FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Before I tell you about me it is important that you understand the world in which I live. See my people are known as Spirit Vessels. There are four natures divided into four animal spirits in which we are divided. The four natures are Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water. Among the Earth natures there are rhino, bear, fox, and cheetah. Wind natures are falcon, raven, cassowary, and penguin. The Fire natures include cobra, tortoise, iguana, and dragon. Last but not least the Water natures are dolphin, shark, sturgeon, and sailfish.

The reason I clarify all of this is because in our world people of one nature are not allowed to reproduce with someone of another nature. Different spirits may breed with each other but they must be of the same spirit nature. It is against the law and we are told that if one nature were to breed with another the child would surely die. Therefore it would be considered murder of a child and the parents would be put to death. That is the way it has always been, and no one has ever crossed the law because no one wants to have a child die if they can help it.

That is why most of our province is divided into four main sections where each nature lives with their own kind. Also to help identify which nature you belong to they have their own clothing colors associated with them. Fire is red or yellow, Water is blue or purple, Wind is white or gray, and Earth is green or brown. The colors help identify who is who when in the neutral market which surrounds the Palace of Ancients, but I will discuss more about that a little later.

Now more about the animal natures of individuals. See when a child is born their animal spirit is not known until they reach the age of thirteen. At such time every child must report to the Council of Sages where they inspect every child and determine their animal spirits. Once the spirit is identified it is awakened and the child begins their life as a Spirit Vessel, able to call on their spirit within to help them to exceed in particular areas which their animal is associated with. The four animals in each nature are best in one key attribute. The cobra, bear, shark, and cassowary are the most adept fighters. The tortoise, rhino, sturgeon, and penguin are the toughest around. The dragon, fox, dolphin, and raven are the most intellectual. As to where the iguana, cheetah, falcon, and sailfish are the most athletic. Not every child was born with an animal spirit but that does not dismiss them from the law of not breeding outside of their natures.

Whether it was from centuries of keeping safe distances from other natures or some underhanded scheme of the Sages, the four natures had grown to have a very slim tolerance for each other. It had become that natures didn't mingle with other nature not only out of law restrictions but because they didn't want to have anything to do with each other. They would trade with one another at the neutral market around the Palace but would gladly leave and return to their own territory.

The Council of Sages are a very elite group. They are the ones that make laws and regulations for the province. The council is made of thirty-six members. Every nature and every animal spirit is represented in the council. When a member of the council dies, a replacement vessel of the same animal spirit is chosen, trained, taught, and blessed by the council. Once placed on the Council of Sages that vessel can never return to society and can never leave the Palace of Ancients where the sages live. No one is allowed to enter the Palace except to have their animal spirit awoken or unless they have submitted an appearance request, been approved, and a time scheduled to appear before them. Many people don't agree with the laws, restrictions, and stipulations placed on them by the council but no one dares to challenge them.

The Sages are said to possess a much higher degree of control over their animal spirits than normal people due to their ancient blessing ritual that is performed upon them when they join the council. There is only two ancient rituals that are performed within the Sages that anyone knows of, one is the afore mentioned and the other is the awakening of an animal spirit.

At age thirteen, due to every child having to be registered at birth, the child is either escorted to the Palace of Ancients for their awakening ceremony or are killed on the spot. The ritual of awakening is done by the one having their animal spirit awakened stands in the center of an ancient room. There are ancient markings all over the ground, walls and ceilings. The room is circular and there are thirty-six columns around the room, upon which each member of the council stand upon while the ceremony is performed. Each column has an engraving of the animal spirit on top where the corresponding Sage stands. The Sages then chant an ancient spell, incantation, or something of that nature to awaken and draw out the animal within. The chant is in what is to be believed an ancient tongue long forgotten except within the Sages. Nearly everything about the Sages is secretive and very restricted.

While the animal spirit is being drawn out it appears in front of the vessel and the person has to learn how to reintegrate with their spirit within a matter of five minutes or their spirit vanishes forever, and they can never call their spirit out again.

Once the ritual is complete, whether success or failure, the child is escorted outside the Palace gates and sent back to their corresponding zone. No one is allowed to stay within Palace grounds any longer than their allotted pre-approved time.

Outside the main gate leading into the Palace there was a statue of a man with a small plaque at the base. It told a tale of a man that once tried to overthrow the Council but was said to have been turned to stone by the Sages as a testament of their power. It went on to say at the end that his name was not recorded due to it being a part of his eternal shame; "To be ever seen but always forgotten".

Not to mention the fear of the Sages own personal enforcer squads known as the Fang Patrol. They patrolled the province and enforced the laws of the Sages and were also unregulated in their own actions. Even if what they did was outside of the pre-established laws they were not to be questioned much less stood up to. Their slogan, "The Fangs of the Sages". If they saw something they liked they took it. If they didn't like the way you acted or looked at them, they killed you. They were the only ones allowed to carry weapons as well, and with that restriction no one ever stood a chance once the "Fangs sink in" as they liked to put it. And with them being the enforcement of the province, who did you turn to? The only place to get appearance applications to speak to the Sages was within a Fang Patrol Office. And who processed the applications and passed them on to the Sages? You guessed it, the Fang Patrol. Once someone tried to file a complaint but once it was read the Fangs went to his address he had listed and slaughtered him and his whole family.

This is the world I was born into. A world of corrupt law enforcers, unknown leaders, and where simply walking down the street could lead to you being killed. That is until my thirteenth birthday, when one lone soul, shook the foundations of the Sages' happy little world to its very core.