FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Only the barest hint of furry in this chapter, and still no yiff. It does, however, have some action and is a critical turning point in the stories setup. Also, the hero of the story is introduced. I put a lot of work into it so please vote and leave comments, whether they be praises or curses. Thank you!

**Chapter 3: Into The Unknown

By TheOther**

"Get me another Bud, bartender," he asked in slurred speech.

Seven empty beer bottles crowded the bar top in front of Dale, and he was drunk as hell, but then again he had a lot of sorrows to drown. It was almost midnight, and the small saloon was nearly devoid of patrons. A twangy country song playing over the radio and the clack of billiard balls on the pool table kept the silence of the desert outside at bay, but the place was far from lively. Smelling the stench of alcohol on Dale's breath, the bartender sighed and shook his head.

"Sorry, partner, I think you've had enough. You've had seven already and your obviously pretty drunk. I'd be breakin' the law if I were to give you another"

"Don't give me that crap!" Dale retorted angrily, slamming his fist down on the wood. "I was fuckin' fired today and I'll be dammed if I can't get a drink! Now stop pissin' me off and get me another before I -hic- come over there and kick your ass!" Not wanting to further anger the burly trucker, the bartender reluctantly conceded and reached into the cooler behind the counter.

"Easy now, big fella. No need to get sore. I'll give you one more, but then you gotta leave. Were gonna be closein' soon anyhow."

"Damn right you'll give me another," Dale muttered as he slapped down two dollars on the bar. The bartender handed Dale the bottle and went back to cleaning glasses and wiping down the bar top. As he sat on the barstool nursing his beer, Dale fumbled through his trouser pocket and pulled out the silvery coin had had found on the highway earlier that night. Even through his alcohol-clouded mind, he could remember the strange rainbow like light the coin had glowed with when he found it. The glow was gone now, but the coin was still very unusual. Other than the ornate engravings of the man and deer, there were no identifying marks. No dates, no symbols of national pride, no units of currency. It almost seemed as if it was designed as a piece of art rather than a coin. Dale decided that he was going to take it to the pawnshop in town tomorrow morning. The pawnbroker would probably be able tell him what it was. If it was made of silver like he hoped, he might be able to get a good amount of cash for it. After a while, he lost interest and slipped it back into his pocket.

Several lazy minutes passed, and the clock on the wall showed it was past midnight. The local men who were shooting pool had left, and Dale was now the only customer in the saloon. Just as he was finishing off the last of his Budweiser, a pretty Mexican girl in a cowboy hat strolled out through the door that led to the back area of the bar. She waved to the bartender as she walked passed Dale. The bartender smiled and waved back as he said farewell to his employee.

"Good night Selena. See you tomorrow at three!"

Dale starred at her butt, her sexy curves highlighted by the skin tight jeans she was wearing. Damn fine ass on that girl, he thought. As she walked out through the wooden saloon doors and into the night, Dale in his drunken stupor suddenly decided what that he needed to get his mind off his troubles was a little hot lovin'. He reasoned that with he all had gone through tonight, the world owed him a little. He took one final swig from the bottle and then stumbled out the the door after her, determined to get lucky.

**********

_"These walls are stained engraved with pain

You will find them under shadows casting shame

Some it's all they'll ever know,

Angels of the fortunate sons come and go...

You may not

Entities pass in the night Guardians and the

Reaper fight the will to live shall win

Mares of hope ride through their dreams blinding light awakens sleeping dawn it seems

It was all a dream endless dream

I will wish upon a star I believe in you

And if my will has strayed afar I remembered you

Will you remember me

I the one you sentenced Penance unabsolved

Answer me save my will have you forgotten me

Pace the hallway blind man for a million miles of stars

His mind has seen. think you may he lives in darkness

We're the dark he's seen the light of dream

Karen's been asleep forever I know she hears me

She has so much to say, Machine shoots sparks through face

Unto my hand, unto my heart

I'm a fire without a flame helpless child without a name

With broken wings catch me I'm falling

I'm a question with no answer

Who are you that takes my life away from me

Unveil the boundaries of the black_

I had a dream I was you strong as the fire

In your veins then when I called out your

Name I would remain and witness the pain

I am beyond silent black I will be back

As your guardian

Angels in white you have sacrificed witness and bury the pain

Walk hand and hand with the fear stricken child

Strengthen the weak and the lame pillar of penance and lore

Perpetual journey into the realm the sovereign servitor!"

Danny Callahan sang along with the lyrics of his favorite song, the speakers blaring at max volume as he drove down the desolate stretch of highway. It's was all he could do to stay awake as he'd been driving for the last five hours straight. He was on a solo road trip across the country, a celebration of his recent graduation from high school, and was having the time of his life. The teenager found the freedom of the road highly uplifting after enduring the rigorous structure of school life for the last twelve years, but at the moment he was anything but refreshed.

The needle on his fuel guage bounced on empty and he desperately needed to find a place to sleep for the night. Luckily, the road map across Danny's lap showed that the small town of Why, Arizona was only a couple more miles up the road. Already he could see a few glittering lights against the blackness of the desert night up ahead in the distance. But as much as he wanted to, he couldn't speed up and get there faster. The road was still slick from the thunderstorm that had passed through a few hours earlier, and parts of the highway were now washed in mud and littered with rocks. He had to drive slow and careful in these areas to avoid an accident. As he approached the lights, Danny turned his cars CD player off to avoid waking up the locals.

Just as the car was threatening to run out of gas, he arrived in the sleeping town and pulled into a dirt lot that held the only two buildings that were lighted. One was a small, run down gas station and the other was a wooden structure that looked about hundred years old. The glowing red neon sign perched on top read "Rattlesnake Saloon." Danny parked the car at the gas station and exited the vehicle, relishing the chance to stretch his legs. After taking a deep breath of the rain purified desert air to wake him self up a little, he walked up to the booth to pay the station attendant for fuel and to ask for directions to the nearest motel.

The elderly man inside was smoking a cigarette and reading a copy of Guns Magazine. He had his feet up on the counter and seemed to be very content with his position. Spanish mariachi music heavy with static played over the ancient looking radio set inside the attendants booth. A look of annoyance formed on the mans face when he saw that someone was approaching to disturb him. Danny had to twice knock on the dusty glass to get the man to set down the magazine and help him, which he did only with obvious reluctance. Without saying a word, the attendant took Danny's cash and went back to reading, but not before turning up the radio inside the booth as if to advertise that he had no wish to talk. Danny decided it would be best to ask for directions from someone more friendly, maybe someone at the saloon next door.

After he finished filling his tank, Danny headed for the wooden building. He noticed a very pretty Mexican lady walk out the front door and towards a rusty pick up trunk parked nearby. Danny felt it would be a good idea to ask her for directions rather than enter the bar (he was underage) and began to approach her, hoping she spoke English. Before he got close enough, a large bearded man in denim trousers stumbled out the same door and proceeded to follow the women to her truck. From the way he was walking and from the brown glass bottle he held in his hand, Danny could tell that the man was likely drunk. His suspicions were confirmed when the man called out to the woman just as she reached her truck.

"Hey senorita! You an' me are -hic- are goin' on a date tonight! You hear me girl? You -hic- an' me!"

The women turned around to see the drunken truck driver ambling towards her, and a look of fear came over her face. She was used to dealing with drunks at the bar, but few were as large as this man and fewer still were so bold about their intentions. She quickly turned back to the door of her truck and fumbled through her keys, hoping to get inside her vehicle before the man got to her. Unfortunately, in her panic, she dropped the keys onto the ground. She bent over to pick them up, which drew a lewd whistle from the drunken man and a crass comment about the plumpness of her ass. When she stood back up, it was clear that she would not be able to avoid confronting her pursuer. She turned around to face him, deciding to try and get the drunk to leave her alone.

"Sorry, amigo, I don't go on date's with hombres that can't handle their alcohol. Besides I already got a man at home."

"Your name's Selena, right? Thats a pretty name. You should -hic- forget about that loser at home and come have a good time with me. Come on, you know -hic- you know my dick's bigger gonna be bigger than his!" he replied undeterred. By now, he had reached the girls truck and he put his hand on the driver's side door, preventing her from opening it.

"Yeah, my name's Selena, and I know your name's Dale Jackson. And if you try anything the Sheriff will know your name, too. Now why don't you just leave me alone? I'm not going anywhere with you."

Danny, now about thirty feet behind Dale, sensed the situation could get ugly. He fought the growing fear in the pit of his stomach and cautiously approached the intimidating trucker. He knew he didn't stand much of a chance beating the man in a fight, but he wasn't about to leave the girl alone with the potentially dangerous drunk. Unfortunately, the man seemed determined to hound her.

"Aww don't be a bitch! I know you want a real man to fuck that cute little ass o' yours. Now come're an' gimme a kiss!"

Dale put his hairy arms on either side of Selena to keep her from escaping and proceeded to press himself against her suggestively. The girl yelled for him to get off her, but Dale grabbed her jaw roughly and told her to shut up. He then slammed her up against the side of the truck and began kissing her forcefully. He chuckled as she struggled to get away. Her cries for help were smothered by his mouth and probing tongue. Danny knew that this had gone too far and that he had to act. He picked a decent sized rock off the ground and steeled himself for a fight.

"Hey asshole! The lady says she doesn't want you. Let her go!" Danny yelled at the man, hoping it would stop his molestation. Startled, Dale, turned his attention to the intruder who had interrupted his fun. Seeing he was distracted, Selena used the opportunity to slip from his grasp, losing her hat as she did. When she got free, she ran for the door of the saloon as fast as she could. Dale cursed furiously and threw the empty beer bottle in his hand at Selena as hard as he could, missing her head by mere inches. It shattered against one of the wood posts supporting the front of the saloon. He then again turned his attention to Danny and hatred flared in his eyes.

"God dammit, boy! Who the fuck do you think you are!?! You are gettin' your ass kicked for that!"

Danny readied the rock in his hand, and stared down the drunk lumbering at him like an enraged bull. For being as large as he was and as drunk as he was, Dale moved surprisingly fast. In only a moment , he was almost right on top of Danny. But Danny was ready. With all his might, he chucked the rock at Dale's head. His aim was dead on. There was a wet sounding crack, followed by a roar of pain. Dale stumbled, tripped, and rolled, one hand over his heavily bleeding nose. His momentum caused him to belly slide across the rocky ground and end up sprawled in a dirty heap at Danny's feet. Neither one noticed that something silver had fallen out Dale's pocket.

Not about to stand there and gloat over his victory, Danny turned to get away. But just as his back was to his defeated adversary, he felt something yank hard on his right foot. He tried to keep his balance, but his feet lost their grip on the gravel surface and fell onto the ground hard, twisting his ankle as did. Dale had managed to reach out and grab Danny's foot before he escaped. Now the drunken redneck had revenge on his mind.

Pulling himself forward on top of the struggling teen, he pinned Danny to the ground with his weight. When Dale had fully overpowered his victim, he sat up with Danny between his legs. He then slammed a bloody fist into the side of Danny's face to stop him from struggling. Pain exploded into Danny's head, but he wasn't knocked unconscious from the blow. However, any strength had had seemed to instantly drain out of his body and he fell limp, moaning in agony. Dale smiled down at him, his yellow teeth stained red with blood from his broken nose.

"You got some balls, boy. Ain't nobody hurt me this bad in a long time. Too bad for you, you ain't gonna get to keep e'm. You see, you lost me that fine little Mexican bitch. So you're gonna be my bitch instead."

With that, Dale unclipped a large switchblade from his belt and pointed the knife in Danny's eye. Laughing at the boy's obvious fear, he slowly drew the knife edge down the side of Danny's face, cutting into the skin. Danny whimpered in pain as blood poured from the wound and pooled on the ground under his head. Dale, in his drunken rage, relished in Danny's cries and continued to taunt him.

"I'm gonna cut your balls off and hang em' from my rear view mirror, bitch."

CRACK!!! A deafening shot rang out across the desert, and Dale was so surprised by the sound that he dropped the knife. He franticly searched for the source of the noise, and when he found it his face went pale. In the entrance of the saloon, the bartender stood with a double-barreled shotgun, ends smoking and now pointing it right at Dale. The bartender slowly approached, cocking the barrels and keeping his weapon trained on Dales heart. In a calm, cool voice he took control of the situation.

"Now listen here you sun'bitch. You leave that blade on the ground and get off the kid real slow like. Any sudden moves and I'll blow you straight to hell."

Even though his brain was saturated with alcohol, Dale knew when he was out of luck. Not wanting to get shot, he slowly stood up and stepped off to the side of Danny, his hands in the air. Satisfied that the boy was safe, the bartender continued.

"Your lucky tonight, Dale. Normally, I'd have the Sheriff come an' haul your ass off to the lock up. But I know I had a hand in this because I gave you more booze than I should have. So, I'm gonna cut you a deal. You disappear for good, an' your off scott free. But if I ever see you 'round these parts again, I'll put a hole in your backside. Now git!"

Not needing any further prompting, Dale ran off into the night, never to be seen in the town again. When he disappeared from view, the bartender lowered his shotgun and turned his attention to Danny, who was now struggling to his feet. He extended a helping hand to the injured boy, which Danny accepted gratefully. Once, up Danny thanked the bartender for saving him from Dale. The man smiled and put his arm around Danny's shoulder.

"No, thank YOU, son. That was a brave thing you did, defendin' Selena like that. Hell, you didn't even know who she was. I'm not sure I would'a been able to do the same if I was in yo' position. You know , the Good Book says that the purest love a person can give is to lay down his life for his fellow man. And you definitely almost did that tonight. I'll bet the Lord is smilin' down on you right now. Now why don't you come inside and we'll see if we can't get that nasty cut cleaned up."

Moving slowly because of the boy's twisted ankle, the bartender led Danny inside the saloon and sat him down on a stool. There, he met Selena and she thanked him repeatedly for his help. The bartender fetched a first aid kit from behind the counter and handed it to Selena. As she stitched the wound, the three talked about the lives they had led and their hopes for the future. Danny winced every time the needle pierced his skin, but the skill of Selena's hands and the liquor the bartender had given him beforehand helped keep his pain at a minimum. Before he knew it, an hour had passed and the cut on his face was expertly stitched and bandaged. All three were tired from the night's events, and the bartender gave him directions to the bed and breakfast on the other side of town. As they exited the saloon and walked Selena to her truck, Danny said farewell to his new friends.

"Well, it's been a pleasure meeting you people, and if I'm ever in town again I'll be sure to stop by and say hello. Selena, thanks for the patch job. You did great on it."

Selena smiled and hugged him before climbing into her pick-up truck, thanking him again as she did . Danny and the bartender waved as she pulled out of the dirt lot and onto the towns main road, heading home for the night. After she had left, the bartender proceeded to walk Danny back to his car, which was still parked at the gas station. Suddenly, the man stopped to bend over and pick something up. When he stood, he had Dale's knife in his hand and offered it to Danny. Dried blood still clung to the blade.

"Do you want to keep this, kid? It would make for a good badge of honor."

Danny looked at the knife wearily. He really didn't want to own an object that reminded him of the pain he had gone through at Dale's hands, but then again it would make a good story piece. He decided he would take it. The bartender closed the switchblade and handed it to Danny.

"Just make sure you don't get caught with it. Those things are illegal," the bartender warned.

As Danny was slipping his prize into his pocket, his saw that something else was shining in the light of the Saloon's neon sign. Curious, he approached what looked to be a large coin half covered in dirt and stooped over to pick it up. The bartender noticed what Danny was looking at and recalled that Dale had been playing with something similar while he sat at the bar.

"You can keep that, too. I saw Dale playing with that very same coin when he was in the saloon. He must'a lost it during the scuffle.

To both their great surprise, the instant Danny's finger's touched the coin it lit up and began to glow furiously, first with a bright white light and then with a shimmering rainbow of colors. Danny felt a sensation of warmth run up his arm and into his body. He cried out in dismay at the sudden light show.

"What the heck is this!?!"

He tried to drop the coin, thinking it was hot and was going to burn his hand, but he was unable to unclench his fingers, which now gripped the coin in a vice like grip. The multicolored glow began to spread from the coin to Danny, quickly engulfing his entire body in light. Everywhere it touched, his skin was warmed and tingled not unpleasantly. However, the sensations did little to calm the sense of panic that was settling over him. He found that by the second he was losing control of his own body. The paralysis in his hand was spreading along with the glow, and in a matter of seconds he couldn't move a muscle, not even to speak. The bartender looked on in state of confusion before coming to his senses and realizing that Danny could be in trouble.

"Drop it kid! It must be electrified! Your gonna get burned if you don't!

Before the bartender could even finish what he was saying, there was a blinding flash, followed instantly by a tremendously loud noise, like the clap of thunder. And indeed, on the very spot where Danny was standing, lightning had struck. Except that unlike a normal bolt, this lightning had formed on the ground and shot into the sky. When the flash of light died away, nothing was left but smoke in the air and a burnt patch of dirt on the ground. The coin, and Danny with it, had vanished entirely.

The bartender stared into the sky for several long moments, dumbstruck. The sound of boots crunching on the ground behind him brought him out of his state of shock. The gas station attendant had been watching the scene from his booth and was now walking across the lot to get some answers. He saw the bartender looking up into the sky and asked him what had happened. The bartender shook his head and replied as calmly as he could.

"I'm not sure what happened to the kid, Sam. Perhaps, like Elijah of the Bible, he was taken by God up into heaven."

**********

Danny drifted in and out of consciousness for what seemed like hours. During the short periods when he was awake, he still felt as if he was in a dream. He seemed to be floating gently down a long black tunnel. In the distance, a mysterious unearthly light provided the only feature to the darkness. His body didn't seem to be under his control, and in fact no matter which way Danny looked he couldn't catch a glimpse of any part of himself. It was as if he was now nothing more than a floating mind, able to see even without eyes. Every time he regained his senses, the light seemed to be closer than before, until finally he was right at it's source. The brightness of the light was overwhelming, and try as he might he was unable to close his eyes to avoid the glare. Thankfully, he quickly passed through the intense radiance and into a realm of softer light. What Danny saw before him was a landscape as surreal as any he had ever dreamed of.

A sea of pale green sand dunes stretched all in directions under a starry black and violet sky. An unfamiliar moon hung in the heavens, it's edges ablaze with a blueish light as if it were eclipsing a blue sun. Overhead, dozens of vultures circled ominously, for what Danny did not know. Many strange formations of cobalt rock jutted out of the dunes, some towering hundreds of feet high. A few of these were topped with imposing castle-like structures, and the windows and doorways glowed with an eerie red light. Strange purple mist rolled across the dunes, and on the distant horizon imposing black clouds flared with red lightning. Strangely, Danny heard no sound as his massless form hovered across the shifting ground. The wind kicking up sand all around him and the electrical storm in distance were completely silent. Normally he would would be terrified, being in such a bizarre place with no control over what was happening, but he was overcome with a strange sense of peace and confidence.

Danny saw that he was approaching one of of the most unusual structures in this bizarre desert moonscape. A massive arch, its ends hundreds of feet apart, loomed before him. It looked to be made of a different material than the other formations, more like ivory than stone. Also unlike the rock formations, the arch did not seemed to be natural. Into it's surface were carved sculptures of many strange beings. He recognized some as vaguely human, but most were unknown to him. Stranger still, an entire galaxy of stars seemed seemed to swirl within the arch, as if it were a gateway to realms unimaginable. The mist that covered the desert floor was pouring out of the gate, and Danny's range of vision became more restricted the closer he floated to the entrance. When he was about to pass under the arch, he saw a figure in the fog drawing nearer. When close enough, the figure was revealed to be a large deer, his regal head adorned with an impressive set of antlers. Be he was like no deer Danny had ever seen. This buck had a look of intelligence on his face, and the way it was looking at him seemed more human than animal. Danny was startled when he heard a voice break the long silence, apparently coming from inside his mind.

"So you are the chosen one. I welcome you to the kingdom of the dead, Danny."

Shocked, Danny looked around frantically, searching for the source of the voice, but the deer was the only living thing nearby. Danny tried to voice his confusion, but he still had no control over his body and was unable to speak. The buck that now stood before him seemed to smile in understanding, if it was possible for a deer to do such a thing.

"Sadly, there is no time to talk. For you have a great purpose set out for you, and it is not within this realm. You must be off to accomplish your task, before the magic that sustains you here runs out. You and I shall now become one so that your soul may enter the land of my life."

With those words spoken, the buck drew even closer to Danny. The deer suddenly began dissolving into thousands of twinkling fragments of light. These lights circled Danny as if in a whirlwind, and he had a sense that an entity of great power was merging with his very being. By the time the buck had completely disappeared, Danny's ghostlike presence had floated into the the ivory gate. Stars whirled around him as though he was spiraling through the core of a galaxy. It was an incredibly beautiful display, and awe overtook him. The unnatural sensation of peace and relaxation increased the farther the entrance of the portal faded into the distance behind him. Danny felt as if he was falling from a great height, but strangely he felt no fear. Soon, the experience proved to much to handle, and his mind slipped into the silent black of dreamless sleep.