FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 5

Awkwardly Exposed (Claire)

The Caprian Tales

By Matthew Courtney

"Why do you stare at me like that?"

He wasn't there this evening, the rather handsome Fenran that they all seemed to dote and hover about...circling him like babbling and gossiping satellites of popularity. Rather they stood here and there, like clusters of shrubs in huddled groups...whispering and casting glances this way and that....And every once in awhile they fell upon her, and she felt so naked.

She was never popular, and most definitely not attractive in the eyes of her peers. Her kind were so few within the United Races that they weren't even merited a district per Capitol, forced to live in bitter hatred with the Catin. Mauzan were considered less than third class citizens, born into filth and disgusting habits, and hardly worth the time of their larger and more impressive brethren. Her arms were spindly, her hands bore only three fingers, and she was at least a third the height of her average classmate. Their emerald, green, amber, and marigold eyes would flicker and glare with disdain in her direction, before their swarm burst into a fit of giggles and snorts.

She opened her mouth to speak, but a small squeak was all that could be forced from her mouth as she met the gave of one of the larger males, a Braunt. She knew him only be sight, a large brute that towered over even all his other peers....A thick brown mane and pelt that glinted and shimmered in the firelight, accented by stark white bone that protruded not only from each arm like but from the sides of his skull. His hooven feet, clad in what could only be described as an armored boot gave a slight stamp against the ground, whilst his brow furrowed. It was enough to set her stumbling backwards down the dark and overgrown paths, not daring to look back.

She found herself standing by the true namesake of Emerald Point, which wasn't so called for the small body of water that sat in the basin below, lit by jade bioluminscent algae. Rather it was for the great monolith of a spire that pierced the sky most violently, thrust defiantly into the clouds it could be seen even from the highest perches upon the Avani Roost District. A great stone and metal construct, laiden with strange and foreign symbols and crytals. It gave off a constant hum, and a soft etheric light that seemed to warm the atmosphere and calm the nerves. Serene and tranquil, much like the basin down below.

"Heh, didn't expect to find you down here....whore..." Came the voice from behind her as the hairs upon the nape of her neck begun to stand on end. That's what they called her, after that night those images were spewed like so much poison across the local network. Whore, slut, skank, and the list went on and on....One wrong click with the wrong guy, and she was that girl who put out. The girl with no self respect, no decency. It made something inside her scream injustice.

Her fists clenched and she turned about in spot, livid, rope-like tail lashing and cutting at the air. There were far more than she'd expected, at least three of the Lyain, a Catin offshoot, stood across from her idly preening their manes and glaring. How a male could spend so much time twisting his fingers in golden locks was beyond her. "Huh, last I checked you and your little friends here were ten times the man-whores I could ever even manage to be. Oh, and I mean....little." Her gaze slipped down below their belts, a wickedly devious grin slithering across those petite features.

"Lookie-here boys, looks like this little Mauze needs to be taught her place, don't you say?" He gave the most vile of chortles, shooting both his little cohorts a wry grin as he began to advance, a low bass filled rumbling in his chest, tail idly swaying and cutting at the air. There was an almost predatory stalk to his gait, each step coming faster as he began to ball his fist.

She had very little choice as she was backed down, and before she could even call upon the most basic symbological defense he was upon her...he lunged and struck out with such speed that it barely registered to her gaze. Dashed violently back against the gigantic stone structure, she felt the breath burst from her lungs and escape her as she began to choke violently.

"Looks like somebody's all squeak and no bite, what's wrong little slut....Cat got your tongue?" She felt his hand wrap slowly about her neck as she gasped and choked for air, grip constricting at a creeping pace until she began to spasm and claw at his arm weakly. This only earned a few more chuckles of amusement, and soon she felt the strength draining from her arms as her vision blurred.

Lack of oxygen made the moments seem to drag as a fist balled about her tiny shift and ripped it asunder, exposing her to the cool night air. She weakly tried to cover herself, but he brushed her frail oxygen starved arm away effortlessly and set that thick paw to work....Slowly trailing up her thight to rest inches away, she felt so numb, her gaze slowly fading into the distance. "It's over....and all because....Why? I never did anything? I just wanted to be loved....was that so much..." A burning built in her eyes, and it trickled like unseen raindrops upon her cheeks.

It happened with very little warning, as the world faded she could barely make out the sudden rumbling, the quaking and the .... she gasped as the ground rushed to meet her suddenly, and air seeped into her lungs like a sweet embrace. Disoriented she could barely make out the forms that swarmed about her, soft gentle cloth like the kiss of a moth brushed across her face, and the dust stirred up all about her. There were thick crunches and heavy stomps, snarls and guttural grunts, yowls of terror and howls of triump of rage.

As the commotion began to abate a hand thrust itself through the dust and dirt, thick and dark it was a mottled brown with sickening white claws. From the forearm extended a great bone protrustion, sharpened like a blade and freshly bloodied. "Can you stand?" Rumbled a deep bass filled voice, so thick and mighty the sheer force carried with the words reverberated through her to the core. For a moment she simply stared in disbelief, before laying her petite hand within his, and he lifted her to stand and draped a thick leather jacket about her form.

Three figures stood about her, and as the dust resolved she could discern a Catin, a Fenran, and the Braunt from earlier. "We should get out of here, they'll come about sooner rather than later." Said the Braunt, a thick armored bood nudging a prone figure upon the ground.

"Uhhhhh.....Blaine, Thamos! T-the...the tower!" The Catin was tugging frantically upon the Fenran's jacket, a finger extended to point behind her.

And the Fenran turned a most morose and dour expression upon the Catin. "I know...."

Copyright © Matthew Courtney/Barta

All characters and the world within © Matthew Courtney/Barta