{"sf1_id":201440,"sf2_id":"XekWoBWe","title":"The Beginning","author":"Sorin","words":1331,"posted_at":"2010-12-10T04:12:00.000Z","tags":["Dark","Fox","Magic","Origin","Series","mtg","vigilante"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/201440-the-beginning","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/XekWoBWe","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/2b/e1/2be1b428-a9b1-4eec-a2d3-7a1380d40940","description":"","content":"Sorin Markov and content related to Magic: The Gathering is copyrighted to Wizards of the West Coast.\n\nSorin (the furry) is mine.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThis is sort of an background story for my fursona, Sorin.\u0026nbsp; If gives a small insight into how he became what he is and what he does.\u0026nbsp; I hope you all enjoy it.\u0026nbsp; Any and all thoughts are welcome.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n* * *\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWe all have a story to tell.\u0026nbsp; Some have tales of love.\u0026nbsp; Some have epics of valor and triumph.\u0026nbsp; I have none of these.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI opened the door to my small car and took a deep breath of the mountain air.\u0026nbsp; It had been months since I'd been able to get away from the small hardware store and I had been looking forward to this trip for weeks.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe air was crisp and cool in northern New York.\u0026nbsp; Spring was coming to a close and fall was on its way.\u0026nbsp; But it was still early, which meant that the day would prove to be pleasant.\u0026nbsp; With any luck, the entire weekend would be as nice.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nHaving already prepared my pack, I simply pulled it from the trunk of my car, locked the vehicle, and set off into the woods.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nTo this day, I wonder how my life would have been if I hadn't taken that first step.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThree hours later, I had my tent pitched on a small flat piece of ground.\u0026nbsp; A short distance away, a cliff gave a gorgeous view over the forest almost to Canada.\u0026nbsp; But I didn't have time to enjoy the view at the moment; I was too busy collecting branches for my fire.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThat was when he came.\u0026nbsp; His first signal of approach was the snap of twigs underneath of his feet.\u0026nbsp; My ears twitched at the sound, alerting me to his presence.\u0026nbsp; At the same time, a wind carried a scent, a foul smell that instantly made my skin crawl and my fur stand out.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe was suddenly before me, holding himself erect like a noble on his own land.\u0026nbsp; I jumped back at the sudden appearance and let my pile of wood crash to the ground.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe human's hair was pure white and fell to his shoulders.\u0026nbsp; The wind gently blew it around his sharp face.\u0026nbsp; And in that face, the most fearsome set of eyes I had ever witnessed.\u0026nbsp; His gaze drilled into me, and for a moment, I dared not move.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What is your name?\" he asked.\u0026nbsp; His voice was light but sharp.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI stammered under the question.\u0026nbsp; \"I'm... I'm Scott.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe looked at me, his eyes constantly moving along my body, as if analyzing me.\u0026nbsp; He started to pace in a gently circle around me.\u0026nbsp; I turned, keeping my front to him.\u0026nbsp; This seemed to please him as he smiled.\u0026nbsp; \"I am Sorin Markov.\u0026nbsp; You seem... tense.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Sorry.\u0026nbsp; Just a little wary of meeting strangers in the middle of nowhere.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nHis footsteps stopped.\u0026nbsp; \"What do you know about the universe, Scott?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI paused, momentarily perplexed.\u0026nbsp; The situation had started strange, but now it was bordering on weird.\u0026nbsp; \"Just what they taught in high school.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What they taught you in high school is wrong,\" he said.\u0026nbsp; \"I am a Planeswalker with limitless power.\u0026nbsp; I'm willing to offer you some of my power.\"\u0026nbsp; He held out his hand.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nMy breath caught in my throat as time seemed to slow.\u0026nbsp; I couldn't think for some reason.\u0026nbsp; The man's words were strange, yet they held a sense of firmness that I couldn't deny.\u0026nbsp; Beyond my will or comprehension, my hand extended, clasping tightly with his.\u0026nbsp; Then everything went white.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n* * *\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe light tears my eyes open.\u0026nbsp; Light pierces my eye and I blink, turning my head away.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nSlowly, my mind picks up and fills with the visions I had just seen.\u0026nbsp; The dreams are coming more frequently; they're always the same.\u0026nbsp; It's always that day, always that same offer.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI turn and let my feet touch the floor.\u0026nbsp; A cold chill travels from the wood through my pads and into my legs.\u0026nbsp; I ignore it.\u0026nbsp; Something stirs on the bed behind me and I look over my shoulder.\u0026nbsp; It's just one of Harly's whores that I bedded earlier in the day.\u0026nbsp; I ignore her as well.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWithin minutes, I'm on the rooftops looking over the bright city.\u0026nbsp; My straight black coat falls around my crouched body, combining with my black clothes to hide me from anyone that would chance to look up.\u0026nbsp; It's a good night for hunting.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nBut even though it's good, my mind doesn't leave my dreams.\u0026nbsp; Markov always said that nothing happened without purpose. \u0026nbsp;A simple breeze could be the warning of a fireball.\u0026nbsp; The crunch under your foot could be a slingbow trap.\u0026nbsp; So what was the purpose of the dream?\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nA far-off cry touches my ear.\u0026nbsp; My senses focus, traveling through space, ignoring everything else.\u0026nbsp; Running... \u0026nbsp;Screaming...\u0026nbsp; A knife blade...\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI turn from the lights of the city, running across the rooftops.\u0026nbsp; The gaps are nothing to me.\u0026nbsp; My mind is already dipping into the dark, recessed area of my mind where the world does not matter.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe scene below me is taken in in a moment.\u0026nbsp; He has a knife to her throat and she's stripping, currently working on her pants.\u0026nbsp; I glance at the shadows and through the rest of the alley.\u0026nbsp; There's no one else around, which means this is a solo job.\u0026nbsp; I chuckle lightly.\u0026nbsp; This man is a fool to do such a task alone.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You should have gone to a whorehouse if you wanted to score.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe man turns suddenly, pulling the woman with him, and looks up.\u0026nbsp; \"What the fuck?\u0026nbsp; Get out of here.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI let my body lean forward slightly.\u0026nbsp; I fall, my coat flying around me like wings.\u0026nbsp; When my feet hit the ground, I crouch, letting the impact disperse through my body.\u0026nbsp; The action that some would consider suicidal clearly throws the attacker off-guard because he steps back with wide eyes.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nHis arm goes slack for a moment and the woman takes the opportunity to turn and run.\u0026nbsp; He starts after her, but I move quickly to grab his jacket and throw him against a wall.\u0026nbsp; His body slumps lightly.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI turn and start to walk away.\u0026nbsp; \"Do a better job next time.\u0026nbsp; I prefer a challenge.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nSomething cold and hard pierces my shoulder.\u0026nbsp; I stop and turn, looking into his wide eyes.\u0026nbsp; My hand reaches over my shoulder and painlessly pulls out the knife.\u0026nbsp; \"That was a bad idea.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe man starts to panic and runs.\u0026nbsp; I give him a second's start before I rush forward and grab his hair.\u0026nbsp; His head snaps back as he slows to a stop and screams.\u0026nbsp; \"People like you make me sick.\u0026nbsp; If you're going to whore, do it honestly.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nMy hand begins to glow black.\u0026nbsp; His hands clutch at mine, trying to break my grip on his hair, but it's useless.\u0026nbsp; White lines start across his head and spread downward.\u0026nbsp; There's a crackling like breaking glass as his squirms gradually slow.\u0026nbsp; The sound grows until the crack-like lines cover his body and he's frozen in a silent scream.\u0026nbsp; His body breaks, falling like shards towards the ground that vanish before they're able to clink against the concrete.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nFor a moment, the air is silent.\u0026nbsp; My heart slows until the sounds of the city once again reach my ears.\u0026nbsp; In the dim light, I look at my claws, which have a few drops of blood on them.\u0026nbsp; I bring my claws to my mouth and lick the blood.\u0026nbsp; An iron taste fills my tongue.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nA good hunt.\u0026nbsp; Why do I dream?\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n* * *\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nSo?\u0026nbsp; More?\u0026nbsp; I have some other plans if you want it.\n\n  \n  \n\n"}