FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

"Lets see now..." Ferne said, scratching the back of her black and white ears with a slight frown on her face. She looked down at the small pile of supplies at her feet, "Two packs, two canteens, cooking utensils, extra clothes, sleeping mats, blankets, rations, rope. What else is there..." Ferne bit her lower lip. She had never traveled as far as she and her little brother were about to go. In fact, the furthest the siblings ever traveled was to the city of Brooktown, which was only a few days by horse drawn carriage. The distance they were to be going would take them weeks just to get to the ports of Ji'quar. Ferne had to think extra carefully and consider every hazard they would be facing on the cross continental journey she and Darwyn were about to embark on.

The black and white furred Vulpkin's face lit up and she snapped her fingers. A map, __o_ f course!_ How would they get anywhere without one? Ferne began to climb up the wooden stairs towards the dormitories to get Darwyn out of bed and to find a map. She had woken her brother up earlier, telling him that they were leaving, but after seeing her brother's still swollen and badly bruised face, she decided to let him sleep while she prepared everything for the journey. Hopefully his wounds wouldn't bother him too much.

"Darwyn!" Ferne called out, knocking on her brother's door. She received no response. "Darwyn?" Opening the door and peering into the room, she saw that Darwyn was no longer in bed, his sheets left in a chaotic tangle and dirty clothes were strewn across the floor. Nowhere to be found, Ferne continued her search for Darwyn in the higher levels of her mentor's tower. On the highest story of the tower was Arvanis' private room and study. The study was a large room lit by north facing windows of stained glass. Bookshelves lined most of the stone walls, filled with ancient texts and fossilized skulls of tiny prehistoric creatures. It was here that the Giakin would record all his commands and understandings of the Augury and his discoveries about the ancient world. Here, Arvanis obsessed over the recordings of his previous expedition to the north.

Ferne spotted her younger brother looking over something on the great ash wood desk that their mentor would sit at for many hours of the day. "Darwyn? What are you doing here?" She inquired curiously while she crossed the room.

The gray and black furred Vulpkin looked up from the desk with an excited grin, his ears in a forward and upright position. "I was looking for a picture of Arvanis to take with us, but Ferne come here, you have to see this!" Ferne rounded the large desk and sat in the chair behind it. Darwyn pointed to the leather bound book and a key resting next to it centered on the desk. "It's a book of Arvanis' notes on the Adroital. I found it in one of his bookshelves and when I took it out, this key fell out of it."

With wide eyes, Ferne opened the book and began to skim over the pages. She recognized some of the Adroital hieroglyphs from her mentor's lecture ages ago. Each page went into great depth about the meaning of each symbol and how that meaning changed when combined with another. It was so extensive that the book was thicker than a brick and weighed much more. "Darwyn, this could help us out a lot! We're going to need these notes when we get-" Ferne's ears caught the sound of metal clicking on metal, looking up from the text she noticed the key was gone. Turning around she saw that Darwyn was using the key to open a large safe tucked away in a depression in the stone wall.

The safe door opened with a slight metallic squeal and revealed a sight that made both the young Vulpkin's faces glow bright. The entire depository was filled with bright and colorful gems. Darwyn turned to look at his sister with a wide grin, "Ferne! We're rich!"

Ferne frowned at that statement "Darwyn, this isn't our money, it's Arvanis' and- wait, what's that?" She pointed a black and white digit at a piece of paper in the back of the safe. Upon retrieving it they read the note together.

_ Dear Ferne and Darwyn,_

If you have found this note, chances are you are taking matters into your own hands.

I knew from the very beginning you two eventually might try to come after me, so I made sure to copy

my notes for you to reference. Learn these hieroglyphs well, as you two might be the only

ones to comprehend them in this world. I fear they hold a very sinister and harrowing message.

Though I would warn you two to stay here and stay safe, there is little I can do to change

your minds at this point. Godspeed children, take what you need and take no chances.

Arvanis Arul

"I guess he expected that we'd try to go after him." Darwyn pointed out.

"Yeah." Ferne agreed, standing up and grabbing the book on the desk. "I doubt he'll like it, but he's right, nothing is changing my mind at this point."

"Me neither!"

Ferne and Darwyn took the book, a world map and a few pouches of the valuable gems for their journey south from the study. With all their supplies ready and packed in their back packs, they left the tower and locked the door. Both the Vulpkin gave one last glance at their mentor's home, the sanctuary where the siblings learned so much about the world. A tower who's gray stone foundation dated back over a millennia. It was going to be a long, long time before they would see it again. If they should ever return.

The somber feelings they felt leaving were quickly quenched by their growing excitement. This was to be their first adventure. It was their very own expedition just like the ones Arvanis had embarked on every year. The siblings would be journeying to foreign lands they had only read about, encountering different cultures and races. Golden sunshine lit the path they took underneath the broad leafed forest canopy. That day, they made great progress, while taking frequent pauses to admire the landscape around them. The forests of the Sovereign Lands were vast, broken apart slow flowing rivers and the rare logging camp. Following the dirt path road, they made their way west for four days. At night Darwyn would quickly fall asleep and be softly snoring while Ferne would take time to read Arvanis' book, familiarizing herself with the ancient Adroital language. She hoped that by the time they reach the continent of Reliloess, she would be able to read the hieroglyphs and carvings like her mentor. She wanted to make new discoveries for herself, but she also wanted to make good on her mentor's request in his note.

On the fifth day of travel, the Vulpkin made their way through a more dense part of the forest where thick vegetation encroached on the road and obscured their vision. "I can't wait until we get to Reliloess! We're going to see Tyrants Ferne!" Darwyn shouted cheerfully, his bruises were now healed completely. He sounded more happy then ever before which made Ferne smile with him. "I wonder if I could ride one's back, aw that would be amazing!"

"Just remember little brother, it's a long way to go from here. Before we start seeing Tyrants, we're going to be seeing plenty of Leokin in the Kingdom of Javaad." Ferne pulled out the large world map from her back pack and began studying it with Darwyn getting closer to look as well. "We should be right about... here." She pointed at the map near a crossing between two roads. "As soon as we get to this road, we'll just have to keep walking south. Then we'll cross the Imatasus mountains into the kingdom of Javaad."

"How are we going to cross the ocean to Reliloess Ferne?" Darwyn asked, noting the large span of ocean between the most southern point of Javaad and the northern shores of Reliloess.

"I... hadn't thought of that yet." Ferne admitted a little abashed, "I thought we would figure that one out when we got to Ji'quar. I mean, if Arvanis and Juliantis were able to find ships to take them to Reliloess, maybe we can find one too."

By now, they could see the cross roads ahead, an intersection between two ordinary dirt pathways surrounded by forest on all sides. Standing in the center of the crossing, the Vulpkin looked down each direction. Both roads looked the same, going on and on until dense vegetation or a hill or curve in the distance gave the illusion of the road disappearing into the foliage. There were no signposts to tell them which way was which, and the forest canopy prevented them from identifying each path's direction. "Can you get out that compass of yours?" Ferne asked her little brother. Darwyn took off his pack to fish out the compass he had in it while Ferne just looked at her surroundings. It was very quiet, save for the sounds of small critters scurrying in the bushes nearby. Up in the branches of the forest canopy, there was a violent rustling. Looking at the source of the commotion Ferne thought she could make out the odd shape of a bird in the branches, but it didn't look like it had any feathers. In fact, it didn't look like a bird at all, it actually looked more like a-

"FERNE!" Darwyn shouted louder than he had ever done before, making Ferne almost jump out of her skin. She barely saw the other Vulpkin charge out from the bushes before she leapt out of the way and conjured her blue fire in her hands. Now in a rigid fighting stance, Ferne could see them. An odious group of two Vulpkin and an Omokin.

"Rimon, you can't do anything right!" The white furred Vulpkin with a horrid scar on his muzzle laughed at the other who tried to tackle Ferne. He was very skinny and wore a loose violet shirt and green pants that sagged low, even with the belt that held a large knife on the side of his waist.

"Ohy fuck you Abe!" Rimon scoffed through a muddy and furious face. He too was skinny, but the brown and reddish Vulpkin wore a torn brown jacket and shorts, both equally caked with dirt. He smelled especially bad, like manure.

"Both of you be quiet!" The Omokin commanded, "We have the boy, and that's all we need." The pale brown Omokin looked the cleanest, wearing an elaborately colored tabard of orange, teal and red, with white breeches and leather boots. Under a head of loose, curly obsidian hair, he smiled with chapped lips. He held Darwyn still by the throat in his left hand, with a revolver in his right, the barrel aimed Vulpkin's head.

Ferne let out a threatening growl, "Let him go, or I'll make you regret it!"

"Oh-ho! The little kit intends to threaten the great Onyeka and his friends?" The Omokin bellowed in a deep and rich voice, followed by a cackle from his two companions. He licked his chapped lips and tsked, "That would not be a wise move little Vulpkin. I would guess that the life I hold in my hands here is precious to you? Ah yes, how could he not be, but really, do not think you can make me so easily afraid when I clearly hold the advantage here."

The Vulpkin that was Rimon saw the fire flowing around Ferne's paws and turned to look at Onyeka. "I don' know about this boss, she' using dat Augurwhatnot. Look, her paws are glown hot."

Abe just stood behind the Omokin with his arms folded, "You really are a coward Rimon!"

"Fuck you!"

"I've had enough of you two bush tails bickering like children!" Onyeka shouted, "Abe, go through the boys pack, see what we can use." Abe followed the order and immediately started rummaging through the pack, tossing everything into the dirt.

The white Vulpkin's eyes lit up as he found the large pouch of gems within the pack. He turned to Onyeka and shook the pouch, the gems clicking lightly together. "Hey Onyeka, looks like these little kits are loaded. Little girl probably has more."

Eyeing the pouch of gems, the Omokin bent backwards and chortled, "Oh-ho-ho, first Augury and then a stash of gems. These little ones are just full of surprises aren't they!"

"Common lov," Rimon said sheepishly to Ferne, looking the most pathetic out of them all. "Make this easy on all of us, give us your gems an some food an we be off." He took a slight step closer to Ferne. Too close.

Ferne was getting angry now, with her ears folded back, she bore her teeth and snarled. There was no way she would make this easy for them, she and her brother needed those supplies, not these crooks. Now she made the flames envelope her entire body, just as when the insects attacked her, again making herself look like a fiery demon. "We aren't giving you three anything! Give me my brother back and get lost!" She howled.

Rimon jumped back at the sight of the fire, whereas Onyeka simply cocked his head to the side, licked his cracked lips again and smiled. "Are we forgetting something little kit?" He drew back the hammer on his revolver, emitting a loud mechanical click. The Omokin let out a cruel laugh which was joined by Abe's as he sorted out some more goods from Darwyn's pack.

"...Ferne" Darwyn whimpered, a few tears were welling in his blue eyes.

Ferne was beginning to feel helpless now and even more angry. The more furious she became, the less she was controlling the Augury, and the more heat she began to feel from the flames she conjured. Her paws were beginning to shake, she was contemplating attacking the Omokin, but that would put Darwyn at risk. He would either be torched or shot, and what about the other two? She was sure that Rimon would run, but Abe looked dangerous with that knife on his belt. Running out of time and options, Ferne was just about to give up, until she heard the sound of a wooden wheels behind her.

"Ohy, who's dat?" Rimon asked his companions. "He's a big one!"

"Another weary traveler here to help us survive these cruel times." Onyeka announced nonchalantly. "Hmm... looks a little big for a Vulpkin, another Omokin perhaps?"

Ferne turned slightly to look at a figure covered in a dirt stained white cloak, obscuring its features. It towered over the Vulpkin and was a good head above the Omokin's height. It pulled a two wheeled cart by itself, stopping right next to Ferne to set down the handles and observing the group through the dark abyss under it's hood.

The Omokin sized up the figure and barked his orders. "If you don't want to be responsible for this one's death, you'll be giving us everything in your cart!"

"Uhh... boss?"

"What is it now Rimon?"

"This one ain't right, look at his feet."

Hearing this, Ferne glanced to look at the feet of this newcomer which were not obscured by the lengthy cloak. These feet were nothing like she had seen before, they were covered in black scales and ended in long talons. One toe on each foot was bent upward, with a claw that looked like a deadly sharp sickle that Ferne would have used to harvest the barley on her farm. There was also a black scaly tail that drooped behind the thick taloned feet. Her eyes went upward, noticing the large bulk of the body, attached to it was a belt, that held a long sword in it's sheath.

Two scaly hands tipped with wicked claws moved slowly and methodically to pull back at the hood. Ferne's eyes went wide when she saw the Saurkin reveal his head. Black scutes lined the top of his head and back of his neck with the underside and jawline comprised of tan scales. Fire red and vibrant yellow eyes squinted with wrinkly lids at the Omokin, his jaws were slightly open, revealing dagger like teeth. The Saurkin emitted a primeval and guttural growl, that made Ferne shake slightly.

Abe looked up from rummaging in Darwyn's pack to look at the Saurkin, he was frozen solid with an expression of pure terror. The Saurkin slowly unsheathed his blade, it was slightly curved and slender, appearing to glow blue from the fire Ferne was enveloped in. He held the blade high above his right shoulder and held that stance, just looking the Omokin straight in the eyes.

"Aw no, boss, common let's jus get out of here." Rimon groaned, his brown and red tail was quivering.

"Grow a spine you whelp!" Onyeka shouted and licked his lips again. His deep voice was wavering slightly, "There's no need to fear this monster, it will die, just like the others who resisted us." He aimed his revolver away from Darwyn's head and towards the Saurkin, "I've never killed a Saurkin before, fancy my luck today."

As soon as Onyeka finished his sentence, Darwyn writhed loose from his grip and bit down hard on the Omokin's hand with an audible crunch. The Omokin screamed loudly, throwing Darwyn into the dirt. He tried to aim the gun at the Vulpkin, but the Saurkin let out a feral screech so loud, that everyone including Ferne had to cover their ringing ears. The Saurkin charged, and closed the distance between him and the Omokin in a sudden blur of motion. The gleaming blade cut the air, down through the shoulder of the shrieking Omokin and out his ribs, fraying his torso in two pieces, spraying blood in all directions. The Saurkin then turned to the gray and scarred Vulpkin who was screaming for forgiveness, and lopped his head off in one clean swipe. Rimon survived to disappear into the bushes.

Ferne extinguished the flames around her paws and body and tended to her little brother. Kneeling on the ground looking him over, she noticed that he was fine, but he was staring wide eyed at the Saurkin. Ferne also looked up at the Saurkin, bent down on his knees, he was using the grimy clothing on Abe's corpse to clean his blade, he then slided the steel back into it's sheath. He turned and looked at the two Vulpkin staring back at him.

"You're... You're... a Saurkin!" Darwyn stuttered, half shaken and half excited. The Saurkin simply snorted and walked back to his cart. "Hey! Wait!" Darwyn and Ferne gathered up the supplies Abe had scattered across the road and trailed after the Saurkin.

"Thanks for helping save my brother." Ferne said, not sure how to address the Saurkin. He was just ignoring them and picked up the handles of his cart. The two Vulpkin however were blocking his way.

"What's your name?" Darwyn asked, his tail was waging back and forth excitedly.

He first looked at Darwyn, then Ferne, the ridges above his eyes made him look like he had a permanent frown on his face. He answered Darwyn's inquiry in a low hoarse voice that seemed to have not been used in quite some time. "...I am Deinoch Carnus, of clan Deinon. Now move, you are in my way."

Darwyn's tail stopped wagging and he looked disappointed, but Ferne ignored the rude demand and questioned him some more. "Nice to meet you Deinoch Carnus. I'm Ferne Durward, and this is my little brother Darwyn. Uhm... where are you going?"

"Home." he said gruffly.

"To Reliloess?" Darwyn inquired only to receive a curt nod. Both Darwyn and Ferne's ears perked up, "We're going there too, can we come with you?"

"No."

"Why not?"

The Saurkin growled, "Foreigners do not belong in Reliloess." He then started pulling his cart away. The Vulpkin got out of the way, Darwyn looked hurt, but Ferne frowned and folded her arms.

"You don't know where you're going, do you?" Ferne called out. Deinoch stopped and turned, giving the siblings a hard look. "Reliloess is south, not north grumpy. Do you even have a map?"

The Saurkin put down the handles of his cart walked back towards the Vulpkin. They had to look up at him as he towered over the siblings like a giant. "Let me look at your map and I will give it back." He demanded in a low tone.

Darwyn stepped back a bit, but Ferne held her ground with a sly smile. "No." She said with a hint of satisfaction. "And you'll need more than a map, you are going to need a compass too, which I see you don't have. You want directions, you have to bring us with you, oh Deinoch Carnus of clan Deinon."

The Saurkin's eyes narrowed and he snapped his jaw slightly. "Why do two Vulpkin urchin want to go to the land of the Saurkin?"

"Hey! We're not urchin you-" Darwyn chimed before Ferne cut him off.

"Our mentor, a Giakin and a foreigner, is already there. He's in danger and we need to go find him."

"Chances are he's already dead if he was found by the wrong clan." Deinoch sneered.

Ferne shook her head casually, "Nuh-uh grumpy, we can talk to him through the Augury and he's still alive. There's no way we foreigners are not going to Reliloess."

Deinoch started growling just as a green blur dropped down from the branches above, landing on the Saurkin's shoulders. It was the bird shape that Ferne had seen before she and her brother were attacked. This was no bird, though it was the same size as a chicken. It was completely green, with long spindly arms, legs, neck and tail that it used to cling to Deinoch. It also had big yellow eyes that stared at the Vulpkin with a curious look, then it turned it's small head at the Saurkin. The little creature chirped softly with its jaws snapping quickly, a small pink tongue wriggled inside, looking like it was talking. Deinoch's eyes looked off into the distance, he appeared to be listening to the little green creature's speech.

"What's that?" Darwyn asked with astonishment.

"No. We both know that was just a ruse... He was never serious... Perhaps... Hmmm..." The creature stopped talking and Deinoch turned his eyes back to the confused looking Vulpkin. "Qoin. My companion."

Ferne lifted her left brow, then giggled a bit when the creature stared at her. It looked so cute when his bulbous yellow eyes blinked. "Is he your pet? What was he saying?"

"No. And never mind what he says." The Saurkin shook his head, "He is Saurkin too, of the lightfoot lineage."

"Oh I see!" Darwyn called out, "Just like the Tyrant lineage and the Raptor lineage! So you can understand what each other says!" At that, Qoin jumped from Deinoch's shoulder, ran towards Darwyn and climbed up his arm and perched on his shoulder. Qoin started chirping in his strange language into Darwyn's gray and black ear, causing him to laugh uncontrollably.

Ferne smiled at her brother's laughing fit and turned towards Deinoch, putting her hands on her hips. "Looks like Qoin likes us. What is it going to be grumpy, are you going to take us with you to Reliloess or not?"

The Saurkin's nostrils flared and he snorted. "...Fine." he uttered in a deep growl.

"Good." Ferne smiled more brightly and the three walked back to Deinoch's cart. "Can we put our packs in your cart?" The Saurkin glared at her, then motioned his head to the cart. "Thank you!" She put her pack in the cart and turned to Darwyn, "Darwyn, can you point us in the right direction?"

With Qoin still on his shoulder, The gray furred Vulpkin took off his pack and fetched the compass that he had been looking for before they were attacked by Onyeka and his goons. "It looks like south is... that direction!" He pointed a gray digit down the path Deinoch was following before.

The Saurkin whipped his head towards Ferne and snarled. "You lied!"

Ferne giggled, "It got your attention though."

"I could kill you."

"But you won't." Ferne said rolling her eyes.

"Hmm?"

"Because." Ferne began to explain on her digits, "You helped us when those crooks were about to kill Darwyn. You didn't kill us when we said we had a map. Plus, what little we do know about your race, I read up on. I know you Saurkin think of yourselves as honorable warriors, you aren't savages. Killing us just wouldn't be in your character."

The Saurkin only retorted with a slight growl and started pulling his cart. They began walking down the path, starting their long journey south together.