FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Morning light poured through the pane glass windows of the tavern's second floor, the illuminating rays glaring onto the side of Kaille's furry face. Warmth from the direct sun slowly stirred the softly snoring Sen from his stupor. Groaning loudly with annoyance, he rolled over to his side, tragically falling onto the hard wooden floor with a loud thud.

"Ouch... oh yeah, it's gonna be one of those days. Stupid sun..." Kaille muttered to himself as he groggily pushed himself up from the floor and unwrapped the fur blanket from around himself. Sitting upright on the bed's edge, he rubbed his eyes of sleep and yawned widely, head still aching a little from the impact on the floor and from the drink the previous night. After properly adjusting to his abrupt state of being awake, the corner of Kaille's eye suddenly caught glimpse of something on the end table beside his bed. Sitting there atop the circular, stained wooden desk, a single slip of white under several silvery metal pieces. Wrapping his knuckles against the plates on his forehead to make sure he wasn't dreaming, Kaille's eyes went wide as he took the coins in his paw and looked them over meticulously. Platinum. Solid, honest to dead, platinum! A handful of it, but even so, this'd be enough to purchase new clothes, food, pay off the room and then some! Kaille's mind was buzzing so much he nearly forgot the note still on the table. Prying his eyes from his newfound wealth, Kaille took the note in hand and turned it over, looking over it with a curious eye. Without reading the message inscribed upon the small paper, he immediately began to pick apart the subtle details of it. The stroke manner was from Kashirn, with the impression and natural writing pattern suggested someone professional, yet personable.

"Kashirn? Odd, thought that the colony there was abandoned some years ago. Probably a person who migrated south when the ash storm fell. Glad to see someone got out of there at least. Now, let's see what that stranger from last night wanted me to know... Wow" The note's message was short and concise, but troubling all the same:

"Stranger, when you read this, be aware. You are in danger. Keep your eyes open, ears to the roots, and plates to the moons. With fortune, we will not need to meet again."

"Well, that's certainly ominous. But trouble? Pfft, I've been in danger since I arrived in this Daemons forsaken country. Honestly, these Retsiik are a far cry from being anywhere close to Aeyr-Mesdt's quality of grandeur. Bark for bones, the lot of them, hehe." Smiling a little to himself, Kaille rose and put the note into his pocket, moving to the window as he heard a disturbingly familiar ruckus from down the way outside. To his ears, Cass was giving some poor local more than an earful. Sighing aloud, Kaille shook his head and pocketed his money, heading down the stairs while keeping a paw on the wall to keep his balance, as he was still a little uneven footed from the previous night. The bar room was relatively empty, though Seril was behind the table yet again, smiling to the young Sen as she cleaned the table in front of her. Shielding his eyes from the sudden and direct light as he walked through the door, Kaille padded along the soft earthen road towards the source of the racket, passing all manner of craftsman, merchants, and artisans. Some worked with wood, carving out images of fauna and local figures. Others sculpted stone into icons of cultural heritage and import. The odd few were even iron masons, those who specialized in architecture and crafting of military arms and armor. No matter their profession or proficiency, however, each of their stores and shops displayed a certain character unto themselves, reflecting the owner's personal style and flare. Admiring the local works as he walked along, Kaille was only able to just barely sidestep the man approaching from his front, brushing against his shoulder for an instant. In that moment, Kaille's mind flooded with emotions and sensations of anxiety, anticipation, aggression... over all foreboding in all senses. The stranger didn't flinch or apologize for having bumped into the young Sen, but just kept walking, his hood shielding his face from view. Ordinarily, that would raise an alarm in Kaille's mind, especially given his time as an obscurer. However hooded cloaks and other such garb seemed to be the norm in this region, likely as many preferred to keep their eyes hidden away from the harsh sunlight. Shaking off the uneasiness, Kaille proceeded down the road towards his noisy travelling companion. The chaos was found to be coming from a local jeweler, where Kaille, upon setting a paw upon the door, had it whack his muzzle harshly and knock him to the ground hard, Cass storming out furiously muttering every manner of Lunnite curse to herself. Picking himself up off the dirt, Kaille brushed himself and his fur off and peeked inside the store, several displays scattered across the floor in what must've been Cassendriana's wrath for some grievance, the store owner on his knees picking up his scattered items off of the floor.

"Ahser, I am so sorry for that woman's actions just now," Kaille implored as he knelt down besides the middle aged Qes with spectacles near his eyes.

"Ahh, another outlander, eh? Well, don't worry, I'm not so old as to be helpless when some Lunnite niessahvra comes knocking with a foul temper. But, while you're here, would you mind helping an old forest plate pick up his mess?" Kaille readily nodded and helped the man restore his goods to their shelves, patting the man on the shoulder with a friendly smile. The man smiled back and thanked him with a nod in return.

"Name's Kenisehn, by the way, Pup. But folks around here just call me Ken. You see that fellow in the dark cloak with silver stitching last night? Odd fellow, but seemed sure friendly enough. Placed an order for a unique piece I'd been trying to sell for a while now. Solid platinum ear piece. Thin, but valuable. Of course, no one around here'd been willing to buy when they have their own goods to promote. Makes sense, I suppose. Also asked me to make as many more of those pieces as I could make, within reason of course. Sounded northern to me, but asked that I send word to a small tavern along the Magisterial Road out east, first. Guess he wanted to be able to pick up his order all at once."

"I remember that stranger, Ahser, but only vaguely. I was, uh, hehe, a little less than lucid at the time. I'm afraid I'm a lightweight when it comes to the local brew."

"Ahh, ol' Seril didn't warn you beforehand, did she? You're Ravviik, yes? I've tried some brew from out there once or twice, but it was fairly weak. We add some extra kick in these parts. Surprised she didn't tell you first, but she always was a mischievous one. Suppose she wanted to see how a young Split-Marrow like yourself would handle the beverages."

"Heh, well, Bark-plates like you lot sure know how to make a traveler feel welcome. Beasts, caravans, marauders... you people have it all."

"Eh, easterners are just soft. Too many of them sitting in the capital sipping sweetened spirits and fine meat. Don't know what it's like to make a true man's living out where it matters most."

"Whatever you say, Ahser... By the way, what'd that Sea-Marrow want you to do that caused so much chaos in the first place?"

"Oh the Lunnite? Re' Va, I don't know, Pup. Came in all riled up with her tail twitching like a fire with some locket that had a broken chain on it. Said she wanted me to fix it straight away, told her she'd have to wait a couple days on account of other orders. Started pressing in and "asking" if I could make an exception. Pretty enough, sure, but a crafter's business can't be cheated on account of that. One order at a time, as they come, otherwise I lose business."

"Of course. Having done some work in trading goods myself, I can understand that completely. Again, sorry for the trouble. We'll be heading out shortly, I assure you."

"Thinking on leaving, huh? Well, I'd suggest heading Jiir, West of here a ways. The Magistrate sent an Envoy to help us keep order until the Marshals get things settled leadership-wise. Overseer, I think. Heard the guy was from a good clan, well respected. Gotta be better than that Pavok along the Northern coastline. Good soldier, bad leader. But, these are my own troubles, I don't mean to bother you with them."

"It's fine, Ken. I don't mind. But still, thanks for the directions. Hopefully this, "Overseer" will be able to lend a hand."

"Not a problem, young friend. I, don't believe I caught your name, however..."

"Nesuut. Kaille Nesuut, formerly of Ravviin. Pleasure to meet you." Kaille smiled at the welcoming Qes and bowed his head. The jeweler Ken returned the kindness and waved as Kaille against walked out into the light. This time, to go find his trouble making travel companion.

Back in the present...

"So now we get to where we were? Young Nesuut goes to see the Overseer just before the attack? Seems like an awful lot of story just to get to that point, Mahr-Rett."

"Now, now, don't jump to conclusions, my friend. After all, there's a method to the telling, and this is how I was told, after all. So be patient. I promise, what happens next will make the wait worth it for you."

"You like to keep your audience in suspense, don't you?"

"Wouldn't be where I am today if I weren't good as what I do, would I? Ha- Just wait and listen my friend. Things are soon to get very interesting for our young traveler..."