FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Pfffffffft, kachunk. That was the sound the rusty old truck made as it sputtered its last. It belched out a cloud of gray smoke from underneath the hood. No doubt some critical component or another had kicked the bucket. It was to be expected, though. She'd rented this piece of probably-stolen garbage for less than a hundred dollars. back at the underdeveloped airport. Shoddy thing it was, just a bit of land that had been leveled and the grass cleared for small planes to take off and land.

Much like herself and her kit. Just a few weeks of supplies and important necessities bought on the funds that she did have. Just enough to come out and see what new discoveries were recently found. Her colleagues had messaged her a week or two ago, tearing her from her comfy station in the civilized world.

She gripped the steering wheel, etching new marks in the cloth covering. She squeezed a bit more and felt something crack underneath the strain. It was more than likely best to not find out what had fractured, she thought. The slab of steel that sealed her off from the outside world creaked open with a vengeance. Her lithe form being exposed to the far too warm savannah caused a frown to crease her maw. She grabbed a few things from the cab of the truck, before stepping out onto the soft grass. A map, a satellite phone, and a few other odds and ends.

She popped open the hood of the truck before calling it a complete bust. Allowing a moment for the toxic smoke to clear a bit before peering inside. Mechanical motors were not her specialty, however. The entire compartment looked like a clutter of wires, rust and- a hole. That would explain why it didn't work any more.

A large hole in the side of the engine block was leaking fluids. The edges of the hole looking like it had been welded back together after a similar incident before. A poor job of it at that. Only thing worse for patching such an injury would've been bubble gum and duct tape. It was a complete loss, then. She slammed the hood shut. It wasn't her problem now, the owner could have it towed at their expense.

Wasn't the first time a rented vehicle had broken down on her part way to the site. And it most certainly wouldn't be the last. She walked the few feet to the bed of the vehicle, before yanking a backpack out of it.

She wouldn't be able to carry the entirety of the supplies she'd meant to bring. What she could carry would have to do. They had another vehicle on site that could come out and retrieve the rest. She lazily checked the strength on the satellite phones up-link. Her frown deepened into a scowl as the blinking battery icon blinked. One... two, three times before the entire screen went dark. It was dead.

"Didn't I just replace that battery though?" She idly wondered, as she popped off the back casing to the phone. No visible wear or ruptures, she took the battery out for a moment, then plugged it back in. Still nothing.

Her features brightened for a moment. She just recalled the spare battery pack she'd left underneath the seat in the truck. A flurry of activity and mumbled swears before she found it, and plugged that one in. Still dead.

She punched the side of the vehicle, leaving a dent. In her frustration, she barely felt it. The phone was well and truly dead, her only contact with the outside world severed. It was a certainty that she would need to walk the rest of the way now. After she'd packed what she could carry from the crate of supplies, she unfolded the map and marked it. She had a good idea of where she was compared to her crew. Wouldn't be too long of a walk, a dozen miles or so. She had all day to get there as well.

The only challenge would be not dying of boredom and discomfort, with the glowing sun beating down on her from its celestial throne in the sky. Fur really was a disadvantage when working south of the equator. It just got hotter the further south you went. Until it suddenly turned into an ice snap when you arrived in the antarctic. She shivered a bit, recalling her recent station there, it only had been mere few months ago in a rather secluded station down there.

The supplies were gathered and adequately stuffed into her pack. She slammed the door shut and locked it for good measure. Even if it were the middle of nowhere, would rather be safe than sorry with someone elses equipment. No matter if it were destined for the recycling center when she got done with it or not.

She groaned as she stuffed the keys into her pocket.

"Like anyone would want a broken vehicle seat, or dashboard, wasn't even a radio..."

Deciding to not chew on that thought, she was off. A brisk walk would get her to the site before evening, if all went well. What else could go wrong, anyway? Phone was dead, truck was dead, supplies weren't being delivered on time. She supposed that her backpack and shoes could have holes in them as well. She was somewhat lucky in that regard.

Her lengthy stride let her glide through the long amber fields of dry, coarse grass. Her lithe form cut through the overgrown weeds easily, making it trivial. A few minutes later, and a few gallons of sweat, she approached a cooler area. The jungle stood in stark contrast to the savannah she was in. Leaves shining emerald-green in the late afternoon sun. Most certainly a welcome sight for a panting canine.

Well, that is, until she heard the growl.

She swore lines that would make a sailor blush as she broke into a sprint into the thick brush. She hadn't counted on needing to run from a hungry predator in her job perks and benefits, oh no. Her heart beat a mile a minute as she tore through the underbrush. The pack on her back flopping from side to side, the harnesses loosened from the sudden jolt of movement. She could chastise herself later for bringing shoddy gear. For now, her mind focused only on fighting or fleeing. It had most certainly a much better opinion of the fleeing option.

Her breathing was ragged as she dodged low-hanging vines and leaves. All the while putting her hands up to protect her face from their scratching edges. She didn't count on the thick roots on the jungle floor however. Her footpaw stubbed against one, and she flailed her arms for balance. One disaster averted, another reared its' ugly head as another root tripped her This time, she found her muzzle nearly embedded in the ground. The low, rumbling growl started up again. She twisted herself around and threw her arms up. A vain attempt to protect herself from an attack that never came.

The growling didn't stop, but she hazarded a glance at her pursuer. Just a large panther, his fangs bared, maw emitting that low, threatening growl. He paced nervously back and forth. An invisible line formed between him and his would-be afternoon snack. Both her arms dropped, she took a moment to evaluate the situation.

"Its' not trying to kill me? But... I'm right here!" The canine was thoroughly confused, unsure of what might be possessing the feline to behave so awkwardly.

She gingerly put her paw forward, testing the limits of the barrier. The feline hissed and snapped at it, but did not bite. He did, however, come close enough to give her pause. The reports had said nothing of odd animal behavior in the area, not a damn thing about animals at all, even. Her brow furrowed, and her eyes narrowed. Something was at play here, and she needed to satisfy her curiosity. She slipped off her backpack, carefully watching the feline.

She didn't break eye contact as she retrieved and planted a telescopic flag in front of her. This location needed to be marked, cataloged, and explained. This area fell well within her teams jurisdiction, and they would most assuredly check it. Probably on the way back to retrieve the earlier supplies.

The panther slowly slinked away into the brush, leaving her with a final hiss before it disappeared from sight. This was certainly odd behavior, perhaps even the panther needed to be caught and tested. She brushed away her curious thoughts for the moment as she stood up and brushed herself off. She hadn't hurt herself too much in the fall, just a few cuts and scrapes. They'd heal in due time.

She spat out the dirt she found in her muzzle, grimacing at the bitter taste. Uncorking her water bottle, she drained the last of it with eager gusto. She needed to replace lost fluids that had been sweat out from the brisk exertion the chase was. Her thirst was quenched, if only temporarily. Her face split into a deep frown as she collected her thoughts. They could whirl about in her head while she resumed her journey to the camp.

Just one step, then another and she was underway once more. The distinct lack of noise from birds and other animals didn't bother her. It was nice to have a bit of silence for the moment. She finally emerged from the thick brush into a rather large clearing. It was a large patch of grass, with few trees interspersing the area. Would almost expect a small house here, it was so nice looking.

The tender grass crumpled underfoot as she trod her way through the area. This time, she kept a decent watch for any other animals. Her thoughts kept bubbling to the top of her mind again and again, recalling the odd encounter that'd occurred only moments before. Was the panther drugged, or something? Or maybe it was dehydrated? Heat-stroke? She became so lost in her thoughts, she scarcely noticed when the ground shifted slightly underneath her. One step was wobbly, then the whole floor gave out underneath her.

"Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!"

She wasn't sure whether she blacked out from shock, dehydration, or excitement. But she had, and now she was inside some sort of room. Illuminated only by the sun above, light poured through the hole in the ceiling. The room wasn't illuminated well, but she could see clearly enough to see what had broken her fall.

Chunks of stone and bone were strewn about the area. She put her paws to her mouth and curled up. There were bones everywhere, skulls with empty eye sockets glaring back at her. They were seemingly upset by her rude interruption of their interment here. She let out a small squeak, unbecoming of a canine as she gathered herself.

It was certainly unexpected to fall straight into a burial chamber. The eeriness of the entire situation was bothering her greatly. First the panther, and now this? Things were going to hell in a hand-basket, it would seem. She clutched at her tail as she tried to formulate a plan to escape her sudden prison.

She was a canine of great resourcefulness, as she realized she had blacked out during the fall. It was several hours later, as the sun pouring through the hole indicated. Shouldn't her crew be out searching for her? What if she had gotten turned around during the chase with the panther? What if she was actually dead? She chuckled nervously at the last one, a bit disturbed at her dark humor with her audience being long since dead before the punch line ever occurred.

She attempted to judge how far she'd fallen by tossing bits of debris towards the hole. A bit too far to climb, and she didn't have any rope, nor a way to attach it up there if she did. She swept off some of the debris from herself. She'd fallen into a rather large chamber of sorts, and she was sitting on some kind of stone table.

Entrances lead off into the darkness in various directions, inscriptions marked above each one. They had long since been worn, even with the preservation from outside weathering. She couldn't make out what was left of each inscription. Even with her rather basic understanding of various ancient languages. There were symbols etched into the frame of each entrance, however.

A few stuck out to her. What looked like a pyramid with a shining gate was above one pathway. Another pyramid and an eyeball above another. And what looked like a hut and some sort of... globe above another. The symbols looked like nothing she'd seen before, in all her travels. Even if seeing ancient inscriptions and text was in her job description. It was needless to say her crew hadn't mentioned anything like it, either.

The initial shock of the situation over, she mulled her options. To pursue any of them however, she needed something to illuminate her way. Her backpack served as a good candidate, she tore off one of the straps and wrapped it around a thick stick. It was but a moment before she had a roaring inferno on the end of a stick to light her way.

By the time she had made the device, she had her decision. A pyramid and a shining gate probably meant the way to the outside, right? Her rational mind tried to make up reasons as to why. but she had a feeling, and that insisted that this was the correct way. She was rather uneasy about exploring a ruined building alone. However, she had no other choice in this situation.

There was nothing to do, but abandon the light, and press on. She flopped off of the table, held the torch aloft, and padded her way down the hall.

As she illuminated the dark with her ball of fire on a stick, she took short pauses to examine the symbols and etchings on the wall. Both types were fairly well-worn, almost as much as above the entrance-ways back in the hall. Some were marred by scratch marks, and others looked as if they were melted off. It was impossible to piece together whatever the original creators of this building had intended with their writings.

She continued padding forward, occasionally stepping on things she shouldn't. She winced as she stepped on a bone and it snapped with ease. The sound reverberated off of the almost claustrophobic walls. It was a very good thing she weren't superstitious. Otherwise, she'd be tossing salt over her shoulder and muttering prayers. Prayers still sounded like a good idea when she heard a soft click.

In a feat of acrobatics, she threw herself backwards, even as darts filled the air where she was. They collided with the opposite walls, clattering uselessly off of the hard stone surface. She breathed a heavy heave of relief. Who could possibly know what was in those darts, or what age had done to the contents. In the moment of her artful dodging, she had dropped her torch.

She scooped it back up, and continued along.

She was more than a bit watchful for any further traps, but as she ambled along the corridor, she found none. More worn etchings, more unintelligible scrip. Nothing that could help her navigate out of the place. The walls were oddly worn for such an old building, perhaps this particular area was used for hauling cargo into the building? Or maybe, whomever had lived here long ago used this hallway for sport with living prey. She shook her head. These weren't the things you thought about when you were alone in an unfamiliar ruin, with no one to watch your back. It would only add to the stress and terror.

Her ears flicked, scanning the area. She thought she had heard a rock fall behind her, seemingly into water or another liquid? Odd, there was no water behind her. She disregarded it, her mind was playing tricks on her already. It hadn't even been a day since she set out from the airport! Bah, renting from that shady coyote was proving to be more and more of an awful idea. She'd already be at the camp, examining their finds and optimizing their dig process if it weren't for his piece of trash vehicle.

Her fur felt clammy, it was an odd feeling after spending the majority of the day in the sweltering heat outside. She quickened her pace, she didn't like being down here at all. Though it was likely the archaeological find of the decade, it still made her extremely uneasy. These things were best explored with a full team, and two or three people exploring each hallway.

With proper safety equipment, and flashlights... and lots of spare batteries, and rope.

"Huh, this isn't the way out..." She mused.

She'd just stepped out from the narrow passageway and into a rather large chamber. The light from the torch flickered, casting shadows along the walls. The room was large enough that the light did not extend to the other side of the room. However, it did illuminate enough of the room to indicate where she should go.

A rather average stretch of floor, flanked on either side by a pool of... water? It seemed like water, though she couldn't quite tell. It was too far down to hazard a guess. An errant ember from the torch drifted slowly down the chasm as she looked down, peering over the edge. It burnt out far before it reached the bottom, or the liquid. It was enough to give her a bit of vertigo just looking down. She shook her head and continued walking into the darkness.

After more than a few uneasy steps, the path widened out into a central platform of sorts. Another stone tablet was the only furnishing on the platform, similar to the one from the previous chamber. Perhaps a sacrificial platform of sorts?

There were no blood stains on it. Maybe those had been eroded away by time. It seemed almost new, though, only the natural roughness of the stone marred its' surface. No scratch marks or acid burns on any of it. She stepped closer to examine it further, the light from the torch growing rather dim. Maybe she'd need a new one soon.

She reached out a paw to feel the texture, and the room burst into light. A soft blue glow emanated from the walls, ancient sigils and diagrams seemingly being written on the walls as she watched. No, they were merely filling the carved-out bits of the wall. Either way, the soft glow of the walls illuminated the room far better than her mere torch did.

It illuminated the room well enough to see that there was another narrow pathway. It crossed the gap leading into another stretch of darkness. No doubt another narrow hallway to delve down in her search of the exit. The wall-lights had finished inscribing themselves in their places, now. She still had no idea what they said or could mean, even with a mostly pristine etching and glowing illustrations.

It left her in a huff. Head archaeologist of a large team and she still couldn't figure this out? Preposterous. She set her torch on the stone table and took a moment to really examine them. Her brow furrowed, a paw reached her chin, and she scowled. Still nothing. Her thoughts were interrupted rudely by another splashing.

Nothing in here had fallen,unless it had been lower inside one of the surrounding pools of liquid. Her ears flicked again, her mind was just playing tricks on her again. She decided against asking if anyone was there. A response would likely have given her a heart attack, she was so immensely tense.

She stood there for a while, biting her lip. Leaning against the stone table, she flicked her tail. The situation was rapidly becoming unbearable. She was stuck here, with a problem she couldn't solve, with an illustration she couldn't understand, and tension running high. She supposed she could just continue down the darkened hallway in front of her, but it would be awful to get turned around in here.

She loosened a bit of her clothing. The clammy air in here had made her fur fairly damp, and her clothes soaked. Besides, no one else would be in here, so why not? Just a few buttons there, a belt loosened a few pegs here, and it was suddenly much more bearable. She breathed a slight sigh of relief, it was so much better without those constraining her so.

She chuckled to herself, the sound echoing off the walls. It wouldn't be the first time the dig team had seen her bare anyways, even if she did strip down all the way. Some of the showering stations at other dig sites had been... less than private. Certainly wouldn't be an issue.

Well, it wouldn't have if she didn't feel a warm hand on her back.

"Aight now, Danee, enough with-" She pawed at her back. That wasn't a hand.

She squealed a little when her paws instead felt a semi-solid goo instead caressing her back. She panicked, yanking herself away from the odd feeling. She grabbed at her torch, but instead it tumbled uselessly to the ground, falling between her and... it?

It had no particular form, flowing over the stone surface of the floor silently. No color, either, maybe a slight blue hue if the light shone on it just so. Her eyes darted across it, looking for what had touched her. A small tendril from the side of the blob had extended itself, still suspended just feet away from where she had been.

She muttered a few choice swears before she collected herself. It didn't seem aggressive at all. It just... sat there, making no noise of any kind. The odd tendril drew itself back a bit, closer to where the blob was. Maybe she had startled it as much as it had startled her. It had no visible eyes, or mouths, or any other defining feature. It was just a blob of goo.

She stood there for a while, arms held out in front of her defensively. Still terrified of it, she squeaked a weak, "Hello?"

It gurgled a bit, but no discernible language or words spilled forth. Instead, it pushed forward a smaller bit of goo, just a few inches off the ground. It was tiny, no larger than a small handbag. Her paws covered her mouth in a fit of terror when it began to take shape. It formed itself into a tiny version of her, one floppy ear and all. This time, when it tried to speak, it was clearly understandable.

"Hullo."

She closed her eyes and willed herself to be anywhere but here. Even back at the airport dealing with that shady coyote would be better. Or perhaps going through airport security, or anywhere else. Just not here! When she dared to crack open an eye, the duo of goos were still there, waiting on a response.

"Sorry I spooked you."

An apology? This situation was reaching Twilight Zone levels of weird. She almost wanted to check for hidden cameras in the wall.

"Uh... hi. Please don't eat meee" She'd lost it now, descending into a hysterical fit.

"Not hungry, you'd taste awful anyway."

It even had a sense of humor it seemed. The torched flickered its' last, the remaining embers smoldering into nothingness. The only illumination now was the glowing runes on the walls.

"It's been a long time since I've had any-" The mini-her gurgled a bit, before continuing. "visitors."

The canine relaxed a bit, still uneasy, but not expecting the goo to eat her just yet.

"You know you startled me something awful, right?"

"My apologies, I have to touch someone to communicate with them."

"You... what?"

"It's exactly as I just said, best to not go into too many details. You look rather tense."

"Well, you probably heard how I got in, I'd think." She rolled her eyes with that.

"Sort of, you didn't hurt yourself too badly, I hope."

"Not really, but I'm stuck in here." She huffed again, still incredulous at the entire situation.

"I think I could just... lift you out if you wanted to leave right now."

She raised an eyebrow, unbelieving that the small blob could lift her out. It was a long way up to the surface from the hole she'd fallen through.

"You sure about that?"

"Of course I am, watch this." With that, the larger blob began to reach tendrils down into the two separate pools of liquid, slithering down into the chasms depths. She heard a plop, then a small gurgling sound. Before her eyes, the larger blob began to swell, so much so that the miniature version of herself had to step away several feet. It almost filled the entire opposite side of the platform now.

"You, uh, got bigger." She said, stating the obvious.

"That I did, works with almost any liquid."

"How does that even work."

"Like I said earlier, best to not get into too many details, I think."

"Okay..." She furrowed her brow further a moment, letting her arms droop down to her sides.

"Any other questions, or she we go back to the main chamber and get you out of here now?"

The archaeologist thought, for a moment. Here was the archaeological and biological find of the decade. Was she going to wimp out and just go back to her crew when there were things like this?

"No, I was actually wondering if the rest of your body was as warm as the -err- digit?"

The blob shook with bubbly laughter before responding.

"I can regulate my body temperature to be as hot or as cold as I wish."

"That's handy, I suppose."

"Kinda, only really need it when I'm outside."

"When's the last time you were outside?"

"I don't really do time the same way you guys do... maybe a few hundred years I suppose?"

"That's a long time ago."

"All a matter of perspective, I suppose."

"That reminds me, I haven't asked you your name yet. Do you have one?"

"Of sorts, yes. If what information I got serves me properly, it'd be... Liz?"

"No, that's my name." Liz chuckled a bit, amused at the goo.

"Then I suppose I don't really have one."

"Well, what would you like to be called, then?"

"Hmm... maybe Pearl?"

Liz chuckled even more, this creature was almost like a child!

"I suppose Pearl could work, yeah."

The runes on the walls flickered a bit, before vanishing, leaving the two in complete darkness.

"Don't worry, I've got this." With that, the goo slowly began to shine in the same luminescent glow as the walls had, casting them once more into the odd blue light.

"I suppose that's handy as well."

"Eh, it can be. Either way, you look really tense and flustered. You too hot or something?"

"Kind of the opposite actually, it's a bit cold and damp in here. A bit odd since outside it's really hot right now."

"I could fix that for you, if you'd like."

"But wouldn't I get... wet? You're a blob of goo."

" Only if I wanted you to be." Pearl said, in a sing-song tone.

"Oh, I suppose that could do."

"Stretch out a paw, would you?"

Liz complied, her earlier unease dispelled by the amicable nature of her sudden guest. The touch was warm and soothing, as the tendril flowed onto her paw. It wrapped itself around her paw, encasing it before stopping at her wrist.

"This feels a bit odd."

"Too hot or too cold?"

"Neither, just... odd."

"I guess we could call this a gentleman's handshake, heh."

They both laughed a bit, the tension from earlier completely scattered now. Pearl tugged at Lizs' paw.

"Warming you up would be a lot easier if you sat in me."

"You what?"

"Like a chair."

"You can do that, and not, y'know, just have me plop inside like a pool of water?"

"Yup, can control the shape and solidness of any liquid I'm utilizing."

"Huh."

She didn't struggle as Pearl pulled her towards the main mass of goo.

"Trust me, even if you did fall in due to me slipping up, I'm breathable."

"And you know this how, again?"

"I've tried it with a few visitors a long time ago. It worked out just fine. Awkward, but fine."

"I imagine it would be rather awkward, seeping into their lungs and all."

"Juuust a little."

As Liz got closer to the blob, it began to form a rather comfy-looking chair of sorts, carved out of the main mass. It did look rather inviting.

"If this goes wrong, I'm haunting you." Liz poked.

"Heh, I'm not superstitious anyway, so good luck with that."

"Good luck with that, heh... considering." Liz muttered.

The main arm of sorts Pearl was pulling her with dissolved right back into the goo, as she felt the armrests. Solid, and comfy, just as she'd promised. She tossed the backpack to the side, and slowly turned around and lowered herself onto it, flicking her tail out of the way. She let out a sigh of relief, it was just firm enough to keep her from falling in, but soft enough that she could sink in if she wanted to.

She slumped a bit in the chair, as it reformed around her.

"Comfy, yeah?"

"Hmmm, more than a little. Great after what happened outside earlier."

"Yeah, I can feel-" The chair poked at her back a bit. "that you got into a bit of trouble or something. You're all tense!"

"Do you do- Ahhhh." She didn't even need to finish her question, as the friendly goo began to knead at her back.

"Yes, I do massages. That's one thing that never goes out of style or get old."

The overstressed canine slumped into the chair, enjoying the soft relaxing warmth and presses against her back.

"This is great, though I probably have people looking for me right now."

"Oh? Got somewhere you're supposed to be?"

"Yeaaah, I'm supposed to be delivering some supplies to my crew, a few miles down the way. My vehicle broke down, I had to walk the rest of the way, then I tumbled into here."

"Would they be worried?"

"Not exactly. Last time the vehicle broke down, I just rolled down the windows and took a nap until they got there."

"Huh, so they'll only worry after they find the empty vehicle."

"I suppose, yeah."

"How long do you think it'll be before they get here?"

"Hmm, probably this evening or tomorrow morning."

"Plenty of time for us then!"

"I suppose, yeah. It's not everyday to meet a walking, talking goo."

"More flowing than walking, heh."

Liz wrinkled her nose a bit, smelling a slight acrid odor.

"That you?"

"What?"

"That smell."

"I don't thiiink so."

Liz sat up from the chair, leaning forward a bit. She gasped when her top fell to the floor.

"Sorrysorrysorry" The stream of apologies from the goo didn't cease for a while.

"It's fine, those were my work clothes anyway." She shoved away the errant rags with a footpaw.

"Though, now that we know, I should probably take off the rest."

The goo got a bit warmer, a blush maybe?

"I- uh... if those are ruined, then chances are the bottom pieces are too."

"Heh, now I know what you eat!"

"I sustain myself on-"

"You're a clothesmonster!"

"You what, Liz?"

"You eat clothes. I meant it as a joke."

"Oh. I guess it could be funny if clothes didn't take a while to make."

"Heh, you must have been down here for longer than you thought. Takes a few hours at most nowadays."

"So... replaceable then?"

"Very."

The goo lost a bit of its warmth, before jiggling around with a loud bout of laughter, projected from the miniature canine.

"That's, heh, very good then!"

"So, now that I'm here, naked, in your home. Tell me more about it, you probably know these halls better than anyone else." She paused a moment. "Anyone... alive anyway."

"Yeah, of course. This building has been used for a lot, though."

"Enlighten me."

"Weeeell, way back when it was used as a uh-" The goo got a bit warmer, Liz felt.

"Go on, these things interest me greatly."

"Well, it was used as a sacrificial temple, of sorts."

"Oh? To who?"

"Well, to several gods at one time, but I was the appointed guardian for all of them."

"So you were the high priest of sorts."

"Kinda. I was the main focus of a lot of the ceremonies, beings I was considered the manifestation of many gods."

"Detail these ceremonies."

"It wasn't blood sacrifices like other places I've heard about, but err... ceremonies of a different sort."

"You were a fertility gods' guardian and representative."

"I guess you could put it that way, I have a variety of acquired skills from that."

"Oh? Are you gonna split into dozens of little clones of me and start tickling me to death now?"

They both laughed heartily, Liz buffeted slightly in her chair made of her goo acquaintance.

"That may have happened once or twice."

"Which do you like better?"

"Hmm?"

"Males or females?"

"Oh. Both in equal measure."

"That's fine, I suppose."

"I could demonstrate for you, we do have all night."

"You know what, Pearl? I think I will take you up on that offer."

"So, a few questions out of the way first..."

"Go on, Pearl."

"You mentioned work, so I'm guessing you don't want kids... Is there anything you're uncomfortable with me doing?"

"Yeah, no knocking me up, other than that... don't be too rough, I suppose."

"Okie then! I'll merge this piece back into myself, to allow me to concentrate on pleasuring you. I'll still be able to understand you, but I won't be able to speak. Tell me if I need to stop for any reason."

Liz nodded her assent as the miniature clone of herself lost consistency, and then flowed back into the large mass behind her. The chair fizzled for a moment, before softening and leaning back into a reclining position. She smiled a bit, the first in a while it seemed. Here she was, in an unfamiliar place, and even here, she had no need to worry. At least not for now.

She allowed herself to lean back as the pseudo-chair dissolved itself into the goo. Once she had, she found herself on her back, with the goo spread out beneath her. It was still warm, and seemed to be warming up for the fun yet to come. Though an odd partner, to be sure, Liz welcomed the new experience. She would certainly have a story, and possibly a new companion to show the dig crew.

She felt the invisible digits kneading her back intensify their massage, even as more began to press lower. The new tendrils made themselves known, pressing on the back of her head, neck, and behind. It was quite pleasant, and almost too warm. Liz felt the goo begin to encase her legs and her arms. She didn't mind, it was quite nice to be warmed up by the living handwarmer.

She wriggled her fingers around a bit, finding the resistance to be similar to swimming through a thicker version of water. Not particularly difficult at all. The goo climbed up her legs and arms, slowly encapsulating her body inside it. Every few inches, Pearl would start up another digit to massage her tired muscles. Liz's neck popped a bit as she hit a particularly sore spot, probably from where she had tripped earlier.

While Liz may have been strong at braving the hot savannah and jungle, she couldn't help but release a heavy sigh and groan. Pearl was quite skilled at this, and rightfully so with decades of experience to draw from. Joints popped back into their proper positions, and tense, knotted muscles relaxed in her expert care. It was like going to a day spa without the thousand dollar bill.

At least, hopefully without the thousand dollar bill. She chuckled a bit at that.

By now, Pearl had encapsulated her entire body, save for her breasts, head, and nethers. Perhaps she had other plans for those? She did mention something about digits. Liz moaned as soon, those too were surrounded by the liquid warmth of her amicable host.

Liz felt the sentient ooze flow between her legs, and around her firm behind. A soft pressure announced itself all along the way, both her entrances being toyed with firmly. Even as her mediocre yet perky breasts were fully sealed off from the outside world, she felt invisible fingers tugging and pulling at her skin. Liz idly wondered whether she was dreaming of all this, or perhaps she'd gotten heatstroke outside and collapsed.

The sensations she felt right now were far too real to dismiss them as the ravings of an overheated mind, however. Pearl teased her expertly, tugging at her nipples and squeezing at them, slowly moving them around in her liquid confines. Liz closed her eyes and relaxed fully, the next part would be far better if she loosened up a bit.

And better it was, she felt Pearl slowly pushing her way inside her, a small digit, probing her depths. Even if it were small, Liz moaned out as her impromptu lover maneuvered it expertly. digging along her inner walls, snaking its' way deeper inside her. Liz opened her eyes, to take in the sight of the lights reflecting off the ceiling of the chamber.

She was greeted with a pair of tendrils, both of them softly glowing blue. Her arms were still free to move about within Pearl, so she adjusted herself slightly. The goo hardened a bit, just enough for her to have a surface to press again. Her position duly adjusted, she yawned a bit. She left her mouth hanging open, tongue lolling out lazily. She didn't need to wonder if Pearl got the cue, when the tendrils began slithering their way closer to her.

She sucked her tongue back into her mouth and grit her teeth, as she finally felt Pearl pop into her rear entrance. It had been a long while since that one had been properly utilized. It was a very good thing that Pearl was essentially a great big ball of lube. Otherwise, it would have been very unpleasant with an inexperienced partner. It wasn't long however, before the pleasure overrode the pain by a large margin, with the two digits pushing into, and out of her love tunnels.

Liz felt the tendrils before she saw them, one of them poking her cheek with their warm wetness. Her mouth opened with a pop, and it pushed its' way in. A bit roughly, at that. Perhaps Pearls' revenge for yawning while she pleasured Liz. It was leaking a bit, though what, Liz hadn't the slightest clue. It tasted rather sweet, but a bit watery. All in all, quite a pleasant taste.

The tendril inside her began to reform a bit, acquiring extra girth from the goo outside her. She felt it growing inside, stretching her a bit. The goo began to put extra effort forth into its' slow, methodical thrusts. It alternated shoving inside her tender folds and tight rump. Liz just laid back and enjoyed the exotic experience. The closest thing she could recall being similar was with a group of friends and a waterbed filled with memory goo. Even that dulled in comparison.

Pearl picked up her thrusting, causing her guest to jostle back inside her slightly. Liz began to moan in earnest now, a familiar itch building up inside her. Her fantasies went wild as she suckled upon the tentacle in her maw eagerly, gulping down its' sweet sap eagerly.

Her netherlips stretched wide now, feeling her companion pounding her with reckless abandon. Her paws gripped into fists around the floating handles inside Pearl. Her orgasm had hit with no warning, and gushed out of her, around the pounding tendril. Her lover didn't seem to notice, and instead dragged out her orgasm for much longer than it would normally last by simply pounding away at her.

Liz reveled in the afterglow, even as Pearl continued her assault upon her insides. She still tried to stretch her open further, pumping in more of her tendrils by the moment. They continued pistoning inside her relentlessly. She felt them reform inside her, taking on various shapes and sizes to attempt to pleasure her further.

And pleasure her further they did, scraping against her most sensitive inner walls, causing stars to appear before her eyes. She couldn't tell just what shapes they were, but they felt amazing inside her. She moaned out around the mouthplug of the tendril in her maw, it was pushing slowly into and out of her mouth. A bit more carefully than the rest.

Even as the familiar itch began to burn at her insides, she felt something pulsing around her. Was Pearl close? Or did Pearl even orgasm the same as a male did? Liz would find out soon, she thought.

And find out she did, as the thrusting reached a frenzied peak. Pearl dragged Liz into another blinding orgasm, even as she was pulling herself into her own. Liz felt her lover thrust inside her deeply, before sensing a much warmer liquid flowing through her. Pearls essence spilled into all her waiting holes, stuffing her to the brim, and then some. It was so much that some of it spilled out, back into the waiting goo form.

Even as Liz hoovered up all of the sap that had been pumped into her mouth, she savored the taste. Even sweeter than the initial burst of flavor, it had its' own taste and texture. More delicious than the beginning bit. She felt Pearl tremble for a moment, and all of the digits that had been massaging her disappeared for a moment.

It was apparent why when a small copy of herself appeared yet again, this time walking on the 'surface' of the goo.

"That was greaaat. I hadn't had fun like that in a while."

The tendril popped out of Lizs' mouth for a moment, allowing her to speak.

"It was, care for another go?"

"Maybe after a while, I'm a bit spent."

"That's fine, we have all night to fool around. And I think... I may have some people to introduce you to tomorrow morning." She recalled the backup watch battery used for GPS in her satellite phone, which was still in the bag.

"Oh, think they'd look for you along the way to here first?"

"Not really, just recalled that my satellite phone is in my bag over there, and they can track that."

"Which means..."

"It means we have all night and all morning to play, until they get here."

"Perfect then! We can both get some rest for now, and continue in the morning?"

"I guess we could." Liz yawned heartily.

"I'm guessing you didn't realize how tired you were, heh."

"Yeah, I could say that you took it out of me, but I may have taken it out of you instead."

They both giggled. It was a long, comfortable sleep before they woke up, as it turned out, Pearl made an excellent bed set. She could leave just enough of herself to encase Liz in warmth while she examined the damage made to her abode.

"Hmm, I knew I should've fixed that a few hundred years ago..." She probed at the gaping hole in the roof, looking at the stars through it. Liz didn't even notice her return. Pearl was content to stay there, and be her oversized bed until she awoke that morning.

Liz felt her joints resettle as she awoke from the most restoring rest she had in quite some time. She rubbed her bleary eyes a bit, the soft blue glow almost too bright to bear. When one of her paws slipped free with a wet pop, she recalled the events of the past night. It was an odd feeling, waking up while laying on someone. Even with the nights' enjoyable activities, she felt clean, as though she'd just taken a shower. Quite relaxed, too.

She showed off her pearly white teeth as she yawned and stretched. Sitting up, she recalled the delivery she was supposed to make, and the events that lead her here. If it was morning already, her crew no doubt had already been up a while, prepping for the days work. They'd have noticed that she was late, and sent out a vehicle to go check as to where she was.

Liz wasn't much of a morning person, but she struck up conversation with her gelatinous host.

"Hey, you know what time it is?"

It took a moment for the copy of herself to reform, a bit more detail to it this time. The bubbling, gurgling voice sounded quite chipper this morning, too.

"Not sure what time, but the sun just started to be visible from over the horizon. So probably still early yet."

"Either way, I think I need to get up and moving before I fall asleep again. My crew will be here in no time."

She extricated herself gingerly from the warm, comforting embrace of Pearls insides. She shivered more than a bit when her footpaws touched the cold stone floor. While her clothes had been ruined, she'd gained a new companion to travel with her, it seemed. What else was Pearl to do anyways? Sit around in a long disused temple? No, Liz had better plans for her, certainly more interesting than watching dust form.

"So, when they get here, would you like to meet my crew?"

The slimes' mirrored fabrication of the canine looked pensive for a moment, evaluating its' options.

"Sure, I suppose. It's been a while since I've met anyone."

Liz grabbed her backpack, carrying it like an oversized handbag.

"Let's get going then."

With Pearls natural bio-luminescence lighting the path, Liz had no need for a torch, the soft blue light casting shadows here and there. There was nothing to be frightened of now, however. In mere moments, they were back at the main chamber, with natural sunlight pouring through the rather impromptu skylight.

"So, I haven't quite thought this through fully, but how are you going to get up there?"

"Same way you are."

"Huh? You're going to lift yourself up?"

"Nope, just going to leave excess mass behind."

Liz couldn't argue with the simple logic, however odd it was to think of Pearls large form as just extra mass.

"Ready when you are."

"Let's go meet the world, then."

Liz made sure to keep the backpack from touching the goo, remembering what had happened to her clothes earlier. Unlike her clothes, there were more important things in the bag. As Pearl pooled herself into a large blob, she idly wondered how her coworkers would react. It would be weird, at first, to be sure. Liz had no doubt, however, that they'd grow to enjoy her presence.

She jumped a bit, when a bit of goo wrapped itself around her. It coiled around her, then solidified, just solid enough to hold her weight. Pearl lifted her up, then maneuvered herself into place under her. Probably in case she fell, Liz thought.

The light from the early morning sun was indeed blinding compared to the soft lighting inside, as Liz raised a paw to block out the harsh rays. Pearl continued to lift her up, before thrusting her through the giant hole in the ceiling. Then unceremoniously dumping her on the ground just outside. After Liz had stood up and brushed herself off, she heard a slight mechanical whirr off in the distance. She did her best to look presentable, as Pearl put her tendril to the ground and began to flow herself upward, towards her place at Lizs' side.

When the familiar military green fade of their old style jeep broke through the foliage, Liz sighed. The shocked faces of a certain lion and zebra piloting it were the first thing she noticed. They mock covered their eyes, as though her naked form blinded them, and mashed the horn.

Liz shook her head. Boys would always be boys, it seemed.

The sputtering vehicle came to a stop a few dozen feet away, the pair elbowing each other and gawking at Liz. The zebra opened his maw first.

"Heeeey crew leader! I see you lost your clothing! We didn't bring any with, I'm afraid." He said, as he pushed open his door.

"I did, I could explain, but I'd rather show you someone else first."

The lion whooped and whistled, before speaking.

"Oh, who's the lucky guy, huh?" He grinned heartily, showing off his teeth.

"It's... not exactly like that."

Pearl had flattened herself to the clearings floor, looking more like a puddle that didn't obey gravity than a pile of goo. Liz motioned for her to stop hiding, and show herself to the pair of overly-jeering males.

Their faces twisted in amusement and terror as they took in the softly bouncing blob.

"The fuck is that?"

"That, is Pearl."

The goo began to extrude her miniature copy of Liz, no doubt seeking to join the conversation.

"Wuzzit doing? Making a copy of you or something?"

"It's how it speaks." Liz explained.

As the final details settled into place, Pearl clarified.

"This is how I speak to people I've touched, Liz. You forgot that I need to do that in order for it to work."

Liz facepawed. She had completely forgotten.

"Why's it gurgling at you? It trying to say something?"

"I uh... forgot. In order for her to communicate, it needs to touch you first. Hold out a paw or something."

The lions eyes went wide, it almost looked like he'd use the zebra as a shield if he weren't still in the car.

"Nope! Danee, you can do it first!"

Danee snorted at his coworkers cowardice.

"What's it gonna do, dissolve me? Come oooon Uller." He otherwise did as his team leader asked, holding out a paw towards the goo, even stooping down a bit.

Pearl looked at him, then Liz.

"They all like that?"

Liz just shrugged, and watched.

It only took a few moments for Pearl to form a prehensile digit, and slither towards the zebra. While he arched an eyebrow, he was otherwise completely unconcerned at the situation.

"It going to hurt or- aiee." He let out a very unmanly squeak as Pearl smashed her tendril into his paw, it breaking apart and flowing around his digits.

Pearl giggled, her gooey mass trembling with joy.

"I'd apologize, but the look on your face was too priceless."

The lion looked like he'd vacate his fur any moment now.

"It's gurgling again, Liz!"

She scowled at him, baring her fangs. "Of course it is, I already told you what it's doing."

Danee clenched and unclenched the paw Pearl was holding, the goo making odd noises as it flowed about.

"It's an odd way to communicate, but sure, let's go with that... and what might your name be miss-er, sir?"

"Pearl!" The goo slowly drew itself together completely.

"That's... nice I suppose." Danee looked at Liz, his long muzzle swishing through the air. "And I bet you had something to do with Lizs' clothes disappearing, too."

"You'll have to ask her that one!"

Liz just groaned, then stuck her tongue out.

"And it doesn't look like she's telling, huh." The three laughed for a while, while the extremely uncomfortable lion considered driving off.

"I haven't a single clue what you're talking about, goo-thingy, but we've things to do today." The lion huffed.

"You guys haven't picked up the supplies yet?"

"No, we haven't. Figured it was much more important to find you first." Danee had stopped clenching his fist now, instead just letting Pearl hang there.

"Ah, well then. Either way, we're bringing her with." Liz looked down a bit at Pearl. "Do you know if you dissolve metal stuff too?"

The mini-Liz shrugged, then the tendril that had engulfs Danees' hand split off, snaking its' way towards the rusty vehicle. Not wanting to waste time, it poked and prodded at it, even splattering itself against the door before reforming.

"Doesn't look like I do, I don't think. Can't say much about those rust spots though." Indeed, the rust had worsened a bit in areas the small tendril had touched, but in areas where the metal hadn't rusted, the metal held firm.

"Hrmm, I think the back is all metal, so if you wouldn't mind stepping, or uh, getting in there, it should be fine." Danee noted, helpfully.

"We're bringing it with us?" The lion nearly shouted with incredulity.

"Of course we are." They said, almost in unison.

If the lion could've pulled himself into a ball and disappeared, he would have at this point. He didn't dare to question Lizs' answer, however.

As Pearl began to flow herself to a closer position by the jeep, Liz vaulted over the side and made herself comfortable in the back seat. It was going to be a long day for her entire crew, it seemed. But that was alright, a good days work was immensely satisfying once it was all said and done. And who knows? Pearl might even prove to pull more than her gelatinous weight as a member of the team.

Soon thereafter, they were all ready to begin, Danee twisted the key in the ignition, and they were off. Another hot day under the sun, with more discoveries to make, and one already in the back, ready to examine and get to know.

(Authors' Note: As always, I hope you enjoyed my short story. If you liked it, don't hesitate to comment or vote, if you think there was an awkward section or maybe a misspelled word, or just an awkward phrase, let me know so I can improve and do better next time!)