can spare a moment to tend to your paws, you scrounge about in the wreckage until you find a pair of tweezers. A one in a million find and a welcome break for you considering the rest of your journey thus far. It takes until dark to fix yourself up and prepare to leave. Your path now lies forward; into the woods once more. The trees stalk tall above your small sleek form. And the cool air, while not as cold as the previous night, hugs you tightly. Creatures call and plants rustle in the brisk wind. The green moons glow like omens in the sky whilst the forest buzzes with it's nightly excursions. A long narrow path winds through the thick trees and leads you on into the deep night. Some plants glow along your path and, with loud shrieks, several creatures fight further up the trail. You take cover and hold your breath whilst observing. Two large birdlike creatures caw loudly at a larger cat. The cat swirls a ball of blue colored light amongst it's five tails. You're awestruck at the sight. The birds scatter as the light explodes near them. Taking off after them, the cat takes one down with a pounce. You look on as it feasts, it's job done well. Nothing can explain the light or explosions. It seems magical. Perhaps it is you think to yourself. Sneaking around the majestic animal you make your way further along the path. A few of the glowing plants seem to excrete dust at your passing. The foul smelling odor fills your nose and your balance leans quickly. The ground seems uneasy and the path begins growing darker. The only light seems to come from ahead, a wicked yellow light among the black. A beacon among the dark. A guide in the confusion. You walk toward but it wanes out in front of you, just beyond reach. You now run after it, desperate to catch it. Your mind is a fuzz and goes black in a single sickening crack. You've hit your maw on something hard and as you're tossed to the forest floor, the shadows and light of the forest fade into phantoms. You lay unconscious for the rest of the night and some of the morning. The bright suns meet your eyes, much to your distaste, as well as the taste of blood in your maw. Your head pounds as if you are waking with a hangover. The world isn't spinning anymore however, and the light of the day is green as ever. Wind whips about you quickly as you sit up and look around. Where are you now? You wonder. The trees aren't like those that were around the night before, though the wildlife sounds the same so you couldn't have wandered too far. Or so you think. You aren't entirely sure of anything at this point. Between the events of the last few days and the dismal morning you find yourself amongst, not much seems to hold you together. Yet, you press on. You must find a way out of here, off of here, away from here, something. You just have to get away. The thought of winding up like the couple in the basement sends an uneven chill straight down your back and both tails. You shiver and stand. Your ears catch a sound in the distance approaching quickly. The smell of smog now hits your nose as well. Wolves. Enemy Helicopters are inbound and headed your way. You duck behind a larger tree and watch as they fly overhead, the sound and smell truly deafening. A much louder sound cracks further on and a hot wave of air rushes over you. Then you see it, fire rising out over the forest past you. Their smoking out more Vulpines; firebombing the woods. Horrible explosions bring tree after tree down and screams can be heard miles away, even where you stand so far off. Your position isn't safe so you flee once more for your life. The copters can be heard spreading out, one headed toward you. It's right over you. Frightened now, far more than ever before, your paws beat upon the ground in futile effort. The latch pops on the copter's wings and the canister drops. A thundering crack hits you, sending you screeching through the air and landing on the ground roughly. You barely missed death that time, but the copter isn't done yet. Like the Cherron Ferry himself, this wolf wants to send you straight across the River Stix. With the flick of his paw and the action of his horrible machine he seals your fate...or so he thinks. A red and brown form dashes in front of you. The figure stands before the copter and holds out a paw, muttering something indecipherable. A green aura surrounds the two of you and the bomb explodes without harming either of you. Now out of ammunition and fustrated the Helicopter disengages, flying off to rejoin formation. You know they'll be back but now it appears you have a guardian. The tall sleek fox dressed so elegantly, stands before you. From the black tipped ears and perfectly splashed muzzle to the cleanly groomed, fine hair tail, he seems a like a golden figure lighting up a horrible room. He offers you a paw and the world seems to stop for just a split second when you take a hold of it. He smiles and his eyes melt your soul. The long brown coat he wears is fully engraved with runic characters. You guess at their meaning but can't be sure. Is he a priest of some kind? You wonder. He introduces himself while bowing to you, "Kee Lerru Untos." You recognize the word Kee as the word for fox in what is called the ancient tongue. You reply in kind. With few words exchanged the copters return, forcing you to flee once more. Lerru follows with you, guiding you between the tall trees. Over a hill and down a slope, you keep moving for the sake of the fur on your back. You can't stop for a moment for death rides on your heels. Bombs drop and the wildlife around you scrambles in total disarray. Confusion and panic surrounds you and every other living thing in the forest. The trees themselves begin to whine and cry, innocent to everything. Lerru now stops dead with you right behind him. You've run out of places to go. You now stand at the edge of a cliff with nothing but water below. What must be a nine hundred foot drop beckons you to join the deep but you know you cannot survive the fall. Lerru kneels for a moment, paws glowing. He chants a charm over and over as you both begin to glow a bright yellow. He calls to you to help him. You don't know what to do so you follow along in the chant and try your best to concentrate. You can feel the magic welling inside of you and channeling through your arms to your paws. Fire erupts from your pawpads, shooting from your fingertips. You take aim at the copter and throw all of your will into the chant. It's all for this You whisper to yourself and time stops for a moment, only resuming with a loud crash. Huge flames leap from your paws and streak toward the enemy. Such a spectacle leaves even the trees silent. A direct hit on the copter has felled it. The wreckage now lays in flames mere yards from you. The other copters swirve and turn, running from your magic. "A flame Kee?!?" Lerru screams and then bursts into laughter. "This is amazing. I knew you were important but I never imagined. A flame Kitsune, you truly are special. Do you know what this means?" He continues. You shake your head no but as you move you realise that your balance has left you and you collapse. Lerru rushes to your side and tries to help you but you cannot hear him. You feel intensely drowsy and you can't even hear the forest sounds. Laying on the ground looking at the sky, the last thing you see is Lerru's face hanging over you. A deep sleep claims your body for a day and a half. You open your eyes to find Lerru hanging over you again. He smiles and greets you a good morning as you sit up and grab your head. Again your head aches but this time you can tell that it's from being so hungry. He's already gotten you a large meal prepared and it sits at the side of your bed. You look around the room for a moment, so unfamiliar. It smells like Lerru so you guess it's his home but the pictures on the wall suggest otherwise. The bleached white walls look as if they've been washed recently but everything else hangs as if nothing has moved in an age. Most of the furniture is dust laiden as well as the wall decorations. You realise that you're in another human house, probably claimed by Lerru at this point. You can't help but dig into the large meal now though, all other thoughts dulling away. He simply sits at your bedside watching you eat and smiling to himself and to you. When you've eaten and drunk your fill you stand up, thanking him for his care. You try to leave again but he stops you. "Where are you going?" He asked. Knowing that you two are alone you don't think it could hurt to tell him the truth. "I was trying to find a way back to my home. Please let me leave." You plead. "You won't last a moment out there by yourself, even with the gift of fire. Wait. You haven't used it before have you? I would bet that you've never even seen magic before by the responses I saw in you." He questions you. "You are probably right," You say, "but I'm not from your world. I don't even know how I got here and the last thing I want to do is to get caught up in a war!" You feel aggrevated at this point and the fur on your tails puff up in anger. "I cannot stop you if you want to leave. If there is any way I can help, I'd be delighted." His smile never waivers and eventually wins out over your anger. The disarming look on his face and sheer sincerity set you at ease. You agree to have him accompany you. He packs his things as you look around for a moment. The dust ladden house is full of unused items and unfurled carpet. The owners must have been renavating when they left it. Lerru comes back in the room with a small pack and two guns. "Are you ready?" He askes and you nod, taking a weapon as he hands it to you. The small sub machine gun seems to weigh almost nothing. Have you ever fired one before? He askes while checking his own and slamming the latch down on the barrel. You nod no. He takes aim at the wall, showing you the pose and explaining the intricacies of firing and loading the small weapon. Once you're confident that you can handle your own with the gun he leads you out the back door of the house and toward the woods. You don't really know where to go but since you're heading to the woods already, the path seems the only way to go. The path through the woods leads to a tunnel that runs deep into the ground. The tunnel's path is pavement like that of the city you were in when you first arrived on this world. The cracked and separated asphalt holds under the large weathered supports of the tunnel. Old lights line the walls with dim light. The idea of there being power under the ground like this doesn't bode well with you. The tunnel ends into a massive underground chasm housing an enormous sprawling city. Lights remain on and certain machines running but there seems to be no one here. The streets are littered with debris and old newspapers. Like a bad movie, you walk down the deserted streets with Lerru. Dust lays over most of the shop and store windows, obscuring dimly lit rooms left in shambles when the inhabitants evacuated. Where would they go? No one knows. It was a human city obviously, but with it being underground wouldn't it be a safe refuge? The questions float through your head but as you're pondering, movement stirs at an alley ahead of you. You take aim but before you can fire Lerru lowers your barrel. He calls out in the ancient Kee tongue to a group of rebels which emerge from the alley soon after. These Vulpines and humans, almost as bad off as those in the dens of the city, welcome you kindly. As you look over the many faces eager to see you, one in particular catches your eye. The guard from the den, the one that let you escape! He sees you and simply smiles. "I told you we would watch you and keep you safe. Come, we have food and shelter." He says, ushering you into one of the smaller shops. As you take a seat at a booth, the guard and Lerru take a seat with you. They discuss your condition and your purpose here. The guard, it turns out, knew of your gift- before you obviously- and sent Lerru to watch over you. He knew it would take you time to realise your purpose. You were brought here to fulfill a prophesy set down ages before. "The Vulpine Elders used to speak of a Kee who could wield fire. This Fox would come among us in our greatest time of need and vanquish the onslaught." They explain. Being a bit more perceptive to your situation, you listen to them this time, heading their instructions. There was only one day left now. With the rising of the sun, you would fulfill your destiny. The remainder of the night was spent learning your fire gift in preparation for... Morning! As the crack of dawn peaked through the few holes in the chasm, the army had reappeared. At the entrance to the city, tanks APCs and thousands of troops marched toward the city center. You were given your instructions the night before and now it was up to you. Could this be true? Would you stand against an armada? You steel your nerve and stand in the middle of the street. With mutterings and signs you stare down the army. A split second and the world stops as if a crack in the fabric of reality tore at time, halting it. Flame wells from your paws, a small kindle growing to a mammoth sized pyre. As you reach your arms up, the flame glistens like a ray of hope for your kind. And, in a sudden terrible second, the fire is washed upon the invaders. Almost every last soul perishes at your paw. And the army... Decimated. A single soldier remains, the wolf from before. The wolf drops his gun and runs toward you. With your spell spent you sprint for cover. Nothing can stop him, he's on your tails as fast as possible. Two of the rebels block his path to the building doorway as soon as you dart through but they cannot stop him. A mere slowing of his pace however, is all you needed and you can finish your destiny here. Lerru stands with a wolf suit open for you. You know what you have to do and what will happen when you do. The dark costume, similar to the one that transformed you waits mere inches from you and your attacker mere yards behind. You leap at the suit; into the suit; and once you've gotten it on, you stand in his path. Your journey comes full circle as his large paw comes at you in nigh slow motion, cutting the life from you. And, as told, with his killing of you, the one who guarded you would kill him. But death is not your only path. With your leaving of this world, you are destined onward to another. You must become the wolf now, in another land and another time...

-Lokor