FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Hunting was a grand sport of cat and mouse, and although it was not a livelihood he expected to find himself in, it was one he had learned to enjoy. The skill required to put arrows on their mark was a beautiful thing all on its own, one he cherished improving day after day. It was a necessity for his own survival as well as his spiritual well-being, because the only way to stay happy in a world of killer monsters was to take pleasure in the little things.

Walking the field, however, the hunter was without his signature weapon. He had left it at home to lessen the weight on his shoulders; the pack of fresh meat on his back was heavy enough. The trader he was traveling to was quite far, too far indeed, and he had never seen monsters on this particular path before, so he felt quite comfortable without a bow slung on his chest. His gait was confident and free.

The afternoon sun was a distinct sprite in the cloudless sky, painting the forage around David a vibrant hue of green. It was a pretty sight to distract him on this long embarkment. The coin he would make from the sale of his kills would be the sweetest part yet.

He tried to pick apart the different shades of green in the bushes between the trees. Some were dark, some were light, others were… red.

He stopped, and yet the birds kept singing on their branches, and the wind kept blowing through his hair, over his neck. Blood-red shone in blotches amongst the shrubbery, hidden behind the tree line. The color was unmistakable to his trained eye, and the fact he was without his weapon in the presence of a monster made his whole body freeze up. Everything was wrong, and there was nothing he could do to fix it. It was too late, his only measure of safety was far, far away.

Stuck in the middle of the path, he couldn't tear his eyes off the red behind the trees, the dark, shadowed omen that it was, threatening to-

Crushing a bush beneath its weight, the creature pushed out into the open sun, its beady, ghostly blue eyes trained on him. It was an odogaron, with a body the color of meat and four legs that carried its canine-like figure. Each of its scales ended in a point, slanting backward, even along its tail which grew thick and spiked. Its teeth were so huge that they protruded from its jaws, even with them closed.

David bolted in the opposite direction, right off the path and into the woods. The only thing left for that monster to do was give chase, and he wasn't about to wait for it to move first. His legs pumped against the ground, carrying him over the ground with a speed only reserved for the heightened fear of death. He could already hear the footfalls of something large and angry behind him, smashing through trunks, felling trees in its wake. It sounded like everything behind him was cracking and breaking, being destroyed by the sheer brute force of a monster many times his size.

Before him, not a long ways off, there was the face of a cliff towering above him. It was blocking him; he would have to change direction and risk letting the creature catch up. Out of its monotonous dirt texture, he noticed an anomaly: the black, lightless entrance to a rocky alcove. It might have been deep enough for him to lose the monster in, it might have been deep enough to only run a few strides. Either way, if he didn't take the chance, he would be in a race against a predator whose endurance he surely could not match. He might tire eventually, collapsing to the ground before being mashed to pieces in the jaws of the mindless beast.

He beelined for the cave, the crackling heat of danger on his heels as he sprinted the remaining distance. There were no trees in the clearing before it, only grass under his feet. But he touched the stone floor soon enough, the darkness enveloping him, disappearing him from the outside world.

Of course, without the light of day, he saw nothing, blindly running into a tunnel of which the grade nor the depth could be discerned. His pace slowed out of necessity, his arms held out before him. A racket of claws against rock echoed into the cave, the odogaron following behind him, snarling and sniffing. He shot a glance over his shoulder and saw a silhouette blocking the entrance, and in the black of that silhouette, there were two blue pinpoints, a shade of stark blue.

In that instant, he dropped all caution and ran. The visibility, however, did not improve, and instead the further he ventured into the cave, the dimmer it became. He scraped shoulder-first against rock, the side of the tunnel blocking his forward advance. The creature's claws scratched, perpetually echoing, ringing in his ears. He picked a different direction and took off.

He could barely discern subtle forms and shapes, columns of rock, the continuation of branching tunnels, indications of stalagmites and stalactites. He weaved into these branches at random, hoping to throw the monster off, hoping to be unpredictable. He never stopped, he hardly even slowed, and yet somehow the monster would always be near. Once, whilst turning a corner, he found the creature standing over him, its glowing eyes bearing down.

Bolting away, he heard the scrapes again, the animalistic huffs, all behind him. Even though he hadn't been able to see the monster, he could still picture it. It was the teeth that came to mind, the huge canines, massive tools mean to rend and tear apart its weak prey. And here he was, defenseless.

He realized in his frantic state that he had no earthly idea of the way back out, even if he managed to lose the odogaron, which by itself was looking unlikely. He didn't want to die, he didn't want to…

It lumbered out before him, emerging from an off-shoot tunnel into the one he had found himself running down. Skidding to a halt, he pivoted to run the other way and slipped. It was too severe of a turn, too panicked of a reaction, and his focus, even if for a second, had been in the wrong place. His hands and elbows hit the unforgiving, ubiquitous stone. Of course, the first thing he did, without even thinking, was to scramble back to his feet. But as he did so, he felt hot air blow over him, tickling his neck. The growl that came next was so close that it raised the hairs on his skin. It was upon him. Even if he ran at that very second and wasted no time, he would not have gotten away. His feet lifted from the ground, and the straps of his pack tightened around his shoulders, hoisting his body up. Another wash of hot breath over his neck. He had felt the bite, but in that brief moment of shock, he hadn't registered that he was not dead yet. It had bit into his pack.

His hands flew to the straps, his fingers worming their way underneath, trying to get a hold despite the immense pressure pulling against his clothes. He managed to slip a hand under his left pack strap, and with a series of deliberate twists, he wrenched his arm out of it, and with that, his other arm came free. The fall came unexpected, and he braced just in time to not face plant, landing painfully on his side. In the moment, however, he didn't even register it, and instead he turned toward the creature, ready to take off.

The massive, scaled beast was still, and rather than dropping the pack to take David into its jaws, it laid the pack to the ground, carefully manipulating it with its ungainly teeth. Seeing the odogaron in its entirety, the strangest fascination overtook him. Putting some distance between himself and the monster, he realized it wasn't going to pursue him. It was focused only on the pack, which was currently ripped open at the flap, the spoils of David's hunt becoming its lunch.

The thing that struck him most was not the disappointment of losing a day's worth of kills. It was the fact that he had been a complete idiot the entire time. Of course it was after the meat! Any monster would have chased him down for it, but in his frenzied, fight-or-flight state of mind, he had neglected to consider the simplest means of escape.

His heart was still racing, and he couldn't seem to catch his breath, but at least for the moment, he was safe.

The odogaron dug in before him, devouring each slab of meat in singular gulps, forgoing the chewing process entirely. It probably could have done the same to David had he been less lucky. He was astonished. No outcome had been further from his mind than this one, one where he was not only alive, but standing before the monster with fading anxiousness. This monster was not normal.

As he studied the thing, he found himself wondering why he hadn't left, why he was still standing there. But he realized that in all the years of him hunting creatures that one had never let him be when it had the chance to kill him.

So why did this gnarly, hard-spiked, bony-legged killer not pay him any further mind?

It ate with a voraciousness that was surprising even for a ten-foot-something tall predator, and soon enough there was nothing left but torn fabric. Almost nothing, actually. From the scraps, it produced what appeared to be the last cut, dangling between its teeth. It lowered its head to his level, which drew immediate nervousness in his stomach. The piece fell to his feet, and the creature did not back away, but looked on.

He scoffed, almost laughed. What cynically ironic world was he living in? One where monsters shared food with their prey?

This odogaron was special, there was no doubting it now, and David's curiosity grew tenfold. He may have been a hunter, but that didn't mean he wasn't intensely captivated by monsters and their habits. Their nature had always perplexed him, and now seemed like once in a lifetime opportunity to explore a most unique aspect of it.

The only light was the odogaron's eyes, which had surprisingly luminous power, and with that light, he saw the blood-red of its scales, but more importantly, the calmness in its demeanor. It seemed to be staring at him with mutual curiosity.

David was a man who did not always make the most intelligent or well-thought-out decisions, but he did tend to remember that life could not be done over, and that regrets were forever. Who could say that they had touched the dark predator of the Rotten Vale?

He had intended to reach out carefully toward it. What he found was its head, or its snout more precisely, on his chest, sniffing like a dog. Everything was tense, and despite his damnedest to stay calm, he just couldn't stop the terse, jittery breaths. Its slitted nostrils opened and closed with strange muscles; the creature seemed very interested in him in a way that did not immediately reflect the way it was interested in fresh meat.

But seeing as how it was somewhat in place, content to familiarize with him in its own, monster way, he brought a hand up and over its muzzle. The eyes watched his hand, but as his fingers touched, and as his palm settled, it did not pull away. David was pushed back by the odogaron's great head as it leaned into his explorative hand, almost like a mutt seeking its owner's pets.

However, this mutt was a bit super-sized. He fell flat on his ass.

He looked up to see the hulking beast hovering over him, its gaze as steady as ever. Again, it leaned in, and David winced, turning his face away. Still able to see it, however, he noticed its jaws opening, the teeth parting, the rows of blunt, crushing canines revealed.

Everything the monster did could possibly be a fatal move, the one thing that wasn't a feint, wasn't the opposite of David's expectations. His instincts grabbed him and shook him to reason that this time would be the deadly-

Something excessively slimy and hot covered the side of his head, and he scooted back, putting an arm up against the assaulting tongue with little success.

“No! Gah! What the hell?"

The licks were not abated. David found himself in a new kind of predicament, a mounting defense against the creature's fascination with his face. The feeling of copious saliva all over his skin became overwhelming. He finally stood up and stepped back, finding a momentary reprieve. When it followed him, he continued to put distance between them, so the beast stopped, gazing onward. A low growl reverberated in the tight cavity of rock they occupied, and his stomach felt as though it had shrunk a size.

What it wanted, he couldn't imagine for the life of him. But whatever it was, it didn't appreciate being denied.

On the ground, though not as close as before, the fresh meat still lied. Gesturing for the creature to stay in place, he reached down and snatched it, slick residue soiling his hand. Immediately, the carnivore's attention shifted.

Maybe…

Waving it back and forth, biting his tongue, David moved to the side of the tunnel and tossed the slab.

The odogaron followed with its eyes before following on its feet. It galloped after the flying venison, nearly knocking David over again as it rushed by. Not quite fast enough to catch it mid-air, teeth still found flesh. The monster turned with its prize in its maw, beaming back at the human before tilting its head back. With a hearty gulp, the hunk was gone, devoured as easily as he presumed it could devour a man.

To imagine he'd just played a game of fetch with a species known to hunt humankind!

The curious nature of the matter quickly faded, however, as the problem remained, and his only remaining distraction had just been swallowed whole.

There was doggish excitement about the creature now, and David supposed that a bout of fetch, an activity that always seemed to rile canines up, had not been the wisest long-term strategy.

It ran right at him.

Shit! Shit! Shit!

If he gave chase it would only encourage it, but if he didn't…

Opting not to be crushed, David broke into a sprint, frantically racking his brain for some way out of this, seemingly back at square one of being hunted by the monster.

He knew by now it probably meant him no harm, but he was only a fragile human, and the armored predator, however playful its intentions might be, would kill him with this kind of enthusiasm.

Something hard flattened his nose, and he recoiled in sharp pain, holding his face and doubling over. With one hand he reached out blindly, waving his arm to and fro until his fingers brushed upon stone. Solid stone, a wall of it before him. With warm liquid running out his nostrils and dribbling over his lips, he looked up to see it. He faced about, watching the blue eyes grow nearer, its scratching claws and quick pants once more filling the tunnel.

Nowhere to go.

Gauging that he had at least a few seconds space between himself and the odogaron, David figured he could maybe… sidestep? Roll under it?

He sighed. What was he thinking? This was it, all odds were against him. Perhaps the luck he'd experienced in his life was finally catching up. Karma or something like that.

Three. Two. One. Even knowing what was about to happen, he couldn't help but wince when all he could see were vaguely red scales. His arms came up reflexively.

He heard a great clamor of scratching, so much louder now. His body tensed. But as he waited for the end, he did not feel a hard frame pushing into his own, but hot breath. The same hot breath.

Daring to peek, he saw the eyes again, close as they had been before. It was standing still, in place. It had slowed down before reaching him.

How? How had this killer known not to play with him as it would its own kind? Its brethren had the same armored hide, they could afford to be rough. David had never heard of odogarons interacting with any animal outside its own species; it couldn't have known. Why was this beast being gentle? Why was it not giving in to its predatory instincts?

Before he could ponder these questions further, the creature pushed its head into his chest abruptly.

“Oh!"

His hands found the monster's snout. This time, it hadn't knocked him over. This time, it seemed to take a much more considerate approach. The odogaron nuzzled his chest, the blue glow shutting out as its eyes closed. David did not move, his hands, his feet, his stiff legs, his stiff spine, everything was still.

All he could focus on was his own stifled breath, wondering how long this moment would last, this moment of ambiguity. The creature sniffed, its head shifting up against his hands.

Is it…

With great hesistance, he brushed, in the smallest motion possible, over its muzzle, feeling the texture of its hide. Although these strokes were timid and minute at first, he met no complaint from the creature, who seemed to be calming down more and more. So with both hands he touched and he… pet the monster. Like he would a dog.

In his head, it was craziest thing in the world, and perhaps it was a nonsensical thing to even consider doing, but if it had a chance of getting him out of this nightmare, then by the elder dragons he was going to try his best.

The creature's form took more after a canine than anything else, so it was only logical that the sweet spot was somewhere on top of the head, right?

He stretched, utilizing the full length of his arms to find the smoother, plate-like scutes adorning its head. The odogaron grumbled, a growl that came out much higher pitched than anything David had ever heard. It reminded him of a palico's purr.

“Good.. odo?"

The two of them stood in the dark, the odogaron continuing to lean into David's petting, petting that became more relaxed. The human soon found that the creature particularly liked to be rubbed on the scutes between its eyes. The fascination began to creep back in, the surreality sinking in minute by minute.

Never in a million years…

David started when the monster stepped back, breaking contact. It opened its jaws wide, showing off those sickeningly frightful teeth. Before David could assume the worst was about to happen, its jaws came closed once more, licking its lips. Its eyes, however small and unexpressionate, were half-lidded.

It started off at an odd angle, slinking past him. He watched as it sidled up, essentially surrounding him with its body before it laid down. Before doing so, however, a huge claw came over his chest, bringing him down with it. With a tumble, he landed against the tired monster, finding himself pulled up against its belly. Having rolled over on its side, the creature tucked him in with both forelegs in a shockingly human gesture. As if it were… snuggling him.

And although his hunter's clothes clung to his back, the creature's warmth bled through and washed over him, and to his amazement, it didn't feel half bad to be cradled by a monster. Sure, it was jarring, and entirely bizarre, an experience he would have to question for the rest of his life. But it wasn't bad.

He craned his neck to see the creature's head on the cave floor. If it wasn't fast asleep already, it sure looked like it. He realized couldn't escape even if he wanted to. So much for leaving the place in a timely manner.

A yawn came over him.

This really has been a hell of day, hasn't it?

His eyelids felt heavy, and he had that strange, sleepy feeling behind his eyes. His nerves were shot, and the adrenaline that had once freely pumped through his body was all dried up. He was utterly spent.

He also realized how unbecoming this was of a hunter, to fall asleep in the cavern with some wild monster. But by the elders, he couldn't find it in him to care. All of it could be taken care of by morning. Maybe he could get the monster to let him go.

Putting his arms over the odogaron's claws, he payed attention to the gentle rise and falls of its chest. He felt cozy. It wasn't that bad at all. But he was very, very tired. Too sleepy.

He stroked the scales of its paws. It was nice to be held, even if it wasn't by a person. Something about being cuddled by a warm body just made him feel nice inside. It had been a while for him at any rate.

“Good odo…"

Up and down, it rose and fell. Up and down, up and down, up and…

---

He sucked in a sharp breath when he woke. The most horrible dream had plagued him throughout the night. Rubbing his eyes, he couldn't remember much, but he did remember that he was alone in the swamp in his dream. So very alone.

Shifting to get up, he found he couldn't. Pursing his lips, he looked down to see two claws holding him.

Right.

It was crazy just how relaxed he felt. He'd slept like a baby. That morning was by far the strangest of his life. Eventually the creature had woken up along with, gotten up, and in doing so, freed him. There was no more chasing, no more hunting. When he got up (he almost didn't want to), stretched his legs, grabbed the remains of his pack, and began to walk away, the creature did not give chase.

He must have looked over his shoulder a dozen times. He shook his head.

Somehow, either by pure luck, or by intuitive trial and error, he found his way back out of the terribly complex system.

Seeing the light of the entrance, he rushed to feel the sun's embrace. There was nothing quite like that gentle heat. And after too long spent in the dark, it was oh-so very welcome.

As he stood there, gazing out into the wilderness, already planning his next move, he heard a familiar click-clacking. He turned to see the odogaron approaching, walking, not running. He let it get right next to him, although the monster's hulking presence inevitably caused some nervousness to brew. It looked at him, and he saw a certain…

By the elders it was strange, a yearning perhaps. Like it was waiting for him to do something. Did it want to follow him? He swore it was like a dog vying for a treat. It wanted something from him, to be sure.

The very idea, like having a pet monster to lug around. He laughed out loud, and the odogaron licked his face.

“Gh- No! Please, not that, thank you very much."

He kept laughing just because of how silly it all was. Stepping onto the grass, ready to get back on the path, the monster indeed followed.

Perhaps he would see if it somehow worked out, just for fun. He'd very nearly met death already, so something like couldn't be too far-fetched to try.

He walked that path, ready to face the world again, with a monster at his side.