FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

6The rain roars through the village, leaving everyone stranded in their huts. With all of nature's fury pouring down, there are two who stand unafraid of the water. Tobias, the stranger, a tiger with a message, remains just outside the door, unconcerned that flecks of rain pass under the awning and onto his uncovered chest. The other is Arya, the snake, the one seeking her new life. She slips into a simple dress, so that she doesn't have to deal with being exposed to the rough and brash man.

"You're a ruffian," she hisses, emerging from behind him at the doorway.

"Thanks," he says, a smirk on his muzzle. "I try."

"That wasn't meant to be a compliment," she says, gripping the door frame with her claws, her fingers shaking as she fights to not bury her nails deep into the thatch and mud.

"Oh, so now you're trying to rile me up, is that it?" Tobias says, turning around, holding his hands out to the sides. "But is here where you want to do this thing?" he asks. "Such a shame if the two of us were to do some real harm in the village."

Arya snarls. "What kind of animal are you?" she asks. "That you would seek out violence so readily--especially in this place of peace?"

"We, Arya. We are animals. We're predators." Tobias says, taking a step closer to her. "Surely, you can't believe you're some sweet innocent. I've shared some scar stories with my buddies over the years. You're name came up a few times. Sure, they were small-time goons, but the fear in their eyes when they talked about you... I could tell that the one who did it had potential." He reaches out, bringing his hand up to her cheek.

Arya responds with a quick and decisive slap across his face. The tiger stumbles off to the side, stepping into the mud and the rain.

Arya slips back into the hut, her fingers wet. She looks down at them in confusion a moment before noticing the crimson fluid resting between her fingers. "I..."

Tobias snarls and leaps through the doorway, swiping at her. Arya slips out of the way as he stumbles inside, though he recovers, flashing his wide toothy grin as blood curls down along his cheek. "That's it. First blood, and we were just talking. I knew you had that killer instinct!"

"You're insane!" Arya recoils, slithering out towards the storm outside. Tobias does not follow, not at first, but once she gets outside, she is instantly soaked in the torrent. Her tail trails along the mud, making her mark in the soil as she spins to meet her opponent once more.

Tobias steps out, slowly, deliberately, his long feline tongue licking over his cheek. "Come on, ya beast. Either you prove me right and take me on, or you prove me wrong and you run away like the mouse you are. After all, how can you protect a mousey girl if you're as weak as one yourself?"

"They're rats!" Arya shouts. She pounces, her mouth open wide, fangs dripping with her venom, ready to pump it through his veins.

Tobias, however, is ready for her, and grabs at her throat, throwing her down into the mud, spluttering the stuff all over her back and dress as flecks make it to his chest. "Ha! You got the instinct, alright, but you ain't got the skill. You think dear Uncy's gonna let you walk all over him?"

"Don't you talk about him!" She howls, her tail coiling around his ankles with a grip tight enough to hold him in place. She yanks him back and he falls, crashing on top of her. She rolls on top of him, arms wrapping around his throat as she stares daggers into his eyes.

Tobias just laughs as he grabs onto her wrists and grunts, seeking to yank her away from him.

Arya actually laughs at that. What kind of idiot does he think he is? If she wanted to, she could crush his windpipe right now and end this little...

Just then, something she feels just below the navel makes her recoil. She slides off of him and lets go, allowing the tiger to pull her arms apart and go in for a head butt, which dazes her a moment.

Tobias tosses her aside, letting her fall sideways into the mud as he stands up, cracking his neck. "Got to say. No one's got me that excited in a long time. I like it when a girl can hold her own."

"You... you creep," Arya croaks, her grumbling nearly inaudible under the roll of thunder.

"What can I say?" Tobias says. "I know what I like, and I like you."

"You can screw off," Arya says, pulling herself up to stand above him. "I've shown you hospitality, and you respond by being crude and making fun of me."

He points to his cheek, where the blood stains his fur. "Hey, I didn't do this to ya. In fact, all I've been doing this whole time is defending myself. I'm not the one with bloodlust here." He chuckles and says, "But you did kinda give me some of the regular kind, got to say."

Her face contorts with rage as she goes at him once more, this time seeking to go underneath his legs and up behind him.

The tiger actually yelps in surprise at her maneuver, and he spins around, kicking at her tail, but even as the claws dig into her scales, Arya rises up with a jump, sending her closed fist right up to his jaw with a loud crack.

Tobias stumbles back once again, and this time, Arya grabs him by the neck, she whispers into his ear. "Do not presume I am weak because I abhor violence."

He chuckles as he grabs her wrist. "Abhor? Well, you're certainly not a whore! You're amazing."

With another hiss, Arya plunges her fangs deep into the tiger's shoulder, and for a moment, she can feel his heartbeat as her venom courses its way through his body.

Instead of the pained snarl she expected from him, Tobias's eyes roll back as he lets out the longest, most exultant groan she had ever heard. She recoils, blood from his wounds on her chin, and narrows her eyes as she looks to him. "You are mad..."