FSE

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formerly SoFurry search engine

Another round of drinks were poured in rhythm to the hollers and cheers of praise which overshadowed the lighthearted tone of the lute in the background. Having recently returned home, a group of mercenaries sat huddled around an ale stained table. Amid clashing cups a loud song began to ring forth in discord to celebrate their success on their latest mission. With enough gold to fill their pockets, they now drank their wealth away before being sent back out into the field.

Partially covered by a massive oak tree which has thrived within the forest for over two hundred years sat a large tavern. The Dragon's Keep was a well run tavern nestled in the heart of the woods a half days ride away from the city of Ariston, in which the king resided in his castle overlooking the city. With stringy wisps of smoke curling out of the chimney, the double doors provided a welcoming sense to any ruffian or mercenary returning from battle on his way to the city.

The outside was painted brown, a dirty brown the color of wet bark smeared with dirt. The black shingles were falling out in some places, hanging barely attached by a single nail. The two double doors opened in tandem, giving despite the creaks and groans from the hinges that were as blackened as the burned trees after a forest fire. Stepping inside, one found themselves looking around a wide room filled with tables and chairs. A hissing fire, crackling and spewing a small volley of sparks occasionally lit the right hand side. To the left a few torches hung from the wall and burned with the scent of tar, sending gentle wafts of black smoke out the door.

In the back, behind a long mahogany bar, sat a burly beaver who having spent the first portion of his years as an adult fighting in whatever war paid for his next drink, saved up a portion of every payment before deciding to open a tavern on the road to the city. He remembers all the times he had been traveling to the city after a vicious battle, battered, bruised and exhausted. He remembered the feeling of the rough bark digging into his clotting wounds as he leaned against a trunk to rest only for a moment before setting off again down the long winding road, stretching endlessly for days between the war in the east and Ariston in the west. So he decided to build a tavern, a place of rest for those in service. A place where mercenaries could find love, release "built up" feelings, heal their wounds, find another contract, and do just about anything a mercenary could ever need.

The tables inside were filled with muscled animals ranging from tigers to lions to wolves to dobermans to everything in the middle, even a few sharks were tucked in between the majority of the mammals. Every single one of them were buff and muscular, each carrying a weapons and belonging to a group or venturing on their own. The one starking similarity between them all was that they were all mercenaries, male or female, fur or scales or smooth skin. They were all fighting for the shiny gold pieces which the world ran upon.

The loudest of them all was a particular group going by the name of Iron Phalanx, who only numbered five in total. From right to left, starting with the leader named Haren, who is a muscular badger. Black fur covered his body with a strip of white going down his forehead and some of his cheeks. He wore a simple two piece leather outfit with boots and hanging from his hip was a silver long sword. The sword was said to be able to cut through flesh and bone like heated butter. Beside him was his best friend since childhood and second in command of Iron Phalanx, a burly lion named Kerth who was brandished with an adorned great sword made of the finest metal they could afford.

The rest of the team was made up by their newest recruits. Besnis, a single gray wolf with rippling muscles and, Searen and Ceres, two identical twin elk sisters who's only distinguishable feature was a single white dot above Ceres's right eye. The sisters were skilled in magic, combining their souls together to strengthen the power and effects. The wolf however wore no other weapon besides a bow concealed beneath a flowing cape draped around his shoulders.

"Hey shut up over there!" Someone shouted over the roar of laughter from the group, which imprudently caught the attention of the wolf. Jumping out of his chair onto the table, he shouted back, already knowing who made the comment. "Hah! Shut the hell up yourself, Gearn, I'm sorry you're just pissed your team failed, again." Another roar of laughter echoed through the room in response, only fueling Gearn's rage.

"Maybe if some people decided to actually follow the plan like your worthless group of novices you like to call "mercenaries", Haren, then people wouldn't have died today, good men were murdered because of your team!" He growled in response, raising out of his chair to stare at them. Kerth, the lion, stood up as well preparing to lash out but a paw placed on his waist silenced the words. "Let it go Kerth. Besnis, sit down and both of you shut your trap." He flicked his head towards the empty seat belonging to the wolf. With a grunt of regret, both lion and wolf sat down and kept their muzzles shut. Gearn's team waiting a moment before bursting into laughter.

"Another quieted tongue from your ragtags huh? I should have known it full of cowards, especially that no good badger. Isn't that right Haren?" Gearn himself shouted out, a large bear grabbed his ale filled cup and chucked it at them,. The cup shattered on their table, ale splashing all over the team and causing the Besnis and Kerth to go into a rampage as they stood up. The badger let out a small sigh and already knew where this was going, watching the two rushing over and attack Gearn's troops. The two elks and Haren sat there at their table for a moment before they shrugged and sighed.

"Should've saw this coming Haren." Searen said, calm as ever. She quickly stood up, trailed by Ceres, and both disappeared into the fray. Within a few moments, a brawl was taking place in the middle of the tavern. Tables upended, chairs smashed and thrown to bits and cups shattered as they fought, both sides fought dirty and trying to cheat the others out of any hit they could steal The badger gave a low groan but jumped into the fight, forced by honor for his team. As Haren landed into the mix up, he spotted his first target. The large bear who had thrown the cup. He closed the gap between the two quickly, taking a bear off guard with a smashing left hook to the jaw which snapped his head back into stumble that landed him on the back of a team mate who shoved the bear off, knocking the bear to the floor. Springing forward to seize the moment, the badger kicked forward with his right foot paw, a driving force which connected brutally with the bears skull sending him sprawling across the floor with a stream of blood pouring from his head.

He turned in time to watch the elks in action. With their hands glowing and their punches amplified, they nimbly outstepped and maneuvered their opponent who was a large ape with black shaggy fur and muscles the size of small ships' masts. He was frenzily kicking and punching wildly in an attempt to connect an attack with one of the thin elks. Both of them landed blow after blow across his body until Searen stepped back right into Gearn's chest. His scales bristled and he growled, a large and massively muscled crocodile.

With a surprising speed, he seized her neck and slammed her frail body against the wall. Haren growled, anger flaring inside him as he watched the rough treatment of his comrade before he sprinted at the crocodile, bashed into him with his shoulder and sending both sprawling across the floor. After a few rolls Gearn found himself on top pinning Haren down with his superior weight, continuously smashing his fists into the badgers protected forearms covering his face from damage. With a single punch, thrown with all the weight of the large crocodile, smashed through the defense, leaving Gearn unbalanced momentarily before Haren kicked his knee up and smashing critically into his sensitive underbelly. Reeling back Gearn fell to the floor, withering in pain from the kick. Haren rolled over and stood up in a defensive position, ready to defend against any attack that came his way.

Out of breath, he looked down at Gearn and began to lower his guard. That was the first mistake of the night. Gearn rolled onto his feet with speed unseen before, quickly charging the badger, lifting him up by the midsection and carrying him out of the bar with a slamming tackle onto the harsh, jagged ground of the road outside. Splitting open the armor on his back with a load snap, rock jabbing into his back and slicing open the skin, leaving a trail of crimson liquid pouring out onto the ground from the wound. Haren growled out in pain and lash out, slamming his fist into the crocodiles left eye with staggering force. Yowling in pain, he reeled backwards and fell onto his back. Before Gearn could react or set up a defense, Haren jumped on top of him beating into him heavily with fiery fury, Fist after fist, Haren lost notion of all thoughts, everything he felt from the cool brush of the night air to the tension of all the onlookers who watched the brutal beating disappeared. The whole world went black, seized and devoid of any light. All he could see was the crocodile, all he could feel was the body beneath him and the pain jarring through his paw as each attack connected with scales. His whole mind was blank of any and all thoughts save the attacking of the Gearn.

With shocking force he was thrown off the crocodile, his body slamming into the side of a wagon which made his whole body crumble under the weight and force. His vision blurred, dimming into a hazy view as if looking down a telescope where fog had rolled over the lense and all he could see was two elks, their hooves were glowing a sky blue and flickering as it fought to calm him. Instantly he understood what he had done. He had gone into a black out, continuously assaulting Gearn mercilessly even after he had been beaten into a near death coma. The only way to save the scalie had been to throw Haren off him into the nearest object, which unfortunately for the owner had been a coach wagon drawn by two horses, to stop the onslaught.

The horses jumped in freight, hearing the loud smashing sound of bone against metal laced wood, rearing up onto their hind legs, kicking a few times and bolting off into the city, leaving behind the scene with nothing more the click clack echoes of their hooves against the ground, metal clashing against earth rang through the narrow street like a blacksmith banging a hot sword into shape. These were the last sounds of the night as he slipped into a dazed slumber, blood still dripping from the wound on his back where a small infection was already burying itself deep inside the incision.

A few hours later, after the bumpy ride of the carriage had stopped, his eye flittered open for a moment, groggy and dazed still with a dim vision. A pool of blood had formed around his body, the wound now clotting from dried blood that still ran in a thin stream fighting to keep running despite the caking barrier forming. He stood up, clutching the side of the coach carriage as he did, keeping himself barely standing on his wobbly legs. "Kerth..?" He asked quietly. Nothing but silence and small ring of the harnesses around the horses answered his call. He tried again, a little louder this time with no more effect than the first time. He pushed off the cart and toke a few steps before stumbling and landing against the wall, his wound throbbing in pain as it crushed into the concrete by his own weight. Haren gasped out in pain, throwing himself off the wall with shamble agility to connect with the other side of the alley. He sat there, panting and exhausted, grinding his teeth together in pain. He wrenched himself up again and started off down the alleyway, teetering on his legs precariously in a drunken manner.

He slumped against the wall on his unwounded side. The other shoulder sticking out into the air, allowing it to blow another cool, refreshing breeze of comfort. The fever, which was spreading rapidly, was making him pour sweat and every moment was excruciating and painstakingly difficult.

"For fuck's sake.. Kerth where are you?" He asked himself, looking upwards at the moon with a pain filled face. Haren's breathing was already starting to become heavier and more drawn out, sweat was drenching his armor, making the wind his friend and enemy, sending shivers down his body.

From behind a loud bang made him jump, crushing his wound, once again, into the concrete. Grating against the harsh, abrasive stone forced his wound open again, splashing blood across the stone and painting it crimson with a howl of pain echoed through the night and down the alley. With a pounding heart he broke into a shuffling run on impulse of his war hardened nerves, forcing the pain to the back of his mind. Through the pounding of his temples, he heard the sound of foot steps behind him and forced himself to run faster. Twisting around occasionally to see the glimpse of a apparition slipping between the shadows. Fear gripped at his throat, welling up inside him and choking him. Only his nerves of steel kept his body running, kept his quickened heart pumping blood to his legs. Ignoring the screams of pain from his legs Haren kept running, turning left and right, discarding all thoughts and sense of direction. His focus was survival and putting distance between him and the darkness behind.

Haren glanced over his shoulder, saw nothing, and began to slow into a slight trot along the narrow walkway between two houses. A flickering candle sitting perched inside a window, shone dimly into the corridor where he stood bent over and clutching his knees for support. When Haren had caught his breath he looked up, checking twice to make sure the shadow was gone before sitting up against the wall.

Despite the luminous moonlight filtering down from above, a small overhang not more than a few feet long provided a dark overcast which shadowed a portion of the alleyway, engulfing the section in a darkness that not even Haren could see into. He got up, moving swiftly without any thought into the darkness while he war ridden mind took over, forcing him to take care and hope to surprise the apparition following him with his own counter attack. He crouched down low, the adrenaline pumping through his body taking effect like morphine, numbing the pain until it was nothing less than a dull prick in his side.

He stared at the only entrance into the corridor between the large buildings, shaking his head occasionally to clear away the fuzzy dimness taking over his sight.

"Where is this--" He started to whisper into the wind before falling silent as the shadow reappeared, slinking across the ground silently as if its feet never touched the earth, never disturbing a rock or loose tile underneath. Haren stared silently, his shadowy cover providing the excellent spot to launch a counter strike, He breathed silently, watching its every movement while it danced across the opening in search of its prey, in search of the suspect which was able to escape its clutches.

The flickering candle splashed light onto the being, giving Haren a glimpse of his pursuer. The light shone off his yellow eyes which glanced left and right in their frantic search for its escaped prey. Haren barely catching the color of his dull purple fur inside the swath of light. His fur, mostly covered and hidden away under the folds of his cloak and leather armor which fit loosely around his body, hugging it to provide protection but staying loose enough as not to afford any mobility, a trait common among thieves, assassins, and rogues who constantly plagued the city in hopes of finding riches but most ended up in jail, was ragged and dirty, spokes of it fitted through the holes in his armor. Could smell the grime and other disgusting scents, he dared not wonder what they were, emanating from the hurried rogue.

Haren sat silent in his protection of darkness while the beast spoke, growling quietly to himself. The sound barely audible over the silence of the night, over the silent peering of the moon onto the world, of the stars up above shining palpably onto the pair, only one being caught in the light.

Haren moved a little closer, waiting until the time was perfectly right until he launched his devious attack on the thieving rogue who continued to search around the area for the missing escapee. Haren glowered at him, narrowing his eyes until he was staring as angrily as he could muster. Two more steps.. He thought to himself, watching as the strange feline drew closer to his hiding spot. One more.. He said aloud in his mind, the cat within a few feet of him now.

Without a sound, or a warning, Haren leaped out of his hiding spot and tackled the purple feline down onto the ground, pinning the skinny frame underneath his larger, more masculine body weight. "What are you doing here??" He yelled at the cat, who squirmed and thrashed underneath him, wildly attacking his assaulter in the attempt to free himself. Haren leaned down on him more, pressing his knee into the side of the feline who growled in response.

"I'll ask this again; What are you doing here?" He snarled at the cat, flashing his dangerously sharpened teeth at him, the light of the candle making the tips glint momentarily.

"I-I was lost is all!" He yelped out, desperately trying to weasel himself out of the situation. "I'm just a tourist.. And I saw you walking down this road, so I thought this was the right way back to my hotel over by the Pier." He started to say softly, weaving his paw slowly in an intricate swirl pattern, a low dull glow of blue started to warp around his paw and sparkles swarmed around Haren, who obviously sat there on top of him; unaware of the charm spell being cast on him.

"No.. The pier..?" He started to say, the effects quickly taking hold of his drunk, half conscious adrenaline pumping mind.

"Yes.. The Pier.. Remember? You told me you would take me there to help me find my hotel.." He said slowly, slipping out from underneath Haren to stand up swiftly. He reached into the folds of his cloak to take out a small, glinting dagger but it seemed like a normal pen to Haren. The magic had taken affect and he was completely powerless to help himself in this case, his mind was controlled and manipulated at will of this strange, miscolored feline who had some intent. The strange feline drew closer, the dagger held ready.

The world seemed to slow within the next few moments, everything happened within a second. No warning, no time to think, no time to react; just action. A flash of light struck between the feline and Haren, blinding him momentarily. Once the fuzziness had disappeared, a new figured had appeared; now standing over the dead body of the strange colored feline.

"W-wh-" He started to say before he was cut off, within a flash of a second the new shadow had disappeared and emerged behind him, cuffing the side of his neck; pawing smashing into a pressure point which knocked Haren out within seconds. His weight unable to support itself, it crumpled under itself and collapsed onto the ground. Once again, the world had been bright, flashing a burning with life until the darkness swallowed it once again.