FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

CHAPTER 71 Defilers of the Great Canine

Confused as the young Husky was, even more doubts invaded his mind now. The loud chattering soon faded, giving way to a rough buzzing of machinery now filling the large room.

Looking down all the time he had been there, Husky saw the empty plate of strange goo that he ate minutes ago. But his attention was not to what lied on that rusty table, but the Evocanis he had just met.

"Time to sleep, everyone. Don't make me say it again." the familiar voice echoed through the rough speakers. It was Rika giving everyone orders again.

Finally looking around him, Husky noticed the room was almost empty now. Everyone had finished their supper and went to their sleeping areas. Not wanting to cause any more trouble, Husky immediately stood up and walked out the large dining room. Something in him was different now; there was a strange but very pleasant warmth that not only dried his tears, but also gave him strength. Although still overwhelmed by the way his home and species was defiled, he could feel a slight burst of determination to fight his way through this nightmare.

Walking out in the open area, and then through a staircase, he noticed the doors had numbers on them.

_Thirty-two-fifty-seven..._He remembered those numbers. As he walked up the staircase of the third floor, having checked the levels below, he noticed the lights dimming.

I must find that room...

Before having to take the stairs to the fourth floor, in a corner of that level, he read the numbers that he looked for.

This is it...

Getting close to the door, he didn't know what to expect. He searched for a button, but all he could see was a handle. Assuming this opened the door, he reached for it.

"Two minutes and the doors will be locked!" Rika's voice echoed again. Husky new that he needed to get inside. At least he would finally get some rest.

Before he could reach the handle, the door mysteriously opened a few inches before him. He was startled a bit, but he continued on. Gently pushing the door, there was nothing but darkness inside. The air was dusty and dry, but it was a relief not to feel the pungent smell of chemicals.

Slowly, he made his way through the darkness.

"Hello?" He softly said. Before he could take another step, the door slammed behind him. A mechanical sound made him realize that the door was locked automatically. Husky's heart pounded heavily being in total darkness.

"Are you here?" He kept on talking to keep himself calm. His eyes still hadn't adjusted to the darkness. He couldn't see a thing, but slowly walked forward. He didn't walk an inch when his paw hit something on the hard floor. There was what he identified as a mattress.

"Please answer. I'm here." He once again spoke, in hopes that the female Evocanis he had just met was there.

"Over here." The gentle voice was heard. Husky expected to hear her close to the bed, but the voice came close to the wall to his left. A faint light came from that wall, illuminating the room a bit now. He was surprised to see how small the room was, but also that the Evocanis wasn't there.

"Is that you?" Husky asked when he saw a small hole with metal bars on the wall. The faint light was coming from this hole.

"It is me." the sweet voice once again said. "I'm glad you found the room. You need to sleep and recover your strength.

Husky looked around. The room was probably no more than two square meters. A rough mattress was lying on the stained floor. The walls dripped a black substance. He rather had not seen this.

"Thank you for helping me a little bit." Husky said. "I am still... coping..."

"You need to be strong here. Whatever happens, you have to keep your determination and never look back." It was rather harsh, but she never lost that gentleness to her. After all he had witnessed that day, the unrecognizable way his kin acted, this Evocanis had that warmth that he always knew.

"What's your name?" Husky asked as he approached the hole in the wall. He saw the hooded Evocanis shining a rudimentary light device. With the light very close to her face, he could see more of her face behind that dark hood. A pair of light brown eyes looked away when they made contact with Husky's sky blue eyes.

"Names aren't important here. What matters is that you stand strong and never give up to your dreams and hopes."

Husky was confused, but her words were very encouraging, just when he thought his race had lost all will to live and fight back.

"I..." Husky stuttered. He was soothed by her presence, even if she stood behind a solid wall, but there was no escaping the dismay that he felt for all that was happening. "What's going on?" He asked as he held the bars.

"Sometimes, things might not be how we wish them to be... But more than often, things are not what they seem." She gently said.

"Why did this happened? Why didn't we fight back?" Husky asked. It was strange, but talking to her felt so familiar. He had met her not more than a few minutes, and he felt complete confidence on this Evocanis. Just how it was supposed to be.

"All that matters is that you keep yourself strong. With time you will realize the truth. But for now, you must hold on to your desires; what you know is true." Despite the warmth she exuded, her answers were vague. She didn't seem to respond to Husky, but rather say her own thoughts.

"You need to rest, my friend... I will be close for whatever you need." With those last words, the light was extinguished.

"Wait! But who are you?" He insisted.

"It is not really up to me to tell you. Just know that for now, I'm a friend..."

She didn't respond anymore after that. Husky had no choice but to crawl into the torn mattress and do his best to catch some sleep. Whatever awaited him the next day, he knew it wouldn't be less terrible than what he suffered that day. But for some reason, meeting this mysterious Evocanis gave Husky a much needed strength boost.

There was nothing more than Husky could do at the time. One thing was for sure; he would need all his strength if he wanted to survive another day. Resiliently, he lied down on the humid mattress and curled up into a ball. The rough clothes he wore weren't comfortable at all, but he felt some protection against the filthy surface he slept on. No pillow, no blankets, not an ounce of that warmth he was so used to. The mattress was so eroded that it served only as a thin and bumpy barrier between him and the rough floor. Husky's eyes once again filled with tears as he tried to endure this horror that contrasted heavily against the warm motherly embrace of the home he once knew. But the exhaustion was such that consumed the young husky's consciousness and eventually he drifted away in slumber.

A turmoil of thoughts produced by his subconscious invaded his mind. It was so chaotic that it never formed a concrete dream, but Husky was aware of it at all time. Images of the life he knew were crushed by horrible images of things that even though Husky had never saw, he somehow understood.

A strange planet... the sense of despair and an enormous stress and anxiety like he never felt before. But somehow it all seemed familiar. Figures walked and talked around him, but he couldn't see them. Strangely, these bizarre silhouettes were not unknown to him.

No... NO! Leave me alone! He yelled in his dream. His voice was now different, and he did not know why.

I do not belong here! I was not born for this life!! He yelled again. The figures danced like fire, now at a faster pace around him.

Man up! One said.

Ugly little faggot! Strange words were uttered by another.

This is what life is about. Another one yelled.

With sentient life, conflicts are natural to happen. That's what makes life fun! Another one mocked.

Immature little bitch! Words pierced through his ears.

This life or yours... This vision... That is completely inaccurate. It would never work. Deal with it! One more of the figures pointed aggressively at him as he said these hurtful words.

No! Leave me alone! My vision is accurate for me. It exists! It is where I belong! He fought back, but only received the hateful laughter in exchange, making him feel like he shrunk defenseless.

These voices... So familiar, yet as Husky, he didn't really know who they were. But was he Husky? Was he really there? What was reality? What was a dream?

I hate you all! Leave me alone!!_He let out a cry of desperation. _I am not one of you and never will!!

_Open your eyes and see reality by yourself then!_One more voice said. It was the deepest and most defiant of all.

Husky felt how darkness surrounded him as he fell into an endless pit. The laughs, the defiant fingers pointing at him, the mockery; it all swirled around him as he fell into the deep abyss. Then, there was a sudden calm.

Without being able to control his movements, his paws withdrew from his face that he covered as he fell. His eyelids did not respond to his command of staying close. What he saw before him shattered his soul.

_You see? This is the only reality. This is you!!_the deep voice laughed manically.

Before him a mirror stood. The reflection was not of Husky, but of an unfurred one; a human.

No... No! That is not me!! That is not me anymore!_He suffered as he saw this familiar face that brought back unknown memories. _I killed him! I cut his veins and I freed myself from him and his world! My soul does not belong to that reality. It never did!! I am an Evocanis now!

A jolt ran through Husky's back as he opened his eyes. It was the worse nightmare he had ever experienced.

"Last call. Everyone ready to return to the forge to start today's shift." It was Rika's voice again. Husky had waken up from that nightmare, but he was not free from that horrible reality. He took his paws close to his face and looked at them. Even in the dark, he could see the furry and padded paws that had always belong to him. He closed his fist and pressed it below his muzzle, as if giving himself a hug. He was so relieved that what he saw in that dream was just that; a dream. His body was dirty, but he was so relieved to know it was his real body. The body, mind and soul that had always belonged to him, and the one he always felt proud of.

A metallic noise made Husky jump from the mattress. It was the mechanic lock on his door. One last announcement from Rika made him realize he had to get up and follow through the day. Deep inside, he was gathering strength to fight this situation.

"I am Husky the Evocanis. This is not what Canis Major is. Not what my brothers and sisters Evocanis are." He didn't really know why these words came out of his mouth, but he felt that he once freed himself from a much harsher reality. He was strong and he would find a way to uncover what was going on and free himself from this reality as well.

Before he walked outside the room, he remembered his new friend. He ran to the hole and took a peek to the room next to him. "Are you there?"

There was no answer, but there was now light illuminating the room. A quick look around and he noticed the door was open. The room was empty. "She must have gotten out already..." He said to himself.

Husky had no other choice but to follow on and face this new challenge. He walked out of his room and searched for the crowd. He noticed down the balcony, that most of them gathered at the dinning room, and so he rushed there. That goo was terrible, but he knew he would need all the energy he could to endure another hellish day in that place.

"You're up late." A familiar voice spoke behind him. "I expect you all down here by the first call, is that clear?" Rika, scowled at him. It was strange, but despite this exhausted looking Evocanis, with her soiled and tangled fur and an attitude that had no place in an Evo's nature, started to build a very vague bond with Husky. Or at least that's what he felt.

"I am sorry, Sector Master. It won't happen again." Husky replied softly. He looked firmly and straight to her eyes, not aggressively, but almost as if asking 'why... why do you act like this? This is not who we are...'

"Good... You're learning quick." She said after a rather long pause. "We've managed to dodge a bullet with your sudden appearance. Keep sticking to the rules, do as you're told and just stay alive. It's for the best..." She added. A tone of disappointment couldn't be hidden.

"Yes." Husky answered.

"May I ask you something?" Husky said before Rika could walk away.

"Make it quick." The old Evocanis replied without looking back.

"Do you know the name of the Evocanis living next to Thirty-two-fifty-seven?"

"Why do you need to know?"

"Just this one favor. I need to know her name. I promise I won't be of any trouble again."

"Hmm..." Rika replied uninterested as she walked away. "There is no one next to that room." She kept walking away until she disappeared from the dinning room, leaving Husky bewildered.

Husky decided not to over think at that moment. He would need all his energy; physical as well as mental. He grabbed a dirty dish, spotted the place were he could serve himself something to eat, got some of the goo and ate it. Five minutes is all it took him. Having a sip of water from a rusted tap, he again followed the movement of the other to the exit of that living area. In total silent, analyzing every inch of his surroundings, Husky tried desperately to understand how things worked and who controlled it all. He memorized procedures and how everyone behaved. Evocanis were extremely intelligent and fast learners. He was a trained D.E Squad Warrior, and at the slightest opportunity, he would act and find a way out of that nightmare.

At times it was overwhelming. None of the other Evocanis seemed to want to fight against their reality and free themselves. Husky felt completely alone, but the few words he had exchanged with that mysterious female Evocanis, had left him with the courage to at least plan something.

Back at the forge, Husky just did the exhausting job without looking at anyone or saying anything. The headache reappeared after a few hours, but he chose to ignore it and continue. He wasn't letting the uncomfortable feeling take the best of him and rather give him strength to work harder.

"Try not to tire yourself." A big Evocanis said next to him. "We've just started."

"I don't care. I will get out of here and take you all with me." Husky answered very sure of himself.

"Whoa!" the large Evocanis stopped all of the sudden. "NEVER speak about that. They have ears everywhere."

"What; are you afraid brother?" Husky answered defiantly.

"Listen, you little mutt. I have survived this for the past ten years, and I tend to keep on surviving." The Evocanis said, now aggressively grabbing Husky from his protective suit. This made Husky drop his hammer as he was kept immobile due to the larger Evo's strength.

"Keep yourself alive in a place like this?" Husky questioned him while looking straight to his eyes. "Do you call this being alive? Would you rather find peace even upon death or rather witness how your own race is being corrupted and defiled beyond recognition?" Husky's words had never been so firm, but he was determined to rescue his brothers at any cost. "They are killing what makes us unique and beautiful. We're not like this, brother..."

"Enough you two!!" The familiar tan Evocanis yelled behind them. "Back to work. This is the last warning."

The large Evocanis finally let go of Husky, but both kept their eyes locked at each other. There was no response by the large Evo, and his glare showed a sudden spark of doubt even looking away for a second as if submitting to the smaller and much delicate Husky.

Husky had promised to try and follow with what that horrible universe demanded, but there was a fire inside him that just made him snap.

"Or what?" Husky said defiantly, throwing the hammer into the conveyer. The hammer's handle caught on fire as it touched the red-hot metal beam.

"What are you doing?!" The tan Evo yelled furiously.

"No! What are you doing, brother?!" Husky yelled back at him. "What are you all afraid of?! Where is your Evocanis pride? Where is that warrior spirit the Retcans taught us?!" Husky was out of control, yelling around him to catch everyone's attention.

"What in the world are you talking about? Why the hell are you doing this?!" The tan Evocanis pounced at Husky, who swiftly evaded him. There was a sudden scuffle between both Evocanis, but none of them landed a hit.

"I knew it..." Husky said as he kept his fighting stance. "Deep inside, we have not died as a race."

"You will destroy everything!" The tan Evo yelled. "You don't know how hard it's been to keep ourselves alive in this hell. If that means abandoning what we are, the SO BE IT!"

"If that's true, then I dare you to bite me."Husky said as he relaxed his body and stood firmly with his arms open. "Slash me with your claws, brother. Hit me. Make me bleed..."

Lips curled, growling as a fearsome beast, the tan Evo looked straight to Husky's eyes. Bloodshot brown eyes filled with fury stared at the calm and warm sky blue eyes. The tan Evo was much larger than Husky and he could've surely killed him with nothing but his strength, but as soon as he pounced to attack the young husky, he froze inches to his face. Husky didn't even blink.

"Show me that I'm wrong. Teach me a lesson, brother..." Husky softly said not millimeters from the tan Evo's face.

The fearsome eyes so full of fury suddenly drowned in tears. The tan Evocanis never let the others notice this and quickly wiped them with his sleeve. He backed away.

"You..." He pointed at Husky. "You are going to get us all killed..."

"It's not the first time you and others say that." Husky responded.

"Get back to work!" The tan Evo said. "You!" He pointed at some other random Evocanis. "Get him another hammer!"

"But I say, bring it." Husky kept on talking. "I'm dead sure I'm not going to make it easy for those monsters."

"Hurry!! Before they notice the delay!" the tan Evo yelled at the other one. His yelling could be interpreted as anger, but it was hard to hide the immense fear behind his words.

"You have no idea what I've went through to keep Canis Major safe! I fought those monsters face to face and won!" Husky raised his voice, approaching the tan Evo and pushing him. "I have no idea what happened here, but I can guarantee you, I won't give up until we purge that evil from our home!"

"Stop!!" The tan Evo yelled desperately, pushing Husky back, but surprisingly suppressing his full strength.

Husky again approached the large Evo, but this time, he gently raised his paw and placed in on his face. "Don't be afraid brother... If we fight bravely, together we are no match for those monsters."

The tan Evo didn't respond with aggressiveness, but he seemed to accept and indulge himself with that warm contact. It was a craving that he probably had learned to forget. But being reminded of it, he couldn't resist. Husky's paw felt so soft, so caring and so full of warmth in his face. It was his brother; his blood.

"They will kill us all... they will hurt us again..." the large tan Evo said, now losing all strength that he had left on his voice.

"No. I won't let it." Husky reassured him.

"It's too late! Oh no!" A voice was heard coming from another Evo.

"No..." The tan Evocanis gasped in fear. "What have we done?" He said as his attention was caught by something far into the entrance of the forge. "This is why we can't fight... Now we will face the consequences..." He said, looking back at Husky's eyes, gently taking the loving paw from his face.

Looking towards what his larger brother watched with so much fear, Husky's blood boiled when he again saw a group of lanky machines heading towards them.

"I am not afraid of you!" Husky yelled.

"No, stop!! One of us is probably going to get killed already. Let's not make it more!!" The tan Evocanis begged at Husky, but the young Evocanis wouldn't stop. He firmly walked at the group of machines, picking up a large wrench on the way.

"I fought you before! I know what you can do, and I know I can defeat you!" Husky said as he readied the massive wrench which probably weighed one fourth of his own mass.

The machines, leaded by the darker one, didn't expect such defiance. Provided that they had any feelings. But they certainly didn't liked it. They immediately rushed towards Husky, leaving the black one behind.

"I told you once in that ship... Next time that we saw each other, I would be stronger." Swiftly evading one of the machine's attacks, Husky countered with a brutal blow to one of the machine's legs. The much larger metallic being fell to the ground, twitching erratically as it tried to get back on its legs.

Without losing momentum, Husky blocked an attack that one of the other machines threw right at his head with its dangerous metallic blade-like limb. Husky quickly threw a powerful kick to the chest, knocking the machine to the ground.

The third machine was already charging towards Husky. Swinging its blade attempting a one-hit kill by severing the Evo's head. Husky dodged gracefully by bending backwards and once the blade had managed to miss him by less than an inch, he back-flipped to give himself some space.

He didn't waste a second and sprung towards the machine as he touched the ground. He hit the monster with all his strength in the waist, making it bend forward. With a swift sidestep, he swung the wrench and landed a savage hit on the machine's back, making sparks and fluids spurt all around.

"I will defeat you again!" Husky yelled as he now charged towards the black machine.

The machine stood motionless ad the furious Evocanis shortened distance by the second. The spark of fury that Husky's gentle eyes expressed was so full of strength that just looking at them would be enough to surrender.

"You don't feel fear, don't you?" Husky readied the wrench to give one single devastating blow. "I will show you fear, monster!!"

Coldness was all that the black machine exuded. How could an artificial being show any emotion? Not even the bizarre wires hanging from its head moved as Husky experienced before.

"This is for all my brothers you've hurt! I will not forgive you!!" One last war cry was heard from the furious Evocanis before his strike.

"My oh my..." A voice was heard behind the machine. "You filthy animals don't learn..."

It happened so fast... It was dark behind the machine. It was so confusing what just happened. All Husky could perceive was a loud bang, followed by a flash coming from behind the monster.

This bang and flash... He had seen and heard something before.

"You have no right to live or to make your own decisions. You are animals and so you serve for the best of our kind." That arrogant voice again. He had heard the machine speak before, but it wasn't clear and smooth as this voice he heard.

Something happened to Husky. His legs didn't respond anymore. The wrench got heavier on his arms. A sharp pain on his abdomen instantly robbed him of any energy he had. He was forced to stop.

"You are inferior and have no right to choose. Be grateful that we haven't eliminated your disgusting race." The immensely arrogant and mocking tone made Husky's soul fill with furry. And then he saw it; the source of the voice.

"No..." Husky said. With every breath he took, the pain got stronger.

Another loud bang and a flash doubled the pain. This time he could feel how this sound affected his body directly. He looked down his abdomen and chest just to see to small holes dripping blood profusely. He had no idea what just happened, but this debilitating pain made him fall on his knees.

In front of him, another figure walked towards him. As horrible as having the machines running free and causing chaos across Canis Major, having this being soiling the sanctity of his home was the worse insult to the purity of Husky's race.

"Un... unfurred..." Husky managed to utter.

"Feisty little one, aren't you?" An unfurred one; a human. The beings that the Retcans always told them to be defensive of and avoid at all costs. The beings that tainted the universe as a fast-spreading malign cancer. It was now standing in front of him, in his home.

"You never learn, you little beasts. You could've been of great use for us seeing that you managed to fight so well." He said as he waved a strange metallic weapon in his hand. The weapon smoked and heat could be felt coming from it as he pointed it close to Husky's head.

Husky was losing consciousness. He tried to bite the unfurred one's hand but was met with a kick on the face, knocking him to the ground.

"No... brother... I told you not to..." A voice could be heard in the distance. It was the tan Evocanis. His voice was full of sorrow.

"Get back to work you two!" the unfurred one ordered. "This thing will die soon. Trow him in the processing plant. He will feed at least twenty."

Not like this... was all that Husky could think. His strength faded by the second. The pain turned into warmth. The cowardly lethal weapon was shot at him twice, robbing him of any attempt to fight as a proud warrior. He was now consumed with darkness as the last gasp of air escaped his body...