FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

"Damn it! Watch out for the projectiles!" Xenes shouted as he watched one of his own—a medium-sized dragon with blue and greenish scales—fall, engulfed in a blue flame, crashing into the dark ocean with no chance of rescue. His heart, racing with adrenaline, urged him to rescue his friend, but he had to think clearly. He was the leader of the squadron; three other lives depended on his decisions and critical thinking.

“I’m sorry, Larim.” That was all he could think before focusing his gaze ahead, searching for a safe place to land. They hadn’t been prepared to fight with all their packs and bags on, and throwing them into the sea wasn’t an option. Fortunately, the second volley of projectiles exploded in the air, creating white lights and revealing details that had been hidden by the darkness.

“Xenes! I see a cave in the cliff… We have to move quickly.” Quirame, a female dragon of respectable size with white scales fading into blue tones, interrupted. Her belly was predominantly light blue, almost reflective, the same color as her eyes and claws. The pain of loss was visible on her face, but survival came first.

Time was running out. Every second, more and more magical projectiles were launched at the squadron, though now that they were on high alert, they managed to dodge them with little to no difficulty. Their training was basic, but their skill and agility were undeniable.

Amid the rain of shots and the occasional burst of flames coming from the dragons themselves, they managed to navigate through the sharp rocks of the cliff, landing inside a cave large enough to shelter the group and allow them to reorganize.

Despite the calm, the smallest of the group, a small dragon with white and yellowish tones, broke into tears. "L-Larim, I-I saw when he was hit by the projectile… A-and I couldn’t do anything…" he stammered, in shock, his gaze lost in his trembling front paws.

"Hena, focus," Quirame interrupted, her tone serious and cold. "He’s among the stars now, there’s nothing more we can do."

"W-we can abort the mission, t-this is a…" Hena spoke, driven by fear.

Xenes hissed, taking a pause to decide. Despair was palpable in the air; more than a simple dragon, they had lost a friend on this expedition. However, they were already there; they had to investigate the trap and the creatures.

"We can’t go back now." The dragon with beige and dark brown tones turned to the group. "This is something new, and we must find out about these creatures, or at least avenge Larim."

"I agree with Xenes. If we retreat, we would just be waiting for our death on the next expedition," Quirame justified.

"I-it’s indeed something new." Hena, now somewhat calmer, pulled a scroll from his bag, dropping it onto the cold cave floor, still unable to hold things due to the trembling and shock. "We’re facing something unknown... Something the other two squadrons didn’t encounter."

"Or so we think," Xenes, as the leader of the group blessed by the stars, stepped on the lower edge of the scroll to bring it closer and read it in more detail. "No one returned from the second squadron. What if they were caught by the same trap?"

"There’s only one way to find out," assured Drame, the black-scaled dragon who had been watching the group from the back of the cave and was the last to speak. His deep voice and detachment from the group members made him stand out. "Ask them in the comfort of the tribe, with the shaman's help as a link between the star realm and ours."

"Even at moments like this you maintain your sarcasm… " Xenes gave a small smile. "We may be unable to ask the tribe for help, but we have the protection of someone powerful. "

With the bags forming a pile of leather in one corner, the leader pulled out a pearly gem of pinkish hues, spherical in shape. It glowed with a light reminiscent of stars at night, glittering with occasional sparkles. Beautiful to behold, like a miniature star, within reach of the dragon.

"Already going to use your toy?" Drame asked, sitting on some protruding rocks in the cave. "At least they didn't send you out helpless."

"Quirame stays in charge while I communicate with Azrim, understood? I doubt those things can reach this cave, but be vigilant." The beige dragon sat in front of the entrance, hugging the gem with both paws.

He felt the breeze on his face; it was a cold night, and the stars illuminated the sky in their eternal struggle of darkness and light. Xenes called once again to his guardian star, who had chosen him as its blessed and would help him in the most difficult moments.

He looked up; a pink star among thousands shone with greater intensity, and even in his pupils, the reflection of it could be seen. Suddenly, a blinding light enveloped everything, followed by absolute silence.

The dragon took a few blind steps, guided by the subtle sound of a woman’s sobbing, until he regained his vision. Before him stood an angelic-looking dragoness, with pink scales matching the glow of the star, adorned with halos and luminous ribbons that decorated most of her body. Her face, with the detail of four eyes radiating the same glow as the halos, was full of tears. She gazed at Xenes with sorrow.

"Azrim, protector, I require your blessing once more," the now small dragon compared to the draconic entity paid homage and respect, lowering his head and most of his body.

"I fear that my blessing will not be enough," Azrim declared, her voice exotic, a combination of at least three other feminine voices resonating in unison. "You are facing something entirely different; the light will not protect you as it once did."

Those words took him by surprise; never before had he witnessed an entity of such power doubt its own abilities.

"I understand," he replied sadly. "Have the shadows learned new tricks?"

"More than that…" The entity, having floated above her golden throne, soon descended to approach the dragon.

"I suspected as much," he felt a shiver run down his body. "No magical projectile should be able to bring down a dragon."

That star remained silent; she didn't want to leave him, but time was running out. The gem was unable to maintain the connection for much longer.

"I think you already know what I’m going to ask of you." Despite the moment, Xenes maintained a confident smile and a steady tone. "That information must reach the tribe through my friends."

"One last gift…" Azrim added, now the dragon understood the entity's sadness. "...to allow your friends to escape."

"I didn’t think it would come so quickly," he commented with some regret, after all, there had been few missions as a leader. "Though I already knew the risks when I accepted the job, right?"

The entity gave him a hug, something unique, to the point where the dragon doubted he could understand the meaning of such an action. Soon, the blinding light appeared again, and after a few seconds, he returned to the cave. However, his return was not as pleasant as he had hoped.

The first thing he heard was Quirame's roar; it seemed they had been ambushed while he was away, and now the dragoness was holding Hena's body in her paws, a bite mark running along his neck and his eyes devoid of life. Drame, for his part, as mysterious as ever, rested at the cave entrance like a guardian.

On the other side of the cavern lay the body of a familiar dragon, his green and blue scales smeared with a dark, sticky substance, to the point of not reflecting the light of the gem. Apparently, the goo was oozing from his wounds, replacing his blood. His eyes lacked pupils, as if the shadows had consumed them.

"W-what happened...?" Xenes, shocked by the scene, approached the bluish dragoness. "Did you find Larim’s body?"

“You said it, only dragons can come here.“ Quirame cleared her throat after the roar, her sadness used to turn into anger. “Something controlled Larim, or rather his body, and upon finding us... He did not hesitate to attack us.”

“The stars cannot protect us... “ the leader repeated the words in his head, now the shadows were using the bodies of the fallen as a new weapon.

"I didn’t dare to confront it; I knew it wasn’t him, but…" The dragoness clenched her fist, overwhelmed by the frustration of not having saved Hena. "Why? Why do they do this? Isn’t the pain of one death enough?"

“Two deaths... Another squadron lost.“ The leader began to question whether it was worth the sacrifices. "We have to retreat, it's only a matter of time before they get here and finish us off."

To their bad luck, a loud sepulchral roar, coming from the ocean, resounded in the ears of the reptiles, they were not alone, and it was a matter of seconds before the next ambush.

“We are about to find out what happened to the other groups. “ Drame spread his wings and scratched the stone with his frontal claws. “ And if the math doesn't fail, there are at least 8 dragons. “

"Almost three to one... We don’t have many chances," Xenes said as he moved to the entrance, distinguishing the numerous silhouettes in the distance. "And if we try to escape, we’ll be revealing the tribe's location."

"First, horrible deaths, and now they use the fallen against us," Drame continued scratching the rock until deep marks were left by his claw. "I would try to escape, but I’d be the ideal bait, and I don’t intend to die like a coward."

"I-I want to avenge Hena! Those bastards will pay dearly!" For the first time, they witnessed Quirame stripped of her calculating reasoning; she couldn’t stop roaring. "No! They deserve a slow and painful death!"

"Quirame! Breathe for a moment, your anger clouds your thinking." He gave her a shake on the shoulder; it was a critical moment, and they needed a plan.

Everyone took a pause. Xenes looked up and saw his star once again, shining at its maximum splendor, more than on other nights; its blessing was clear; it would accompany him one last time. He gathered his courage and decided to stay and fight.

"How many can you distinguish, Drame?" he asked while gripping the pink gem tightly.

"Four, though I suspect the other four are hiding in the underbrush of the island." He looked down at the other’s gem. "We’ll need its light for the fight."

"I wonder if they can see the star from the tribe," Xenes finally opened up to his companions; after all, he suspected it would be the last time. "It's radiant, almost like a tribute..."

"I'm scared too, Xenes." interrupted the dark dragon. "But it's better to die fighting than running, right?"

"From day one, we've been told it's more likely to die on expeditions than to return alive..." He pointed to his guiding star. "That every sacrifice would bring us closer to helping the stars in their eternal fight."

"We live in a cruel world," Quirame's voice resonated from inside the cave, now calmed. "Guided by the hope of one day living in a world free of darkness."

As soon as she finished covering Hena's body with rocks, Quirame approached the entrance, astonished by the star's brightness.

“With a star in the sky, our sacrifice will not be forgotten. It is a testament to our bravery.“ As the dragoness spoke, each dragon rested their paw on the gem, sharing a part of their essence.

“At least one must return.“ Xenes turned to Quirame. “We will fight together, and if the situation becomes dire, you will be the one to escape and carry the news.”

The dragoness, unable to abandon her friends, decided not to think about that possibility. Perhaps if she fought recklessly, she could defeat them.

“They're coming...“ Barely finishing the sentence, the beige dragon spread his wings and flew into the darkness, the glow of the gem acted as a beacon for his companions. Soon after, the other two dragons followed closely behind in the air.

His prediction was true. In front of them, four silhouettes appeared, sharing the same characteristics as the last lost squadron. However, their flapping was inconsistent; the difficulty in flying was evident, as if something else was propelling them. As they barely identified them, the first silhouette—a dragon with silver scales—lunged at Drame, who, despite his formidable size and lack of agility, managed to dodge the impact and counter with a claw swipe across the creature's abdomen, leaving a deep wound.

“Ugh, how disgusting.“ He exclaimed with distaste, watching his paw stained with the same viscous substance that Larim had released.

Meanwhile, Quirame, driven by fury, took the initiative and charged at a solitary silhouette, using her body as a weapon. It was a risky move in the darkness of the night and far from the beacon of light provided by the gem, but she managed to slam the enemy against a flat rock, rendering them out of combat for a few seconds.

Xenes, unable to fight effectively, focused on dodging the charges. They were not intelligent creatures, or so he thought. He decided to go a step further, grasping the gem in his mouth to free his front paws; he had to fight.

“It won't be long before the other squadron arrives!“ Quirame warned, more wingbeats were heard in the distance. “We have to take them down, or we'll be in trouble!”

Finally, the last dragon appeared: the former leader, a red-scaled dragon with scars covering his body, a sign of experience. Instead of launching himself like an arrow, he grabbed Xenes's front paws and began a dance in the air, trying to make him drop the gem or lose his balance. Without fear or thought, he maintained his gaze, revealing the same absence of pupils that Larim had.

“The darkness will not defeat me! Not now!“ The leader declared, speaking through clenched teeth.

Seconds passed. Both dragons continued in free fall, spinning on their own axes; it was a dance in the air, a deadly dance. Normally, this dance would be accompanied by an exchange of flames from both sides, but Xenes was risking dropping the gem, and the other dragon was incapable of producing any kind of breath attack.

"I'm sorry, Azrim, I have to do this." In his last classes, he had learned about a final resource included in all gems imbued by stars. It consisted of an explosion of light upon receiving direct damage, typically from the bite of the bearer.

Gathering his courage, he bit into the gem, creating a crosswise fracture. “I will end this damned darkness!“ Instantly, the crack in the gem generated a blinding and effective light, causing the darkness enveloping the former leader to vanish and his lifeless body to plummet into the ocean.

"The light is effective… Physical damage is not…" Xenes concluded as he watched his companions fight the creatures. The injuries on the three remaining dragons were severe; even with mortal wounds and fractures, they fought with the same intensity.

"Stay close to the light! It's their weakness!” He shouted the warning, but it was too late, as Drame was struck and brought down by two other dragons. The roar of pain and the impact against the rocks were the only sounds that resonated in the area.

“We're dead…” Xenes murmured, taking advantage of the distraction to approach Quirame, who refused to accept defeat.

“N-no! I won't let them go! We'll die together!” Quirame lashed out at the air with her claws, accompanied by blue flames; her agility and strength allowed her to fight multiple creatures and emerge unscathed.

“Damn it! You have to warn them about what happened!” The leader ordered, tears beginning to stream down his face; fear and sorrow were evident. He bit into the gem again, creating a second fracture and a significant halo of light, preventing the other dragons from getting close for the next few seconds.

“Shut up! I won't let you die alone!” Both dragons, counting the seven silhouettes surrounding the halo of light, knew that Drame had been defeated.

“Quirame…” Xenes tried to calm his companion by holding her front paws, trying to hide the tears on his face. “You were an excellent warrior; I never doubted your abilities… But as a good warrior, you must know when to retreat…”

“I-I’ve already lost Hena; I can’t lose you too…” The dragoness was reluctant to let go of the only dragon who hadn’t seen her as a freak.

“Someone has to distract them.” He pulled out the fragments of the gem and placed them on Quirame's paw. “Or it will be the end of our fight.”

As the seconds passed, the halo of light shrank in size; the creatures, eager to catch the pair of dragons, remained at a distance while covering all possible escape routes.

“We knew the risks, the possibility of dying.” Xenes’s paws trembled; for the first time, he felt death close by. “These dragons are foolish… If I move away from the halo of light, they’ll follow me without thinking.”

“And what will happen next? You’ll be the damn dinner!” Quirame held the gem tightly, feeling the tears streaming down her cheeks. “Don’t be a hero! You promised not to leave me!”

“And I won’t… I’ll be watching over you from Azrim’s throne.” Xenes pointed to the pink star in the celestial dome.

“No… This must be a nightmare…” The halo of light could barely cover the two dragons, and the creatures were getting closer.

“Time is running out. You have to go.” The dragon decided to give her a tight hug and reveal his secret. “Perhaps in another reality, we could be a happy couple.”

After the embrace, Xenes roared defiantly and launched himself into the interior of the island. The creatures, with their rudimentary thinking, followed him without hesitation, leaving Quirame with the light of the gem and the star as her guides to return to the tribe.