FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Edmund reaches the edge of the forest and looks back towards the cabin. The windows still lit, the door still closed, no noises other than the chirping of distant birds and blow of the wind. It seems his escape has still gone unnoticed. Good, with a lengthy head start he ought to make it to the town within a few hours. He would arrive after dark, sure, but even a night trek through the wilderness is better than staying in that infernal cage for another night. At least this way his suffering would bring him one step closer to sweet, sweet freedom.

His gaze shifts to the mass of trees and he marches into them with a steady gate, following the worn dirt track on the ground as best he could. He continues for some time, keeping as quiet as possible while maintaining a vigilant watch on his surroundings. This was still a foreign world and the thought of what unknown dangers it contained held him on edge, his grip on the frying pan growing a little tighter with each distant bird call and accidentally stepped on branch.

Yet it seems if something were going to eat him it would not be on the trail leading away from the cabin, he now gazes upon a wide dirt road! Far more distinct on the ground and with a shallow ditch on either end this was the road that lead to the town. He steps into the middle of the road and breathes a sigh of relief. With any luck he might be able to hitch a ride on a traveler's wagon and spare himself the walk to town. There's just one little problem…

He looks to the left.

He looks to the right.

His memory fails him in this moment. Which way did the sisters turn after getting onto the road? He looks at the ground in thought, desperately scraping his brain for what direction they went. After a few fruitless seconds he kicks the ground in frustration.

“Fuck." He mutters under his breath.

With only two options he does a mental coin flip. Direction decided, he turns rightward and begins walking down the center of the road. Hell, if he met anyone on the way there he would simply ask them which way the town was, no big deal-speak of the devil! He hears the rickety frame of a wagon approaching!

With his luck seemingly turning around he breaks into a jog and soon catches glimpses of an oncoming wagon through the branches. It's large and drawn by two dark horses, the back has low wooden walls and a cloth cover drawn across the roof and sides. He eventually closes with the wagon and peers up at the driver's position. It's being driven by a single doe in a glittering red dress, a hood drawn across her head and her mouth thankfully free of fangs unlike a certain other doe Edmund knew. He rushes to its front and waves her down.

“Hey! Excuse me! Could I get some directions please?" The doe pulls on the reins and her horses slow to a stop. Edmund waits beside the wagon and the doe slowly turns her head towards him. He raises a hand in greeting. “Hi. I'm Edm-I mean Henry, my name is Henry. I'm a little turned around right now and could use some help. Could you point me to the direction of the nearest town? There should be one only a few miles from here, has a chapel, blacksmith, recently had all its chickens stolen?"

The doe remains silent, her eyes studying him from head to toe. Apparently satisfied with her investigation of him she stands and jumps down from the wagon, landing on her hooves with a loud thud. Now on even ground with him she pulls back her hood allowing her ears to stand tall and for what remains of the sun to illuminate her face.

Edmund feels his cheeks redden and mouth go dry.

She's beautiful, possibly the most beautiful creature he's ever seen. Her large rounded ears are covered in a short layer of soft chocolatey fur, the inner portion lined with soft white fluff. Her dark doeish eyes sparkle with specks of orange and blue. Her face is feminine and well proportioned, a dark wet nose atop her narrow snout and soft dark lips. It complemented her slim figure, narrow shoulders above a thin waist and hips. Her flowing scarlet dress hugs her body and accentuates her womanly curves, it must have been made of fine silk. Edmund can't help but stare in awe, an awkward silence quickly developing.

“I think that I've seen you before." She says, a coy smile on her lips as she points a finger at him.

Edmund gulps and gathers his bearings.

“Uhhh, maybe. I was in town earlier today."

“I remember now, you came in that cage with the bear and the doe, both bearing traits typical of cross breed abominations."

“They're chimeras, yes."

“Good to see you're rid of them now, I was selling jewelry in my stand when I saw you ride together into town. Shame I couldn't see you up close earlier, you're an awfully cute little human." She rakes a finger under his chin and Edmund can't help but let a soft moan escape his lips. The doe giggles, then puts a hand to her chest. “Where are my manners! I'm Malvina, traveling merchant. I deal in fine jewelry, precious stones, and rare metals. I can even enchant an item or two if you have the coin."

She sticks her hand out for a handshake and Edmund quickly returns it. Her grip is strong for such a lithe woman. Very strong. Edmund grimaces internally as his hand is nearly crushed and he ends the handshake, careful not to let such a beautiful woman see him in pain.

“Y-yeah, I think I do remember you. You packed up your little stand just as we arrived. And you said that you can enchant things?"

She shakes her head in an affirmative. Edmund responds in a hushed whisper.

“So, like, are you a witch?"

The doe pauses, then smiles.

“In a manner of speaking. I deal in a few lesser studied fields of magic, enchantmentation being one of them. I'm skilled in a few niche fields of the mystic arts, very niche, but they're also very…useful."

“That's great! You see I came here after those witches I was with summoned me to this plane of existence. Think you could send me back home? Or at least point me to someone who could?"

The doe puts a hand to her chin and looks at the ground deep in thought.

“Hmm, no, I have no experience in summonations. However, I do know of a city with a nearby witch's coven that could help you."

“Is it close?"

“Unfortunately it's several days travel from here. But on the bright side I'm headed in that direction anyway! You can hitch a ride with me!" She says, ears perked up and a wide smile on her muzzle.

Edmund wipes his brow, what a relief this was.

“Thank you, thank you so much, you have no idea how much this means to me. I have nothing of value to pay you back with but I'll do everything I can to help you out, I swear!"

The doe pats him on the shoulder affectionately. Her hand feels heavier than it ought to.

“Henry that sounds wonderful, I'm sure we'll come to some form of agreement on the way there. It's much more comfortable in the back of the wagon compared to the drivers position up there." She says, nodding her head towards the front of the wagon. “Why don't you take a seat in the back and we'll be off."

“Okay."

She leads him to the rear and points to the cloth cover that concealed the interior.

“Just hop in, it's roomier back there than it looks, I promise."

Edmund moves to enter the rear but stops suddenly, a strange thought entering his head.

“Wait, how did you know I was a human earlier?"

“I know what humans look like. All furless and flatfaced. Now get in the wagon and we'll be off."

“But I had a tail on me while I was in town."

“I could tell it was a fake. Now we really must be going, I can't stand delays."

Edmund freezes, something feels off.

“What's the name of the city?"

“What?" She says, her otherwise angelic voice tinged with annoyance.

“What's the name of the city we're going to?"

“…Carlington."

His hands grow sweaty, his grip on the frying pan grows tighter, something is wrong here.

“Why did you have to think about it?"

“It's been a while since I've been there and my memory is fuzzy. Now get in the wagon!"

She stomps a hoof in frustration and it sounds…heavy. It hits the ground with a loud and solid thud, much louder than when Gothetta stomped one of her hooves. Edmund's previous infatuation with the doe vanishes as the situation grows increasingly odd. With rational thought finally kicking in he decides hitching a ride with this doe is a bad idea, a very bad idea.

“Sorry but I-I think I'll find another way out of here." He quickly stammers, turning away from the wagon.

Malvina steps forward and grabs the wrist of Edmund's free hand. He looks at her hand and it somehow feels much larger than it actually is. He looks down and he can't believe his eyes. There, where she stomped on the ground, is a hoofprint. But it's far larger than the hoof of a doe. Edmund feels the adrenaline kick in and he struggles against her iron grip.

“What are you doing? Let go of me!"

“No! You're coming with me human. I can't let a tasty little morsel like you get away from me so easily. Do you have any idea how much you'll fetch in the dark alleys?" She growls back, pulling him towards the wagon.

Edmund takes his pan and swings it towards her head with all his strength. Yet it never makes it to the doe's head, impacting on thin air mid swing. It's accompanied with a loud crack and Malvina recoils back but quickly recovers.

“Gah! My fucking antlers! You'll pay for that!" She shouts and tries to grab him with her other hand.

Edmund swats it away with the pan and begins fighting her as best he can, screaming in the vain hope that a passing traveler may save him.

“Help! This bitch is trying to kidnap me! Help! Heeeeelp!"

**********************************************************

The sisters sprint across the barren ground, their skirts raised and ears still focused on Edmund's wild shouting.

“Gothetta will you slow down! We aren't all blessed with the speedy heritage of long legged prey animals!" Urmine says, panting as Gothetta increases her lead on the bear.

“I mustn't slow or risk Edmund succumbing to his mysterious foe! We must save him quickly Urmine, our love companion may only have seconds left!"

“We should have just taken our brooms…" Urmine mutters under her breath, stubbornly finding the will to quicken her pace and close the distance with her sister.

They arrive on the road and turn right, toward Edmund's frantic screams. They round a bend in the road and soon come upon the wagon. Edmund is on the ground with both hands gripping one of the wagon's rear wheels, the doe has him by the feet and is trying with all her strength to drag him to the back of the wagon. His pan lays on the ground some feet away.

“Help! Help! Let go of me you rotten slab of venison!" He screams, his knuckles white and strength quickly diminishing.

Gothetta steps forward to help him but Urmine stops her with an arm across the chest, sniffing the air.

“Wait Gothetta, that doe is no deer. She smells like…*sniff*…like…"

Gothetta turns her nose to the wind as well, the two sisters declaring their findings in unison.

“Moose."

With a newly formed scowl Urmine points a curved claw at the doe.

“Let go of him Malvina, I know that's you, you slimy, human stealing, pathetic, illusory little ingrate!" She bellows.

The bear's angry voice manages to get Edmund and the doe to stop fighting, both looking towards the sisters in wide eyed surprise.

“Not you two again…" Mumbles Edmund.

The doe spits on the ground in disgust.

“Begone accursed abominations! I found this human wandering alone on the road, he's mine! Free me of your foul visages before I see fit to turn you into nothing but chimeric piles of ash and cinder!"

“No! We summoned him, he's ours!" Replies Gothetta.

“Begone!" Malvina shouts, a few mumbled curses escaping her lips as she tightens her grip on Edmund's feet and tries to free him of his handhold with renewed vigor.

Urmine steps forward and raises her paws for a spell.

“I dispel your casted disguise and see through your illusory lies!"

A streak of blinding white light shoots towards Malvina causing Edmund to reflexively shut his eyes. When he reopens them he can hardly believe what he sees. Where the beautiful young doe in the red dress once stood now stands a towering beast made of dark matted fur, dripping saliva, and dirty cloth. Her snout is unflatteringly long with a bulbous end, her eyes black and beady, her hooves untrimmed and caked with dried on mud. The beast stood almost seven feet tall despite her hunched forward posture and two wide moose antlers atop her head. Instead of the glittering red dress a ragged cloak covered her from shoulder to hoof, its stained surface littered with pockets heavy with contents. The moose turns her head towards the sisters and a litany of strange carved effigy's and demonic medallions tied to her antlers turn with it.

“Ungodly abominations, do you have any idea how long it took me to perfect that disguise? You'll pay for that, just like how Edmund will suffer a fate most horrid for chipping my antler."

Urmine smirks and repeats her spell, this time aiming it towards her wagon.

Edmund once again shields his eyes from the light and once reopened the wagon has taken on a new form. The wooden framing is moldy and rotting, the horses are hairless and their eyes flicker with a hellish red glow. But what concerns him the most is the rear of the wagon. It's now completely uncovered allowing him to see several large metal cages taking up its cargo space. So that's why she was so adamant about him sitting in the rear!

Malvina lets go of Edmund's feet and takes a defensive stance towards the sisters, her hooves digging into the dirt. She raises both hands towards the sky and says her incantation with a certain dark satisfaction.

“I harness the flame of an endlessly turning sun, and will it to maim and burn until it is done!"

She waves her hands in the air and a burning ball of fire appears above her. With a labored grunt she throws this flaming hell towards the sisters. After a short scream they both dive out of the way in opposite directions, the ball landing behind them and coating every surface in a hot yellow fire. The sisters quickly get up and take cover behind separate trees, casting spells of their own towards the Malvina.

Edmund, in a state of total panic, grabs his pan off the ground and crawls under the carriage in a desperate attempt to find some cover as the mayhem explodes around him. He lays flat as he can as the three witches keep up their magical skirmish. Urmine casts a bolt of lightning towards Malvina. It arcs towards her but appears to be absorbed by some kind of invisible force field floating a couple of feet away from her, the streaks of blue lightning arcing around it until dissipating into nothing. As it does Edmund notices how the medallions and effigies on the moose's antlers glow with a bright green light before dimming, as if absorbing the energy from the attack. Edmund continues to watch as the fight continues.

Malvina shoots several bolts of explosive blue energy towards the tree Gothetta hides behind, eventually destroying so much of the trunk that it topples over and the deer rushes to find new cover.

Seeing her sister's vulnerability Urmine rapidly fires several bolts of sharpened ice towards the moose, they stick halfway into her invisible shield before quickly melting. In response Malvina casts another ball of fire towards her, the bear just barely managing to dodge out of the way. When she pops back up her fur is singed and burning with black smoke.

In cover behind a new tree Gothetta casts a bolt of green energy towards the moose. It hits her shield and dissipates into nothing. Malvina chuckles and reaches into one of the pockets on her cloak retrieving a glass bottle containing a green glowing liquid. She throws it towards Gothetta and it impacts the tree she's taking cover behind. Edmund isn't sure exactly what was in that bottle but its effects are clear. The tree rapidly wilts and turns to dust, as do the plants and foliage around it, everything turning gray and old. Gothetta jumps away with a surprised scream and scrambles to new cover as the tree collapses.

Edmund watches this one sided fight continue for a few more rounds. Every time the sisters manage to make a connection with the moose it's dissipated by her shield and with every spell the moose casts the sisters just barely manage to escape death. It's clear they're utterly outmatched. Edmund watches as Urmine barely dodges another fireball and feels he must do something to end this madness. Sure the sisters were odd, bullheaded, even a little cruel, but something tells Edmund that being under the control of Malvina would be a far worse fate. Better to side with the devils you know than the devil you don't.

He quickly forms a plan in his head. If the items tied to Malvina's antlers really were what was giving her a shield then maybe if he tore them off it would put the fight in the sister's favor. All it would take is a short sprint and he could jump onto her back, stun her with a pan to the head, then rip off as many of the blasted things as possible. Edmund takes a deep breath, steels his nerves, then crawls out from under the wagon.

He breaks into a sprint towards the moose and leaps onto her back! His free hand grips her cloak and he raises the pan high in the air, bringing it down as hard he can on the moose's skull. It hits with a might thwack and Malvina screams, both hands placed where the pan hit her. Seeing his chance Edmund begins ripping items off her antlers. One, two, three-

Malvina's arms reach to her back and she grips Edmund by the shoulders.

“Fuck!" He shouts, surprised at how quickly the moose regained her bearings.

The moose throws him forward onto the dirt. His back hits the ground hard and the air is knocked out of his lungs. The moose, saliva dribbling out of her mouth and an angry scowl on her malformed face, grabs Edmund by the collar and raises him in front of her with one arm.

“Pathetic bald monkey! Stay over there until the abominations are dealt with!"

She throws him several feet towards the wagon, landing hard next to it. After regaining his breath Edmund gets up. His knees and elbows are scraped and bloody, sweat stings his eyes, his ribs hurt with every breath and the metallic taste of blood fills his mouth. He's wounded but far from down for the count. Seeing Malvina continue her magical onslaught towards the sisters he gets low to the ground and runs towards their position, bolts of magic, flame, and ice flying through the air.

When he finally reaches them they're both taking cover behind a large stump. Gothetta is lying limp with her head in Urmine's lap. Her dress is torn with holes and blood dribbles from her nostrils. Urmine isn't in much better shape with her dress torn to shreds and patches of fur smoldering with burning embers.

“What's wrong with her?" Edmund shouts.

“I'm not sure, something the moose threw at her did this."

A bolt of lightning impacts the stump and they all flinch in response. Edmund turns towards Urmine.

“How do we kill Malvina?"

“I don't know!" Urmine shouts, flinching as another lightning bolt hits the stump. “Whatever you do don't let her capture you, any fate is better than becoming her prisoner. Her soul is blacker than you know!"

“No shit! But how do we get out of this? Surely you must know something? You're a witch!"

“I-I don't know." Urmine sticks her head just over the stump. “Maybe we can-“

Clearly waiting for her to reveal herself Malvina suddenly shoots another streak of lighting towards the bear. It strikes her in the antlers before arcing down her head. After spasming for a couple painful seconds Urmine slumps to the ground, utterly spent as the smell of burnt fur fills Edmund's nostrils.

Edmund looks towards the fanged doe, then the horned bear, both laying limp and motionless on the ground. Filled with a final desperate drive he stands up and looks at Malvina. She takes a triumphant step forward with her arms raised up in victory.

“The chimeras have lost, man-thing. They were no match for my magical prowess. Now step aside and let me send their wicked souls back to the underearth." She orders, whispering another incantation as a bolt of blue energy grows in her hand.

Edmund steps forward and grip his pan.

“No. You're just going to trap me in another cage like the sisters did. I refuse to be treated like an animal any further!"

Malvina chuckles.

“Silly, silly, silly little human. I have friends you know, other witches of the Thorny coven. They're well trained in the necromantic arts. They'll raise your burnt bones then I'll have you under my thumb again, except next time you'll be a mindless thrall! Ha! Ha! Ha!" The moose cackles wickedly as the bolt of blue magic grows larger. “In what is surely an excess of mercy I'm offering you a final chance human. Step aside or your soul will suffer the same fate as theirs."

“No."

“Very well then. Next time I'll see you you'll be singing a much different tune, assuming I let you retain your tongue that is."

Edmund takes up a batting stance with his pan, gripping it with both hands.

“Do your worst, syrup licker."

Malvina cackles and the ball of energy in her hand grows to the size of a basketball, its surface snapping with electrical pops and streaks of light. The moose steps back with one hoof and holds the ball of energy behind her, positioning for a throw. Edmund eyes the ball of energy intensely, his pan in a constant state of adjustment as he prepares for one final hail mary. Malvina brings her arm all the way back and throws it forward with all the strength a seven foot tall moose lady can muster. Turns out to be an immense amount as the ball flies through the air at an incredible speed.

Edmund barely has time to register it's coming towards him before briefly adjusting his aim one final time and swinging the pan forward. The ball of energy connects with his pan…and flies in the opposite direction!

The smug smile Malvina held dissipates as the ball of energy grows larger in her vision. She only has time utter a single confused word before it hits her.

“Oh?"

The energy bypasses the shield and impacts her in the chest with a mighty explosion, sending her flying back into the rotten wood of the wagon. The wood splinters and she slumps to the ground. Portions of her cloak have been torn away and what wasn't torn is mostly burning a flickering blue flame. Much of her fur is charred and a thick trail of blood runs from her nose. Her antlers are blackened with ash and all of the protective charms tied to them have been blown off. She groans, then tries to get on her feet. Her legs move unsteadily as she regains her bearings and uses the wagon to help stand herself up. She scowls at Edmund before reaching a hand up to her antlers, feeling that the charms have all fallen off. Her eyes go wide before screaming at the human in raucous anger.

“You! You and those disgusting chimeric abominations have ruined my beautiful disguise and undone my enchantmentations! Foul beasts! Whore queens of the occultic arts! False practitioners of witchly skills! Bow legged hussies with fangs and horns growing where they shouldn't be! All accompanied by their favored bald ape slave!" She spits blood on the ground and unsteadily makes her way to the front of the wagon. “The next time I'll be seeing you is with your hides turned into rugs! And your heads mounted on the wall above my cauldron! All three of them!" She screams.

Edmund lowers the pan as she climbs onto the wagon and violently whips her horses into a gallop, his eyes remaining fixed on her until she disappeared into the mass of trees. Once gone he looks back to see Urmine and Gothetta emerge from behind the stump. Gothetta has her arm draped across Urmine's shoulders, the bear barely able to keep her upright as she stumbles forward.

“You…you did it!" Says Urmine with a tired laugh. “You drove her back with her very own spell, very clever Edmund. Now come back with me and Gothetta to the cabin, we all need some rest and healing."

Edmund's gaze narrows and his grip on the pan tightens.

“No."

“What? What do you mean?"

“I'm not going back with you and Gothetta as your husband-slave or love-companion or whatever flowery term you had in mind for me. I'm still a free man as far as I'm concerned." He points the pan at her. “I don't want to hurt you, but I will defend myself if you try to drag me back to the cabin and put me back in that cage. I am going home, one way or another!"

Urmine puts on a disarming smile and waves a paw in front of her.

“No-no-no! Me and Gothetta came to an agreement shortly before you escaped the cage. We agreed to send you back home. Your presence here is simply causing too much friction between us. We went looking for you and heard your screams. Fearing that you were attacked by some foul marauder or wild beast we came to your aid. We weren't looking to put you back in the cage, you have my word."

Not entirely believing her word Edmund looks at the doe, her head slumped forward.

“Gothetta? Is what she says true?"

She weakly shakes her head.

“Yes Eddy, we almost came to magical blows over it. We'll send you back."

Edmund slowly lowers his pan.

“Alright then. It's settled." He walks towards them but suddenly stops, pointing the pan at them once more. “But if you try any funny business don't be surprised if you end up with a pan sized lump on your heads. And if you try any spells I'll be sending them right back at you the same way I did with Malvina."

Gothetta chuckles, then puts a hand over her chest.

“You have our word Eddy, we'll send you back. Cross our hearts and hope to die. Now could you help me back to the cabin?"

Edmund lowers his pan, then walks to the other side of Gothetta and puts his arm across her shoulder, steadying her. Together the three of them begin walking back through the forest as the last traces of light leave the sky.

“Edmund, how did you reflect Malvina's spell back at her? I've never seen such a thing done before in all my years of spellcasting." Asks Urmine.

He looks down and twirls the pan around in his hand.

“It's non-stick. Maybe Teflon works just as well against bolts of magical of energy as it does food. Guess playing a little baseball in my youth didn't hurt either, heh."

“Remarkable. Malvina's shield must have only worked against spells targeted at her, thus when her own spell came screaming back it didn't try to stop it. Very clever Edmund."

“Thanks. Speaking of Malvina, who the hell was she? It seems like you and her have a history."

Urmine spits on the ground.

“Perhaps rivalry is a better descriptor. She's a member of the Thorny Coven, a group of witches known to revel in the darker magics. Necromancy, illusionism, death casting, enchantmentations, pyromancy, mind rape, among other things. We first encountered her when she set up her little stall in the town. She sold the townspeople jewelry she had enchanted with a subtle mind control spell. It activated the first night they wore it then compelled the wearer to gather all their valuables and take them to a designated spot in the forest, then they would sleepwalk bad to their beds and wake up penniless. Malvina of course was waiting for the sleepwalkers to drop their goods so she could take them for herself. She's been terrorizing random townsfolk for years."

“And those cages in her wagon? What about those?"

“She's been dabbling in trafficking mystical creatures lately. And remember Edmund, humans aren't native to this land so a creature like you could fetch a pretty penny on the back markets. That's probably what she planned for you."

“Geez. And then I would probably have never been able to get home at all."

Edmund looks up to see the glowing windows of the cabin in the distance.

“True. You dodged a fate most foul back there Edmund." Says Urmine.

“Grinding bones and agonized moans, I'd rather die by the noose than be taken by the moose." Mumbles Gothetta, her voice weak and half coherent.

“That's right, you did a very brave thing trying to save Edmund from that foul creature. Just a few more steps and we'll be in the cabin. Then we can heal all our wounds with a potion or two." The bear says to her sister.

“Not just that, I'll also...I'll also need…"

Gothetta breaks into a coughing fit and Urmine pats her on the back.

“What? What else do you need? New clothes? Food? Water?"

Gothetta wipes her mouth and looks to Urmine.

“I need a whole pitcher of crimson melonade. I've been craving it since the battle."

Urmine chuckles at her request and opens the door to the cabin.

“Me too sister, me too."