FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The pitch black atmosphere was only interrupted in its endlessness by streaks of faint starlight tearing through the sky. Of course, the stars themselves had been dead for millennia, but their remnant light endured. It was this light that showered down through the thick canopy of gnarled branches of ancient black trees that allowed Eris to move swiftly, dodging the obstacles of trunks, stumps, and thorns.

She was fast, but not careless. Each step was deliberate and exact, a feat that seemed impossible in the scattered dim light with her speed. Indeed, no normal person could pull off such maneuvers, but Eris was not a normal person. She spun around a large tree, ducked beneath low-hanging branches, and leaped across a shallow stream, landing into a handspring that spun her over a bed of poisonous briars. Landing on her feet, she continued her dash through the Black Forest, her breath short and silent.

She prided herself on her stealth and speed. Despite the vigorous movements, her heart maintained a steady, calm beat. The drawback of such a practice was lack of proper blood flow to her extremities, but she knew her limits. "Five minutes," she thought. "I have to stop in five minutes.. Will that be enough time?"

She continued her hastened treck through the forest, determination whirling in her bright blue eyes like a raging blizzard. She didn't want to stop, she couldn't afford to stop, but she couldn't afford to fall unconscious either. Crack. The sound of a snapped twig made her halt in place, a sudden stop that instantly ceased all momentum within her. She would usually never use that technique. the momentum didn't simply vanish, but reverberated throughout her body before dissipating slowly. When she was younger, that action would have broken many of her bones. She couldn't assess the damages that it had done now, however. She was too alert to her surroundings. She listened intently for another sound. She knew she hadn't stepped on a twig. She would never make such a careless mistake. Someone or something was close by.

She stilled herself and closed her eyes. Just when it seemed liked whatever made the noise would not make a second misstep, a loud barking pervaded the natural forest ambience. She instantly darted off deeper into the forest. "The Baron's dogs weren't close enough to make the noise from before.."

Eris moved deeper into the wood, confident that she could lose the dogs in the thicket. Suddenly a faint whelp caught her attention. It was followed by another, and then another. She smirked, the dogs had probably gotten caught in a bush of thorns. At this, she slowed down to a halt and found herself in a large clearing. She knew she was safe.

Kneeling on the damp earth, she pulled down the hood of her cowl and let out a visible breath of relief. Short, black hair blew across her pale face as the wind began to pick up. She paid no mind to the sheer cold of the night. Surprising, considering her clothing. She wore thin, black-stained chino pants secured below the knees and on the thighs with four small, black belts. No fabric covered the areas behind her knees, allowing for flexibility. A similar design was apparent on her sleeves; two black belts secured the sleeves on the forearms and the upper arms, with the cloth covering her elbows, but leaving the backsides exposed. Her sleeves tapered out into bands of cloth that were secured to four black rings she wore on both of her middle and ring fingers. Around her waist, she sported two belts that intersected in the middle, sharing one buckle: a dark blue crescent moon. This symbol matched the clip holding her black cowl in shape and color. She chose this outfit specifically for its dark affinity, after all one must camouflage with their surroundings and it was the Black Forest. Still, she couldn't deny how much she enjoyed wearing it.

As the night drew on, the wetness of the ground began to harden into ice. She stood up. Rested well enough, she was prepared to move deeper into the forest, confident that her pursuers had given up or lost her trail, but always careful. She brushed the crystals of frozen water off of her clothes and out of her hair before dawning her hood. The wind then suddenly stopped. It picked up again viciously, kicking around dead leaves and ice, causing branches to shake and crack off of the weakened trees. Clouds blew in and blocked away the guiding lights from the heavens.

Eris moved forward, with no heed to the sudden brutal weather. She was no stranger to hazardous conditions far exceeding freezing temperatures in a dark forest. She crept along a bit slower, however, having to practically feel around for her footing.

"My, my, my. What a stranger we have here."

Eris dived into a roll at the sound of these words. "Who the hell!?" She thought. Scanning the area with her eyes, she moved from behind tree to tree, unable to find the source of the voice. Eris instinctively went over every detail she could glean from what she had heard.

A feminine voice.

An older voice, late twenties at the youngest.

Soothing. Confident. Wicked.

But Eris couldn't place the position of the speaker. It's as if the voice whispered into her very brain, as it seems to come from every direction at once. The wind finally pushed the clouds away, allowing the dark forest to become slightly illuminated once more.

Standing before Eris was a tall silhouette. The body was curvy and slim. Long, wild hair dropped down below its thighs. As Eris jumped back she saw with greater clarity its details. The woman wore a thin black and red dress, the collar lavish and flamboyant, extending out into a large V shape leading down to overly exposed cleavage, barely hidden behind a mesh of stylized fishnet made to look like a spider's web. Long gloves covered the length of her arms, leaving only her shoulder bare. Her lips were bright purple and glinted in the light as she grinned maliciously.

"I am so very glad to have a visitor." She spoke. Again, the voice seemed bore into Eris' mind.

"I know who you are.." Eris spoke defiantly,

"You're the Lady of the Forest."