FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The forest was far more dense than he could have ever imagined. Old and wrought with countless cycles of decay and new birth, the unchecked growth made it seem more like a deciduous jungle than a collection of trees. The canopy shrouded their path in darkness and moisture, the detritus of the forest floor filling his lungs with earthly miasma. Yet still the sun's warmth penetrated the ceiling of dense leaves, occasional blades of argence piercing the foliage. Majestic oaks and elms towered over him in every direction, occasional spruce or birch peppered the gaps to add flavor. Bioluminescent insects floated as fairies in the branches, humming cryptic tunes to themselves. As the duo padded along the forest floor, James became more and more mesmerized by the silent beauty of the nature around him. The purity and growth was so far removed from the forest of skyscrapers he lived among; the only canopy he was familiar with hung over his porch, and the only insects were surely pests. Certainly this is what nature is supposed to look like.

He could not help but stare at his new companion between takes at his new environment to wonder how such a creature could exist. And talk! Almost human-like, its proportions reminded him of his high-school mascot, only shorter and more organic. Clearly, it could hop, but it also walked and ran as any human would. In time, his gaze was brought to the staff the rabbit held; the emerald gleam had faded from the rough, entrapped gem, a gleaming clump of pitch in the dim forest light. 'Magic!'_he thought to himself. _'Maybe this could be fun after all. I mean, I might as well enjoy it while I'm here. It'd be pretty cool to shoot a fireball or something!'

As if Lapin could sense his thoughts, he interrupted James' mental flow. "We're not here for fun and games, you know. We're safe - for now at least - but we'll need to keep moving to stay ahead of them. An open grove lies less than a kilometer ahead with fresh water and presumably something edible growing. We'll rest there while you unburden whatever questions you may have. As you are what I can only assume is the god of ignorance, you clearly have need of answers." James sighed inwardly. 'Still not a god,' he muttered under his breath while stepping carefully through a thicket. If Harman heard him, he betrayed no notice.

The thickness of the forest began to wane gradually, as if approaching the edge; but the forest hinted nothing of its boundaries. For all James knew, the litany of trunks and branches went on forever. It was not long, as Harman promised, until they reached a small river in a thinner clearing, more brightly lit than the surrounding forest. The river itself was a stone's throw wide, divided by a small eyot overgrown with herbs and brightly-colored flowers. Unidentifiable shrubs littered the area, many with brightly-colored berries. Without taking any time to ponder the new surroundings, Harman hopped into the shallow water and waded across to the small island, taking time only to make sure his new companion was following.

James paused at the edge of the water, unsure if he should remove his leather sandals first, but ultimately the impatience of the Lapin coaxed him across; 'they're cheap, anyway' he told himself as the surprisingly warm water rushed over his feet. It wasn't deep, barely skirting to his knees, but the current was stronger than he anticipated. After a brief moment of uncertainty, he regained his balance and made his way onto the overgrown island. Luckily for him, he had been dressed fairly casually, only prepared to make brief morning stops on his lazy day off of work. His gray gym shorts barely missed the river's kiss, and his black tee shirt was comfortable in the dense humidity of the forest.

Absolutely none of the small flora looked familiar; sure, it had been a while since he was in the scouts, but he figured he'd have still been able to recognize at least one simple plant around him. Many of the small herbs were fern-like, while still others had broad, alternating leaves as gigantic basils or mints. Harman scurried quickly around, gathering paw-fuls of the different leaves and stuffing them into a small, linen pouch that was tucked under his vest. Before long, James' observations were interrupted by two outstretched paws practically pressed into his face; they were overflowing with bright blue berries that had an aroma similar to hazelnuts; James could not even begin to comprehend how they would taste, reflexively asking "Are these even safe to eat?"

Harman huffed at him, once more pressing his paws towards his face. "Of course they are! I wouldn't be offering them if they weren't. These are Soma. They will sustain you until we find a more appropriate food source. They're native to the area and hard to come by in the wild, so you'd better be thankful."

Cautiously, he grabbed a few from his paws, testing them in his fingers as if to descry some hidden power. After a brief hesitation, he popped them in his mouth and began to chew. The explosion of flavor from spewed forth was almost impossible to describe - an amalgam of melons and peaches and other various fresh fruits burst into his mouth as though it were a waterfall of taste. Though he was not hungry, he ate all that was presented to him. The lop nodded in satisfaction before wandering off to fill his small waterskin. Once James had finished eating, he glanced at the water to test its cleanliness; it appeared as though it was clean, and the Lapin was filling a container, so surely this was safe as well. He scooped some water up to his face and drank quickly from his hand, only savoring a few gulps of the fresh water to sweep away the sticky remnants of the Soma.

When it appeared that Harman had no further tasks, he set himself about a large boulder and stared at James as though he meant to conjure the questions straight from his lungs. "So now you have questions, I'm sure. Make them brief, as we mustn't dally." James nodded in confirmation as he swallowed the last gulp of water and wiped off his mouth.

"So, I guess I'll start with the main question: Where the hell am I? What is this place?"

Harman sighed and nodded as if he expected this. "Truly, you are ignorant. We currently reside within the Evergrown Forest. It covers a majority of our territory in Dusk Falls, over 100 kilometers around. We are heading eastward towards The Haven so we may meet with my accomplice."

James nodded softly, trying his best to remember the names given and gain a sense of direction. "So then, what country are we in? What planet even is this?" He was grasping for information, almost choking on the realization that this may not actually be a dream. 'It's too vivid; there's no way I'm creative enough to invent all of this in my head.'

"What...planet?" Harman had been caught off-guard, his ears perking slightly under their weight as he struggled to comprehend the meaning of the question. "This is Earth! Is there some other planet we should be living on? Shall I name for you the stars in the sky so you may contemplate them as well?"

"No, I..." he trailed off. The answer staggered him beyond measure; it was impossible! "Look, I'm obviously not from around here, alright? I'm not a god, I don't create things; I've never even seen this world before. I was taken in the middle my morning walk and transported here; by you, I imagine, since you call yourself my summoner. Why am I here, and how could I possibly help anyone here? You've got magic and I have nothing, so unless you..." His rambling was cut short by a swift jab to his gut. Shallowly panting, he fell to his knees as he tried to catch his breath and blink the tears from his vision. 'What the hell is wrong with you?' he gasped incoherently.

"My spell was perfect!" He leapt from his perch and pointed his staff at the kneeling human like an accusation. "Clearly you are a god, as it was written to summon one! How do you name me knowledgeable of your own power? I know nothing of your existence or world, only that you were chosen to bring about our peace!" The rabbit scrunched his face in disgust, letting his arm fall to his side after a moment of silence. "I know nothing of your world or your power, but if what you say is true, then surely we are doomed." Harmon sighed in resignation, slowly climbing back to his stoney outlook. "There is still time to answer further questions; doubtless they'll burn a hole through your head if you don't ask them. What I lack is time to explain our history from the beginning of time, so place your inquiries wisely."

After brief contemplation, he rose to his feet again dust and pollen churned about the air, catching the slits of light that manage to find their way through the maze of leaves and branches. "All right, then tell me about your magic. How do you use it and where does it come from? At very least, if I can understand it a little better I might be able to help figure something out."

The rabbit's eyes lit up, matching the enthusiasm of his ears. "Ah, now there's a topic which I could divulge in for the rest of time, but given our current straits, I will be brief." He shifted his position on the rock and laid down his staff, freeing his paws in necessary of the coming task. "The Earth provides its life to us, to all living things. This energy and power is then returned when we perish, giving it the experience of life without directly participating. Through the earth, we may channel its blessing to accomplish our goals. Every Lifeforce may harness this power and interact with it, though admittedly some are more sensitive to it than others." Harman reached out a paw and beckoned to James. "Give me your paw." James complied, placing his hand in the Lapin's surprisingly soft paw. Quickly, it was rotated palm-upwards as Harman placed his own palms on either side of his hand. "Now think of light, of heat, of life and death. All is present within you as you live and breathe. Focus on your palm and try to realize the forces around and within.

James did as he was told, closing his eyes to help eliminate the various distractions of the forest. He felt a mild warmth from the encasing paws, but could not feel anything else around him. He focused on his hand with as much focus as an archeologist might descry some fossil pattern buried in the bedrock. Though he felt no flow or energy or discernable force, he felt the paws around his own hand release gently; though strangely, the warmth remained. Slowly, he opened his eyes while trying to maintain his focus to be met with a blue flame flickering in his palm, not larger than the flame of a candle.

His heart grew wings and took off beyond his perceptions. 'No way, this is really happening!' His excitement was painted on his face, Harman smirking as though he had unlocked some hidden secret. "This is the Lifeforce. It lives within us and dies with us." Though the flame danced, there was no wind. James felt as though there was some further meaning to interpret, but before he could study it, the flame flickered out.

"This is amazing and everything, but what am I going to do with just a small, blue flame?" He was astonished by his own question; surely there was more to come, but the sheer beauty and thrill of conjuring a flame in the palm of his hand? Without a doubt he could do more if he tried.

"Everyone starts somewhere," Harman scoffed, "though I would have believed it would be more potent." It was clear he was becoming impatient, his paws tapping on the solid granite beneath him. "But we have no more time for that. I will permit one further question."

James thought back for a moment, attempting to select the best possible question. "Earlier, you had said we needed to 'stay ahead of them,'" he began cautiously. "Who are they, and why are they chasing you - or us?"

Harman grumbled to himself as though he were arguing with his conscience. Before long, he sighed and began listlessly, "The Lapin warriors have no doubt begun their pursuit. Once they realize what I've done, they'll be swift to collect us both and, no doubt, execute us." He paused for a moment to recollect his thoughts, as if to phrase it as gently as he could. "I am considered a traitor by my people now, having broken a sacred law by summoning you. Doubtless, they approach even now to recollect the Staff of Life I was entrusted. Our kingdom is falling apart, ruled by madness and darkness and a fierce evil without a face, but I was not to be believed."

James stared in wonder as the Lapin recalled events passed, silently pondering his options. 'This is some serious shit. A traitor summoned me here, and I'll be executed if I'm caught.' His considerations were cut short as Harman continued. "My warnings were rebuffed by the elders, cast aside as heresy designed to incite a riot, but I've seen all too well what will happen if none stand against this rising evil."

"Right, so what's the plan then?" James interjected. Already he was becoming uncomfortable with the idea of following the rabbit further, but what other option did he have? The warriors would definitely find him bumbling about the forest on his own, and all he could do was conjure a tiny flame barely capable of casting light over the breadth of his hand. He needed an escape, but one that wouldn't put him in such serious danger.

"We shall join with my accomplice in The Haven to resolve the matter of your tutelage. There, you will be instructed further on your Lifeforce." Harman secured his pack and waterskin to himself before collecting his staff. Curtly, he hopped down to the soft earth and motioned for James to follow.

"Once your power is fully realized," he continued, "we shall kill the king."