FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The desert winds were harsh today. Far worse than normal. But then again, Kethir never really knew what was normal here. Coming this far west was a big mistake. He had no guide, no ride to the city, no idea how to navigate such strange and shifting sands, and most important of all he was starving. Unable to catch any of the things he saw hiding away in this desert. It was painful, the sands starting to pull away at his skin, brief bits of blood coming through the scars and scratches. He had to find some cover.

Luckily some cover was nearby. He had managed to find a few odd shaped rocks hidden in this desert with one of the rocks actually being a cave. Rushing into it immediately, he laid down and took a rest. The sound of the sand outside was almost soothing, calming enough to lull him to sleep. It was a lot easier to deal with the sand when it wasn't ripping your skin off. In time, the sun had begun to set, the twin moons of Alvarys slowly moving their way up. The temperatures dropped from unbearably hot to unyieldingly cold. Kethir could almost feel the sweat of his gown begin to turn to ice almost instantly, shocking him something fierce as he took his hood off and got a fire going.

The flames kept the cave warm, lighting up the confines of the space and showing Kethir some interesting drawings on the walls and roof. It looked... old. Very old. The paintings were of strange beasts and monsters fighting each other, the Sun watching over them. One of the paintings showed a massive winged lizard with many teeth breathing fire on the green forests below, the people running in fear. The next one beside it showed the same monsters trapped under what looked like a net, the people climbing atop it and stabbing it with spears. Another showed a race of warrior beasts, great manes of fire around their neck and slaughtering people by the many, a King taking charge of them. Some kneeled before them and were given a red rock in return while behind them the Sun looked on in envy.

But the most important one was the one on the ceiling. It sprawled across the ceiling like a true mural but the depiction was... it was gruesome. On the left was art of trees burned down, the earth beneath everyone's feet being ripped open and the Sun behind the head of a Golden skinned man. He was creepy looking, golden skin, long rainbow colored hair and slanted eyes, looking directly at the viewer while holding the same spear and hammer the other paintings showed others having. All who kneeled were in chains, everyone without chains was dead or bleeding, a few lucky souls running away in the background.

"Who... are these people?" Kethir asked as he stared up at the mural. He closed his eyes, pondering the history of this land and what he knew of it. Sadly. Not much. He only knew of the coastal cities and Kaius' conquest but that was basic knowledge. Everyone knew that. Oh well. Thinking about the past was for people with time. What was more important was dinner. He was starving. The fire still burned nicely, a bright orange to keep the cave lit.

He readied some of the meat he had, nothing special, just small catches of desert mice, and held them over the flame. It didn't take long for it to be ready and certainly didn't take long for him to finish it, but such a scrawny creature was hardly filling. He needed more. Maybe if he went hunting now, he could find something -

"Sigistapa..." came a voice from out of the cave, startling Kethir to his feet. He saw someone slowly make their way up past the entrance, looking in and seeing him and his burning fire inside. They paused, the catch of what looked like a desert deer being carried over their shoulder before they dropped it, staring at him. They looked to be a beastman, a somewhat loose fitting gown of red and orange with black pants and a mask over their face. They were heavily armed with two knives at their waist, one on each leg, a sword, and if Kethir was looking right, a secret one at their wrist. Their lithe form and movements made discerning a gender hard and based on the brief fur pattern he saw from that tail, they were a cheetah, making it harder to tell. He slowly got up from his seat.

"Uhm... hello..." he slowly went for his spear. In terms of weapons, Kethier was outmatched. They had six weapons and he only had three, a sword, spear and one knife with a small shield too. If he was going to fight, that spear would be the best weapon because not only did it give him a distance advantage, it was a magical staff, something that came as a surprise to every opponent he ever fought. Every step he made towards his weapons, the cheetah walked further in, their tail curling slightly behind them. When Kethir reached for his weapons, so did they, both warriors gripping their first weapon of choice. Kethir his spear and shield, the Cheetah their sword.

It was a large curved weapon, a shotel sword common in these parts. Kethir groaned. That sword...

"Hey.... listen. I don't want any trouble. I'm just looking for a place to sleep," he said calmly, eyeing the weapons and the movement of the cheetah. They circled each other, the fire right in the middle of them, neither one making a move of attack yet.

"Amai? Imikrisits Umui ses Shutaoann, Merian." He didn't understand much but knew from the tone that it wasn't kind. "Tu Ye Barkka?" He knew that last word. "War". He could fight just fine if he had to. But just in case...

"I don't want to fight. But if I have to, I certainly won't go easy," he took a battle stance, his shield and spear ready as the cheetah laughed, readying himself.

"At ta Knak..." he growled, before rushing in. "En Sala!" He swung his sword and Kethir took a step back, letting the sword scrape against his shield before rushing forward, pushing the cheetah back. Feeling the heat of the fireplace behind him, he was quick to quickly angle out of the way of the heat, his tail balancing him on his feet as he almost danced around the fireplace, a small laugh. Kethir went in next, vaulting off the wall and stabbing his spear forward, just barely missing the cat's torso and just barely missing a retaliatory strike at the head, the shotel only cutting a bit of his hair.

Kethir slammed his shield down on the cat's foot, earning a hiss before swinging his spear at the cat's legs, successfully bringing him down. At least it looked that way as the cat simply landed on his hands and spun his body back to land on his feet, using his claws to scrape at Kethir's shield again. Not once did the cat lose his balance. Much like your typical housecat, this one no doubt used his tail to stay balanced.

Giving no time to breathe, the cheetah took his sword and swung at Kethir once more, the shield protecting him once more before a second attack came, and a third and fourth. The cat was quick but Kethir kept pace, his shield working quickly to keep him protected from any unwanted strikes before he thrust his spear forward, just barely missing the cat's leg. Caught off balance for a moment, Kethir ran forward, slamming into the cheetah and forcing them back against the cave wall.

The cat hissed, using their toe claws to scratch at Kethir's legs, forcing him away. Another sword swing came in, and Kethir held up his shield but unlike every perfect pivot before, this time the sword worked just as intended. The curve gave it a great reach around the shield, allowing the wielder to still stab their opponent from around the side. In other words, the shotel sword successfully got Kethir right in his side. The injury wasn't too bad, drawing a bit of blood but still hurt enough for his arm to weaken, the cheetah gripping the shield and pulling it free from Kethir's grip.

Having lost his shield, Kethir now used the spear as a staff, starting light with a strong gust of wind that pushed the cheetah against the wall. The attack staggered them for a bit, Kethir attempting to stab the beast but just narrowly missing as he jumped up and gripped the spear, pulling Kethir towards him and gripping his collar and hitting him in the stomach with the butt of his sword.

Wait.... What?

That had to have been a mistake. If this cheetah was more focused, it would have been an easy victory for him. Kethir would be dead by now, sword stabbed between his ribs, but luckily he wasn't, which meant he had to focus on staying that way. The cat let out a small laugh, pushing Kethir away and taking his staff. But rather than use it, he simply tossed it to the side, beckoning his opponent forward. Kethir got up, grabbed his sword and prepared for another attack. The cat laughed again, rushing towards him.

Their swords clashed, the two staggered slightly before attacking again. Steel clashed with steel time and time again, neither getting the upper hand before the cat made for an overhead attack, Kethir blocked the attack with his sword, managing to wrestle the curved blades out of the cat's hand. It flew across the cave, landed on the floor with a loud CLANG but the cheetah didn't chase after it, instead immediately going for the knives at his waist and swiping at him.

He managed to cut Keth across the front of his clothes, slightly scraping his skin but nothing too painful. Keth was on the defensive for this fight, a large sword versus two small knives was a battle of speed and it was one he was going to lose if he wasn't careful. Every step the cat took towards him, Keth took one back, every attack just barely being avoided as he parried an incoming strike, rushing forward and shoulder charging the cheetah in the chest, pushing them back.

The cheetah seemed especially hurt at that attack, hissing and holding their chest in pain before Kethir came in and disarmed them with a strong overhead strike. The cheetah held the knives very loosely due to already being hit pretty hard, so when he tried to block the sword with his knives, they were quickly knocked out of his hands, the sword ending just a hair's breadth away from his skull.

"Surrender," Kethir said firmly. The cat hissed, pushing the sword out of his face and drew the knives from his legs. He took two steps back and Kethir sighed, preparing for another fight. This time he attacked first, the cat dodging every sword swipe with skilled precision. Every dodge was combined with a quick slice from his knives, each one getting harder and harder to ignore as the scratches tallied up. Kethir swung his sword again and this time it was blocked by the feline, the two knives surprisingly strong as the two wrestled into a wall.

The cat hissed, bringing one of his knives free from the struggle and was about to stab Kethir in the stomach before he managed to twist his sword downward to block the attack. But this was a mistake as the cat quickly kneed him in the groin.

"NNNRRRGG!" Keth groaned, gritting his teeth to try and bear through the pain. His whole body fighting to resist the growing pain radiating from his balls and pulling him to protect them above all else. But he held strong, just in time for yet another, even stronger knee to jam right between his legs. "AHHHHHH FUCK!" He cried, unable to hold back anymore. The attack was so strong it nearly lifted him off his feet and he immediately let go of the sword, holding his balls in clear agony as the cat held a knife to his throat.

"Me te Viorr," he whispered. Kethir groaned. The fight wasn't over in his eyes. Whispering under his breath for a bit, his eyes began to glow, confusing the cat. The crystal necklace around his neck glowed briefly as the fireplace behind the cat exploded into a mass of ash and smoke. The feline was shocked, but instead was shoved back by Kethir who punched the cat in the chest, knocking them flat on their ass. The groan from that strike seemed quite high pitched. He wondered if cheetahs had a weak spot on their chest.

Using this time to rush back for his spear, the cat was in a coughing fit with the smoke still around but opened his eyes to see his opponent coming right at him, the end of the spear glowing with red flame. Now scared, the cat jumped back, barely missing an incoming stab from the weapon, spreading his legs as the steel weapon stabbed right in front of him.

"Wait! Wait! Kind! Kind!" He shouted as Kethir ignored him, stabbing once more towards the cat but missing as he barely scrambled out of the way. The last attack was like a firebolt, shooting right at the cat who grabbed Kethir's down shield and blocked the attack but the shot had almost burned through the shield, forcing him to throw it away. Out of options, he gave one last plea for his life.

"Please! Kind, friend! Kind! Kind!" He shouted and Kethir paused. His heart felt ready to leap out of his chest but the look of terror in the cats eyes gave him pause. He knew enough of the west to know this was what someone said when they surrendered and wanted to calm the emotions going on after a fight.

"You... speak my language?" The cheetah nodded.

"Some. Enough to hold a conversation," the cat chuckled. He never put down the shield, still holding it in front of his body and looking from behind it, slightly shaking.

"You aren't going to attack me again, are you?"

"No! No, I have given up. I ask that you not attack me as well."

"You don't have any weapons? Nothing hidden?"

"Nothing! I swear!" The cat began to undo the tie around his waist, his shirt and scarf pulled off and revealing a scarred and slim body. The cheetah had a mostly yellow fur pattern with white stretching from the front of his belly all the way to his chest. Or rather her chest as Kethir found himself staring at a pair of women's breasts. They weren't too big but definitely noticeable, white furred globes topped with pink nipples scarcely big enough to fit his hand. When the cat removed her mask, she smiled a bit.

"See? Nothing. No more weapons. No more fight, or Barka shall eat my heart." He didn't know that last part but she seemed genuine. That didn't make him lower his guard though.

"Who are you? And why did you attack me?"

"My name is Anzarri. I am a native of these lands. And clearly, judging by your confusion, you are not." She gave a small laugh. Kethir didn't laugh though, refusing to take his eyes off her.

"Well, Anzarri, I don't appreciate being attacked like that. Why did you do it?"

"It is a custom that is done for people resting in your rest spot." She looked like she was going to stand up but Kethir refused, the tip of his spear glowing and making her sit back down, her smile never leaving her face. "Please, You have won the fight, I promise I will not hurt you any further. I am unarmed, and tired." Kethir was unsure if he could trust her. If she was anything like a real cat, she had claws she could still use but she seemed honest enough to warrant some kindness.

He lowered his spear, taking a few steps back before she slowly brought herself to her feet, dusting herself off and giving a toothy smile. She turned around to leave the cave but before Kethir could ask she brought the desert deer to the fireplace, resting it nearby.

"Thank you. Please sit. As the victor of the fight, I must give you what I have caught. The cave and the food are yours." She took a deep breath and began to skin the animal, taking her time to make a decent meal out of the creature while Kethir watched with interest.

"What are you doing?"

"I am preparing your dinner. It is only fair," she said simply, as if seeing no problem with it.

"I... I don't understand." She looked at him and her ear twitched, a delighted grin on her face.

"Here, safety is hard to find. If you do not have a caravan or a city with nice big walls, the desert will have you soon. Caves keep you safe. But not enough caves to go around. So we fight. But honorably. Respectfully." She drained the blood from the beast and while Kethir walked to gather his scattered weapons. Anzarri said nothing, letting him make himself comfortable while she fixed up the food. It didn't take too long for the food to be made, the meat sizzling and dripping with juice, just waiting for Kethir to take a bite. He smiled at the sight of it and Anzarri smiled back.

"Well, I have done my part. Enjoy your meal. Good fight as well. You have a strong arm." Kethir looked puzzled.

"You... aren't gonna have any?" She purred before looking out to the cold empty desert.

"I cannot. Unless invited. The one who loses the fight must give up the place of rest and any food they've caught and then leave. It is a sign of respect to the better warrior..." she looked out to the desert and took a breath. "If I am quick, I can find something before all the prey burrows underground. Maybe find another... cave..." she seemed genuinely unsure of that last one. She took a step out of the cave, feeling the breeze touch her fur but just before she left out of earshot, Kethir called for her back.

"Wait! I... I can't let you just go out there alone. The sun just went down, it's getting cold, I know you're hungry."

"No no! Do not pity me! I can take care of myself just fine! I can find some more food and-" she was cut off as her stomach growled loudly, actually hurting as she held it. Kethir raised an eyebrow and she gave a small hiss at her body's betrayal.

"Please. Come eat with me. We can share the cave. There is more than enough room for the both of us." He put his spear down, allowing her to come in and the feline lost her breath a bit, giving an embarrassed chuckle as her tail curled around her leg. He saw her ear twitch and she used the scarf to hide her face a bit as she walked in.

"Did I say something wrong?"

"N-no, no. It's just... here, if you ask someone to spend the night with you in a Vespa(Safe spot) it is as if you are proposing." Kethir immediately tensed up, giving an awkward stutter as she strided past him, her tail tantalizingly brushing against his leg. "Do not worry. I accept."

"Wait wait wait, the... the offer to stay in the cave or the... proposal?" There was a long silence between the both of them before she looked back at him, a sly grin on her face.

"Yes." She said no more, walking in and taking a seat right by the fire, eager to take a bite out of the food she had cooked for Kethir. After waiting for the flush in his cheeks to go away, he joined her, the two digging into the meal almost immediately. They didn't speak to each other for a long time, only eating their food before after a while Anzarri spoke up.

"So... this fight thing your people do for spaces to rest. Have you always done it?"

"No no. Not always. The desert was not always here so we did not always fight for space. But now it is, so we have to." She took another bite of her food and watched as Kethir looked at her for more. She chuckled.

"So where are you from?"

"My people do not have much of a home. We are nomads. But I suppose the closest we have to a sedentary home is the Red Crater. We live in a massive scar in the desert, a crater that spans several Dragon lengths down into the planet, only lit by the torches of the homes underneath." She finished eating her meat, licking her lips slowly and savoring the taste. She really admired her own cooking. Kethir had to admit it was pretty good. He took another bite before groaning, feeling his groin still ache a bit after the fight, Something the cat realized as she looked at him with a sly grin.

"I did not break them did I?" He raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Es mer Testiles," she laughed a bit, looking down at his crotch. He tensed up closing his legs a bit and shuffling away from her.

"I'm fine! They're fine. Nothing's broken."

"Are you certain? I hit pretty hard and you are a very nice man. I would hate to end the family line of such a kind man," she inched near him a bit and he nervously backed away.

"I'm fine! Honest! Just... some lingering pains. Everything is okay." She took a moment to look him over, her ears drooping a bit before scooting back from him.

"Well good. I am glad you are well. Such underhanded attacks are considered cheating. Disrespectful." She looked at Kethir with a judgemental glare, making him scoff.

"I don't know why you're looking at me like that. You literally kneed me in the balls. Twice! Doesn't sound very fair to me." Now it was Anzarri's turn to scoff, taking a bite from her meal.

"It was a retaliatory attack! You hit me in the breast and it really hurt!" She gave an exaggerated whine and rubbed her left breast. "They are very sensitive!" Keth gave a small laugh. He didn't think that his opponent was a woman so hitting the chest didn't strike him as an unfair attack. He looked down at her chest and she turned towards him, opening her shirt more and baring her chest once more.

"See? I am bruised! Such an unfair attack! I demand an apology!" She moved towards him again, nudging him with her foot paw and Kethir began to laugh.

"I didn't know! I thought you were a guy." He knew that would get a rise out of her and it did, making her push him some more as he laughed.

"Would you have held back if I was?"

"Absolutely not."

"You see? You are a... what?" She looked at him perplexed.

"I will never go easy on an opponent, man or woman. If we are fighting, I am not holding back. It's how I was raised." Kethir finished his meat and tossed the remains into the fire while the feline smiled a bit.

"You are speaking the truth to me, yes?"

"Yes. You can clearly fight. To hold back would have meant my death. Heck, even during the fight there were a number of moments where you could have killed me. So woman or not, I can't go easy on you." He stretched for a bit before he was hit with a very strong hug from the kitty, refusing to let go as he squirmed.

"You are such a kind man! So so so kind and respectful! Truly a stand out to your kind!" She pulled him away for a brief moment and looked him in the eyes. "No offense, of course."

"No problem," Kethir said as he pulled away, Anzarri rustling his hair before sitting down again.

"I have met many humans who think it is strange to send a woman into battle. True, we cannot match perfectly what a man can do, but that does not mean we are useless! We can fight! And I think tonight I have proven it!" Kethir nodded. She was a great fighter. He would have to learn from her. If he was able. The two just met after all. Might be a bit too much to ask her to -

"Would you like to learn how?"

"Excuse me?" Kethir asked.

"I can teach you to fight as I do! It may be difficult to learn given the lack of a tail, but we can make it work! I am certain of it!"

"I uh... I mean sure!" So much for not asking a stranger to teach him. The two were quiet for a bit, Kethir trying to avoid eye contact as she seemed to study him implicitly, her bright green eyes almost staring into him. After a while she turned her gaze to look at the cave paintings as well, seeing the history of her home play out.

"The story of this land is vast. My people were servants to the first conquerors. Then slaves to the second ones. But Kaius came and freed us. Saved us from the cycle repeating." There was no mural of Kaius, nothing of his wars or conquests and very few statues or paintings of him remained.

"What do you do now?"

"We do many things. I hunt for my people. We have a great many traders and coinmen and women. We need people to feed them. I am one of them. I find good game, nice meat and bring it home for family to eat! Which..." She looked at the food that was cooking over the fireplace and sighed. "Cannot be anymore. I must find more food before I return." Kethir felt a bit bad. Though he had won the battle and earned the right to food and the cave, he couldn't let her go empty handed to a family in need.

"How many of you are there?" He asked.

"My clan numbers no more than 39 people. We have worked hard to foster those numbers. They count on me to help the numbers grow."

"Alright alright!" Kethir laughed slightly. "I get it! I'll tell you what, I'll help you catch something in the morning."

"What? No! No! That's not what I meant! I did not mean-"

"I know, I know but... I took your resting spot and your food from you without meaning to and now you gotta work harder to get food for your people. I'll help how I can. Besides uh... well it'll be a fair trade! Your people are talented traders, consider this a deal. You teach me to fight like you do, and I'll help you hunt for a meal for your clan." Anzarri purred slightly, weighing her options for a bit before looking over at Kethir. He was a nice man. Hadn't killed her when she asked, invited her to spend the night in the rest spot with him even after the fight, proposed to her and they even shared a laugh.

Besides, she could defend herself just fine if he proved untrustworthy. Humans often were...

"Hmm... alright then! I will place my trust in you, Human. Oh, uh... I don't know your name."

"Kethir. I know you're Anzarri." He held out his hand for her to shake and she did. A firm grip, a bit of her claws pressing into his skin.

"You do. Do not disappoint me, Kethir. I am a trusting woman, but not a forgiving one." She still smiled through the domineering threat, and Kethir nodded a smile of his own to try and keep hostilities from rising. She let him go and the two went back to finishing the rest of their meal before they both started to feel a little sleepy. They slept on opposite ends of the cave but both kept a tight grip on their weapons, making sure they wouldn't be surprised if someone else made an appearance. Or if their fellow cave dweller decided to attack in the night. Can never be too careful...

"Kethir?" The feline asked from across the cave.

"Yeah?"

"Why are you helping me?" She sounded genuinely confused, looking his way and he could see her eyes glowing in the dark, a beautiful and vibrant green.

"I felt bad. You cooked for me and let me sleep here and I couldn't just toss you out into the desert without food or water. I'd never forgive myself."

"You sure it is not because I am a woman? A beautiful damsel for you to feel good about saving?" Why her voice purred with anticipation at his answer, there was an underlying tone of disgust, exhaustion even, like she'd heard this exact excuse before. Kethir shook his head.

"No. I'd treat you the same way whether you were a man or woman. Remember, I thought you were a guy at first anyway." Kethir got comfortable while Anzarri scoffed, looking out of the cave to the starry night.

"Hmph. Well that was before you offered help. If I were still a man, you'd have most likely left me out there and not felt as bad." Before Kethir could object, she stopped him. "But I understand. And I thank you. Kindness is just... hard to find amongst my kind. Clans protect us. They have for centuries."

"From who?"

"You do not know the history of the Assai desert do you?" She asked somberly.

"Only after Kaius' conquests."

"Like most humans... Maybe I will tell you in the morning. Just know that many of my people may be unfriendly at first meeting you. But do not worry! I will protect you... husband." Kethir laughed at that, hoping once again she did not mean it. "That is the word you humans use, yes? Husband and Wife?"

"Uh, yeah. It is but we aren't -"

"Do not worry. You are an amazing man. You will make me very happy, I am sure." She got comfortable in her spot as Kethir tried to talk her out of that belief.

"Hey, I didn't know that I was -"

"I am sleeping now," she said simply.

"Anzarri, come on!" He laughed, sitting up. But she didn't respond, eyes closed and a mischievous smile sprawled across her muzzle. He would have to find a way to possibly get out of that arrangement. But for now sleep was more preferable. Luckily the night air was peaceful and cool so sleep came easy. Something truly stunning he had not expected was hearing the desert winds blow against the dust, the light brush against the yellow waves bringing forth beautiful songs that lulled the man's mind. So strange this desert was. There's much he'd have to learn about it.