FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Axel had to admit to himself the demon attacks were exciting. With them on hold due to the early winter, the past month of inactivity got to him. So when the opportunity presented itself to lead the charge on Zachary Knowles and rescue Jason, the german shepherd pounced on it like a tiger on a steak.

He had his usual troop of officers--some with magic, and a few without--at his disposal for the operation. Having Laura around for some literal firepower, as well as Kael for some healing or protection certainly helped comfort him. Not having someone even better at magic, like Rhisanth or Kazar, irritated the hell out of him. Why the police chief wanted to keep the Ameranthians away from the force was confusing; shouldn't a show of cooperation put more furs' minds at ease?

Shaking his head, Axel reminded himself he had a job to do. Those thoughts could be handled later.

His old beat partner, Jerek, popped the manhole lid and dropped a heavy knapsack down the hole, fishing for pressure or movement-related traps. When nothing happened, the badger gave a taciturn thumbs up and, leading the way, Axel slid down the frigid metal ladder into the dark sewer.

The sub-zero temperatures were not helping, with what little liquid existed in the tunnel having frozen over. After nearly slipping on the icy floor, the bulky german shepherd kneeled and worked his way into the cramped passageway, his ears brushing the pipes filled with electrical wires above him. Movies liked to glamorize sewers, but most modern systems only had enough room in them for the rare maintenance run.

He could hear the rest of his troop follow him down. He expected Kael and Laura to be in the middle of the procession, as they were civilians to be protected. Ironically, they were probably more likely to survive any magical encounter than his men, but procedures are procedures. Speakin' of procedures...

"Are the officers in place around other nearby entrances?" Axel said, his gruff voice carrying further than he liked in the tight quarters. Once he got the affirmative, he continued forward.

After about three minutes, he came upon a clearing where he could stand upright, and a metal door with a lightning bolt on it.

"Underground substation maintenance room, just like the maps said," Kael said, then grunted with the effort of hauling himself up from his knees. "Way too fat for crawling through the bowels of the city."

Axel growled and raised a single digit at Kael, hushing the rotund 'roo. Pulling out his gun and disengaging the safety, the cop moved towards the door and pressed his large triangular ear to it. Not a sound could be heard from the other side. He backed up and let one of his subordinates pick the lock, a soft click announcing success. Once everyone was away from it, Axel threw open the door.

When nothing happened, the group peered through the entryway. Inside the small room a number of large breakers lined the walls. A single light was hanging from the ceiling, pushing back the darkness. Dust on the floor had been swept haphazardly to the edges of the room by the feet of furs walking through recently, but no other signs of habitation remained.

Axel moved to the next entrance, the rest of his party behind him. This is damn strange, where the hell is Knowles? he thought as he tested the door. It was unlocked, however, and he pushed it open, the hinges creaking for long enough to make them all uncomfortable. The room behind was a little larger than the breaker area, but the only thing in it was a column of light with a white-robed cougar bound on his knees inside. He seemed to be passed out, leaning on the circular wall of light as if it were solid.

"Jason!" Kael rushed forward to offer his deity's assistance. "I can't reach him through the summoning circle barrier."

Axel glanced down and saw runes lining the ring around the Ameranthian mage. "Summonin' circle barrier?"

"Matt mentioned it once, early on in his trips to Ameranth. The dude said Kazar used it to trap demons inside so they couldn't escape and attack when they were summoned. Guess it works as a prison, too."

"Where on Earth did Knowles learn that trick?" Laura said as she walked up to the barrier.

"Probably managed to get an Ameranthian to teach him," Axel said. "But how do we get him out?"

Laura slammed on the barrier, the normally white fur on the wolf's paws literally ablaze. However, the barricade didn't break. "It's like the barriers those cubi had put up at the university. I can't get through," she said as she shook her arms, trying to ease the pain of hitting the solid wall.

"Everyone out!" Axel backed out of the room himself, lifted his pistol, and fired a single shot. The gunshot was deafening, but the treble of shattering glass rang above the rest of the noise. Gonna have to write up a report for firin' my weapon. Again."Worked on the cubi, figured it might work on this," he said as he sauntered in.

Jason had sprawled onto the floor without the barrier holding him up, and Kael immediately began healing the cougar. It was eerie how much Jason looked like Matt's--well, Axel couldn't put it more delicately--dead boyfriend. Skinny as a pole, mustache-like brown fur just below the nose, ropey tail with a hint of brown on the end. They were basically body doubles, though Jason was more haggard after CSIS' treatment than Jay ever had. It was hard not to stare, and even harder to distance himself from those feelings of anger he had towards Jay after the cougar had betrayed the group.

"I think he's been out for at least a day, Axel," Jerek said, the bulky badger inspecting the unconscious mage. "Which means CSIS knew we were coming, and left Jason behind."

"Probably got all they needed out of him. And if Knowles knew we were comin', we have a rat in our team." Axel stomped the cold floor with his foot. "Damn it!"

The group retreated back to the university grounds, where Axel's troop had set up a temporary police outpost. With the epicenter of Ameranth and Earth's merging there, Axel had thought it prudent to have a base of operations. The german shepherd was glad he did, though, as they could bring back Jason for recovery and questioning.

"Thank you for rescuing me," the cougar said, his voice a bit raspy from abuse. As he brought his cup of water to his lips and drank slowly, Kael and Laura both smiled and nodded. Jason had woken up on the trip back, but he'd been mostly delirious until his thirst and hunger had been somewhat sated.

Axel crossed his beefy arms and leaned against a heavy wooden desk. "Sorry to have to question you so soon, but we need to know what Knowles was after. What'd he ask you?"

Jason shook his head. "Don't be concerned. I understand why you need to know." The lithe mage took a deep breath and released it in a huff. "The one who looks like Kazar wanted to confirm a fair amount of information. It seems they had already managed to get their paws on a lot of Ameranthian knowledge."

And that would be because Jay had given Knowles Kael's binder, Axel thought to himself. He must have visibly grimaced because Jason looked at him funny. Urging the mage to continue, the police officer relaxed his posture and forced his paws to sit on the desk.

"He asked about deities, magic, the Council, geography." Pausing briefly, Jason rolled his brown eyes skyward as if concentrating, ears flattening. "He also requested information on legends and folklore; language and culture--"

"Hey," Laura interrupted. "Why is it we can all speak the same language, anyhow? Shouldn't we have difficulty understanding each other because we're from different worlds?"

"We're not speaking the same language," Jason said, gently correcting the white wolf. "Anyone can use magic if they wish to overcome the Babble Barrier."

"Babble Barrier?" Laura cocked her head to the side.

Thumping his tail on the floor, Kael said, "Wait, dude, you mean like the Tower of Babel?"

Jason nodded. "The one who looked like Kazar, this Knowles, had much the same reaction to that piece of information. Our folklore has a tale of an ancient time when all furs spoke the same language. The populace was building an immense tower to breach the sky, to ensure they would always have a beacon of hope, or unity, and power. This threatened the deities, and they summoned a great storm which dispersed the population and confused their languages, so they could not be as prodigious a power again."

"We have almost the exact same story in the Bible," Axel said, his voice pitched in wonder. "How could that happen?"

"Dias tells me the story is missing one crucial element," Kael said, his eyes closed and paws clenched as he communed with the god which granted him magic. "The tower wasn't just symbolic, it was actually a way into the realm of the gods. The ancient civilization was planning to overthrow the gods, and the gods struck them first."

The lithe cougar shrugged. "I've no idea. It's an old story as far as I know. However, the practical results of the Babel Barrier is one can overcome it with the application of magic, which most educated magi choose to do so. Only one party needs to."

Axel shook his head. "I can't get over this. How could Earth and Ameranth share an origin story with the exact same name?"

* * * * *

Chris was sore after his first workout in a month, but it was the good kind of sore you felt when you accomplished something. The moose had missed that feeling, and if he were honest with himself, it was the first time he felt almost normal since Matt and Jay--

A meal and a shower also helped. Still, the house felt so empty. Kael and Laura were out with Axel, Matt in long-term care, and no one else around. It gave him the creeps. So even though he was tired, he went back to the hospital.

Mentally fortifying himself for the expected battle with Mrs. Lancaster, however, didn't help him being worn-out at all. Matt never talked much about his parents, at least not with Chris. Oh, the moose figured Matt didn't get along from the occasional hint he had dropped, but this was so much more. Matt's mom is completely oblivious to what he wants, and his dad just goes with the flow. Nobody really talking to each other. Kinda sad.

Taking a deep breath before heaving a big sigh, Chris finally gathered the courage to knock on the hospital door. To his relief, Matt's dad said to come in, which meant the mom was probably not around.

Matt was still on the bed, unconscious; the same as he'd been for the past month. Nurses would come in every little while to turn the husky over so he wouldn't develop bed sores, but Matt never responded. Nor did he ever respond to Chris petting his head or arm, or asking him for forgiveness, or retelling Matt silly stories from their math classes together.

The husky was so much thinner than he had been, thanks to a diet of IV fluids. Matt hadn't been fat, but he hadn't been skinny either. Broad shoulders gave way to an almost sunken chest cavity compared to what it had been. And his grey-blue fur, the color washed away and as white as the snow and ice he had summoned in the final battle...

"We never did get formally introduced," Mr. Lancaster stood and took Chris's paw in his, shaking it. The moose couldn't help but try to compare Matt to his dad. They were nothing alike. Matt apparently got his build and colouring from his mother. Mr. Lancaster was a more typical black-grey and sleek, rather than bulky. "I'm Matt's dad, Arnold Lancaster."

"I'm sorry."

Arnold Lancaster raised his eyebrows. "What for?"

Chris's gaze lingered on the husky in bed as he said, "that I couldn't do more for Matt."

"Kael said you saved my boy's life. I honestly could never ask for more from anyone, okay?" Mr. Lancaster paused while Chris continued to stare at Matt, the room silent but for the soft beeping of the monitors. "You love my boy, don't you?"

Chris nodded and closed his eyes, unable to choke out any words.

"Tell me, please."

Chris sat down beside the bed and took Matt's limp paw in his own. "We met in a math class in our first semester. We were in the same study group, just randomly, and I wasn't really very good at math. But Matt, he helped me out. I didn't ask, he just...did it. Didn't matter that I was a jock, and so to thank him I took him out between classes for food at the local pub pretty often.

"But it wasn't just with me. Everybody I saw Matt interact with, he was nice, helpful even if it cost him, and I guess it didn't take long before I figured that I really liked Matt. Like really liked. Then all this magic Ameranth stuff happened. I found out Matt was in the hospital--"

"This isn't the first time?" Mr. Lancaster asked.

Chris shook his head. "He was out in a couple days the last time."

"Nobody called us or told us."

Shrugging, the moose continued in a shaky voice, "I got pulled further into things when the hospital was attacked. I just couldn't leave Matt, even if he was dating someone else. I guess I hoped he'd notice me? But I really did want to help him, like he had helped me. But Matt was too busy trying to save everyone, too busy trying to do it all himself. Sure, Matt taught us magic, but he still was keeping secrets from us, still felt like he just had to be the hero no matter what.

"Then the university was attacked. Matt ran off to face the giant demon alone, and I couldn't let him die on his own, so I chased him down. Jay--Matt's...he wanted to come help, and he ended up dying trying to help Matt while I was keeping the demon busy. I think Jay's death just caused something inside Matt to break, because he went nuts, bringing down winter on everyone, and defeating the demons. But he was going to kill himself doing it. I... I guess I managed to stop him before he drained himself entirely, somehow."

"And here we are," Mr. Lancaster said.

The moose nodded. "Matt is wonderful. Smart, nice, generous, and a hero. He's got his faults, but how could someone not love him?"

"With friends like that, Matt is sure to pull through." Mr. Lancaster smiled at Chris. "Listen, it's clear to me you blame yourself for...this," he said, gesturing at his son. "Don't. Like you said, Matt is selfless. He'd have involved himself in this somehow, I'm sure, even if you weren't there. Don't be too hard on yourself."

"You are not family, and you are not welcome here!" Leticia Lancaster barked from the door. The woman was intimidating, to say the least, even to the moose.

Chris saw Arnold Lancaster's hackles raise, but the man somehow kept his voice low. "Stand down, Leticia. Matt's friends are as important to his recovery as his family." The pair stared at each other for a moment; Matt's mom's muzzle agape at her husband's response. Mr. Lancaster continued, stronger, "Why don't we go for dinner? We'll let Chris watch Matt for a few hours, and then come back ourselves?"

Leticia shook her head, but allowed Arnold to whisk her out of the room, leaving Chris alone with Matt once again.

Laying a paw on Matt's forehead, Chris whispered to the comatose husky, "You might look like your mom, Matt, but I'm glad you got your personality from your dad."

* * * * *

"Where did you hear about this restaurant, fire-girl?"

Laura smirked inwardly at the sound of Eric's nickname for her. The rhino was there during the attack on the University, and much to her own chagrin hadn't taken no for an answer when he offered to help. Some might have been put off by his pushy behavior, but Laura rather enjoyed dating someone who could push back.

"Well, rhino-boy," she said, and Eric's flat-toothed grin lit up the restaurant more than the candlelight. "Matt told me about it a few months back. Said the food was pretty good, and reasonably priced for a pseudo-upscale Italian place."

Eric snorted, his muscles bunching under his slightly too-tight crimson polo shirt. "Well, wearing white when serving a bunch of marinara sauces is pretty ballsy, that's for sure." He munched on his salad, which was piled high with beans and olives. Laura idly wondered how he managed to keep his bulk on a vegetarian diet, while she chewed on her own spaghetti and meatballs.

"So," Eric said between bites, his eyes on his plate. "How's Matt?"

"Same as ever, still in a coma. His parents are here now, though." Laura stabbed a meatball a little too forcefully and winced at the screech of metal on ceramic.

Eric pointedly ignored Laura's reaction. "Any more demon attacks recently? You haven't said much about them for the past while."

"No." Laura shook her head. "And there shouldn't be any as long as the overlap between Ameranth and Earth are cold enough to prevent the demons from functioning. They've all been reptiles, cold-blooded."

Conversation paused for a moment as a lion waiter dressed in a white button-down and a dark tie stopped by to fill their water glasses. Laura wondered where this line of questioning was going. Glancing at Eric, the rhino seemed a little preoccupied. Something was up, but Laura couldn't figure out what.

Once the lion had left, Eric kept up with what was starting to feel like an interrogation. "And what about the Ameranth Council? Axel mentioned it the other day when we were working out."

"No idea, I'm not really involved in that stuff." The white wolf was staring at her own pasta now. Why wouldn't he stop pressing?

"And how did things go with the rescue mission?"

It was getting harder for Laura not to frown. She was sure her ears were lowering of their own volition. "It went well. Nothing really happened, thankfully. Can't say much else, though."

It was when Eric could be heard grinding his teeth Laura knew without a shred of doubt the rhino was peeved at her. "And how's your job? The one I don't know anything about still because you won't tell me?"

"Oh, it's going better now I can be there more often with school cancelled."

"Yeah? How so?"

Laura looked up to see Eric scowling. This date was supposed to be about them, not all these other things. "Well, you know, when you're in the hospitality business, you have clients who are regulars, and they tip better. Hard to have regulars when your hours aren't, right?"

"Hospitality business," the rhino practically growled, the air quotes implied in his tone. "Why can't you just tell me about your job? What's there to be embarrassed about? Or hell, share anything with me? Laura, how can we be dating if you won't let me in?"

Guilt gnawed on her. "I...it's still early Eric. I'll let you know in time."

I can't tell you, because then you'll get involved. Just like Jay. You can't use magic Eric, you're not trained in combat like Axel's officers. This isn't a game. I just...if I tell you why I can't tell you, I'm afraid you'll take it poorly and try to prove to me you can, and get hurt just the same.

Laura's cell phone broke her reverie and by the ringtone it was Axel. She glanced up at Eric, who gestured impatiently at her to answer the phone.

"Laura? I need you on backup at the next Council meetin'," Axel's almost-drawl was loud enough she was certain Eric could hear it, despite the fact he was pretending to be more interested in his salad than the phone call. "I can't handle it all on my own anymore. Too much to keep track of, and I could use the help."

The white wolf rubbed the black stripes dyed on her arm with her free paw as she thought before responding. "Sure, Axel. I can help out."

"Great. Next one is in two days around two in the afternoon. Meet me at noon at the university."

After Axel hung up, she put her phone away and caught Eric staring at her, his eyebrows pulled together and his dark lips pulled into a tight line. "If you're ever tired of handling everything and need some help yourself, I'm here for you."

The white wolf gave him a curt nod. "Thanks, Eric."

But I can't.