FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Over the following weeks, the cat, who we came to know as The Finder, taught me feral formalities, helped me perfect the language and smooth my transitions between the two languages. We did this for a couple of hours every day and then it would be satisfied with my progress and leave me for the rest of the day to sit in the hospital alone. But Snow made sure I wasn't. Every hour of everyday he could spare, he was there with me. Observing, encouraging and most importantly, keeping me company. I also became accepting of Dr. Spot, not only because he intercepted my step-mom whenever she felt compelled to come and see me, or chew me out. But he also wasn't giving me any medicine. I mean, he gave me pills because it made my step-mom happy, but they were fake! They were filled with sugar and he said they had no real effect on me. He believed that since I was a strong, healthy and young jackal, I should be able to heal without the aid of medicine.

I missed my high school graduation ceremony, which I wasn't happy about. But bless Snow's heart. He went and got my diploma, gown and cap for me so that I could have them. He did things like that for me every day, little things that would make me happy or make things easier for me.

During those weeks I also gained a new view on life and the world around me. The Finder taught me that ferals respect each other and each other's role in nature even between predator and prey. Sure there were disputes, but nothing to the extent that the anthros have conjured with wars and imprisonment; mass killings and hatred of our fellow countrymen for no reason but for discrimination. It made me ashamed, but it also brought forth the reason why my job would be so important in the future. I was meant to stop this. To bring peace back into the minds of the anthros and reunite the animal kingdom in a way that would be mutually beneficial for both sides, through love and happiness, not through war and prejudice.

But most importantly, during those couple of weeks in the hospital, I realized how much I loved Snow. I came to terms with this realization after the first week. I loved how he was always there for me and willing to help me with everything. He was also the most supportive being throughout the whole time. He was there to encourage me though struggles of pain and of language. He would help me practice, even if he couldn't understand what I was saying to him. It was during those moments of talking in feral to him and only him, that I expressed my true feelings for him. I told him that I loved him like no one else could and that I would always be there for him when this was all over. But I never could bring myself to tell him in anthro. I knew him for too long to think that he would be gay, even for me. He was always looking to get the hottest girl in the school to go out with him. Always waiting for the perfect girl to come and settle down with him in marriage forever.

The pain that only a broken heart can feel came in greater waves of grief than both my step-mom and the physical pain combined could muster. Every time I thought about him and what I hoped could be; I was met with the devastating agony of the truth.

I was released from the hospital a couple of weeks after I was admitted. The Finder wanted to take me to "The Circle" where I would meet the Gods and be given my first task. But I wasn't ready and I told it that. It left for a few days and then returned saying that the Gods understood and would give me a couple of years for me to get on my paws in the adult world.

Well, I didn't really think I could be told otherwise since I had not met these "Gods" that the Finder constantly referenced. Sure I believed that they might exist, but I have always been more a "got to smell and see it to believe it" kind of jackal.

I went on to study feral veterinary medicine. Snow thought it would be a great fit since I could talk to ferals and I wouldn't have to work around the busy lives of anthros. I thought about it for a while and I finally agreed. We both went to the same college, New Tail University. While it was expensive being one of the few colleges in the city, but my step-mom was just happy to see me go and Snow's parents had saved up for quite some time. He went to study physical education and training in order to become a physical trainer or a coach. College was easy for him, run this many miles, lift this much weight, what muscle is this? He had it easy compared to what I faced. Medicine for both ferals and anthros was a new thing back when I began to study. It was difficult the first year, but the next, well... let's just say there might have been some "divine intervention" happening because everything seemed to suddenly click. I became the top of my class and got my Doctorate in record time at the age of 24.

After we got out of college, Snow found a job at a local canine gym as a trainer and I scrounged up enough money to buy a small building to open up my feral clinic in the suburbs next what was known as, "The Forest of Darkness." It was said that those who entered the forest, never returned and there were monsters in the forest that feasted on the flesh of any anthro who ventured too far into the forest. When I asked, the Finder assured me that if I was truly the Interpreter, then the Gods wouldn't let anything ever happen to me. Great, my life was in the hands of a bunch of feral gods.

Business was good and I began to gain the trust of the surrounding community, even a few of the felines who didn't have anywhere else to go one time and were forced to come to me. While I still had some feelings against the felines, I took the advice of Dr. Spot and the Finder and started to open up myself to getting used to them. I even made a zero tolerance for discrimination policy at the clinic. Even so, I became horribly nervous when talking to a group of felines and still do if the group gets beyond three felines.

After work or on my days off, I would head to the gym and hang out with Snow and work out on my cardio. I was never one for lifting weights, but I would when Snow insisted on it. The gym's owner, a grey wolf named Serio Orgul, was a nice wolf who cared a lot about working out, his gym and those who used his gym. The gym itself consisted of an indoor track, stairs made for running up and down, and a plethora of weightlifting instruments.

Today I was jogging around the track with Snow. We were about halfway through the work out and he glanced over and said, "We are making exceptional time today!"

"Well, it helps that we are the only ones here today," I puffed.

"True, true. But I like to think that we are getting faster! I mean, the last time we were the only ones we were half the distance we are now at this time" he replied.

"Perfect reason to take a break this time round," I insisted as we neared the end of the lap. We stopped and drank some water. I sat down heavily while Snow stretched. Today was turning out to be a pretty good day. It was slow at the clinic, and now I had Snow all to myself this afternoon. That was, until we heard glass breaking coming from the gym entrance. Snow and I hustled to investigate. We found the front window broken with a brick on the floor. Outside, there were three felines: a skinny cheetah, a huge tiger, and a larger than normal ocelot, a little taller than the cheetah.

Serio came running to the front yelling, "What the hell?" He had his jaw agape when he first saw the scene but he quickly gathered himself and shouted, "Hey you cats are going to pay for this!"

He began stomping outside to confront them when the tiger replied, "Get used to it you mutt, this is our territory now! So get back inside and learn your place!"

"What? Your territory? You have got to be the stupidest band of fur-balls I have ever met. No one who uses this gym will ever let you destroy this place or terrorize any of the surrounding neighborhood! Now you get out of here or else!" threatened Serio with rage that hope I will never have to see again.

"Yeah just leave before someone gets hurt," backed Snow, standing beside him. I walked up on his other side, offering support.

"I don't think you understand what is going on here you stupid dogs, we are the masters, you are the pets! Now get back inside!" the tiger demanded with some visible anger showing as well.

None of us budged. We were too angry to just back down and even more infuriating was that these cats were telling us what to do like they owned us.

Serio whispered quickly to Snow and I, "Is there anyone else in the gym?"

"No, just us," replied Snow.

"Then good luck gents," sighed Serio as the tiger commanded his minions.

"Looks like we are going to have to show them how to back down, let's get them boys!"

The ocelot and the cheetah lunged towards us with their claws out and teeth flashing. Snow and Serio moved to intercept them which left me to deal with the tiger by myself.

"I'll be there to help you in a minute boys, after I break this weak little jackal in two" he snickered.

As he advanced towards me, my anger turned into fear. I didn't expect to take him on alone or even at all! I began to panic and face the possiblity that I was going to die at the hands of a cat.

"Calm yourself and focus!" growled a voice inside my head. "Your friends will need you, you cannot let them down!" I don't know who that was, but they were right. If we are all going to make it out of this alive, then I needed to focus and at least hold the tiger off long enough for help to arrive.

The tiger swung at me with his big clawed fist but I dodged it with ease and side stepped his other fist. I swung backwards with all my might to hit him in the back but my arm only bounced off as he swung his arm back to push me away. We both turned to face each other once again, the tiger snarling at me as we began to circle. This time I acted first. Well, my body did anyways, I don't know how I did it but I stepped left and sprung up into the air. The tiger lunged at me, like he expected me to come forward. But my sudden jump upwards caught him off guard as I turned and landed on his back. I wrapped my arms around his neck and squeezed. He grabbed my arms to try and pry me free of his neck. Man he was strong! It took every bit of strength I had to resist but slowly he began to waver, and eventually collapsed unconscious.

I loosed my grip around his neck hesitantly, expecting him to spring up and tear me limb from limb. But he didn't get up, he just laid there. I sat there shaking, not able to believe what I just did. I was alive! I had beaten him all by myself! I raised up my arms in triumph and wanted to high-five Snow or someone. But wait, that's right! I completely forgot about them! I looked across the lot and there was Serio and Snow fighting the other two felines. Snow was handling the ocelot quite well, both dealing blows but no blood, yet. Serio on the other hand was in trouble. The much more nimble cheetah was running circles around him and wearing him down.

I ran over to help Serio, hoping that he still could help me. As I was running up, the cheetah turned his back to me. This is your chance said the voice. I picked up speed and slammed right into the back of the cheetah, knocking him to the ground. Serio looked a bit startled by my sudden entry but he then gave the cheetah a quick kick to the gut and said, "Serves you right you filth! Thanks for the help Jazcal now let's get the ocelot and be done with these buffoons."

I nodded and we ran over to where Snow and the ocelot were fighting. When we got there, the two just ended a grapple with both looking worse for wear, but now the odds were on our side. We formed a triangle around the ocelot. He glanced around with a tired look on his face. He noticed the tiger and the cheetah in heaps on the ground and immediately fell to his knees. He cried, "Please! No more! Spare me the pain that my comrades are experiencing! I beg of you."

Serio stepped forward and replied, "Why should we? You guys will just keep coming back until you get what you want."

"No, no please. We won't come back. I swear!"

"No, I don't think that will be enough," Snow chimed in.

He has fought honorably. You should let him go. At least so that he can carry his friends away, said the voice in my head.

Serio and Snow both stepped forwards, prepared to wail on this feline, but I felt like I had to go with what the voice said. I don't know where it came from or who it was, but they have been right this far.

"Guys, stop," I said. "I think we should let him go. I mean, someone has to drag those two out of here, might as well be him."

Snow and Serio looked over at me with the ocelot hoisted up in their claws. "Are you serious?" asked Snow with a hint of disbelief.

"Yes, please just do it as a favor," I pleaded.

"A favor for a feline, I never would have guessed you would be asking that, but fine. He can go," said Serio as they both pushed the defeated ocelot away. "You carry those two out of here and I want the money for that window tomorrow you hear?"

"Yes sir, thank you sir," was all the ocelot could muster. He got the cheetah to his paws and they both slowly dragged the tiger down the street.