FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The large snake slowly crept through the brambles, in short undulating movements. Her tongue waved doggedly, tracking the musty scent of rabbit in heat. She hadn't eaten in several weeks, and though hunger was beginning to gnaw at her, she maintained the calculated patience of an experienced hunter. For an entire morning she had silently inched through thick underbrush, closing in on the quarry that would likely keep her sated for the next month.

Her head slipped through a gap under a fallen branch, just enough to get a view of her prey. Two rabbits jumped and danced around each other in front of her. She slowly flicked her tongue again as she watched, tasting their mutual arousal. She held herself still, blending perfectly with the loam and leaf litter around her, waiting for her chance.

The two rabbits blissfully continued their courtship, oblivious to the unblinking eyes watching them, carelessly dancing just out of striking distance. The buck took initiative, gently bumping into the doe as they were mid-bound and sending both of them sprawling to the ground. He began licking the fur around her neck, and she responded in kind, turning her head to lick at his foreleg.

The buck was the larger of the two, and at the moment his back was completely turned while his body blocked the doe's view. The snake kept herself in perfect control, creeping forward almost imperceptibly slowly while they were distracted, ready to strike at any instant. Just the tiniest bit further, and she would have him.

The buck couldn't wait any longer, the smell of heat and the sensation of soft fur rubbing along his stiff prick were driving him into a frenzy. With a sudden jerk of his forelegs he tugged the doe's hips around, trying to mount her, and she suddenly squealed in terror and tore from the buck's grasp. His movements had revealed the creeping predator just as she was about to strike.

The snake didn't react to the doe at all - she hadn't been the target anyway. She knew she couldn't wait any longer, the buck would be spooked by the doe's fear and run as well even if he didn't know what the danger was. She lunged forward faster than the eye could track, open jaws aimed squarely at the back of the male rabbit's head.

There was a dull flash, and she writhed on the ground in confusion for a moment, mouth empty, coils twitching as she realised she had nothing to wrap around. Just as she had brushed against the tips of the rabbit's fur, it had suddenly vanished. Then she noticed the new figure above her, and she instantly pulled herself into a defensive posture.

“Damn," the figure said shakily, hand held over his pounding heart, as he stared down at the hissing snake coiling up between his legs. If he hadn't instinctively reacted to the doe's fear, he'd be in a lot of trouble at the moment.

He slowly backed away from the snake, and it grew quiet, but didn't move, just watched him warily. Then, through his terrified exhilaration, his anger flared.

“You rotten coiling worm! Ruin my fun, try to eat me? Do you have any idea who I am?"

The snake stared up at the nude figure who was gesticulating furiously at her. She could sense his fear, his hostility, even his lingering lust, but something else tickled at the base of her skull. She knew of these creatures, but none of them had ever addressed her before. She considered her options carefully, then for the first time in her life, she spoke.

“No."

The figure froze, slack-jawed in surprise at being answered. Then, his anger rose again. “Who is that? One of Auda's servants? She sent you to spy on me, did she? My father will hear of this."

The snake sat silently in place, trying to puzzle out what was happening.

“I command it, damn you," the figure said, taking a menacing step forward. “Give an account of yourself. And change back, or I'll dash you against a tree and you can die as a serpent." He started to bend over, arm outstretched.

The snake hissed loudly and struck out at the approaching arm - just a warning strike, she knew she didn't stand a chance if she actually tried to fight. The figure jumped back, clutching the arm that had nearly been bitten. Confusion lashed his features.

“Are you… you really are just a snake?" he asked incredulously.

She hissed in response, coiling herself tighter and checking the surroundings for the safest path of retreat.

“But you did speak, didn't you?"

The snake glanced quickly back to where she had come through the brambles, then turned to the figure again.

“Yes," she answered, at length.

The figure nearly jumped again in surprise, then laughed out loud. “Marvelous! I didn't know it was possible. I should take you to my father's court, they'll be astounded."

The snake didn't move. She still felt the urge to flee, but she fought it down, realizing this was a rare opportunity. “What are you?" she asked. “What is a court?"

The figure squatted down to address the snake more directly. “I," he said, flourishing a hand to his breast, “am an elf, first prince Hunfried. My father is lord of this forest, and all living things in it are his subjects - including you, my new friend."

The snake considered this carefully. None of it meant much to her, but with time perhaps she would understand. “So you are not a rabbit?" she finally asked.

The elf laughed again. “No, little one. Though, I can be when I wish - I can be any creature I desire."

“I don't understand," the snake said simply.

Hunfried grinned, and then with another dull flash he was gone. In his place, a new snake lay on the ground, almost a mirror of herself. The new snake lifted its head. “Do you understand now?" it asked.

The snake flicked her tongue, and the new taste in the air confirmed what she saw. Slowly, she relaxed her coils. “I begin to," she said.

Another flash, and the elf was back, still squatting in place. He was breathing a bit more heavily, and wiped his brow. “Impressive, isn't it? Most elves can only turn into one or two creatures."

The vague wisp of a plan that had been forming in her head finally crystallized, and she said, “I see. So you can only turn into small creatures?"

Hunfried frowned, his pride wounded. He took a deep breath, a flash, and in his place towered a large elk, with a majestic rack of antlers. He shook his massive head, then looked down haughtily at the snake beneath him - though his neck did seem to droop a little. “Is this large enough?"

The snake did her best to seem demure. “Oh, yes. You must be a wonder among your kind."

With a flash Hunfried returned to his normal form again, and heavily sat on the ground. His face was flushed, and he panted loudly. Still, he seemed pleased by the praise. The snake knew she would have only one chance. She slowly laid her coils out in preparation.

“But what about flying?" she asked, as if suddenly thinking of it. “Surely you couldn't turn into a bird and fly?"

Hunfried huffed in frustration. “You're still not impressed, after all that?"

The snake half turned away. “I understand if it's not possible, it does seem like it would be rather difficult, even for someone as skilled as you."

At first she thought she might have overdone it, but Hunfried took several labored breaths, squeezed his eyes shut - and with a flash, he was gone. Standing before the snake instead was a glossy black crow, brilliantly iridescent in the late morning sun. His wings and tail dipped towards the ground, and for a moment the snake thought he might simply collapse on the ground, but he shook his feathers and forced himself to stand upright. “Well?" he asked with a strain.

“Absolutely marvelous," the snake answered earnestly.

Hunfried fluffed up a little at the praise, then spread his wings. “And now, I'll show you these aren't just for show."

He flapped once, twice, and then the snake struck with blinding speed, straight at his face. Somehow he managed to react fast enough to twist his head away, which probably saved him from having his neck instantly broken. Instead, the snake latched on just above his wing, knocking him heavily to the ground. Stunned as he was by the sudden blow, and quick as the snake was, she easily threw her coils around him, locking him in place with his tail sticking out one side, and his head and one wing free on the other.

He croaked out in pain and shock, vainly tossing his head and thrashing his wing. “What are you…" he tried to say, but was interrupted as the snake squeezed tighter, eliciting another pained croak.

The snake was patient. She kept her grip tight, and only pulled her jaws away when she knew it was impossible for the prince to escape. A few feathers still clung to her mouth as she looked down at her prey.

Hunfried stared back terrified into her unblinking gaze. “You can't," he whimpered pitifully as he realized her intention, barely able to get words out. “I'm… prince."

The snake shifted her coils, carefully repositioning. Hunfried began to panic in earnest as the full reality of the situation sank in. Even trapped as he was, if he could control himself he might be able to gather just enough strength to transform back, but he couldn't think straight. He was exhausted, only able to remain conscious because of the incredible lung capacity of his current form, and he was about to be eaten.

He struggled as much as he could, beating his wing ineffectually against the snake's coils. He craned his head down to try jabbing at her with his beak, but the angle was too awkward and his weak blows mostly glanced off the snake's hide. Finally he tried calling for help, but all he could muster was a tiny, strangled cry.

The snake watched this all dispassionately, waiting for her quarry to weaken further. When the moment was ripe, she lowered her face towards the crow's head. Terrified, he turned away, trying to keep his head from her slowly opening mouth. Nothing could stop her now, though. Her jaws opened wide, and the top of Hunfried's head slipped easily, almost tenderly, into her mouth.

“Please," he pleaded, his attempts at screams coming out as hoarse whispers. “Don't eat me, I'll give you anything!"

The snake ignored her meal's protests. She distantly imagined that most of her prey were probably trying to say the same things as she ate them. One of them in particular seemed very similar to this now that she was thinking about it, but with reptilian disinterest she simply discarded that line of thought. She had other things to focus on now.

She pushed her mouth further over the crow's head, pinning his beak down into his breast and further muffling his cries. He was a large crow, maybe not quite as good a meal as the rabbit would have been, but he would still keep her satisfied for a while.

Hunfried's strength was flagging. His free wing still stirred, but he couldn't muster any more resistance. The snake's cool, wet mouth slid over his face, slicking down his feathers. He watched in horror as the corners of her mouth slid over his eyes, then plunged him into blackness. He tried thrashing again as he lost sight of the world outside, but her mouth held him so tight he couldn't even twist his head. She gave another squeeze, and he quietly gagged out a sob as she pushed further down, slipping her mouth over his beak.

The snake felt an almost rapturous shiver pass through her as the crown of the prince's head entered her throat. She worked her head slowly back and forth, thoughtlessly yanking the prince around and straining his neck as she opened her jaws wider to accommodate his abdomen.

There was a rustling sound nearby, and suddenly two more elven figures appeared, both in guard regalia, pushing their way through a bush.

“Can't be far off," one was saying. “He wouldn't wander that far from his clothes."

“Unless he was chasing down another animal to fuck," the other replied with heavy distaste.

The first one snorted. “Aye, he's probably deep in - shit!"

They both stopped as they noticed the snake on the ground before them, which was even now straining its mouth wider and wider, forcing the helpless crow deeper down its throat. Hunfried faintly heard the voices of his guards, and used the last of his strength to flap his wing as hard as he could. He tried to shout at them, but his entire head was now in the snake's throat, so from the outside it only sounded like a tiny, dying caw. One of the guards stepped forward at the sound, feeling compelled to help, but the other grabbed his arm.

“Come on, we don't have time for this. If we don't get the prince to the ceremony in time, the king will feed us to a snake."

His companion grunted in agreement, and the two hurried away from the scene to continue their search. Hunfried sobbed in helpless silence as his last hope abandoned him.

The snake watched the two leave with disinterest. She had never paused in her work, although now that her mouth was wrapped fully around the crow's shoulders, she found she was nearly at her limit - and she still had to get over his keelbone. She would need to change tactics.

Hunfried's consciousness was fading, the last reserves of oxygen burning away. His neck was painfully bent double, and the wing which had been free was now trapped against his side by the snake's maw. He was entirely immobilized now, helpless in the dark wet depths of the snake as she swallowed him with agonizing slowness. Dimly, he was aware that her progress seemed to have stopped. Perhaps he was too large, and she would have to spit him out. Maybe he would even survive long enough for her to realize it.

Suddenly, his lower body came free. His legs weakly twitched, trying to grasp onto something, and he felt a stirring of hope that he was about to be released. Then, the coils around his chest crushed down even tighter. He heard his ribs snap a moment before the pain registered in his brain - he tried to scream, but blood bubbled into his beak, and he finally succumbed fully to the blackness.

The snake shifted her coils and squeezed again, cracking more of the crow's brittle bones. She could taste the bird's blood, and felt it go completely limp. Either dead or unconscious. She continued squeezing, until she couldn't feel any more bones breaking. Then she pushed her head down, and was pleased to find it was now much easier to swallow.

She pushed another few inches of the tenderized crow deeper into her mouth, and paused for a breath, wheezing out loudly around the large mouthful. There was movement some distance away as the rabbit doe timidly wandered back towards its burrow to see if it was safe. The snake swallowed again, and the rabbit stood up on its hind legs, briefly watching would-be mate being eaten before bounding off again.

Once she was past the chest, the rest of the crow was much easier. She crept forward, twisting left, then right, making faster and faster progress as she went. She could feel her organs shifting aside as she was pleasantly stretched by her meal. At last it was only the crow's limp legs dangling gracelessly from her mouth, followed shortly by the last of the shiny black tail feathers.

The snake comfortably shifted her length, and yawned wide to reset the join of her lower jaw. She took a moment to look thoughtfully towards where the elves had come from, then turned around and slid back into the underbrush to sleep and digest.