FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Zarin was lying behind a tree in the forest, confused and disoriented, unaware of where or how he got here in the first place. His last known recollection that he could remember was a castle and a pale white light that consumed everything in its path. Worried if the others managed to survive the blast, he looked around to see no one except himself.

The golden rays of the sun forced Zarin up from the rough bark. His eyes blinded by the light. The trees were vibrant, luscious, with overgrown life. The distant background noise of chirping birds and creaking bugs was soothing to his ears. It slightly reminded him back home when he used to hunt for a living, skinning the hide of stags and rabbits alike. Delved deep into the melodies of the forest, he heard an unfamiliar sound. Not from beasts or nature itself, but the humming tune of a woman, resonating a voice unlike he had ever heard before. Such weary tune was enough for weak-willed men to be infatuated, hypnotized by her voice. Zarin was not like most men.

Zarin was not one to leap up the chance to be the curious sort nor the rest of his company. Disciplined and trained, they were taught never to be distracted on the battlefield, never tempted by such ludicrous fantasy. If given orders by his peers, he would investigate the scene and judged whether the target was worthy to be a threat or not.

Although isolated from the rest of his comrades, Zarin understood full well the gravity of his situation. Should he pursue the voice, he would most likely be walking straight into a trap without the support from his comrades. Still, however, he was committed to the task. It was his duty. It was his right and privilege to do his duty to seek out the unnatural. He could not just ignore something that was strange and downright eerie. Collecting himself from his rest, he grabbed his military gear, his standard musket, and went off for the hunt.

The voice of her song was distinct and beautiful. The closer Zarin gets to the source the louder becomes the song, bringing enough resonance to lull the birds and the bees to sleep. There was something in her voice that sends a cold chill beneath his spine. He had a hard time not to be charmed by her heavenly voice.

Zarin tightened the grip of his musket. His mind muddled with confusion as he struggled to keep focus at the task at hand. His trail led to a long-winded river path where the water below shine and glimmer like starlight. He looked around to find no singer, but her voice lingered on in the background, becoming louder, more fluid and elegant.

It was then Zarin realized that he was dealing with a siren, a charmer who send men to their unlikely grave. Whoever was singing was no ordinary. With every proof of his confidence, he was entitled to use lethal force, to bring her down for good. He renewed his trail on the riverside path until the path led him to a large waterfall pond. From there a malformed throne of stone and rock was placed behind the gush of water and perched above the seat was an unknowable figure, singing its irresistible tune.

Zarin wasted no time as he stood at the edge of the pond. He went down on one knee and positioned to aim with his musket, but as he was about to pull the trigger, the song ceased all of a sudden.

“Well now, who is this I wonder?" The lady behind the falls spoke in a sultry tone. Her forest green eyes beamed at the odd thing with a curious intake.

Zarin had her in his sight. He was about to pull the trigger when he felt an uneasy pressure building in his body, forcing him to remain on the trigger. Unsure what was happening to him, he grimly realize that he was unable to move his entire body.

The downward current of the waterfall divided into two like a folded curtain. She emerged out from the waterfall as her wolven, canine feet touched the surface of the water. She then coolly strides toward the hunter with a small, undeniable grin.

Startled, Zarin came to realize the siren in front of him was not a siren in the first place. It was a lithe, voluptuous chimera with fur as white as snow. Bare naked, she stood upon two wolflike legs with the head of a vulpine fox, a chest of a canine mutt and the body of a lion. Her raven forearms were black with wings attached to it.

Within arms length, the chimera then gently grabbed by the arm and hoisted him back up to her height.

“Strange, out of all the people that i come and face. You are but the weirdest of them all." The chimera extended her talon to touch the smoothness of his face. Her wolfen tail wrapped around his leg. “I can see in your eyes, hunter. I am no threat to you unless provoke."

Zarin could barely understand what the creature was saying but felt a sharp cut from his cheek where the talon had touch him. The raw rabidness of her glare was a clear message that she meant business.

“That is if you can understand me? Otherwise, I'll have to end you here and now. Hmm, what is this?" The chimera noticed the strange weapon that the hunter was holding and snatched it away from him to give a close inspection. "An odd instrument. Is this what it would kill me? Hah, child's toy."

Zarin saw the chimera tossed away the weapon into the pond, sinking below into the murky depth. He once again tried to move, unwilling, refusing to be some amusement to such a vile creature. He won't go down without a fight.

The display of his defiance placed a small smile on her face. She couldn't help but chuckle at his effort to struggle. “Oh my, a lively one, I see? I like that in a man."

Zarin cursed himself in silence, unable to break from its spell. However, surprised he was, he still couldn't explain how a chimera accomplished her task in capturing him. His first thought of the pond was some sort of enchanted prison, designed by the chimera. The idea, however, was preposterous at best for there was something else that he missed. Something that was in front, but couldn't know what.

Wrapped beneath its sickly thrall, the helpless hunter stared directly into its gaze. His jaded, black-pearl eyes met the cunning fiery of forest green.

"You know, not many have come visit my realm, and gets away with it," The chimera said as she lowered her talon down in the center of the hunter's chest. A half-smile appeared on her face. "Each time they send their best they always end up floating down the river. Not a day goes by when I feel the thinness of my reach."

Her eyes changed into a scornful look. "Isolated. Stranded and being alone forever." She fixed her gaze at the hunter, bearing her teeth and fang. "But you? Unaware the cost that you make and facing me no less?"

Her talon gradually glowed in a teal light. "Either you are the bravest or just plain foolish. And still, I cannot help but wonder as to who you really are? Let's find out."

Zarin recognized the sharp, pointed tip of the talon pressing firmly against his chest. He felt the sudden rush of warmth in his body, only to realize what the chimera was about to do. If he was still able to move his body would jerk as the talon plunged deep into the flesh. Blood poured and trickled down from the open wound as the process was an unforgivable punishment. It was later that the creature inserted another one of its talon and another until the entire claw was inside of him.

Zarin struggled to stay awake from the pain and the shock, helpless to prevent the chimera drilling deep into his chest. He had his eyes wide open to feel its claw wrapped around his heart. His breathing became shallow. His pinkish skin grew pale and cold. As he was close to collapse, the last thing he saw was the chimera, grinning an alluring smile with eyes glowing bright of forest-green.

Then after that came the darkness.

====----====

The shifting rays of the sun faded by the rapid downfall of the night. The full shimmering silver orb beyond the blanket of stars paired below the swarm of fireflies, emitting a warm amber glow.

The atmosphere in the forest was cold and dry and startlingly calm. A single firefly traveled from a different direction towards, landing on the rounded nose of the figure that was sitting behind the tree.

Zarin wiggled his nose and woke up from his slumber. The firefly flew away just as he opened his eyes to find himself at the edge of the forest with a blood-stained uniform. In the range of his sight, he spotted a nearby village not far from him. The land under the silver moonlight was a sea of green, coupled with several flowers of thistles and daffodils. The tall grass waved by the cool breeze where the sign of dirt tracks that leads straight to the village.

Behind of the community was a majestic mountain that stretched far and wide. Its mountain peak covered in snow. Below its height was an entrance, a gateway, that would lead either further underground or pass through the mountain.

Zarin was a bit jaded from his slumber, but the blood in the uniform quickly jogged his memory as he remembered his encounter with a wretched alien. He looked down and opened the cloth to saw a wound mark in the middle of his chest. The one where its claw plunged deep to grasp his mortal heart.

“I see that you are awake." The chimera said, appearing right beside him all of a sudden.

Zarin startled by its voice. He quickly tried to grab his weapon, only to realize that his musket was at the bottom of the pond.

"Is this what you are looking for?" The chimera asked, holding Zarin's musket and tossing it on his lap. "You know, I can imagine why this toy of yours is useful. Although it won't work well with wet gunpowder, am I right?"

Zarin's eyes widened. He couldn't believe his ears to understand the words that were coming out.

The chimera gave a half-smile. "By the look of your eyes, I can tell you can understand me." She leaned against the tree. "I have a proposal, and you are going to help me achieve this task."

Zarin paused then stood up from his feet, grabbing his musket. He coughed two times and returned with an uneven grin. "And what makes you think that I'll help you, beast?"

The chimera resumed with her fake smile, beaming her insidious green glare under the moonlight. "Choose your words wisely, smooth skin, and maybe I won't have to rip your heart out next time," She warned in a neutral tone. She then began to smile even wider. "I've come to understand that you lost your company? I think I can help you with that matter."

Zarin snapped. He pulled out a dagger with angry eyes. "I swear, by the Savior, if you dare harm, my comrades, I'll make sure you--"

The chimera chuckled quietly.

"You misunderstood my intention, hunter," She said with reassurance. "I have no desire for your company. My interest is above all else than your fodders."

She quickly noticed that the hunter was positioned to attack, ready to strike her at any moment. She felt impressed by the man's petulant tenacity to get straight into the action, even though he was frozen by her spell not too long ago.

"You still going to defy me?" She added. "Aren't you the stubborn one?"

"How is that you know the Company?" Zarin asked, tightening the grip of his dagger. "Tell me where they are?"

"For your information, I do not know where your people are in the first place." The chimera replied. "I just dug into your thoughts and saw what I need...Zarin."

The hunter stopped on the spot, painfully realizing that it was telling the truth.

The chimera stood out with feathery arms stretched wide open. "My name is Evyrax, Lord of the Green," She declared, booming. Her eyes brightly glowed like greenery of the grass.

"Will you hear my proposal, hunter?"