FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Jake lounges in the study watching the fire as the wood seems to burn without actually being burned. His fingers idly trail along the spine of an ancient tome on circular coffee table. His eyes go back to the title on its spine, the characters completely unknown to his brain no matter how many times he looks at it. "What a place to end up on a Tuesday afternoon," he mutters under his breath. His hopefulness in wasting his time in a fruitful way had led to the worst wasting of time yet. Picking the book up carefully, he slowly opens it to find it full of the same indecipherable text. Flipping a few more pages doesn't reveal any pictures, so he closes it and puts it back on the table.

A strange sensation begins to prickle at the edge of his mind. It's similar to the feeling he had when he was walking up the stairs. Closing his eyes he tries to focus on the feeling. It may just be a headache but as he feels it growing more intense, he's sure it's not. It's something else entirely, a new feeling he's never felt before. Feeling a bit disoriented and concerned, he gets up and walks over to the bookcase to see if getting his blood flowing will help repel the feeling. As he looks at the different books, each different and still illegible language, the feeling in his mind grows ever more intense.

He closes his eyes again and instead of trying to fight the feeling off, he focuses on it more. It's not painful or annoying; but it's persistent. Like it's telling him to move or like it's pulling him in a direction...

As he opens his eyes, he's now facing the door the old man had gone through. Stepping up to it, he reaches for the doorknob and remembers his promise to the shopkeeper that he'd stay in this room. Dwelling on it for a moment, he shakes his head as he already knows the truth, the old man can't be trusted either, he'd betray Jake too eventually. Turning the knob, Jake opens the door and steps into the next room as he gasps and his eyes go wide!

It's as if he's stepped out of reality and into a dream--or perhaps a feverish delusion conjured by the pages of the ancient books he'd been thumbing through moments ago. The room is larger than the previous one and has the same wood paneling along the walls; but whereas the previous room had books and seats, this room has racks upon racks of costumes! Each outfit is unique and even from a small distance, the meticulous details that each has would put any semester or seamstress to shame. Taking another pass with his eyes, he can see animal, insect, bird, and even aquatic costumes all mixed together, each costume an exquisite homage to the creature it represents.

"Whoa..." slips from his lips as he walks up to the closest costume. It's a majestic falcon, its wingspan casting a wide shadow over the smaller, delicately woven butterfly outfit that hangs right behind it. A dragonfly costume is next with iridescent wings that wink at him as he starts to walk down the first row. A set of big cat outfits with pelts so realistic he expects them to pounce at him with a softer, fluffy, bunny costume seemingly hiding from its predators. A hard-shelled insect is next, with a sectioned body suit that is also lined with hard carapace.

"Unbelievable," Jake breathes out, his hands itching to touch the textures before him. He doesn't dare, though; something about their aura, or something, seems to repel him; but their craftsmanship commands a certain reverence nonetheless. "What kind of place is this old man?" Jake asks himself out loud as he feels the pull in his mind growing ever strong. As he continues to walk and look at all the costumes, it feels like he is headed in the right direction until his gaze settles on a costume that halts his breath for a moment. It's an animal with long luxurious white fur. As if calling for his touch, he reaches out and puts his hand on the soft fur. A cool feeling seems to rush into his fingers and into his palm; oddly not frightening but more calming, accepting, wanting...

Pulling the costume from the rack reveals the weight of the costume. Holding it up, he can see why, it has a long, wide, bushy tail with a black-furred tip. His eyes quickly scan the rest of the costume as he finds the hands, feet, and the tips of the ears also have black fur. Holding the costume out, he smiles as he says, "This is an incredible arctic fox costume!" Knowing he shouldn't be holding such a masterpiece, the thought of putting it back, being away from it seems wrong, too, like he needs to be in this costume. Bringing the costume closer, draping it over his left arm, lets him pet the fur again. The softness of the fabric and the chilling energy that fills his hand with each movement are entrancing as all of his focus is taken by the costume.

The hushed silence of the room shatters as a door opens into the room. Jake's heart leaps into his throat as the old man walks in. The storeowner is holding his head in distress as he walks into the room and toward the far door that'll lead into the sitting room. He hadn't noticing Jake, yet. Should he run? Should he announce himself? Should he hide? No that wouldn't work, the old man would find him as soon as he didn't see him in the other room.

<Best be done with it,> Jake decides as he says, "Quite a collection you have here..."

Startled, the old man looks over to Jake, his expression turning to rage. "You said you'd stay in the other room!"

"I know-"

"You know nothing!" The old man snaps, cutting off any of Jake's excuses, as stomps around the racks of costumes to get to Jake.

"This day was already too complicated!" The man complains as he approaches Jake. "And now I will have to wipe your memory!"

"Wipe my memory!?" Jake stammers as he takes an involuntary step back.

"A mem.or..y..." The man comes up short as he sees the costume in Jake's hands. "...Impossible..." he breathes out, the word hanging between them like a bit of smoke drifting in the air.

"I felt a pull," Jake starts, trying to explain what had happened, "A pull in my mind. I tried to ignore it but, well, it kind of lead me to this costume."

"And now? What do you feel?"

Raising an eyebrow at the man's changed demeanor, he realizes the pull is gone. Replaced by emotions. A desire. Remaining silent a bit longer, he explores his feelings as he finally says, "There's an energy with this costume. I feel anxious holding it. I don't want to let it go either. Like if I put it down, I'll lose a part of myself..."

The old man's anger fades completely as his shoulders relax. "Well, this might be the turn around we needed. My name is Calmar." He reaches out a hand in greeting. "The former owner of the Magic Emporium."

"Calmar?" Jake queries, the name strangely foreign. His fingers stroke the fur unconsciously, finding solace in the cold energies coursing through his hand while his mind races to make sense of the situation. Reluctantly he frees his right and and accepts Calmar's hand as he says, "I'm Jake, Jake Sullivan."

"Good to meet you Jake," the old man says as he looks back to the costume in Jake's arms. "I'd ask you if you know what you're holding but I know you have no idea."

"It's an arctic fox costume, right? Jake answers unsure if this is a trick question.

Chuckling, Calmar cracks a smile. "So, you do have..." Calmar says trailing off. After a pause the man's smile fades as he says, "...no idea. You will not believe what I'm going to tell you either, so I'll just say it. I am a mage. What you hold is a magic-infused costume made for mages to wield in battle."

Jake starts to laugh as he shakes his head, "I was just in your shop down there and everything was just junk! You expect me to believe that!?"

A quick word escapes Calmar's mouth as the room goes dark. Startled, Jake looks around before he hears another few words from Calmar as three flames appear in the air around Calmar's head like a halo torn from the heart of a bonfire. The flames dance, flicker and twirl, casting strange shadows across the old man's balding head.

"I can show you more, lad, to convince you that I am not lying." Calmar's voice is soft but demanding, aged but determined. "But you have a choice to make and little time to make it in."

Jake nods, knowing there's something more going on here than he can understand. He holds the costume up to his chest for comfort as the costume's chill radiates into his chest.

"I will give you two options, Jake Sullivan. One, I wipe your memory and place you unconscious, but otherwise unhurt, body near the ruins of my shop. Two, you put on that costume accept the costume's contract."

Knowing he's missing a lot of context, Jake considers his options. Leaving here without this costume seems like a terrible decision. The longer he holds it, feels its comfort, the more he knows he needs it. Though, what is this about a contract? Why would he want to form a contract? Why would he want to be beholden to anyone? Why would he want to open himself up to more betrayal? As he blinks and focuses on the fox costume again, the need to put it on it too great to overcome.

Watching Jake, Calmar says, "Every costume here is more than mere fabric. They are vessels, conduits for empowering mages. The contracts and subsequent bonds are not to be taken lightly either and each costume has its own conditions. If you make a contract with one, you and it will be bonded together for life."

"Life!?" Jake asks startled as his heart starts to beat heavy. Still looking at the costume, he can feel a subtle change to the coldness flowing into him. With every heartbeat the cold flows in and some of his warmth flows out as if yearning for him to join it. "Can I choose a modified second option? Can I put this costume on and see if I accept the contract? If that fails, then I'll take option 1."

"That will work," Calmar says as he turns and starts walking toward the door. "I recommend taking all your clothes off prior to putting it on."

Jake nods as he's left alone in the room.