FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Slowly opening his eyes Mike found himself laying against the cave wall with the pelt that he was first wrapped in covering his body. Lifting his head he gave a small grunt of pain from the dull ache of his muscles, the result of sleeping in such a position against a cave wall and floor. Forcing himself to move and stand up, his back popping as did most of his other bones, he looked around for Koro but only found a small bundle of cloth that had bits of meat sticking out of it. Obviously the wolf wasn't too good at wrapping things, hard to do without thumbs Mike assumed.

Kneeling down and opening the small parcel, he found some roasted meat from what could have been a deer or any kind of animal in a forest, Mike could only guess. Picking up a piece and taking a bite, he found that it nearly melted in his mouth and was delicious, a bit lacking some salt but delicious none the less. Eating slowly, he let his body rest a bit. The dull aching from his muscles from sleeping while sitting, as well as the wounds in his sides, were calling out that they didn't want him to move yet. After finishing his meal he pulled his army jacket off the floor and left the cave, slipping it on as he did so. The sun was out now, illuminating the area as a whole, giving it a beautiful wilderness aura that Mike found he just had to admire for a moment but was cut short as he was nudged, or rather shoved, by an unseen force from his right.

Staggering before looking around, he saw Koro looking at him firmly, a bucket in her maw filled with water. She set the bucket down carefully as Mike steadied himself.

"You were supposed to remain asleep until I brought the water back," she mock scolded before sitting down giving a smile. "Drink, you must be thirsty."

Indeed Mike felt his throat begging for something cool. Kneeling down he lifted the bucket slowly and took slow but long drinks having not thought about it till just now. 'Where did my canteen go,' he wondered, but shoved that thought aside as he set the bucket back down giving a sigh of relief. Looking up at Koro, she was watching him intently like something was wrong, but upon asking she smiled and leaned down, giving him a light nudge which was enough to send him back onto his ass. Blinking and looking up at the wolf, who smiled and turned, padding off leaving the human confused.

Standing, he tried to make himself as presentable as he possibly could, wearing shredded blood soaked clothing didn't leave much to work with but he tried his best before starting off. He didn't have a destination but just felt like stretching his legs as well as the rest of his body to try and get the ache out of his muscles. He made it to where the campfires were lit last night but found that no one was around and he couldn't see Koro either, which was bit strange since it was summer near fall. A wolf the size and color of her would be hard to hide. As he looked around some thoughts popped into his head that he didn't think of before, Koro was a wolf that stood eye to chest with him as well as could speak to him. The first time he contributed it to loss of blood as well as the shock from the fight sending him into a slight madness and he was imagining things. Though the food was there just as Koro had promised, as well as her bringing him water and speaking to him, why wasn't he worried about this? Maybe his mind had been messed up and he was going crazy, but as those thoughts crossed his mind he was shoved from behind and nearly fell over before spinning seeing Koro behind him, with another wolf smile on her muzzle.

"What are you just standing around here for, you need to move and let your body heal, remove your jacket and let your wounds get some air." Mike didn't move for a moment and just looked at the wolf who tilted her head. "What are you looking at?" she asked. Moving toward her he reached out and lightly placed his hand on her long muzzle, rubbing lightly making her murr out in enjoyment.

"Mmmmm, what are you doing Michael?" Pulling his hand back he had proved that she was real at least, looking at his hand then back to the wolf who was once again staring at him looking a bit confused before the look of something dawning on her appeared.

"I see, you think you're going mad, I assure you that as far as I can tell you are perfectly sane Michael."

Putting his hand down he replied "So you actually are talking to me, I suppose I should freak out a bit and try and run away."

Koro smiled at him. "Do you think you can out run me Michael?" she asked, her tail swishing behind her as if asking him to try.

"I know I can't, I can't outrun a normal dog let alone an oversized wolf."

Koro laughed, her head lowering and her eyes closing, and even her lips pulling back and showing her deadly fangs. "You are young as well as human so I can't blame you for it, but know I'm not just a wolf, I'm a Great Wolf, also called a Dire wolf by some."

Mike just nodded then looked around. "So where did everyone go, this place was covered in people and wolves last night?" Koro moved past the human, slowly padding along, making sure Mike was following before explaining.

"Everyone's doing their own thing now, hunting, sleeping, sunning themselves, cleaning one another. During the day we do whatever we want and at night we gather around the fires to dance and have fun."

"So you basically just party and do whatever you want," Mike said rather plainly, making Koro stop to consider before giving a smile and a nod.

"Mmhm, that about sums it up for the Slicing wind Clan, or at least all you need to know for now young pup."

He blinked at being a called a pup, but Koro opened her eyes smiling softly to the human. "You're one of the clan now, remember, in exchange for your weapon you've given your life to Elder Moon's Shadow. You're new so you should get used to being called pup by everyone who wishes to speak to you." Turning Koro took only one step before looking back at Mike.

"Also, you've caused quite a fuss with your fight against Nacota and Fire last night, many are interested in your abilities but your still injured so should others approach you just back away." Koro turned and began walking once more, leaving Mike to ponder what that meant but quickly jogged after her.

Koro and Mike walked quietly from then on, Mike looked around and saw that the forest was slowly changing into a small mountain face, though the trees and grass remained just having large rocks sprouting form the earth. Mike felt something inside of himself, like a sense of peace in this place. He had always liked nature more than city life even though he was born and raised there, nature always seemed free to him and sometimes when in the cities he found himself disliking the fact of how ignorant as well as uncaring the people were about what happened to nature.

Stopping for a moment he looked up at the blue sky, seeing a flock of birds flying overhead since it was slowly shifting from summer to fall then winter. Looking forward he saw Koro had once again disappeared, and quickly Mike turned to see what was behind him just in case she was trying to 'nudge' him again. Mike quickly found that he was standing alone now, though he didn't feel alone, like something was there with him. Normally this would make him uneasy but being here he just felt safe, like he was being protected, but he knew he was alone if not a bit out of place.

Starting up again and moving in the same direction that Koro had been going, he was curious as to where she was leading him, soon he broke from the forest and was greeted by a large rock formation that stretched up toward the sky, about forty meters high. There were rocks protruding out that looked ready to fall to the ground if any weight was put on them. It was abstract yet had a strange organization to it, there were clear paths to climb and walk up the natural formation all the way to the top, as well as it having dozens of natural caves from bottom to top.

Looking around he couldn't see Koro anywhere or anyone else, putting two and two together he worked out this place was where the Slicing wind Clan lived. Moving toward the large rock formation he pulled himself up onto the first rock at the start of the path that lead to the top. Moving over the rocks, he found that they were sturdy and solid, they didn't have any give to them even though they looked ready to just drop off the formation. The formation must have been one solid rock, but if that was the case the way that it's formed didn't make sense. Mike couldn't remember ever seeing or hearing about a rock formation like this.

Thinking over all possible ways that this formation could be formed, he climbed and walked higher and higher. Humans couldn't have carved it, but maybe the Slicing wind Clan did, but the rocks were completely smooth and couldn't have been done by hand, even with specialized tools since rock cutters had different styles. One person couldn't have done this in a lifetime, it was just too big. Stopping and looking up, he saw that the only way to get to the top was to actually climb or have the ability to jump about twelve feet straight up, which he of course couldn't. Looking around slowly he then took a firm hold on the rock wall, finding that there was indeed several places for hands and feet to climb up. As he started to pull himself up his mind began asking him 'Why do I want to reach the top anyway, it's just a rock, right?'

Despite his mind he pulled himself up higher, then reached up took hold of the final rock that was on the top of the formation. Pulling himself up, his foot slipped and he was now free hanging by his left arm, gritting his teeth and looking down he found that he was now just slightly too far to drop and land back onto ledge he walked up on. The part of the wall that he climbed actually pushed outward further than he thought, looking to straight forward he froze for a moment, he could see the entire forest for miles, nothing but beautiful trees that stretched out till they touched the blue horizon in the distance.

Hanging there for a moment, before spinning and taking hold of the final ledge with his right arm he pulled himself up, laying his upper body on top of the rock before pulling his legs up, looking to his right to gaze over the forest again. Pushing himself to his feet he moved to the edge of the ledge and looked around slowly his gaze scanning over the entire forest and he felt like he was on top of the world, but a laugh from behind him pulled his attention away from the forest. Turning around he saw the old man, Moon's Shadow.

The old man slowly moved toward Mike from a large tent that Mike had failed to see 'til just now, looking down at the old man a gust of wind soared over them, blowing their clothes and hair around.

"You seem to be at peace here, young one," the old man said opening his neon blue eyes once again, that still put Mike off a bit.

Mike looked over his shoulder at the forest. "Well, I've not seen a forest so large before, I didn't think any places were this free anymore," this made the old man laugh softly.

"Ah yes, many of the forests that once thrived all over this world have been cut down, people can't hear the forest, people don't care to even try to understand nature, they just want their lives to be easier."

Giving a soft sigh, Mike felt sadness build inside of him since he knew it was true. "Well, with the people in charge now there's not much people can do, their scared of the power that the people in charge have." The old man nodded.

"Ah yes, such is the way of the world, those in power only seek one thing, more power. These people in power have no ends, only means, should you not have an end that you seek to get to with the power you have then you will only exist and wish for more power." Mike found a strange logic in the old man's words.

Mike turned to look out onto the forest once again. "Well, this forest has survived so there's something good going on around here," Mike said trying to change the mood of the conversation and it seemed to work as the old man stepped beside him.

"Mm, yes a beautiful thing such as this needs to be preserved and we of the Slicing wind Clan as well as three other clans spread across this forest have worked hard to maintain its beauty."

"So you're not the only 'clan' around here as you like to call it?" Shaking his head the old man points to his right.

"To the West there is the Sun's Light Clan as well as the Earth's Children Clan..." turning, he pointed to the left "And to the East is the Eternal Moon Clan, each of us protect this land and have come to mutual agreements with one another. Fighting one another for rights to this forest have been slowly forgotten and now we all work to protect it, the fact that we have a new enemy in our midst have also made the wars between our clans even more difficult."

Mike looked down at the old man after gazing to the East for a bit. "What new enemy?" turning around and closing his eyes.

"You've already faced them young one, those wild beasts that you and your people fought against, the same ones you wish to strike down with that weapon of yours."

Flashes of the large nine foot creatures appeared in his mind, as did the deaths of his friends, he gritted his teeth in anger at just the thought of those creatures.

"You should not direct all your anger into the creatures young one, I know that it is difficult but understand that these creatures did not come here by their own free will, nor did they come to be as they are of their own choosing, they were given no choice."

Blinking at that statement, he thought over what the official that him and Carl had ran into had said, the one that was aboard the gunship the first night. He said that the creatures were let loose, that his branch of the government let them go, and with what the old man had just said that meant that these creatures were created and not just captured.

Turning quickly he gazed at the old man. "Tell me what you know about these creatures, old man," he demanded, which drew the gaze of the old man, turning his piercing neon blue eyes as the wind blue past them, right into Mikes face though he stood his ground.

"These creatures are copies of a once great species, though their blood is fouled and their minds rotted, they are soul-less beasts that only seek to kill and savour the ecstasy that is battle, they do not try to understand anything or attempt to control themselves. Any that have faced up against them have fallen, just as your teammates did. You are the first human to survive that we have found."

Mike blinked and thought over his previous mission, the one that sent him into this forest. He and his team were to rescue the training team that was sent in on a standard mission which was nothing but a lie, they were sent in to find the training team which had already been killed as well as test the abilities of the creatures.

"How many other humans were sent in here for those creatures?" Mike asked in a less demanding tone, and the old man closed his eyes slowly, turning back to Mike.

"We, meaning all the clans, have found several groups of humans, all military such as yourself and all having been attacked and decimated just like you, we tried to help them but upon seeing us they only screamed and attacked us, all we could do was watch."

Not understanding what the old man was saying, Mike stepped toward him. "What the hell do you mean, 'all you could do was watch' and why would they attack you if you were trying to help them, that makes no sense old man." Just as Mike called this out movement caught his attention behind the old man.

Looking up he saw one of the creatures slowly move from the tent and stand tall, at near eight feet, though this one was completely white, its fur was not matted and moved with the wind, it's eyes being a piercing blue near white that gazed at Mike almost curiously. There were differences other than the fur color, but its shape was also slightly different. It's legs were reverse jointed at the knee and this one's build seemed to be less muscular than the ones he saw the first night, also this one's chest was swollen slightly forming breasts, apparently being female.

Mike blinked as he saw the creature step from the old mans tent, and on instinct reached back, pulling his blade from the back of his pants. The creature immediately took notice and lowered it's head, pulling it's lips back into a snarl as Mike flipped the blade backwards between his fingers. The old man having watched Mike draw his blade opened his eyes, his neon blue eyes glowing dimly.

"I will ask you, young one, to lower your weapon, what you are doing is enough for me to strike you down." Mike looked at the old man, who's face was dead serious, and he could feel his eyes slicing through him.

Mikes eyes shifted back to the creature who had it's head lifted slightly and was no longer snarling, as if waiting to see what Mike was going to do, the old man stepped forward, reaching and lightly grabbing Mikes wrist.

"She will not harm you, this is Moon's Light and she is my mate."

Lowering his weapon as the old man touched him, he immediately turned all his attention to the old man after his statement about the creature being his 'mate.'

"Your what!" The old mans smile returned and his eyes closed slightly.

"Koro has told you nothing I see, well then young one, sheathe your weapon and allow me to explain."

The old man turned, seeming to have flipped again, his mood switching from serious to happy just like that, looking to the creature who leaned down nuzzling into the old mans neck, him in respond by petting the creature's muzzle before he slipped into the tent. Mike stood there a moment feeling dumb struck, Koro didn't tell him what? That the old man was completely out of his mind and was into bestiality? Looking at the creature, it seemed to be waiting on him, giving a smile that only helped to put him off.

Looking at his knife, then to the creature who remained there with a smile, he sighed as he started toward the tent, slipping his knife into the back of his pants again. "I think I'm in over my head," Mike said, feeling ready to just go back to the city as he ducked into the old man's tent.