FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow in the bedroom Etta sets me up in. I don’t dream. I don’t stir in my sleep. Nothing. One minute, I’m out cold—the next, light is streaming through the window. Immediately, my head buzzes with questions. Am I still human? I mean, I know right now I’m physically not, but is human something I can even consider myself anymore?

I decide I can’t stay lying down if I want answers to any of those questions, so I roll out of bed and throw on my now extremely tight-fitting clothes. Putting on pants with a tail is a new experience, but thankfully the small nub I have fits under my sweatpants without too much discomfort. Despite what Winton said, after dinner, no more of my questions were answered. Instead, he insisted that what I just went through was enough for one night and that we would have plenty of time to talk in the morning on the last leg of our journey. What transpired left me exhausted, so I once again caved to his perpetual avoidance of my questioning.

The cottage’s living room is quiet, with no sign of Winton or Etta. Looking around, it feels different from last night. Everything is more vivid and the long engrained odors a home accumulates over the years are more pungent. I started to notice more details like this immediately after I transformed, but this morning, I’m better able to understand it. I can smell things in the house that I previously couldn’t. My vision feels sharper, colors richer.

Stepping outside the cabin, I examine the small village at the bottom of the hill. The snow crunches under my new paws, the cold wetness filling between my toes. Despite not wearing shoes, I’m not bothered by the temperature. On my back is the now dry cloak Winton got from the snow the night before. While it helps keep me warm, I find that I would probably fare okay without it, much better than I would have last night on our trip here. I suppose that’s what Winton meant when he said, “our current state.”

My ears flick as I hear someone approach from behind, and I turn around to see Etta making her way over to me. She’s some distance away, but my ears still picked up her paws crunching away in the snow.

“Bellavear always looks delightful in the morning, don’t you agree?”

Light fog dissipates throughout the streets as the sun peeks over the horizon, painting everything it touches in a delicate, warm glow. “It’s lovely. I can honestly say I haven’t seen anything like it before.”

“Are villages where you’re from bigger than this?” Etta asks.

“It depends. Cities, where most people tend to live, would take up this entire valley and then some. But we have small towns, too. Just not like this.”

“And we have large cities as well. Even if few still are inhabited.”

“They’re abandoned?”

“Oh yes,” she says. “The world hasn’t been kind over the last twenty years. I grew up in Bann. It used to be the third largest city in Deavon. After Lord Ulric took power, he cut its food supplies. Without a means to live, beasts either died or moved away.”

“I’m sorry that happened to your childhood home.” I try to think what it would be like for Sunny Valley to dry up and become a ghost town. As much as I hate the place, the thought of that happening is unpleasant.

“It’s all in the past, my dear. Our nation is in disarray, but it can handle a few wounds. That’s the thing about the world, no matter what happens, eventually, everything can heal. There may be scars left over, but what lies under them is still beautiful. Despite being uninhabited, Bann remains intact. I can take solace in knowing that.” Etta looks at me with a soft smile. “Pain is not permanent, and while not pleasant, it’s a necessary part of life. It gives us our sense of being.”

I think back to last night, knowing my future is essentially ruined. “I’m not so sure about that. I sure could use a break from life going wrong.”

With a pained look, Etta eyes me up and down, before quickly looking away, focusing off into the distance.

“Etta—I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you,” I say. “These last twenty-four hours have been a lot to process. I still don’t know what to make of all of this. What to make of Winton. He tricked me to get me here.” I hold out my paws and turn them over, studying them. “How could he not tell me about this?”

“I unquestionably agree he should have told you about who you really are. The old yote is a fool, but you have to understand, he also has been through a great deal of grief in his life. He can be indifferent and forthright, but deep down, he’s a good beast. I have faith that he’ll uphold his promise and make sure you are taken care of.”

“This all seems like so much.” I exhale a long breath.

Etta doesn’t say anything at first, but puts her arm around me. Her soft fur prickles through my cloak. “I can only imagine the difficulty of processing this all right now, but I know you can handle it. Know why I know that?”

I don’t say anything and just look at her.

“The fact that you stand here before me today is proof alone of what you can accomplish. That you managed to survive and push past your hardships. Don’t you underestimate that.”

I try to think of something to say to counter her, but nothing comes to my mind, so I give her a faint smile and a small nod. We go quiet for several minutes, neither of us speaking, instead simply watching the sunrise over the small village and letting the warmth wash over us. Etta doesn’t pull her arm away. Instead, she embraces me tighter. Despite only having met her last night, her presence is comforting. My tensions melt away.

“Ah-hem.”

Startled, I turn to see Winton standing a few feet behind us. Somehow, he approached without making a sound. I guess these bear ears can’t hear everything.

“My apologies. I did not mean to intrude, but we must be on our way, Artbe. We still have a long journey ahead of us today, and our train will be leaving shortly.”

Etta pulls me into a hug and squeezes me tight. “Well, I knew you couldn’t stay forever. I should tend to my vegetables, anyway.”

And with that, Etta turns and starts walking towards the greenhouse. I have a strange feeling that I’m letting someone significant slip through my fingers. My gut tells me to screw Winton and that I should stay here with Etta.

“Thank you, Etta. For the meal, and for this morning, and for…” I trail off, unsure of what else to say.

“You promise you’ll come back and visit me when you can, okay?” she calls back.

I look at Winton for confirmation that will be possible, and he gives me a slight nod.

“Of course,” I say.

With little other fanfare, Winton and I are off down the hill, making our way toward the village. Winton rushes me along, so we spend little time in Bellavear. The streets are quiet, with almost none of the town’s inhabitants active. Eventually, we end up at a small, run-down train platform.

The train is not much different from those back in my world. A black locomotive sits at the front, followed by several passenger cars. Trailing to the back is a long line of freight cars. Beasts unload crates of assorted sizes into a warehouse next to the platform.

Winton and I settle down in an enclosed passenger box near the front of the first passenger car. He slides a glass door shut and then takes his seat on a rather comfy-looking sofa, and I sit across from him on an identical one.

Winton peeks through the window and investigates the train’s hallway, checking to ensure no one is around—I’m not sure why he does, though. I saw no one else at the station, and no one walked by us after we found our seats.

Shortly after the train lurches and we depart from the station, a raccoon pops into our room and Winton flashes him the inside of his jacket. During the entire interaction, I can’t take my eyes off the raccoon. Here is another human-sized animal going about their business like it’s entirely normal for them to exist. The raccoon nods his approval before leaving us alone on this nearly deserted train.

“Don’t we need tickets?” I ask.

“I do not require them.” Winton opens the flap on his cloak again, revealing a small golden insignia, the same one he touched before pulling me through into this world. It’s in the shape of a paw grasping a sword and shield with a small green gem embedded in the middle.

“Are you some official or something?”

“I was, but I am no longer in service. My retirement was many years ago. Travel among the land is granted as a gesture of goodwill.”

He actually answered one of my questions without dodging it. This is probably the most direct Winton has been since I’ve met him. I need to capitalize on this and see if I can press him for more answers.

“So,” I say, drawing the word out, “going to tell me where we are going, or…?”

Winton responds by looking out the window, watching the land pass by at increasing speeds. Over the entirety of last night, he has rarely looked directly at me when talking, a practice he’s continuing.

“Yes. I suppose now is the proper time,” he finally says. “First, let me apologize I did not tell you about your true form sooner. Would you have followed me if I had said that once here, you would shed your skin, grow fur, and become a beast?”

“There’s a strong chance I might have picked you up and thrown you out the door for saying something that ridiculous.”

“Precisely. Regardless, you are here now, and as you know, I retrieved you for a reason. I need you to join the Mathain Guard.”

“You want me to join the military?”

“No, we do not have militia here. The Mathain is more akin to lawmakers and protectors of the nation than an army. Artbe, you must understand that you are one of the most magnificent creatures in all of Deavon. Ursidae are more in tune with the energy of the universe than any other beast.”

“What do you mean? I don’t feel any different. I just feel like—well, I still feel human.”

“Ursidae have played a critical role in the development of Deavon since the dawn of civilization. Your horns enable you to, under specific circumstances, channel energy around you and harness its power. However, this is not a task you can accomplish alone. You require a partner to assist you. Someone who is a harmonic match to yourself.”

I run my paw along the front of my head, letting the tips of my fingers find the small, stubby horns. I wonder how big these get. Are they like ram horns? Hell, as big as a deer? I don’t think I would enjoy having to deal with bulky antlers all the time. Putting on shirts would be a nightmare.

“Are you sure I can do any of that?”

“Before I met you, I feared that your time in the human realm may have stripped your ability to harness energy. However, I was pleased to see that this is not the case. You are capable of bonding. This is certain, and that is what is important.”

How does he know that? Sure, I have these horns, but what if I can’t, and I derail his plans?

Then the memory of yesterday’s events come flying back to me. “Wait—at my wrestling match—I was suddenly in some black void, then a light shot from you to me. I felt powerful right after. Was that harnessing energy? Bonding, you called it?”

Winton looks at me for the first time since getting on the train car.

“That was unfortunate. An unexpected miscalculation on my part. Yes. That was indeed bonding you experienced.”

I knew I didn’t pull hard enough to break that kid’s leg. While this clears up a few things, now I have even more questions. “So why did I see you right before it all happened? Is that part of bonding?”

Winton returns to watching the landscape move by. “In a sense, yes, it was. But it is highly unusual for bonding to visualize in such a manner. Bonding of that degree does not typically happen easily. I believe it is because both of us are not of that world. Our energy resonated rather unusually.”

I run my paw over my head, brushing past my ears. “This is all so confusing.”

“It is a complicated matter but well-studied. However, most of the research is heavily guarded at the great library inside Deavon City’s castle.”

Castle? There’s a castle? “You know, you still haven’t said what you need me to do, or really anything about where we are heading.”

He straightens his jacket and repositions himself on the sofa. “It is relatively simple, really. I have a feeling that Ulrich, the current leader of Deavon, is plotting something. Recently, he has put out a call to drastically increase the size of the city guard, almost as if he is preparing for war. As I mentioned, we do not have a militia, as war is relatively uncommon in our lands. Before Ulric’s subjugation of Deavon, there had not been one for over a millennium.”

“You can’t really expect me to be helpful in overthrowing a government. I don’t even know anything about this place.”

Winton snorts. “No, no, of course not. You are just one piece in all of this, albeit a critical piece.”

“Why would I matter?”

Winton flexes his paw and crosses his legs. “Several years ago, I met a young wolf by the name of Leofric. After we became acquainted, it was clear he would not stand for the world he was born into. He is someone who refuses to live in fear.” Winton pauses for a moment, as if he’s unsure of what else to say. “There is old magic in this world, Artbe. That is the first thing you must understand. Magic ancient and forgotten that very few comprehend. The great library holds the key to understanding this and to restoring peace to the land.

“Vernandos and Zachariah, the heads of the Mathain Guard and some of Ulric’s most devoted followers, possess a codex of immense power. While they have used the book’s power to control our nation’s people, they have yet to unlock the codex’s true secrets. However, with the changes to the city guard, I no longer believe that is the case.”

“Okay, so you need a book that has some sort of magic spells in it that are super dangerous?” I say and sigh. Was that really so hard to tell me? Now that I know his plans for me, it’s even more ridiculous that he waited this long to fill me in. “I still don’t see why you need me to break into a library and do that.”

“It is not as simple as breaking in. We must search the archives to help me better understand the codex before we reclaim it. That must be our irrevocable step. Access to the library is limited—few are privy to it and after the codex goes missing, Ulric will stop at nothing to retrieve it.”

“And let me guess, members of the Mathain Guard are one of the few who have access to the library?”

“Correct.”

I shake my head. “No offense, but this is a horrible plan. What made you think I would be the right person for a job like this? I was never any good at doing research for papers in school. I don’t know how you expect me to find what you’re looking for by myself.”

“The young wolf, Leofric, will be the one to look for the codex and to do the research I require. Your role will be to ensure that he is selected for the guard, then assist him when he deems it necessary.”

Winton’s idea seems half-baked, at best. He wants me to work with someone I don’t even know in a land I’m unfamiliar with. Forget the difficulty of finding the information he’s looking for. It’s going to be hard enough to blend into a culture of talking animal people.

“If you already have someone picked out as your spy, why do you need me? You retrieve me from another realm just so I can help this Leofric guy?” I cross my arms. “There’s no way I was worth all of that hassle. Couldn’t you have found another magic bear thing to do this? Or, better yet, just have the wolf do it by himself.”

“Unfortunately, those are not options we have. When Ulric took power, he did many cruel acts. These led to many ursidae families becoming corrupt or so fearful for their loved ones they submitted to Ulric’s will.”

“This Ulric guy sounds like a real piece of shit.”

“One could say that,” Winton says. “My point being there are few that we can trust that can fulfill the same role as you. I am no longer in touch with most of the ursidae families, and thus they cannot be trusted. Power corrupts, and those in power wish to stay in power, no matter the cost. How they get it is irrelevant.”

It seems like ursidae are only concerned about themselves. That sounds about right for a race of bears being told how special they are for thousands of years. “Corruption is pretty universal. It’s no different for my home, either.”

“A sad trait for humans and beasts alike.”

I feel like I’m starting to get an idea of what I need to do here. It doesn’t sound too bad. Though I can’t imagine being stuck in a library waiting around while some wolf looks for a book will be too exciting. But if it can secure my future financially, I’m okay with being bored for a few days. Then I can go back home with a nice stack of cash and not have to worry about my future. I can figure that all out lat—

Wait. Hold on—how is he going to pay me? Seriously? How could I be so gullible? I glare hard at Winton.

“You said you were going to pay me a ton of money for doing this job. And I’m fairly sure you don’t use American money here.”

Winton grins. “You are correct, we do not use the same currency. However, much like your home, we do value silver and gold. All our coins are minted from them. While you may not be able to spend them directly, I am certain you will have no difficulty exchanging them for more quantifiable funds when you return home. You can see now why I was not able to give you an exact value of your pay. Here, once you have been anointed to the Mathain Guard, you will receive a monthly stipend of five hundred gold pieces a week.”

“Is that a lot? For here?”

“Five hundred gold pieces a week is considered a sizable income. You will also find other benefits of the job, but I will leave those to be explained to you by others.”

I ponder this for a moment. “Okay, so I team up with this wolf. We work our way into the Mathain Guard, find and steal this codex, then you use it to kick this Ulric guy’s ass out of power. Is that the gist of it?”

“Yes. That is ‘the gist of it.’”

A quietness falls between us while I mull over everything I just learned. It’s a lot to process. Can I really help overthrow a government? This seems like a task Keanan would be better suited for, not me. Castles, magic, and talking animals would be right up his alley. Me, I just fuck things up most of the time. How am I going to stay undercover when I know nothing about this place? On top of that, how do I even know if I’m helping the right side? Sure, Ulric sounds like a monster, but what if Winton is just lying to me? Again.

In the past twenty-four hours, all he has done is string me along, giving me half-truths, concealing what’s really going on just to get me to do what he wants. Can I really keep going ahead with this?

He has been more forthright on this train ride, though. Maybe he really was just waiting for the right time to tell me everything. Besides, what’s my alternative? Tell him he has the wrong guy, and I want him to take me back home? If I’m honest with myself, I don’t want to do that at all. This new body, while strange, feels good to be in. I’m not ready to give it up yet. Besides, the only thing waiting for me back home is a mess to deal with and an empty apartment. I’m sure Keanan is starting to get worried, but he’ll understand. I do want to go home at some point, but not now, not yet.

“I still don’t think I’m the right person for this, and I have no clue why you think I was worth the hassle of retrieving me from a parallel world. But if I can help people get out from under the thumb of a dictator, I feel like I should at least try.” I look at Winton seriously. “Under one condition, though.”

Winton nods for me to continue.

“I don’t want to hurt anyone. I don’t want to kill anyone. I’ll help you get the codex, but that’s it. I’m not here to fight your war. If I wanted to do that, I would have joined the military right out of high school.”

Winton takes a moment to consider my request. “Part of your training will teach you to fight. However, the need to use those skills is low. You will be no soldier. Once we have the codex in hand, I will return you to your home. You have my word with that.”

We exchange a nod, and that’s that. I’m here. No turning back now.

***

Winton and I hardly talk for the rest of the train ride. Occasionally, the train stops at other small villages and the train personnel load and unload cargo, but very few beasts board as passengers. At one stop, a bear boards the train, waving goodbye to an older-looking female bear on the platform as he walks by us. He looks different than I do. His fur is black, whereas mine is golden brown. His muzzle has a band of tan fur that extends downward to the upper part of his chest before fading away. As he walks by, I look to see if he has horns as well, but his forehead is only fur. Our eyes lock for the briefest of moments before the black bear quickly looks away and hurries down the train, nearly tripping and falling over in his haste.

We’re on the train for the entire day, and the sun is setting as we depart from what Winton says is our last stop before arriving in Deavon. The track winds around a mountain base, eventually opening into an expansive valley. Out of nowhere, the scenery changes as fast as when we stepped through the gateway into this world. However, instead of returning to a desolate desert, we are now in a lush valley.

“The snow! It’s all gone!” I look back down the tracks from the way we came. There’s a distinct line dividing the snowy area and the relatively mild-looking climate we are in now. This isn’t like when we went through the portal in the desert—I can still see the snow-covered hills off in the distance. When I crossed over here with Winton, it was like being teleported to the North Pole. Instantly. But here, the contrast is stark and distinct.

“We are entering the protection of the valley,” he says, obviously not sharing in my excitement. “The climate is much more temperate here.”

“How is that possible?”

“Ulric.”

“He can do something like that?” I press my face to the window. “Holy shit.”

“The snow is his primary tactic in controlling the people of this land,” Winton says. “With the codex, this is what he can do. This is what we are fighting against. With your help, it is what we will end.”

Jesus, someone who has enough power to do something like this—what the fuck am I supposed to do to stop him? I really think Winton is putting too much confidence in me.

“I may not know much about this world, but someone who can do that probably has a masterful understanding of magic,” I say, still in amazement at the change in scenery.

“While Ulric is a polar bear, he is not an ursidae. He uses Vernandos and Zachariah to do his bidding.”

Somehow, that makes him even scarier to me. Some of the worst humans in history weren’t powerful brutes or even military geniuses. Most simply knew how to get people to fall in line.

As the train rolls into the city, we pass by field after field of crops with houses scattered around them, separating them into small neighborhoods. But despite their size, each one is livelier than the cities we passed by on the way here, with people walking along the streets and working the fields.

Once we enter the city’s heart, the crops and fields fade away, transitioning into dense buildings sprawling towards the horizon. Off in the distance is the castle Winton mentioned. It towers over the city with an oppressive feeling.

It’s strange. Most of the city looks, well, not modern like what I’m used to, but well kept. New, even. But as the train gets closer to the castle, I notice the buildings look older and rustic.

As the sun sinks to the horizon, the train slows, and we roll into yet another station, this one being our final destination.

Winton pulls out and checks his pocket watch. “Come. We are expected soon, and we still have a bit of walking left ahead.” He stands and exits our box, and I follow him out into the hallway. As I squeeze myself through the door to enter the tiny corridor, I’m bumped in the back and pushed forward by the black bear from earlier. He nearly falls over me, but he recovers his footing and takes a few quick steps backward.

He looks up at my head, and his eyes go wide when he sees my horn nubs. “You’re an ursidae!”

“A what—” I start to say but quickly recover. “Oh. Yeah. I guess I am,” I chuckle nervously.

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t paying attention to where I was walking. This is my first time here. The city, it’s so pretty—and big—and…”

“It’s fine. Just try to look where you step next time,” I say. “It’s my first time here, too.” Somehow, this bear almost seems less comfortable in his body than I do.

“You too?” he says. “I’m from Greenstone. I noticed you were already on the train when it arrived. You must be from farther up north?”

“Uh, yeah, pretty far up there. Really small town. I’m sure you don’t know it.” Shoot, I’m going to need to come up with a cover story.

“Ah. Oh—well, okay,” he says, still following me closely as we exit the train out onto the platform. Winton is waiting for me off in the distance. He looks annoyed, but I’m growing accustomed to that from him.

“Well, nice to meet you,” I say. “I need to meet up with my friend. We’re running late.”

“Yes. Sure, of course,” the black bear says. “By the way, my name is Burney. It was nice talking to you.”

I pause, wondering if I need to come up with a fake name. But why would I? No one’s going to know me here.

“My name’s Artbe. Maybe I’ll see you around?”

The black bear looks up at me and smiles like I just made his day.

After walking over to Winton, I turn to take one last look at the black bear. He’s still standing there, awkwardly looking around, seemingly lost and unsure where to go. I’m sure he’ll figure it out.

Winton tries to rush me through the city, saying that we can still catch Leofric before he goes to bed, but I can’t help but take my time to stop and sightsee. Around the train station is bare and looks like an industrial district, but after a few blocks, the city comes alive.

Just like the outskirts of the valley, different beasts wander through the streets, the only difference being here there are three times the amount. A fox sweeps the sidewalk in front of their shop, and across from them, a badger is locking theirs up for the night. There are street food vendors on several corners, and their smells are like something I’ve never experienced before. It’s almost as if I can pick out each individual ingredient. And with each one selling different types of food, I can pinpoint their origins with my nose alone. Each one has its own unique, distinct signature smell. While the soup Etta made and the food she packed us for the train ride were tasty, they can’t hold a candle to the fragrant aromas swirling around me.

Winton allows me to linger occasionally, but his patience grows thin with each delay. Despite his sour attitude, I can’t keep a smile off my face. This is real. This is all real. I’m in a fantasy medieval metropolitan city surrounded by talking animals, and I’m one myself. Has a world like this always existed? A place like this doesn’t spring up overnight, so it has to have been around for a long time.

Eventually, we find our way to a tiny, cozy-looking café located maybe a mile away from the castle’s base. The lights are off, and the store looks empty.

“Follow me. You have made us late. If we are lucky, Dena will still be here.”

“You can’t blame me for sightseeing. Everything here is new to me.”

I peer inside the café and find it looks quite homely. There are a few tables out in the dining room, as well as several couches and armchairs facing each other, creating a cozy gathering area. Next to the counter is a display case for what I assume is used to show off the day’s assortment of pastries. On the back counter, there’s what looks like an old-school Italian espresso machine. They have coffee here? Thank god they have coffee.

Winton shows me to a staircase at the corner of the building that leads up to the second floor above the shop. I’ve noticed most buildings we passed had similar setups. Business on the bottom, housing on the top. As we climb the stairs, I hear voices engaged in a jovial, boisterous conversation.

“—and that’s when I saw him from my window, chasing his own tail, like a pup!” says a male voice.

“HAH! No, he wasn’t!” replies a deep female one.

Even with their door closed, their laughs echo down the stairwell as Winton and I crest the stairs. Without knocking, he opens the door and enters.

“Winton! So glad to see you made it back,” says a brown and white wolf. He’s sitting at a table in the kitchen, which opens into the living room. Across from him is a smaller beast. I have never seen one this size, but because of my experience with school mascots, I’m fairly certain she is a wolverine.

The two see me, and their laughter fades instantly. Their gazes hit me like daggers as I hesitantly enter the room, and anxiety washes over me. I feel tiny despite being the largest beast among us.

“It can’t be,” the wolverine says.

“Is this him?” the wolf adds.

Winton takes a seat in the living room. “It is.”

“By gods, part of me didn’t believe you, but here he is.” The wolf claps his paws together. “He’s already turned, too—look, he has horns and everything. He really was a human when you found him?”

“Yes, yes. Though he is no longer human. He is—”

“You know,” I interrupt, “I’m getting real sick of people pretending I’m not here.” I haven’t taken more than two steps into the room, and at this point, I’m unsure if I want to take any more.

More silence. Eventually, the wolf, Leofric, shakes the shock off his muzzle and replaces it with a gentle smile. “Of course, I didn’t mean to be rude. It’s just—well—I didn’t quite believe Winton when he told me he was going to the human world to find you. It’s quite remarkable he could even do so.”

“After all these years,” the wolverine adds. From process of elimination, this must be Dena. “I don’t even know how he did it. We didn’t mean to ignore you, it’s just—wow!”

“Well, it’s rude.” I take a few more steps into the room and try to ease my tension. The apartment isn’t small, but I wouldn’t call it large, either. The main area is essentially one open space. To the left of the entrance is a gas stove and an open pantry. A square dining table separates the kitchen from the living room, where Winton now sits on a well-loved armchair placed catty-cornered to a couch.

My eyes fall back on the wolf. He’s visually striking, with large, pointed ears with black tips, well-kept fur, and piercing golden eyes. His brown and white fur fade into each other along his body. While he’s by far not the first beast I have seen today, he is the first one to make me pause and examine him. A strange, fluttering sensation forms in my stomach.

“Again, my apologies.” The wolf takes a slight bow in my direction, pointing his large canine ears at me. He’s smaller than me but sizably larger than Winton. “How could you even tell I’m human? I don’t look like one anymore.” I look down at my furry arms and run my paws across them reflexively, unrecognizable to my old self.

Winton clears his throat. “These two will be aiding us in our ventures and have been informed of all the necessary details.”

“I can just tell,” Leofric says, ignoring Winton. “Almost like I feel it radiating from you. On top of that, you smell—off?” Leofric sniffs in my direction a few times. “You smell—I don’t know—new? It’s quite strange.”

I’m adjusting to processing smells with my new nose. I didn’t think that everyone else would be better with theirs. When I got home from the wrestling meet, I never had time to shower. Maybe Leofric picked up on that? “Is that going to be a problem? Smelling human, that is.”

“I don’t smell anything different about you,” Dena says.

“I don’t believe so.” Leofric shakes his head. “Humans are a mere myth to most, so they’d have little reason to believe they’re in the presence of one. While you do smell different, I believe I only associated it with your humanness because I’m clued into—well, I guess—your former state of being.” The wolf looks me up and down, inspecting me for other tells that I might be human. Since the moment I walked in the door, he has been watching me intently, enamored with everything I say and do. “It’s remarkable. You really do pass for a beast.”

“That’s because he is one. He always was. This is his true nature,” Winton says, and waves his paw dismissively. “His curse was temporary.” His ears twitch ever so slightly, and he shifts uncomfortably in his chair.

“Look, despite my appearance, I’m still human. I don’t care if I was born here a bear and then ‘cursed’ to be human, that’s what I am. I’m only here to help find this codex, then I’m gone.”

Winton closes his eyes and sighs. “Very well, but while you are here, we must pass you off as a beast.”

Leofric leans to Dena and speaks softly. “This is going to be interesting, isn’t it?”

I shoot him a dirty look, but he just smiles at me smoothly. My ears go warm, and I look away. The wolf seems to have a similar well-educated way of expressing himself as Winton, but whereas the old coyote comes off as arrogant, Leofric feels more confident. Charming, even?

“What this will be is challenging,” Winton says. “It took me longer than I would have liked to locate Artbe, so the pairing trial for the Mathain Guard is in two days. This leaves extraordinarily little time for you two to get to know each other.”

“Pairing trial?” I ask.

Dena looks at Winton, puzzled. “Winton, you didn’t tell him?”

“It seems to be a habit of his,” I grumble.

“The pairing trial determines who is allowed into the Mathain Guard,” Winton explains.

“Wait, really? I thought I could just sign up. I don’t know anything about magic. How am I going to pass some trial?”

Leofric chuckles, then takes a large gulp from a mug sitting on the table in front of him. The drink is dark brown and looks almost like coffee, but it definitely doesn’t smell like coffee. “It’s not you we’re concerned about, Artbe. It’s me.”

“Don’t laugh like I should know this stuff.” I can feel my ears drop in annoyance. I guess they do that now.

“Nor do I expect you to. That’s what Winton is getting at. You, as an ursidae, are automatically enlisted in the Mathain Guard. Actually, you really have no choice in the matter.”

“I don’t have a choice? Like hell, I don’t. I can leave if I want to. I’m not going to be forced into a situation I don’t want to be in.”

Leofric acknowledges my objection, but continues. “The automatic enlistment of all ursidae has been a practice for the last two decades. I, however, do not have that privilege. I must go through the pairing trial to determine if I’m magically compatible with any of the ursidae in this year’s class.”

My ears relax, but they still feel alert, ready to change at hearing a single upsetting word. It’s peculiar to physically feel my emotions like this. “So, you have to do this trial with all the other bears, too? Won’t it be more likely you would be a better fit with one of them over me?”

“Yes, I will do the trial with everyone. But not to worry! We have a plan to ensure that you and I are paired.” The wolf raises an eyebrow and gives me a sly, wily smile.

I feel the flutter in my chest and the warm sensation in my ears again. “You all keep telling me you have plans, then you don’t go into details.”

“Oh, stop it, you two,” Dena says. “I’m sure Artbe is scared out of his mind being in a new place like this. Just tell him what’s going on.”

As usual, Winton ignores her. “There is much to tell you. You cannot expect an explanation of every little thing you ask.” The annoyance in his tone is detectable by everyone in the room. The small coyote cozied nicely in his chair is acting like he’s dealing with a group of children. Pups? Cubs? Kits? Is that what they call them here?

“What Winton is trying to say,” Leofric says, “is we don’t expect you to know everything, or well, much of anything right now. Some stuff we will tell you about now, other information might take some time. But fear not. You have me to help with all of that. I’m here to be your guide. You ask me, and it will be my pleasure to assist. Think of me as your personal concierge of Deavon.”

My guide? I thought I was here to help him. “While that’s great and all, I just need to know what the hell I have to do. Other than finding some old book, I have no clue what’s going on.” I can feel the emotion creep into my voice. It’s finally hitting me I really am alone in a strange new city, in a magical world I know nothing about. Leofric and Dena seem friendly enough, but like Winton, they are strangers to me.

“Artbe, you have nothing to worry about,” Leofric says. “I have been preparing most of my life for the Mathain Guard. I will make sure you are safe and well-informed. There will be surprises for you—I think that is unavoidable—but I will be by your side.”

I have gotten so accustomed to the cold, closed-off interactions with Winton over the last day that the friendliness from the wolf is jarring. Leofric seems like he genuinely wants to help me better understand this place. It’s comforting to know I might be able to make a friend here.

Leofric smiles as my ears fully relax into their default small half-moons on the top of my head. “Okay,” I say, “so, what’s this plan to make sure we get paired together?”

Winton leans forward in his chair and folds his paws together. “You two must find a shared connection. During the trial, you will focus on that and that alone. You will be selected for pairing if you follow that precisely.”

“Winton believes our shared connections in this world will be a boon to our bond,” Leofric adds.

“Shared connections?”

“I’m quite close with Winton. We share a special bond ourselves. Nothing magical, but that old coyote has been a big part of my life for a while now.”

“Why would that help you bond with me? I just met him yesterday.”

Leofric shoots a puzzled look over to Winton. “Don’t you know? He—”

“I knew you as a cub,” Winton interjects. “As I told you, I knew your birth parents.”

Leofric frowns at this, and Winton shoots him a stern glare. The wolf looks away, and the fur on the back of his neck bristles. Dena looks out the window.

“Leofric can explain the finer details to you tomorrow, but what is in the past will stay there.” Winton says. “The night is late, and I am drained from all of my travels. Let us call an end to the day.”

“Yes, I think that is a good idea,” Dena says. “Have to get up early to open the ol’ shop tomorrow.”

“So, uh, where am I going to be staying?” I ask.

“You will be staying with me,” says Leofric. “Lucky for you, we don’t have to travel far. My bedroom is there,” he points a furry digit to a door across the room, “and you will be over there.” He swings his paw around and points to another door on the opposite side of the apartment.

“This is your place? Do you own the shop below?”

“Heavens no. Dena owns both this flat and the patisserie. She has been so kind as to let me live here for the last year. Honestly, I’m happy to be getting a roommate. The nights can get quite dull by yourself.”

“You’re lucky I don’t charge him rent or nothing!” Dena booms.

Winton stands up and moves toward the door. “With that, Artbe, I leave you in the hands of Leofric. I will come to see you again before the pairing trials.” Dena tells me how good it is to see me and follows Winton to the door. Winton shoots one last cautious look at Leofric before heading down the stairs, leaving me alone with the wolf.

And Leofric just sits there, looking at me, less like an apex predator and more like a curious dog, ears perked with his fluffy tail twitching beside his chair. A dog that just happens to walk upright and is capable of holding a conversation. The strange mix of the two has my brain confused, unsure what to make of him.

“What was that, the thing with Winton and you?”

Leofric’s smile fades. “It’s nothing. Nothing of my concern, that is. His past with you is for him to disclose, and if he hasn’t done so, I’m sure he has a good reason for it. You might have noticed Winton isn’t one to share much about himself.”

“You can say that again.”

“Oh, uh, Winton isn’t much to talk about his past.”

I blink for a second, then realize he didn’t understand my turn of phrase. “Sorry, I knew what you meant. Back home, ‘you can say that again’ is a way of agreeing with a person.”

“Interesting. I think we both have much to learn about each other. I look forward to it.” He gives me that same soft, ice-melting smile, and the warm sensation in my chest flares.

“Yeah. Me, too.”

Leofric stands up. “I do believe Winton was right in saying the time of day is quite late. Tomorrow, we will have plenty of time to converse and get to know each other. Do you need me to show you to your room?”

“I think I can manage.”

“Good night, then, Artbe.”

“Night, Leofric.”

We both make our way to our own respective rooms, but Leofric stops at his door frame, calling out to me. “And Artbe? Welcome to Deavon.”

---

This concludes the sample of My Remise. If you’ve enjoyed what you’ve read so far, this is just the beginning. Purchases the full 36-chapter, 447-page book to watch Artbe and Leofric’s relationship develop, as Artbe struggles to accept his true feelings for the wolf. Will they find and recover the codex? What are Winton's true intentions? An adventure filled with struggles, romance, and sword fights, with unexpected paths in every chapter, awaits.

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