FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Two relieving weeks after getting involved in yet another war, although I didn't stop this one for once, we got informed of another trip.Abigail had told me the Atom was up and running, and all the bits and bobs were fixed, but as where we were going was unknown, we wouldn't be taking cars. Javid and Salbar volunteered to ping the planet for once, and I didn't mind, I was still remembering a few incidents of instant trouble on arrival.

We stood milling around looking at our three d projector, waiting for contact, and then suddenly we were given a huge view of a mighty forest. Javid and Salbar had landed smack bang in the middle of a thick jungle, and as Javid looked around cautiously, Salbar began climbing a tree with the pace I had expected from him, his claws digging into the bark with ease. Javid placed a scanner down, and the three remaining in the party teleported.

It was quite hot and humid, the jungle thick and unforgiving. Vines hung down in maddeningly annoying spots, so I drew my sword and cleared a path. I sharpened the sword regularly, and the blade hummed through the thick vines. Simba and Javid followed me, while Draco took off into the air, finding enough room to take wing. It was quite muddy, and Javid picked up his scanner before it subsided and disappeared. We needed firmer ground to do checks.

The jungle was quite silent, save for us three with our bush bashing. I could hear Javid curse every now and then, and Simba was busy having a mozzy problem. I changed helpfully into my bionic form so they couldn't bite me, and Simba did the same. Thus armoured, we continued walking. Every now and then I would catch a flash of green as Salbar leapt from tree to tree, keeping his height and balance expertly. Of Draco there was no sight, but he soon reported in.

"Hey guys. Keep going that direction, there's a village of a cliff about a kilometre ahead. It looks exceptionally defensive, but there's only one way up unless you're Salbar or have wings."

"Why me?" the lizard asked, suspicious for a joke.

"There's a very rocky face on the north side (we were coming in from the west), an agile climber could get up there."

"How tall is this cliff?"

"Oooh, say, 150 metres."

"That's a fair out crop." I was slightly astounded by this geography.

"Yeah, it's next to an entire mountain range, but it does sort of stick out some way from it." the dragon replied, wheeling away from the village. He had no wish to be caught sight of, and he banked South so he could watch from the mountain range. Meanwhile three of us trekked through the ceaseless jungle.The denseness of the undergrowth meant it took a good hour to come to the base of the cliff, but when we did we saw a very peculiar sight.

The trees and vines gave way to bamboo. A good acre of the things, all about four metres tall, the giant bamboo shoots about fist sized in width towered above us. There was nothing else growing in this acre, only the bamboo. As I looked at it, I realised there was a wooden shaft caught between a couple of branches. As Simba started observing the roots, Javid placed his scanner and checked his gear for a life scanner, and I pulled out the piece of wood.

It was a crudely made spear. It had fallen point inwards, so I had to gently worm it out, but it was quite plain. The wood was roughly straight, and very rough to the texture, and the head was missing, but it was never the less a spear, and a recently made one. I gripped it tightly, no, it was made quite recently, no rot had set in. I looked at the top of the cliff, which now towered dramatically in front of us. Shows people need to be a bit more careful with their weaponry. As it was they had broken this one on the bamboo.

The dropped weapon was shown to Simba, who in turn revealed his own piece of news.

"All this bamboo was planted in orderly rows. there has been no sign of cutting it or tending to it, but it was planted in tight cordon. You could practically sleep on the top of the shoots."

"Really, for what purpose?" I asked. Javid swore as a mosquito bit him, and dropped his life scanner as he drew it out.

"No idea." Simba shrugged, and I looked up again. That was indeed a fair height, I certainly wouldn't...wait a second.

"Simba?" I said, with weakness.

"Yes?" he looked at me in curiosity.

"I suggest we don't make contact with these natives.In fact I suggest we go back very quietly into the jungle and allow Draco to watch them from above."

"Why?" the lion asked, as Javid picked up his scanner, activating it and pointing it directly up at the cliff.

"This was planted with a purpose, and then left to it's own devices, correct?"

"I'm not quite following you."

" Let me explain, if I dropped a fruit from that height, it would land on the ground bruised, possibly split, correct?"

"Yes, but, oh."Simba worked it out. He got to his feet, and turned to Javid, as I drew my rifle, loading a round.

Javid looked at me, and whirled with his scanner. It emitted a deafening whine, and I rushed forwards and pulled Javid behind me as a well thrown spear crashed against my shoulder.I was knocked back slightly, but the spear broke in two pieces.Another was flung at Simba, but it missed the bionic lion and vanished into the bamboo.

"We don't speak the language, O.K.?" I said to Javid and Simba in Centralite.

"Done."

The jungle erupted humanoids. Dark skinned, wiry humans, with yellowing grinning teeth and straggly hair. Much like my own very ancient relations, I would guess. All of them were smiling badly at us with their crooked mouths, and holding about twenty spears at us. There were two dozen of them, three of us. At least we all could escape if we wanted to. I lowered my rifle and raised one hand in a gesture of peace. Javid lowered his rifle and Simba hadn't any weapon out.

One of them came forward, spear pointed at my ribs, scowling suspiciously.

"Who are you?" he hissed, hunkering down to strike.

"De vara? Cee kaira sen unkinder meera." I said, and Javid and Simba suddenly developed poker faces.To the natives it was a collection of syllables, to me, it was just gibberish, except the one real word hidden in it, which was my own fun.

"What is your name?" the man insisted.

"Te noirea gersch bonne via quis?" I said, looking equally confused as he did.

This was so hilarious, I would have been laughing had it not been so serious. All the tribesmen were staring at one another and then us. Simba spoke in Centralite.

"You could always just speak in Centralite, or any language you care to name."

"Yeah, but where's the fun in that, making up gibberish means there is zip chance of them understanding it, mainly because I'm not trying to make sense." I replied in fast and fluent Centralite to the lion.

"They don't seem to understand us." one tribesman said,"What do we do with them?"

"They will suffer the same fate as everyone else who dares enter our lands. Take away their devices, we will take them to the village."

Nine stepped forwards, two with spears and one without to each of us.The one without tried to grab my rocket launcher, and I promptly pushed the guy half a mile backwards. He landed heavily while his mates aimed their spears at me. I grabbed one spear, tore it from the owner's grasp, and broke it against my knee. The splinters of wood went everywhere.

"Ha'ak! Shara zebrenes ikara hai drevi!" I shouted, holding my rocket launcher protectively.

"He doesn't seem to want to let go of his stuff. It doesn't look that dangerous, anyway." the man who had been knocked to the ground translated loosely the geist of what I was implying.

I stood defiantly, arms folded at the guy everyone was looking at. He was half a foot shorter than me, and thus two inches taller than everyone else.

"It will not matter!" he screeched,"They will be sacrificed like the others!It is fitting we found them by here, for it is what they will receive. Bring them!"

I thought so, I said that bamboo was there for a reason, and it was. They would sacrifice us by pushing us off the cliff and falling onto the bamboo. Instant impalement. They refrained from removing our weapons and gear, fearing the same reaction, and I spoke to Simba.

"I told you, they'll push us off the cliff."

"That's nothing to worry about. I'm an Apache, you're an F-22, and if Javid's prepared to be cuffed to me, I can take his weight."

"I wouldn't mind dangling, providing you don't try anything while I'm holding on by my wrists." Javid replied shortly.

We walked surrounded by the men. Salbar had been given instructions to stay back, and Draco was now perched on a near by mountain top with a high powered set of binoculars adding to the magnification of his glasses. We couldn't see one another, as yet, but he was recording and keeping silent, watching the village.

We walked up and narrow path that rose sharply and steadily, It was not climbing, but it was steep, and while three men could walk side by side, we walked single file. One person with a set of rocks could hold off an army by standing above our position.

Correction: hold off a ground army.After ten minutes of zigzagging up the side of the hill, we got to the top.

There was a set of ramshackle gates, and the leader pushed them aside. We stood in interest, looking at what we surveyed. The entire cliff was in fact one side of a small plateau. Two rows of huts lined the outside either side, making four rows in total along the length, only broken by the road running east to west, and the main gate where we were on the South side. The main road was as wide as a two lane road on Earth, and it just kept on going until it ran out of plateau, going off the edge. There were no fences on that side, but the other sides had wooden walls.

Draco chuckled."Hmm, they seem to have caught three prisoners, I wonder who they are."

I smiled, speaking in Centralite." Draco, mind your own business. Nice place they've got here, though. Very interesting set up."

"Agreed, I wonder how they came by it. Was it natural, or suitably close enough that they fixed it to be this way?" the dragon replied.

"Which hill are you on?" I asked, looking at the surrounding hills with my glasses.

"The one, you just looked past me, yes that one." I spotted him, a smallish speck, but never the less Draco, and immediately looked away.

The chief led us through a very confused and interested crowd. Simba was getting perhaps the most attention, and the guards had to keep the small populace back. There was a couple of hundred, and some live stock.

One lackey ran up." O chief, what are they for?"

"We are to sacrifice them tomorrow, their blood shall appease the weather gods."

This gets more interesting by the second. They were religious, and they thought the gods were angry at them, so they sacrifice us in the name of satisfying them. This is one reason I don't get involved with religion as much as I could. But an idea formed in my mind.

"Draco, could you get in contact with Silverine. I know for a fact we have a spell caster called Winslo, and I know he could help both us and them."

"Will do, Alduin. Does this plan involve destruction?"

"No, no offensive spells, and no use of any weapons. We're just merely going to give them a hand."

As I looked around, I saw the crops. Oh dear, was it that bad? The crops were wilting under the sun shine, and I realised that we had arrived in the middle of a drought. Thin haggard women and children looked at us furtively as we were led into a hut with four men on guard. I threw my self down on a very thick patch of straw, hands behind head in contentment, hearing work resume to normal outside. Javid cleaned his rifle, and Simba ran his devices.

"Well, Alduin?"

"No, not a well, but it does involve water. Winslo's going to cast weather control and cause it to rain."

"Oh, I get you." Simba nodded," Do we have to jump off the cliff?"

"Yes, and then come back up. Then Winslo appears, does the spell, explains to them he is angry because of their sacrifices, then leaves.Then we do also."

"Sounds plausible."

"Well, I doubt much magic is cast around here, otherwise they would have tried it before."

"And I'm not casting any magic for you if it's one of your plans, Alduin." the bunny said firmly in my ear.

"Ah, Winslo, you are prejudiced by earlier plans. This has no one injured, no one mentally or physically hurt, and is a benefit to the community."

"This coming from Alduin? Simba, am I hearing right?"

"You are, further more it's actually one that would work."

O.K., they were teasing me, so I kept my mouth shut, for the moment.

"Really, that must be a first."

"Tell me about it. Also, someone tried to take his rocket launcher, and all he did was push the guy backwards and shout gibberish."

"What, no vaporisation?" Winslo laughed," Dear me, I thought he was an evil bastard."

"And if this game continues any further, I'm going to make you both change your minds."

"Ah that sounds more like him."

"I am quite prepared to go through another two minutes of agony to physically humiliate the pair of you. I'll even go as far to say as Keen would be very interested to see just how nasty I can plan with the unlimited power of the glower residing in me." I continued in the same dead pan voice.

There was a sigh."You can't even make fun of him anymore without him taking offence."

"It started as funny, Winslo."I replied,"It got tiresome very quickly."

I extolled my plan to the bunny, and there was a minute's pause.After that, Winslo spoke slowly.

"I dare say that would work well, only problem, I haven't cast it in ages."

"Well, you have a day to get it back up to scratch, we're due to be pushed off a cliff tomorrow."

Winslo sounded more cheery." Ah, nothing like a bit of motivation not to perform."

"That's us plural. Think of Simba and Javid before deciding just whether you're going to practice or not."

"Only kidding, Alduin. Are any of you actually going to jump?"

"I will. Simba?"

"Leap off a cliff towards impalement upon bamboo? Yeah, why not?" Simba grinned cheerfully.

"I'll just sort of pass on this one." Javid said hastily.

"That's quite alright."I nodded, seriously,"I just thought at least one of us should go over board before Winslo turns up looking furious."

"Ah, it's been a while since I did that." the bunny laughed, rubbing his paws in anticipation,"I will look forward to tomorrow. Ever since I saw Alduin and Draco against those wizards, I've always wanted to try my hand at it."

"Well, practice that too, and, Winslo, just before you go? Teleport to Draco before we do the jump, I don't want a thirty second pause with a scanner in front of them, in case they jump the gun."

"Gotcha."

Draco was listening to all this with a certain amount of amusement, and his draconic voice radiated suppressed laughter.

"Everyone's an actor, eh Alduin?"

"Correction: Everyone thinks they are an actor, with the exception of you and me, who know that we're actors."

"Really, sounds like a fairly tight difference."

"As wide as the moonbeam, and as as regular as one of Alecto's periods."

"That's a tad oxymoronic, has Alecto ever gone a year with regularity?"

"That's the point." I replied patiently.

"O.K., now you're confusing me. But in all honesty, that's a really good plan to stop the sacrifices, only problem is what happens next time."

"Hopefully, they'll learn not to trust to killing their fellow man and beast because it won't work at all."

The door was guarded by about four men, all carrying spears. None of us were particularly keen to try and engage them in conversation, not to mention our supposed lack of understanding their language. So with several hours to kill before night, I pulled out a book and began reading. Simba began making observations, sitting in a place where he could look outside and watch people going about their business. His recorder was on, and he spoke to it frequently. Javid activated a video function on his glasses, and began watching a movie on them.

I was tempted to do the same. These glasses were capable of jumping through hoops, they did all the jobs a computer could do, but looked like normal glasses. It had internet access, via a Centralite spike, MP3 player, portable DVD, although both the above you needed to download onto it. Then it had the interlink function, where one person could interlink with five others, each a small box running down the right side of your sight. Then it had thermo tracking and X-ray. And three guesses who designed it, and how much it was worth.

Actually, I doubted these glasses were cheaper than a Lear Jet.Come to think of that, I doubted the price of a couple of F-22 Raptors would equal the miracle of technology currently across my eyes.

But we sat around for an hour. Javid's movie ended, Simba was resting against the wall of the hut, sleeping gently, and I put down my book.

"This is getting boring." I said.

"Agreed." the wolf replied," Can't we just jump off now?"

"I'm tempted, trust me."

I went over and stood by the door, looking at the scene in front of me. It was decidedly medieval, ancient compared to our own technology, and as I watched the people attend to their drought stricken acres of land, I very quietly sung a old song in English.

"Are you going to Scarborough Fair?

Parsley, sage, Rosemary,and thyme.

Remember me, to one who was there,

She once was a true love of mine."

"Tell her to make me a cambric shirt.

Parsley,sage, Rosemary and thyme.

Without no seams or needlework

Then she'll be a true love of mine."

"Tell her to find me an acre of land.

Parsley,sage, Rosemary and thyme.

Between the salt water and the sea strands

Then she'll be a true love of mine."

Are you going to Scarborough Fair?

Parsley, sage, Rosemary, and thyme.

Remember me, to one who was there.

She once was a true love of mine."

The guards had turned to look at me, and one or two of the villagers had stopped, looking in wonderment. Javid and Simba had stopped, and were listening to the song.It was a truly beautiful song, and my quiet but flowing delivery of the song wafted on the air. The cambric was a reference to the roughly woven fabrics of medieval times, and I could see that here. The acres of land, while dry and failing was what caused me to sing, and Draco immediately spoke.

"I want the music for that."

"It's at home."I whispered, and sat next to Simba. The lion smiled at me, and ruffled my hair, prompting a weak grin.

"That is a very nice song, Alduin." he complimented, and I nodded gently.

"I can play the piano for it too, it plays beautifully as well. It's called Scarborough Fair by Simon and Garfunkel, you could probably find it on Youtube."

The afternoon wore on, and I sat around. Night came, and no dinner was made for us by the race outside. That didn't cause concern for us, we just took snacks from our own kit bag. The guards were relieved and replaced with two new ones, one of them female. Javid fell asleep, the wolf curled up with his rifle in his paws, held in a vice grip. Simba spoke.

"Alduin, you go to sleep.I will stay awake in case they try anything while we are asleep."

"You can't stay up all night."

"No, but Draco will. He'll keep me awake, and I'll also place a prox alert just inside the door, so if anyone comes in I'll be alerted."

"Very well, Simba." I nodded, and rested on some dry straw.I left the strap of my rifle wrapped twice around my arm in any case, and used a small air cushion as a pillow on top of my Eryx. Simba was quite amused that I was using my rocket launcher as a pillow, and after that witty banter, I fell asleep.

I presume whatever Simba did to stay awake worked, because I was gently shaken awake at five thirty by the lion himself. Javid was still snoozing, and Simba moved over to wake him.

Have you ever seen a wolf at five thirty in the morning? Think dishevelled human, multiply by three and make it a wolf. Javid must have slept extremely well, he was yawning all through our make shift breakfast, his lupine frame stretching widely. Our guard had changed, according to Simba, twice during the night.

Javid woke up over some coffee, and the army colonel was quickly into his early morning rhythm, checking his weaponry, tools and clothes, in that order. After fifteen minutes he was fully awake and ready for a day of harassment. I had a go at him for the complete change from the sleepy wolf to the alert sniper, and he just laughed it off.

Simba looked outside and noticed that a line of straw was being put down heading towards the end of the cliff. The tribal leader was carrying a staff decorated with bones, and a ceremonial mask for blood rituals. He was chanting random shreds of syllables, and gesturing with his staff to those with the straw, commanding them about straw placement.

"Someone's enjoying himself." I commented cryptically, and Simba smiled.

"Why is it whenever we get to some planets, there's always some fellow with a stick and an superiority complex trying to rule above everyone else?" the lion asked.

"Why do you think the ranking system, the ^ symbol, is increased every time you go up a rank on our planet?"

"I've no idea.Why?"

"That symbol used to be a famous religious symbol signifying aggression and manhood, known as the blade symbol. It also resembles a rudimentary phallus picture."

"You must be joking." Javid was grinning at the idea.

"Honest to Central. It was the original symbol for maleness, and our armies work on the more penises you have, the higher your rank. In short, boys will be boys."

Javid started laughing, and Simba chuckled.

"What's the female symbol?"

"The inverse of that, it's upside down. It's known as the chalice."

Javid grinned at me."Where the hell did you get all that from?"

"Ancient text book. It was talking about how those symbols used to represent Mars, the god of war, and Venus..."

"Yes, we get it.So you're telling me he thinks he's got five blades on his sleeves?"

"I'm saying, either he does, or he doesn't and is trying to make up for it."

There was a long pause, broken by the sound of Draco laughing over our headsets.

"I want to have a look at that book, Alduin." Javid chortled.

"I'll lend it to you later."

As this aside to the events outside finished, Winslo arrived at Draco's side.

"How are you this morning, Winslo?" I asked, through my headset

The bunny was all smiles.

"Never better, Alduin. I have practiced over yesterday, and I practiced my righteous and holier than thou tone."

"That's because you are in fact about to become a god. So that should be more godlike than thou." I giggled, and Simba smiled.

"Ever the one for corrections, this morning, Alduin? Has he been drinking Lift Plus?"

"One bottle with the morning meal, as per usual standards." I replied firmly, watching a hay bale on two pairs of legs go past.

The straw was fixed in it's positions as the sun rose above the horizon, and the chief seemed to be doing final preparations.

"O.K., Winslo, I think they're about to move down here."

"Ready on your mark.Who's going to drop the scanner?"

"Javid."Simba replied."Alduin will go over the ledge, than I will, and as I do, Javid will drop the scanner, and stay right next to it."

Javid had been informed of this, and he was happy. He had no wings or transformations, even when they was no chance of dying, because of teleport or one of us catching him, he did not want to force himself to leap over the edge.

I was keyed up, ready for action. My weapons were across my shoulders, my kit bag was it's usual weight, and Draco spoke.

"Right.I'm underneath the ledge which you are about to leap off."

"Good." Javid replied," I want someone to catch me if I get pushed before everything else happens."

Good thinking Draco. Finally, the chief beckoned to the guards, and while we were all at the door anyway, we were pushed forwards. The sacrifice had begun, and the victims were walking into the jaws of death.