FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

A flooded glade, filled with thick vines and bright pink flowers in various states of bloom. You looked around the outer edge of the sunken pit, chewing your lip as no path presented itself. No path except straight through.

You thought back on the words of your guide. She had steered you well, and had warned you distinctly about this section.

"When you have to cross - and you will have to cross - you must be sure of your footing. Walk slowly, deliberately, and take no risks. Heroes never leave the glade." She'd told you.

That's what she had you repeat. Heroes never leave the glade. You took a deep breath and carefully lowered yourself, finding your footing on the muddy grass and sinking an inch or two as you stepped. The mud gripped at your boots, pull them down and threatening to slip you as you put all of your weight in the wet grass. Carefully, very carefully, you began your march, the quiet splashing of water beneath you creating the only ambience this deep in the woods.

The flowers were always off this narrow path you were on, you noticed. If you wanted to touch one, or smell one, you had to step into the submerged grass you suspected would never release you. Thankfully, you had no reason to be tempted.

You were halfway across when you saw her. A fox, wearing cleric robes, standing waist deep in a pool ahead of you. Her arms were limp at her sides, her body relaxed and standing completely still, though her head...

Her head was engulfed in the petals of a flower. It had closed around her, like a trap, forming a tight helmet. You could faintly see a little ripple run up the vine and to her, as the flower... fed her something. You watched in silent horror, looking around you for more.

And there were. Hidden, many overgrown, but there were indeed many more - all around you, all off the path. A graveyard of caught heroes.

The fox before you seemed recent. You suspected you could save her. You knew it was foolish, but she wasn't far off the path - if you could just wade out to her, you could cut the vine holding her and drag her back to you. You knew how deep the water was, if she was standing with her hips above it.

Surely it was worth the risk. What kind of hero would you be if you left her like that?

Cautiously, you went to water's edge and lowered a boot down into it. It was a little deeper than you thought, but you found the bottom. Very slowly, you lowered yourself into the cool water and began to slosh toward the white-robed fox.

Your footing disappeared. In the murk, you never saw it coming. You sank completely under the water, as grass and weeds tangled around you, holding you there. Drowning you.

You panicked. You fought, you kicked off your boots and pulled free your belt as you fought hard to resurface. You felt yourself growing weaker every second, the weeds pulling you down further and further until-

You broke free. You kicked and swam upward, up toward the light, up towards the air your lungs ached for.

You surfaced, and took a deep breath, as your eyes locked onto the bright pink flower dangling just above your head. You froze. It was too late. The smell was already in your lungs. It was already in your head.

Your muscles were rapidly relaxing. You began to sink back into the water, until the flower pushed forward, sealing its petals around your face and pulling you back up, as it flooded your senses with another wave.

It pulled you along the water's surface like a leaf, pulling you to your new resting place. You stood up on your own, the rest of your body limp.

Something pushed between your lips and you started to suck on your own. A thick golden sap coated the inside of your mouth, the inside of your stomach, and all of your mind. Everything was quiet, and calm. Distantly, you could feel the water lapping at your knees, but everything else was lost in a thick floral scent, and delicious, calming sap.