FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Cool wind blew through the slums at the edge of Bragaoss, the capital of the Kingdom of Aegir. A pyromancer, walked through them, avoiding the downtrodden on the streets. And the closer he got to his destination, the fewer there were, as if someone had forced them to leave. And at the centre of a long abandoned market, there stood a monastery that had been there before the city expanded to it, and was built when the capital was but a village where the current king, Firmin Mattix, was born in. After long years of the condition of the streets around it degrading, the monks were finally forced out by gangs and would be landlords that kept demanding their "tribute" from the poor monks.

As the short cardinal, clad in plain rags, walked up the steps of a long-abandoned monastery he read over the letter someone had slipped in his bag while he wasn't looking. It said nothing about why the writer wanted to meet him. It had nothing but a time, and how to get to the meeting. Normally, the pyromancer would've dismissed it as a badly concocted ambush. But this time? This time the letter piqued his interest. Not only was the handwriting that of someone's who was extremely well learnt, but the letter itself bared the kings crest. It wasn't something just anyone could copy. So at the very least, who ever wanted to kill him, had connections.

He followed the instructions of the note, and pulled a candle, revealing a hidden passage to a tower no one but the monks and a few privileged was ever supposed to find. It was getting more and more interesting by the second. He cursed under his breath as he sneezed as the stone door sent the dust floating up from the floor. The bird summoned fire to the tip of his index finger, using it as a candle to light his way up the stairs. The stone around him was old and darkened from countless candles that had passed it over the decades of the monastery's life. There were text and pictures both carved and painted on it. Figures of religious significance, poems and prayers, the monk going up to study was supposed to recite on his way up the stairs.

As he got further up the stairs, he started hearing voices from further in. Some familiar, some not. Light at the top of the stairs slowly got closer, and as it did, he dimmed and finally killed the flame on his finger, not wanting to let who ever there is know that he's there. He sneaked to the door, and stopped there, listening in to the voices. "What are we doing here? The last one still isn't here..." A somewhat familiar voice almost whispered. It was a woman's voice. "And that one isn't even speaking. What's the point, if we're not told why we're here?" Another added. The cardinal inched closer to the door. Three people at the very least. And by the sounds of it, it whoever was there, knew as much as he did. He peeked in, as his eyes started to adjust to the dark. A feminine figure standing over smaller male, gripping onto a staff shook her head as someone new spoke. "He managed to slip something in my pocket. Just wait patiently, and we'll find what in the hells this is all about. This time another male. "I'll wait, don't worry. Just want to know why the secrecy." The first voice said. Mordecai's eyes moved to her. A reptile of some sort and wearing heavy armour.

Feeling confident enough that no one was there to kill him, and that the furs in the room getting annoyed because of him would only bode worse for him, he sighed and carefully opened the door. "Sorry I'm late..." He said, looking around and lighting another light to reveal who was in the room. All eyes quickly moved on him. All but one set. A cloaked figure kept leaning on the wall and looking out the tower. As he looked over the others in the room, he sighed a sigh of relief. Some he indeed did know, and others... He could guess who they were.

There were six furs in there, besides him. Among them was his first love, Alwena Bithell. A cheetah with whom he was taught back in his academy days. She was slender, with little to no sign of muscle on her. Just like everyone else there, was wearing nothing that would catch someone's attention, aside from her staff, which she carved herself like every student. Then there was the deer, Alfvin. A fighter, wearing beat up leather and sword and buckler on his belt. The bird had met him a few times during his adventures. An honourable enough man, and pleasant company. The tall deer was accompanied by his dear partner, Victor. An investigator and an accomplished swordsman in his own right. The mouse was a touch too uptight to Mordecai's liking, but he had never had a problem with it. Hell, he had even enjoyed his company on the nights he bumped into the two in the wilderness.

The reptile Mordecai had spotted when he hid was Solange. Someone the bird hadn't had the pleasure of meeting before now. She was known to more work for those of upper status, and charged accordingly. And rightfully so, if the rumours were to believed. Her scales were brightly coloured with red and blue scales. And then the cardinals eyes found the wolf in the corner. All he could do was guess at who he was. The dark clothing. The unmistakable scent of blood about him. Most likely he was often whispered about Hallstein. An assassin wanted in most of the known world, yet never hunted, thanks to his propensity towards leaving those that tried as a more than clear message to back off.

"Finally..." The dragoness sighed up. She was a dragon of bright red and blue scales. The armour on her was rusty, and maintained just enough to keep her safe in a battle. Equipment that one wouldn't look twice at. She walked up to the smaller bird and offered her hand to him. "Good of ya to join us." She said, trying her best to give him a friendly smile, but the hint of annoyance in her voice was undeniable. The bird smiled and took her hand. She squeezed hard, making the bird wince. "Yes, well, not my fault the time and place in the letter were vague at best."

The deer took the dragoness by her shoulder as she was about to say something back to him. "Leave it be. The letter wasn't clear, so how about we stop blaming others for being late, since you weren't exactly on time either?" He asked, flashing a smile to the cardinal before looking the woman in her eyes. "Fine." She sighed and walked back to her chair. "You'll have to forgive her. We've waited for a long time now. We think he called us here, but hasn't said a word other than telling us to be patient and wait for everyone to arrive." The deer said. "But I think everyone's here now. If not, I think I'll just leave." His voice stern as he addressed the cloaked person. "Yes..." They started, looking back. "Everyone's here. Remember, not one word of what goes on in here can leave these walls. Ms.Bithell, mind making sure any eavesdroppers hear nothing?" The slender cheetah nodded and spoke a few words, making the walls glow a pale blue for a moment before dimming once more.

The small mouse, turning to the unfamiliar figure by the window he cocked his head and stepped closer. "You called us here. Why?" He asked, trying to keep his voice as pleasant as he could. The mouse was already holding his notebook, and quill ready to write on it. The figure sighed, and stepped closer to the adventurers he had called for, and finally pulled down his hood, revealing a young fox. He was tired, and obviously not only for lack of sleep. There was terror behind his eyes. "Thank you." He smiled to the cheetah, and almost before the fox could finish his words, Mordecai heard a loud thump next to him. The dragoness had jumped up, and quickly fell to her knee. "King Mattix?" She said, clearly surprised. Mordecai's eyes went wide. The king? Here? He looked around the room, and everyone seemed confused. Some because of who he was, and others for why he was here.

"Yes, now get up. Within these walls, I'm no king. I'm just a nobody that is going to hire you all. So get on your feet, Solange." He said, looking behind himself out the window once more before stepping further away from it. "I called you here, because I need your help." The king said, looking around the furs in the room. "There is someone trying to arrest control of this kingdom. I have no clue who it could be. I've found that anyone, and everyone in my court could be their agent. I've lost more than a few good agents and friends trying to find out the master mind. All killed by them... Or worse." He grimaced as some memory came to his mind. As King Mattix stopped talking, the mouse, Victor, started talking. "King Mattix, calling for help from an assortment outside of his house. Has it corrupted so far up your rankings? How did this happen? And have your men found out anything that could help us in our investigation?" He asked, carefully looking up from his notes, clearly not knowing how to act with the ruler. "No spymaster in the castle you could still trust, or do you want us to be more the expendable investigation?" The fox shook his head. "No on both. I chose you because you're the best. Maybe even on par with my spies, as you call them. And more important than that, you're not a part of any organisation. That alone makes you more trustworthy. And if you were to be found and imprisoned by this threat, you've no information that you could leak."

Firmin looked around the room again. The faces on the adventurers was less than welcoming with idea. "Oh, don't worry. I'm going to pay you handsomely. Once you succeed, anything you want will be yours. I don't care if you demand my head as the cost, the kingdom can not fall to a madman, that is happy to twist people like they are." As the tired king looked to the furs in the room one by one, Mordecai shook his head, almost ready to leave already, but before he could say a thing, the cheetah spoke up. "That's a pretty high price you're willing to pay. If it's that serious I'm going to help." The cardinal's eyes shifted between Alwena and King Firmin. She was getting over her head. And the bird felt like he should make sure she walked off from this unscathed. Wincing, he sighed and nodded in defeat. "Fine. I'll come too." The king nodded to him, seeing the birds apprehension. "Thank you. What about the rest of you?" "Well..." Victor said and looked to Alfvin. "I need to know a few things before we're in. First off, what happened to the spies you sent before? The ones that didn't die?" The question got the wolf's attention as well. "Yeah. If the risk is too high, not even everything you own could cover it." He said, looking the tired fox up and down. With a hard swallow the red fox brought his fingers to his eyes, and rubbed them. "They.. They were changed. They were lost before the exacts of it were found out. Their agents no doubt. But it seemed like their minds were eaten. They had become a shell of their former selves. They acted almost like themselves, but..." He took his fingers from his eyes, and ran them through his hair and looked up. "They didn't have a single thought in them. Sometimes they were caught drooling in corners, as if the control over them was cut."

The deer looked to Victor and shook his head. "This sounds way too much. Death we can deal, but what ever that is? I don't know..." He said. "To lose ones own mind is beyond what I'd ever sign up for." "I would." Victor replied. "Imagine, if they were to take over? How long till everyone who slightly disagreed with them became that? Please, Alv. Let's at least try." Victor looked into his eyes, full of determination, as the heavily armoured dragoness spoke up. "If it helps, I'll be in as well. And we will have two wizards to protect us." She said, placing her hand on Alfvin's shoulder. He remained quiet as the gray wolf piped up. "It'll cost three times my usual rates." Was all he said, an affirmative, and thankful nod from Firmin.

Alfvin gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, and shook his head. "Fine, Victor, but this is the last time we get involved in something this big and dangerous, ya hear?" "Perfect. And to answer your question, all I've been able to find out, that who ever it is, they call themselves the Cockroach King. Nothing else. No species. No sex. Nothing but that title." He sighed and looked to the door out of the room. "I think we've been here long enough. Wait at least 10 minutes after the last one left before you to go. We can't raise suspicion. And if you claim that this happened, I will deny it to my dying breath before I get this would-be usurper's head at my feet." And with that, he smiled for the first time since he had arrived in the room, clearly relieved.

He patted Mordecai and Alfvin on their shoulders as he walked past them. "Hope we meet again soon, in better circumstances." Was all he said before he slipped beyond the door into the darkness, leaving the hired help in the still protected room. The six in there looked at each other, save for the deer, who was rubbing his forehead, regretting already his involvement. "What now..." Mordecai finally said, after a long pause. But no one answered. They merely stood there, thinking. "M...Maybe we should think on this?" Victor answered. "There's little to go on, and we need to find a good place to start. But starting something like this tired makes everything harder. Gather in the morning for a planning meet at the tavern near the south gate?" "Sounds good... Though I think King was exaggerating over the danger right now. Shall we leave?" Solange joined in, and Alfvin was more than happy to agree.

The group started leaving, a couple at a time, some not caring for Firmin's instructions, some dutifully following it. The bird, in the former group, left among the first. He waved his goodbyes to the furs as he slipped out of the monastery. The streets were just as empty as they had been when he arrived. There was no sound of anything, even the vermin of the city seemed to stay away that night. But Mordecai didn't mind. He was never one to like dirty things after all, so the lack of disease-ridden rodents were welcome to stay as far as they could be. He smiled slightly as he walked through the streets, towards the tavern he had a room in.

As he walked through the muddy streets, he didn't pay much mind to the small group that walked behind him few blocks away from the monastery. Why would he after all? Even at night, some do have their business. And it was too far from the meeting for them to be a danger, he thought. The further in the city's walls the bird walked, the better the buildings became. Less neglected. And he welcomed the change. No more foul smells of the never cleaned streets of the slums, but the more pleasant scents of flowers that came from the windowsills of the furs that lived there. He walked till he reached the main street. A wide road, designed to be a way for the army to move through the capital. But in times of peace, like it seemed to the common man to be, it was more a host to people, selling their wares to residents and travellers alike. And when he reached the door of The High Dove, a high-end tavern he was staying at every time he was in town, that catering towards avians. He stuck out like a sore thumb, wearing what rags fitting for the slums, a stark contrast to the high end clothing of the others in there. Rolling his shoulders he walked right up to the counter, where a chubby screech owl with graying feathers greeted him with a wide smile.

"Welcome back, Master Singvogel. Hope your walk was calming" He said, doing a slight bow as he spoke. "Of... Of course it was. A cool night air always is, right?" Mordecai replied, smiling awkwardly back to the owl. "Are you still offering food? I'd like to eat something before I head to bed." He reached for his coin pouch as he asked his question, but the owl lifted his hand to stop him. "We do, but no need to pay tonight, Sir. I was told someone already paid for you for tonight." He informed, making the cardinal freeze on the spot. Who knew he was there? There was supposed to be few, and none of them should have done that. "Who, if I may ask, paid?" His voice careful and quiet, not wanting to cause a scene, if whom ever it was, was listening. "They asked to remain anonymous, Master Singvogel, but told me that if you insisted, he was with the man you went to meet tonight. Said you'd know who. Very strange, but not for us to judge." The owl smiled, and the cardinal looked behind himself. There seemed no one out of place. People were just enjoying themselves in the small hours of the night. What the owl said made sense, while not. The king paid for his dinner? Why? All the secrecy and distrust over his own house, yet he sent someone to do that? Maybe... Maybe he still had a friend he could trust for that much? He did pay someone to insert the invitation in his pocket after all, and the fox himself wasn't exactly known to be the nimblest of people.

"Fine, yes, I know..." He muttered and looked back to the owl. "I'll have what ever is hot. I'll find a table for myself..." He said, as he turned away from the barkeep, who merely replied with "Of course, Sir" and walked to a corner table, where he could overlook the room. Something felt off, but he had no evidence for it. "It's fine, no one would do anything out in the open..." He whispered to himself as he sat down and looked at the faces in the area. Most looked familiar enough. People he had seen when he first checked in. A few new faces, but not one that would make him think twice about seeing in the establishment. The cardinal slowly started peeling off the low-quality clothing off himself, revealing a something more appropriate: A black, fine tunic with high breeches made form the finest wool.

The red birds food came out quickly, being a relatively simple soup they kept warm though the day. "Here you go, Sir" The young waitress hawk said, smiling as she placed the plate down with a tankard of ale. "Thank you..." He said, and waited till the waitress was out of sight before he started slowly eating. As the minutes passed, the bird relaxed. Everything seemed fine after all. No extra eyes on him, nor was the explanation out of this world. Maybe the king just wanted to give an advance payment, Mordecai thought to himself. Bit by bit the room started emptying as he ate. A table after another glanced at him before walking out or towards their rooms. All without Mordecai taking note of it. Why would he, after all. It was late. After the first few tables around him emptied, a party of different species walked in. Most avians, some not. They sat as close to the bird as they could, without grabbing his attention.

Only as the barkeep disappeared in the kitchens behind him did Mordecai look up around the room. It was empty aside from the group, which now all stared at him. Mordecai winced, and lowered his spoon. He breathed hard. His tankard was half empty, and he was already feeling its effects. The slight dullness in his senses. But he was ready. He rubbed his fingers as he built his fire between them. He quickly flung his hand, throwing a small torrent of fire towards a table, making them scramble for their weapons, and opening a way for him. Mordecai quickly jumped on the table and made a beeline for it. But before he could reach it, a handle of a sword connected to the side of his head, shattering his glasses. He fell sideways, hitting his side on the table. Arm on the table, he tried to swing his hand again, but before he could, someone took him by his wrist, and pulled him up on the table. Mordecai quickly threw fire from his other hand towards the german shepherd that hit his head, burning his clothes and face. He then turned his head towards who ever had taken his wrist, shifting on his knees to pull against them, but froze. It was the waitress that served his food. "What?" was all he managed before his other arm was grabbed, and he was pulled on the table, face down. "What the hell is going on!? Who are you!?" He demanded, trying to burn the hands that held him, but before he could finish his spell, he was kicked in the stomach from the side.

None of them said anything. The merely moved around the struggling cardinal. They looked at each other. Mordecai struggled to look at the faces around him. The dog he burned was furious. He nursed his face with a napkin he took from a table. He growled as the birds eyes met his, and kicked the birds groin hard. Mordecai's eyes went wide and his breath caught as the kick landed, and his knees buckled as he pressed his legs together to protect himself. As he lay on the table, gasping for breath, and eyes watering, the silent dog positioned himself above him. The birds eyes were on his. "No..." He said moments before the dog took his beak and started to turn his head. As far as he could force it. Mordecai's beak opened as he cried out in pain. "STOP!" His voice echoed through the silent room, but there was no reaction from the assaulters. As he screamed at them, another of the assaulters took his lower beak, and forced it to stay open.

The cardinal struggled as hard as he could against them, while the last of the group, a crow, walked forward. He was holding something that twisted around his hands, and shifted in his grasp. All the bird knew was that it was something alive. The corvid pressed the tip of the being in his throat. Mordecai tried to push the slimy thing out, but it was all for nothing. He couldn't stop it. It slithered down his throat, cutting off his air. The cardinal thrashed under the dog, and pulled against the two holding his hands, as there was a sharp pain in the back of his throat. But he didn't have time to think about it, when he felt his head be forcibly twisted further. He let out a muffled scream, but the full throat didn't let much out. Further and further, as the bird thrashed and fought against the assaulters. His neck started to scream at him in pain to do something. Anything. But he could do nothing. Any sign of magic was met with a shift kick to his stomach or balls. And then, he heard a hard crunch as his head was forced a full 180 degrees. The bird went limp. His consciousness started to fade, and all he could see as he went was a grin on the burnt face of a stranger.

And the next thing Mordecai knew, was that he jumped up on his bed. He gasped for breath as he looked out of the window. His vision was hazy as he moved his fingers to his eyes, and rubbed them. But as he moved, he grimaced and inhaled sharply. His neck was sore and stiff. He slowly moved his hand to the back of his neck, and started rubbing. Stiff, but felt alright. What ever he experienced before must've been a dream. He rubbed it, and looked around for his glasses. They weren't where he usually left them, prompting him to stand up from the soft bed. And a gentle breeze over his body woke him up to the fact that he as naked. That was the second thing that morning that was off. "I just got drunk..." He told himself as he started to move through his room, looking for the glasses.