FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 3

Dek and Fracture stumbled through the door of their home, both exhausted from their ordeal. Dek headed straight behind the counter and pulled out a fresh bottle of cider, uncorked it, and took a long swig, finishing with a long sigh. Fracture shuffled to one of the stools and let his head fall to the counter, sighing, "Well, that was a more tiring walk than I thought it would be."

Dek pulled a cup from under the counter, he snorted as he filled it, "Yeah, especially with me having to keep you on your feet."

He closed his eyes and laughed weakly, "Yeah. Hey, how do you drink so much of that without getting drunk?"

Dek finished off his cup and pushed it aside, picking up the bottle he cleared his throat, "Well my large friend, this is hard cider, it's like spiced cider, but a bit more fermented. It's alcoholic, but not much. Heavy cider is the stuff that will get you out of your head real quick. I usually stay away from it; the last time I had heavy cider I woke up tied to a beaver and a flamingo in pile of fruit."

Fracture opened his eyes and looked at Dek with a mixture of confusion and amusement, "What?"

Dek laughed and leaned forward, "Yeah."

He shook his slightly, "You are some dog. So where do you think", he was interrupted as Miss slithered through the door, a special sack tied around her body.

"Oh, hello boys; I was wondering when you would get back. How did your meeting with Helos go? Did he reward you?

Fracture lifted his head and looked back towards her, "He gave use some gems and a weird black rock. He thought it was obsidian and made me eat some, but it wasn't obsidian and I passed out. Dek dragged me to a tree, but then these little goat things attacked him and then I woke up and then Pan came tried to kill me, but I beat him. Then we came back."

Miss remained silent, confusion clearly expressed on her face; she looked towards Dek for clarity.

Dek laughed, "Yeah, that's pretty much what happened."

Miss slithered inside and began putting items away behind the counter, "Oh...okay. Well then, I'm glad that you both are alright. I picked a few things from the market, Fracture, if you would kindly, give me that rock, also I found out some interesting things about you in book.

Fracture slid the chunk over to Miss, stretching and yawning afterwards. She pulled out a large purple book, flipping through with her tail as she eyed the stone carefully.

"Fracture, a while after you two left, I found something matching your mutations. It's called the golem mutation. You can," she pushed to book and stone over to Dek, "Look for a rock that resembles this one."

She ignored Dek's annoyed frown and continued talking, "The golem mutation allows you to eat rocks, gems, and other inorganic material. Also, what you eat can affect your physiology, such as making your hide as hard as rock. This mutation is not species specific, so it is still a mystery what you are exactly. Though I did research into that too, and you have several character traits to a race of anteaters."

Fracture glanced away and nodded slowly, "Well you were busy today. So I'm some kind of anteater with a golem mutation?"

She smiled, "Yes, fascinating really. Golems are apparently able to eat anything and take on some of the qualities of what they eat. I'm curious if eating certain materials could make you resistant to fire. The possibilities..."

Dek dropped the book unceremoniously in front of Miss, her tail twitching in surprise, "Before you start experimenting on our friend, I found the rock. Fracture, you'll want to see this."

They all leaned over the book as Miss read aloud, "Ashstone is formed when ash is put under extreme pressure and compresses into a hard stone-like material. It is often found near sites of volcanic activity or," Miss paused and looked towards the stone, "or the Wastelands."

She quickly slipped away, down the hall to her room. Fracture and Dek were slightly surprised by her sudden departure, but she returned soon enough with a ragged, aged tome and set that on the table. She flipped through a few pages, a small amount of dust whipping up as she did so.

"Here it is. There are not any volcanoes around this area, but the Wastelands are a little ways over the mountain ridge near to the East. This stone could be the End Rock."

Dek leaned forward to get a better view of the page, "The what?"

Miss wrapped her tail around lump of black stone, "The End Rock. It was a relic made entirely from ashstone and brought from the Wastelands. It was supposed to be part of what created the Wastelands in the first place, and is prophesized to bring about the end of the rest of the world as well. Supposedly, a temple was built to house the artifact, to suppress the power that it emitted. If this is truly a piece of End Rock, then that means the Temple of End really does exist, and that the relic has been fragmented."

Fracture straightened his posture, a worried expression crossing his face, "Should I be worried that I ate some then?"

Miss sighed, "I don't know. I hope not. I will need to study this and you more to see how it affects you," she dropped the End Rock and placed her tail on his shoulder, "it will be okay, Fracture."

Dek sighed and picked up the black chunk, "Rut me. How do you know this is part of the End Rock?"

Miss glanced towards the stone, "There is an etching on the flat side. It is worn and damaged, but it matches the symbols supposedly carved into the End Stone. And if you fought Pan, if you really fought him, then I doubt that this stone had nothing to do with it."

Fracture stood up and cracked his neck, a disconcerting frown marking his face, "So we need to travel to the top of the Spire?"

"Yes, from what I remember about the legend, the End Temple is located in a cave near the top of the Spire."

Dek set the End Rock down, "The quickest and safest way to the top is through Razorscale territory. They are pretty aggressive, but as long as we don't scuff anyone's scales we should be fine. A few gems might help us too."

"Well, we should get our things together. It is quite the trek we have ahead of us."

Miss slithered off towards her room, mumbling something about salves and leather books. Dek tapped on the counter a few times before turning away towards his room. Before he turned down the hall, he stopped and looked towards Fracture, "You okay?"

Fracture, though clearly troubled, nodded, "Yeah, I'm going to be fine."

Dek waited a moment, "Okay", and then left down the hall. Fracture stayed on his stool, deep in thought. The stone, that wretched black rock sat a little ways away. All because of that rock, he was going to have to see her again. He should be more worried that he nearly died today, that this little adventure they were about to embark could lead to some grand discovery. But no. Those were trivial compared to her. She wouldn't hurt him; they were friends, so why did he have this feeling, this dread. As he stood up he sighed and dragged a claw along the wood, "You know why."

He glanced toward the End Rock, and plucked it lightly, "Might as well get prepared."

Chapter 4

Miss, a makeshift satchel tied around her body clearly filled to burst with items, locked the door and slithered with a bit of trouble to Dek and Fracture.

Fracture frowned, a feeble attempt to hide the amused smirk he so wanted to show, "You sure you can carry all of that stuff Miss?"

She lifted the upper part of her slender form, the weight from bag preventing her from reaching past his chest, "Thank you Fracture, but I assure you, I am fully capable of carrying everything I have brought."

Dek shook his and snickered. Fractue sighed, "Okay, Miss."

"Thank you, now let us get going. If we make good time, we should reach the Razorscale territory this afternoon."

She began moving awkwardly, the added weight disrupting her usually graceful rhythm. Fracture and Dek easily kept pace with her. They glanced towards each other, then towards Miss who continued moving forward, seemingly oblivious to the problem. Fracture calmly lifted Miss, an annoyed hiss of resistance coming from her, and slid the satchel off of her body. He placed the satchel in his own, much larger, side bag, and continued walking. He glanced down, catching Miss pouting glare at him. He smiled and picked up his pace, the group now speeding up through the light forest underbrush. They continued in relative silence for several more minutes until a rather formal, "Thank you," came from Miss. Dek was the first to start laughing. Fracture tried to shush Dek, but could not help but begin sharing the infectious laughter. He looked down; Miss was clearly upset, but even she could not suppress a small chuckle. Dek turned towards his friends, lifting his paws slightly, "Why is this funny?"

Fracture shook his head, his laughter coming to an end, and Miss cleared her throat, quelling of her giggles. They continued the rest of their journey, eventually reaching an area where the jungle futilely attempted to overtake a large rocky outcropping. They began walking around until finding a sheer craggy wall of rocks; Dek easily leapt up to the ledge, landing rather gracefully. Miss twirled around Fracture's neck as he scaled the sheer face easily with his claws. Between two rocky jutting crags, there was an opening just large enough for them to file through one at a time.

Leaving the tunnel, they reached a large plateau. Below them, the tops of the jungle trees appeared to be a sea of slowly swaying green.

Miss slithered to the edge, stretching her body upward, her mouth open to the sky, "Wonderful."

She gazed out toward the trees, "It is always such a strange feeling, being this high up when you've spent your whole life sliding across the ground."

Dek walked up beside her and sat down, "It is pretty amazing. The wind through your fur from this high up is one of the reasons I love traveling."

Fracture was looking as well, until something strange caught his eye. A rock appeared to have fallen from another higher up plateau, and was rolling down the side of the sloping cliff. He stepped away from his comrades, trying to get a better view of just what was falling. It did not appear to be a rock, the coloration was not correct, and the way it bounced seemed wrong as well. Then he saw the arm.

"Veck!"

He bolted toward where the cliff met the plateau, the rolling object nearing at an increasing speed. He cursed his large size and he ran with frantic haste to stop what appeared to be a falling child. Whatever it was reached the plateau and bounced up, flying in a trajectory that would carry it over the edge. Fracture was so close, stretching his arm and claws to grasp anything he could. He felt the tip of one of his claws graze its surface and threw his body forward in his stride. He was able to reach his arm around something and take hold, but that quickly lost importance. Past the ledge of the plateau was not more mountain slope, instead it was a sheer drop into a ravine. He could not stop himself as he fell over the edge holding onto this creature. He flipped, already having fallen a significant amount, and reached towards the cliff wall. He jammed his claws into the wall, tearing through the face, slowing his decent slightly. He dug his feet as well, finally bringing him to a stop.

He panted heavily; his eyes closed and head down. He opened his eyes when he felt something stirring against his chest. He opened his eyes and finally saw what he risked his life to save. It was child, a Razorscale from the looks of it. She was whimpering quietly, those large predatory eyes staring intently into his. Her small frame fit comfortable between his chest and wall, but his claw was tightly grasping its leg at an odd angle. He moved his claw so he was cradling the child in one arm, and then began climbing towards the top.

"Fracture! Hey! Fracture!"

The sound slowly registered as he continued climbing. He looked up to see Miss and Dek, his tendrils exposed, "Hey Fracture! You alright! You catch the kid?"

Fracture weakly yelled, "Yeah!"

He noticed another figure next to them, but paid less attention as he looked down to focus on climbing the cliff while holding this child. Slowly, he ascended, finally getting a claw to the edge of the plateau. Dek wrapped his tendrils firmly around his wrist, aiding in pulling him up. His arm quivered as he lifted his upper body far enough, rolling over the edge onto his back. His breathing was heavy and quiet, but he was safe, and so was the child. He looked down to see her rubbing her head into his chest, a sweet gesture which brought a weary smile to his face.

"Izla, come here."

The hatchling Razorscale pulled herself away from Fracture's large frame and ran to the source of the voice, a large Razorscale wearing several pieces of her armor. As he rose to his feet, he examined her closely. Her scales were dark green, lighter beige scales lining her stomach, a typical feature of her species. Despite her feminine figure, he knew quite well the strength hidden in each step. On both arms were rather crudely crafted arm guards and on her reptilian legs were another pair. Her tail whipped slightly behind her, as she grew nearer. She stopped in front of him, her piercing cerulean eyes gazing up towards his.

"Well hello again Fracture."

"Hello Euromea."

She tilted her head slightly, the small plume of feathers atop her head shifting slightly, "Ever the formal one. I told you to call me Ero, but this business can wait. I believe I owe you great thanks," she gently patted the head of the young one clinging to her leg, "for what you have done. Come, you and friends will have a seat at my table and stay the night."

She turned away, child in tow, and began walking up the mountain.

Chapter 5

The home of the Razorscales was hewn within the crevice of a large rocky canyon. Holes perforated the craggy walls, each one a home to a family of Razorscales. Stone paths snaked from the holes down to the bottom where several stone structures formed the village center. As the group walked through, several residents idled around the various structures, a few taking note of Ero and waving or saluting to her. Dek and Miss followed rather close behind, looking around curiously, making a few comments between one another. Fracture however, drifted behind slightly, feigning attention to the familiar surroundings as his mind focused on more pressing matters. His gaze often lifted to the female leading them, making sure to only to look when he was not in danger of being caught.

Dek turned to Miss, "You ever been up here? I've passed through a few times, but never got much of a look around."

"Sadly, no. I have never been to a Razorscale village in my travels, and I was quite unaware there was one so close to us."

Ero turned her head and smiled towards Miss, "It is a shame sister. We would have found you ourselves had we known someone such as yourself was nearby."

Miss smiled, clearly a bit embarrassed by her praise, "Oh, how flattering."

Dek cleared his throat, "So, where are we eating, Ero?"

She looked back to Dek, smirking, "Well you have...visited...us before. You should know where feasts are held."

Dek laughed awkwardly as his companions each eyed him with amused suspicion, "Well, my last visit was not for a feast."

Ero laughed, "True, true. Besides, I rose to a general amongst our forces, now I have home that can accommodate us all," she briefly glanced towards Fracture, catching his eye for a fleeting moment before turning around and resuming her talk with Miss and Dek.

Fracture looked away, feigning interest in the nearby meat vender, a reach to rub his arm the only outward sign of his increasing anxiousness. Of anyone he knew, she was the most difficult to read emotionally. As he watched her confidently stride along, he couldn't fathom about what was going on in her mind. He felt a twinge of relief as they entered her home, a larger cave with ornate carvings around the entrance. They had a short walk down a small corridor and entered into a larger chamber, the room lit by several flaming creatures in small hanging cages. Within, an extravagant feast was prepared and laid out, a few servants standing by near the corners. Ero turned to her following and gestured forward, her eyes locked with Fracture's, "Welcome."

As everyone ate, Fracture did his best not to look in her direction. Though at times, he would glance from the corner of his eye towards her. And she would be watching. After eating their fill, the three were led to their sleeping quarters. They walked together until Fracture was led off down a different hall. After Miss was satisfied that he was far enough away, she leaned towards Dek and spoke quietly, "Dek, have you noticed Fracture acting strangely?"

His usual grin faltered slightly and he reached up to brush his ear sighing, "Fracture and Euromea had something going on a while back. They weren't mates but...hell if it didn't seem like it. Anyways, one day they sort of just broke it off. I don't know if it ended pleasantly or not. He's never talked too much about it."

"Oh, my."

"Yeah, I dunno. Maybe this just makes them both tense. She was watching him all throughout dinner. He was trying not to see her"

"I never noticed."

"Yeah, they both hid it pretty well."

Miss nodded. They continued on until the servants stopped at their rooms, bidding them good night and returning to wherever they were needed. Before Dek disappeared into his room, Miss tapped his shoulder, leaning closer and speaking softly, "Dek...do you think we should be worried?"

He frowned slightly and then looked down both sides of the hallway, "I don't think so. But Fracture can handle himself, and if we do need to make a quick exit, I know a few ways out of here. For now, we trust them."

Miss nodded and smiled, "Good night, Dek."

He lightly cuffed his muzzle, "Any night where I'm the last one you see is a good night," he leaned forward and winked.

Miss' smile quickly disappeared. She rolled her and sighed, a small smile surfacing before she turned away and shut her door. Dek laughed and followed suit.

Fracture shut his door and sighed, "Finally."

He took breath and exhaled, then sighed again and looked to a dark corner of the room, "I don't even get a chance to rest?"

Ero stepped out from the darkness that had concealed her, "You always knew when I was hiding."

He laughed emptily, "I guess I'm just a lucky."

She approached slowly, smiling slightly, "Oh come now, I won't bite."

At this, he turned his head aside and scoffed. She smiled fully, her teeth showing, "Now that's better," she gently flicked a claw on against his chest.

Fracture exhaled dismally, "Yeah."

"Now, I wanted to thank you for rescuing my daughter."

"Oh it was no," he was cut off as she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his chest, resting her head under his chin.

"Thank you."

He flinched, but slowly relaxed and wrapped his arms around her back, "It was nothing. You're quite welcome."

She let go and stepped back, a more serious tone in her voice, "So are you going to ask?"

Fracture's eyes moved away momentarily, and then returned to her, "So how have you been doing?"

She smirked and looked to the ceiling, "I've done well for myself. Promoted. Earned a few new scars. I had Izla."

She returned her gaze to him as if expecting a specific response. Fracture was about to speak, but the intensity of her expression caused him to hesitate. He looked away again, but turned back to her with a somewhat more confident expression, "She is yours and Tirranos' child, right?"

She smiled warmly, satisfied with his answer, "He is the father, yes."

"So where is he now?"

She scoffed, "I have no idea. After Izla was hatched, he went off on some conquest. You know how brash he is, or was."

"Yeah...listen. I...want to apologize for not attending your ceremony. I...seeing you with Tirranos was unpleasant, but no reason to just cut off contact."

Her blank expression slightly weakened his resolve, "True. I was displeased when you stopped. But that is not what I want you to apologize for."

Fracture was admittedly a bit taken aback, "What?"

"Why did you leave?"

He shifted, irritated with the question, "I had a problem seeing you promise yourself to Tirranos when we were so close."

She grew more serious, "We were close, weren't we? Why would that matter?"

"He was taking," Fracture's voice raised, but he stopped and calmed himself.

"Taking what?"

"He was taking you from me."

"And how was that a problem?"

"He didn't care for you. He gave you a child and leaves on some hunt. He wanted the power you would give him. You deserve more than that."

"Obviously. But why would that matter to you?"

"Because I care!" he reached forward, putting a firm hand onto her shoulder.

He closed his eyes and exhaled through his nose and let go of her, his body relaxing, "Sorry. I care about you."

She crossed her arms, "You cared. You cared for me?"

He looked at her with disbelief, "Of course I did. I still do."

She remained stoic, "If so, then why did you leave?"

"You didn't belong to me. You had your own life. I...I don't know," he could feel the confidence he once had leave him entirely, "I felt that by leaving I was doing what was best. I was allowing you to have the life you wanted."

She scoffed again, "By leaving me with Tirannos? By never telling me how you felt?"

Fracture sighed, "Yeah. I didn't want you to change because of me."

She scowled, "And when have I ever chosen to pity you or change my opinions out of fear of how others will react?"

Fracture looked down and remained silent.

"Do you want me?"

"What?"

He glanced upwards to her. She was no longer scowling, but still frowned slightly, "If you want to truly apologize to me. Answer. Do you want me?"

He kept eye contact, "Yes I want you, but you are not mine to have. You have Tirannos and Izla; you are for them, not me."

She smirked and tilted her head, "Tirannos was ignorant and did not attend the confirmation of our pairing. Though he fathered Izla, he is not recognized as my mate."

Fracture was astonished, anger rising in his stomach, "What? Why did you never tell me that?"

"You left before it happened. And you never told me that you felt this way. You did not tell me how you felt, that you wanted me," she moved his paw to her waist, "To want to have me, even if you can't have me, is not wrong. I want to know what you want, because I care for you. Now," she placed a claw on the side of his muzzle and gently stroked it, "Now tell me again, do you want me?"

He was silent for a few moments, but then moved his other arm around her waist, "Yes."

She pressed her body against his and leaned forward, her voice lowering as she brought her mouth closer to his, "Then show me."

He gripped her tightly as he pulled her into a deep kiss. His claws ran along her sides as they embraced, her arms wrapping tightly around his neck. They drew away, a small gasp escaping both their mouths as they caught their breath. She pulled closer and laid her head across his shoulder. He held her tightly, taking a step forward towards the bed. He laid her down and leaned over her, a wave of heat radiating throughout his body. She raised a claw forward and stroked his neck, then trailed down across his chest. He leaned forward and kissed her neck lightly, nipping her lightly with each decent. Fracture emitted a light growl as Ero's ministrations shifted lower. She replied with a low rumble as she felt the warmth of his maleness slowly move against her body. She let her slender tongue run along his jaw line as he grew in her claw. Ero pulled his head closer and whispered, "Show me you want me."

Fracture smiled and growled, "With pleasure," and reached down, lifting her legs around his waist.