FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Three weeks after the attempted coup of Central by Drason, and the thwarting of his efforts by the Glowers, I have never seen a glower angry, and never want to again, we were told that another planet was up for Exploration. This time we were going to be taking the entire Hunted party from this year, and Devlin would be coming too. So that meant that there was a fair number entering the Hall to meet Silverine. Alduin, Draco, Devlin, Simba, Javid, Salbar, Landon, Blake, Ryan, Billy Carlson, Takori,Time (you couldn't separate those two), and no more would be visiting the planet, because Alex had continued his absence.

This was more than a little worrying, and we had sent several people down to Htrae to find out what had happened to Alex, and none of them could find anything on him. I knew that Alex was powerful, with his pendant and tech, but no one found him, even with our technology. So with hearts slightly heavy, I walked up to Silverine.

"The Hunted are here, Silverine, what is the task?"

"There is a planet that has yet to be explored, and you are to explore it, and find out about the native creatures. As usual, one will be sent down to ping the planet, or in Alduin's case stay on it until the rest arrive." he smiled at his own jab at my way of dealing with things.

I subsequently volunteered to ping the planet, and with everyone standing back as I loaded my rifle, I hit the teleporter, and was hurled through the infinite dimension of space on my journey. I still cannot describe the uncomfortable sensation of teleporting, and neither had I dared open my eyes on one of these trips.

Then I landed heavily on the ground, and found myself in a small cluster of trees. As I looked around, planting the scanner firmly into the soft ground, I noticed that in one direction was a small town, with smoke emanating from several chimneys, a good kilometre away. All the other directions were fields, and livestock grazed openly. They seemed a mix between cows and pigs, and were docilely munching on the dark green grass. The planet seemed perfectly suitable, and the blips of my equipment agreed.

"Gravity, 1.2 Earth standard, Atmosphere suitable, although slightly rich in oxygen compared to Earth. Weather, overcast, with a light breeze. Single sun system, but temperature never the less nice."

"Can you see those responsible for the town?" Draco asked. I adjusted my camera binoculars, and they zoomed in, but alas we were over a slight ridge, so I couldn't see anything but roof tops, made of a mixture of thatch and wood.The chimneys were bricked in, and I zoomed back out.

"Negative Draco, there's a small hill between us. Come on over, all seems tranquil."

There was a bang over my headset, I knew that the party had teleported. I shuffled over to give them some room, and after thirty six seconds exactly, they arrived with a loud bang. Everyone looked around in interest, and I spoke to Draco.

"If you want, I'll take some cameras and run a scan of the town."

"O.K., Alduin, change and I'll place them on you." he replied, ruffling through his backpack as Ryan and Simba started setting up equipment. I changed into my Lightning form.Salbar was already climbing up one of the trees with a pair of binoculars. Landon and Blake kept low to the ground as they got to the ridge, and pulled out their gear as well.Draco attached the last camera, and as Ryan confirmed I was connected, I rumbled in the opposite direction to the city until I was airborne. There were no roads, only flattened sections of grass, and it was smooth running for me. I left the ground, and banked around, heading towards the town at approximately one hundred feet off the ground.

The resident creatures were not aware of my coming until I blasted over the ridge. I did not even see them properly, for I was already passing over head, the Dopplered whine of my jets torture to the ears.

Everyone looked in deep suspicion in the village, although I was not to know it. This small form was so sleek and powerful, and it flew gracefully through the air like a pterodactyl. I keep very straight and didn't wobble, so my passage through the air was serene. The sun glinted off my panelling, casting interesting reflections.Many rushed inside, so as not to be spotted by the noisy machine, but others roared in retaliation, although I would never hear them over the sounds of my own rocket.

Only one person in the village was not afraid of me, but that was because he lived in fear of the other villagers.I was different, as was he, he could relate to it, and he looked in curiosity of me as I hummed across the sky above him.I made the first pass overhead, and banked around. As I did, Draco spoke into my headset.

"Right, Alduin, are you aware of what the villagers are?"

"No, I went too fast for that."

"Well, you know your last name?" Devlin chuckled.

"Leave it."I interrupted,"I take it these creatures are of a dinosaurian race?"

"Yes and no.All of them, bar one, are indeed raptor like, standing about six foot. The exception appears to be a reindeer, in your terms."

"Reindeer, in a middle of a raptor town. Is he dead?"

"Surprisingly, no. He is walking without hindrance, but a raptor appeared to be walking with him."

"I've never seen this before, unless he's a slave or servant to them.Have your X-ray scans shown any others?"

"No, he's on his lonesome."

"Poor bugger.I suppose the other option is he's from another tribe visiting them, but hands up who thinks that's likely? But he's in no harm at the moment, I'll land at the side nearest to you guys, and see if I can't strike a conversation with both of them."

I throttled back, banking around to the South East side, according to the internal compass. We had teleported almost S-S-E of the city centre, and as I lost height changing to vertical flight, I rotated my craft until I was facing the town.

The villagers were indeed raptors. They all stood at six foot, their tail's stiffly protruding behind them. They ran fast, converging on me, holding spears. This was frightening, because I had watched enough movies and documentaries on the Earth equivalent to know what they were capable of. They ran together, in a pack, and I noticed the sickle claw on the inner toe of each foot. I got down to five feet, my jet blasting away the dew and the grass, and I saw the raptors slow. I landed ever so gently, and transformed into my bionic form. There was a long pause while the raptors considered me.

Then one stepped forward. This one had a long scar across his chest, and a nasty sneer on his face. I had landed only fifty yards from the nearest building, and I saw several more villagers, this time unarmed, looking from behind the walls and the windows. I spotted the reindeer, so meek and shy he appeared to me, and he was looking hopefully at me from behind a wall as the apparent leader stepped forward.

"Who are you?" it hissed. I stood defiant at these scare tactics.

"My name is Alduin, I am an explorer from the Central Exploration Outfit. Central's quest is knowledge of the planets of the universe, and today a consignment of explorers were teleported to this planet to find out about the native creatures. Who are you?"

"We are the Veloci." the leader replied, critically surveying my steel skin.

"Are you the dominant race of this planet?"I asked.

"There are other numerous races, but we are the only ones in this area."

Probably chased the others away I thought, and then spoke."What about the reindeer creature I saw as I passed over?"

"He is merely a servant, you have naught to need of him." the leader replied, making tracks to veer me away from the reindeer, who couldn't hear us converse.

"I intend to talk to all the races, we are to find out all races."

"You mentioned a group, are there more of you?"

I heard Draco in my headset." There are four, Draco, Devlin, Blake and Landon. The rest will stay here, because I don't trust these buggers one bit."

"Neither do I."I replied in human, and then switched back to the reptilian language the raptors used." There are four more, they will be coming over soon."

"Are they like you?"

"Almost certainly not. I am steel skinned, capable of transformation, and am termed human, the others are nothing like me."

"I see, human." this had not the tone of sneering I expected, more the tone of oil, greasing up to someone."We wish to see them."

"That can be arranged." I replied straight faced.Draco spoke.

"We'll teleport over, you have your scanner?"

"No."I replied in human. The raptors looked suspicious of the voice change.

"Very well, we'll be landing around you, but not right beside." Draco replied."On three."

"Three, two, one."I counted, and then there was a bang. Devlin arrived directly beside me. Draco about ten yards distant, Blake was right next to the leader, and Landon between Devlin and the line of reptiles.The leader jumped as Blake landed, and brought his spear around.

"Halt!"I shouted, full of command.My voice bounced off the buildings, and the leader paused in mid thrust. Blake was already bringing his hand around to grab the weapon, and they both looked at me."I said they were coming, and yet you try to attack them?"

"I'm sorry,"No he wasn't," I didn't realise one would land right next to me."

"It's happened to me before, so fair enough." I accepted, and Landon and Blake stepped a few steps backwards until they were beside me.

"So what do you intend?"

"First, so you know each of us. Draco, Devlin, Blake and Landon. We wish to merely observe how this place runs. We intend to be discreet, and ask a few questions on histories.Do you keep a written record?"

"Not much on paper, but some of the elder can certainly tell you what you need to know. Our eldest inherit the stories from their ancestors."

"Very well." Draco nodded gravely," I wish to speak to a few of them."

"Come with us then." the Veloci leader turned, and as the guards, two for each of us, arranged in a circle around us, we walked towards the first of the houses. As we did, the reindeer made up his mind, and charged forwards to me.

He got eight steps. As he dodged past one of the guards, the shaft from the other swung around and decked the reindeer on the mud.Draco stiffened, he didn't approve of senseless violence. Devlin seethed with righteous annoyance. Both Landon and Blake took one unnoticeable step towards the pair. The raptor who had bowled him over so bent over the fallen reindeer.

"HA'AK!" I shouted angrily, in wild inspiration.The raptor leader turned to me, looking daggers.

"He is overly excitable, he should not be here." the raptor leader replied taciturnly.

"Even so,he wanted to say something, and I can listen to folly if I learn something new about a place."

"Very well, Alduin, listen to his list of complaints. He is alive, we keep him so, you surely must be aware of how out of character that is."

"Oh, I'm well aware of the rapaciousness that your kind are capable of, and enjoy, which is why I am so intrigued to find him here."

"We took him prisoner once, wandering in our lands." the raptor shrugged,"He serves various purposes."

The reindeer sat up, holding his head in dizziness. I bent down, speaking to Draco through the headset in human.

"I'll say a few words with this guy, you lead them away."

Draco spoke.

"Veloci leader,what is your name?

"My name is Banehallow, Draco."

"Well, Banehallow, this mission needs not wait on a human and an overly manic reindeer. I require all speed.Take me to where these elders stay."

"Very well." the raptor replied, signalling two guards to stay with us. Then they led my companions away. The reindeer looked terrified of both me and the two Veloci standing at my shoulder.

"You wanted to say something?" I asked in suggestion. He stood sheepishly, and started speaking.

"I was,"he said in his own language, stopped, and changed to the reptilian language,"I wanted to see you in the flesh.Did you just fly over us?"

"I did."I replied dismissively, aware of the two reptiles behind me."What are you doing here?"

"I am a prisoner of the Veloci,"he said,"I was exploring these lands when I was captured by them, and I pleaded to them to let me live."

"Really, what do you do?"

"Chores, I do things for them,"and he switched languages, and spoke even more urgently,"I am a whore, they treat me worse than the dirt on their floors."

"Sorry, I didn't catch that last bit." I replied, straight faced," so what did you want of me?And what is your name?" I couldn't blow my cover in front of the guards, and the reindeer looked despairingly.

"I am Kodey, Master Alduin."once again the switch,"I want to leave here!My death is imminent, no matter what they say.One false move, and I will be killed for sport!"

"Well, Master Kodey, I can't understand your own language, but I have listened to you, I am glad to have met you."Then I changed and spoke in his language."Not here, not now, later.And don't look surprised."

He did his best." O.K., Alduin."

I turned to the two guards."Right, take him where ever you wish.What is his purpose?"

"He services us, and does chores.He's, reasonably, useful."One guard said.

I am not a fan of prostitution, but realised that it would take more than saying so to get out of this one.

"I see.Would Banehallow mind if I had it off with him?"

"You would have to ask him." one said, while the other took hold of Kodey, and started pushing him firmly away from us. I saw a look of worry of Kodey's countenance, and hoped he wasn't taking me seriously when I said that. I had to act fast in front of the remaining raptor.

So I jogged to catch up with the others, and Devlin spoke to me in human.

"You had better explain that.I want to see him free."

"That's why I intend to pay to visit him tonight. Instead of taking advantage of him, I'm going to have a long chat with him about this planet, and then I'm going to bust him out of here."

"So you took advantage of the raptors?Cunning, although I dare say it will cost a ton."

"Not as much as you think." I replied, scooting forward to Draco and Banehallow. Draco nodded at me, he had caught all that.

"Banehallow, one of your guards mentioned Kodey services raptors?"

"It is one task he performs." Banehallow replied." Some of the guards enjoy it, because he is naturally submissive."

"Oh really?"I said in interest." I dare say a few people on Central would get on with him, just fine. Do you, Banehallow, mind if I exerted my own dominant streak on him?"

"Well, because you are an outsider, you would have to pay." he looked thoughtful.

I took out two Central coins. Say what you will, but gold is gold, and the two coins totalled about five hundred US dollars. I put them in his hand.

"Now I know what that's worth, and you know too. They are pure gold.Will that suffice?"

Banehallow stopped, looking at amazement. This is something that never goes well with reptiles, and he looked shrewdly at me.

"That will, do, Master Alduin. Tonight?"

"Of course." I replied stiffly." We are due to stay for a day at least, so it will be fine." the raptor started walking again, and we came to a building. Draco spoke to me.

"Right, Alduin, you've got the reindeer covered this evening, can you get Ryan and yourself to do some scans, looking for more groups of these reindeer?"

"Will do, Draco.What are we going to tell Banehallow?" Fully aware the raptor was looking right beside us at this foreign dialect.

Draco turned to the raptor.

"Do you mind if we get Alduin and one of our own little toys to survey this area?"

"Toys?"Banehallow looked suspicious.

"It's a small unmanned aerial vehicle, flies very fast taking pictures.We like to know what the landscape is like." I replied smoothly.

"Really, what is it?"

"Well, you saw me, it's somewhat like me." I replied.

"Can we see it?"

"If you give it half a minute to activate."I nodded at Draco." SR-71 Blackbird, immediate scan trip, take up orbit around the town, wait for Lightning to give further instructions."

"Don't worry."Ryan laughed in my head set,"We're all listening to you. Just give Takori a few seconds to place the cameras on me."

Draco smiled at this.I nodded to Banehallow, and changed into my Lightning form. All the villagers nearby, including Kodey, who was back on his errands, turned and looked at me. I ignited my engines, and Banehallow dropped his spear as he held his ears. I rose slowly off the ground, to about twenty feet, and then blasted forwards, just as Ryan went zooming past, no more than a black blur. His twin engines were interstellar white, and as he took up circling around the village, I contacted him.

"Right,which way do you want to go?" I said, looking at the sleek black form as we went around one another.

"I'll take the North sections, for about forty kilometres in each direction."

"Right, I'll head South."I acknowledged. He dived slightly, and pulled up, heading directly vertical, his rockets boosting him up and up. I looked out of my cockpit at his rapidly ascending form.

"I now wish I had the power in my engines to do that." I said, envious. I merely went low and blasted through the village itself, over the ridge, and away. As Draco spoke to the Elders, Landon walked around, asking small but pertinent questions, aided with one of the guardsmen. Blake went to some kind of brick layer, and he ended up speaking of construction techniques for the next half an hour.

The others merely stayed in the trees, their presence disguised by large amounts of camo netting and all the boundary trees connecting a fence of lasers. Any one entering would break the lines, and everyone would know they were there. None of us trusted them not to turn on us, and we wanted to be prepared, just in case. I flew for a good fifty minutes, covering huge vast expanses of land, but while I flew over large forests, surging rivers, I saw not one reindeer, and neither did my X-ray or thermo scans. Ryan likewise found nothing. True, there was a gigantic forest, teeming with life, not two hours walk from the raptor village, but nothing larger than a small bird in it.

Finally I landed not far from the village, just as Ryan did the same. He taxied over to where Devlin was sitting, talking with Banehallow, as I shifted into my car form. The Quattro rumbled past the slow moving aircraft and came to a complete stop beside Devlin. The Blackbird stopped with it's nose not five centimetres from me.I changed into my bionic form.

"Scans complete, nothing within a radius of eighty kilometres has withstood our gaze."

"Good.Any life signs?"

"Nothing large, 'cept for these fellows, and the grazing animals."

"Ah,"Banehallow nodded,"you refer to our livestock.They are quite versatile. They give a lot of milk for our young, and they are quite delicious to eat. We have several hundreds of them."

So much like humans it wasn't funny.As Devlin commanded Blackbird to return to location, Banehallow asked.

"Where are you staying?"

"We only just arrived here, we have no beds or anything."

"In which case, do you object to staying here?"

"My door will be locked." I switched language for Devlin.

"As will be mine, and all the windows bolted." he returned, and switched back."We graciously thank you.You are quite the host."

"Think nothing of it." he replied airily, dismissing it with a pass of his clawed hand. In fact, we didn't think anything of it.

"You asserted control over him yet?" Javid asked.I opened my mike to everyone.

"The next person who makes a joke about my name will be shafted while I am in bionic form, is that clear?Unlubricated too, before you ask. Anyone tells these guys my name will likewise wish they hadn't. I will devise some cruel plan involving rope, chains, and a table in the middle of the Food store."I spoke firmly.

"Owch." Takori commented."It sounds like Alduin is annoyed.I wonder why?What is his last name, I don't believe anyone told me?"

"His last name is Raptormaster, you can see why he doesn't want these guys to know." Salbar replied.

"Ah,"Takori nodded,"that's poking the bear in his own den.On the other hand, he probably could beat any of them."

"I'd rather not have to." I replied.

"Hang on, I enjoyed you fucking me with that." Time replied.

"You didn't have me going full tilt." I retorted."I will leave someone's ass a bloody mess."

"Enough!" Javid interrupted."I think we've got the message."

"Draco, now his member..."

"Dear god, Draco in bionic form." Landon said.

"I don't spend much time in it." Draco replied, while in the middle of conversation with the elders."But as Alduin can testify, even going slow with me is excruciating."

"And he normally goes two to the second." Salbar added.

"Can someone explain this to me?" Billy said, interrupting.

"Alduin, Simba and Draco all have a bionic form, Alduin uses it the most.While in that form, their skin is all steel, and consequently unforgiving."

"So they all have steel cocks?"

"Yes, no give whatsoever, it hurts like buggery." Devlin replied, tastefully.

This argument finished, we noticed the afternoon was wearing on, that it was almost time for dinner. The raptors were likewise preparing for their meal. A long table was set out, with benches either side. The weather was clear, Banehallow explained, so it was quite enjoyable to sit under the open sky, and eat, drink and make merry.

"Drunken Raptors, that's not a good thought."I said through my link.

"Surprisingly few of us actually get drunk." Dev replied." Alcohol doesn't go to our heads like the way it does with your race, although we do like drinking a bit."

"Really, I should take you guys to one of our pubs. There's a Singled out function next week, if you're interested."

"Really, what happens?"

"All the teenagers get together, get drunk, dance to loud music, try and meet each other." I stopped when I realised Draco was the sexual maniac he is."Of course, we don't rush like we do at Central, so Draco would need to work on his formal speech."

"What's wrong with my pick up lines?"

"Want to have it off with me?" is not a pick up line."I replied."Saying it to a female as an opener will get you a slap on the face, normally."

"And to a male?"

"Trust me, no one admits to be gay in public, that won't work either." I replied, playing home made horrors across my eyeballs as to what would happen if Silverine or Draco were let loose unprepared on Earth.

Devlin laughed as he saw my facial expression." Draco can be occasionally civilized."

"The only time I saw him doing that was when he was pretending to be a lord, and he looked like he was having the worst time of his life."

"No, I just wasn't familiar with it." the reptile replied in my head set."I am not a man of diplomacy."

"That's why I'm thinking you'd cause havoc?"

"I'll prove you wrong."

"I'll be some where else."I retorted.

"So who is he talking to?" Banehallow asked Devlin.

"We have specials means of talking to each other member of the party." Devlin replied smoothly."He's discussing various things with Draco."

Soon the red sun began to sink beneath the horizon, and as we watched torches were brought out, their tongues of fire flickering in the warm night air. Raptors came to the tables, and sat down, talking amiably to one another. I filtered out the conversation, praying that what ever they were saying wasn't what I thought it would be.

Banehallow invited us over, but neither of us dared, especially those of us not armour plated. Banehallow shrugged, and sat down at the head of the table.Two raptors and Kodey came out of one of the bigger buildings, and they were all leading one domesticated livestock creature each. Kodey started backing away fast as all the raptors got to their feet, the reindeer knew what would happen next. I drew my rifle, and loaded a rubber bullet, just in case.

The raptors hunkered down, and the livestock panicked under the attention, turning away and bellowing. Kodey dived out of the way, curling into a ball, just as the raptors charged.

I was terrified, Devlin looked nervous too. These buggers ran like the wind, and swarmed past the two that had been holding them steady, and a few stepped past the shivering reindeer. They leapt, and there were howls of triumph as the beasts went down.

"Crude and beastial."I commented, looking in disgust at this display," Effective, but still."

"Granted, that is not a pretty sight." Blake said, and I realised he was standing in the opposite corner, trying to make himself not seen. Landon was on top of a building, looking down on the scene, and he was paralysed with fear. This was all alien to us, and these pack hunters instilled a sense of dread. No wonder Kodey wanted to leave, we all did.

The blood lust fell upon the raptors, and they tore at the meat of the dead animals. One of them noticed Kodey, and I could see the red in his eyes.I jumped to my feet, and rushed the fifteen metres to where the ball that was the reindeer sat.

"You've got to move!" I hissed in his ear. He looked at me, and I practically caught him up, and dragged him away from the revolting display. I pushed him over to where Devlin was, slightly more forcefully than I would normally have done, and the five foot two reindeer hid behind the sitting form of the eight foot Hell fire dragon, transfixed by the devouring. Only one character hadn't joined in, that was Banehallow, he was sitting there looking in mere interest at the rest of us. I wasn't about to suggest what I was truly thinking, but he looked at me with a smile.He motioned for me to come over to him.

Unwillingly I did.The raptor leaned back slightly on his bench.

"You don't like this?"

"Permission to speak honestly?" I said.First question, always ask.

"Granted."

"I loathe it."

"And fair enough."Banehallow smiled," But it how we do things.Doubtless your draconic friend over there eats meat, but he uses less controversial methods, or at least more humane, as I believe Kodey uses the word.But this is how we have done it, it is how we will keep on doing it.You eat meat, don't you?"

"Not raw." I replied.

"So how do you come by it?" the reptile asked, innocently.

"Not by this method, trust me.I see the lust for killing in their eyes, I am scared for our safety as much as those we come across."

"Yes, I would wish Kodey would not get in the way. By the way, concerning your safety, has anyone told Landon that in the blood lust, my friends get to the point where anything that isn't their shape will be set upon? Lying on a roof directly above a feeding frenzy isn't wise."

This raptor was intelligent, and I was all the more scared for this. I looked over to Landon's position.

"Get out of there mate, we don't want to see you on the menu."

Landon looked over to me, and nodded, climbing back up the roof. One raptor spotted him, and leapt up.

They really could jump. The reptile landed neatly on the roof not five metres behind the fox, and as Landon drew his pistol, the reptile made to charge.

There was a short, sharp crack, and everyone stopped doing whatever they were doing. Landon was looking at the reptile, everyone else at me, and the reptile itself was not looking at anyone, for he had just received a rubber bullet in the side of the head. He staggered, and fell backwards onto the roof, catching on the guttering. Banehallow turned to me.

"I can see having you as a friend as a valuable asset. Give me the weapon."

Unloaded, yes. With great resentment, I handed the .303 over to the reptile, while his tribe continued their feasting. Landon crawled over the ridge. Devlin physically picked up Kodey and walked around a few corners.

"Interesting, it fires a missile at a very fast speed. It doesn't appear to have killed him though."

"It wasn't meant to, but I can easily make it do so." I replied, taking the weapon back. Banehallow shrugged.