FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Sal let out a long exasperated sigh; He had moved into the city to Brooklyn to find a change of pace. Instead he found all the same problems of the small town he grew up in on a larger scale. That and it was fucking freezing outside. He'd never admit it, but Sal missed the hot muggy days in Georgia.

For a moment he wondered if it wasn't too late to go back and apologize to his folks for the way he left. Technically, he didn't leave on a bad note, hell he didn't even say goodbye. Sal shook the thought out of his head; if he went back now they would be right: he'd be stupid, ignorant, caring less for his own safety than satisfying his thirst for adventure, and sure he might've been all those things but he sure as hell didn't have the strength to admit it.

He continued walking down the crowded streets of Brooklyn. People rushing past him as snow began to float down onto the ground below him.

“How do these people stand this fucking cold!" he muttered silently under his breath. Sal put another foot forward pivoting on the balls of his feet to turn around, probably better get back to the apartment. The only problem was he didn't remember how he had gotten here.

Sal looked around desperately for anything that he could recognize, but it all looked so foreign. He didn't even know if he was in Brooklyn anymore. He didn't remember walking that far, but the aching in his calves said otherwise.

“Shit!" Sal frantically reached into his pocket for his phone almost losing his grip on it. His thumb slid over the power button, but the led display didn't turn on, “What the hell! I charged you before I left!" people stared at him yelling to himself just another crazy in the streets of New York.

He glanced around desperately looking for a place he could charge his phone, but all the store fronts had turned off their lights for the night. A panic rose in his chest; if he couldn't find his way back home before long he could get robbed. Hell, maybe even killed. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw a store with its lights still on, nestled away in the alleys of Brooklyn. It was an odd place for a store Anyone would have missed it under any other circumstances.

As he walked closer, things began to get stranger. the building looked like something out of the 1800's: the concrete side walked turned to neglected cobblestone with weeds sprouting through the tiniest of cracks, a single lamp stood lighting the alleyway with a flickering flame, and a wrought iron sign arched over the entrance of the building. The words, “Ravens and Relics" and underneath it with smaller text, “Hags not welcome"

Sal's throat closed up. He wanted to turn around and find another place, even though he knew nowhere else would be open. Not with the flurry of snow that was raining down on the city. He had to hand it to the place; it certainly was a change of pace from the small town life he grew up in.

Whatever impressions he had from the outside, got worse on the inside. It was dark in the building accompanied by an eerie chill; even for Brooklyn in the dead of winter. He saw a few candles at the end of their life trying to fight through the darkness; not that they were doing much. A giant sign instructed him to be seated until someone came to greet him. Hopefully he could find a place to charge his phone just a little bit before that happened.

Sal took a seat on the bench positioned in the corner of the store it squeaked in protest as his weight pressed down on the brittle wood.

“'Ey whatddya think you're doing? Mongoose sitting right here! You could've crushed me right down, smoosh like a pancake. why don't ya keep your eyes open next time, bub." A heavy Brooklyn accent suddenly filled the air to make Sal tense backwards onto the bench. He didn't recall seeing anyone else in the store; only fools driven by desperation would have the guts to enter this place when it wasn't dark outside in the middle of a snowstorm. “Down here between your legs. Real awkward situation you've gotten the both of us into buddy, and don't you even dare start thinking about what gets you off. I swear, the moment I feel something poking against me You're liable to lose a finger ,you got me?"

Sal turned his gaze downward; surely there couldn't be another person this close without him realizing it. And there wasn't.

Staring back at him was a pair of beady red eyes. The only word that would come to mind was mongoose, but he wondered if that wasn't because the thing had called itself that.

Sal took in a long breath giving himself time to process what was going on, “Did you just talk?" His voice came out flat and dumbfounded.

“Why is that the first thing people always asks? Not 'how ya doin Gef', or oh I don't know 'sorry for almost crushing ya to death! Lemme get up off of ya'," the 'mongoose' squirmed its way out of the grip that Sal's body had on it. “Yeah I'm talkin here what othe' logical explanation is 'der?"

The thing was small, and it looked more like a tame ferret than something found out in the wild. Sal couldn't be sure though: it's lanky body, and white coat speckled with black spots didn't look like any kind of breed he had heard of; not that he was an expert on Mustelids.

“Look, where I come from ferrets don't usually have the capacity to talk to me."

“Get a load of this guy over here. 'Where I come from', whatddya mean." Gef the talking Mongoose stopped speaking, “Oh this is bad Gef. You done screwed up real bad this time." The mongoose hopped down from the bench and scurried away.

Sal got up to chase after the animal, but stopped when he heard another voice. He wasn't sure it'd be a good idea to barge into the back of this man's store. The store was strange enough with shelves filled to the brim with vials hosting an assortment of strange colors. Odd trinkets laid out on dust covered cabinets each boasting some ridiculous effect that it could have on the body, “Werewolf claws, harpy feathers, demon's essence" Sal forced himself to stop. It was like the place was trying to write itself into an old witch story.

“Can I help you with something?" The voice made Sal jump. He was so busy observing, the store he failed to notice the voices busy chatting away, had stopped. He looked over his shoulder expecting to see some old kook who'd never shaved in his life wearing a silk robe adorned with stars. Instead there was a middle aged man sporting long straightened hair, a neatly trimmed goatee, and a buttoned up coat running down to his feet. Talk about out of style.

“Uhh.." Sal's words caught in the back of his throat, “I was wondering if I could charge my phone here. Stupid battery must be faulty or something, the thing won't keep it's charge."

The owner looked Sal up and down before giving a brief nod as if he passed some sort of test; the thought gave him the chills. The man spoke, “And what made you choose my store?"

“Well it's late, I'm lost, and 'your store' was the only place with the welcome sign still up, so take your pick."

“Interesting" The man leaned in close taking a sniff of Sal's skin, “You are not from around here."

Sal took a step back wishing something would draw this man's attention away from him. Slowly he shook his head, “No. I just moved here from Georgia last week."

“Only last week? Then surely you must be looking for a job, people think that just because it is a big city, work is easier to come by, but it is quite the opposite actually. Lucky for you, I happen to have an opening and I'm sure Gef would love the extra company. He doesn't get to go out too much these days."

Sal stared at the man dumbfounded. All he wanted was to charge his phone, but now this strange man was offering him a job. Sal did need one badly. He hadn't come up with much money to begin with, and his reserves were already starting to run low; His only concern was that this place seemed a tad too strange to want to jump in head first, “Thanks, but I've already got an interview lined up tomorrow," Sal lied his eyes looked down instinctively offering a tell for anyone smart enough to read it.

The man let out a chuckle but then began to speak slowly so Sal could comprehend what he was about to say “Oh is that so? Well I should go ahead and apologize; this building is designed specifically to keep people away from it and inadvertently you finding it has marked a scent on you. There are forces below that won't hesitate to rip you to pieces, and from what the mongoose told me you're scent is already strong otherwise he wouldn't have spoken to you.".

Sal didn't know whether to think this was all a big joke or not. A talking mongoose, a building straight out of the Victorian Era, and now talk of monsters? He didn't like where this was going.

“Allow me to repeat this offer once more. If you work for me I can guarantee your protection, you'll be payed in cash, no taxes taken out, and while you're here I can teach you how to defend yourself."

Sal took in a deep breath, it all seemed a little too surreal, “You don't even know my name"

“Well then, let's trade a name for a name. Mine is Heckubus"

“Heckebus? What kind of name is Heckebus?"

“Did you have another name for me in mind? Something mundane. Maybe, Trevor?"

Sal let out a sigh. It was only getting later in the night and here this guy was only cracking jokes, “No Heckubus is fine, my name is Sal. I'm sorry but do you mind if I think things over? You're coming on kinda strong with this creatures of the dark business."

Heckubus gave a slow nod in confirmation. He didn't seem happy at the idea of it, but for Sal it was a relief that the man had some sort of reason to him. Heckabus craned his neck behind him and called for Gef. The mongoose, if you could call him that, came scurrying out from behind the counter.

His beady eyes glanced between Heckebus and Sal, “Oh don't tell me you're just gonna let another out on the streets. Not after what happened last time."

“Quite the opposite my Mustelid compatriot. He has asked for time to think about my proposal of him working with us and since you were the one who opened your mouth without thinking to, I would like you to escort him and make sure nothing succeeds at devours him while he 'thinks'." With a smile, Heckubus strolled behind the counter and out of view leaving Sal and the mongoose staring at each other.

Goosebumps started to form on the back of Sal's neck, the cold room seemed a lot colder, “He's not serious about that is he?"

“'Fraid so Sal; you don't mind if I call'ya Sal right? Don't worry I'll explain everything to ya once we get back to your place and I find me some babes."

The two walked out of the building. The snow had already begun to pile up on the sidewalk leaving the city cold, eerie, and quiet.. Sal almost wished he had never left home, but maybe things would change from the norm after all. He looked down to Gef who was having trouble wading through the snow. Sal picked Gef up and propped him on his shoulder, “You know where to go right."

The mongoose chuckled, “Couldn't miss your scent if it was on the other side'a New York."

“Gef… shut it."