FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The forest was thick, but the swarms of bugs that couldn't bite and thorny plants that couldn't prick were of no concern to Valreth. His mind was occupied instead with thoughts of the venomous snakes and spiders he'd read of that could spit their venom at their prey, or the many species of poisonous lizards, birds, and even frogs who were toxic to the touch.

They had abandoned the carriage in a ditch about half a mile ago and cut the horses free in favor of a shortcut through the trees, traveling for the wolfkin military city of Arland. This was a place his parents had oft spoke of with fondness, and Valreth found himself excited to finally see it in its glory, though he wished it were under better circumstances. He would not be a tourist within its walls, but a coward, hiding away until whatever threats pursued him lost interest. If they ever did. If it came to it, he knew other lives might well be needlessly sacrificed to protect him, the very thing he had hoped to avoid. He didn't want anyone to die for him, let alone his parents' old military friends. But revealing his secret had been his decision, and he knew he had to accept the consequences.

They had always had stories, or on occasion just soft murmurs of memory, about the great city's high walls and vast military academy. This was a place they had called home for years, during a time when fear and death permeated their lives, and they'd found loyalty, camaraderie, and even love within its walls. Thank goodness for that, or else he wouldn't exist today. He did wonder if the city would still be the same as they remembered. No doubt the era of peacetime would have changed things.

"Managed to lose most of them, I think," Val heard his father muttering ahead of them.

"How many were on our tails when we left?" his mother asked.

"Quite a few," his father said. "A small army's worth. I've been dropping their scent in large groups, which makes me think multiple factions or organizations may have taken interest."

There was a low growl from his mother as she swung her greatsword in a wide arc, cleaving through the foliage, but also burying the blade in the trunk of a large tree. She pulled it free after two tugs and a deeper growl of frustration. A series of cracks came as the tree, whose trunk had been sliced down to the center, began to tip, landing with a crash. When Val and his father looked back at her, her ears were flat.

"The idea is to not draw attention, dear," Katok reminded his wife, who raised her hands in a defensive gesture.

They doubled back a bit after that to throw off anyone who may have been alerted to the sound. It was only once his father's posture had relaxed and he felt certain that quiet was no longer strictly necessary that Valreth chose to speak.

"Why are we fleeing from this alchemist again?" he asked. "Escaping bandits and other miscreants who might try to use me I understand, but if she's the one who gave you your abilities, maybe she wants to help."

"I wouldn't count on it," Katok said, eyes darting around almost faster than Val could see. "Power corrupts, war all the more so. She has to have used at least one of those concoctions on herself at some point. Even if she didn't, the ability to bestow such power on others would have weighed on her soul all these years. I don't trust anyone like that."

"I agree," Fara said. "Especially about her using those potions on herself. Why wouldn't she have done so? If you could have my strength and his speed as well? I don't even want to think about the others she's experimented on. We mustn't allow her a chance to replicate your power."

There was a sound behind them and Val's father was between them in an instant, daggers out. Someone was coming through the trees, making no effort to hide.

"Someone's found us," he snarled. Fara drew her greatsword again and Valreth drew his own twin blades.

The leaves parted and they saw a hooded figure in dark robes. Two pointed brown ears twitched, sticking out from holes in the top. A pair of purple eyes gleamed from beneath the shadow of the hood, and Valreth caught the scent of a female wolfkin. A dark leather-bound tome hung from her belt, fiery runes etched into the cover.

"Wizard," his mother growled, raising her blade.

"Wait, wait!" the figure said quickly, reaching up. There was a rush of movement from his left and suddenly Val's father held a bow, an arrow notched against the stretched drawstring.

"You move or speak another word and I drop you," he said. The wolfkin didn't move. From what Valreth could see, she was older than him, but still at least a decade or two younger than his parents.

"I won't hurt you. I swear it. I've... I've been looking for you for a long time." she said.

Her voice was soft, with a tremor of emotion, but anyone could make their voice shake. Valreth's parents seemed equally unconvinced.

"Besides, killing me won't get you anywhere. Please," the wolfkin said, reaching up slowly and pulling back her hood. "Just let me explain. I know I'll be dead before I get halfway through an incantation or arcane gesture. Just... let me explain."

There was a whistling sound and a crossbow bolt was buried between her eyes. She dropped, landing in the underbrush with a soft thud.

Valreth turned and looked at his father as the wolfkin lowered the crossbow. He didn't have time to speak before the hooded wolfkin's body burst into flames. Katok leapt free, but Fara and Val weren't as lucky. Val wasn't hurt by the flame, but the force of it still hurled him back and knocked him to the ground. Not that this hurt either, but he had to roll to extinguish his flaming cloak. He heard his mother's growl of pain and smelled burnt fur.

When he got to his feet, he saw her patting out the flames on her arm. There was an ugly burn across the flesh, but she ignored the pain, and they ran.

"Must've had a contingency spell," his father said as they ran. "Set to take us down with her if we managed to kill her."

His father was a blur as he leapt over roots and dashed through the leaves, his mother keeping a fair pace behind, but Val was just barely keeping up. His foot passed through a particularly dense patch of grass and he almost tripped, but managed to stay on his feet.

They ran for what must have been a mile, maybe two, before they had to stop. Katok sat on a log, Fara leaning against a tree, and Val just fell to his knees.

"We could've at least talked to--" Val was cut short by his father shushing him quickly, sharply, his ears pricked.

"Someone's still following," he hissed. Val listened, ears pricking, and he heard it. The distinct sound of someone rushing through the forest very, very quickly.

Val was still out of breath, but his mother opted to just pick him up and carried him. They rushed onward, making for the city, but they didn't make it another mile before Fara had to stop. Even her strength had its limits, and both of them looked exhausted.

"I think they've given up," Katok said when he'd found his breath, well before either Fara or Val had gotten theirs. "For now..."

"Whoever that was," Fara said between breaths, "they sounded as fast as you."

"Probably using a Haste spell," Katok sighed. "I suspect it's worn off. We've lost them."

"Was that a friend of the wizard you just killed, you think?" Valreth asked. "We might have pissed them off."

"It's possible," his father murmured.

"That wasn't the alchemist, was it?" Val asked.

"No," Fara and Katok said at the same time.

"She had black fur," Fara said. "Her eyes were..."

"Yellow," Katok said.

"Of course, she could have changed them," Fara said, thinking.

"So... that could have been her?" Val asked, confused now.

"No," Katok said. "She wasn't much younger than us when last we met. I didn't see any alchemy supplies on the wizard. Whoever that was in the robes was someone else."

The grey wolf turned and looked north.

"Come on," he said, waving for them to follow. "We'll make it to Arland by sunset if we move quick."

But move quickly they did not. Burdened by exhaustion, their every footfall hindered by the uneven forest floor, laden with roots and large rocks, the trip took them the better part of two hours. The sun had set well behind the horizon by the time they broke through the trees and saw the wide stretch of grass between them and the high walls of the city. Even as tired as he was, Valreth still appreciated the sight of those stone walls, standing tall when he could not, a beacon of protection, a sign of save haven at last. Untouchable as he was, he only had as much stamina as the next wolfkin did, and even his mother and father breathed a sigh of relief as they saw the city.

There were two guards on patrol and Val saw their ears perk as they stopped in their tracks. There was a frantic exchange he couldn't make out and one ran to the front gate. The large gates opened wide shortly, beckoning them into the city, and as they approached Val could see more guards in red armor lining the top of the wall, all eager to get a look at them.

"And here I'd hoped we could keep our arrival quiet," Katok sighed.