FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Faoul looked out over the fields as he wiped sweat from his brow. A quick glimpse of his foster father's backside though reminded him why he was out here in the afternoon heat. The leather straps of the plough dug into Faoul's meaty chest as the young man grunted and pulled against the plough's weight. The local farmers couldn't afford horses or oxen for their ploughs, but for a few coins they could get something just as good, Faoul. It wasn't uncommon for humans to perform manual labor like this in Twin Fields. Things like horses and oxen were rare and expensive. The ground was soft though so it wasn't too hard for a man, or a strapping lad, to do.

By evening the chore was over and Faoul and his father returned to their own farm. There wasn't much to do; they hadn't broken their own fields yet opting to earn some coin before they began farming in earnest. "How much did we make today father?" Faoul asked as Dorian Garn dropped the tiny bag of coins on the table.

Dorian counted the coins and smiled, "Nearly a whole silver, seventy four pents in all"

Faoul smiled proudly, he had done nearly twice as many fields as the year before. It was just proof of how strong he had gotten. "That's great father! We'll do well for ourselves this year!"

Dorian looked at his young son and smiled. He wasn't the boy's real father, but he had come to think of Faoul as his own son. "You've done most of the work son" Dorian said and pushed ten pents towards Faoul, "You may take this as your allowance"

Faoul balked at the small fortune before him, "Ten pents! Are you sure father?"

Dorian laughed, "We only earned thirty last year. You've worked hard son, take this and spend it at the festival tomorrow!"

Faoul had forgotten that the spring festival was approaching. He had promised Fiona that he would jump the fire with her. It was an ancient tradition the town had where a young man asks a girl to jump the fire with him. The boy has to pick up the girl and jump across a small camp fire with the girl in his arms. There was a traditional saying that the couple that gets the farthest jump is destined to live together for a long time. Faoul had promised Fiona last spring that he would jump with her and here he had nearly forgotten the entire festival! "I will father, thank you for your generosity"

Faoul had a hard time sleeping that night, and when sleep finally found him he dreamt about a huge monster chasing Fiona through the streets of Twin Fields. The nightmare had persisted all night and even after waking a few times it still haunted Faoul's sleep.

The next morning was the day of the festival. Faoul owned no expensive clothes so he just went in his dirty work clothes. As soon as he arrived at the festival grounds he was attacked by merchants. It was almost like they could sense the pents in the small pouch at his hip. "Buy a flower for a pretty maiden' one merchant yelled, "A fine silver necklace for your love!" Another said as Faoul walked by.

Soon enough though Faoul arrived at the tent where the girls all sat. As soon as he arrived Faoul spotted Fiona sitting with a few other girls; as Faoul rushed up to his childhood sweetheart he noticed someone else talking to her. Rugen Fairfax, son of the mayor, and possibly the most well bred young man in town was holding Fiona's hand. Fiona giggled as he professed some sweet whisper to her, but Faoul had seen enough.

"Rugen Fairfax, get your hand off my girl" Faoul said and pushed the smaller guy away from Fiona.

Rugen looked angry at the interruption of his little ritual, but Fiona acted faster than he did, "Faoul! My how you've grown! I haven't seen you since last year's spring festival!" The other girls were giving Faoul a funny look. He looked down at himself; he had grown a lot since last year. His pants were now shorts and his father had let them out quite a bit. Faoul had on a dirty shirt with no tie in the middle allowing his muscular chest to show through. A dusting of hair covered his chest, and recently Faoul had started using his father's razor to keep his beard off.

"I'm no different from the boy you asked to jump the fire with you last year Fiona, don't you remember my promise?" Faoul said and looked sadly at her.

Fiona smiled, if there was anything she liked it was huge muscular man. Her own father was a blacksmith by trade; puny men weren't on her list of lovers. Rugen though wasn't exactly scrappy. The other young man was a head shorter than Faoul, pretty sturdy, and trained in the sword and spear. Rugen was also of noble blood, and marrying him would land her a prestigious spot in society. Both men looked at her fiercely hoping to get the confirmation they wanted. "I'm afraid I can't jump over the fire with either of you" Fiona said and smiled slyly.

"Fiona, my darling Fiona, what man holds your heart? Tell me so that I may challenge him for you love and win you over!" Rugen said and knelt on one knee. Faoul grunted and pushed him over.

"Lay off it Rug! Who is it Fiona, I'll pound his face in till he takes back his word" Faoul said and hit his open hand with his meaty fist.

"It could be anybody" Fiona said and giggled. I told sold my arm to the festival, whoever wins the festival competition will be my partner" she said and smiled at the two young men.

Rugen spoke first, "How simple a bargain! I will win the festival and claim your heart with my trophy!" Rugen said and rushed off.

"Fiona" Faoul said and looked at his once best friend, "You've changed over the past year" He said sadly. "Did you forget that I promised to leap the fire with you?"

Fiona felt bad for a moment; she had forgotten that magical night hiding beside her childhood friend in a hay cart watching the older children jumping the fire together. She had cried because she wanted to be pretty like those girls. Faoul had comforted her and showed her his hiding spot. As they had watched Faoul had promised that next year he would ask her to jump the fire. Fiona could still hear his innocent voice beside her. My how she and Faoul had both changed; Faoul was huge now, and Fiona was pretty. Somehow Fiona could still see that little boy standing before her; it broke her heart to see him so sad. "Then promise me you'll win the tournament Faoul, promise me you'll keep your promise and there won't be anything to worry about"

"I'll do it Fiona, I'll win the tournament!"

As Faoul walked away from the tent where Fiona was he wondered back towards the market stalls. "Hey champ" A mysterious vendor said and pulled Faoul into a shadowy tent with a surprisingly strong arm, "I have just the thing to help you win the tournament" the man said and pushed something into Faoul's hand.

Faoul looked down at the strange hard thing in his hand. "What's this?"

"It's a monster fang my boy, but that's not what's so special about it! One poke with this thing and you'll be twice as strong and twice as fast as any human here" the man said in his deep raspy voice.

"But wouldn't that be cheating?" Faoul said and pushed the fang back towards the man.

"You think the other contestants will be playing fair?" the man said and grinned under his hood. Faoul swore he saw the guy's eyes flash yellow in the darkness.

"Of coarse they will!" Faoul said, shocked by the man's accusation.

"Oh really" The man said and opened his tent flap slightly. "Look at this"

Faoul peeked out the darkened tent into the crowd of merchants and stalls. Across the way he spotted Rugen talking to a man in a strange stall. They were talking quietly, but somehow Faoul could make out what they were saying. "So you promise this will last all day?" Rugen asked and looked at the vial in his hand's dubiously.

"You have my word my lord! It's an extract from the glands of the Minotaur; every sip is guaranteed to make you stronger. In fact you shouldn't drink the whole bottle at once! It might have permanent side effects" the merchant said softly.

"Sounds powerful, so the effects stack huh?" Rugen asked.

"One sip should be more than enough to beat anyone here my lord, please be careful. Magic is powerful, addictive, but it always has consequences!" the merchant said.

"I'll take it! Here's your gold wizard, you better not be lying about it though, I'm going to beat that brute Faoul once and for all!"

Faoul scoffed as he ducked back into the darkened tent. "That cheater"

"He paid well for that potion, but it won't beat my fang, and I'm not even asking you to pay me" the merchant said softly, "All I want is the Spring Cup!"

"That belongs to the town; I can't trade it to some stranger!"

"I've prepared a replica! The town doesn't know the power of that magical chalice; it's got more magic in it than a dozen of these fangs! I need that cup, and you need to win it. A fair trade in my eyes"

Faoul grasped the magical fang in his hands. "What can you do for me?"

The man grinned under his hood. "That fang can impart great power to one who knows how to use it correctly. You can use it three times before its magic will cause it to crumble to ash. Each time you use it you will become faster, stronger, and your senses will become amazingly acute, but there is a price to pay in pain and blood. You must draw the fang across your arm making a long and deep wound. It will heal immediately, but only you may do it, and once done you cannot reverse the effects of the magic. You must use the fang three times to reach your full potential, but I warn you now. Just as the merchant says all magic has a price. Do so at your own peril"

"Is there anything else you can give me?" Faoul asked doubting one dagger sized fang cold make him that powerful.

"Well there is, if you still seek power before your last competitions seek me out in the stalls. I can give you one last infusion of power. It should be enough to beat that fool should he drink that entire potion" The mysterious stranger said.

"Thank you sir, you will have your chalice and I will have my love, good day!" Faoul said and walked back into the light of day. The fang looked like a dagger, and it was sharp too. It did feel magical though, so Faoul trusted the man was telling the truth, after all. If the fang was a hoax than Faoul wouldn't be able to use it to win, and the man would never get the spring cup. What could be so special about that cup anyway?"

After wondering around the festival grounds for a while longer the call for the first tournament competition went out. Faoul hurried to the first area. The test was actually pretty easy in theory, but difficult in practice. The applicant was required to direct a sheep dog to herd a single sheep to the applicant. Not only was the applicant graded on who get's their sheep the fastest, but also by who has the best sheep. Faoul had no experience with sheep herding before, but he trusted the man who had given him the fang.

Before the competition began Faoul went behind the tent where nobody was likely to see him. He placed the fang-dagger on his arm and made a long deep gash on his fore arm just above his hand. It hurt enough to make him cry out and the gash bled profusely, but just as the man had said the magic healed the wound making a nasty scar on Faoul's arm. Almost immediately Faoul felt the effects of the magic. Faoul felt a pulse of energy to his body and almost like magic he felt his muscles expanding a little bit. His arms and shoulders gained the most mass, but that wasn't all Faoul felt. Faoul felt like someone had turned his legs of liquid steel. Faoul did a quick dash across the back of the tent just to test himself, it didn't even wind him! The fang had worked, but Faoul could only hope his new strength would actually make a difference.

Faoul returned to the competition and watched from the back of the crowd as the Festival Master announced the rules and prize for this competition. The rules were simple. The applicant was to use the herding dog by voice command only to select a sheep that would then be judged based on health, size, and quality. The prize was a beautiful wolf fur hood. "That hood is magical" a mysterious and familiar voice said from behind Faoul.

Faoul jumped from fear, and then looked at the cloaked stranger who had somehow snuck up behind him. "What's with the sneaking around?"

"You've used the fang already, well; its magic will help you in this challenge while your friend's potion will not"

"How did you know?" Faoul asked in surprise.

"I can smell it on you"

"Do I stink?"

"No, but the scar on your arm is proof enough"

"Oh" Faoul said and looked at the wicked scar. He would have to think up some excuse for it to tell his father.

"About that hood, it's magical, made by druid magic. The wolf from whom it was made gave his fur willingly. Once worn it will change shape with its wearer continuing to protect them from domination, illusion, and most transmutation spells"

"What else does it do?"

"It heightens the wearer's senses, but it probably has other magical effects as well" The man said and looked at Faoul. Even in the light of day it was difficult to make out the face under the hood.

"How do you know this?"

"I used to be a master appraiser, and a powerful merchant. I was cursed and now am forced to live like this. If you win that helm though you will have a better life than me"

Faoul didn't understand, but it sounded like he really needed to win this competition. That wolf helm was a good motivation too. As the competition started the applicants performed valiantly, but only a handful actually managed to get a sheep. Usually though it wasn't a very good one. When it was finally Rugen's turn Faoul noticed him drink the whole vial and then walk into the pen. There was a time limit on the challenge and even though Rugen shouted and raged at the dog it just didn't want to do what he said. After Rugen it was Faoul's turn. "You won't get a sheep either dirt brain!" Rugen said and stormed off.

Faoul stepped into the pen and suppressed the butterflies in his stomach. The man had said the fang would help, but not how it would help. "The challenge starts... Now!" The challenge master yelled.

"Umm, hello doggie" Faoul said and looked down at the dog.

"Hey human" The dog said back.

"You can talk?" Faoul said in surprise.

"Duh, all animals can talk, you humans just don't listen"

Faoul considered the idea, but he remembered he had other things to do right now, "Alright, can you go get a sheep for me doggie, I need a big healthy white one, do you mind?"

"Sure, I like chasing sheep" The dog said and ran off into the crowd of sheep. He quickly got a huge fat and fluffy white sheep from the middle of the herd. There were shouts of congratulations as Faoul tied the rope to his sheep and led it out of the pen. It was easily the best sheep that had been caught all day. After a few more rounds the challenge came to a close. The sheep and times were judged and in the end Faoul come out on top. He was given the wolf hood as a prize which he gladly wore on his head. "It suits you" Fiona said from the bottom of the platform as Faoul walked away victorious.

Faoul turned around and blushed, "Thanks Fiona" He said and walked up to her. "I'm going to do my best, I'll win this for you" Faoul said and smiled at Fiona.

"Just do your best Faoul, it doesn't matter if you win or not, just don't get hurt. Please" Fiona said and gave Faoul a look that made his heart melt. "Anything for you Fiona" he said dreamily.

As Faoul walked away from the first challenge he swore he heard shouting behind the tent. Faoul recognized one of the voices and snuck closer. "... and you swore it would help me win this tournament! I took the whole damn thing and all I got was a little bigger! You're holding out on me Fergus! I want another strength potion!"

"My, my lord I must decline, you should have saved it, and look; you're already showing physical signs of consumption!"

From his vantage spot Faoul could see that Rugen had in fact changed. The pretty little lord's arms were straining the fabric of his shirt. He had grown a little in height too as his perfect pants didn't look so perfectly fitted anymore.

"I don't care about side effects, getting a little bigger is something I can afford, maybe I'll match that brute Faoul! I WANT to be STRONGER! Rugen said angrily.

"Fine, fine, I have another vial here, but you must pay for it my lord!" Fergus said

Rugen threw his money pouch at the merchant who handed him the potion. Rugen laughed when he got the potion and put it in his vest. "I hope you have more in case I need them Fergus, if I don't win this competition our deal is off and you aren't getting that chalice!"

Faoul was shocked. It seemed like this Fergus was after the chalice too, but why? The stranger had said the chalice was magical, but what could it do to be so important to two powerful merchants. "I have to win the next challenge, I don't know why, but I can't let Rugen get that chalice"

Faoul heard a cheer from across the festival grounds. Had the next challenge already started? Faoul had to hurry; he could already hear the rules being announced!

Faoul arrived just in time to hear the rules. He had no idea what the reward was. "The challengers will all start here at the beginning, but they will have to race across three challenges. The first is a pit of water they will have to jump across, the second a muddy area that will slow them if they don't find a way across, and the last is a dangerous spinning log that will drop them into a pool of water if they can't balance. "Are the contestants ready?"

As the cheers started Faoul looked across the crowd and spotted Rugen just as the other youth downed his second potion. Faoul watched him shiver and then throw the vial down. Faoul looked around; nobody seemed to be watching him so he made another jagged cut alongside his first. There was no time to savor the explosion of strength he felt, and the tightening of his shirt against his body. Faoul rushed towards the starting line. Rugen walked right up to Faoul this time and grunted. His voice sounded deeper as he laughed at Faoul. "Hey dog boy, I saw you cheating in that last challenge, but this time you won't be able to beat me! I'll show Fiona who is stronger, and who deserves her arm tonight!"

Faoul was surprised by the growl that rumbled up through him, "Watch it bull head, you won't be winning a test of speed against me!"

Rugen went to the other side of the group of young men starting the race. When the whistle blew they were off and Faoul discovered how amazing it was to run. "Oh god this feels good!" He said as he shot past the others. Running fast was good, but Rugen wasn't far behind Faoul. The first challenge approached pretty fast, and Faoul was pretty sure he could jump it. In one huge leap Faoul sailed over the water pit. Behind him the splashes of water as other challengers fell short made him laugh, but Faoul was too busy to notice. The second challenge was getting closer, but it didn't look like he would be able to jump over it.

The muddy ground would be impossible to run thorough, but there were large poles sticking out of the ground ever five or so feet. A flash of brilliance struck Faoul. He jumped as hard as he could and landed on top of a poll. Whether or not this was what they were intended for Faoul used them as a path jumping from one to the other. He paused midway to see how others below him were faring. The young men who had chosen to wade through the mud were slowed to a crawl. To Faoul's surprise though someone was doing well enough to catch up; Rugen was using the poles as a bridge of sorts, whenever he reached one he would pull it out of the mud, despite how impossible that sounded, and then put it in the mud and walk on it. Rugen was only a few poles ahead of Faoul by the time Faoul decided to keep going. "I'm going to rip those polls out from under you Faoul!" Rugen yelled.

Faoul laughed as he leapt from pole to pole. Rugen wasn't doing badly, but the mud still slowed him down some. When he ran out of polls Faoul made one final leap and landed on solid ground. The last challenge was in sight, and it looked like the race was going to be won by a long shot. There was a gasp from the crowd as something happened behind Faoul. Rugen had thrown the last pole at the young man in the lead. The impossible feat of strength was only bested by the fact that Faoul knew what was happening. Faoul leapt into the air and used his feet to direct the flying pole into the ground. The resulting thump of the pole landing in the ground caused the crowd to erupt into cheers as Faoul leapt from the pole and sailed across the balancing log landing on the other side of the challenge.

Faoul easily crossed the finish line and the roar of rage from Rugen was drowned out by the cheers of the crowd rushing to congratulate Faoul. As Faoul was given the prize, two golden anklets with feathers that magically fluttered and always pointed upwards. Faoul took his shoes off and was amazed at how the anklets protected his feet magically, just like shoes. He performed some acrobatics for the crowd around him and as they cheered for him Rugen stormed off to find Fergus.

The merchant and lording met at Fergus's stall and Rugen dragged the merchant inside his own tent. By now the physical change happening to Rugen was evident. Muddy and angry the lord looked more like an animal than a man. His eyes were red with rage and a musky odor stung the nose of the merchant who shared the small space with him. "You swore! On your honor! Strength could win that competition if nobody else was cheating! Faoul is cheating! I MUST win the next competition to even think about winning the cup!"

"No worries my lord, you can easily win the next competition" Fergus said and smiled nervously.

"I need another potion!" Rugen said in an almost crazed voice.

"But my lord, the effects are building inside you, if you keep taking the potions they will become permanent!" Fergus said with mock concern.

"I don't care! I HAVE to be STRONGER than HIM! Just one more potion, you must" Rugen said and reached into his vest and pulled out another pouch of gold.

"You're addicted I can tell, but you don't need the potion to win this competition, the side effects of the two you have already taken are enough" Fergus said smugly.

"Why do you say that?" Rugen asked.

"It's a potion derived from Minotaur blood my boy! It imparts the skills of the mythical beast to its drinker! No maze can stop you so long as this potion is inside you!" Fergus said and laughed.

Outside the tent a robed figure began to worry for his charge. He wanted Faoul to win this event, but had little in his arsenal to help the lad. The robed figure moved quickly, he needed to warn Faoul of the danger he was in

Faoul was inside a tent getting ready for the next challenge when Fiona stepped through the tent flap. "Faoul, do you have a moment?"

"Yes?" Faoul said and looked up from the anklets around his feet. He was playing with the feathers on them delighting in the fact that they always seemed to stay upright.

"Before the last challenge I was watching you and you cut yourself with a strange dagger of sorts! At first I thought you were crazy! But then I noticed the wound was healed while you ran and you... you did things that are impossible! Amazing, but impossible"

"Fiona, I'm not going to lose to Rugen, you see Rugen he's..." A dark figure stepped silently into the room cutting Faoul off. Faoul sensed the urgency of his mysterious sponsor's appearance.

"Fiona, I need to talk to this man, do you mind stepping outside for a moment?"

Fiona looked at the huge robed figure. He sent shivers through her and the longer he looked at her in the darkness of his hood the more her heart raced. "Oh, I... I..." Fiona said in fear.

A gentle touch on her shoulder brought her attention back to Faoul. "Don't worry Fiona; I'm not going to let anything happen, to you, to me, or to Rugen. Ok?"

Fiona nodded as she was led out of the tent. Once outside Faoul hugged her and went back inside. No longer paralyzed by fear Fiona decided to overstay her welcome and eavesdrop on their conversation. She stood just outside the door and listened.

"Faoul" the mysterious man said in a voice that chilled Fiona to the bone, "Rugen has obtained another potion, and with it the upper hand in this challenge"

"It's just a cave maze, not even dangerous! Each person is inside their own magical cave so there's no chance for foul play" Faoul said calmly.

"It's the nature of the potion that is giving Rugen the advantage; he's drinking dangerous venom distilled from the blood and horns of a Minotaur. Once drunk it imparts great strength, but also great skill on the imbiber, but at risk of some permanent side effects"

"Did you know the merchant supplying him with the potion is also after the chalice? Do you know anything about this Fergus figure?" Faoul asked.

"No, I will ask some of the other merchants during this challenge, but I'm afraid you will have to use the last of the fang's powers to even stand a chance in this challenge!"

Faoul was surprised. The mysterious man hadn't gotten this upset till now. "I was hoping to save that power for my last two challenges" Faoul said.

"It's too important to waste time, use it now!" Faoul was skeptical, but he sensed the urgency in the man's voice. "Worry not Faoul, I am still possessing of some gifts I might impart to you. We will see if you still need them after this challenge alright?"

Faoul nodded and pulled the fang from his belt pouch. Fiona had to peek inside as he drew the dagger across his arm one last time. This time though as soon as the fang finished the cut it exploded into a black wave and was pulled into the healing wound. The scars turned a dark black color against Faoul's skin and Fiona felt a wave of energy that made her nauseous. Inside the tent Faoul felt himself growing again, muscle expanded, but was dwarfed by the explosion of his own senses. Faoul growled in pleasure as he felt himself becoming more... animalistic. "This is amazing, this power" Faoul said as the world expanded and he smelled heard and saw more than anything before.

Something caught his attention though, a presence at the door. Fiona gasped and started running. She made it into the crowd of people before Faoul got outside the door. The sensitive young man was blinded by the change in light so he didn't see Fiona. Her smell was already there from coming in earlier so he didn't think to peg her as the spy. "They got away?" The robed man said.

"What can I call you?"

"Finrus works well enough" he said.

The challenge was about to start. This time though Faoul didn't get a chance to see Rugen. The challengers were led into a dark room where they were put in tiny rooms underground. The crowds wouldn't know who was victorious until the maze was completed. Once the gate into the cave rose Faoul was surprised by how dark it was. He couldn't see a thing, but he could smell hundreds of smells. There was the smell of fresh air, it must be coming from the exit. Faoul began to track his way through the maze, but his amazing nose was nothing compared to the overwhelming instinct that flooded through Rugen as he drank his third potion.

The young Lord roared as he ran through the maze like it was his own house back in the town. He almost could sense every corner, every twist and turn. Nothing in his life had ever been as fun as running through the maze towards the entrance. Rugen knew he was the first out of the maze. The crowd was shocked into cheering as emerged a full hour before anyone was expected. The challenge was ended early and the other contestants were magically plucked from their caves. In the short ceremony after the challenge Rugen was given a pair of furry bracers as his rewards. The bracers made his arms feel like they could lift a mountain. Rugen basked in the attention and then went looking for Fergus.

Faoul was shocked. He returned to his tent and waited for Finrus who was quick to appear. "It would appear the tables have turned my young friend, but fear not, I have taken steps to ensure your victory as to the best of my ability" Finrus said and pulled something out of his robe.

"By the gods, what is that Finrus?" Faoul said in shock as he looked at the potion in the man's hands.

"I had a short confrontation with our friend Fergus. In the chaos following our short meeting I managed to make off with an exceedingly rare potion, an elixir of giant's strength, it's twice as potent as the stuff he's feeding Rugen, but it's effects are permanent, they won't fade over time. Once you take this potion you will experience an amazing increase in size. I have provided some clothing from another merchant for you to wear; it's similar to your old clothes minus a shirt. You won't need one for the next challenge anyway.

"Are you just going to give it to me?"

"It's up to you, after this competition you will be forever changed. You are already fundamentally different from any other human here, do you really love this girl that much?"

"I promised her Finrus. I don't care what I have to take or turn into, I'll win this and keep my promise" Faoul said and grabbed the potion downing it in one gulp. Finrus watched as Faoul began to grow. Faoul grunted in pain as he put on a foot and a half of height and at least a hundred pounds of solid mass. The boy's chest was getting pretty furry and his beard was growing in. He looked like another person now though. His unnaturally large body twitched with muscle, but Finrus was afraid it wouldn't be enough.

A few tents down Fergus looked at the young lord before him. "He took your best potion! How dare you let him gain the upper hand?"

"You don't know what you're dealing with. If this monster has been supplying your friend with what I'm sure he had been than I'm more than certain that your friend is mere moments from becoming a monster himself"

"How many do you have left Fergus?" Rugen asked.

"Excuse me?"

"How many strength potions, how many are there!?"

Fergus looked shocked. "More than enough to match the effects of one giant's strength potion, but the effect would be horrible! You would be a monster too!"

"Give them to me, I will have you arrested and thrown in jail. Then I'll just take them if you don't give them to me now!"

Fergus grimaced. His alliance with this crazy boy had gone too far. "Take them fool, but that chalice is mine! If you turn into a raving beast it's you own fault!"

Rugen accepted the last seven potions. He extracted five and downed them then and there. A moan of pleasure escaped his lips as his body began to change. Rugen felt his muscles explode as his body grew. He was easily the size of Faoul by the time the sick groaning of his own body ended. His lordly clothes were shredded at his feet, and Fergus located some pants for him from his own supplies. Most evident of his transformation were the two sharp nubs pushing out his brow.

When the two monsters appeared from their tents and made their way to the second to last challenge. People cheered for them as they passed. They didn't just look larger than life, they were. Fiona saw them both approaching and felt horrible. She knew they had only done this for her, she didn't know they had been manipulated by two powerful forces.

As the two listened to the last challenge they laughed. The last challenge was to pull a plough through a field until the whole field was tilled. They were pretty much the last contestants left, nobody else could really compete. When the whistle blew they were off grunting like wild things as they tore up the earth behind them. Fiona was shocked by how much they had changed. Both were covered in body hair and looked almost like animals. She was a little appalled by what she saw, so much in fact that she left the competition and went looking for the mysterious man in the robe. She found him in the tent where he and Faoul had talked. "What's your game you creep?" Fiona said as she stormed into the tent.

The man seemed to ignore her as he inspected something in the back of the tent. Fiona was getting angry. She grabbed his cloak and pulled. The cloak pulled away easily revealing a furry creature crouched close to the ground. The creature turned and rose up on its legs at the same time. Its face was like that of a wolf, but it had the body of both wolf and man. "Now you see little human!" It said as Fiona saw the body of a human in its left clawed hand-paw. "This man was feeding Rugen magical potions turning him into a monster. It wouldn't have gone this far if your lover boy had just used my fang once! He could have easily won the entire championship! I want that chalice, but soon I'll have two new cubs to do my bidding as well. Then me and my pack are going to demolish your village and take everything of value here!" the monster said and laughed.

Fiona screamed, but her screams went unheard as everyone was at the competition watching the two boy-monsters pulling plows. Rugen grunted mid challenge and put his bracers to the test. They quickly fused to his body covering his arms in thick bear fur and making his arms impossibly muscular and strong. He grew wicked black bear claws on his hands as he pulled ahead of Faoul and to the cheers of the crowd finished the competition. Faoul growled in anger as the crowd rushed Rugen and the bullish young man was taken to the stage to receive his prize. Faoul went back to his tent and found Finrus waiting for him. The man looked lumpy under his robe, but when Faoul saw the dead body of the man who had been helping Rugen he gasped. The body looked half eaten too. "Don't worry my boy, you will have the advantage in the next match. Finrus threw back his cloak and revealed himself to Faoul, and the unconscious shape of Fiona in his hand. "You want to save her from me boy, but you know you are mine to command!"

Faoul hated it, but it was true, this monster was his master and he couldn't resist him. "I will bite you Faoul, you will be like me whether you like it or not. Use my power to win the chalice. Once it is yours bring it to the woods outside town. I will free Fiona and you will go with me, or I will kill her"

"You won't get away with this Finrus" Faoul said in anger.

"Oh, I will!" Finrus said as he bent and sank his fangs into Faoul's shoulder. Faoul gasped in pain, but the wound healed in moments. "I'll have that blasted chalice if it's the last thing I do!"

Faoul went to the championship tent clutching his healing shoulder. He could already feel himself changing into a monster, but his wolf hood hid most of his initial changes. The crowd was wild. Rugen roared and beat his chest like a fool as Faoul walked into the fighting pit. Rugen was bigger now, he was covered head to foot in hair and his horns were completely grown in. They pointed forward like dangerous weapons. Faoul howled and jumped into the ring. He was turning fast. His tail burst from his pants and his claws were growing in fast. There was a moment as his legs shifted painfully, but it was over in seconds and Faoul's new wolf legs were more than good enough to fight on. The two monsters locked arms as they met in the middle of the ring. "You're pathetic Faoul!" Rugen said as he pushed Faoul away with his superior strength.

"You're just a bad, at least I'm trying to save Fiona!"

Rugen and Faoul exchanged claw swipes before they spoke again. "What do you mean? What's wrong with Fiona?" Rugen asked and tried to get a hit in on Faoul.

Faoul dodged nimbly. "That monster has taken her, he betrayed me, turned me into this!" Faoul growled and gestured to himself.

"He's after the chalice too isn't he!" Rugen said in rage, "He won't get it! I'll win it for Fergus!"

"Fergus is dead you fool! He crossed paths with Finrus and guess who won?"

"What! Impossible!"

"Finrus wants the chalice! He wants to trade it for Fiona! I can't beat him alone, but with your help... I could do it! With your help we can destroy him and take Fiona back!"

"But who will get the girl?"

"We're both monsters now Rugen, manipulated by our own mad desires! We can't stay here!"

"You're right" Rugen said and stopped trying to hit Faoul. "The gates are barred, but I could easily break them open. The chalice is with the tournament master. Can you get up there and take it?"

"I might need a boost, but I think I can if you can get us a way out of here"

"Deal" Rugen put his hands together making a place for Faoul to put his foot. Rugen used all his might to launch Faoul into the air.

As Faoul landed on the championship platform and grabbed the chalice Rugen ran towards the locked pit gated. The impact of the young man into the gate was accented by the screams of the crowd as they realized their monsters were trying to escape. "I got it!" Faoul yelled and jumped down just as Rugen pried open the gate. The two made off through the festival and towards the woods. "Finrus, you spineless dog; show yourself and face us!"

An evil laugh followed by a thumb behind Rugen announced the monster's presence. Finrus quickly sank his teeth into Rugen's shoulder causing the bull man to cry out in pain. "You're just in time. As night falls on the night of the spring full moon my power grows. Soon you will both be under my control!

"You bastard, what have you done with Fiona?" Faoul yelled.

"Nothing, just as I said I left here alone, I knew you'd bring me the chalice like a loyal puppy dog. We can hunt her down later. She won't remember much of her encounter with me, but she'll remember me just before I fall on her and consume her tender breasts!" Finrus said and laughed again.

"Never" Faoul yelled and took the chalice in his hand and brandished it at Finrus. "You won't lay a single slaw on her you monster!" he said as a shining light within the chalice began to glow. Like magic the chalice transformed into a mighty sword. Faoul was a little shocked at first, but then he caught on,, "Die you monster!" Faoul yelled and charged at Finrus.

The elder monster laughed as the younger one tried to impale him with the silver sword. "You're running out of time my pup; once your transformation is complete you won't be able to hold that silver blade for long"

Rugen watched as his mortal enemy fought a monster for him. He decided that if something was going to be dome he would be the one who did it. Rugen felt a new speed inside him as he rushed the unsuspecting elder monster. Rugen caught him in a bear hold. Finrus struggled, but those massive bear arms were too strong to break out of. "Do it now! Stab it through him!"

"But I'll hit you too!"

"Do it!"

Faoul used the last of his will to thrust the blade through Finrus. The elder monster gasped as the silver blade went through him like a knife through butter. There was a flash of light as Finrus exploded into a cloud of darkness and Faoul ripped the blade out of his friend. The sword fell to the ground and in another flash of light turned back into a simple cup. "Rugen no" Faoul yelled, "You can't leave me!"

Rugen grunted as he looked up at the monster holding him. "Does it matter, you won in the end Faoul"

"No, without you it's a shallow victory Rugen!"

"Tell Fiona, that, I loved her"

Faoul looked into Rugen's eyes as they closed. His gaze settled on the chalice. He reached for it despite the monster inside him saying not to. "Please save my friend" Faoul said and closed his clawed hand around the chalice. There was pain at first, but then the cup filled with water. Faoul poured the water into the wound, not knowing why he did it. There was a moment where Faoul felt like nothing had happened, but then the pain went away, and Rugen began to change into a more wolf like monster. "I guess I saved you Rugen, but now you're a monster like me" Faoul said and sat down beside his friend.

In the distance the festival played on as the town shot off fireworks. They probably had no idea what had happened. The mayor would suppress it saying it was just part of the show. The town would remember the fight of the bull man and the wolf for years to come honoring them with magical masks and reenacting their battle. For the two boys whose lives were changed forever that night it was like they were forgotten, yet remembered somehow

.

Late that night Fiona was in her house looking out her window into the woods. The whole day felt like some sort of horrible nightmare. People had gone out to look for the two missing boys, but nobody had found anything. Whatever had happened Fiona couldn't remember, along with most of the town. Some dark magic was suppressing their memories.

As she looked out the window Fiona swore she saw two shapes running against the woods. They paused briefly to look at her window and then howled mournfully. A chill of fear ran through Fiona, but inside her heart she somehow knew the wolves meant no harm, they were after all, just monsters.

... the end ...