FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

I wrote this story a while ago, and would like feedback. There's a ton more in this story, and if people like it I'll post more.

The upstairs window was open wide - perfect. Sildren's arms began to catch the breeze, but he would need a bit of luck to make this jump without falling into the street below. He had already clambered several blocks on the rooftops, but he had larger targets. The mansion of Danstan, one of the richer merchants in the city, stood across a wide market street. He had already scouted the inaccessible back side, and here he was with only one target. Sildren quickly preened a few feathers on his arms, walked to the far end of the building he stood on, and took a deep breath.

Looking upon himself, he was a well equipped thief. He wore a dark leather vest with several pockets and wide holes for his feathered arms. While not strong enough to fly, his vestigial arms could easily glide briefly, something that had saved his beak quite a few times. His dark beak and face had light blue war paint on it, accentuating his pointed features. He kept his handy knife, made out of steel and also the most valuable and useful thing he owned, in a band on his leg, while he carried incredibly useful rope on his shoulder. His arms were unclothed except for a small bracer that carried a shard of light crystal, a strange spike of rock that grew lighter as the world grew darker. He kept it close, as any thief worth his salt in the city of Suardov would use one. His talons and feathers glistened black in the low light of the light crystals on poles that lit the street as he preened them.

The faster I make this jump, the faster I'm in the vault, he mused as he sprinted forward. His arms cut through the air as he charged. When the time was right, he launched himself up, used a chimney to vault across the street, and settled on a balcony with a clang. His heart skipped a few beats as he feared a guard might have heard, but he held still for a few moments and his fear was unfounded. Don't celebrate now, he reminded himself. Getting in would be easy if his source was correct. The traps and watchmen his fence, Frantz, told him about would be far harder to overcome.

Sliding his slender body through the open window, he found himself in a nursery. This requires a bit of finesse, he thought as he deliberately walked across a pastel rug. If the baby starts making noise, this adventure's over. As he reached for the door's latch, he heard the baby start to stir. Sildren snapped around and searched for a place to hide - not easy for a keluvela. He began to walk towards the bathroom, hoping to wait it out, but a shriek stopped him. The baby needed its mother and would shriek like no tomorrow until she got here. Sildren swore under his breath and climbed up a dresser next to the entrance, hoping nobody would see a five-foot tall bird dead-set on robbing the place.

"It's alright, Pearl, everything's going to be fine. Your nurse is here to take care of you..." A small nanny opened the door to calm the infant. "Do not fret anymore, Serra..." Sildren was slightly shaken by how saccharine the nurse was, but he couldn't move. As long as she doesn't sit in the rocking chair, Sildren thought, but that's exactly what the nanny did. Serra, hmm. That's another name to curse if this job goes south. Sildren paused and waited, the baby still crying. The nanny started to turn up her nose at the baby, and both the nanny and Sildren realized why the baby was crying. The nanny hurriedly went into the bathroom, carrying baby Serra, slamming the door behind her.

Feeling relieved, Sildren jumped down from the dresser. Thankfully, the nurse was good for something, as she forgot to close the nursery's door. Sildren peeked outside into the mansion's hallway. His source claimed the wing he was in was mostly bedrooms with a kitchen down below, but the vault was only accessible from a spiral staircase in the master bedroom. The closed doors and sounds of snoring suggested his source was correct. He slinked around the doorway and began to walk deeper into the mansion.

He knew if he played this wrong or if a guard came in that this hallway would be a deathtrap. Sildren checked every door he came across that he didn't hear snoring from for cover. A few doors down, he found an open door with nobody inside the room. He crept in as he heard footsteps from down the hallway. He appeared to be in the room of a favored servant, as it had space and some frills. He took note of a metal box with skillful work on it. He would normally take it now, but he couldn't have anything weigh him down as he went towards the vault. He drew himself flush against the wall as the footsteps grew closer to the door. They paused right at the door. Sildren held his breath and silently hoped the mystery person did not intend on sleeping here, but the nurse then walked in. He chose to wait for the perfect moment before sneaking out. As the nurse looked in her hand mirror, stretching and yawning, he almost flew out the door. He pumped his fist in joy. Silly bird, you're barely inside. The party is later, once you've actually stolen something. He slinked along, coming to the end of the hallway.

He looked in the large opening and saw a massive dining hall with a rococo chandelier in the center. The hallway opened onto a third-floor balcony with stairs off to the side. This room had one guard seated in the corner, but judging by the smoldering torch he had been asleep for an hour or two. Across the hall was another balcony, but no bridge connected them. He was about to slink down the stairs, but as his talon touched a step it creaked. The guard woke with a start and coarsely yelled, "Who's there?"

This day gets better and better, Sildren thought. He took a length of rope he had wrapped around his leg and tied a slipknot into it. He cast it out to grab the chandelier, but he came just short. He quickly jerked it back so it wouldn't fall to the floor, but the snap woke the guard up. The guard started walking towards the stairway to investigate, but Sildren threw his rope out and grabbed an ornate arm of the gilded chandelier. The guard was walking up the stairs behind him, chainmail clanking, creaking with every step. He grabbed on to the rope and jumped across the wide hall. He swung far and cleared the banister on the other side and darted through the door. The guard never even had a chance to catch him.

Sildren's heart was beating like a war drum. He had to stop and catch his breath, so he took stock of the situation. I knew this job was tough when I took it. Frantz wasn't lying when he said this place was locked down, but I'm just sloppy today. My feathers have been frazzled from all the close calls, and I'm not even anywhere close to the vault. This place is going to be a death trap if I have to bolt out of here.

He looked around the hall's corner and saw slick marble tiles were awaiting him. Talons could be quiet if Sildren willed it, but on hard stone they're loud no matter what. Sildren took time to bundle his feet with leather wraps he carried on his vest. You're wasting time, Sildren. Get out there and steal stuff! You can learn to be a cobbler later, he thought. Finally done a minute later, he deliberately crossed the hallway and went into a grand entrance. Rich men. Seen one, seen them all, he mused as he looked upon an entrance he'd seen in a score of manors. Red carpet, stacks of books the owner had never read, antlers from game kills, and an ostentatious grand stairway. They always try to show off, but their mansions are all the same! Sildren only saw a couple guards watching the entrance. The map Frantz had given him would lead him across the stairs opposite him and into the master bedroom. There's even empty suits of armor on the landing - how intimidating! He tried to suppress his laughter. Sildren saw that the pair of guards would take turns looking towards the entrance and surveying the inside hall. Right as they were turning around, he slipped down the stairs and hid in the shadow of the empty armor. The guards and thief were both startled by the sounds of wings flapping. Letting birds run loose in your house? Wouldn't want to clean up the mess. The guards took a long time to calm down and stop obsessively scanning the room for noises. However, a guard adjusted his helmet and he ran up the stairs when the opening presented itself. These guards are too paranoid, he thought.

No watchmen were hiding in the next hallway. A rug and a carved door showed that the master bedroom was just in here. Sildren dug in his armband and found his lock pick set and got to work. The finicky tools took a while to get through the complex lock the rich merchant could afford. Oh sekkon, these tools were going to be the death of me someday. As soon as I'm done here, I'm grabbing a new pick, he fumed. A few clicks and a couple snapped pins later, the latch opened with a light clink. Holding his breath, Sildren drew himself alongside the door, hoping Aval Danstan wasn't awakened by his poor form. A few snores later, Sildren decided to open the door.

How can one man need all these frills? He asked himself as he gaped at the extravagant bedroom. From the expensive clothes that hung in a nook on the side to the expertly decorated tapestries that graced the walls, this room alone was worth a fortune. Snoring came from a curtained bed made from dark wood and fine white fabric. Sildren sensed a draft from under a bookshelf catch his feathers. Danstan has no style! He thought. Creeping over to the bookshelf, he ran his fore talons over the dusty books. In a middle row, he saw a black ring resting on a volume called Construction of Traps. The book felt solid to the touch. It's like he wants this place to be robbed. He pulled on the spine of the book slowly, and the bookshelf began to pivot outwards. Moving at a quiet pace as to not disturb the sleeping lord, he moved the bookshelf out, slipped in, and pulled it close.

Given this reprieve, he chuckled softly to himself at how shallow the house's owner was. A hidden bookshelf passageway? But that's the first place anyone would check! Once I strip his vault clean, he will only have himself to blame! He smirked to himself. The stairs turned to base stone, not needing to impress any visitors down here. The stairs spiraled for several feet until Sildren was sure he had descended below the ground. A drop of water falling on his nares confirmed this. The light had dimmed considerably, so he reached in his pocket for his light crystal. It was a simple shard of an uncommon gem that would shine in the dimmest caves, and it had saved him many times before. The ceiling grew higher, and he slowed to look down at the catacomb. He looked at the niches and coffins cut into the walls and revolted. An ancient tomb, turned into a vault? Sickening. The bricked floor had a few knucklebones spread out on the floor. Avian knucklebones. First a grave robber, now a racist? He cursed, and then clambered around the corner, dodging a hollow femur.

The cave narrowed towards a bound metal door. Sildren jolted from his mood and forgot about the defiled bodies and rushed to the door. Surprisingly, it was only barred from the outside. Grabbing the beam, he tore it out with enough force to make a strong clatter. He almost ran through the door before he noticed a tripwire on the ground. In his excitement, he said, "Does this old merchant think he can stop me?"

He bounded over the tripwire and went inside the vault. The place was shining even with the small light of his light crystal. There's no way I can carry all this stuff with me! He wondered. Looking around the walls, he saw the walls holding racks of golden coins and rare wines. A few bookshelves graced the corners of the vault, gleaming with gilt covers and obscure glyphs. The front of the room had a weapons rack full of ornamented weapons which would be outclassed by butter knives in a straight fight and only looked sharp. A beaten-gold plaque from an ancient ruin hung on the back of the wall in a similarly overdone frame. Since he seems to like it so much, let's see if he can live without it! Sildren took the plaque and tied it to his back through some holes. Below the painting was a regal chest with bands of gold and mother of pearl. Sildren tried forcing the chest open, but it was locked steady with a massive keyhole lock. Not bothering to keep quiet, he hefted it around and cracked the hinges open with the bar from the door. When he had pried the lid off the chest, the room began to glow. Inside were six shimmering crystals, ranging from a deep purple cluster of amethyst spikes to an orb that appeared to have inky black smoke inside it. He pocketed them all and took some gold coins to even his carrying weight out. Sildren sighed, wishing he could plunder everything here, but he only could carry so much and remain quiet.

He stepped out into the hallway and saw two angry guards with cudgel in one hand and a torch in the other.

"The perp thinks he can just come in and take what he wants, huh?" one asked.

"Didn't Mother Hen ever teach you manners?" the other joked. Sildren flourished the metal bar at this.

"You think my mother was a chicken? Yours was a mangy cur!" Sildren shouted.

Sildren heard footsteps from behind the two guards. A lean, creased man who had lost some hair but kept his wits stepped out in front of the two watchmen. He spoke with a loud, commanding voice.

"So the poor, dirty crow thinks he's so smart," he said. "This isn't my first time with a thief in my manor. The name's Aval Danstan, and nobody who sneaks into my mansion will leave a free man. Owning so much puts you at so much risk, but it's no fun to just block every thief who comes in, looking for his own share. I rather enjoy seeing the bold and stubborn get caught. You saw my bookshelf?"

"I've never seen THAT secret before," Sildren groaned sarcastically. Behind his back, he was grabbing one of the crystals from his side pack.

"A hidden bookshelf passageway? That's the first place a dumb thief would check. You only have yourself to blame for getting caught. And besides, as soon as I heard you scrabble at my door to get it open, I acted like I was sleeping. You're an amateur."

"You probably won't miss a few coins," Sildren began to interrupt. He held a few in his talons and tossed them lazily at Danstan.

"You just threw more that your life's worth at me, I'll have you know. Now, does the crow have any words left before he's thrown in prison for the rest of his short life?" The guards began to grab their cudgels and move to strike Sildren.

"I do. See the shiny?" He held up a green cube he found in the chest. It glimmered with a green light. Tiny fragments reflected all around the dim cave, and illuminated a shocked expression on Aval Danstan's face.

"Catch the shiny," Sildren yelled as he tossed the green cube over the heads of the guards and the master and braced himself. The cube clacked across the walls and hissed loudly. Sildren felt a subtle twitch in his wing feathers before he realized that there was a gust coming from the cube. As the guards were distracted and Aval began laughing at Sildren's distraction attempt, doubtless beginning a monologue, it clicked for Sildren. Sildren wielded the metal bar from the door and forced his way past the two guards. He ran and dove to get as far away from the cube as possible.

The cube stopped hissing abruptly, and then shattered with a painful tone. A green miasma spread from it, and the guards began hacking and coughing. Aval began to yell, "Seize him! He has the Stones!" before falling to the ground himself, coughing. Sildren saw this and sprinted up the spiral staircase as fast as he could. I never thought I'd actually see magic in my life, he thought as he spun around the ascending steps. He stopped at the top and caught his breath, but he heard loud steps from down below. What a way to muck things up. That fireworks show down there cost you solid money, he thought to himself. His mind racing and subconscious screaming at him, he shoved open the bookshelf and stepped through.

DUCK!, his mind screamed at him. He had at least enough sense to listen, and he dodged a sword that was meant for his neck. A guard inside the bedroom had been watching since he broke into the vault, and he was out for blood. Holding the metal bar in his offhand and drawing his dagger in the other, Sildren was prepared to fight. The guard charged at him, trying to skewer the thief. Sildren blocked with the solid metal bar and almost lazily dodged his attack. Swinging his dagger around, Sildren was able to knock on the guard's mail but didn't cause any more than a scratch. The guard swung his blade around with a guttural grunt, and it cleaved the metal bar clear in two, leaving a red line on the thief's face. Sildren hopped over the bed and dodged a few more slices. Hearing the noises from the spiral stairs get louder, Sildren positioned himself between the bookshelf door and the guard. Think fast, Sildren... he thought to himself.

"If you're being paid to do this, Aval must have no standards," he shouted at the guard. Really? Was that the best insult you could come up with? The insult still incensed the guard, as he bull-rushed the thief. Sildren quickly ducked under the guard's swing and grabbed his legs. With a heroic lift and leverage, Sildren lifted and threw him. His helmet flew off in mid-flight, and he bore an expression of pure terror. He slammed into the wall of the spiral staircase and crumpled. Sildren caught his sword as it went flying. No sense in letting this sharp sword go to waste - I would know!

Sildren ran out of the bedroom as the first two guards and Danstan finished the climb up the stairs. He dashed across the hallway, not caring about how loud his talons were on the floor, and went through to the entrance. He threw himself down the scarlet-carpeted stairs and ran down towards the grandiose doors of the main entrance. He stopped himself when he saw that the door had a thick wooden bar, as thick as an ancient oak, blocked it. He turned around and saw at the top of the stairs three familiar figures, still wheezing from the miasma he threw at them.

"The little birdie isn't flying away from this one," Aval said. "You may have slowed us down, but you seem to forget that I own this place."

"And why don't I see you down here fighting?" Sildren asked while gesturing with his dagger.

"I'm a busy man, crow. I've got a business to run and gold to earn. No time for any fighting. But before my men roast you over a spit, I'd like to know how you got so far."

Sildren shrugged. "I couldn't have done it without the help of my friends, but most of all because of your idiocy."

Aval stamped his foot at this. He reached into the pocket of his purple sleeping robes and pulled out a familiar sparkling green cube. He raised his head and said, "Hey Crow, I think you forgot this!" before tossing the cube right at Sildren.

What an amateur. His footwork is betraying his every move, he noted. Sildren quickly spun around and tossed his dagger. It flew straight and true, knocking the cube off course and continuing into the head of the guard next to Aval. A spurt of red blood covered the decorative armor on the stairs. Sildren looked up to see the cube falling fast towards the ground between him and the guard that was still standing. The thief dashed towards the cube, but the watchman dove towards it. Sildren had an edge on agility and grabbed it lightly so it would not trigger. As Sildren grabbed the cube, the guard fell face first on the ground and slid.

"You've sure got trained professionals here. Your move, Aval," Sildren joked.

Seething, Aval raised the hue and cry. He screamed in as much fear as fury that anyone might assist him. Some guards heard and marched in from their quarters near the dining hall, but before they could arrive Sildren was charging up and around the stairs, into the upstairs of the dining hall. As he clacked down the marble hallway he grabbed a torch from the wall. The yelling and clacking of solid boots grew louder every step he took. Several chainmail clad warriors crashed into the hallway. Reaching into his pockets, Sildren took out one of the odd stones he took. This stone was a rounded amber shape that seemed to carry a liquid inside it. He slid it along the ground in front of him, and a strange liquid began to leak out of the side. He picked it up, and heard a few groans as the armored guards slipped on the brownish-black liquid He grabbed his torch and threw it behind him onto the liquid. It was flammable.

"And that is why you DON'T mess with Sildren, the Shadow of the Night!" he yelled in a triumphant voice. That has to be the silliest name I've ever heard! That's not fear-inspiring, he thought to himself. He then looked at the inferno the hall had turned into. He ran to cool down and also to stop hearing the soul piercing screams of the fallen guards. Aval thought he'd be roasting me, but his men roasted themselves! Irony, he mused.

He ran into the balcony overlooking the dining hall. Now full of guards from outside in the city, it would be far harder to get out than in. Sildren was scanning the area to look for an easy way across, but he was interrupted by a broad arrow that took off one of his feathers and clipped his talon. He ducked to look at his talon, barely dodging an axe. The axe stuck with a thunk in the wall. Sildren grabbed the axe and tossed it at the chain on the chandelier. The soldiers standing under it would learn a hard lesson in gravity. The screams of the guard stabbed at the ears of everyone in the room, except for the thief. He lowered himself down from the balcony, landed with a somersault on a dining table, and started running towards the stairs on the opposite side. A downed guard, trying to avenge himself, reached out his arm and tripped Sildren, and one of the stones he stole, a black stone shaped like an orb with an odd black cloud inside, slipped out. A gray cloud filled the room as the stone was activated. Way to go, now everyone's blind. Good luck escaping with your head attached now, Sildren said, berating himself. Sildren rolled away from the arm of the fallen guard and searched blindly for the orb. After confusing an orange for the orb, he reached under a table and his talon touched something, and everything became outlined in white. He took the orb and grasped it cleanly. Everyone's blinded except me? This toy is the best one yet. I'm not selling this one for the world!

Sildren climbed up the stairs into the balcony. Looking down into the chaos unfolding in the dining hall he saw a cook that was trying to calm down the madhouse that his dining room had become, the guards pinned by the chandelier were moaning, and Aval was mourning the loss of his chandelier. However, his orb started to shake and dim inside, and soon the cloud of smoke was gone. Aval quickly ducked back into the hallway he came in by.

Running fast and not caring about his sound, his best hope for escape was to jump from the balcony he entered by. The hallway seemed clear, so he charged to the end, knocking torches each step of the way. The guards are going to have a lot of fun cleaning up after me. He skidded to a stop and shoved the door to the nursery in. Suddenly remembering that there was a baby in a crib right next to the door, he gingerly crept through the door.

"You aren't stealing my baby!" the nurse yelled as she swung a large skillet at his face. A loud BONK resulted from it colliding with his hollow skull. That's going to leave a mark - stupid, stupid bird. He put his hands up and said in a condescending tone, "I'm not here to steal Serra, just on my way out. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a few... transactions to make."

The nurse was offended by this. She grabbed her frying pan and kept swinging it at Sildren as he weaved between it. You're getting sloppy, crow. You've been too sloppy all night, his inner critic screamed. Another BONK signaled that he was hit in the side.

"That'll leave a mark! Now get out before I call the guards," the nurse yelled, calling the guards. Sildren was about to point out that the guards were already on his tail, but he realized he needed to get out. He jumped over a swing of the skillet and ran towards the bathroom door. Feeling it locked, he dodged out of the way of another swipe of the pan as the strike hit the door and blew it open.

A man was sitting on the privy inside. He was a guard, judging from his mail and boots. His iron helmet rested on the sink below the window. The guard remarked, "What's this now? Boyfriend problems?" in a mocking way.

"You don't want to know," Sildren replied, before picking up his helmet and tossing it through the window. The wooden shutter slammed open, and Sildren vaulted past the two foes and into the street below. The golden plate on his back shielded him from one last toss of a frying pan as he fell from the building.

Sildren was fretting as he fell. Shall we go through all your mistakes tonight? his inner mind scolded. You didn't check your way in OR way out, you left your rop e hanging from the chandelier in the dining hall, you were almost caught far too many times, your chosen way out was the most guarded place in the building, oh, and if it was not for the magical items you lifted from the vault you would be roast crow right now. You should have taken up carpentry instead, like a good kaluvela. Perhaps it's time to ret- He was interrupted by landing in a cart full of tomatoes. The driver wore a cloak and had the reins of two horses. The cart's driver drew his sword and stared at Sildren. The light crystals in the streets distorted his vision, but he was pretty sure that the driver was a kaluvela...

"I'll have you know that was the last of my crop. You had better pay for that," the driver cawed at him. So he has a beak. I can work with this.

Sildren apologized. "I didn't mean any harm, and you also saved my life. I owe you-"He was cut short by the sound of a large door opening and the clamor of guards. Sildren quickly tossed him the remaining gold coins he had in his pocket, leaving him only with the six stones and the gold plate. "This will pay for it. There's more in it for you if you hide me under the cart."

"Stay as long as you like, thief. No cutting my purse though," the cart driver responded. Sildren climbed down and hid under the cart. He grasped the wood beams under it and held on. He slipped a few times with his fingers wet with tomato juice, but found a good hold.

Ahead, the cart stopped and Sildren heard the familiar sound of boots. Some guards were interrogating the driver. Their sergeant began asking the questions, "Have you seen a crow carrying a gold plate, gems, and more gold than he's worth? Oh, right. You all look the same..." The guards shared a chuckle. The cart driver made a noise that was half a groan and half a caw.

"Do you guards think you'll get a word out of me?" the driver asked. Oh sekkon, he's incriminating himself. He should learn to like the taste of prison gruel..., Sildren groaned internally.

"Enough out of you. You tell us, or we are taking you in by force," a guard shouted. He made a show out of drawing his sword. The driver panicked. "Oi, stop it! I've got a market to get to. IF you guys want to know, a kaluvela dropped from the mansion above and landed in here!"

Sildren's heart skipped several beats. Was this the end?

The guard with the sword began playing at jabbing the driver, but the sergeant calmed him down. "Thank you. And you don't suppose you know where he went?" Sildren took a deep breath. If this is my last free breath, better make it a good one.

"He went the OTHER way, you heritudes," the driver swore. A feeling of relief washed over Sildren. "You better get moving if you want to catch him."

The guards panicked. "But the k-king's traveling t-that way," a skittish voice says.

"We've got to warn him to change his course. We can't let a killer get near him!" their sergeant said. I'm a killer now? That's an improvement, Sildren thought. He chuckled, but the sound was lost over the guards running away.

"The sky is clear, friend. You can come out now," the driver said. Sildren crawled out and sat at the head of the cart.

"This gold will not buy enough beer to drown out that scare. Next time, jump into someone else's tomato cart," the driver continued.

"I owe you my life," Sildren said. "If you weren't driving by at that moment, I'd be crumpled on the road right now - or worse."

"Why were those guards after you? Don't tell me you killed a man."

"I heisted Danstan's vault, but things got sloppy."

The driver recoiled in shock. "That takes skill, but the racist will turn it back on all of us. Guards will be everywhere on the other side of the river. You need to lay low."

Sildren scoped out the street for a way to the rooftops. The cart was in a neighborhood of rich merchants, on the "better" side of the river. Most had elaborate ivy or overdone balconies on their manors, so it wasn't too hard to find a way up. Sildren quickly asked, "Since I'm apparently an outlaw right now, could I borrow your cloak?"

"I wasn't born yesterday, I know what you mean by borrow," he replied. Sildren groaned, and was about to plead his case, but then the driver smiled. "Tell you what; all that gold you gave me will be worth it a thousand times over. Go ahead."

As soon as the kaluvela driver handed over his cloak, Sildren bounded off the cart and scaled a presumptuous wall guarding a solidly built mansion. He gave the driver a quick wave and grabbed the ivy, scaling the stucco wall with ease. The driver's beak glinted with a smile and his dark feathered arm waved him off. He clambered up onto the third floor balcony and squatted down, then bounced up and grabbed the roof edge, pulling himself up smoothly. He finally had a moment to rest, and saw the first fingers of sunlight far in the distance. That's enough excitement for one day. I'll just sell this plate to my fence, head down to my nest, and take a long nap.