FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

I strapped on my blade-guards, grabbed a pair of hook swords and stepped outside into the cold, winter air. I breathe in, heavily. Close my eyes. Listen. I feel the cold air against my bare chest. My hair is trailing the wind. I open my eyes, hearing the Masters shouts. I start running, entering the training grounds.

"Ryu! You're late!"

"I apologize. I was lost in thought."

"That's no excuse. You're on now. Get up and show us how good you are."

I look up on the "stage". It's covered in long gashes along the wood and small trails of blood mark the last fight that went on here. I climb up on the arena, clinging to my swords for dear life. Every day training here could kill me. It was just a matter of time.

As I rise up on the arena, I notice my opponent. A big, rugged man, holding a pair of huge maces. I immediately survey for weaknesses. He seems to be top-heavy, which means that I can outspeed him. He's carrying maces, so he's probably aiming for the head. In a matter of seconds, I have him figured out. I nod towards Master.

"I'm ready"

I hear a gong. In a matter of mere moments, I'm already pouncing around my opponent, testing his speed and reflexes. He's fast. Faster than I thought. He swings at me with his right arm, holding the mace close to his hand. I duck, thanking my short build, and grab his fore-arm. I feel and hear a loud snap. He screams out in pain. His left hand swings at me and I can't see it coming fast enough. I try to riposte under him again but he manages to land the mace square on my bare chest. I cough up blood, falling down on the ground. I see the man above me, smiling. Not grinning, laughing. He's laughing at me! How does he dare?

I black out. I feel a surge of power. I can't describe it. It just is. I feel like laughing. I feel intoxicated with the all-too-familiar strength that I get when I only see darkness.

I wake up, seeing a man. No. Remains of one. His face is no longer recognizable. His arms are too distorted to be called arms anymore. He's not laughing anymore, is he? I hear a gong, again.

"Good job, Ryu!"

I look down on my Master and nod. I step down of the ring. I'm covered in blood but I do not care. It'll happen tomorrow. And the day after. It's just something that'll never end.

Later

I look up at the stars, loving the soft light of the moon dancing on my skin. It's late. I should be sleeping. I don't care. I'm bathing under a waterfall, studying my body carefully. The spot on my chest, where the mace landed, had turned into an ugly blue and was painful to touch. I sigh.

"Just another day..."

I hear a twig snapping behind me.

I launch for my swords but they're gone. I see a figure, looking down on me from the top of the waterfall.

"Not as bright as I'd hope. Leaving your gear all over the ground, ready for picking and all"

Sounds like a man. Never heard this voice. I climb out of the water and dart up the side of the waterfall, ignoring the pebbles grinding into my feet. I reach the top. I see the figure again. But it's not human. It seems only half-human. Infact. More than half. His feet are double-jointed with three long talons on each. His face is long like a lizards. He has long pointy ears, covered by a long lock of hair over his face. As my eyes sail around him, I notice that he has a tail! A long, stiff and blue tail! Around his torso I see a long metal chain with daggers on both ends, obviously used for the arts of combat. Behind him, I see my swords and blade-guards. I look at the man, suspiciously.

"What's the matter?"

"Who are you?" The figure tuts at me.

"Now now. That's no way to answer a question. I asked first, so you answer first."

"What are you?"

"Are you deaf?" He immediately launches himself at me but doesn't look angry. Just amused. I step to my side and manage to dodge him, barely. He's not normal. Nobody can move this fast. He stops with unnatural speed, right above the waterfall. His feet are standing on the water and he doesn't seem phased by this unnatural talent at all! I stare at his feet, trying to find a way to explain this trick of the eyes, which it must be.

"You are quite fast though." He laughs. "I've never been dodged like that before, so I do give you some credit" I see a glint in his eyes. "But" He practically explodes with speed, landing his palm right on my chest, knocking the wind out of me while also hurting, due to the earlier wound. "You're not faster than me. Not by a long shot."

I look at him, gasping for air. He looks down on me, studying my face, trying to find a weak spot. He raises his hand. I flinch, waiting for him to finish me off.

"Here" He extends his hand. "Let me help you up". I look at him confusedly, cocking my head in disbelief.

"Why?"

"Would you rather have me kill you?" He looks at me, smiling. "Besides, I want to fight you for real, someday"

I can't make any sense from that statement, so I just extend my hand at his scaly, clawed paws and hold tight, as he pulls me up.

"So. What's the matter?" He asks me, calmly.

"You are not human"

"Aah. You are quite smart, aren't you?" He responds with obvious sarcasm. "No. I am not human. Nor are you, since we're on the subject" He points his claw at me, poking my chest. "So. Your turn to ask a question"

"So... What are you?" I ask, almost shying away from the creatures eyes that study my expressions, as I talk.

"I" He stands up, striking a near-heroic pose. "Am Ravener! The great hunter!" He unravels the chain around his torso and whips it around. Then I see something that shouldn't happen. Lighting! Coming from his chain! It hits the ground near me and I roll back, dodging any possible strikes to follow.

"Oh crap! Sorry!" The lightings stop coming and he rests the chain on his hands. He looks apologetic and lifts his hands, showing that he is done doing, whatever he was just doing. "I didn't mean to do that"

I look at him, scared and curious. I look at him in the eyes.

"You said that I wasn't human. What does that mean?"

"Well... That's kind of difficult to exp-"

"No! It's not!" I interrupt. "What does that mean?"

He glares at me for a moment, which makes me want to take back my interruption and apologize. I keep a brave face and swallow.

"As I was saying: It is difficult to explain, because I don't know, myself. You seem like a human, fight like a human and sure as hell smell like a human" He raises his fingers to his nose and pretends disgust. "From what I can tell, you are human. But Iris says that you're not. So let her explain it" He sighs and looks up to the sky.

"Iris?"

He sighs again. "Yes. Iris. Is that so difficult to comprehend, to your thinking box?" He laughs a little. "She's our Seeker. And she sought you out. I'm not gonna pretend that I understand Seekers. They're a scary bunch as it is. And she's in the top-league as well"

"You lost me... What are "Seekers"?"

He sighs again. "Look. I'm not going to explain every single detail, especially when I barely understand them myself!"

"I apologize" I look down quickly, noticing that I'm bleeding again. I cover the wound with my hand and get up.

"Hey. Hey! Where are you going?" Ravener asks, standing up and grabbing my right shoulder. "You aren't really all too bright, are you?"

"I have to wake up early tomor-"

"Why's that?" He looks at me, only tightening his grip.

"Because I have to fight another gu-"

"The only one you're fighting, is me, if you don't listen. I have strict orders to inform you of tomorrow" He glares at me, waiting for me to object.

I sigh, returning his gaze. "But I have to go back. They'll look for me."

He laughs a bit, then puts on a serious face. "We've handled that. A representative will arrive tomorrow, with me and we will escort you to a safer place"

"Safer?"

"For the love of!" He sighs heavily. "Are you stupid or what? Safer. S A F E R" He swings his arms out in a frustrated manner. "You really are slow. Just wait for us and we'll come. Got that?"

I look at him, unsure what to think. After a moment of thinking, I finally speak. "Yes. I understand"

"Good. Now go to your precious dojo and enjoy your last night there" He shoves me forward. "And take better care of your gear, please" He carefully lifts my swords and guards, then extends them to me like they're the most fragile things in existence. "They may save your life someday"

I take the swords, noticing that they seem to have a new shine, a new life, in them. "I know" I whisper and start walking down towards the dojo, trying to wake up from the dream, where I talked with a scaled person with lightning in his hands.