FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The evening was cold, windy and overcast. The darkened sky rumbled with the sound of distant thunder, and the streets of Little Slavastria were bathed in a cold blue light from the evening sky, with only a few gas lamps scattered across the street to break the darkness. Peter Pottle raced through the cold streets, nervously peaking around corners to make sure he was safe, a portly fox woman wearing a babushka noticed him and was curious why someone from such a prestigious family was wandering through the streets of a place like Little Slavastria, but turned her attention away as she continued to sweep the dust from her house out the door with a straw broom.

Finally, Peter found his destination, a run down old shack in the poorest corner of the neighborhood, arguably the poorest place in town. Nestled between two factories, it was barely big enough to house a single person, with lopsided walls and a crooked and leaky roof made of tin. Looking over his shoulder, Peter knocked frantically on the door. The annoyed voice of a young man complaining in Slavastrian could be heard on the other side, and Peter knocked louder.

"I'm coming! I'm coming!" The young man said as he approached the door. The man behind the door was Dmitri Molotov, skinny as a rake, dressed in rags and with droopy eyes and dull green scales. Dmitri raised his eyebrows in surprise to see Peter Pottle standing before him, sheepishly holding his straw boater in his hands.

"Peter!?" Dmitri said in surprise.

"I know we haven't seen each other in over a year..." Peter said apologetically. "But I need your help."

"Come in." Dmitri said, beckoning Peter to enter and taking his coat and hat and placing it onto a rusty pipe he used as a coat hanger.

"Take a seat, make yourself comfortable." Dmitri said, leading Peter to his couch, which was patched up from years of wear and tear, but still comfortable. The couch smelled of cigarette smoke however, Dmitri's old vice since he was a kid.

"Can I make you a drink?" Dmitri asked. Peter shook his head, Dmitri could tell from the look in his eyes that something was wrong.

"Is this about Nadia?" Dmitri asked.

"No. It's something much worse..." Peter said. Dmitri sat on the couch beside Peter and pat his shoulder.

"I'm your friend, tell me whatever you want." Dmitri said assuringly. Peter shook his head again.

"I can't tell you what I saw, I just can't." Peter said. "My father, he's..."

Dmitri's eyes widening, knowing it was something big.

"He's involved in something truly nefarious. I think I've already told you too much." Peter said. "I have to stay away from him, I have to leave Whiteraven."

"Why did you come to me? Why didn't you go to Nadia?" Dmitri asked.

"I don't know if I can trust her." Peter said, which surprised Dmitri.

"I don't know if I can trust anyone... I don't know who to turn to." Peter said sadly, burying his face in his hands in despair while Dmitri pat his back.

"Peter, stay here for tonight. Tomorrow the two of us will leave Whiteraven and go to the capital." Dmitri said. Peter nodded his head.

"Yes, but we have to leave tomorrow. I never want to set foot in this horrible city again..." Peter said.

Later that night, Peter fell asleep on Dmitri's couch, snuggled into an old quilt that Dmitri had. Dmitri was still awake, trying to process what Peter had told him. Dmitri thought that Peter was exaggerating, he was Lawrence Pottle's only son and the heir to his shipping empire, not to mention the only one who was able to continue his family line. If there was one person in this world more protected than Peter he'd like to know him. And Dmitri wondered what it was Lawrence was up to that frightened Peter so badly. Lawrence was a shrewd businessman and a much feared figure in the city, and Peter feared him more than anyone else. But he was nevertheless an upstanding citizen, or so Dmitri believed, and found it doubtful that he was holding some secret so dark he was willing to harm his own son for discovering it.

But the fear in Peter's eyes was real, and Dmitri thought if there was any real danger and he was the only one Peter could trust, than he would have to be there for him. Dmitri looked at Peter as he slept peacefully on the couch, remembering how he once loved him. Dmitri still did, but he never had the courage to tell him before and he didn't have the courage to tell him now. Dmitri let Peter sleep and decided to go to his "kitchen", rather a table next to his cooking pot, to make himself something to eat. The kitchen area was separated from the rest of the shack by a simple curtain rather than a door, and was so small he could barely move in it. Dmitri began to cut some vegetables in order to make stew for himself and Peter in the morning before they left.

Quietly, Dmitri hummed as he cut and peeled potatoes, wearing an apron that was covered in food stains and beige in color. Dmitri heard movement in the back room, but didn't pay attention to it at first. Then, Dmitri heard it, Peter's blood curdling scream. Instantly, Dmitri dropped what he was doing and race into the other room with the kitchen knife in hand.

Standing over Peter was a therian praying mantis, green in color with yellow eyes with tiny pupils that pierced into Dmitri's soul. He had four arms, two of which had serated forearms capable of cutting through flesh with ease. The mantis was tall, standing nearly 7 feet in height, and his head was pointed and sharp. The mantis wore a black cape and a wide brimmed black fedora and tinted glasses. Two antennae protruded from custom holes in the hat, though his right antennae was only half as long as his left. The mantis had his fingers embedded into Peter's jugular, and the mantis leaned in close and began to inhale a blue vapor that came from Peter's mouth and nose. Peter looked to Dmitri for a moment helplessly as he laid dying, before the mantis removed his fingers to finish him off. The mantis glanced over to Dmitri and inhaled before standing up straight. The mantis stood with his arms behind his back and his legs slightly spaced apart, smiling at him.

"How unfortunate that you had to see this." The mantis said, having a raspy, hissing voice.

"Bastard!!!" Dmitri shouted as he charged at the mantis and slashed at him with the knife. Each swing from Dmitri was dodged with ease however, and Dmitri's increasing anger only caused him to fight more eratically and miss. It was clear that Dmitri wasn't fighting a regular cutthroat, his opponent was a powerful warrior who was seemingly able to predict Dmitri's attacks before he made them. Finally, the mantis had enough of Dmitri and catches the blade in his hand before he struck Dmitri in the throat with a spear handed thrust, and then struck Dmitri in the back of the head with a palm strike, knocking him out. The mantis assassin heard commotion outside and knew that the police were coming in. He stepped into the shadows, his glowing yellow eyes disappearing as he faded into the darkness. When Dmitri came to, he found himself surrounded by police, the knife he wielded was lying in the pool of Peter's blood, and Peter was lifeless, staring blankly at Dmitri.

Dmitri woke up with a start, his mind focusing on the image of Peter's lifeless eyes staring into his own. It was clear that nightmares still existed in the afterlife. Looking around him, the guest room he slept in was warm, cozy and the light of the morning sun illuminated the room and made everything bright and cheerful. Dmitri's bedroom window, slightly ajar, carried a pleasant breeze inside, and the sound of rustling leaves and singing birds. The scene was almost too pleasant for Dmitri's liking, especially after frightening dream like the one he had.

Dmitri aimed to take his mind off his nightmare, he imagined Maurice would cook breakfast soon, so in the meantime Dmitri took his fiddle off the mantle place. Sitting on his bed, he closed his eyes as he played a slow song which reminded him of home. Being in the afterlife was a bittersweet experience for him, for all it's fantastic qualities, it still made him sad knowing that he'll never be able to go back to Little Slavastria, or the actual Slavastria he only knew from faded memories when he was almost too young to remember.

As Dmitri played and reminisced about his past, he heard a happier sounding tune coming from the hallway outside his bedroom door. It was the distinct sound of an accordion, and the player was playing what sounded like a cheerful polka tune. Dmitri stopped playing and opened his door to see what was going on, holding the fiddle and bow together in his hand. Dmitri saw Maurice, fully dressed for work but playing a large accordion and dancing around, not unlike what Dmitri was doing the day before. Dmitri noticed that as Maurice did this, brooms, feather dusters and other forms of cleaning equipment were animated by magic, cleaning the hall for Maurice.

Dmitri smiled, amused by Maurice's performance but also amazed by his impressive display of magic, even if it was only to clean house. Placing the fiddle on his shoulder, Dmitri joined in and improvised, playing along with Maurice. Maurice was too distracted and having fun to realize that Dmitri was nearby, joining in his song and dance. After finishing, Maurice laughed and looked over to Dmitri.

"Bonjour my friend, I didn't mean to wake you up this early. Sometimes I forget we have a guest." Maurice said apologetically.

"Don't apologize, that was fun! I didn't realize you were a musician." Dmitri said.

"Why yes. I used to perform at the Violets Club inn all the time. I still do on occasion." Maurice said.

"You're a performer?" Dmitri asked.

"Yes, I'm practicing for the moly flower festival on Lillyplum Island. It's not far from here." Maurice said. "If you're confident in your skill, perhaps you can bring your fiddle there? I'm certain the crowd will love you."

Dmitri thought about it for a moment.

"Maybe I will, if I can get there." Dmitri said. "I like you Maurice, you're very odd, but you brighten up my day."

"Thank you monsieur Dmitri!" Maurice said gratefully with a bow. "I like being odd, in this place I can be as strange as I like, people don't judge you here like they do in the world below."

"You love music it seems. I think the two of us can be good friends!" Dmitri said. Dmitri followed Maurice around the castle as he practiced his accordion and used magic to clean the halls around him, though Maurice practiced a slowly, quieter tune. The two talked for a long while, about music, love, and eventually the afterlife.

"I miss my home." Dmitri admitted sadly.

"We all do at first, but eventually you'll make friends, meet people and start a new life. Then, this will be your home." Maurice said. Maurice then smiled.

"In life my only friends were Peter and Nadia, but after everything that happened I wouldn't be able to face them anymore. Everyone else in Whiteraven looked down on me." Dmitri said.

"Why is that?" Maurice asked.

"Because I was poor, and a reptile, and a scrawny wimp." Dmitri said. "Ironically, for me it seems my life never really began until it ended." Dmitri said as Maurice turned towards him curiously.

"Dmitri, not to be nosy but... I heard that you were..." Maurice began but stopped before putting it in words. Dmitri rolled his eyes.

"A homo, yes." Dmitri interrupted.

"I wouldn't have put it in such rude terms. But yes, is that true?" Maurice asked.

"I like you Maurice, but I'm not sure how well we'd-." Dmitri said. Maurice shook his head.

"No no, I'm not asking that." Maurice said. "What are your thoughts on William?"

"Bill?" Dmitri said, thinking about him for a moment. "William is handsome, and he seems like a kind enough man, but he seems very old fashioned."

Maurice laughed.

"He may not notice it, but since you arrived he's been talking about you a lot. I think he likes you Dmitri." Maurice said with a playful tone to his voice.

"Don't be ridiculous, what could a man like him possibly like about me?" Dmitri said skeptically.

"I do not know. Perhaps your eyes, or your voice with that little accent, I know he likes exotic accents, or perhaps the rumors of what snake men are capable of in the bedroom?" Maurice said, Dmitri glanced to the side in mild annoyance. Dmitri was silent for a while before asking Maurice a question that was bothering him.

"Maurice? How did you die?" Dmitri asked.

"You are bothered about the way you died?" Maurice asked, and Dmitri nodded.

"I too was put to death. There are a surprising number of people here who were, the law isn't always fair." Maurice said. "You needn't worry, just let it go and someday it'll all be a distant memory you can look back at and laugh."

"You were executed?" Dmitri asked.

"A la guillotine, yes." Maurice said, stopping his song for the moment.

"What's a guillotine?" Dmitri asked.

"A machine to put criminals to death in my homeland. First they strap you down to a block of wood, then they move you so your neck is beneath a heavy blade above and a basket below. They put your neck between two pieces of wood with a hole in them to keep it in place. Then they pull a lever and drop the blade and SLICE!" Maurice said, chopping his hand into his palm loudly to emphasize the impact, making Dmitri jump.

"Off goes your head!" Maurice said, making Dmitri wince.

"That sounds horrible! Did it hurt?" Dmitri asked. Maurice looked up at the ceiling, tapping his chin with his finger.

"I don't recall, it all happened so fast. I felt the blade strike, a flash of cold and then falling down into the basket. Almost immediately afterwards I lost consciousness." Maurice said.

Dmitri put his hand to his throat and shuddered. Maurice heard Dmitri's stomach groan."Are you hungry?" Maurice asked, Dmitri nodded excitedly. "I shall cook a fine breakfast for our esteemed guest!"

William was in his office, he sat by his desk and looked over to a bookshelf where he had a small shrine made for someone who was once very special to him. On the bookshelf was a half melted candle, previously lit in honor of the man the shrine was made for, and a deguerrotype photograph of William standing behind another man with his wings wrapped around his shoulders, holding him close. William's lover in the photograph was a secretary bird who stood about a head shorter than William, he wore a shirt and vest and had large, feminine eyes and a sweet smile, and several feathers that stood up from the back of his head. The secretary bird's wing-hand was placed over his William's, and both he and William wore wedding rings that were visible in the photo.

Beneath the photograph were several pieces of memorabillia: two wedding rings and a batch of flowers which have long since dried up and desecated into fragile husks. William approached the bookshelf and picked up the violet in his hand, looking at it and reminiscing about the past. William remembered seeing his husband in the castle garden, wearing a straw hat and covering himself with a thick green apron with pockets as he toiled away, making sure his beloved flowers were healthy and beautiful.

"William dearest, I grew these just for you." He said as he invited his husband to sit with him in the garden and look at the purple flowers he grew. William's husband had a feminine voice, soft and reserved and lady-like in tone. His voice was soft and calming, and each word was spoken with honey-like sweetness.

"Violets." William said, admiring the vibrant color of the flower patch. "They're beautiful, Elliott."

Elliott smiled and laughed slightly, closing his eyes as he did so.

"Thank you dearest. I know they're your favorite, and I put such care into growing them." Elliott said. "I love you, William."

"I love you too Elliott, I look forward to spending eternity with you." William said, holding Elliott close as they touched their beaks together affectionately.

But eternity didn't last. Elliott was gone, which is why there was now a shrine made in his honor. William didn't know if the ascended can return after they die twice, or if there existed a second afterlife, but he hoped that if Elliott still existed somewhere, his sentiments would reach him. As William placed the flower back onto the bookshelf, Maurice entered the room holding a tray with a china teapot, two teacups and saucers, a bowl of sugar cubes and a plate with some biscuits and jam.

"Come in, Maurice." William said. Maurice entered and placed the tray on an empty spot of William's desk.

"I brought your morning tea, Master Inkrose." Maurice said with a bow after placing the tray down.

"Thank you Maurice." William said. "Please, join me."

William looked outside his office window and saw Dmitri outside in the yard of the castle, trying to practice his new abilities. As William watched, Maurice poured a couple of steamy cups of sweet smelling tea.

"He reminds me of Elliott in some ways." William said as he watched Dmitri, who was trying to fly but failing and landing face first onto the ground.

"He's very cheerful when he isn't fixated on the past." Maurice said, passing a cup of tea to William. William held the cup and saucer in his hands and took a sip, the cup making a small clinking sound as he placed it back on the saucer.

"I think it would be a good idea to show him more of what this realm has to offer. I think I'll take him on a little adventure, Maurice." William said, watching Dmitri as he continued to explore his new abilities.

As William and Maurice had their morning tea, Dmitri was outside in the courtyard practicing the new abilities he's acquired since he ascended to the heavens. Dmitri repeatedly tried to fly, and while he was able to levitate for several seconds at a time, he wasn't able to figure out what kept him in the air the day before. After getting frustrated by his repeated failures, Dmitri decided to try and start small. In the courtyard was a stone well, and he decided to try and walk along it. Dmitri figured that if he lacked the balance to walk along with circumference of the well he would never be able to fly again. Nervously, Dmitri crawled onto the edge of the well. Holding his arms out and using his tail for balance, he began to walk along. Dmitri looked down into the black void inside the well, and the distraction caused him to lose his balance. Fortunately, Dmitri was able to catch the crossbeams of the well with his tail as he fell inside.

"Do you need help, Dmitri?" William said. Dmitri pulled himself to safety and sat by the well, frustrated by his failures.

"How was I able to float in the air yesterday but now I can't even keep my balance today!?" Dmitri said in annoyance. William looked over to the well, then walked over and stood the empty bucket up beside it.

"What are you doing?" Dmitri asked curiously. Suddenly, William leaped onto the bucket with a swish of wind and stood with perfect balance on its rim. Dmitri stared in disbelief as William whistled a tune as he walked along the rim of the empty bucket with ease, the bucket not budging an inch. William walked along the bucket 5 times before jumping off and into the grass.

"The afterlife is a world of magic. Master it and there's no task you can't overcome." William said.

"H-How did you do that!?" Dmitri said.

"Would you like to try?" William asked.

"That's impossible! There's no way-" Dmitri said before William laughed.

"And THAT, my friend, is why you keep falling on your ass. In this world the limits of what's possible are greatly expanded, so long as you have the willpower to do them." William said. "Now give it a try, and don't tell yourself it's impossible."

Dmitri took a deep breath and tried. Immediately, as soon as his feet landed on the bucket's rim it fell forward, throwing Dmitri onto the ground. William reacted with laughter at this, though Dmitri didn't find it funny in the slightest.

"Stop laughing, you pompous ass!" Dmitri said.

"Hmph! You, my friend have the manners of a toad and a crocodile's sense of humor. I was going to take you on a trip and teach you to master your new abilities, but if you're going to be insulting about it..." William said.

"I'm sorry." Dmitri said. "It's frustrating seeing you do all these amazing things and then failing miserably when I try them. I didn't mean to vent my anger at you."

"I accept your apology." William said. "Dmitri, I want to show you around Arcadia and show you there's more to this realm than my lonely old castle."

William offered his hand to Dmitri.

"Take my hand, would you like me to teach you?" William asked. Dmitri reluctantly reached forward and did what William asked. William helped the snake man to his feet.

"Now, the first thing we need to learn is how to fly." William said. "Just take a deep breath and close your eyes."

Dmitri did this, and took a couple of deep breaths. Suddenly, he began to feel himself lift of the ground, but mainly with the help of William.

"Yes, that's right. Just imagine that you're as light as a feather." William said. Dmitri didn't quite understand it, but somehow it was working. He saw with his own eyes that the afterlife had far less limitations than the world of the living, and he truly wanted to learn to take advantage of his new abilities. Slowly, Dmitri opened his eyes and realized he was floating about 10 feet off the ground and jump slightly. Dmitri felt William's feathered hand tighten around his own.

"It's okay Dmitri, I won't let you fall. I promise." William said gently. Dmitri calmed down and let himself float.

"I'd like to take you to a little place where we can train your new abilities, would you like that?" William asked. The idea excited Dmitri, and he quickly nodded.

"Yes! I want to learn to do amazing things!" Dmitri said.

"Splendid! Than I shall teach you. Keep holding my hand." William said. The two took off into the air high above Castle Inkrose and the island it was on. Looking down, Dmitri saw the castle and the forested, mountainous landscape below as well as fluffy white clouds and the shadows they cast along the ground. Dmitri was normally afraid of heights, this fear and the fear of falling made his execution that much worse, but he felt safe holding onto William's hand. It occurred to him as well that he was holding hands with William, who he has started to become attracted to. William's grip was firm, yet gentle, and the warmth of his feathered avian hand felt pleasant against his scaly skin. Dmitri's face reddened, and William glanced at him for a moment and smiled. Dmitri turned his head in embarrassment, hoping William wouldn't notice.

"As I've said yesterday, flying is one of the most basic skills you can learn in the afterlife. In the land of the living it's possible only after studying magic for decades, but in this world it's like learning to walk. You'll stumble and fall a few times, but in time it'll become second nature." William said.

"How do you do it?" Dmitri asked. "How do you teach yourself to fly?"

"In life I was a master sorcerer, magic comes naturally to me. In the world of the living magic is rare and difficult to use, but here it's a plentiful as air, and using it will eventually become like breathing. With magic in your hands, where there's a will there's, quite literally, a way." William said.

"So what you're telling me is I'm able to fly just by convincing myself I can do it?" Dmitri asked, and William nodded.

"Would you like to try?" William asked. "I'm going to let go of your hand, and you try to fly. If you start to fall, I'll catch you."

Dmitri nervously swallowed, and after a moment, William released Dmitri's hand. Dmitri yelped in fear as he started to fall, grabbing his hat so he wouldn't lose it again. Dmitri's jacket blew upwards from the wind rushing past. Clearing his mind of any thoughts of plummeting to the ground or trap doors, he concentrated on his desire to fly. Dmitri's descent slowed until he levitated in the air. Looking around, Dmitri put his hat back on and laughed. Soon, William joined with him.

"I'm doing it! I'm flying!" Dmitri said proudly.

"Good show Dmitri!" William congratulated. After this, the two spent time flying through the skies of Arcadia, Dmitri laughing and had fun as he tried practicing various aerial tricks he improvised, sometimes failing but quickly getting back into the air to try again.

"Over there Dmitri, that looks like a good place to practice." William said, pointing to a sizeable abandoned island with grassy fields, forests and a river flowing over the edge from a seemingly infinite water source.

"I'll race you there!" Dmitri said. He lost the race by several seconds, and William was waiting for him as he arived, standing at the edge of the forest, overlooking the grassy fields that lead to the edge of the island a few kilometers away.

"How did you get here so fast?" Dmitri asked.

"Decades of practice my boy." William said.

"My boy? You talk like an old man but you don't look that much older than me!" Dmitri said.

"I'm quite old in reality, and Maurice is even older than me. I estimate I'm around... 89 years old I think." William said.

"89!?" Dmitri said and started to laugh. "You're an old codger! And how do you not even know your own age!?"

William frowned in annoyance and crossed his arms. "Nobody here is old, we stop aging once we reach our mid-late 20s. And it's hard to keep track of time here, so don't make fun of me!"

William then smirked at Dmitri.

"Not too old to get your rocks off I suppose." William said, knowing about how Dmitri was secretly infatuated with him. Dmitri stopped laughing immediately and cringed in embarrassment, his face turning deep red. William laughed as he approached a tree.

"Come, I'll teach you some of the things we're capable of here." William said before patting the tree he stood next to. "Yes, this one will do nicely."

"What are you doing?" Dmitri asked. William then tapped the tree trunk with the tips of his fingers quickly, so fast in fact that Dmitri barely noticed it happening. The impact made a distinct thud followed by a wooden snap, but Dmitri didn't notice anything happen until a few seconds later when the tree fell to the ground in front of William. William then lifted the tree with ease, humming to himself as he did so. Dmitri looked at William with confusion, wondering just what he was seeing. When William brought the tree into the clearing, then Dmitri witnessed William toss the entire tree high into the air, and as it descended he smashed it to a pile of split logs using only his fists. The flurry of punches were so fast Dmitri couldn't even see them, and within seconds William's hands were full of perfectly cut and split logs, a job that would've taken at least an hour or so with a good axe and a strong swing. Dmitri's eyes widened in amazement.

"I'm going to use these to start a little camp fire." William said non-chalantly. "Would you like me to put on the kettle and maybe cook some food?"

"Amazing! So we have superhuman speed and strength here too? Let me try." Dmitri said. He approached a large boulder with jutted up from the ground. William approached Dmitri cautiously.

"Dmitri, you probably shouldn't start with-" William said, but before he could stop him, Dmitri leaned back and punched the boulder with all his might. The impact of his fist was enough to cause cracks in the boulder to form, and for a moment he was proud of his accomplishment. However, reality struck a second or two later when the pain of a mangled and shattered hand set in. Dmitri fell to the ground in a fetal position, clutching the busted and swollen hand and screaming in pain. Immediately, William raced to Dmitri's aid.

"Give me your hand." William said. He took Dmitri's hand in his own, which became surrounded in white light. Dmitri watched as his broken fingers mended themselves and went back to normal and all the cuts and bruises on his hand disappear along with all pain. Dmitri clenched his fist a few times, confirming it was fully healed.

"Thank you." Dmitri said. "How did you do that?"

"I've used white magic to heal your wounds. It's something Elliott taught me." William said.

"Who's Elliott?" Dmitri asked. "Is he someone I didn't meet yet?"

William's expression turned dour, and he frowned in sadness.

"I'll talk about Elliott some other time, Dmitri." William said.

"I guess pain still exists here." Dmitri said, looking at both sides of his hand.

"Your mind creates pain, that too can be overcome. However, that takes time and effort." William said before looking at the dent left in the boulder. "Emotional pain is much harder to overcome than physical pain however."

Dmitri looked over to William as he said that, figuring the words had some deep relevance to him. William cleared his voice and tried to change the subject.

"Impressive for your first try, but you really should've started with something a little less hard." William said. Dmitri got to his feet, ready and eager to try more of his powers.

"I want to learn more!" Dmitri said with excitement. William laughed.

"You're just like a child in a candy shop. Here, lets see if you can do this..." William said. William squat down into a horse stance and took a deep, hissing breath. William became surrounded by a orange-red aura, and before Dmitri's eyes he grew and began to change shape. His legs became like those of a wolf, and a lupine tail grew from his backside. His arms became clawed and larger, turning into the legs of a bird while new wings sprouted from his back. After a few minutes, he stood on all four limbs, not as a therian raven, but as a black gryphon with the head, wings and legs of a raven and the hind legs, abdomen and tail of a wolf. Despite having changed form, William still put his small glasses at the end of his beak. Dmitri was amazed at the sight.

"Give it a try Dmitri, try and change your form into..." William looked upwards, thinking for a moment, tapping his beak with a claw. "Let's try a wyvern."

"What in bloody hell is a wyvern?" Dmitri asked.

"It's like a dragon. Use your imagination, it's fun." William said.

"Okay... Dragon..." Dmitri said, trying to concentrate. "I know, I'll turn into the Dragon of the North Sea!"

"That's the spirit!" William said encouragingly.

"Okay. The Dragon of the North Sea is like a big snake that can freeze things with its breath. I'm a snake, so this shouldn't be THAT hard..." Dmitri thought. He immitated William's stance prior to transforming, and became surrounded by an icy blue aura.

"Here we go... dragon!" Dmitri said out loud as he began to transform. At first he started to grow and William thought for a moment he got it right on the first try, but then he began to shrink. Dmitri's arms and legs shrunk until they disappeared, and his body shrunk until he disappeared beneath a pile of his clothes. William raised his eyebrows in concern, hoping he didn't somehow erase himself from existence.

"Dmitri?" William said. He saw movement from Dmitri's pile of clothes, and out of them slithered a small, green feral snake.

"Am I a dragon?" Dmitri asked.

"Not quite..." William said. Dmitri looked at himself in a puddle of water, realizing he was a tiny feral snake.

"Ssssshit." Dmitri said, he then heard William snort and begin to laugh. Dmitri turned to William and hissed.

"Ssstop that!" Dmitri said. "How do I turn back?"

William reverted back to his normal, therian form.

"I'll help." William said, holding his hands out in front of Dmitri and reciting a magical verse.

"Muto Bydos Retro." William said. Dmitri then reverted back to his original form, feeling relief.

"We'll keep practicing that." William said with a laugh.

For several days William and Dmitri returned to the island so Dmitri could practice his new abilities. They would spend days racing at lightning speeds, jumping across tree branches that should not have been able to hold their weight, swimming up waterfalls, transforming into animals and sparring each other. One day, William took Dmitri there to go camping, as nightfall came, Dmitri sat with William by the fire as Dmitri cooked a chicken on a spit. William sat peacefully against the rock Dmitri punched previously and smoked from a long pipe. Dmitri took a chicken leg and took a bite, savoring the meal.

"Mmm! You want some?" Dmitri asked, William shook his head, and Dmitri shrugged.

"No thank you. Avians don't eat birds. It's... weird." William said. Dmitri just shrugged.

"More for me!" Dmitri said happily. William relaxed, smoking his pipe and looking up at the stars. He remembered a time when he and Elliott used to enjoy time together long ago.

"You look like you're thinking about something." Dmitri said.

"Just the past." William said. Dmitri drank some water from a metal cup that William had brought with him.

"Dmitri. Do you have anybody here waiting for you?" William asked.

"Yeah. I think mum's probably here, maybe pop - not that I have any desire to see him, drunken old fool..." Dmitri said as he ate, and thought for a moment after he swallowed his food. "And Peter."

"Was Peter your lover?" William asked.

Dmitri laughed. "We were close friends since childhood, and I had feelings for him for years. Then it turns out he's straight all along and gets engaged to my other friend Nadia. I was 100% certain he was gay, the way he walked, the way he talked, everything about him..."

"Did you ever tell him how you felt about him?" William asked.

"Nyet. I never had the courage, then he died and his girlfriend hanged me." Dmitri said. "I just want to leave the past behind. He's still my friend though, he stuck by me even when everyone else thought I was garbage."

William puffed out a ring of smoke and looked at the sky.

"I don't think you're garbage." William said. "I hope you find your true love soon."

"True love? Your talking like this is a fairy tale. Most don't end with 'and then they both died'." Dmitri joked. After Dmitri finished his meal he discarded the bones into the campfire, washed his hands in a stream and wiped his face and hands off with a handkerchief. As Dmitri washed up, he noticed the distinct hue of a wild violet growing by the river bank. Dmitri bent down and plucked it, holding it up and slowly turning it in his hand, admiring it's beauty. He knew about the tradition of presenting another man with a violet, and put it in his breast pocket for safe keeping before taking a seat next to William.

"Do you have someone here too?" Dmitri asked.

"Most of the friends I have I met here in Arcadia: Maurice, my fellow reapers, Maurice's friend Clyde, and yourself. My mother took her own life when I was young, and unfortunately I have never seen her since. Whether she failed to ascend or has avoided me all these years I don't know. I still have my father, James, though we rarely talk with each other. I've become acquainted with my ancestors as well, some of which are interesting characters." William said.

"What about lovers?" Dmitri said then smiled. "I heard you mention someone named Elliott earlier, surely a man like you hasn't spent all this time here and never had a boyfriend?"

William was reluctant to answer, he puffed on his pipe, thinking about Elliott's large eyes and sweet smile.

"Elliott was my husband, but he is no longer with us." William said sadly.

Dmitri frowned and placed his hand on William's shoulder to comfort him.

"I'm sorry." Dmitri said quietly.

"That was over 20 years ago, you would've been an infant." William said. "I'm done grieving."

"Do you still think about him?" Dmitri asked.

"All the time." William said.

"Tell me about him." Dmitri asked. William thought for a moment about how to start.

"Elliott is a native of Arcadia. His father was a reaper, and his mother was a healer. They met here in Arcadia, married, and had Elliott. To answer a concern you had before, yes, people can still have babies in the afterlife." William said before continuing.

"When my... time had come, I was greeted by Elliott. He was my reaper the same way I was yours, though I was conscious when he came to me. His eyes were like the sky, and his feathers were like the clouds of a summer day, and his voice..." William almost became misty eyed thinking about Elliott.

"I fell in love the moment I met him. He brought me to his home in Arcadia, the very castle where you now reside. He took care of me, cooked me meals and tended a beautiful garden like none other. In the world of the living, he would have been called 'effeminate' and derided for it, but in the heavens such qualities were accepted and, in some cases, admired. He was the most gentle soul I had ever met." William said.

"Our relationship started as long conversations with each other, dates, then long nights of passionate lovemaking. Eventually, the two of us got married, he changed his surname to Inkrose and became my husband." William said, reminiscing on the past.

"So what happened?" Dmitri asked, and William's expression turned to a frown.

"Elliott died." William said bluntly.

"I don't understand, how can a person die twice? If someone goes to heaven, then should they not have to worry about death? I thought that was the point." Dmitri asked.

"Indeed. Those who ascend to Arcadia are rewarded with eternal, unending life, everlasting youth and a world of peace, happiness and fulfillment among other things." William said. "Death is as unnatural here as immortality is in the world of the living. Unnatural, but not impossible."

"Explain this to me, how can that happen?" Dmitri said.

"The body is merely a construct of the soul here. For this reason, one is able to do amazing things that were impossible in the mortal world, and even if every inch of your body is destroyed it will eventually come back so long as the soul still exists. Only a direct attack on the soul itself can permanently destroy someone here." William said. "Elliott lead a team of reapers including myself, Maurice and three others, there were 7 of us in total. One day, we were betrayed. One of the members of our team switched sides, joining forces with the enemy. I was... I was beyond enraged."

"As you should've been." Dmitri said, but William shook his head.

"No. I was careless... I attacked the traitor, but he overwhelmed me, and when he went to finish me off, Elliott was killed trying to save me." William said. Dmitri shuddered and looked over to William.

"That was a long time ago now." William said. Dmitri's head was low, and his expression suggested he wanted to say something but could not, and William took notice.

"You look like you want to say something." William said. "Please, speak your mind."

"William..." Dmitri began, his face turning redder and redder. "I... I really..."

Dmitri took the violet out of his pocket and presented it to William. William looked with surprise at the flower, Dmitri's face burned and he began to feel regret, but knew it was too late now to change his mind.

"A violet?" William said. "I assume you know its significance?"

"Da." Dmitri responded. William gently took the flower from Dmitri's hand.

"I accept your courting gift Dmitri." William said, and Dmitri smiled, yet looked like he was about to faint from nervousness and excitement.

An Explanation of the Passing of the Violet tradition:

In Barthonia, certain flowers have significance. The violet in particular represents homosexual love. When one man is sexually interested in another, he passes a violet to him in a private place. If the violet is rejected, so is his advance. However, if one accepts the violet that's been given to him, it means that he is willing to reciprocate with the one who gave it, sexually and perhaps romantically. William Inkrose, having accepted Dmitri's violet, has told him that he is interested in him romantically.

William held the violet in his hand for a moment and placed it in his breast pocket before moving in close to Dmitri and putting his arm over his shoulders.

"I like you Dmitri, I think you're a bright and adventurous young man, and knowing what I know about you now, I think you're also very brave." William said.

"I'm not that brave." Dmitri said.

"You are, much more than you think. I'm glad you worked up the confidence to give me this violet." William said. William's calm voice and encouraging words helped Dmitri calm down and relax into William's arm, leaning his head on his shoulder.

Dmitri and William retired for the rest of the night in William's tent, the two men cuddled together in the bedding William prepared. Dmitri nuzzled his head into William's ebony feathered chest, the older and taller avian man's arms wrapped around his shoulders, cradling his head into him while the two were wrapped in the heavenly warmth of furs and quilts. Dmitri breathed peacefully, making very quiet hissing sounds and occasionally flicking his tongue in habit while William rubbed his shoulder comfortingly. Dmitri shifted, throwing one arm over William's chest and coiling his tail around his leg affectionately. Dmitri felt William nibbling his hair with his beak, and tiredly opened one eye in confusion, wondering what he was doing. It took Dmitri a moment to realize William was preening him, which was an avian's equivalent to kissing. He smiled and closed his eyes once again, soon drifting off into a peaceful sleep.

William, allowed Dmitri to fall asleep snuggled into him, he didn't dare to wake Dmitri as he slept peacefully, his chest slowly rising and falling with each warm breath which glided across William's chest. William looked down at the slumbering snake beside him, William looked outside the tent and watched the campfire burn down into embers, and admired the sleeping young man beside him.

"He's got the spark of youth and the love of adventure and discovery in him. How could anyone be so cruel as to put such a wonderful soul to death?" William thought as he gently rubbed Dmitri's head. "Yesterday, he was so distraught at the idea of being dead, but today it's as if he's already forgotten."

William smiled and looked up at the embers once again.

"Elliott. I don't know if you can hear me, or if you even still exist. If you do, I ask you to watch over Dmitri. I love you." William quietly said, feeling his eyes becoming heavy as the horizon began to turn green with the light of the approaching sunrise. He finally closed them, allowing himself to sleep beside Dmitri.