FSE

Furry search engine

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The trek away from the mysterious tree was uneventful, despite the constant apprehension Chester frequently voiced. If anything, the strange, almost dreamlike qualities of the forest seemed muted, as though their stay that night had put the forest back to sleep. The leaves no longer sounded of faint laughter, the strange glowing plant life seemed somehow less alien. Chester felt this was all the more reason to be concerned.

Still, the journey was easy. Soon they were out of the darker, unusual part of the forest and back in a much more natural forest. Each of them had hoped for a change of scenery, but the only differences was that the forest they came from was a vibrant green. Here, the trees were colored in reds and oranges, the colors of fall. The season had not actually changed, of course, but the air here was somehow more crisp. It smelled of fall, the leaves crunching underfoot as they walked.

"How do they manage to do this? Make an entire part of the forest seem to be a different season?" Chester asked, glancing around anxiously.

"The Tournament grounds are, as far as we know, entirely manufactured. I would imagine it's the most expensive, magically speaking, part of the entire operation. Could be that this whole area is underground, in some massive cavern, carved out with magic or labor, and using magic to emulate the sun, sky, and everything else," Vivian replied.

"Is it really possible to do all that?" Ciera asked.

"Look, it doesn't matter," Karla responded. "Maybe it's underground, maybe it's somewhere on the surface, maybe the portal they sent us through took us to another plane entirely. What does it matter? Sure, it looks like it's fall here. It's probably all designed to throw us off, make us question ourselves. We walked through the forest, went through a suspiciously empty area made up to look like Fey were involved, and then step out into a forest that looks like half a year has passed. Contenders less certain of themselves probably would sit here and argue about how much time has passed, trying to figure out what happened. We shouldn't worry about it."

"But, what if-"

"Ciera, just relax. Us worrying about every little detail is only going to throw us off our game."

At that, Ciera stopped asking about it, but didn't seem to forget about it. The Tournament was unfair _by design_as far as she was concerned. Obviously too much time couldn't have passed, the Tournament only lasts three months, but still, she couldn't help but feel apprehensive.

Their journey through the autumnal forest was somewhat quiet, after that discussion. Hours passed, each of them lost in their own thoughts and problems. Karla wasn't quite as brazen, but she was still walking a bit closer to Ciera than they normally did, and although Ciera didn't exactly mind, she was a bit embarrassed by the attention every time she caught Karla openly staring. Vivian would normally be making the occasional comment on things like that, keeping everyone in line in her own way, but she seemed distracted as well. Not overly so, just daydreaming a bit more than normal. Chester was normally out and about, scouting for the party in the guise of some forest animal, but seemed reticent to leave the group. He had made up some excuse, citing the strange look of the forest, but in reality he seemed fidgety and unsure.

The sum total of this was that they were all distracted, lost in their own problems. Ciera was the first to notice the figure standing in a clearing up ahead, gleaming in full plate armor.

"Uh, guys? There's someone-"

"Shhh! Everyone, get down!" Karla whispered as loudly as she felt was safe.

They all rushed to hide behind a nearby tree, with only Chester and Karla having any success. Neither Ciera nor Vivian were incredibly skilled when it came to stealth, the only reason they had been able to hide during the last battle they had was due to the distraction the other two provided.

Still trying to keep her voice down, Karla said "That's Percival! I mean, that's the guy I lost to!"

Vivian went a little pale as she said this, and looked over as Chester and Ciera both gave Karla an odd look.

"Didn't you say you won against the person you fought alone?" Chester asked incredulously.

"Did I? I guess...I guess I was a little embarrassed. Don't know why, he didn't do anything to me..."

Chester scoffed, saying "Really? You lied to us to protect what, your pride? Karla, that's the stupidest thing-"

Ciera interrupted, saying "Quiet! He could hear us, now isn't the time to argue with her, we don't have all the details!"

"I think I have enough details, Ciera, she let her emotions get the better of her and she hid something from us that could have been useful! There's a reason shifters don't trust half-beasts and beastmen, they never think with their head, always acting thoughtlessly and-"

From up ahead, they heard the Percival shout "I challenge the four of you to a duel!'

"Damn it!" Chester shouted, "We'll talk after we show this guy how stupid challenging a full team of people is."

Each of them got out of their hiding places, approaching Percival. The group was clearly in slight disarray, with Karla up front looking both angry and guilty.

"It's not stupid for me to challenge all of you. You barely look capable of functioning as a team. How about this, if you'd like, you can send just one of your number to fight me, and only that person will suffer any consequences should they lose. Or, you could all fight me four on one, but if I win, each of you will get your own unique reminder of your loss today."

"He's clearly trying to maneuver the odds in his favor, he's not that good is he Karla?"

"Uh, he was pretty good. Fast, and dangerously perceptive. Felt impossible to surprise him."

"Could he take all four of us on at once though?"

"Well...maybe?"

"You_can't_ be serious. Hey, what was your name again, knight lookalike?"

"Percival, and your names? I've met Karla."

"I'm Chester, the nervous one is Ciera, and the one in purple is Vivian."

"Well met, all of you, I suppose. How'd you like my little gift Karla? I can't help but notice you stealing glances at your companions, as they were introduced."

"What gift?" Karla shot back, confused. "I don't think whatever you did had any effect. Nothing has changed!"

"Really? You were openly staring at...who was it, Ciera? Your eyes were glued to her cleavage, like a horny teenager."

"I've always been a bit, er, look, it's none of your business! That's totally normal for me..."

Percival cocked an eyebrow as he tried to read her face, glancing over the rest of the party before his gaze settled on Vivian.

"Ah...I see. Clever, I suppose. Your party seems well rounded for the less...combat oriented part of the Tournament. Still, you seem a little distracted, divided. Make your choice, will you be attempting to fight me as a team, or one on one?"

"As a team, always!" Chester shouted at him, "We have no reason to give up our numbers advantage! I say we get started, I'm tired of listening to the pretentious asshole talk."

Percival grinned, taking a step back as he drew his sword. "Very well! No time to waste then, let's begin!"

With that, the fight started. Ciera and Vivian seemed entirely unprepared, both had been trying to get Chester's attention as he angrily agreed to the fight, but Karla had seen it coming and was ready when Percival began his assault. This time, she knew how dangerous he was, and immediately moved between him and Chester just in time to prevent a rapid thrust from impaling Chester's shoulder.

"Damn, what the hell? How can he be so fast decked out in full plate?"

"Don't ask, just get into a good position and attack at range! You're fast with your daggers, but you can't dodge him, he's too skilled for that!"

Chester immediately attempted a retreat, but Percival effortlessly stepped around Karla as she attempted to harry him and keep him from pursuing. He dodged each strike with minimal movement, walking at an almost leisurely pace that still seemed to overcome Chester. A second strike aimed at his heart lashed out like a whip crack, only barely deflected by a shimmering shield that appeared mid air. At this, Percival gave a half-interested glance towards Ciera, who was standing with her staff pointed in his direction, her concentration palpable.

The moment of distraction was enough for Karla to attack from behind as Chester retreated further, swiping at his legs to try and knock him off balance. He jumped over the swipe as easily as if it were a children's game, returning a quick cut across her arm that she failed to dodge quickly enough, forcing her to retreat a moment to refocus.

Chester had managed to gain enough distance, however, and started sending crossbow bolts his direction. His aim was impeccable, but Percival still seemed to manage to step between the bolts, dodging them with an arrogant ease. Still, Chester smirked as he peppered the air around Percival with bolts and daggers, trying to pin him down.

"It's over Percival! You may be the best fighter in the world, but magic is difficult for even the best of us to deal with!"

With that, the sound of Vivian's voice suddenly rang out across the forest, it's clear tones reverberating in strange, foreign ways. It seemed not to echo, or diminish in volume with distance, each sound as clear as if she was right in front of everyone assembled. Her eyes focused on Percival as she sung her spell, each word strange and incomprehensible.

He seemed to stumble a moment, briefly bracing himself with a sword before shouting "Ah, a sleep spell! Well, I suppose I have underestimated the four of you...I may have to hurry things up a bit."

Then, he lunged towards Vivian, for the first time in the fight moving with genuine purpose and speed. His movements before seemed almost sluggish in comparison to this lunge, both Karla and Chester take aback by this sudden attack. They both tried to punish him for his aggressiveness, hoping at least wound him for attempting this direct assault, but he dodged each of them without even looking their way, dancing between the strikes without a thought. A moment later, his sword landed straight through the abdomen of Vivian, who winced reflexively despite the lack of pain.

Her song ended, the musical magic died as suddenly as it had begun, and Percival sighed in relief. "Well, that could almost have been dangerous! I suppose that's what I get for not taking out the spellcasters first...always a rookie mistake."

He then turned his eyes to Ciera as both Chester and Karla rushed to her side, Ciera herself trying to intone some spell from behind their cover.

Having learned from his earlier hubris, Percival wasted no time attacking Ciera as well, dodging his opponents as he tried to force them to abandon her or be wounded. His strikes were still quite precise, but they both noticed he was ever so slightly slower, Vivian's magic had clearly had some effect. It gave them both a bit more confidence in their strikes, if one of them could perhaps sneak a blow in while he wasn't paying attention...

A moment was all it took, Karla managing a wild slash that carved through the air in an erratic path, just unpredictable enough to catch Percival off guard and strike his arm. She gasped in triumph, the elation lasting for only a moment as she looked down and saw his sword through Ciera's chest. Her eyes settled perhaps a moment too long on Ciera's breasts, before shaking her head with a frustrated grunt and charging Percival again.

Meanwhile, Chester was furious, his dagger strikes and ranged attacks having been dodged without a second thought the entire battle. Each one had been tipped with one or both of the poisons he had collected, each one was probably capable of ending the fight. He was holding on to the hope that all he needed was one strike, one blow, and the fight could be won.

Percival gave him no opportunity though. He had limited numbers of daggers and bolts, and he would eventually run out if he wasn't careful. He needed to be precise with his strikes, find an opening while he was distracted with Karla...

They both had been injured once, and it was all Karla could do to prevent him from finishing the fight. She was desperately glancing back at Chester, his attacks growing more infrequent as he seemed to try and read Percival better, watching his movements more carefully. She needed Chester to do something, though, because the only reason she wasn't out of the fight was because of the distraction he provided. Percival was slower than the outset of the fight, but he was still faster than any opponent she had every faced before. Any human opponent, at the very least.

Finally, Chester had an opening. He had done nothing but aim at Percival's chest, head, and vitals the entire fight. Nothing to suggest poison, nothing to give him a hint as to how dangerous a single wound could be. Chester had only a few daggers left, and he was ready to make this one count. He had watched Percival's footwork carefully, as he stepped in and out of stances, and there was a pattern there, one he could abuse...

He let lose a dagger aimed at Percival's foot, right as the majority of his weight was balanced on it. The dagger sailed through the air, it's aim perfect, but Percival eye's darted to it before it was even halfway to it's mark. He reacted quickly, sweeping his back foot out slightly to avoid the dagger. Chester had a moment of exasperation and frustration, so certain the blade would hit his mark...

But Percival was clever, and swung in a low arc at Karla's feet, forcing her to step back as he went low. Low enough to pick up the dagger in his left hand, and send it sailing back towards Chester.

All it took was one blow. One strike. Chester had not been prepared for a ranged attack, especially with Percival using his left hand to throw it with pinpoint accuracy. He fell to his knees as the basilisk venom took hold, no power left in his limbs.

Now, only Karla was standing, exhausted and alone.

"You could surrender, you know. At least then one of you wouldn't be tired for the rest of the day. You do understand you will not be victorious, yes?"

"Shut up!" She shouted, rushing in to attack. She just had to surprise him, take a risk he wouldn't expect...

The next moment was a blur as she struck, her blade feeling the slight resistance of a solid hit, even as her hands and limbs went limp.

"Well, a surprising hit, Karla. If you aim for the heart, next time maybe it will be a tie. Shoulder wounds, unless you manage to hit several times, are not fatal."

She slumped to the ground, her blade falling through his shoulder to land beside her.

"Well, what to do with you all?" he said, sheathing his blade as he paced around them. He glanced over each of their faces, Chester in the distance still trying to angrily throw insults, Karla looking stoic, Ciera clearly wrought with anxiety, and Vivian...

He approached her, with her being fairly far away from the rest, and said "You know, you shouldn't lie to your companions. Even if it is to help them. How can they trust you?"

She looked up at him, her face carefully giving away nothing. "I have nothing to say to you. Do whatever you are going to, and then leave."

"Cold. Calculated. Well, I know what I intend to do. You deprived me of a little bit of my sport with your dishonesty, part of the fun of giving someone an uncontrollable desire is watching them struggle to accept it. There's a lesson to be learned in that, eventually, but Karla will not get that chance if you make her accept it without learning anything at all."

Vivian scoffed at him, replying "Oh, now you're a teacher? A mentor? Just trying to give us all a lesson in, what, humility? I don't buy it."

"You should, Vivian. I've won the Tournament before, and I don't have any particular desire to do so again. I'm here for the pleasure of the game, I have no reason to lie to you. You, on the other hand..."

She felt the slight warmth of her ring as it's magic activated, just as quickly fading. "Y-You bastard, what did you do!"

"Well, let me ask you a question. What causes the _most_divisiveness among your team?"

"Why would I tell you anything?"

"Hah, not even going to attempt to deceive me?"

"Listen, there's definitely something that drives our team apart, and it's Chester's constant bickering and hatred of beast-people and Karla!" she said, her anger turning into confusion as she spoke.

"What...what the hell was that! That isn't what I meant to say! I was trying to say that our team didn't have anything driving us apart..."

"Which, would have been a lie. Well, glad to have gotten that bit of information before you figured out my little gift. I think I can do something interesting with that..."

As he walked away, Vivian's face grew pale. Oh no, she thought, this could make my job a bit difficult...

His next target was Ciera, who was sitting close to Karla. As he approached, Karla immediately started to yell at him, saying "Hey, leave her alone! What did you do to Vivian? What the hell are you planning?"

"Just be quiet a moment, Karla, I'll be with you shortly. I'm not doing anything incredibly terrible, not to the two of you. You fought honorably, and I do appreciate that."

Then he looked at Ciera, as though sizing her up. His eyes had a strange feel to them as he looked over her, and she felt almost ashamed, as though she were naked before him. It was an odd feeling, someone looking at you like there was nothing you could hide...

"Ah, I think I see. Honestly, you might have been the one here who's gotten off the easiest so far, I think."

"W-what are you talking about?" Ciera stammered out.

"Well, there's a plant that inhabits a few areas of the forest, pretty easy to spot if you've been through the Tournament a few times. Pretty easy to spot it's victims, too, if you know what to look for..."

"What to look for? You couldn't possibly-"

"Please, when's the last time you milked yourself, this morning? You know, normally milking yourself slowly causes you to lactate more, but with this specific plant it's more like a curse, if you don't milk yourself often enough..."

"W-What are you talking about! Lactating is perfectly normal, even some foods can..."

He eyed her up and down, the look he was giving silencing her as she trailed off. He had a disappointing look on his face as he said "Well, that little enchantress certainly must have been busy. Let's see...for a light modification like this, I think it's just enough to refresh your memory. First of all, your friend Vivian over there has an enchantment over you to alter your behavior. You remember the plant, of course? Do you remember, probably after a little while of being trapped, your friends probably found you bound by the vines...maybe it took some time for you to convince them to 'help' you before cutting you down, or maybe one of them was all too eager..."

With that, her eyes lit up briefly as memory flooded back, and she glanced towards Vivian.

"Yes, well, it may have been what she thought best to keep you from being too worried. May have done more harm than good in your case, you haven't been milking yourself enough and now you're lactating quite heavily. I know what I'm going to do to you and your friend, consider more of a jab at your loudmouthed companion than at you, but before I do I want to be clear with you. Milk yourself when you feel you need to, not just at regular intervals. If you let things get too bad, you'll be practically disabled for the rest of the tournament without some kind of artifact to reverse your changes. Understood?"

Ciera blushed, but nodded.

"Very well. And you heard all that right Karla? I assume you had your own realization about Vivian?"

As he turned to face her, she had an annoyed look on her face, but she nodded, pointedly keeping her eyes downcast.

"Well, I will tell you the change for both of you. Karla, you are going to become a full-blooded beastwoman. The ears and tail look isn't bad, per say, but your companion has a particular dislike of beast races yes? Well, we'll throw some whiskers and fur into the mix and see if he can get over himself. For you, Ciera, a slightly different approach. While I hate being cliché, you really look like you were_born_ for the cow look, weren't you? Demure, well-endowed, blond and pale...you sure you don't already have some cowgirl blood in you? Well, no matter. You will."

With those final words, both of them started to change. Karla started to change first, her face elongating out into an anthropomorphic muzzle, her eyes becoming even more catlike than before. Her arms and legs started to change as well, fur growing across her entire body, her legs shifting to a digitigrade stance. She tried to stand and stumbled backwards slightly, seemingly dazed by the transformation.

Right as her transformation hit full swing, Ciera felt a gentle pain, like a headache, as small horns jutted out from her head, curling upwards slightly. This was followed but a pressure just at the end of her tailbone as it elongated out into a cow's tail, with a tuft of fur on the end. She did a quick glance over the rest of her, and other than some slightly splotchy black marks on her skin in a few places, she seemed to have changed very little thankfully.

They both glanced up at Percival, annoyed and ashamed, but said nothing further as he smiled at them and walked away.

Finally, he walked up to Chester, slumped up against a distant tree. Chester was breathing heavily, his face practically feverish, and Percival looked at him slightly confused before the realization struck.

"Ah...your blade wasn't just poisoned with something deadly."

"S-Shut up asshole. Do whatever you're going to do and then leave."

"Well, it's appropriate I believe. Shame is a powerful teaching tool. Maybe you should try building up a resistance to your own poisons before using them so carelessly."

Chester gave him an angry glare, but said nothing.

"So, you do have the strength of will to stay silent when necessary. Good to know. I hear you've been mistreating your friends."

"We're coworkers, not friends. And I've only made a few lighthearted jokes at Karla's expense."

"Yes, I'm sure even she feels it's not a big deal. She's used to it. Did you see her new look?"

"No, you bastard, what did you do to her!"

"Nothing, honestly. Well, you must have been really distracted over here. I won't comment on your obvious problem further than that, you're not really my type. I will tell you that I have a...general disapproval of people who insult others carelessly. I don't mind very much when it's all in good fun, but when you mean it, even a little...well, hatred is unbecoming of honorable opponents, generally."

"Just...do what you're going to do and leave."

"Hah, both you and Vivian seem so eager to just get this over and done with. Very well. For you, a bit of a conundrum. Whenever you insult someone, from here on, you will be obligated to apologize to them and act in some manner to repay them for your misdeed. Furthermore, you will not be able to tell anyone else about this condition, and will come up with some reasonable explanation any time someone questions you. See, not so bad, right? Just behave, and all is well."

Chester fumed, staring at Percival with murderous intent.

"Silence is a good choice, yes. Well, one small gift as well. Both you and Vivian have some hints of fey magic about you...watch each other closely. A true group of companions watches each other's backs. I leave it to you to decide if you will tell everyone...or keep this secret to yourself. You shifters have such disdain for more 'instinctual' races, but you are just as thickheaded as anyone. Shifters can't help but keep secrets, and feel as though every revelation is a danger to them. If the sin of the beast races is lack of control, yours is paranoia. Let's see how well you overcome your_instincts_."

With that, Percival stepped into the center of the clearing, addressing the group as a whole. "You were a worthy set of opponents! I did nothing to overly debilitate you, and in fact, I look forward to our next meeting...I will tell you, I am not truly one of your adversaries. I am not a contender in the Tournament, per say. You can think of me as an...obstacle. The Judges determine when and where and who I fight, sometimes by chance, and sometimes by choice. The fact that you have seen me is, then, good news! It means they have their_eye_ on you. If you want to win, my advice is this...make it interesting. The losers do not get the opportunity to undo the consequences they have suffered, but the winners do. So, be bold! Take risks! And, if you are clever, you will be rewarded. For now, I take my leave."

With that, he stepped out into the forest, vanishing into a strange mist after walking a sufficient distance away. Moments later, the party began to recover.

It took a few minutes for them to collectively recover, time they spent discussing their next move. Both Vivian and Chester kept glancing at each other suspiciously, as Karla and Ciera had fairly obvious changes. Eventually, Vivian spoke first. "I...can no longer lie. If I try to lie, instead I tell the truth. The entire truth. That's what he did to me."

Both Ciera and Karla looked at her, a slightly bemused. "Maybe now you can be more honest with us about what you do when you're 'helping' us, huh?" Karla said.

"I did what I thought best!" Vivian shouted back, surprising herself as much as the two of them.

"Well...I guess that means you really did. Still, it would be better to be honest with us, give us a choice first! Then we can plan around it."

Chester nodded, still quiet, before saying "I need go off by myself for a bit. I was hit with a bit of the, uh, sap. Then Percival wandered over and told me that after he left I had to go and leave the party for twenty-four hours. I'll catch up to you after."

The party looked at him as he said this, his expression strangely...confused. Eventually, they nodded, and Vivian said "Catch up to us as soon as you can. We should just be thankful he didn't do anything more dangerous than that."

With that he left, his thoughts racing as he tried to figure out how deeply Percival's little curse_had effected him. He hadn't meant to say that, he was just going to ask to go off by himself for a bit, but then as he spoke the words just came out...different. Searching his thoughts, he realized that this was probably the _exact plan he would come up with if he was actually trying to hide his little problem. It was just believable enough that he wouldn't be asked about it. Damn, how was he going to get them to realize what had actually happened?

Did he even need to let them know?

After he left, Vivian, Ciera, and Karla traveled a short distance away and camped early for the day. They didn't talk much to each other, the air tense between them. Vivian gave Ciera an odd look as she excused herself a little more frequently than usual, before Karla said "Percival gave her some information about what that plant did to her. Something we would_never_ have realized with your little enchantment still active."

"I did-"

"I know! I know you did what you thought was best. God, I just wish I had some way to undo it. At least before I was distracted less, I thought it was just normal. Now I'm self-concious about it, I keep staring at you and her, and I'm practically daydreaming about them...

"I know what you mean, I suppose. I've been...daydreaming a lot recently as well. If it helps, I...don't mind the staring. I don't think Ciera really does either."

"Hah. At least I know you mean it. That does help a little. Er, what have you been daydreaming about."

Vivian thought carefully a moment, composing her next sentence. "I...would rather not tell you. It is a little personal."

"Well, alright then. I won't push you, we are still a team after all."

"How are you dealing with the...changes."

"I'm a little anxious. I mean, you get a lot of hate from both sides being a half-breed. Beast-people hate you because you they think you get the best of both worlds, the instincts and speed of a beast, but you only pay for it with ears and a tail, usually. Maybe some other small features. Humans don't like us much because they think of us as part animal, and therefore somehow less than them. Not to mention shifters, elves, and everyone else who thinks they have a bone to pick. My point is, I've lived my whole life trying to find things to be grateful for just being a half breed, and now I'm not. If we lose this Tournament, I might never be able to go back to just being a half breed. God, there's so many other small things to worry about too! If I really am a full blooded catwoman now, will I be going into heat? What about prey drive, my dad sat me down once and had a whole conversation about that, some half-breeds still get them..."

"I guess there's more to it than I had thought. I was mostly worried you were going to be surprised every time you looked in the mirror, or that the new whiskers and nose would bother you."

"Oh, that'll happen too, I'm sure. We should focus on the positives, though, with any luck I'm a little faster and stronger now. Ciera should be too, cowgirls are incredibly strong and resilient. I'm sure there will be some downsides there, too, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

Even as they finished talking, Ciera walked back into camp, slightly disheveled. Her face was red, and she was breathing heavily, but Vivian and Karla were too polite to comment.

"Will Chester be okay on his own for the night?"

"He'll be fine, Ciera, I'm sure. Let's just focus on us. When he catches up, we'll talk about our plans moving forward. We may want to figure out some tactics to use in group fights, there's clearly some dangerous people around."

With that, they all went about their business and prepared to rest for the day. They were exhausted, but still needed to set up watch, so they knew they'd probably still be a little tired tomorrow morning. Each of them had things to think about, and accordingly the rest of the night was spent in relative silence, only brief small talk passing between them. Each of them was more resolved than ever not to lose again. Each of them was more worried than ever about what would happen if they lost another fight like that, all four of them. Now, for the first time, they were all wondering...what happened if they lost the entire Tournament?