FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Paul stood at one of the many serving tables in the large hall, looking at the lavish display with a frown. “Bread puddings, five kinds of fresh fruit, artichokes, stuffed tomatoes, cucumber salad, an actual ham of all things," he said under his breath. “The waste, and half of this isn't even going to be eaten…" he said, picking up a pear from one of the trays, before turning to look out at the rest of the ball room. There were dozens of people all gathered in groups chatting with each other, drinking, laughing, and making conversation.

He fiddled with the collar of his shirt and began to walk the room again, doing his best to look like he spotted someone or something very interesting on the far side of the hall and he was trying to make his way over there, to avoid more pointless conversations. He had made it halfway across the hall before a hand gripped his shoulder.

He turned to see his father standing there, the older man with a frown on his face, “Hiding in a corner is unacceptable," he said softly so only Paul could hear. “The young lady Vanessa is out in the garden. You should go talk to her."

Paul swallowed, understanding the tone wasn't one to be disobeyed, “Yes father…" he grumbled turning, and leaving to make his way out to where the young woman was waiting.

She was a few years younger than Paul, still in her teens, wearing a pastel green ball gown trimmed with silver lace. She had long blonde hair, pulled into a braid going down her back with red and yellow flowers tied into it. She turned to him and gave a polite smile with her painted lips. “The young Mister Hawthorn," she said, “Good evening." She gave a polite curtsey.

Paul swallowed again, “Good evening, Miss Vanessa," he said, giving her a bow in return. “Have you come out for some air too?" he asked as he stepped closer to her, suddenly feeling refreshed to be out of the stuffy ballroom and into the open air of the garden.

“Yes, I did," she responded turning away from him again, and they both stood in awkward silence, listening to the wind rustling leaves, and a chirping sound that caught Paul's attention. “Say, what is that noise?" he asked, looking around.

Vanessa looked back to him, “What noise?"

He gestured around, “That chirping sound…I haven't heard anything like it before," he said.

She looked around and then gave a small start as if she was noticing it for the first time, “Oh. Those are insects Mrs. Toadstool keeps. She calls them crickets. They are rather lovely, aren't they?"

Paul looked around, “Who is Mrs. Toadstool and why does she have insects?" he asked looking perplexed at the notion.

Vanessa turned to him, “She's our gardener, and a witch. She keeps the plants here alive with her magic. She says the crickets keep it from being too quiet."

“A witch? In the city?" Paul asked, “That must be horribly expensive."

“Oh yes, but daddy is happy to pay top coin for the very best," Vanessa said before she tilted her head, “Something wrong?" she asked.

Paul gestured, “These plants are quite healthy…our garden is nothing but twigs and rocks and dust. You have grass and ivy. It's a bit…excessive don't you think? The same effort put in to keep this garden alive could be turned to grow beneficial plants like vegetables or a fruit tree."

She shrugged her shoulders, “We have the money, why not enjoy it?" she said, “It's not like anyone pays us for food like they do your family."

Paul nodded and rubbed his chin a bit, “True, but you could grow the vegetables and fruit for yourselves."

Vanessa giggled, “Why would we bother? We're rich. We can afford to buy our food, and even import from other cities."

Paul looked out over the manicured lawn, “I…suppose…" he said softly, noting a shadow moving around in the dark a short distance away, scurrying along the top of the stone block wall. He knew it immediately to be Pox. Ever since he had recovered over a month prior, she had been stalking him, like she was keeping an eye on him. She didn't usually approach him unless he was alone, however.

Vanessa continued talking, “I'm surprised you don't have a nice garden. I would think the Hawthorn family would have the grandest in the city, after all you own the buildings where most of our food is grown."

Paul turned back to her, “We do, but our grow houses use gas lighting to keep the plants alive, not blood magic. We can't do that in our yard, and besides it's unethical to use blood magic like that."

Vanessa scoffed, “What is unethical about it? We pay our witch, and she happily makes our yard grow. It's all perfectly legal, she's another servant just like the maids or the cook."

“Yes, but Mrs. Toadstool works for you at the cost of her life blood," Paul responded, gesturing with his hand, “That kind of magic harms the one casting it, and if we were having druids or witches use blood to grow food, that wouldn't make us any better than the vampires."

Vanessa giggled, shaking her head, “That's foolish! No one would be drinking any blood."

Paul shook his head, “But blood would still be spilled." He leaned on the stone railing of the patio, “And people would be eating the food that it was used to grow."

Vanessa shrugged her shoulders, “Well that's different."

“How?" Paul pressed her, “How is eating an apple that was grown with blood different than just eating the blood?"

Vanessa frowned thinking for a moment, “The…the apple is sweeter!" she suddenly said, sticking her tongue out at him like she had won the argument.

Paul shook his head, “That's not the…" he let out an exasperated sigh, “I mean how is it morally different?" he asked her, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“I don't know, it just is, okay? Why do you care so much?" she asked, starting to pout.

“Oh just forget it," he turned and walked along the building and down the short stair to ground level, towards a side gate he had seen.

“Wait, where are you going?" she called after him, her pout quickly turning to anger “It's very rude to just walk away like that!"

He ignored her, and once through the gate he went down a paved path around to the front of the house and then down the street, making his way quickly before his father might have noticed he was gone, though he didn't doubt Vanessa was going to tattle on him over it. As he walked along, he let his mind wander, and he was struck by how silent the world was around him. Other than the sound of the heels of his shoes hitting the cobblestone pavement, there wasn't a sound to be heard.

Outside of the garden Mrs. Toadstool's crickets were nowhere to be found, nor any insect for that matter. As a matter of fact, there were no animals either, save for the occasional family pet. But nothing in the wild, no birds or squirrels or dogs or cats running around. He knew the reason of course. Food was hard to come by after the sun was blotted out. People ate whatever they could find, be it animal or insect. “I wonder if the whole world as silent as a grave…" he muttered to himself.

As Paul neared an alley between two estates, running between large manor houses and tall block privacy walls, he was startled by a clattering sound. It was loud enough to jar him from his thoughts, and he swallowed, “Who is there?" he asked looking around, before glancing towards the alley. The street around him was completely deserted, he was all alone. He approached the alley slowly, “Pox? Is that you hiding in there?" he called out. He made his way closer, peeking around the corner and seeing a hunched over shape leaning over a trash bin.

It turned and looked towards him, the figure wearing layers of tattered cloth robes that obscured their body and face, “Just a poor old woman scrounging for something to eat, nothing to worry yourself about young man."

Paul sighed and caught his breath, “Sorry grandmother," he said, giving a respectful bow, “You never know what you'll run into at night. I'll be on my way," he said turning to leave her.

The woman called out, “Hold on a moment, with such finery that you have on, I don't suppose you have a penny or two that you can spare?" she asked, taking a step forward and holding out a pale hand.

Paul sighed a bit moving closer and reaching into his pocket. “Sure, grandmother," he said, pulling out a silver half moon and placing it in the old woman's hand. As soon as the coin touched her skin, it began to sizzle and burn and she let out a loud shriek that surprised Paul, causing him to take several steps back, “What the?" he asked.

The form in rags stripped them away from her head, revealing herself to be a young woman around Paul's age with black hair and a pale complexion. She shook her hand vigorously, “Such a rude young man not obeying your elder's wishes!" she hissed, “Damn bloody silver!" She looked at the mark on her hand where the face of the coin was branded onto her palm. She turned to Paul, baring her teeth, and revealing her mouth to have two large fangs, “I'll have to drink extra deeply from you to fix this!"

Paul saw the fangs and began to back towards the street, “What the hell? A vampire!" he yelled as he turned to run, but she was inhumanly fast and grabbed onto him, arms like iron bands wrapping around his chest and pulling him back against her.

“Now now, that's not nice!" she said, “I'm a hungry woman, and you are such a nice strapping young man…" she said whispering into his ear, her fingers digging into his chest causing him to groan out in pain. She hissed and then bit into his neck hard, and he felt the fangs sinking in.

Suddenly there was a clatter above them that caught the Vampire's attention and Paul felt the fangs leaving his neck before he was pulled violently to the side as a large roof tile hit the ground where they had been standing, shattering into dozens of shards. Paul was shoved hard to the side, hitting the side of one of the buildings enclosing the alley and falling to the ground on his hands and knees. He turned over in time to see a dark figure dropping from above and slashing out with a dagger. Paul only caught a glimpse of the silhouette, but he recognized it immediately, “Pox!" he called out.

The vampire wiped Paul's blood from her lips and giggled as she dodged the blade easily, moving faster than expected as she backed away from the rat's attacks, “You should be smarter than this, rodent. I'm faster and stronger than you are!"

Pox glanced to Paul for a moment, before snarling ferociously again and making another series of attacks, slashing out with her blade before whipping around and striking out with her tail, which smacked into the Vampire's leg and tripped her up for a few steps.

The vampire responded with a high kick that struck out like lightning, hitting Pox in the side, and sending her staggering back. Paul thought he heard the sound of bone cracking from the blow and winced in sympathy. The vampire woman moved closer to the rat and her nails began to extend into claws, “You are quite the vicious little vermin," she said, despite Pox being much taller.

Pox leaned on the wall and coughed a few times into her hand, looking at it and seeing a splatter of blood. She gave a grin to the vampire, “Vicious yes! But not dumb like you!" she taunted. She then moved in, raising her hand to slap at the vampire woman, who moved to dodge. Her movements were slower this time, however, and Pox connected her palm with the vampire's face, smearing the coughed up blood over her mouth.

She backed away immediately, quickly wiping her mouth and spitting into her robes, “Ugh! You filthy disgusting creature! Your blood is tainted with disease!" she snarled, starting to look sickly. “Your trick isn't going to work on me, I'm not dumb enough to drink rat blood."

Pox grinned wide, showing off her wicked yellow teeth in the dim light, moving in, “Not smart enough to check human blood though!" she said, causing the Vampire to glance in Paul's direction before suddenly doubling over with a groan of pain, clutching her belly before she started to vomit a stream of black blood. “Pox knew it would take time to work."

She wiped her mouth and groaned, “Filthy…diseased…ugh!" she shuddered, “You did this!" she said, glaring at Pox, “Was it a trap, you used the human as bait?" she asked groaning again and falling to her knees.

Pox saw an old rake leaning against a wall and she grabbed it, kicking it hard to snap the head off leaving the end a jagged spike, “No, you just picked wrong human to hunt. Picked my human, big mistake. Pox is Plague Bearer!" she said, moving back to the vampire. “Stupid blood sucker!" she said, before raising the pole and driving it down into the vampire woman's back, putting her weight into it and piercing it all the way through until it burst from her chest with another spray of inky black blood.

The vampire stopped moving and her eyes became glassy and blank, and Pox set her down on her side, keeping the wooden pole impaled through her. Pox coughed a few times, more blood spilling from her lips and she wiped her mouth on the back of her hand before going to Paul. “Can you stand?" she asked.

Paul nodded, swallowing, and climbing to his feet and dusting himself off. Everything had happened so fast he hadn't even thought to try to get up sooner. “Yes…I'm…okay…" He then noticed Pox, “You are hurt though," he said and tried to move closer.

Pox coughed again, and waved him back with her hand, “Pox is fine…go and drag body to street. Police come, will handle blood drinker. Don't pull stake or she come back to life, but she safe to move now."

“How do you know that?" he asked, swallowing and shifting on his feet.

Pox shrugged, “Was taught by elders. Learn all about blood drinkers and weaknesses, like silver and being stabbed with wood."

Paul nodded and then looked to the prone vampire, her eyes were staring blankly ahead now. “She's dead though…right?"

Pox shook her head again, “Yes and no. Blood drinkers don't die easy. If stake comes out, she comes back to life and will be pissed," she said, “So leave stake in and drag to street."

He swallowed nervously and then did as he was told, dragging the vampire out of the alley and laying her across the street. He pulled her jaw down so that her mouth was open and her fangs visible. He then went back to the alley where Pox was now sitting down. The rat was breathing hard and he could hear a slight gurgling in her breaths.

Paul moved close and knelt down next to her and reached out to touch her sides. Over the weeks she had been using him for her sexual pleasures, he had started getting less afraid she was going to hurt him. He pressed in at her sides gently causing her to wince and hiss loudly as he touched her. “Your ribs are broken…" he said, looking around. The only suitable item he could find was Pox's cloak. “Sorry, this is the only thing around good for bandages." He took his own knife and he started cutting the cloak into long wide strips, wrapping them around Pox's upper body and pulling them tight before tying them into a knot.

Pox watched and saw what he was doing, lifting her arms to make it easier on him as he wrapped her chest in the makeshift bandages, hissing loudly and doing her best to hold in a screech as the bandages put pressure on her broken ribs to stabilize them. “Thank you," she said when he finished.

Paul sat down next to her and shook his head, “No…thank you…" he said. “You saved my life, if you hadn't been following me…" he suddenly gave a small chuckle, “I…guess I can't argue with you about that anymore…now I really do owe you."

Pox smiled, “Good, Pox getting tired of arguing," she said. She reached into her pouch and pulled out her usual bottle of 'nasty juice' and she opened it, drinking about half of it before looking to Paul, “Let me see neck." She said, gesturing for him to show her where he was bitten. He nodded and did so and then let out a surprised yelp of pain when he felt the stinging alcohol tonic dripped into the wound. “Will heal faster," she said before giving him the bottle, “Drink rest." She commanded.

He took the bottle and wiped the rim on his sleeve before doing as he was told. “I still hate that stuff…" he said with a grumble, handing the bottle back to the rat.

She took it and pocketed it, “Yes, but will help heal neck faster, and keep healthy."

Paul nodded and then sighed, “So that rat plague of yours…I'm still infected, aren't I?" he asked, “That's why that vampire got sick from drinking my blood."

She nodded, “Mmhmm, blood drinkers get sick on bad blood," she said and then waved a hand as she continued, “For you, even if Pox not plague bearer, you need to drink nasty juice every day for many days to have plague not come back ever. Nasty Juice once every few days though, it keeps from being sick. Keeps from getting others sick."

Paul nodded, “I think I get it. Your kind are all infected with the plague, and you use this to keep from being ill, but the infection protects you from the vampires, that's…disgustingly genius."

Pox giggled at that, “One way to say, yes." She nodded before bracing herself on the wall and getting to her feet. “Should go, don't want to be here when police find blood sucker."

Paul nodded and stood up as well and swallowed, “Um…would you mind walking with me? I seem to have bad luck walking home alone…" he said, rubbing the back of his head and giving a weak chuckle.

The rat giggled and moved up next to him, putting an arm around his shoulders, though it was more to steady herself than to provide any comfort to him. She grinned still, and leaned in to nibble his ear, “Aww, scared human need a big strong rat to protect him?" she teased him, “Yes Pox will come…but you let Pox sleep in your bed tonight."

Paul did his best to hold her up, though she was quite a bit heavier, being larger than him. At the mention of where she wanted to sleep, he swallowed and nodded, “I…okay…I think I can manage that…" he said, and he started to walk slowly, “Um…maybe we should stick to the alleyways though…"

Pox nodded, turning him, “This way, Pox knows ways through city so not be seen. Good thing your house not far." She led him through the twisting maze of alleys and side streets as they made their way toward Paul's home. Once there he snuck her into the house and hurried her up to his room before any of the servants could see. He locked the door, and turned to her “You know, it's going to be a time getting you back out of here…" he said, “Do you think you'll be able to make your usual exit with broken ribs like that?" he asked, glancing towards his balcony.

She nodded and went over to the bed, sitting down on it, “Worry about that later." She said, “Come lay with me. No mate today, too much pain, but want to cuddle." she said, gesturing for him to join her.

Paul nodded and he couldn't help but smile a bit at that, “Such a gentle filthy rodent you are," he said. He then started to remove his clothing, tossing his shirt and trousers over a chair before going to the bed and sliding into it next to Pox. She stretched out and rolled over so that her back was to him, and she pressed in, encouraging him to put his arms around her, and her thick tail curled around his waist. He sighed shuddering a bit at her awful scent. It was still as bad as ever, but he had to admit, he had grown used to it over the past many weeks, and he was able to stomach it a bit better. He rested his cheek against her upper back. “Thank you again…" he said.

Pox sighed softly and wiggled a bit to get more comfortable. “Mm…no need to thank."

Paul nodded and ran his hand along her back as he rested there, his fingertips tracing the healed over scars from where she had been whipped by the elders in her clan. As he lay there like that, he was able to hear her heart beating, and he found it to be rather relaxing. He closed his eyes and let his mind wander, going back over the events of the night. “Say…Pox, can I ask you a dumb question?"

She shifted, “Hmm? What?" she asked, turning her head to look behind her.

“Do you know about blood magic?"

She nodded, “Mm…yes, have shaman in clan who does it."

Paul nodded, “If he were to make a blood sacrifice to grow something like an apple tree. And you eat one of the apples…is than any different than a vampire just drinking the blood?"

Pox turned back around, giggling a bit, pulling one of the pillows to her front and hugging it. “That is dumb question," she said and sighed, “Not that different, but doesn't matter. Blood drinkers trying to live just like rats and humans. They drink blood. We eat meat. Not really different at all."

Paul was taken aback by her answer, “I suppose you are right…but you don't think it matters?"

Pox shrugged, “Why should it? It not change anything. Still need eat to survive," she said, shifting a bit to get more comfortable, “So why it matter if it comes from blood or not?"

Paul thought about it for several long moments, “You know, I guess you are right about that…I hadn't thought about it like that before…"

Pox giggled, “You know, rats smarter than humans give credit for. Now, no more talking, need sleep now…" she let out a wide yawn and closed her eyes.

Paul sighed a bit and nodded, his head, squeezing gently at her, “Alright…um…goodnight, Pox." He said and closed his eyes.