FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

A myriad of candles do their meager best to stave of the eternal twilight of an open air café and bar in an upscale section of an asteroid settlement in Wild Space. Tikki torches and savage masks placed about the bamboo walls lend atmosphere as multiple races of aliens including humans, elves, dwarves and the more exotic anthropomorphic animal type races chit chat at the various tables as Hula girls, mostly human, but a few reptilian and rabbits and jaguars as well, wait on them. There's a hippo in a Hawaiian shirt tending bar while a melancholy Alsatian woman in a black leather number that can just barely be considered armor idly strums a guitar on stage. Without warning, she starts her set of songs. She sings of loss and betrayal; of losing faith in one's ideals. As she sings her dark melodies, another canine humanoid makes his way through the crowd to a table near the stage.

A party of dark elves shoots dark looks at the dog like humanoid, who is wearing a sable leather jerkin button down right side in silver with a silver skull and twin crossed cutlasses over his heart. Showy mesh sleeves prominently display the alternative pattern of his black and tan fur as it slides down to a pair of leather bracers of the same midnight hue of the jerkin. Black leather pants with a laced up crotch of the same shade as the pants keep it all in place as a pair of rakish boots graces his feet. Another table whose occupants include goblins, hobgoblins and bugaboos along with a trio of strange creatures that look like moray eels stuffed into wolf spiders the size of crawling toddlers, each of them attended by huge insect like humanoids vaguely reminiscent of roaches and mantis, almost burn holes in the tiger striped German Shepard as he walks past. At the bar, a party of three ferrets, a badger and a fox watch all this in wonder.

"Say, Murray?"The fox asks of the barkeep. "That pirate a regular here? He looks like he's about to start a riot just getting to his seat. Not that I blame him forgetting so close to the lovely Joan-Marie du Arc."

"As I live and breathe!" Murray swears. "I didn't think he had the guts to come back in here after last time In answer to your question, Todd, yeah, he's a regular. That there is Rembrandt Bastylle a mercenary ranger well known for his skill at arms and his ruthlessness in carrying out a contract. I better make sure Brutus let him keep his cutlasses at least, as rough as he can get, I do consider him a friend as he's helped a lot of people out. Those he's crossed, double crossed and even triple crossed some, those he has are folks that needed it done to them in my book. He's a bit of a pirate and a mercenary but his heart is in the right place."

The Ferrets chatter amongst themselves for a moment before one of them goes off towards Rembrandt. Glaring at the remaining pair, the badger demands to know: "Alright, Larry, Shemp, what's Moe up to?"

Larry, the ferret with wing like top fur that stands out from his head, remarks: "I would think that would be obvious, Archie, you know the reward old Stormfang has out for info on any surviving grand pups."

"Sstormfang? Issss that some major warlord in Zoosspace?" A neogi hisses as it skitters nearer to the fox and introduces itself. "Nazra Greem, independent trader. Black Dog could be ssssome ssssort of backwater prince, eh?"

"Todd Maverick," says the fox in greeting. "Free trader out of Zoospace. These are my associates, Archie Bajyr, and the Stooge brothers Moe, Larry and Shemp. If that is who we think he is Napoleon Bastylle is a mercenary War Duke well known for his outlandish and sometimes brutal tactics. His nickname is 'Old Stormfang' but his son Magellan was a known and respected explorer. When we discovered space, it was Magellan who first explored our sphere. Magellan Bastylle married a tigress and his son, Rembrandt has in some ways reverted back to the ways of Napoleon."

"I sssee" Nazra hisses in understanding. "But why isss thissss Magellan not looking for him?"

"Magellan and his family ran afoul of some your kind and at last report sold the surviving children to the illithids." Archie growls. "We had heard that Rembrandt had managed to escape from bondage. Napoleon wants confirmation."

"And for the sssafe return of hiss grandssson no doubt."Nazra says in agreement. "I know sssomething of what happened after Remmy wass ssold. He betrayed hiss illithid masssters to the drow and then betrayed the drow to the Imperial Elven Navy; earning him the moniker of 'Black Dog' but he ssemented hiss reputation in the Unhuman Warsss. Here he proved to be a capable mercenary marine and helped the elves win dessssissssive victoriessss over the goblinssss. Sssince then he hasss become a forssss for good unparalleled in hiss efficiency and hiss sssometimess willingness to usse evil'ss own underhanded tricksss againssst them. Many of my kind resssent him, but I persssonally find hiss code of ethicsss and efficiency to be admirable as well as hiss adherence to hiss own code of honor."

"Excuse me, sir," Moe says to Rembrandt as he approached the dog at his table. "My name is Moe D. Stooge of Zoospace. I was wondering if you might be a Bastylle."

"Well met, Monsieur Stooge." Rembrandt says evenly. "I am Rembrandt Magellan Napoleon Duncan Emilio Bastylle mercenary ranger originally from Zoospace as well. Do you know if the White Halls of Avalon still stand?"

The full name of Remmy uttered by him causes a slight stir in the room. Joan-Marie momentarily stops her set to look over at him. Murray looks at the Zoospacers at his bar as if to inquire if this was what they were implying as Todd smiles broadly and nods.

"The naming tradition of certain families, the Bastylles among them." Archie explains as he now has the rapt attention of the giff and the neogi. "The first, fourth and fifth names are whatever strikes the fancy of the parents. But the second and third names must be the father and grandfather of the child. That's Napoleon's grandson alright."

"They still stand alright," Shemp says as he joins his brother. "But many of your uncles did not survive. Your grandfather has called out a massive dog hunt to bring you home."

"I've been trying to take assignments that go back to Zoospace." Rembrandt concedes as he nods to the ferrets. "But there haven't been many opportunities. Something indicative about our sphere is not exactly conducive to business as far as many human merchant companies are concerned."

Moe and Shemp nod to each other as Larry comes over and addresses the wolf. "I think we're almost done here and will be going home soon. Unless you have other engagements, I'm sure you can hire on with us."

"That would be great, I want to see home again, I've been away far too long." Rembrandt says a wistful tone to his voice.

"I can help you get back home, Black Dog!" Bellows one of the bugaboos, savage seven foot hairy cousins of goblins and hobgoblins whose sinisterly cherubic face almost seems a mask of worn leather against a background of shaggy black fur.. "As stowage in a coffin!"

The bugaboo breaks his stool on the table so the seat can be used as a small shield and the legs used as clubs. He tosses one of the legs at Rembrandt and takes up another as one of the goblins, a three foot shrimp next to his erstwhile cousin sharing in the skin color but possessing a prodigious hooked nose and obscenely large ears, takes two of the legs and holds them like tonfa as he advances as quickly as his little legs will take him. The club hits Moe and downs him. Shemp takes his brother out of the fight as Bastylle slides knuckle dusters in place and gets ready to fight. Joan-Marie stops singing and just watches as Murray ducks under the bar to get his gun. As he does so the goblin's dead face soon greets him as Remmy throws the goblin into the bar. His bugaboo boss stops in his tracks as he drops his jaw in disbelief. Rembrandt shuts the jaw for him with a vicious uppercut that sends the over sized goblin sprawling. Starting to rise with a shake of his head the bugaboo never gets the chance to clear the cobwebs as Rembrandt implodes his face and finishes the job. Without warning he plows into the goblin table and starts to wail on the rest of them. Caught completely by surprise, the other five goblins quickly fall before the bugaboos start to mount on offensive. Three against one hardly proves a fair fight for the bugaboos as Rembrandt takes them down one at a time. By the time Murray finds his blunderbuss Rembrandt has just finished off the last bugaboo and is approaching the hobgoblins, slightly taller than their cousin at five foot with much the same features, who have gotten their shields up and have undone the peace bonds on their morning stars. Murray drops his jaw, as does the neogi but the natives of Zoospace are all smiles with the Stooge brothers yelling encouragements to Remmy.

"Atta Dog, Remmy!" Yells a just recovered Moe. "Ye do yer Grandpappy proud!"

Joan-Marie comes over and asks: "Is this for real? He was a regular firebrand of a barroom brawler last week, how does he keep it up?"

Todd just smiles and nods: "Old Stormfang would be so proud of his grandpup. That's the Bastylle style of fisticuffs; it's a tradition in his family."

"Aye, that it is!" Archie says with pride. "Enjoy the blood sport everyone. When a Bastylle gets into a barroom brawl, the last dog standing is always one of Napoleon's bloodline."

"He's not even slowing down!" Murray shouts as Remmy dents the first hobgoblin's shield into total uselessness. "I hope no one's alerted the Watch." One of the drow tries to shoot Remmy with her hand crossbow but gets a hobgoblin instead as the giff gets off a shot in the air. The drow scatter in fear. But the hobgoblins are not so lucky.

"Damn drow!" Joan-Marie growls. "They just can't play fair."

The scene plays out in a grainy globe in some dark room. Just beyond the globe's illuminated radius tentacles stir. Mauve skinned beings of gaunt frames whose heads vaguely resemble octopi stand before the globe with milky white eyes that glare at the display. Quartets of meaty tentacles that surround lamprey like mouths quiver as they speak telepathically with one another.

"Bastylle continues to prove himself to be a capable warrior." Quips one of the beings, its broad shoulders and large clawed hands indicating that it is a combatant itself.

"Aye, Kon'Q'est," says a willowy and almost spectral member. "His escape from our facility was most unfortunate."

"Do not be so quick to judge, Wisp," a goggled scientific looking member chides as it goes over a clipboard. "The facility was failing before his little revolt. We just need his corpse to render the example we had to make of them complete."

"You pragmatic nature betrays you yet again, Pavlov," Wisp returns with a snide tone to its broadcast. "I still think we are wasting resources in attempting to extinguish his worthless existence. Wouldn't you agree with me, Malys?"

"I have long been in accord, with you, Wisp," says a demonically winged illithid in the robes of a typical surface wizard with a slight nod, "I do however find merit in Pavlov's practicality. Bastylle continues to hunt us when he gets the chance. Is this not correct Inq'yst?"

"Aye, Malys," seconds a fifth whose attire is more that of martial arts uniform than anything else. "I have lost many students to his imperfection and would wish to rectify this balance as quickly as possible so as to make an example of him."

"All well and practical but the method of destruction is just as important, colleagues." Says one whose robe features a high and ornate collar that almost a crown around its head and almost denotes a noble status among them. "Kon'Q'est, how goes your breeding program among the thralls?"

"Almost not worth mention, Leader." Kon'Q'est says with a bow. "Our efforts to instill meaningful abilities inherent with the beasts is showing few appreciable results."

"Pavlov, were you not assigned to aid in this task?" Their leader says with a growl in its telepathic broadcast that shows its displeasure."

"I have been aiding, Leader," Pavlov says almost desperately in its own defense, its tentacle quivering in a fearful manner. "But as Kon'Q'est has said the process is abysmally slow."

"Wisp, we have a sleeper agent among them do we not?" The Leader asks in quiet annoyance at the current situation.

"That we do, Fearless Leader." Wisp broadcast in an almost sarcastic tone tinged with respect. "I can activate her at any time I choose."

"One of our better successes was it not, Wisp?" Pavlov asks with a self-satisfied tone to the transmission.

The Leader strokes its tentacles absent mindedly. "We may be able to use her to bring Bastylle in for execution. If you can, instruct her to seduce him. I expect both of you to make a performance eating of their brains before the crew when all is said and done."

Pavlov and Wisp bow before replying in tandem: "By your command."