FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

---

Hollers and laughter echoed in the sleepy halls. The noise bounced. Grew. And gave life, to recesses of stone unintended for it. What stirred, but dust and sand, in the darkness?

Having ventured further than their brethren, a trio of shadowed shapes descended the angular path. They kept their heads ducked low, for the sandstone ceiling welcomed no adventurers. Their torches guided the way. Lighting their every step with a dance of fiery tongue and a music of crackling wood.

Their ears tuned this way and that, but most often towards the direction they came from.

"The fuck are we the ones exploring, for?" one of them griped. A fat one. His gray flesh seemed even more leathery in these dark bowels. The sickle at his hip, gleaming again with every flicker of flame, tapped his thigh each time he took a step. Alone, his massive frame nearly blocked the chamber, and his huffing added to the annoyance of his comrades.

"Boss ordered," the next -- closest him -- answered, "Somebody's got to." This one, thinner, and shorter. Much of his stature seemed to come from his ears, pierced by various bronze rings and gaps torn by battle. His tawny-furred face contorted and his buck teeth bore towards the depths ahead, "Shut your fat mouth about it."

"The girl's back with them, though!"

"And the boss doesn't want your fat belly crushing her, before he's had any of his fun," snapped the third of their entourage.

The fat one scowled. "I wouldn't--"

"You fucking would!" the third snapped again, cutting him short. He stopped and turned to face the hippo, putting clawed hand meaningfully onto the handle of his khopesh. "You're so fat," he hissed between needles of teeth, "We can't even see the way we came, because your belly blocks it." Dark-gray of fur, lithe of frame, and tallest among them; he swung his torch in a gesture. "I'd help you get rid of all that gut," he assured with a tap of his weapon, "But then your bloated corpse would get us stuck down here!"

His victim opened his great, toothy mouth, for a response.

"No, shut it," the ashen mongoose spat, "I don't wanna hear any more from you. If I do, I'll get us stuck down here, gutting you just to get a little peace!"

The hippo's mouth shut. He merely glared.

"Better!" the mongoose cheered and turned around, "Praise the gods, something got through all the fat jiggling around your skull!"

"There ain't fat around my skull!"

"Oh, sorry, I guess I just couldn't tell the difference between your fucking neck and your head!"

All through their biting exchange, the lapine of their number kept quiet. Their arguing stung his ears. He could understand why the pair might have been sent ahead to check out the tomb -- _but why did he have to go with them? _

Their trek paid off, at last. The narrow, sloping shaft, finally opened. Into a yawning chamber.

"Finally," the hare huffed. He immediately put some extra distance between him and the others. The air was stale and hot, but far more breathable away from them.

The mongoose did the same. But mostly to escape the looming shadow of blubber behind him. He rolled his head as he straightened up to his full height. "Fucking shafts," he swore, "Death on my neck. I hate stooping."

Rolling his eyes, the hare gestured, "We're here. Let's see what we can find."

As they started to explore, the mongoose stopped and demanded the hippo stay where he was. To answer the befuddled expression which met his command, he elaborated, "You're here to haul shit, you fat fuck. And I don't want you sitting on something valuable."

The hippo grumbled.

The thieves explored.

Bejeweled canopic jars -- made of gold -- stood beside each sarcophagus. Plenty of worth in them, but only a witch would want the contents, and selling the jar meant immediate exposure as tomb-robbers.

They found plates. Ornaments and trinkets. Plenty of other things to take, even if their value didn't even come close to that of the jars.

On the far side of the chamber, the mongoose examined an upright sarcophagus -- laid against the wall. "Now, this is what I'm talking about," he murmured. Encrusted with gold and precious stones, this surely hid the prize they sought.

Near enough him, the hare tried to pry jewels free of the canopic jars. He was just managing to wriggle one free when the mongoose called out to him.

"Hesh," the mongoose said, "C'mere. Help me open this! It has to be a nobleman's."

Although reluctant, Hesh stood and walked over. The first thing he noticed? Crowning the sarcophagus, a likeness of a jackal's head. Its eyes were shut, its obsidian ears upright, and its expression solemn yet serene. He felt a chill worm along his spine. "Shouldn't open this one, Reet-al."

"Why the fuck not?"

"What'd you guys find?" the hippo called out at them.

They both ignored him.

Hesh gestured at the jackal-head. "It could be an Anu."

Reet-al looked, then turned to Hesh, "They're just legends! Scare off people like us. Only, it don't work when we're too smart for it."

"It could also be trapped."

"Everything in here could be trapped!"

"All the better not to mess with most valuable-looking thing in here."

"You yellow fuck," the mongoose hissed, "Help me open the gods-damn thing! We're not going back up there empty-handed! We're screwed if we do!" When the hare didn't move, Reet-al thinned his eyes, "The boss will just send us back down here to get it anyway. You know he will. He'll ask where the fucking loot is, then we'll be lucky he doesn't run us through for leaving it all down here after finding it in the first place!"

"Yeah, yeah," Hesh sighed, "You're right. All right." He started checking for seals along the lid's rim. The more he saw, the more puzzled he became. His mouth gaped to express his loss. "What...?"

"What?"

"There's no seals. It's just resting on it."

"What?!" Reet-al nearly shrieked, "Who wouldn't even seal this shit?"

"I don't know, Reet-al. I've got a bad feeling about this. Let's just go up there and tell the boss we didn't find anything."

"He won't buy that, and you know it!"

"Hey guys?"

"Not now you--?!" Reet-al's remark caught in his throat as he realized the hippo didn't listen. He turned sharply around, drawing his khopesh. "The fuck are you doing over here? I told you to stay-fucking-put!"

"I'm bored and I can't tell what you two are talking about!" the hippo groaned.

As the two got into it again, Hesh weighed their options. He knew Reet-al was right. He didn't like it. He never liked when Reet-al was right about anything. He jammed his dagger into the crack under the lid, and started to work it open. It budged easily enough. Odd. These weren't usually made of light material. Stone. Lime. Marble. Sometimes alabaster. Or even obsidian. None of those are light. But this was...

The hare's eyes grew in realization. "This is wood!"

That silenced the others.

"Wood? Really?" the hippo asked.

Reet-al dropped his khopesh, grabbed the lid, and flung it open. "You're fucking with me!" But it flew off the sarcophagus and thudded against the wall, before falling over.

They all stared. Not even mummified. Just wrapped. Wrapped and chained.

Hesh spoke up first. "I told you. It's an Anu!" he stammered.

"No." Reet-al returned. But he wasn't really sure either.

"What is it?"

The hare answered the hippo, "It's an Anu! A guardian of Nys! Of the dead! We're all fucked!"

"We're not fucked!" the mongoose snapped. He tore aside some of the chains.

"No-no! Don't!" Hesh nearly screamed.

"I wanna see what it is," the hippo insisted.

That made the mongoose smirk, "Finally, something we can agree on!"

"They don't just wrap somebody up in a wood box and haul him into a tomb because they can!" Hesh swore. The hare backed away. "Don't unwrap it, I'm saying! Listen!"

They got it unwrapped.

And they stared again.

"Hold this," Reet-al ordered the hippo, while handing over his torch. He leaned closer for a better look, and murmured to himself: "What the fuck... are you?"

Hesh kept his distance. He felt cold. Tombs weren't supposed to be cold. Not in Goongali. Not out here. And it wasn't, earlier, either. So why now? What did they do? He kept his dagger near. Ready. Tightly gripped. "Leave it be. Leave it be!"

"Shut up, He--!" the mongoose stopped short. Like the breath caught in his throat. And couldn't escape.

"What? What?!" Hesh demanded, "What'd you do?!"

"It's..." Reet-al hissed. With... fear?

The hippo smelled of piss. But stood still.

A rattle of chain.

Hesh backed up further. He couldn't see past the fat one. His whole body felt like ice. "Reet-al, get away from it!"

Hands. They shot forward so fast. Blurred. And snatched Reet-al. Once by the jaw. Once by the... by burrowing. Into flesh. Through bone -- the violent snap and splatter of blood. Still Reet-al stood frozen. Though he jerked once.

Still, as well, the hippo.

Hesh ran.

He heard the ripping. Bone pulled out of flesh. The noise of raining blood.

"H-hhu-uh-uh-uuh!" the hippo stammered out. Pure horror. A tone Hesh never heard before. Not from him.

He didn't look back. He just kept going. Toward the shaft.

Something was coming up on him. He heard the hippo's noises turn into gurgling. Sputtering. The light changed. No -- it went out. Dropped, at first, then simply dead.

So close! Just a few more steps! He can get out of here! He can get away!

He can live!

Warn the others!Get away!

Escape!

He made it!

And started up-- NO!

A rattle of chain...

A scream.

A splatter.

Darkness, once more.

Silence.