FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

-L-

Antarctica...I've heard about this place only from textbooks and documentaries on TV. So far...it fits the description. Snow and ice dominated the white landscape with little to no life living in this frozen wasteland. The bitter, icy wind blew heavily across the land, sending snow to blind our vision. My fiery aura kept me comfortably warm, though I couldn't say the same for everyone else. We all arrived in Antarctica just a few moments ago armored and heavily clothed for warmth. I did what I could with my magic to keep everyone warm by summoning a fire cloak around them, but it wouldn't last forever and some people were still shivering despite the flames surrounding them.

We established a base camp inside a large ice cavern that Kia had found to provide defense and shelter from the raging winds outside. Necross was busy speaking with her about tactics and the geography of the land. Kia knew more about Antarctica than any of us so everyone immediately placed her in the position of leader. Before we had left Pacema's Sanctuary, she briefed us all on the dangers of Antarctica besides hypothermia and frostbite. Gazing out into the open snowfields, I remembered her telling us that there were plenty of monsters hiding within the snow just waiting to ambush us when we were exposed and defenseless. The monsters would always stay in groups, often seeking out isolated targets, so she strongly advised that everyone remained in a group when scouting and in battle. Imagining one of us being ambushed in the middle of no where with monsters surrounding you on all sides made me fear what dangers lurked beneath the snow. Kia didn't go into detail what the monsters looked like, but I didn't want to know.

"Are you afraid?" I looked down at the voice that had spoken to me to see Ales and Alos standing side-by-side in their matching armor.

"There's no shame in admitting that you're afraid," the other otter spoke. As much as I wanted to be the strong, brave role model for the two, I knew that they were incredibly smart and would just see through my lie.

"Yeah, I'm afraid. Who knows what's hiding out there in the snow! This blizzard isn't going to help us out at all," I told them, looking back out at the raging snowstorm that swept at the land.

"We weren't asking if you were afraid of the monsters hiding in the snow," Ales clarified.

"We meant if you were afraid for Silnis," Alos finished. That sent chills up my spine, despite my flame aura. These two knew everything!

I heaved a sigh, crossing my arms and leaning back against the icy walls of the cave. "Aren't you two afraid for Silnis? He's your mentor after all. You two always have such blank faces that its hard to tell what you two are feeling. You already know that I'm scared of how Silnis will be like when we rescue him. I'm afraid that he might be dead, or close to death if we don't save him right now. It irritates me having to wait here when we could be on our way to save him." As usual, the two glanced at each other as an unspoken conversation flashed between them in mere seconds.

"We might not show it...."

"But we are also afraid for Silnis' well-being."

"We didn't talk much to other kids our age. They thought we were strange and avoided us. That's why Ales and I are always together. We understand each other more than anyone else."

"When Pacema found us, we didn't want to have anything to do with The Elements. That is until Silnis took us under his wing and showed us how to open our hearts to others besides each other."

"The other kids have started to like being around us now. We thought it weird at first, but eventually we grew to like having the company of others around us. Whenever Silnis mentored us, he would always smile. Alos and I thought he was creepy and odd initially. We thought no one could smile that much." The otters giggled with each other, making a small grin spread across my own muzzle. Seeing them laugh for the first time assured me that they weren't emotionless kids like I had thought they were.

"Let me guess...Silnis' smile got infectious and it got to you two?" I commented.

"You could say that..." Alos began.

"But rather he gave us a lesson on 'How to Smile' and let's just say that it was the most gruesome lesson he's ever taught us." Ales finished, shivering though not from the cold.

"He promised us that he would gladly give us a review session if we ever forget how to smile so we've kept his warning in mind ever since."

"And we don't want to have to go through that again. Pacema forbid!" I could see the fear in their eyes, though it wasn't the bad kind of fear. The fear they held against Silnis was one children would have after their parents gave them a good scolding. I never thought of Silnis as a parent-figure, but he could certainly fit the role. Though I wondered what tactics he used when faced with naughty children.

"We better get going. We're the only senior light warriors here and the others need our help in preparing for battle. It's hard to fight with light magic when everything around you is nothing but white." The twins left towards another part of the cave, leaving me alone to my thoughts again. The storm was still raging on and I could only imagine just how cold Silnis must be feeling while bloodied and bruised. When I find him I'll be sure to keep him by my side and give him warmth to soothe his pain. I don't think Necross and I will ever let him out of our sights again.

****

"Does everyone understand the plan?" Necross stood from an icy slope above everyone else, searching us for any who were lost in the course of action. "If so, then we begin the operation immediately. Every second we waste could be a second Silnis is losing to death. I will lead a group of selected champions and warriors for the rescue effort. The rest of you will remain here and protect the camp at all costs!"

Kia stepped in, looking formidable with her bow slung over her back and armored in light, cold steel. "The scouts have informed me that monsters have already begun to converge on our location. They'll be here soon enough and I've warned you all of the beasts and their battle tactics. Do not stray from your groups and watch each others' backs. Retreat when one of you is wounded. I don't want any lives being lost in these wastelands. Understood?" Everyone nodded their agreement before a multitude of roaring in the distant caught our attention. I glanced outside the cave and into the white storm, knowing that the monsters were out there and were soon to be upon us.

"That's our cue to leave, now! Those who are coming with me let's go!" Necross jumped off the slope and walked out the cave followed by Sandra, Kia, a few warriors, and I. The otter twins informed us on the location of Silnis based on their link with him and pointed us towards a large glacier that floated just off the shore of the ice caps. I surrounded our group with a flame cloak, hoping to save our energy for battle when we would face off against Nina and her minions.

We traveled towards the glacier for some time, always watching our surroundings. No monsters had ambushed us...yet. I didn't want to be a meal for a monster before saving Silnis. Kia and Necross were at the front of the group, conversing in hushed voices and still being able to hear each other despite the storm. Sandra walked beside me, looking quite warm with her nine tails curled around her like a blanket. The glacier grew in size the closer we came to it. It looked like a formidable fortress with its thick ice walls and towering height.

"Stop," Kia halted us, tilting her head to the side with her ears perked up, "Something is coming...but I don't know where...." Everyone was immediately alert and on guard, scanning the snow around us for any odd shapes or forms that could be an enemy ambush. We all waited for a tense ten seconds before Necross suddenly shouted.

"Below us!" At that moment, several large tentacles burst forth from the ice beneath and had us surrounded in a circle. I drew my sword, ready to take on this beast. I was about to charge in when the ice beneath us shook abruptly and cracks began to form. That wasn't good.

"Everyone, move!" Kia shouted, running towards one of the opening between the tentacles. Nothing else needed to be said as we all ran towards the other openings and made it out just in time before the area where we had been standing seconds ago collapsed into the icy water. A large maw emerged from the water, swallowing the ice whole before submerging back in. From what little the beast showed itself, I could already tell that it was a big one! There was only once sea monster that I knew was large and had tentacles--a Kraken.

The tentacles burst from the ice again, attempting to surround us like they had done before. The ground shook violently and we didn't need to be told twice to get out of the way. The Kraken must have been hungry because it didn't hesitate to swallow two of our warriors who had been too slow to make it out in time.

"We can't fight it! Everyone, get to the glacier quickly!" Necross shouted, already sprinting towards it. I sheathed my blade and followed after everyone else, all the while dodging tentacles that would occasionally try to uppercut us. We were only a few hundred feet from the glacier and I could see that it was shaped almost like a castle with an ice bridge connecting it to the icecaps. A tentacle nearly got me as it burst forth just a feet from my right. The Kraken was getting more aggravated as the rate the tentacles kept appearing was increasing. Necross and Kia were the first crossing the ice bridge. They made sure that the remaining warriors got across safely before urging us to hurry up. Sandra was running ahead of me by a few feet, though I was surprised she was so fast with her nine tails behind her. We were almost there until the Kraken formed a wall with his tentacles, preventing us from taking the last few steps to get onto the bridge.

"You're not going to stop me from getting to Silnis!" I yelled, summoning my sword and cutting through the tentacles like they were bread. Sandra and I jumped over the severed tentacles and quickly followed Kia and Necross into the glacier. The cries of the Kraken echoed into the icy caverns of the glacier, but it didn't seem to have followed us. The tentacles all flailed about near the bridge as if it could not pass it, but that left us with one less threat to deal with for now.

"Isn't this great...," I heard Necross mutter.

"What?" I asked. He gestured to the many caves that lined the walls of the glacier, any of them possibly leading directly to Silnis. "Oh...." He turned to Kia who was scanning intently at each cave as if she were trying to calculate where they would lead to specifically.

"Any ideas?" he questioned. She continued to look at the caves before shaking her head in response.

"No.... I'm afraid not. As much as I hate to say this...our only option to find Silnis quickly is to split up." Everyone exchanged glances after she said that. We'd all seen enough movies to know that splitting up was always a bad idea. As much as I wanted to object, I knew that time was of the essence if we were going to save Silnis safe and still breathing. I think we all knew that.

"All right then, everyone take a cave! We don't know where each cave could lead to so be on your guard and shout for help if you need it. If you find Silnis, alert everyone and we'll all make our way to you, understood?" We all nodded our heads in agreement, walking towards our own individual caves and venturing into them in hopes that one of them would lead to Silnis.

"Silnis...please be safe...," I said to myself, stepping into my cave and hoping that this would be the right one.

---

-N-

Splitting up is never a good idea. Never. If time wasn't of the essence, I would have had everyone stay together. However, Silnis was in danger, and splitting up was the quickest way to find and rescue him. I, like everyone else, took my own cave and traversed it with caution in case Nina decided to place any traps in her glacial fortress. A distant cry echoed through the icy caverns, no doubt it coming from the Kraken still outside. Silnis' safety aside, I hoped that everyone back at base camp could hold out until we returned safely with him alive.

The ice around me started to open up and I eventually found myself in a large room with furniture carved from ice and covered with various animal furs. I would have ignored the room entirely if not for the fact that Silnis was lying unconscious in a block of ice! I ran over to him, hoping to the Elements that Nina, the bitch, hadn't froze him completely in the ice. His skin was pale, his body curled up tightly, and was shivering from what little protection his armor was providing from the cold.

"Silnis!" I cried, glad to know that the ice wasn't solid all the way through, and that he was still alive. I quickly ran back to the cave and shouted that I had found Silnis. Despite everyone in different parts of the glacier, I could still hear them rapidly making their way towards my location. Returning to Silnis' side, I pulled my fist back, focusing my powers, and slammed it into the ice. Silnis' prison broke easily and I gently scooped him up into my arms, feeling just how cold his body was. He needed warmth. He needed to be with Lance! I knew that breathing my own flames onto him would do more harm than good.

"Well...well...looks like you've got who you came for...." I turned to my side, seeing Nina seated on one of the sofas with her legs crossed and playing with her bow and arrows. She would have been beautiful to look at if not for the fact she had the look of a predator in her eyes. I was actually less worried since it Nina. The twins said that Daniel had also participated in Silnis' kidnapping and he was the one I would have been most concerned if he were present. However, it didn't appear that he was anywhere near. Nevertheless, the snow leopard was just as worthy of a foe as the sadistic human was.

"If you think...," I was about to warn, but she cut me off.

"Oh please, I intentionally left him that easy to find and rescue. You Champions should know...," she said, licking her lips, "I enjoy a good chase. The thrill of the hunt gets my cold-blood boiling!" As she said that, she stood and nocked an arrow onto her bow. I held Silnis closer to me. I had never fought against Nina before. Kia was more of the expert of her specifics. I was at a slight disadvantage here.

"Necross!" I heard. Everyone was nearing the room, the tables would soon be turned.

"I don't like interruptions when I'm about to hunt," Nina stated, snapping her fingers elegantly and sealing off the entrance. The entire glacier suddenly shook violently, my body being slightly disoriented, before it stopped abruptly.

"What did you do?!" I demanded. She smirked before giggling.

"I simply rearranged the structure of the entire glacier. Now your friends won't be able to find you unless they take the right path again. But, chances are that it'll take them a while just to achieve that. So that leaves just the two of us alone...."

"Damn it!" I muttered under my breath. I would so take her one-on-one right now, but Silnis' safety came first.

"I suggest you start running now. I do enjoy it when my prey runs!" Nina suddenly shot her arrow at me, but I swiftly dodged it and ran for cover behind one of the furniture. I needed to get out of here! Searching the room, there was a new exit just straight ahead of me, but it would put me in a bad position for Nina to shoot me down. Having no choice, other than staying here and letting her corner me eventually, I wrapped Silnis protectively in my wings, held him tight to my chest, and made a dash for it.

"Oh, running away now are you? I like it!"

"Argh!" I cried out, feeling one of her arrows pierce my armor and impale itself into my back. The arrow, being made of ice, quickly started to apply frost burn to the area where it had hit. I made it into the cave before I could take anymore shots and ran with my full strength in any direction that it led me. As long as I put some distance between Nina and I, the chance of survival would be better.

"Hey, guys, can you hear me!" I shouted, hoping that everyone else would hear my voice and find their way to me as soon as they could. Nina giggled behind me, her tone telling me she was taking pleasure in the chase with no worries at all.

"Shout all you can Necross, but by the time they get to you, you'll be nothing but a frozen pin cushion when I'm done with you!"

"Try me!" I summoned a sphere of gravity in one of my hands, turned back momentarily, and tossed it at the pursuing snow leopard. She nimbly dodged it and fired another arrow at me, one that skimmed my arm, but the close contact of it causing my nerves there to go completely numb.

"I love it when you fight back! Oh, the adrenaline rush is so thrilling!" She prepared to fire more arrows, but I didn't stick around for her to shoot anymore at me. I followed the cave for a few more feet before it opened up to another room, only this one was smaller with nothing in it. Nina was behind by a couple feet so I had to think fast. Running wasn't doing me any good! I could be going away from everyone else instead of towards them for all I knew!

"Necross! Where are you?!" I heard faintly to the right of me. That...that was Lance! I ran over to the wall where I had heard his voice, pressing my ear against it and knocking on the ice. Sure enough, it was hollow on the other end. Nina's footsteps were getting closer and I was not going to take any chances with her again! Taking a deep breath, I released a flame breath on the wall, seeing it melt quickly to reveal an opening to another cave.

"Necross!" I heard Lance shout again, this time much clearer and closer.

"Lance!" I shouted.

"Necross?"

"Follow my voice! I need to get Silnis to you fast! He's freezing to death here! He needs--argh!" I feel to my knee, hissing in pain as another arrow had found its mark on my right shoulder. Nina casually walked up to me, an amused smirk plastered on her face. She drew back her bow again and fired another arrow that got me on the back of my right leg.

"Naughty Necross...trying to find help? Well I don't like it when others try to interrupt me when I hunt! What fun is there when other people try stopping me from taking my kill?" Her arrows started to have an affect on my body now. I was shivering and the frost burns stung fiercely. I never liked fighting in cold weather. It was one of my weaknesses. I may have put on a stoic face for everyone else back at camp, but I was freezing my ass off as soon as we came here! It was one of the disadvantages of being me. The snow leopard made her way to me. Seeing me shiver uncontrollably made her smile with delight like the predator had finally subdued its prey.

"Aww...what's the matter Necross? Have my ice arrows finally got to you? What a shame. I was expecting more of a chase out of you," she switched out her bow for a dagger, of course made of ice, and held it to my throat as she knelt down beside me and purred, "You'll make a nice trophy for display. Wait until the other Chosen hear that I, Nia, killed you, Necross, one of the most formidable Champions the Elements have!" Without asking if I even had any last words, I felt the icy blade start to dig into my throat. Was this it? I was going to die like this with Silnis unconscious in my arms? What a pathetic way to go....

"Rraaggh!" A ball of fire suddenly exploded on impact on Nina. The blast sent her flying a few good feet dazed and out of action for a little bit. I didn't have to look up to know who had come to my rescue. A topaz-scaled hand reached down for me and I took it with gratitude. "Necross, thank god your okay! I-." I didn't let him finish. It was just a small kiss to the lips, but it sure got Lance blushing redder than his flames.

"You couldn't have come at a more perfect time hot stuff. Thanks for saving 'our' asses," I said, handing Silnis to him without wasting a second, "Keep him close to you! He's better off with you right now than me. Ugh!" I fell back down to the floor, feeling my strength waning from the multiple arrows I took to the back. I was completely numb where the arrows hit, but it was slowly spreading out now. If I got hit with more arrows, I might die from the frost effect than the pain itself.

"Necross! Your back!" Lance finally noticed, but I could tell he wasn't sure what to do. I couldn't show him that I was suffering. I had to be strong! Summoning up my strength, I pulled myself back up, brushing away the numbing pain and putting on my best stoic face.

"I-I'm fine. They're just a bunch of arrows. I've taken worse blows."

"Oh...you'll take even worse when I'm done with you...," Nina was back on her feet with arrows drawn and a ferocious snarl on her face. Parts of her fur were singed from the fire blast, which would explain the burnt fur smell.

"Lance! Run!" I shouted, pushing him back the way he came as we nearly got impaled with a volley of arrows. I didn't waste my energy trying to look back. As long as we put some distance between us and her then we were good. I was mostly worried about finding a way out of here in this frozen labyrinth. "Lance, you have an idea of getting out of this place?"

"I tried melting my way through before, and I managed to get outside, but the Kraken is still out there! Also, the blizzard has gotten stronger. It'll be impossible to fly back to base with the wind and snow in your face!"

"Dammit...." I muttered under my breath. It looked like our only way out of here was the main entrance and running for our lives through the Kraken until we reached base camp.

"Necross, which way!" Lance shouted suddenly. The path split into three different directions, and now was not the time to stop and make a well-thought choice with a huntress on our tails.

"Right!" I cried, but I tapped Lance on his left shoulder in hopes that he understood that we were going to take a left instead. Thankfully, Lance got the message and turned into the left path. We ran into another open room, and much to our fortune, Kia too had entered from a separate entrance.

"Lance! Necross!" she exclaimed, running over to meet us, "I'm glad you found Silnis! Let's find everyone else and get out!" Kia noticed my many arrow wounds and met eyes with me for a brief moment. A silent conversation was exchanged between the two of us. It pertained to her knowing about my cold weakness and also knowing that I would be in no condition to fight if they weren't treated immediately. I simply acknowledged it and told her that Silnis was our top priority over me. That ended it.

"Follow me!" Kia led us back the way she had come from, her eyes and ears on high alert in case Nina was nearby. "Sandra and the others are nearby! They should be...here!" She stopped us at a section of a wall, holding us back with her arm just in time before the part of the wall shattered in a deafening boom. Sandra poked her head in and gestured at us to quickly follow her. We entered another room, though this one looking like some sort of grand dining hall. Sandra was with the warriors and pointed intently at a particular exit and making a gesture to her ear.

"You hear something from there?" I asked, not sure what she was trying to communicate. She nodded.

"She's saying that she can hear the storm clearest from that exit. That means that it's our way out of here," one of the warriors clarified, impressing me with their translation skills.

"Let's go!" I exclaimed without hesitation, wanting to escape this place as quickly as possible. Sandra led the way to the main entrance and we soon arrived at our welcomed exit. We left without a second thought, knowing that everyone was accounted for and that Silnis desperately needed medical attention. We were crossing the ice bridge once again until it started to shake violently. Cracks started to form everywhere and I was afraid that we weren't all going to make it across in time.

"You aren't going anywhere!" Nina shouted from behind us. She was rapidly charging towards us, a wild look in her eyes all the while firing ice arrows. I would have had another one impaled in my arm if Kia hadn't summoned a wall of ice from the water around us. She stepped forward, about to meet her nemesis in battle.

"I'll keep her busy! You all keep moving towards base camp! Get Silnis back safely no matter the cost!" She didn't even wait for any of us to speak a word before jumping over the wall and firing her own shots at Nina. We all stood frozen for a few seconds before the shriek of the Kraken finally told us that we had to get moving. We made it onto the main ice caps, but the Kraken now had free reign to wreak havoc on us. Once again, it tried to surround us with its tentacles, but we knew well enough to keep moving and avoid getting hit. I had to use my battle axe on several tentacles as they tried to reach and latch onto me. I've already been shot with multiple arrows. I did not want to be a giant sea monster's snack next.

"Agh!" Lance exclaimed, getting uppercut by one and sending him flying with Silnis a few feet back. Several tentacles burst from the ice around them, the ice shaking beneath them. I knew that the Kraken was going to break the ice and devour the two whole! I couldn't let that happen! Not after we've gone this far! Summoning my magic, I concentrated the gravity above the Kraken and delayed it before it could breach the surface.

"Lance! Get up! Go!" I shouted, struggling to keep the sea monster down due its massive size and strength. With Silnis in arms, Lance quickly pulled himself back up and continued to make a mad dash for safety. The Kraken gave out a shrill cry, causing me to lose focus, and broke free from my gravitational field. Rather than come after me it pursued after Lance, dead set on making him and Silnis its next meal. Sandra ran past me, stopping a few feet and making a great hole in the ice with the flick of her guqin's strings. Her aura intensified and without hesitation she let loose a deafening wave of sound that strangely reminded me of what a whale would make. I didn't realize at first what Sandra had done until the Kraken started to rapidly make its way towads us, breaching the ice and moving like a torpedo. She had made the sound of a sperm whale, albeit a rather massive one, and attracted the Kraken, essentially a giant squid, to face its natural enemy rather than small prey. It was genius! Now the only problem was that it was coming for us!

Sandra stood beside me with a relatively calm look on her face. The Kraken was approaching fast and I wasn't sure I had enough strength to fight it off even with the kitsune's powers. She must have noticed my slight nervousness and only winked at me and held up a finger as to gesture for me to wait. Wait? For what?! Not wanting to go down without a fight at least, I summoned my battle axe and was intent on making this giant squid a large hunk of sushi before I would die. The Kraken was only a hundred or so feet away, ready to make dinner out of the two of us, but something else besides the Kraken made the ice shake with its cry. What occurred next was pretty unbelievable.

A mega-sized sperm whale of a monster intercepted the Kraken and locked its jaw around the giant squid. Both monsters broke through the ice and into the air with terrifying grace before splashing back into the water. I stood there flabbergasted with my jaw open and eyes wide. Sandra simply smiled triumphantly, punching me on the shoulder as if to say, "See, I told you to wait!". I didn't even get a chance to reply because Kia grabbed both of our arms and was pulling us along with her towards base camp.

"K-Kia, I thought you were fighting Nina!" I said, trying to keep up with her running speed.

"I was, but something came up that made me had to retreat!" She explained.

"What?!" I asked. She glanced back behind me before looking away again as her reply. Well, you can't help but be curious when your comrade doesn't tell you why they're running! Turning to look back, I felt the frost on my body turn colder at what I saw. Right behind us was a massive cloud of snow, ice, and wind with Nina riding on top of it like a surfer. The ice storm would have been terrifying enough, but it was the expression on Nina's face that really got me. She had multiple wounds from her skirmish with Kia, but her eyes were wild and I swore I could see foam at the corners of her mouth. I've fought many monsters, but a hunt-crazed snow leopard with rabies-like symptoms topped some of them off.

"Everyone, get in quickly!" Jace was standing at the entrance to the cave, waving us over frantically. Seeing our home base put an adrenaline rush into me and I ran as fast as I could even with several arrows sticking out of me. I noticed a pale shimmering of light around the cave and was relieved to see Ales and Alos holding up a barrier to ensure our safety. Lance, with Silnis in arms, made it through the barrier safely along with the warriors. It was only Kia, Sandra, and I left running for our lives! I glanced behind us one more time and almost cringed when I saw that the magical storm had gotten way closer to us than a minute ago.

"I don't know if we're going to make it!" I cried out.

"Hold on then!" Kia shouted, summoning a blast of ice behind us that shot us forward into the safety of the barrier. Granted though, we didn't exactly land gracefully and without some bruises. I never got tired as much after a battle, but I was sure as heck exhausted now. As I said before, I never really liked the cold and having ice-imbued arrows lodged into your body wasn't helping as well. Lance picked me up gingerly and led me over to the infirmary camp set up in the cave. Outside, I could hear Nina screaming curses at us as she threw everything she had at the barrier. I knew it would be no use though. Knowing the otter twins' magical prowess and that fact that they were tutored by Silnis had little to worry about. Lance set me down on a makeshift bed and left me with the healers, but not before praising me for my bravery. I simply smiled and shooed him off, allowing myself to get some rest. I glanced over at Silnis who laid next to me, his breathing normal, but his wounds still in severe condition. I've never been so happy to see him safe. I always knew he was a strong fighter, but seeing him like this made me realize just how vulnerable he was. We had magic, but we were all still mortals. We weren't immune to death. Brushing the thought away, I closed my eyes and was content on how things turned out today. From now on, things should get better....hopefully.