Shifti - User contributions [en]

User:Virmir/Abysses

2009-01-26T19:53:33Z

Virmir: I guess the <comments /> thing doesn't work anymore. ;)

{{title|name=''"Abysses"''|user=Virmir|author=Virmir}}

He sat in the open field, ears folded and head hanging low. The false sun beat on his fur, and the false grass rustled with the breeze.

He felt this one coming for a while now. Edging closer and closer to his domain. His trap. Oh, how he wished he could turn them away. But it was far too late. She appeared at the edge of the world and took her time inching through the forest, marveling at his trees, no doubt.

Too ashamed to look, he turned his head and shut his eyes as she approached the edge of the clearing. She came closer, heart full of wonder. He could feel it. He could also feel the rules of the world begin to claw at her form.

"Hello?" she asked timidly.

His ears swiveled and he opened an eye. They sounded different each time they came-- the work of centuries of evolution upon the spoken tongue. How long had it been since the last one? He did not know, nor did it matter. "Hello, my darling." He folded his ears, his tone sad.

She gasped as if she didn't expect him to speak. The language was different-- far older. But they always understood. She stood on two legs, cloths covering her furless body. He was like that one time, wasn't he? Long ago, before he became what he was. ''Forever.'' Yes, he thought he remembered hands.

"Where... am I?" Already she began to scratch at her skin.

He dug his paws into the dirt, turning his attention there. "You've fallen into my trap, I'm afraid."

Another gasp.

"I'm... sorry."

Wide-eyed, she regarded her hands as they stiffened and darkened. "W-what's happening to me?!"

"You cannot exist here... No one can. No one but me..." It was his curse. A curse he brought upon himself. What a fool to think he could create his own world... And now he was trapped. Forever. He stood and turned to walk away.

She attempted to grovel, but her knees froze halfway, legs fusing into a wooden trunk with roots burrowing into the ground. "I-I'm sorry to offend you! Please, make it stop, fox-god! My entire village will worship you! We will sacrifice in your name!"

He sighed, powerless against the rules. "There are no such things as gods." He'd seen mankind invent each one. Worshiped until forgotten, then replaced by the next. He walked away though the grass.

She screamed one last time. Leaves sprouted from her head and her face became featureless, unmoving. A sole tree stood in the open field. A false tree, surrounded by false grass and illuminated by a false sun.

He sighed, alone once more.

He curled up to sleep at the edge of the clearing. The tree would probably die before he next woke. Then he could forget it. Just like all the rest.

{{Separator|j}}

He awoke to darkness. Darkness? No, this was wrong. The sun never set. His world was eternal, unchanging.

He stood, the dead grass crunching under his paws. The trees were but skeletal frames and the sky was black. What happened?

"Ssso, you ssstill live?"

He spun to face a shadowy thing. Crimson eyes dimly glowing in a murky shape.

"The ''End of All'' has come," the shadow hissed. "All other existence is gone. I tried to steal your world, as it has stood as a refuge. But no more. The nothingness comes here too. There is no escape."

"The ''End of All''?" He looked about, finding the edges of his world disappear into blackness. The end had finally come. It was finally over. "So be it."

The shadow faded. The trees disappeared, followed by the grass and the ground. The black nothingness wrapped itself around him. Crippling. Crushing. He closed his eyes and waited for it to claim him as well.

Was this what it was like to not exist? He waited in the abyss, the coldness binding him. Unmoving. Unchanging. Another eternity of nothing... how was this any different from his world? Despair welled in his heart. So it wasn't the end after all...

He opened his eyes after a long while, watching luminescent silvery paws float in the void. No, he most certainly did still exist. But the rules-- the rules were gone. His mistakes and failures were gone. Nothing existed but him. The slate was clean.

He could try again.

But no, this time it could be different. Not a pocket dimension. Not a prison. But a real world. Determination welled in his heart. He opened his mouth and bellowed.

''"Let there be light!"''

[[Category:Story|Abysses]]
[[Category:Virmir|Abysses]]
[[Category:Animal|Abysses]]
[[Category:Canine|Abysses]]
[[Category:Fox|Abysses]]
[[Category:Inanimate|Abysses]]
[[Category:Plant|Abysses]]
[[Category:Mythical|Abysses]]

User:Virmir/Abysses

2009-01-26T17:52:38Z

Virmir: Latest story. :)

{{title|name=''"Abysses"''|user=Virmir|author=Virmir}}

He sat in the open field, ears folded and head hanging low. The false sun beat on his fur, and the false grass rustled with the breeze.

He felt this one coming for a while now. Edging closer and closer to his domain. His trap. Oh, how he wished he could turn them away. But it was far too late. She appeared at the edge of the world and took her time inching through the forest, marveling at his trees, no doubt.

Too ashamed to look, he turned his head and shut his eyes as she approached the edge of the clearing. She came closer, heart full of wonder. He could feel it. He could also feel the rules of the world begin to claw at her form.

"Hello?" she asked timidly.

His ears swiveled and he opened an eye. They sounded different each time they came-- the work of centuries of evolution upon the spoken tongue. How long had it been since the last one? He did not know, nor did it matter. "Hello, my darling." He folded his ears, his tone sad.

She gasped as if she didn't expect him to speak. The language was different-- far older. But they always understood. She stood on two legs, cloths covering her furless body. He was like that one time, wasn't he? Long ago, before he became what he was. ''Forever.'' Yes, he thought he remembered hands.

"Where... am I?" Already she began to scratch at her skin.

He dug his paws into the dirt, turning his attention there. "You've fallen into my trap, I'm afraid."

Another gasp.

"I'm... sorry."

Wide-eyed, she regarded her hands as they stiffened and darkened. "W-what's happening to me?!"

"You cannot exist here... No one can. No one but me..." It was his curse. A curse he brought upon himself. What a fool to think he could create his own world... And now he was trapped. Forever. He stood and turned to walk away.

She attempted to grovel, but her knees froze halfway, legs fusing into a wooden trunk with roots burrowing into the ground. "I-I'm sorry to offend you! Please, make it stop, fox-god! My entire village will worship you! We will sacrifice in your name!"

He sighed, powerless against the rules. "There are no such things as gods." He'd seen mankind invent each one. Worshiped until forgotten, then replaced by the next. He walked away though the grass.

She screamed one last time. Leaves sprouted from her head and her face became featureless, unmoving. A sole tree stood in the open field. A false tree, surrounded by false grass and illuminated by a false sun.

He sighed, alone once more.

He curled up to sleep at the edge of the clearing. The tree would probably die before he next woke. Then he could forget it. Just like all the rest.

{{Separator|j}}

He awoke to darkness. Darkness? No, this was wrong. The sun never set. His world was eternal, unchanging.

He stood, the dead grass crunching under his paws. The trees were but skeletal frames and the sky was black. What happened?

"Ssso, you ssstill live?"

He spun to face a shadowy thing. Crimson eyes dimly glowing in a murky shape.

"The ''End of All'' has come," the shadow hissed. "All other existence is gone. I tried to steal your world, as it has stood as a refuge. But no more. The nothingness comes here too. There is no escape."

"The ''End of All''?" He looked about, finding the edges of his world disappear into blackness. The end had finally come. It was finally over. "So be it."

The shadow faded. The trees disappeared, followed by the grass and the ground. The black nothingness wrapped itself around him. Crippling. Crushing. He closed his eyes and waited for it to claim him as well.

Was this what it was like to not exist? He waited in the abyss, the coldness binding him. Unmoving. Unchanging. Another eternity of nothing... how was this any different from his world? Despair welled in his heart. So it wasn't the end after all...

He opened his eyes after a long while, watching luminescent silvery paws float in the void. No, he most certainly did still exist. But the rules-- the rules were gone. His mistakes and failures were gone. Nothing existed but him. The slate was clean.

He could try again.

But no, this time it could be different. Not a pocket dimension. Not a prison. But a real world. Determination welled in his heart. He opened his mouth and bellowed.

''"Let there be light!"''

<comments />

[[Category:Story|Abysses]]
[[Category:Virmir|Abysses]]
[[Category:Animal|Abysses]]
[[Category:Canine|Abysses]]
[[Category:Fox|Abysses]]
[[Category:Inanimate|Abysses]]
[[Category:Plant|Abysses]]
[[Category:Mythical|Abysses]]

User:Virmir

2009-01-26T17:42:34Z

Virmir: /* Short Stories */

[[image:Virmir_av2.jpg|right]]
Hello!

I'm a casual writer who also enjoys drawing and all things fox-related. (''Gray'' foxes, of course!) I maintain the [http://metamorkeep.com Metamor Keep Story Archives] and have more examples of nonsense on [http://virmir.com my personal site]. I try to write stories that make you think, or at least dream a little. Hopefully something here piques your interest!

Thanks for reading!

== Short Stories ==

'''[[User:Virmir/Abysses | Abysses]]''' 
''"You've fallen into my trap, I'm afraid."''

'''[[User:Virmir/The Fennec and the Naga | The Fennec and the Naga]]''' 
''A huge globe of fire formed above his head. It would be dangerous, but he would rather risk a cave-in than a monster unslayed.''

'''[[User:Virmir/Downward | Downward]]''' 
''What could be down there? No ship had ever flown so low and returned.''

'''[[User:Virmir/A Moderately Comfortable Hole in the Ground | A Moderately Comfortable Hole in the Ground]]''' 
''"Yes, please," I replied, "it would be wonderful if you could undo the spell."''

'''[[User:Virmir/Spells of Brigervan | Spells of Brigervan]]''' 
''"Bryce! Look out!!" Too late. The creature's rusty spear tore right through his stomach before he could even turn his head.''

'''[[User:Virmir/Slips of Paper | Slips of Paper]]''' 
''Arg! That blasted alarm! It's time to get up already? Ugh.''

[[Category:Author]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Virmir}}

User:Virmir/Slips of Paper

2008-06-29T21:39:12Z

Virmir: Placing in mental change category

{{title|name=''"Slips of Paper"''|author=Virmir|user=Virmir}}

Arg! That blasted alarm! It's time to get up already? Ugh.

Let's see, what do we have for breakfast? Waffles. Again. That's okay, I like waffles. Well, usually. These don't seem to be sitting well with me today.

Doesn't matter. Need to get to work. Next, I'll brush my teeth.

Well, shoot. It's usually not this hard. I mean, my teeth seem a lot more pointy than normal. And my face in the mirror? Huh. I don't remember being ''THAT'' ugly. I've got patches of sliver fur growing all over my skin. And my nose is sticking out. Any my ears are getting bigger.

Well too bad. I can't call off work for ugliness! Forget it! I need to get dressed.

Except these socks aren't fitting right. In fact, NONE of these clothes are fitting like they used to. Maybe I lost weight. I mean, that's a good thing, right? Well geez, even my pajamas are falling off.

Forget it! What do I need clothes for when I have this fur? Running late, so I better hurry up.

Whoa! I almost landed flat on my nose there! Hmm, it does seem a lot more comfortable on all fours like this, though. Makes more sense when you think about it. I'll just mosey on out…

Huh. That door latch is a whole lot higher than I thought. Maybe if I jump... Ergh. And it's really tough to turn. Blast it, I'm gonna be late! Just have to-- there we go!

Well, it's certainly a lot nicer out here than that musty old house. Shoot. How do I get in the car again? Aw, forget it! I'll just walk. I'm pretty fast on four legs, you know.

Now let's see... which way to Chicago? Just have to pick up some scents. Wait a minute... I don't even remember what Chicago smells like! How could I forget? I go there every day! Blast it! I need to get to work!

HEY! Watch it!! Freaking humans in their tin cans. Almost hit me! Yeah, that's right buddy. I just flipped you off with my tail. ''Bite me.''

I really need to find my way to work. Now wait a second... why do I need to work again? Let's see, there's some important reason, I know.

Oh! That's right! I need to work to get... slips of paper...? What do I need THOSE for? Hmmm...

Oh! Food! I need the slips of paper to get food... Is that it? No, I need them for the place I live in too, I think...

Well, shoot.

I can get all that stuff for free in the forest. Geez, how stupid could I be? I mean, wasting all my time like I did! Forget work! Screw that!

I'll just waltz into this conveniently placed woodland area here.

Whoa, hmmm, who's this I smell? Hey, there's a gray vixen around here somewhere. Wonder if she'd want to hang out with me. Let's see if we can find her...

Ah, there she is!

"Hello my lady. Pleasant weather we're having, isn't it? I say, you smell positively lovely."

"Tee hee hee, I'll bet you say that to all the girls when they're in season." She waves a paw at me playfully.

"HEY!!! Get away from my girl!!" The angry voice comes up from behind me fast.

"Woah, relax! I was only sniffing!"

"Get out of here before I rip your face off!!" He's snarling now, rather rudely.

"Geez! Sorry!"

What's the deal with monogamy, anyway? Ah, forget it. I'll just hang out over here.

"Dude, get out of here! You're still on our territory!" He's yelling at me from a distance now.

"Well excuuuuuse me!"

Freaking neighbors. Ugh.

Well I've been moving along for a while now. Wonder where all the food is. Hey, I'll bet I can catch a squirrel. Don't they, like, sleep in holes in trees and stuff? I'll just climb up there and ambush them. Gray foxes can climb trees, you know. 'Cause we're awesome.

This is a pretty nice tree. Well compared to the average tree. I guess. Wait, who's that walking down there?

Oh, great. It's a ''red''.

Freaking reds. Think they're better than everyone else. Why does everyone like reds anyway? I'll show him.

"Hey! Get away from my tree or I'll rip your face off!!"

His ears shoot up. His eyes finally find me up here. "Dude! That's my tree! I marked it yesterday!"

"Well I marked over it! Get lost! Loser!"

Ha! He's grumbling and walking away. Showed him.

Well, I'm kinda tired. That beeping thing woke me up early after all. Won't have to worry about that out here through. Besides, it's pretty bright out. I mean, who can get anything done in the middle the day, anyway? Think I'll curl up in between these branches right here and take a nap. Look for some food later on when it's dark. Some real food, not that nasty sticky stuff.

It's colder out here, but my tail's nice and warm. Much better pillow than that thing I slept on before.

Ha. Slips of paper. I swear...

<comments />
[[Category:Story|Slips of Paper]]
[[Category:Virmir|Slips of Paper]]
[[Category:Animal|Slips of Paper]]
[[Category:Canine|Slips of Paper]]
[[Category:Fox|Slips of Paper]]
[[Category:Mental Change|Slips of Paper]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Slips of Paper}}

User:Virmir/The Fennec and the Naga

2008-06-29T21:36:34Z

Virmir: Adding image and those nifty separator things.

[[image:The_fennec2.jpg|right]]
{{title|name=''"The Fennec and the Naga"''|user=Virmir|author=Virmir}}

"You are crazy. No water? No gragg? You will die before the day's end!"

He ignored it. Just a miserable merchant.

"Fine! I no rent graggs to stupid fens who die and cannot return them anyway!"

The open gate towered before him, and he hastily made his way through the dusty street, not wanting to spend another moment in this filthy hovel of a town. True, there were other fennecs around, but he felt no kindred to them. Not anymore, at least.

Past the town, the road melted into a sea of endless sand. The brilliant crimson sphere that was the rising sun clipped the orange dunes. He followed it, a smile crossing his muzzle as it burned away the horrible frigid night air. Soon the day would swelter. He pressed forward, the loose sand clinging between his toeclaws.

The heat came quickly, like a gushing stream. As the sun changed from crimson to gold, its invisible flame scorched the sand all around, which reflected the fire back up to him. He unfastened his white cloak to let the warmth caress his chest.

The tingling began in his ears as they fanned towards the life-giving orb in the sky. He perked them to keep his hat fixed upon his head as a light breeze kicked up some dry sand. The sensation spread down his neck and his exposed arms and chest. In the bright sunlight, his tawny fur began to glow a golden yellow. Wisps of translucent flame almost jumped from the strands as they absorbed the light. It felt wonderful. He considered removing his cloak so that he might enjoy the sensation upon his back and tail, but did not want to carry it along with his pack.

He preferred the night once. But that was long before he ascended. Now it was the light that gave him strength. The raw power of the sun that fueled his body. The scorching desert that killed all other life was his personal heaven. Here he need not eat nor drink. Only bask in the life-giving rays.

But his gift was also a curse, for it made darkness his enemy. The bitter cold shadow sapped his strength. He dare not sleep without at least a flickering candle to cast light upon his body, lest he die in the night. Like the most wretched of fools, he too was afraid of the dark.

But here he didn't need to worry about such things. The light was so intense during the day, he could store enough energy to last a full night. And the infrequency of clouds promised a full recharge as soon as the sun rose. He brought an oil lamp and candles just in case...

It would take many weeks, perhaps months. But he would find it. Few had lived to tell tales of the floating stone hidden somewhere amongst the endless sea of fire. But then again, none thrived in the burning sands like he.

To some it was a castle. To others a gargantuan jewel, hanging just off the horizon. A mirage-- an illusion beckoning thirsty wanderers, promising an escape. Some searched for it. Others fled at its sight.

He would find out. And then take what secrets it held.

For endless days he walked in the heat, the bright rays sopping up whatever fatigue he would otherwise know. During the nights he huddled inside his tent with his tail between his legs, cursing the darkness as it slowly chiseled at his energy stores. Oftentimes he would wake shivering from a half-forgotten nightmare, and need to light a candle and stare at its comforting flicker to lull him back to sleep.

But morning always came, and with it a renewed strength and determination.

Some said that the floating stone only appeared to the utterly lost. He lost count of the number of times the sun rose. But at long last a shimmering glimmer reflected the sun's rays off something upon the horizon. He steeled his nerves as he approached. He had conquered the desert; now he would conquer the unknown.

The silver speck of light remained formless for two days as he approached. On the third, a steely sphere floating above the land became evident, growing in size until he finally crested the sandy ridge surrounding the floating stone. A metallic ball hovered in thin air above a weather-worn temple, serving as a sort of shining silver marker to point out the otherwise invisible old structure.

He descended into the sandy valley, craning his neck to look up at the edifice and the giant floating ball. The temple climbed skyward on tiers that grew smaller each section up. As he drew closer, he noted brown vines that crawled upon the surface of the walls like snakes. Whether they were stone carvings or evidence of a long vanished oasis, he could not discern.

The temple doors yawned wide, rusted open for ages, taunting him to enter where none have returned. This was what he came for.

He paused at the entrance, regarding the dead vines dancing upon the mighty jambs once more. It was dark inside. Very dark. But he did not come this far to be defeated by shadows. He lit his oil lamp and drove on.

The cold stone stung the pads upon his feet, and each reverbing click of his nails echoing throughout the hollow corridor chiseled at his resolve like the ocean eroded the shore. In the darkness he was so alone... The bright rays of the sun could not find him here. He had only his stores which he soaked up throughout the day. And he could feel the heat sapped from him with each heartbeat. His bleeding energy sucked away by the horrible blackness around him.

But it would last. He would last.

A breeze. The flickering flame he held in his hand tried to die. Tried to abandon him in the blackness. But he would not allow it. Supplementing the lamp with a trickle of power from his own aura, the fire lit anew, and its light spread throughout the largest chamber he had seen after too many tense moments navigating the suffocating corridors.

Bones surrounded him. On all sides. Pristine white bones, as if the meat had been sucked from them and the inedible remains discarded. Skulls with gaping muzzles and jagged canines stared at him through empty sockets. He shuttered, trying to avert his gaze, but they covered the chamber entirely. Fennec skulls...

Ignoring the overwhelming staleness assaulting his nostrils, he forced his tail from between his legs and stepped forward, avoiding the prickly ribs and tailbones in his path. He froze upon hearing a light rasping sound, and angled both his wide ears towards the center of the room.

The mass before him shifted, and through the darkness he made out a faint figure rising. "Welcome... welcome..." it said. Or rather she said. He curled his lips in a slight snarl. The sultry voice sounded fennec enough, but he knew better.

The lithe form rose slowly, trumping his height and then pressing further towards the black ceiling. "You've come to me all alone... I shall see to it that you join your fellowsss." She drew her arms wide, stretching the final syllable into a sibilant hiss. She was twice his height by now, and still gaining. Green wisps appeared in the air around her, casting a pale glow upon her baleful body...

Black sunken eyes stared down at the fennec, framed by glimmering olive scales. "What is it that you seek?" she asked through fanged teeth. Her lower body melded into the torso of a colossal snake that twisted behind her, the end lost in the darkness.

He chuffed at the display, despite having to take a step back. "Why, to kill you of course."

Of course. That was how it always went. A one-liner delivered with a smirk and a wink. He'd done this a hundred times before. With a flourish he threw off his cloak and hat. Time to fight.

The naga chucked a raspy laugh, arcing her back upward and spreading her arms wide. A calm, practiced laugh. She'd done this a hundred times before.

The fennec thrust his right claw forward, a brilliant sphere of crimson flame igniting in his palm. A small summation of the sun's rays he had absorbed. The intense light painted the walls orange, and the naga flinched. Just a bit. He took a second to savor the power at his clawtips, then fired the orb at her head with the full force of a cannon.

The naga dodged, ducking downwards with a hiss. In the same motion her tail ravaged across the ground, smashing the array of floor skeletons as the fennec evasively jumped into the air at the last instant.

He flipped in the air once, twice, then kicked off the nose of a tall serpentine statue. He rocketed towards the naga, snarling as his body burst into flames. He reared his foot to the side, then kicked firmly into the temple of his adversary's scaly head with a resounding crack. The naga roared as she crumpled, spinning wildly as she spiraled clear through two stone pillars. Boulders rained from the ceiling and the temple groaned.

He floated in thin air a moment, flames caressing his body as he gathered the energy for the finishing blow. A huge globe of fire formed above his head. It would be dangerous, but he would rather risk a cave-in than a monster unslayed.

As the burning orb reached critical mass, the naga twitched and he sent it rocketing downward. Green wisps of light rushed to save their queen and all collided in the center of the room. The explosion blasted the fennec clear out of the air, and he tumbled amongst the bones upon the floor, the fire around him vanishing.

He stood, snarling as his eyes readjusted to the darkness. Too late to see the tail. With a snap he flew backwards, his body embedding itself into the wall as it crumbled. He fell forward and she caught him in her coils...

Tighter and tighter... he struggled as her tail wrapped around him, suspending him in the air. He called forth the flame but it fizzled out as she constricted. Soon only his head was free of the snake's coils. He opened his muzzle wide and bit down, but could not penetrate the scales.

Her head loomed above, and he flinched at the fangs. Closer and closer she drew. No, he would not scream. He would not give her that. He felt her fetid breath upon his face, and defiantly snarled as she bit down...

{{Separator|j}}

"Karl...? Karl!"

Karl shook awake at Frank's voice, his dream shattering like a pane of glass. "Dozin' again, huh?" Frank leaned forward, his pudgy features contorting into a grin. He set a stack of papers on the desk and adjusted his tie. "Marketing will need that by the end of the day."

Karl nodded, accepting the stack and flipping through the pages as he leaned back in his seat. "Right."

Frank sipped his coffee and left, leaving Karl alone in the cubical. He rubbed his eyes drearily and stared at the monitor's dim luminescence. 1:30 the clock read. Only four hours to go.

Just. Four. More. Hours....

He began his work, typing lines of code. This made perfect sense. Everyone did this. Everyone worked for a living, whether they liked it or not. He needed money to survive. Everyone did. Perfectly normal.

He worked tirelessly, straining his eyes and wrists as he typed. Others passed his workspace, some trying to start idle conversation. He waved them away, focusing on the project.

Before long his mind wandered and his focus wavered. He had vague recollections of some dream. A dream filled with terror and danger, yet somehow more appealing than the harsh dullness of reality. He shook the thought from his mind, fighting the fatigue to press on with writing his code.

As drowsiness threatened to overtake him, he rose and stretched. The trip to the restroom was all the diversion he could afford. He didn't go because he had to go. He went for the walk, short as it was. He paused for a moment at the window in the hall, catching a glimmer of sunlight between the skyscrapers. For a moment he imagined himself basking it its life-giving rays, but shook the nonsensical thought from his mind.

After he shut the stall door, he felt something strange. His tail was there. Tawny furred, slipped through a slit in the seat of his pants... He blinked and it was gone. Tail? No, normal people don't have tails. Certainly not him. Certainly not anyone. He scratched his head. Simple delirium from work.

As he washed his hands, he thought he saw his ears in the mirror. Giant yellow-- no, just normal human ears.

Human? Yes, human. Perfectly normal.

Except on his way back to his cubicle, everyone had a tail.

He tried not to stare as he passed his co-workers, each with a tawny-furred, black-tipped appendage swaying behind him or her. He blinked as they flicked in and out of reality, settling in as ghostly phantom appendages. Oversized translucent ears rose from the tops of their heads. Some of the humans laughed and joked, but their phantom muzzles cried out in pain and sorrow...

Karl made it back to his desk sweating. He wiped his brow with the sleeve of his shirt, leaning back in the chair and breathing. He checked the clock. 1:30.

Just four more hours.

Four more hours?

He stared at the face, overcome by a sense of deja-vu, but unable to remember what exactly it was.

"Hey Karl."

He jumped as Frank entered the cubicle, stack of papers in his hand. "Day dreamin' again, huh?" The larger man leaned forward, his pudgy features contorting into a grin. He set the papers on the desk and adjusted his tie. "Marketing will need that by the end of the day."

"Right." Karl nodded. Frank left, translucent tail swaying behind him. Karl leaned back in his chair, watching the ghostly appendage slip out of sight before he jumped up and peered around the corner. Ducking low, Karl followed.

Then he saw her.

In a dull green dress she stood, talking to another man. She laughed. A sick maniacal cackle. Karl hid behind the neighboring cubicle wall. It was her. His boss.

The naga.

Nearly level with the ground, he poked his nose around the bend once more. He could see through her illusion, the vile beast... Intertwining with the human façade was the sinuous snake, translucent tail wrapping down the maze-like passages born from cubical walls.

She moved and he followed. His tail came back. His ears, muzzle, and fur. His suit melted into his white cloak. His dress shoes fell off and he dug his toeclaws into the carpet.

The fennec darted from passage to passage, laying low, hiding behind equipment and half-walls. He peered his muzzle over trashcans and around corners. The office workers eyed him curiously, but he paid them no mind. He snuck behind, stalking the ghostly tail as it dragged through turn after turn.

Finally it disappeared into a room by itself, the door shutting behind it. Her office...

He tip-toed to one side, ensuring the coast was clear as he pressed his back against the wall. Tail anxiously waving and ears folded, he turned the latch and burst in.

"Karl? Can I... help you?" She sat at her desk, papers strewn about. "What's wrong?" She asked in a sickenly innocent tone, folding her hands under her chin.

The fennec growled. That name. Such an oddity. A foreign word his muzzle could not hope to pronounce. "You know full well why I'm here," he said, extending a claw. "Release me at once!" A brilliant plume of flame sprang to life upon his fingertips.

She pursed her lips, staring into his eyes. Was she ignoring the spell? How audacious! To pretend not to see it! "Karl... I'm going to call security if you don't return to your desk."

He snarled. Talking never worked. He released the ball of flame, sending it spiraling towards her head. Somehow she moved so subtly that it appeared her head had been cocked to the side the whole time. The raging fireball rocketed past, striking the window at the rear of the office and sending a spray of glass upon the cityscape beyond with a resounding clash.

Her head slowly turned back to face him. "Bad Karl..." her eyes narrowed as glass rained upon the desk, blown inward from a sudden exterior gust. "Very bad..." Her form rose, her flesh melting off revealing the scales beneath. And the tail grew, pushing her upward and upward...

"Bad bad bad!!" She screamed as a plume of green burst from nowhere and slammed into the fennec's chest. He sputtered, eyes bulging as he flew backwards into the hallway and through the next door. Splinters of wood clattered in his wake. The tail loomed from above and struck him into the ground as he futilely tried to block. "Sleep!" she hissed. "Go to sleep! Sleep!!" Again and again the tail struck, beating every sense out of his body.

{{Separator|j}}

"Karl...? Karl!"

Karl shook awake at Frank's voice, his dream shattering like a pane of glass. "Dozin' again, huh?" Frank leaned forward, his pudgy features contorting into a grin. He set a stack of papers on the desk and adjusted his tie. "Marketing will need that by the end of the day."

Karl nodded, accepting the stack and flipping through the pages as he leaned back in his seat. He blinked. "R-Right."

Frank sipped his coffee and left, leaving Karl alone in the cubical. He rubbed his eyes drearily and stared at the monitor's dim luminescence. 1:30 the clock read. Only four hours to go.

No. Way.

He stared at his hands, turning them over. Pink skin. Perfectly normal.

No, that was what she wanted him to think.

He concentrated. The flesh faded. The black pads upon his palms returned, along with the tawny fur and claws. He stood, as his tail made sitting uncomfortable. Transformation complete, he briskly strode down the hall.

He paused at the door, ears perked as he listened for any sign of movement. Sensing nothing but her rasping breath, he burst in, claws at the ready. "If you think--"

A brilliant flash of green greeted him. Once again he soared backwards, pummeled by the green wisps. "Sleep! Go to sleep!" The tail followed, decimating the hallway. Beams and splinters rained from above. He rolled to the side, avoiding the scaly tree-trunk as it gouged the carpeting. Again it came. This time he caught it, summoning flame into his claws as he dug in.

The naga screeched and tossed him skyward. He held on to the appendage and flew through the ceiling then wall after wall, obliterating workstation after workstation as the tail flailed about. Head struck multiple times, the world faded as he was jettisoned, landing in a crumpled heap as papers flew about.

{{Separator|j}}

"Karl...? Karl!"

Karl shook awake at Frank's voice, his dream shattering like a pane of glass. "Dozin' again, huh?" Frank leaned forward, his pudgy features contorting into a grin. He set a stack of papers on the desk and adjusted his tie. "Marketing will need that by the end of the day."

Karl stood and punched Frank square in the face. The heavyset man flew through the air, spinning once and clipping the edge of the cubical wall, bringing the entire structure down. The girl next door screamed as the flying man smashed her computer, sending sparks surging in all directions and popping sounds bursting through the air.

The fennec darted through the halls as the lights flickered. He slowed a good distance from the door and cupped his hands to his sides just above his hip. Brilliant flames radiated between them, casting the walls in a crimson radiance. Silently he stepped towards the door, the spell's intensity increasing with each second.

This time he did not bother opening it. Instead he shoved his hands forward and decimated the frail portal with a searing blast of crimson energy. The wave of fire struck the waiting naga on the other side head-on. She hissed in rage as she spiraled backwards through the pane of glass, plummeting hundreds of feet towards the city streets below.

He did not wait for her to strike ground. He darted through the charred office, leaping through the gaping hole in the wall even as the glass hung in the wind. Spotting her flailing below as he rocketed down the side of the building, he fired two fireballs that streamed through the air as they honed their target.

She crashed into the street before the burning projectiles struck, the pavement rippling under her as she dampened the fall with her long coils. With a wave of a hand, her green wisps rushed to meet the fennec's orange flame, the rustling blasts decimating the windows of the surrounding buildings. Chunks of asphalt rained upward at the fennec as he fell, but a spray of flame from his claw obliterated those in his path. He landed on the roof of a car, crumpling it entirely as the alarm screamed.

By now the naga had scooped up another vehicle and quickly slammed it down at him. He rolled off the car as it exploded, then leapt straight into the air to avoid the sweeping tail. Rearing his foot back, he planted a kick upon the side of her muzzle and the giant snake spiraled backwards, crashing through the support pillar of an open-air parking garage.

An impenetrable cloud of dust engulfed the edifice, and he squinted as a gust blasted the grains into his eyes. The asphalt beneath his feet exploded as the tail burst upward, sending him into a spiraling flip. "Sleep!" His footpaws clicked upon concrete as he blindly dodged a second time, the massive scaly appendage breaking through the frail stone on the way down. "Go to sleep!"

The third time she had him. Wrapped in coils one more, he clenched his teeth as she dragged him underground, rock sliding upon his flesh. Then the crushing weight of the world smashed his body into a thin slime.

{{Separator|j}}

Karl jolted awake, breathing heavily as he sat up in bed. He buried his face in his hands and shuddered.

"Honey, what's wrong?"

It was her. "You..." he snarled.

She folded her arms and leaned against the headboard, her innocent look of concern melting away into stern irritation. "Why? Why do you resist?"

His jaw dropped. "Why? You ensnare me and then ask why I struggle?"

She grinned, a devilish smirk of amusement. "But I can give you anything... you are so very alone out there, are you not?"

"You know nothing." His skin tingled as the fur began its return.

"You don't know what you want." She grinned, fangs elongating.

"No..." he fell back, nearly tripping out of the bed. But he caught himself and stood, claws returning to catch the carpet. "You can't do it, can you?" He grinned as his tail brushed the wall. "You're frustrated because you can't take me."

"Lies!" She hissed, her scaly tail bursting from under the covers. "Sleep! GO TO SLEEP!!"

The fennec sidestepped the appendage as it tore a hole through the wall. Snarling, he grabbed the thick flesh and heaved the monster across the room. The naga flailed as she crashed through the far window, a glowing cityscape framing her lithe silhouette. She twisted and caught the sill before dropping hundreds of stories once again, instead pulling herself up with a bestial roar. Her eyes burned green as she peeked over the edge and slithered back into the dark room.

He would have none of it. With a touch of his claws the bed burst into flame. The naga flinched at the red light. He effortlessly heaved the burning object over his head and catapulted it into the far wall with the window. The building groaned under his feet as the entire face gave way, the naga hissing under the plummeting fireball. Ceiling tile tumbled and floorboards rocketed around. He threw his head back in laughter as reality withered and died.

<comments />
[[Category:Story|Fennec and the Naga, The]]
[[Category:Virmir|Fennec and the Naga, The]]
[[Category:Anthropomorphic|Fennec and the Naga, The]]
[[Category:Canine|Fennec and the Naga, The]]
[[Category:Fox|Fennec and the Naga, The]]
[[Category:Reptile|Fennec and the Naga, The]]
[[Category:Snake|Fennec and the Naga, The]]

File:The fennec2.jpg

2008-06-29T21:32:07Z

Virmir: Illustration to go with "The Fennec and the Naga". Drawn by me. :)

Illustration to go with "The Fennec and the Naga". Drawn by me. :)

User:Virmir/The Fennec and the Naga

2008-06-29T21:24:51Z

Virmir: My latest story!

{{title|name=''"The Fennec and the Naga"''|user=Virmir|author=Virmir}}

"You are crazy. No water? No gragg? You will die before the day's end!"

He ignored it. Just a miserable merchant.

"Fine! I no rent graggs to stupid fens who die and cannot return them anyway!"

The open gate towered before him, and he hastily made his way through the dusty street, not wanting to spend another moment in this filthy hovel of a town. True, there were other fennecs around, but he felt no kindred to them. Not anymore, at least.

Past the town, the road melted into a sea of endless sand. The brilliant crimson sphere that was the rising sun clipped the orange dunes. He followed it, a smile crossing his muzzle as it burned away the horrible frigid night air. Soon the day would swelter. He pressed forward, the loose sand clinging between his toeclaws.

The heat came quickly, like a gushing stream. As the sun changed from crimson to gold, its invisible flame scorched the sand all around, which reflected the fire back up to him. He unfastened his white cloak to let the warmth caress his chest.

The tingling began in his ears as they fanned towards the life-giving orb in the sky. He perked them to keep his hat fixed upon his head as a light breeze kicked up some dry sand. The sensation spread down his neck and his exposed arms and chest. In the bright sunlight, his tawny fur began to glow a golden yellow. Wisps of translucent flame almost jumped from the strands as they absorbed the light. It felt wonderful. He considered removing his cloak so that he might enjoy the sensation upon his back and tail, but did not want to carry it along with his pack.

He preferred the night once. But that was long before he ascended. Now it was the light that gave him strength. The raw power of the sun that fueled his body. The scorching desert that killed all other life was his personal heaven. Here he need not eat nor drink. Only bask in the life-giving rays.

But his gift was also a curse, for it made darkness his enemy. The bitter cold shadow sapped his strength. He dare not sleep without at least a flickering candle to cast light upon his body, lest he die in the night. Like the most wretched of fools, he too was afraid of the dark.

But here he didn't need to worry about such things. The light was so intense during the day, he could store enough energy to last a full night. And the infrequency of clouds promised a full recharge as soon as the sun rose. He brought an oil lamp and candles just in case...

It would take many weeks, perhaps months. But he would find it. Few had lived to tell tales of the floating stone hidden somewhere amongst the endless sea of fire. But then again, none thrived in the burning sands like he.

To some it was a castle. To others a gargantuan jewel, hanging just off the horizon. A mirage-- an illusion beckoning thirsty wanderers, promising an escape. Some searched for it. Others fled at its sight.

He would find out. And then take what secrets it held.

For endless days he walked in the heat, the bright rays sopping up whatever fatigue he would otherwise know. During the nights he huddled inside his tent with his tail between his legs, cursing the darkness as it slowly chiseled at his energy stores. Oftentimes he would wake shivering from a half-forgotten nightmare, and need to light a candle and stare at its comforting flicker to lull him back to sleep.

But morning always came, and with it a renewed strength and determination.

Some said that the floating stone only appeared to the utterly lost. He lost count of the number of times the sun rose. But at long last a shimmering glimmer reflected the sun's rays off something upon the horizon. He steeled his nerves as he approached. He had conquered the desert; now he would conquer the unknown.

The silver speck of light remained formless for two days as he approached. On the third, a steely sphere floating above the land became evident, growing in size until he finally crested the sandy ridge surrounding the floating stone. A metallic ball hovered in thin air above a weather-worn temple, serving as a sort of shining silver marker to point out the otherwise invisible old structure.

He descended into the sandy valley, craning his neck to look up at the edifice and the giant floating ball. The temple climbed skyward on tiers that grew smaller each section up. As he drew closer, he noted brown vines that crawled upon the surface of the walls like snakes. Whether they were stone carvings or evidence of a long vanished oasis, he could not discern.

The temple doors yawned wide, rusted open for ages, taunting him to enter where none have returned. This was what he came for.

He paused at the entrance, regarding the dead vines dancing upon the mighty jambs once more. It was dark inside. Very dark. But he did not come this far to be defeated by shadows. He lit his oil lamp and drove on.

The cold stone stung the pads upon his feet, and each reverbing click of his nails echoing throughout the hollow corridor chiseled at his resolve like the ocean eroded the shore. In the darkness he was so alone... The bright rays of the sun could not find him here. He had only his stores which he soaked up throughout the day. And he could feel the heat sapped from him with each heartbeat. His bleeding energy sucked away by the horrible blackness around him.

But it would last. He would last.

A breeze. The flickering flame he held in his hand tried to die. Tried to abandon him in the blackness. But he would not allow it. Supplementing the lamp with a trickle of power from his own aura, the fire lit anew, and its light spread throughout the largest chamber he had seen after too many tense moments navigating the suffocating corridors.

Bones surrounded him. On all sides. Pristine white bones, as if the meat had been sucked from them and the inedible remains discarded. Skulls with gaping muzzles and jagged canines stared at him through empty sockets. He shuttered, trying to avert his gaze, but they covered the chamber entirely. Fennec skulls...

Ignoring the overwhelming staleness assaulting his nostrils, he forced his tail from between his legs and stepped forward, avoiding the prickly ribs and tailbones in his path. He froze upon hearing a light rasping sound, and angled both his wide ears towards the center of the room.

The mass before him shifted, and through the darkness he made out a faint figure rising. "Welcome... welcome..." it said. Or rather she said. He curled his lips in a slight snarl. The sultry voice sounded fennec enough, but he knew better.

The lithe form rose slowly, trumping his height and then pressing further towards the black ceiling. "You've come to me all alone... I shall see to it that you join your fellowsss." She drew her arms wide, stretching the final syllable into a sibilant hiss. She was twice his height by now, and still gaining. Green wisps appeared in the air around her, casting a pale glow upon her baleful body...

Black sunken eyes stared down at the fennec, framed by glimmering olive scales. "What is it that you seek?" she asked through fanged teeth. Her lower body melded into the torso of a colossal snake that twisted behind her, the end lost in the darkness.

He chuffed at the display, despite having to take a step back. "Why, to kill you of course."

Of course. That was how it always went. A one-liner delivered with a smirk and a wink. He'd done this a hundred times before. With a flourish he threw off his cloak and hat. Time to fight.

The naga chucked a raspy laugh, arcing her back upward and spreading her arms wide. A calm, practiced laugh. She'd done this a hundred times before.

The fennec thrust his right claw forward, a brilliant sphere of crimson flame igniting in his palm. A small summation of the sun's rays he had absorbed. The intense light painted the walls orange, and the naga flinched. Just a bit. He took a second to savor the power at his clawtips, then fired the orb at her head with the full force of a cannon.

The naga dodged, ducking downwards with a hiss. In the same motion her tail ravaged across the ground, smashing the array of floor skeletons as the fennec evasively jumped into the air at the last instant.

He flipped in the air once, twice, then kicked off the nose of a tall serpentine statue. He rocketed towards the naga, snarling as his body burst into flames. He reared his foot to the side, then kicked firmly into the temple of his adversary's scaly head with a resounding crack. The naga roared as she crumpled, spinning wildly as she spiraled clear through two stone pillars. Boulders rained from the ceiling and the temple groaned.

He floated in thin air a moment, flames caressing his body as he gathered the energy for the finishing blow. A huge globe of fire formed above his head. It would be dangerous, but he would rather risk a cave-in than a monster unslayed.

As the burning orb reached critical mass, the naga twitched and he sent it rocketing downward. Green wisps of light rushed to save their queen and all collided in the center of the room. The explosion blasted the fennec clear out of the air, and he tumbled amongst the bones upon the floor, the fire around him vanishing.

He stood, snarling as his eyes readjusted to the darkness. Too late to see the tail. With a snap he flew backwards, his body embedding itself into the wall as it crumbled. He fell forward and she caught him in her coils...

Tighter and tighter... he struggled as her tail wrapped around him, suspending him in the air. He called forth the flame but it fizzled out as she constricted. Soon only his head was free of the snake's coils. He opened his muzzle wide and bit down, but could not penetrate the scales.

Her head loomed above, and he flinched at the fangs. Closer and closer she drew. No, he would not scream. He would not give her that. He felt her fetid breath upon his face, and defiantly snarled as she bit down...

----

"Karl...? Karl!"

Karl shook awake at Frank's voice, his dream shattering like a pane of glass. "Dozin' again, huh?" Frank leaned forward, his pudgy features contorting into a grin. He set a stack of papers on the desk and adjusted his tie. "Marketing will need that by the end of the day."

Karl nodded, accepting the stack and flipping through the pages as he leaned back in his seat. "Right."

Frank sipped his coffee and left, leaving Karl alone in the cubical. He rubbed his eyes drearily and stared at the monitor's dim luminescence. 1:30 the clock read. Only four hours to go.

Just. Four. More. Hours....

He began his work, typing lines of code. This made perfect sense. Everyone did this. Everyone worked for a living, whether they liked it or not. He needed money to survive. Everyone did. Perfectly normal.

He worked tirelessly, straining his eyes and wrists as he typed. Others passed his workspace, some trying to start idle conversation. He waved them away, focusing on the project.

Before long his mind wandered and his focus wavered. He had vague recollections of some dream. A dream filled with terror and danger, yet somehow more appealing than the harsh dullness of reality. He shook the thought from his mind, fighting the fatigue to press on with writing his code.

As drowsiness threatened to overtake him, he rose and stretched. The trip to the restroom was all the diversion he could afford. He didn't go because he had to go. He went for the walk, short as it was. He paused for a moment at the window in the hall, catching a glimmer of sunlight between the skyscrapers. For a moment he imagined himself basking it its life-giving rays, but shook the nonsensical thought from his mind.

After he shut the stall door, he felt something strange. His tail was there. Tawny furred, slipped through a slit in the seat of his pants... He blinked and it was gone. Tail? No, normal people don't have tails. Certainly not him. Certainly not anyone. He scratched his head. Simple delirium from work.

As he washed his hands, he thought he saw his ears in the mirror. Giant yellow-- no, just normal human ears.

Human? Yes, human. Perfectly normal.

Except on his way back to his cubicle, everyone had a tail.

He tried not to stare as he passed his co-workers, each with a tawny-furred, black-tipped appendage swaying behind him or her. He blinked as they flicked in and out of reality, settling in as ghostly phantom appendages. Oversized translucent ears rose from the tops of their heads. Some of the humans laughed and joked, but their phantom muzzles cried out in pain and sorrow...

Karl made it back to his desk sweating. He wiped his brow with the sleeve of his shirt, leaning back in the chair and breathing. He checked the clock. 1:30.

Just four more hours.

Four more hours?

He stared at the face, overcome by a sense of deja-vu, but unable to remember what exactly it was.

"Hey Karl."

He jumped as Frank entered the cubicle, stack of papers in his hand. "Day dreamin' again, huh?" The larger man leaned forward, his pudgy features contorting into a grin. He set the papers on the desk and adjusted his tie. "Marketing will need that by the end of the day."

"Right." Karl nodded. Frank left, translucent tail swaying behind him. Karl leaned back in his chair, watching the ghostly appendage slip out of sight before he jumped up and peered around the corner. Ducking low, Karl followed.

Then he saw her.

In a dull green dress she stood, talking to another man. She laughed. A sick maniacal cackle. Karl hid behind the neighboring cubicle wall. It was her. His boss.

The naga.

Nearly level with the ground, he poked his nose around the bend once more. He could see through her illusion, the vile beast... Intertwining with the human façade was the sinuous snake, translucent tail wrapping down the maze-like passages born from cubical walls.

She moved and he followed. His tail came back. His ears, muzzle, and fur. His suit melted into his white cloak. His dress shoes fell off and he dug his toeclaws into the carpet.

The fennec darted from passage to passage, laying low, hiding behind equipment and half-walls. He peered his muzzle over trashcans and around corners. The office workers eyed him curiously, but he paid them no mind. He snuck behind, stalking the ghostly tail as it dragged through turn after turn.

Finally it disappeared into a room by itself, the door shutting behind it. Her office...

He tip-toed to one side, ensuring the coast was clear as he pressed his back against the wall. Tail anxiously waving and ears folded, he turned the latch and burst in.

"Karl? Can I... help you?" She sat at her desk, papers strewn about. "What's wrong?" She asked in a sickenly innocent tone, folding her hands under her chin.

The fennec growled. That name. Such an oddity. A foreign word his muzzle could not hope to pronounce. "You know full well why I'm here," he said, extending a claw. "Release me at once!" A brilliant plume of flame sprang to life upon his fingertips.

She pursed her lips, staring into his eyes. Was she ignoring the spell? How audacious! To pretend not to see it! "Karl... I'm going to call security if you don't return to your desk."

He snarled. Talking never worked. He released the ball of flame, sending it spiraling towards her head. Somehow she moved so subtly that it appeared her head had been cocked to the side the whole time. The raging fireball rocketed past, striking the window at the rear of the office and sending a spray of glass upon the cityscape beyond with a resounding clash.

Her head slowly turned back to face him. "Bad Karl..." her eyes narrowed as glass rained upon the desk, blown inward from a sudden exterior gust. "Very bad..." Her form rose, her flesh melting off revealing the scales beneath. And the tail grew, pushing her upward and upward...

"Bad bad bad!!" She screamed as a plume of green burst from nowhere and slammed into the fennec's chest. He sputtered, eyes bulging as he flew backwards into the hallway and through the next door. Splinters of wood clattered in his wake. The tail loomed from above and struck him into the ground as he futilely tried to block. "Sleep!" she hissed. "Go to sleep! Sleep!!" Again and again the tail struck, beating every sense out of his body.

----

"Karl...? Karl!"

Karl shook awake at Frank's voice, his dream shattering like a pane of glass. "Dozin' again, huh?" Frank leaned forward, his pudgy features contorting into a grin. He set a stack of papers on the desk and adjusted his tie. "Marketing will need that by the end of the day."

Karl nodded, accepting the stack and flipping through the pages as he leaned back in his seat. He blinked. "R-Right."

Frank sipped his coffee and left, leaving Karl alone in the cubical. He rubbed his eyes drearily and stared at the monitor's dim luminescence. 1:30 the clock read. Only four hours to go.

No. Way.

He stared at his hands, turning them over. Pink skin. Perfectly normal.

No, that was what she wanted him to think.

He concentrated. The flesh faded. The black pads upon his palms returned, along with the tawny fur and claws. He stood, as his tail made sitting uncomfortable. Transformation complete, he briskly strode down the hall.

He paused at the door, ears perked as he listened for any sign of movement. Sensing nothing but her rasping breath, he burst in, claws at the ready. "If you think--"

A brilliant flash of green greeted him. Once again he soared backwards, pummeled by the green wisps. "Sleep! Go to sleep!" The tail followed, decimating the hallway. Beams and splinters rained from above. He rolled to the side, avoiding the scaly tree-trunk as it gouged the carpeting. Again it came. This time he caught it, summoning flame into his claws as he dug in.

The naga screeched and tossed him skyward. He held on to the appendage and flew through the ceiling then wall after wall, obliterating workstation after workstation as the tail flailed about. Head struck multiple times, the world faded as he was jettisoned, landing in a crumpled heap as papers flew about.

----

"Karl...? Karl!"

Karl shook awake at Frank's voice, his dream shattering like a pane of glass. "Dozin' again, huh?" Frank leaned forward, his pudgy features contorting into a grin. He set a stack of papers on the desk and adjusted his tie. "Marketing will need that by the end of the day."

Karl stood and punched Frank square in the face. The heavyset man flew through the air, spinning once and clipping the edge of the cubical wall, bringing the entire structure down. The girl next door screamed as the flying man smashed her computer, sending sparks surging in all directions and popping sounds bursting through the air.

The fennec darted through the halls as the lights flickered. He slowed a good distance from the door and cupped his hands to his sides just above his hip. Brilliant flames radiated between them, casting the walls in a crimson radiance. Silently he stepped towards the door, the spell's intensity increasing with each second.

This time he did not bother opening it. Instead he shoved his hands forward and decimated the frail portal with a searing blast of crimson energy. The wave of fire struck the waiting naga on the other side head-on. She hissed in rage as she spiraled backwards through the pane of glass, plummeting hundreds of feet towards the city streets below.

He did not wait for her to strike ground. He darted through the charred office, leaping through the gaping hole in the wall even as the glass hung in the wind. Spotting her flailing below as he rocketed down the side of the building, he fired two fireballs that streamed through the air as they honed their target.

She crashed into the street before the burning projectiles struck, the pavement rippling under her as she dampened the fall with her long coils. With a wave of a hand, her green wisps rushed to meet the fennec's orange flame, the rustling blasts decimating the windows of the surrounding buildings. Chunks of asphalt rained upward at the fennec as he fell, but a spray of flame from his claw obliterated those in his path. He landed on the roof of a car, crumpling it entirely as the alarm screamed.

By now the naga had scooped up another vehicle and quickly slammed it down at him. He rolled off the car as it exploded, then leapt straight into the air to avoid the sweeping tail. Rearing his foot back, he planted a kick upon the side of her muzzle and the giant snake spiraled backwards, crashing through the support pillar of an open-air parking garage.

An impenetrable cloud of dust engulfed the edifice, and he squinted as a gust blasted the grains into his eyes. The asphalt beneath his feet exploded as the tail burst upward, sending him into a spiraling flip. "Sleep!" His footpaws clicked upon concrete as he blindly dodged a second time, the massive scaly appendage breaking through the frail stone on the way down. "Go to sleep!"

The third time she had him. Wrapped in coils one more, he clenched his teeth as she dragged him underground, rock sliding upon his flesh. Then the crushing weight of the world smashed his body into a thin slime.

----

Karl jolted awake, breathing heavily as he sat up in bed. He buried his face in his hands and shuddered.

"Honey, what's wrong?"

It was her. "You..." he snarled.

She folded her arms and leaned against the headboard, her innocent look of concern melting away into stern irritation. "Why? Why do you resist?"

His jaw dropped. "Why? You ensnare me and then ask why I struggle?"

She grinned, a devilish smirk of amusement. "But I can give you anything... you are so very alone out there, are you not?"

"You know nothing." His skin tingled as the fur began its return.

"You don't know what you want." She grinned, fangs elongating.

"No..." he fell back, nearly tripping out of the bed. But he caught himself and stood, claws returning to catch the carpet. "You can't do it, can you?" He grinned as his tail brushed the wall. "You're frustrated because you can't take me."

"Lies!" She hissed, her scaly tail bursting from under the covers. "Sleep! GO TO SLEEP!!"

The fennec sidestepped the appendage as it tore a hole through the wall. Snarling, he grabbed the thick flesh and heaved the monster across the room. The naga flailed as she crashed through the far window, a glowing cityscape framing her lithe silhouette. She twisted and caught the sill before dropping hundreds of stories once again, instead pulling herself up with a bestial roar. Her eyes burned green as she peeked over the edge and slithered back into the dark room.

He would have none of it. With a touch of his claws the bed burst into flame. The naga flinched at the red light. He effortlessly heaved the burning object over his head and catapulted it into the far wall with the window. The building groaned under his feet as the entire face gave way, the naga hissing under the plummeting fireball. Ceiling tile tumbled and floorboards rocketed around. He threw his head back in laughter as reality withered and died.

<comments />
[[Category:Story|Fennec and the Naga, The]]
[[Category:Virmir|Fennec and the Naga, The]]
[[Category:Anthropomorphic|Fennec and the Naga, The]]
[[Category:Canine|Fennec and the Naga, The]]
[[Category:Fox|Fennec and the Naga, The]]
[[Category:Reptile|Fennec and the Naga, The]]
[[Category:Snake|Fennec and the Naga, The]]

User:Virmir

2008-06-29T21:17:30Z

Virmir: Adding latest story.

[[image:Virmir_av2.jpg|right]]
Hello!

I'm a casual writer who also enjoys drawing and all things fox-related. (''Gray'' foxes, of course!) I maintain the [http://metamorkeep.com Metamor Keep Story Archives] and have more examples of nonsense on [http://virmir.com my personal site]. I try to write stories that make you think, or at least dream a little. Hopefully something here piques your interest!

Thanks for reading!

== Short Stories ==

'''[[User:Virmir/The Fennec and the Naga | The Fennec and the Naga]]''' 
''A huge globe of fire formed above his head. It would be dangerous, but he would rather risk a cave-in than a monster unslayed.''

'''[[User:Virmir/Downward | Downward]]''' 
''What could be down there? No ship had ever flown so low and returned.''

'''[[User:Virmir/A Moderately Comfortable Hole in the Ground | A Moderately Comfortable Hole in the Ground]]''' 
''"Yes, please," I replied, "it would be wonderful if you could undo the spell."''

'''[[User:Virmir/Spells of Brigervan | Spells of Brigervan]]''' 
''"Bryce! Look out!!" Too late. The creature's rusty spear tore right through his stomach before he could even turn his head.''

'''[[User:Virmir/Slips of Paper | Slips of Paper]]''' 
''Arg! That blasted alarm! It's time to get up already? Ugh.''

[[Category:Author]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Virmir}}

User:Virmir

2008-06-27T03:55:22Z

Virmir: Adding some teasers to the stories.

[[image:Virmir_av2.jpg|right]]
Hello!

I'm a casual writer who also enjoys drawing and all things fox-related. (''Gray'' foxes, of course!) I maintain the [http://metamorkeep.com Metamor Keep Story Archives] and have more examples of nonsense on [http://virmir.com my personal site]. I try to write stories that make you think, or at least dream a little. Hopefully something here piques your interest!

Thanks for reading!

== Short Stories ==

'''[[User:Virmir/Downward | Downward]]''' 
''What could be down there? No ship had ever flown so low and returned. Those that attempted were taken by the Pull and lost forever.''

'''[[User:Virmir/A Moderately Comfortable Hole in the Ground | A Moderately Comfortable Hole in the Ground]]''' 
''"Yes, please," I replied, "it would be wonderful if you could undo the spell."''

'''[[User:Virmir/Spells of Brigervan | Spells of Brigervan]]''' 
''"Bryce! Look out!!" Too late. The creature's rusty spear tore right through his stomach before he could even turn his head.''

'''[[User:Virmir/Slips of Paper | Slips of Paper]]''' 
''Arg! That blasted alarm! It's time to get up already? Ugh.''

[[Category:Author]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Virmir}}

User:Virmir/Spells of Brigervan

2008-06-26T04:46:53Z

Virmir: Another missed category. :)

{{title|name=''"Spells of Brigervan"''|user=Virmir|author=Virmir}}

"Bryce! Look out!!"

Too late.

The creature's rusty spear tore right through his stomach before he could even turn his head. The thing laughed as it removed its weapon with a violent twist. Anselm and James were on the monster in a heartbeat, and it fell with two quick slashes from silver blades.

Bryce felt no pain. He didn't feel much of anything at all, as his entire body grew numb. He vaguely heard the muffled clap of his sword falling on the soft forest floor. His legs failed him, and he fell to his knees, shock laced across his muzzle. No... this wasn't supposed to happen...

"Bryce! No...! NO!!"

Catin caught him before he fell on his face, tears soaking the fur lining her eyes. How horrible to see her cry like this. She was always so happy. Always their beacon of light in the darkest times. No need for tears. He was fine! Really!

"I'm okay," he tried to say. The words caught in his throat and he began coughing before he could form them, some warm liquid escaping from his lips. Anselm and Catin gently set him on his back. Everyone hovered above him, their ears perked and eyes wide. Their animal visages were familiar and comforting as they swirled around. He didn't even remember how most of them looked when they were human.

It wasn't like they had much choice in the matter. Brigervan was on the brink of ruin, overrun by the vile goblin hordes of the Dark Emperor Xaivos. But there was one hope. A forbidden art sealed away in the depths of the catacombs. An art scorned by the gods themselves. They knew their goddess Terra would curse them for this, but the threats of ancient traditions weighed lightly against the bitter reality of immanent destruction by inhuman invaders. So they made a choice.

And it worked.

Reviving the long lost magic, the mages of Brigervan fused the few remaining warriors with animals captured from the forest. The abilities of each bonded man and woman grew immensely, and together they drove back the vile monsters.

Bryce remembered the red fox he bonded with. The raw fear in its eyes as the mages made their chants... And then their bodies melded together, and he could feel the creature screaming in terror as its tiny mind was eradicated, pushed out of existence by his own. He often felt sorry for the beast, and gave his thanks to it every night in silent prayer. He hoped Terra would forgive him. And he hoped that when this was all over and he returned to human form, the fox would separate intact as well, and the creature would be able to go back to its life in the forest.

His new body was strange and remarkable, the fur, tail, ears, claws... He had felt so alive and invincible, his strength and speed immeasurable. Indeed, he had torn through the goblin hordes with his comrades and won many battles. Years had passed, and the evil minions of Xaivos had been pushed back to the baleful Mountains of Woe themselves. And now, as part of only a tiny band of heroes, he was to help plunge the mighty Dagger of Gold into the vile wizard's black heart itself!

It cannot end here!

His whole life was ahead of him! A happy life, free of tyrannical wizards and fearsome creatures... A normal happy life...

Catin frantically tried to dress the wound in his stomach, leaning over him as she cried, her robes stained crimson. Everyone stood around, shock and fear in their eyes. Anselm was shouting something in his ear, though he couldn't quite make it out. James' jagged teeth were clenched, betraying a look of revulsion and panic. Even the cold hearted mage Kendo gazed down upon him with saddened eyes before shaking his head and turning away, his tail peeking out from under his cloak.

But he was okay!

Bryce didn't feel any pain at all, though he seemed to be having trouble telling them. Why weren't they listening? He felt quite nice, actually. Like he was floating amongst the clouds. Soon he would be able to sit up and explain that it was just a flesh wound. Then they would continue their journey. It was so wonderful, journeying with his friends. When this was all over, he wondered if they would ever journey together again. They simply must, for old times' sake! Yes, he would tell them as soon as Catin finished patching him up.

He was getting a little cold, though. He had heard rumors of harsh winters in the Mountains of Woe, and wondered if the group's clothing was adequate. Their pelts would only protect them so far, after all. The colorful faces above him melted together in a sea of swirls. His ears rung with echoing voices. He thought heard his name amongst the din. Who was calling? Catin? Anslem? He was right here! The edges of the swirls grew dark, and the colors meshed together into a single point of white light. He was flying high now, but he was so tired. The light faded gradually, and comforting darkness overtook him...

{{Separator|j}}

The void was so comfortable. There was nothing at all. He did not think, move, or feel.

Except for the thump.

Th-thump... th-thump... th-thump...

It was such a wonderful sensation. It was always there. Every time it happened, he knew it would happen again. That's the way it was, and the way it always will be.

He stayed there for a very long time.

Then he was cast out into the coldness. How awful! He wailed loudly, but his mother comforted him with a warm tongue. Then he found his way to his mother's milk. It was warm and sweet.

So he drank milk and slept. When he slept he listened to his mother's heart. Th-thump... th-thump... th-thump... It was so wonderful.

He did that for a long time as well.

Then he opened his eyes. It was hard to see in the dark den, but see he could. It was a new thing, and it made him curious. He nipped at his siblings' ears and tails, and they nipped back. He drank and slept along with his brother and sisters. Life was so wonderful.

And he did that for a long while as well.

Then he woke up.

Bryce sat on his haunches as he stared out of the mouth of the den. His tiny heart pounded in his chest as images flooded his mind. Where was he? _What_ was he? Catin, Anslem, the others... how long had it been? His sister gnawed on his ear, but he ignored her for a moment. The quest, the journey... he had to find them!

A dull pang of hunger rumbled in his tiny stomach. He turned around to see his mother, then his siblings feeding. Just a quick drink, that was all he needed. Unable to resist, he joined his brothers and sisters and gulped the warm, nurturing liquid, his complicated human worries giving way to the ignorant bliss of a young kit.

The next time Bryce became conscious his size had doubled. He was romping with his siblings just outside the den when it hit him all at once, just as his brother tackled him to the dirt. His mind was a whirl of confusion, and panic overtook him before he was able to collect the shattered pieces of his thoughts. Did he really die? He was a human, not an animal! Did his Terra punish him for stealing the fox's body?

He lied there for several moments, stricken with grief as his siblings nipped at him, urging him to get up and resume the fun. His friends... was their quest successful? Did they meet similar fates? Do they need his help? He had to find them! He had to!

He glanced around his surroundings, noting the mammoth trees looming high above, taking in the poignant smells of his littermates and the forest, and the sharp tones of birds calling in the canopy. By now his siblings had given up, taking to playing amongst themselves. His heart ached as he watched them romp, yearning to take part, but he shook the urge off as he reminded himself that his one only true brother had been killed at the first battle of Brigervan.

No, this was all wrong. He must find his companions! Springing up on all fours, he darted through the weeds at a full sprint. Suddenly, he was plucked off the ground by the back of his neck and tenderly carried to the den by his mother. By the time the helpless kit had entered the darkness, he had forgotten why he wanted to run. He was hungry, though.

Bryce woke up more and more often as the weeks went on, and each time he was able to keep his mind for a few moments longer. After the first few awakenings he understood that he did not have a chance of surviving alone at such a young age, so he took to concentrating on his past friends and family, reliving his memories over and over. The other kits seemed to notice when his mood shifted, and usually left the quiet kit by himself. His mother stopped giving milk after a while. His siblings became ferocious when their parents brought meals, so he was often the last to eat.

Once he stayed himself for a full day he knew it was time to leave. His legs had grown long and lanky, and his jaws strong. He ran through the forest at night, hoping against hope that he would find his friends.

Food was difficult to catch, and he was always hungry. He wished he knew where he was going, but night after night he aimlessly pushed through the darkness. He remembered what his traveling companions smelled like, and desperately sought their scents. The winds grew cold, reminding him of the bitter autumn he merged with the fox what seemed like so many years ago.

One night he smelled the most delicious scent in his entire life. He knew it was an animal already dead and that fresh meat was better, but he was so hungry he could not resist. He tracked it to a small alcove, and found the treasure simply lying there amongst a pile of leaves. Succulent meat... He dove to gobble it down, but something grabbed his hind leg and threw him into the air. He yowled in panic, hanging from a tree. A trap! How could he have been so stupid? He was smarter than an animal!

Humans appeared soon after, making their strange noises. Had he forgotten speech? He thrashed in the air, trying to claw and nip at them, but they threw him into a heavy bag. Was he to be sold for his fur? By the gods, he was a man! "Terra, save me!" he tried to scream in broken yips.

He was thrown into a tiny cage at the back of a horse drawn cart, and began a bumpy ride through the black forest. Clawing and biting at the bars was useless, as he only managed to injure himself. The sun rose slowly, and familiar scents began to fill the air. He turned to watch the front of the cart, and his ears perked as he recognized the magnificent walls coming into view.

Brigervan.

Home. His heart fluttered. It was safe. But no... the gates were in as bad condition as before the forbidden magic had been unearthed... Had the goblin hordes made a comeback? His friends! Were they okay? Had their quest failed?! He began clawing at the lock again, and the cart driver threw a heavy cloth over his cage in an attempt to calm him down.

The darkness was horrible. Muffled noises sounded from all sides. He felt the cage picked up and clumsily carried. Men wearing heavy gloves ripped him out and chained him to a post, wrapping a tight collar around his neck. Animalistic fear took over for several moments as he thrashed about.

Then he recognized the chant and calmed just enough to understand what was happening. The mages surrounded him in a circle. His body burned as if on fire...

Who?! Who was he being merged with?! He struggled to look up, to see the man standing next to him. His eyes widened in pure terror...

... as he looked into his own face.

<comments />
[[Category:Story|Spells of Brigervan]]
[[Category:Virmir|Spells of Brigervan]]
[[Category:Animal|Spells of Brigervan]]
[[Category:Canine|Spells of Brigervan]]
[[Category:Fox|Spells of Brigervan]]

User:Virmir/Slips of Paper

2008-06-26T04:44:48Z

Virmir: Forgot a category. ;)

User:Virmir

2008-06-26T04:38:31Z

Virmir: Gotta add the stylish self portrait. ;)

File:Virmir av2.jpg

2008-06-26T04:34:11Z

Virmir: Cartoon for my user page. Drawn by me. :)

Cartoon for my user page. Drawn by me. :)

User:Virmir/A Moderately Comfortable Hole in the Ground

2008-06-26T04:26:55Z

Virmir: This one could stand some cleaning up too, if I ever get around to it. Also, gah! Worst title ever!

{{title|name=''"A Moderately Comfortable Hole in the Ground"''|user=Virmir|author=Virmir}}

I remember how excited I was for the coming of spring those last few weeks. Its arrival would mark the beginning of my third year upon this world and my passage from childhood to adulthood. New opportunities would open up for me, as well new weights and responsibilities. I was ready for it all.

However as the day drew nearer and nearer, my mother grew increasingly anxious and distraught, and I could not understand why. There were dark rumors about the spring festival that I simply did not understand. Conditions existed for a kit to be accepted as an adult member of society that made little sense to me, although I should have figured it out sooner...

Red Foxes were the smartest, strongest, and most civilized inhabitants of the Forest. My childhood education was constantly supplemented with fantastic stories of crimson coated heroes. Stories about our creation in great Inari's image. About our banding together many, many years ago to create the City, a triumph against the surrounding hostile forest, and a testament to our greatness. And stories of battles, both large and small, against the vile Grays and the conniving Swifts.

Our greatest pride was our coats. Our queen vixen had the most beautiful fur with perfect coloration, a true testament to her vulpineness and her right to rule. Nobles were similarly stunning creatures, with black around their paws like gloves and lush crimson tails, save for the bight white tips. Of course the majority, the commoners, were not quite so perfect. Some could hide their blemishes under their tunics, while others were forced to wear their patches of gray or black about their faces or muzzles. Others simply had a discolored tail. Still, all were Red Foxes and glad of it.

I only became aware of the hierarchy as the festival approached.

I was different. My entire body was a mix of red and gray, one color more concentrated in some areas than others. My tail was mostly gray, though I did sport the most important white tip. Other kits used to make fun of me, saying I always looked dirty. I lacked black gloves. My main difference with the rest of society, however, was my ears. Rather than stand erect like cupped triangles, they drooped downward. When I was little, my mother tried to prop them up with sticks everyday for a time, but that did no good. I remember I thought her silly for it and took them off when she wasn't looking.

A very special guest visited me and my mother on the final night of my childhood. It was the greatest honor a commoner could ever hope to imagine. Alas, it was to be the last honor I would ever receive. The queen herself came to our dwelling, flanked by her entourage of crimson guards. With a calm sadness in her eyes she declared that I was not of pure enough blood to remain in society, and I was to be cast out into the forest the following morning before the ceremonies began. My mother wailed loudly.

So at sunrise I was given a long knife and sent into the wilderness, never to see the City again. Other than my mother, my only goodbye was to Catin, a vixen my age. I thought her more beautiful than the queen, despite the black on her face. We were to rise to adulthood together and be given our responsibilities at the ceremony later that day. But alas, it was never meant to be. She was devastated, but she at least composed herself enough to give me a kiss on the side of my muzzle.

I left quietly, my only possessions the clothes on my hide, a knife, and a kiss. The guards saluted me as they opened the gates. I had a single day to get as far away from the City as possible, then those same men would kill me like any other non-Red.

I was told to rely on my "instincts", a set of deep down primal urges that guided our ancestors long ago before the City existed. It was not easy. Many potential meals slipped through my claws. My hunting and trapping attempts were in vain and my only sources of nourishment were occasional patches of berries. By the third day I was weak and tired. And very alone.

It was the morning of that day that I decided I could not go on. I arose from a bramble of bushes, cold and wet from the morning dew. Whatever skills required to survive in the wild that my ancestors possessed I clearly lacked. I was going to die unless I returned to the City. But that was not an option. I would rather die of starvation than be killed by former friends.

I remembered hearing stories of one who lived outside of the City and forest, atop the mountain. A great sorceress with strange powers. Perhaps she could help? If only my fur were red and my ears straight, then I would be able to live with the others. Surely a sorceress could perform such magic. It was a long shot, but at least it was hope. Hope that I desperately needed. It was enough to get me to my feet and start me trudging towards those looming cliffs.

Eventually the forest began to break up. The trees became sparser and the ground dustier as I moved forward, the floor of soft grasses and leaves giving way to more painful jutting rocks. I suddenly became aware of the scent of another and slowed my pace. This was a mistake as it tipped the other off that I knew something was amiss. The attacker burst forth from a bush to my left, tackling me right to the ground. She held a bone knife to my neck and began to press, but I threw her off quickly enough. Scrambling to my feet, I drew my own blade.

She was a Swift, her ears laid back and lips snarling, black tipped tail swaying back and forth. The Swifts were bandits that usually worked in pairs, male and female partners, and preyed on Reds who ventured too far by themselves. She was shorter than me by a good foot and even more malnourished, wearing a dirty brown cloak.

The gray and tawny furred vixen lunged at me, covering over five feet in a single bound. I deflected her blade with my own, nicking a chip of the bone off. My knife was bronze, from the City, and superior in every way. With another slash I knocked the weapon free of her hand. This did not deter her in the slightest, and she rabidly came after me with her claws. I could have plunged my knife into her stomach at that point but for some reason did not. Instead I closed my fist and punched her in the side of the muzzle. She fell down hard.

As she lied on the ground whimpering, I ran over to her discarded weapon and picked it up, fully expecting to have to fight her partner next.

No one came.

Exhausted, after a few minutes I strode over to a rock some distance away and sat down, running my claw tips over the bone weapon. True, it was primitive. But it was beyond my ability of craftsmanship. By now the bandit was beginning to recover. She struggled to her knees, cradling her snout in both hands. She turned around and watched me sit there with her lost weapon. It was probably her only possession.

We stared at each other for a few minutes before I finally spoke.

"Well, go on. Run away now."

"Why... didn't you kill me...?"

The question startled me. I really didn't know. It just didn't seem right.

"I didn't need to."

"But... you're a Red, aren't you?"

She was staring at the white tip of my tail. I pulled it back behind the rock.

"I don't know..."

Her ears pulled up in recognition. "They cast you out..."

She was leery of me at first, but any hint of hostility vanished after I told her I was no longer a Red. We exchanged stories. Her name was Lia. I thought her to be some sort of outcast as well, but her position was quite normal for a Swift. They were loners, much like our ancestors used to be. They did whatever they could do to survive. And they had a deep jealousy of the Reds and their City.

I still would not return her knife, lest she attack me again. But she followed me on my journey and we worked together to trap and hunt, splitting our findings between us. Two bites of raw jackrabbit seemed a gourmet meal compared to my diet of berries. For that I was most grateful and finally returned her weapon on our third day together.

By then we were nearing the foot hills and the food was becoming scarce. I told her that she could go on her way and resume her life in the flatlands, but she refused to leave and became inquisitive as to why I was so set on scaling the mountain. I finally told her of the sorceress and my hopes of changing my fur color so that I might re-enter the City. At first she was taken aghast, as if I were betraying her, but then she seemed intrigued.

"Do you think... she could change my fur as well?" Lia asked as I pulled her up the edge of a particularly large boulder. I was surprised at this, given her hatred of the Reds. But it was an awful life out in the wilderness. My tales of the City had enticed her, I thought. I was too naive to think that she simply wanted to be with me.

I looked her over and smiled. "I don't see why not." She became excited and embraced me tightly. I patted her on the back. She was a small thing, but with the right fur color no one would ever question her species. We set off again together with light hearts and a renewed determination.

Climbing was difficult, and we both found ourselves slipping on the smooth rocks. But in the middle of the second day in the mountains I spotted a strange structure. It looked like a tower from the City built into the side of the cliff. Yet it was very strange. Instead of wood it was made of gray stones. Upon closer inspection we found that the stones were all of similar size and shape, as if they had been cut that way. We stood in awe of the tower, for whoever built it truly must have been a powerful master of magic to cut so many stones.

Lia was scared and held onto me tightly.

"Come now, we'll go together." I said as I wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

We approached the massive wooden door and I knocked. The door frame rose several feet above my head. Could the sorceress be a giant?

"Who who who raps at my door?" Came a screechy voice from the other side. Both of our ears laid back.

There was a rustling inside and the door creaked open. There stood the most hideous creature I've ever seen. She was cloaked in black with only her face exposed. And she had no fur! Her skin was a pale pink, speckled with the occasional bump and her muzzle was nonexistent, her mouth pressed flat into her face. Her nose did protrude somewhat though, and it hooked downward. Upon her head was a wide black hat with a sharp point at the top. She was a good few feet taller than me.

"Oooooh! Dearies! Come in! Come in!"

She pushed the door open wider as she smiled, revealing flat yellow teeth. Lia and I timidly entered, a multitude of foul stenches smacking us in the face. All around were strange smells, and stranger things. A cauldron sat in the middle of the stone room, boiling over with some noxious liquid. Strange containers surrounded us that somehow held their concoctions, despite being transparent.

"What brings ye children of the forest up here to see me, hmmm?"

She seemed friendly enough. I bowed lowly and Lia mocked my movement.

"Oh great sorceress," I began, "we've been cast out of our society because of the way we look."

I spread my arms and the sorceress leaned over us with wide eyes.

"Oooooh... I see! I see!"

Before I could say another word she placed a hand on my shoulder, running it through my fur, and then touched my nose with the long fingernail of the other.

"There is a spell on ye!"

"... There is?"

She looked at Lia and poked her nose as well. The vixen stumbled backwards.

"And ye too! 'Tis a hex. I can remove it, if ye want. But be warned. Once it is undone, it cannot be done again."

I knew it. Some sort of spell laid against my family had changed my fur and made me an outcast . And Lia apparently suffered from the same thing. I looked at her and smiled. She returned the gesture and nodded.

"Yes, please," I replied, "it would be wonderful if you could undo the spell."

The sorceress cackled in delight.

"Of course, of course! I will help ye. Wait here, little ones. I will have ye back to normal within an hour."

We took a seat in the corner of the workshop and quietly watched as the great sorceress made her preparations, mixing and stirring various powders and liquids. Before long she poured the result of her labor into a bowl and set it down on the floor for us.

"Here now, drink it up, dearies! Just a bit will do ye."

The liquid in the bowl was clear like water, yet it smelled odd. Like newt or something. Lia and I bent down on our knees over the bowl, smiling at each other one last time before we began lapping the liquid, our heads bumping as we dipped our muzzles in.

The water was refreshing, given that we hadn't had anything to drink that day. I immediately felt a warmth trickle down my throat and into my belly. I excitedly continued drinking, feeling the tingling sensation spread through my entire body. I quickly became dizzy and fell right over on my side, hearing Lia do the same. My clothing was suddenly a tangled mess, and I struggled to free myself, finding I was unable to stand up without falling over.

With a pang of horror I realized my hands were gone, replaced with paws much like my feet. When I finally was able to stand up, I was on four legs rather than two. Glancing over I saw that Lia had suffered the same quadrupedal fate, fear in her eyes as she looked down upon her paws.

"No! What happened to us?!" I tried to exclaim, but all that came out was a yowling bark.

"Ah, there ye go! I've removed the hex as promised!"

I clawed at her cloak. No! This isn't what we wanted!

Her eyes narrowed as she frowned down upon us.

"What else do ye want? Go on! Git! I've no food for ye! Git outta here!"

With that she grabbed a broom and began smacking us around. Lia and I fled out the door, tails tucked between our legs.

So now we live in a hole in the ground. It's a moderately comfortable hole, at least. It was strange at first, but we've gotten used to it. Or at least I have. It's difficult to communicate without speech, but our lives aren't that complex anyway. We're faster now, and hunting is easier. Shelter is easier to find because we are smaller. And warmth is not a problem when we huddle together. I wonder if we resemble our ancestors now?

I no longer miss the City. They were right. I truly didn't belong there. It seems an odd sort of curse. To make animals something they are not. Maybe the rest of them will find the sorceress some day.

<comments />
[[Category:Story|Moderately Comfortable Hole in the Ground, A]]
[[Category:Virmir|Moderately Comfortable Hole in the Ground, A]]
[[Category:Animal|Moderately Comfortable Hole in the Ground, A]]
[[Category:Canine|Moderately Comfortable Hole in the Ground, A]]
[[Category:Fox|Moderately Comfortable Hole in the Ground, A]]

User:Virmir/Downward

2008-06-26T04:18:23Z

Virmir: Could use some touching up, but haven't touched it in a year, so here it is for now...

{{title|name=''"Downward"''|user=Virmir|author=Virmir}}

Turstin pressed his nose against the porthole glass, allowing the dull hum of the ship to lull his worries away. During the night he would gaze upward at the stars and wonder what those points of light could possibly be. They only appeared above, never below after all. But during the daytime, Turstin's eyes were usually cast downward. Downward at the infinite cerulean mists. What could be down there? No ship had ever flown so low and returned. Those that attempted were taken by the Pull and lost forever.

He once heard an elder say Velkens came from the depths long ago. They didn't always live in ships. That made sense. Turstin looked at his hands. Claws made for climbing, or so the elder said. But climbing what? The Velken couldn't possibly imagine. Whatever it was, they had reached the top long ago and left it behind, never bothering to look back down.

''Die.''

Huh? Turstin's ears pulled up slightly, as if catching a whisper. Drowsily, he shrugged it off. He didn't quite have the time for a nap now. Pulling his tail from the chair by the window, Turstin stood up and stretched, extending his arms into the air. Immediately he felt the dull pang from under the bandage wound around his left arm. Wincing, he lowered it and inspected the wrap. A faint red was starting to leak through. Blast it, he shouldn't have done that. Now he'd gone and reopened the wound.

Applying a bit of pressure to his arm, the Velken removed his sword from the wall and strapped it to his back before heading out his cabin's door. He only made it a few doors down the hallway before his name was called.

"Turstin!"

Turstin angled his right ear back to better hear claws clicking against the metal as another descended upon him. He didn't bother glancing behind.

"Turstin, what are you doing with that sword? You are to remain in your room!" Ellyn's voice was anything but gentle.

He stopped and flicked his tail once, still facing forward.

"It's my turn to watch the deck. They need me."

Ellyn placed a claw on his right shoulder. She stood a few inches shorter than him, and strands of silver fur hung over her gray eyes.

"But, your wound has not healed. Look, it's gone and reopened."

She scuffled around the front of the warrior and gently lifted his injured left arm. Her black tipped tail swayed in the air as she observed. Turstin flinched at the pain, but allowed the healer to examine it.

"There's not enough men..." he stated plainly, "The wound's minor, so my reprieve has been cut short. I can show you the order if you'd like."

Ellyn sighed and ran her right claw over the folds of the bandage. Turstin felt an eerie comforting warmth flow through his arm, and the throbbing pain lessened.

"You should save that for the ones who need it," Turstin said, finally looking the healer in the eye. Her white robes contrasted with her silvery fur.

She met his gaze for a short moment before turning away. "All of the injured need it."

''Die.''

Both of their ears shot up.

"Did you... hear something?" Ellyn asked timidly, her tail tucking around her legs.

Turstin gritted his teeth, painful realization lacing across his muzzle.

"No... the Drakes..."

"All warriors to the decks! Immediately!!"

A handful of Velkens rushed past the two standing in the hall, their nails madly clicking on the metallic floor as they sped past.

"I have to go."

Turstin gently tore away from the healer and left her standing alone. She clasped her claws before her chest as she watched him disappear with the other black clad warriors with wide eyes.

"Be careful..."

''DIE.''

All of the Velkens flinched as they ran down the halls, the message from those horrible beasts broadcast directly into their minds... Turstin was no different. Not again... not again... He shut his eyes and clenched his teeth as he tried to push those words out...

He burst out into the open air with five others. A unit of Velkens were lining up in formation ahead and he rushed to meet them. The blasting wind outside was cold, yet his fur and cloak kept him warm enough. However, there was another sort of coldness in the air. Something that chilled his soul, rather than flesh...

''DIE.''

Turstin lined up with twelve others near the ship's bow, standing at attention with his arms to his side and tail rigid, trying to hide the fear within him. His eyes scanned the cerulean void above, wondering what direction they might be coming from... There were no clouds, so they would be easy to spot at least. He stood some twenty feet from the edge railing, so he could not see below. Nothing but blue was down there anyway. The Drakes always came from above.

"How many?"

Turstin heard the captain's voice behind him and above, despite the wailing winds. At attention, he wasn't allowed to look around, so he could only pivot his ears around as far back as they would go.

There was a pause...

"Three, sir."

Turstin's heart sank. Three. Oh gods...

"North north-west. Four o'clock."

"Prepare canons."

"Prepare right-flank caaaanons~!"

If there were only one, there might be a chance the cannons would be able to take it down. But not three. Not by a long shot... They would overheat, and then it would be up to the warriors...

Then he caught something from the corner of his eye, and could not help but turn his head to the right. Three black specks tore through the sky, growing larger by the second... Tustin could just make out the black wings. He clenched his fists tightly, feeling his nails poke into his skin..

''DIE!''

The side of the ship exploded with flame. Thunderous booms cracked through the air as the cannons opened up in full force, sending burning crimson orbs barreling into the approaching beasts. A black smoke engulfed the silhouettes as the balls of light burst with bright flashes all around their targets. All of the Velkens' ears laid back as a shrill scream filled the air. A hit perhaps? Either that or a war cry...

"Prepare yourselves!"

Turstin's attention snapped to his squad leader. He knew the cannons would only fire twice more before it was his time. Less if the Drakes were faster than normal. He closed his eyes and tried to shut out the world around him as the second round of cannon fire began. He felt his life energy flow, coursing through every stand of fur on his body. He pushed it outwards, summoning all his strength into the spell so necessary to survive in the sky...

Then the final round of cannons exploded.

"Go!"

Turstin's eyes snapped open. The fear was still there, but it was sedated, controlled. There was no more thinking, only doing... He dashed towards the edge of the ship and leapt right off into the open air... The winds accepted him like a rushing river. He could feel the Pull trying to tug him down. But he wasn't low enough for its grip to take hold. Levitation spell flowing around him, he blasted skyward along with his fellows.

The Velken Warrior squinted as he cut through the sky. There was nothing but blue above and below. A cloud of blackness loomed ahead, residue of the explosive spells sent by the cannons. Three sets of burning crimson eyes made themselves visible through the darkness at that moment. All of the Drakes had survived... Turstin drew the blade from his back and held it to his right with one claw.

The Velkens swarmed thorough the air like a cloud of angry bees. Turstin's squad was in the lead, so they would attack the closest Drake first. The big one in the center... That looming shadow grew quickly as he neared, a huge black lizard with horns and scaly wings. It was at least as tall as twenty Velkens from head to tail, and each of its blade-like nails were a match for Turstin's sword in length.

Ignoring the thing's toothy smile, Turstin held out his left claw, channeling flame into his open palm. A glowing crimson orb appeared within, and Turstin could feel the warmth of the magic flow up his arm. Flanking the creature from a safe distance, the Velken shot the fireball with the force of a cannon. Five other orbs were fired at that time, and all bounced off the flying beast's black skin with muted plumes of flame. Of course, it was only a distraction. By then six Velkens had circled completely around the Drake, three of them landing on its back. They desperately jammed their blades into its hide and at the base of its wings, hoping to find that one soft spot...

None succeeded. Turstin gritted his teeth as he watched young Anselm plucked from the beast's back, a claw piercing his abdomen. The thing shook him once before tossing him aside, and the younger warrior fell downwards with a empty look in his eyes as the Pull claimed him. A full minute passed before he plummeted far enough into the mists that he was out of sight.

But Turstin could not afford to watch. The Drake glided his way, snarling with a maw full of fangs. The Velken flew straight up in response. The black beast followed, lashing outwards with its claws as it tried to catch Turstin's dangling tail. Outrunning a Drake was not possible, so Turstin spun around abruptly and slashed his sword at the blades sent his way, sparks flying through the air as the forces clashed. The flying monster overcame the Velken's altitude advantage quickly, and retaliated with a downward swipe from a claw as big as Turstin himself. The warrior blocked the blow with his sword, but the force of impact sent him plummeting downwards uncontrollably.

Turstin's heart skipped a beat when he realized how hard he'd been hit and how fast he was falling. Fly... Fly!! Willing all his essence into the spell, he began a slow upward arc after a moment of free fall. He could feel the pull snatching at his body, trying to yank him down into the void. But no, it was not his time yet. He struggled as he flew, eventually breaking free of the invisible shackles. By that time he was well underneath the battle raging above his head, and he took a moment to catch his breath as he began a wide lazy spiral upwards.

Blast... The ship was nearly directly above. The Drakes had managed to move closer to the flying vessel, despite the efforts of him and his fellow warriors. Turstin stole a quick glance to the other two battles raging on either side the Drake his unit was engaging. All over Velkens dove upon the black winged lizards like insects, stabbing with their tiny swords. Plumes of flame shot back and forth from their claws, sometimes part of coordinated attacks, sometimes haphazard spells cast out of desperation. It was chaos.

Suddenly, someone screamed and Turstin set his eyes and ears upward. A member of his unit had been stuck and was plummeting, much like Turstin himself a moment ago. As luck would have it, the falling warrior was directly in his flight path. Turstin held his arms against his sides and sped forward as quickly as he was able. He missed the injured fighter by mere feet so he arced downward, chasing his comrade as he spiraled. Still clutching his sword in his right claw, Turstin snatched the collar of his fellow Velken in his left, feeling his nails dig into the fabric. Lucian's head snapped up, his eyes full of fear. Yet pain laced through Turstin's injured arm and the cloth tore. Lucian began to fall backwards, his arms flailing.

Without a second thought Turstin discarded his blade and snatched Lucian's claw with his right, yanking his comrade upward. Their descent slowed, the barest hints of the Pull snatching at their ankles. Turstin forlornly watched the sliver of light that was his sword disappear into the mists. By then Lucian recovered to the point that he was able to carry his own weight, and the two soared upwards together.

No words needed to be exchanged, the gratefulness evident in the rescued warrior's eyes. The two nodded at each other then parted ways, Lucian beginning an arc around the Drake's left and Turstin around the right. Though he lost his weapon, Turstin still had plenty of tricks up his sleeve.

The warrior clasped his claws together and slowly drew them apart, a burning crimson orb materializing between them. The pain in his arm was getting worse, and he found himself thinking how wonderful it would be if Ellyn could heal him again. He shook the thought out of his mind. Why would it matter who did the healing? All of the healers were the same, anyway.

He snapped back into reality just in time to dodge a scaly black tail swiped his way. Blast it. Never daydream. Ever. His course knocked off balance, he let loose the orb of fire into the black lizard's side, the flames exploding outward in a bright orange plume, which apparently did nothing. Luckily two Velkens capitalized on his diversion and slashed at the beast's neck as its head was turned.

Without his sword there was little Turstin could do to injure the monster. However, he was determined to provide as many openings as possible for his fellow warriors. He circled the creature once, formulating his plan of attack, and then began to send forth orb after orb of burning flame. Each time he completed a loop around the Drake, he caught a glimpse of the thing's hateful crimson eyes. They stabbed into his soul with a burning rage, and he could not help but cringe. Yet the Drake's attention was stolen by another Velken's attack every time. So Turstin continued throwing fireball after fireball, striking the monster in the chest, talons, wings, wherever he saw an opening.

This continued for several moments, and the battle raged endlessly. It was a stalemate, with neither side willing to back down.

And then the Drake did something unexpected... As Turstin circled around front, right before he anticipated to lock eyes with the frightening monster once more, the beast threw its head up and screamed. It was not a normal battle cry or a bellow of pain. It was a deafening screech so intense it seemed to ripple the very air in waves. All of the attacks ceased right then and there, and the swarming Velkens were knocked backwards as if they'd been hit by hammers. Turstin folded his ears and clasped his claws over them, curling up to a fetal position as he tried to shut out that horrible, horrible noise. He was only paralyzed for a few seconds after the cry ended, but when he opened his eyes his heart sank.

The Drake had broken free of the cloud of still stammering Velkens and had singled him out amongst all the others. It was so fast... The monster stretched his claw wide, the five nails like swords, and slashed through the tiny warrior.

It didn't hurt. It just felt cold. Very cold. Through blurry eyes, Turstin watched the menacing black form of the Drake get smaller and smaller. His comrades recovered and resumed their attacks, though they were getting too small to see. And then there was the looming ship, which was now just a black smear. Shrinking and shrinking... Weakly he brought his claw to his chest, the warm blood soaking his fur, gushing through his fingers. But even that feeling was growing cold.

Turstin didn't have any regrets as he fell to his death. His only wish was that he could have been more useful. It was his fault he was hit, and only his. Using the last bit of levitative magic left in him, he willed himself to turn over. He wanted to see what was down there. All his life he wondered what was beyond those infinite cerulean mists. At last, he would find out.

He could feel the Pull latch around his arms and legs. Like a chain it pulled him downward, faster and faster. Drowsiness began to overtake him, but he fought it off. He had to see... He just had to...

The Pull seemed to revel in his acceptance. It yanked him greedily downward. The air seemed to thicken, the blue becoming darker, yet still there was nothing but blue. It was so cold... He teetered on the edge of consciousness, but that was one battle he would not loose.

Suddenly he was yanked upwards by his collar.

"Turstin!!"

Ellyn?!

The white robed healer latched onto his robes with both claws, desperately trying to pull him up. No! What are you doing?! Turstin tried to speak as he looked up into her gleaming gray eyes, but all that came out was a muffled moan. The Pull! He had fallen too far! There was no way it would let go, not now!

The healer did not give up. She wrapped her arms around his chest, trying to levitate them both. The two continued to plummet. Ellyn let out a startled gasp when she saw the front of her robes stained red, and tears flowed from her eyes. The Pull gladly accepted the two of them, and they were sucked downward.

Turstin could not stand it. She had doomed herself for his sake. How could she be so stupid? No, it was his fault that she was going to die along with him. Turstin pushed away the comforting drowsiness, shaking away the calls of death for just a few short moments... His claws suddenly grasped her shoulders, and her eyes lit up when she saw life return to his face.

Up! Up! Turstin summoned all of his strength for one final push. He cast the levitation spell as strongly as he could, fighting the chains pulling them down with all his might. Ellyn did the same, her own upward force joining with his. Their descent seemed to slow. Turstin focused on the black dot high above that was their ship. It was so far away... But they had to make it. They had to...

For an agonizing eternity the two struggled against the Pull, each trying to carry the other up. No one had ever returned from flying so low, and Turstin knew it. Their descent continued to slow... Turstin's entire body ached, and he felt he would burn out and die from overexertion. He didn't care. As long as Ellyn made it back... The fall slowed just a little more...

And then that was it.

Both their powers left them entirely. The Pull grabbed them and threw them down so hard the two were nearly torn apart. They had failed. They hugged each other tightly as they plummeted into the blue nothing.

They peered downward, the fierce wind blasting them in their faces. There was nothing but blue in all directions. Would they simply fall forever? Was there anything down there at all? It was an agonizing wait, and Turstin felt weaker and weaker with each passing second. But no, he would see this through with Ellyn. His vision blurred to the point it was difficult to see the healer's face before his. Everything was growing darker. Perhaps it was his growing delirium, but the air below him seemed to turn a different color. A mesh of greens and browns... Then he lost his vision completely and the world went black.

{{Separator|j}}

The animal stirred, slowly lifting his head. Every inch of his body ached. Confused, he turned to see his mate lying next to him. Foreign sounds filled his ears, and odd scents were everywhere. He sluggishly rose to his feet, clumsily walking on four paws. The ground seemed strange to him, and he scratched at an errant blade of grass. He was surrounded on all sides by tall woody things that blocked out the light. Bewildered, he sat back on his haunches and studied them for a while, his tail kicking up dust as it flicked up and down.

Then as if suddenly coming to a realization, he stepped towards the closest one, a tall cylinder that sprawled upward. Timidly, he tested the bark with his right claw. It held firmly in place. Latching on his other claws, he shimmied up the tree with ease, leaping from branch to branch until he reached the highest one. His mate joined him shortly, and together the two gray foxes regarded the blue sky above.

<comments />
[[Category:Story|Downward]]
[[Category:Virmir|Downward]]
[[Category:Animal|Downward]]
[[Category:Canine|Downward]]
[[Category:Fox|Downward]]

User:Virmir

2008-06-26T04:06:03Z

Virmir: Spiffying up

Hello!

I'm a casual writer, who also enjoys drawing and all things fox-related. (''Gray'' foxes, of course!) I maintain the [http://metamorkeep.com Metamor Keep Story Archives] and have more examples of nonsense on [http://virmir.com my personal site]. I try to write stories that make you think, or at least dream a little. Hopefully something here perks your interest!

Thanks for reading!

== Stories ==

* [[User:Virmir/Downward | Downward]]
* [[User:Virmir/A Moderately Comfortable Hole in the Ground | A Moderately Comfortable Hole in the Ground]]
* [[User:Virmir/Spells of Brigervan | Spells of Brigervan]]
* [[User:Virmir/Slips of Paper | Slips of Paper]]

[[Category:Author]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Virmir}}

User:Virmir/Slips of Paper

2008-06-26T03:48:04Z

Virmir: Placing in fox category

{{title|name=''"Slips of Paper"''|author=Virmir|user=Virmir}}

Arg! That blasted alarm! It's time to get up already? Ugh.

Let's see, what do we have for breakfast? Waffles. Again. That's okay, I like waffles. Well, usually. These don't seem to be sitting well with me today.

Doesn't matter. Need to get to work. Next, I'll brush my teeth.

Well, shoot. It's usually not this hard. I mean, my teeth seem a lot more pointy than normal. And my face in the mirror? Huh. I don't remember being ''THAT'' ugly. I've got patches of sliver fur growing all over my skin. And my nose is sticking out. Any my ears are getting bigger.

Well too bad. I can't call off work for ugliness! Forget it! I need to get dressed.

Except these socks aren't fitting right. In fact, NONE of these clothes are fitting like they used to. Maybe I lost weight. I mean, that's a good thing, right? Well geez, even my pajamas are falling off.

Forget it! What do I need clothes for when I have this fur? Running late, so I better hurry up.

Whoa! I almost landed flat on my nose there! Hmm, it does seem a lot more comfortable on all fours like this, though. Makes more sense when you think about it. I'll just mosey on out…

Huh. That door latch is a whole lot higher than I thought. Maybe if I jump... Ergh. And it's really tough to turn. Blast it, I'm gonna be late! Just have to-- there we go!

Well, it's certainly a lot nicer out here than that musty old house. Shoot. How do I get in the car again? Aw, forget it! I'll just walk. I'm pretty fast on four legs, you know.

Now let's see... which way to Chicago? Just have to pick up some scents. Wait a minute... I don't even remember what Chicago smells like! How could I forget? I go there every day! Blast it! I need to get to work!

HEY! Watch it!! Freaking humans in their tin cans. Almost hit me! Yeah, that's right buddy. I just flipped you off with my tail. ''Bite me.''

I really need to find my way to work. Now wait a second... why do I need to work again? Let's see, there's some important reason, I know.

Oh! That's right! I need to work to get... slips of paper...? What do I need THOSE for? Hmmm...

Oh! Food! I need the slips of paper to get food... Is that it? No, I need them for the place I live in too, I think...

Well, shoot.

I can get all that stuff for free in the forest. Geez, how stupid could I be? I mean, wasting all my time like I did! Forget work! Screw that!

I'll just waltz into this conveniently placed woodland area here.

Whoa, hmmm, who's this I smell? Hey, there's a gray vixen around here somewhere. Wonder if she'd want to hang out with me. Let's see if we can find her...

Ah, there she is!

"Hello my lady. Pleasant weather we're having, isn't it? I say, you smell positively lovely."

"Tee hee hee, I'll bet you say that to all the girls when they're in season." She waves a paw at me playfully.

"HEY!!! Get away from my girl!!" The angry voice comes up from behind me fast.

"Woah, relax! I was only sniffing!"

"Get out of here before I rip your face off!!" He's snarling now, rather rudely.

"Geez! Sorry!"

What's the deal with monogamy, anyway? Ah, forget it. I'll just hang out over here.

"Dude, get out of here! You're still on our territory!" He's yelling at me from a distance now.

"Well excuuuuuse me!"

Freaking neighbors. Ugh.

Well I've been moving along for a while now. Wonder where all the food is. Hey, I'll bet I can catch a squirrel. Don't they, like, sleep in holes in trees and stuff? I'll just climb up there and ambush them. Gray foxes can climb trees, you know. 'Cause we're awesome.

This is a pretty nice tree. Well compared to the average tree. I guess. Wait, who's that walking down there?

Oh, great. It's a ''red''.

Freaking reds. Think they're better than everyone else. Why does everyone like reds anyway? I'll show him.

"Hey! Get away from my tree or I'll rip your face off!!"

His ears shoot up. His eyes finally find me up here. "Dude! That's my tree! I marked it yesterday!"

"Well I marked over it! Get lost! Loser!"

Ha! He's grumbling and walking away. Showed him.

Well, I'm kinda tired. That beeping thing woke me up early after all. Won't have to worry about that out here through. Besides, it's pretty bright out. I mean, who can get anything done in the middle the day, anyway? Think I'll curl up in between these branches right here and take a nap. Look for some food later on when it's dark. Some real food, not that nasty sticky stuff.

It's colder out here, but my tail's nice and warm. Much better pillow than that thing I slept on before.

Ha. Slips of paper. I swear...

<comments />
[[Category:Story|Slips of Paper]]
[[Category:Virmir|Slips of Paper]]
[[Category:Animal|Slips of Paper]]
[[Category:Fox|Slips of Paper]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Slips of Paper}}

User:Virmir/Spells of Brigervan

2008-06-26T03:46:35Z

Virmir: Category update, plus some spiffying up

User:Virmir/Slips of Paper

2007-08-21T03:52:01Z

Virmir: Placing in animal category

User:Virmir/Spells of Brigervan

2007-08-21T03:50:26Z

Virmir: Placing in animal category

{{title|name=''"Spells of Brigervan"''|user=Virmir|author=Virmir}}

"Bryce! Look out!!"

Too late.

The creature's rusty spear tore right through his stomach before he could even turn his head. The thing laughed as it removed its weapon with a violent twist. Anselm and James were on the monster in a heartbeat, and it fell with two quick slashes from silver blades.

Bryce felt no pain. He didn't feel much of anything at all, as his entire body grew numb. He vaguely heard the muffled clap of his sword falling on the soft forest floor. His legs failed him, and he fell to his knees, shock laced across his muzzle. No... this wasn't supposed to happen...

"Bryce! No...! NO!!"

Catin caught him before he fell on his face, tears soaking the fur lining her eyes. How horrible to see her cry like this. She was always so happy. Always their beacon of light in the darkest times. No need for tears. He was fine! Really!

"I'm okay," he tried to say. The words caught in his throat and he began coughing before he could form them, some warm liquid escaping from his lips. Anselm and Catin gently set him on his back. Everyone hovered above him, their ears perked and eyes wide. Their animal visages were familiar and comforting as they swirled around. He didn't even remember how most of them looked when they were human.

It wasn't like they had much choice in the matter. Brigervan was on the brink of ruin, overrun by the vile goblin hordes of the Dark Emperor Xaivos. But there was one hope. A forbidden art sealed away in the depths of the catacombs. An art scorned by the gods themselves. They knew their goddess Terra would curse them for this, but the threats of ancient traditions weighed lightly against the bitter reality of immanent destruction by inhuman invaders. So they made a choice.

And it worked.

Reviving the long lost magic, the mages of Brigervan fused the few remaining warriors with animals captured from the forest. The abilities of each bonded man and woman grew immensely, and together they drove back the vile monsters.

Bryce remembered the red fox he bonded with. The raw fear in its eyes as the mages made their chants... And then their bodies melded together, and he could feel the creature screaming in terror as its tiny mind was eradicated, pushed out of existence by his own. He often felt sorry for the beast, and gave his thanks to it every night in silent prayer. He hoped Terra would forgive him. And he hoped that when this was all over and he returned to human form, the fox would separate intact as well, and the creature would be able to go back to its life in the forest.

His new body was strange and remarkable, the fur, tail, ears, claws... He had felt so alive and invincible, his strength and speed immeasurable. Indeed, he had torn through the goblin hordes with his comrades and won many battles. Years had passed, and the evil minions of Xaivos had been pushed back to the baleful Mountains of Woe themselves. And now, as part of only a tiny band of heroes, he was to help plunge the mighty Dagger of Gold into the vile wizard's black heart itself!

It cannot end here!

His whole life was ahead of him! A happy life, free of tyrannical wizards and fearsome creatures... A normal happy life...

Catin frantically tried to dress the wound in his stomach, leaning over him as she cried, her robes stained crimson. Everyone stood around, shock and fear in their eyes. Anselm was shouting something in his ear, though he couldn't quite make it out. James' jagged teeth were clenched, betraying a look of revulsion and panic. Even the cold hearted mage Kendo gazed down upon him with saddened eyes before shaking his head and turning away, his tail peeking out from under his cloak.

But he was okay!

Bryce didn't feel any pain at all, though he seemed to be having trouble telling them. Why weren't they listening? He felt quite nice, actually. Like he was floating amongst the clouds. Soon he would be able to sit up and explain that it was just a flesh wound. Then they would continue their journey. It was so wonderful, journeying with his friends. When this was all over, he wondered if they would ever journey together again. They simply must, for old times' sake! Yes, he would tell them as soon as Catin finished patching him up.

He was getting a little cold, though. He had heard rumors of harsh winters in the Mountains of Woe, and wondered if the group's clothing was adequate. Their pelts would only protect them so far, after all. The colorful faces above him melted together in a sea of swirls. His ears rung with echoing voices. He thought heard his name amongst the din. Who was calling? Catin? Anslem? He was right here! The edges of the swirls grew dark, and the colors meshed together into a single point of white light. He was flying high now, but he was so tired. The light faded gradually, and comforting darkness overtook him...

The void was so comfortable. There was nothing at all. He did not think, move, or feel.

Except for the thump.

Th-thump... th-thump... th-thump...

It was such a wonderful sensation. It was always there. Every time it happened, he knew it would happen again. That's the way it was, and the way it always will be.

He stayed there for a very long time.

Then he was cast out into the coldness. How awful! He wailed loudly, but his mother comforted him with a warm tongue. Then he found his way to his mother's milk. It was warm and sweet.

So he drank milk and slept. When he slept he listened to his mother's heart. Th-thump... th-thump... th-thump... It was so wonderful.

He did that for a long time as well.

Then he opened his eyes. It was hard to see in the dark den, but see he could. It was a new thing, and it made him curious. He nipped at his siblings' ears and tails, and they nipped back. He drank and slept along with his brother and sisters. Life was so wonderful.

And he did that for a long while as well.

Then he woke up.

Bryce sat on his haunches as he stared out of the mouth of the den. His tiny heart pounded in his chest as images flooded his mind. Where was he? _What_ was he? Catin, Anslem, the others... how long had it been? His sister gnawed on his ear, but he ignored her for a moment. The quest, the journey... he had to find them!

A dull pang of hunger rumbled in his tiny stomach. He turned around to see his mother, then his siblings feeding. Just a quick drink, that was all he needed. Unable to resist, he joined his brothers and sisters and gulped the warm, nurturing liquid, his complicated human worries giving way to the ignorant bliss of a young kit.

The next time Bryce became conscious his size had doubled. He was romping with his siblings just outside the den when it hit him all at once, just as his brother tackled him to the dirt. His mind was a whirl of confusion, and panic overtook him before he was able to collect the shattered pieces of his thoughts. Did he really die? He was a human, not an animal! Did his Terra punish him for stealing the fox's body?

He lied there for several moments, stricken with grief as his siblings nipped at him, urging him to get up and resume the fun. His friends... was their quest successful? Did they meet similar fates? Do they need his help? He had to find them! He had to!

He glanced around his surroundings, noting the mammoth trees looming high above, taking in the poignant smells of his littermates and the forest, and the sharp tones of birds calling in the canopy. By now his siblings had given up, taking to playing amongst themselves. His heart ached as he watched them romp, yearning to take part, but he shook the urge off as he reminded himself that his one only true brother had been killed at the first battle of Brigervan.

No, this was all wrong. He must find his companions! Springing up on all fours, he darted through the weeds at a full sprint. Suddenly, he was plucked off the ground by the back of his neck and tenderly carried to the den by his mother. By the time the helpless kit had entered the darkness, he had forgotten why he wanted to run. He was hungry, though.

Bryce woke up more and more often as the weeks went on, and each time he was able to keep his mind for a few moments longer. After the first few awakenings he understood that he did not have a chance of surviving alone at such a young age, so he took to concentrating on his past friends and family, reliving his memories over and over. The other kits seemed to notice when his mood shifted, and usually left the quiet kit by himself. His mother stopped giving milk after a while. His siblings became ferocious when their parents brought meals, so he was often the last to eat.

Once he stayed himself for a full day he knew it was time to leave. His legs had grown long and lanky, and his jaws strong. He ran through the forest at night, hoping against hope that he would find his friends.

Food was difficult to catch, and he was always hungry. He wished he knew where he was going, but night after night he aimlessly pushed through the darkness. He remembered what his traveling companions smelled like, and desperately sought their scents. The winds grew cold, reminding him of the bitter autumn he merged with the fox what seemed like so many years ago.

One night he smelled the most delicious scent in his entire life. He knew it was an animal already dead and that fresh meat was better, but he was so hungry he could not resist. He tracked it to a small alcove, and found the treasure simply lying there amongst a pile of leaves. Succulent meat... He dove to gobble it down, but something grabbed his hind leg and threw him into the air. He yowled in panic, hanging from a tree. A trap! How could he have been so stupid? He was smarter than an animal!

Humans appeared soon after, making their strange noises. Had he forgotten speech? He thrashed in the air, trying to claw and nip at them, but they threw him into a heavy bag. Was he to be sold for his fur? By the gods, he was a man! "Terra, save me!" he tried to scream in broken yips.

He was thrown into a tiny cage at the back of a horse drawn cart, and began a bumpy ride through the black forest. Clawing and biting at the bars was useless, as he only managed to injure himself. The sun rose slowly, and familiar scents began to fill the air. He turned to watch the front of the cart, and his ears perked as he recognized the magnificent walls coming into view.

Brigervan.

Home. His heart fluttered. It was safe. But no... the gates were in as bad condition as before the forbidden magic had been unearthed... Had the goblin hordes made a comeback? His friends! Were they okay? Had their quest failed?! He began clawing at the lock again, and the cart driver threw a heavy cloth over his cage in an attempt to calm him down.

The darkness was horrible. Muffled noises sounded from all sides. He felt the cage picked up and clumsily carried. Men wearing heavy gloves ripped him out and chained him to a post, wrapping a tight collar around his neck. Animalistic fear took over for several moments as he thrashed about.

Then he recognized the chant and calmed just enough to understand what was happening. The mages surrounded him in a circle. His body burned as if on fire...

Who?! Who was he being merged with?! He struggled to look up, to see the man standing next to him. His eyes widened in pure terror...

... as he looked into his own face.

<comments />
[[Category:Story|Spells of Brigervan]]
[[Category:Virmir|Spells of Brigervan]]
[[Category:Animal|Spells of Brigervan]]

User talk:Virmir/Spells of Brigervan

2007-07-30T16:29:47Z

Virmir:

<noinclude>Comments on [[User:Virmir/Spells of Brigervan]]
<comments />
----- __NOEDITSECTION__</noinclude>

== Bryan said ... ==

<div class='commentBlock'>
Nicely done little story! I liked the perspective reversal, the fact that it was the life of Bryce's merged animal flashing before his eyes was kept nicely ambiguous. :)

--[[User:Bryan|Bryan]] 04:19, 25 July 2007 (EDT)
</div>

I've seen this story done as a comic somewhere on the net, but anyway - well done! [[User:ShadowWolf|ShadowWolf]] 13:01, 25 July 2007 (EDT)

:Thanks for reading, folks! -[[User:Virmir|Virmir]] 12:29, 30 July 2007 (EDT)

Story archives

2007-07-22T20:36:04Z

Virmir: Removing the canon note for MK. We host non-canon stories now. :)

This list contains links to other sites where transformation-themed stories are archived. It is deliberately indiscriminate and is organized alphabetically. Users are invited to create other lists organized by theme or quality.

*[http://www.ararchive.com AR Story Archive] - An Archive of Age Regression and Age Progression stories and images.
*[http://catprog.tfcentral.com/story.html Catprog's Interactive Stories] - A collection of interactive stories.
*[http://www.cyoc.net/ Choose Your Own Change] - A large archive of various transformation stories of all types. Many consist of transformation vignettes or soft (or hard) porno, but there are some gems in the rough if you dig.
*[http://transform.to/~cubist/ Cubists TSA-ish website] - Cubist maintains a website archiving "List Transformed", "Tales of the Blind Pig", and other stories.
*[http://www.fictionmania.com/ Fictionmania] - A truly massive archive of transgender transformation stories of all subtypes.
*[http://www.many-realms.net/LTBSA/ The Legacy of Timeless Beauty archive] - A large collection of statue, mannequin, doll, android, and other similar inanimate TF stories.
*[http://www.mermaidstail.info/ Mermaid's Tail Gallery] - Primarily a photomorph site, but most of the pictures have stories written for them. They're not all mermaids either, though aquatic forms are heavily represented.
*[http://transform.to/~metamor/ Metamor Keep] - The master archive of ALL stories in the "Metamor Keep" story universe.
*[http://www.fanarchive.net/miavir/stories/index.html Miavair's Index of Anthro Stories - Mia's Main Index] - A meta-archive of primarily furry stories, but with a number of transformation stories. Sadly, the site is no longer updated or maintained much, so a lot of the links no longer work -- but a large number still do.
*[http://www.transformationlist.com/story/ Phaedrus' Interactive Stories] - Another collection of interactive stories.
*[http://transform.to/~ravenb/stories/index.html Raven's Lair - The Stories] - A large collection of "Tales of the Blind Pig" stories, "Metamor Keep" stories, and lots of other unique stuff, including the results of a number of story contests.
*[http://www.sapphireplace.com/archive.html Sapphire's Place] - A large and regularly updated archive of trans-gender stories.
*[http://transform.to/~mwbard/tbp/index.html Tales from the Blind Pig] - An attempt to create an archive of ALL the stories in the "Tales of the Blind Pig" story universe.
*[http://www.furry.org.au/aatheus/taurtails/taurtails.html 'Taur Tales - A repository for four-legged literature] - A collection of 'taur stories, some with more than four legs.
*[http://tsa.transform.to/ Transformation Story Archive (TSA)] - The venerable TSA, the first major online repository of general transformation stories. Hasn't been updated in recent years, but spawned a community of transformation fans.
*[http://tsat.transform.to/ Transformation Stories, Art and Talk] ([http://tsat.xepher.net/ mirror site]) - A bimonthly ezine (now deceased) whose 48 issues feature original transformation stories and other related material.
*[http://xepher.net/~woc-archive/ Winds of Change Archive] - The master archvie of ALL the stories in the "Winds of Change" story universe.
* [http://www.lionking.org/~brian/ The Winds of Change Round Robin Page] - Two massive ongoing stories with rotating authors set in the "Winds of Change" story universe. Sadly no longer updated.
*[http://www.unicorn-dream.co.uk/destrier/stories.html If WisheRs were Horses... Stories] - A collection of various equine (all types) transformation stories.

User:Virmir/Spells of Brigervan

2007-07-21T21:07:43Z

Virmir:

'''''"Spells of Brigervan"''''' 
'''by [[User:Virmir | Virmir]]'''

"Bryce! Look out!!"

Too late.

The creature's rusty spear tore right through his stomach before he could even turn his head. The thing laughed as it removed its weapon with a violent twist. Anselm and James were on the monster in a heartbeat, and it fell with two quick slashes from silver blades.

Bryce felt no pain. He didn't feel much of anything at all, as his entire body grew numb. He vaguely heard the muffled clap of his sword falling on the soft forest floor. His legs failed him, and he fell to his knees, shock laced across his muzzle. No... this wasn't supposed to happen...

"Bryce! No...! NO!!"

Catin caught him before he fell on his face, tears soaking the fur lining her eyes. How horrible to see her cry like this. She was always so happy. Always their beacon of light in the darkest times. No need for tears. He was fine! Really!

"I'm okay," he tried to say. The words caught in his throat and he began coughing before he could form them, some warm liquid escaping from his lips. Anselm and Catin gently set him on his back. Everyone hovered above him, their ears perked and eyes wide. Their animal visages were familiar and comforting as they swirled around. He didn't even remember how most of them looked when they were human.

It wasn't like they had much choice in the matter. Brigervan was on the brink of ruin, overrun by the vile goblin hordes of the Dark Emperor Xaivos. But there was one hope. A forbidden art sealed away in the depths of the catacombs. An art scorned by the gods themselves. They knew their goddess Terra would curse them for this, but the threats of ancient traditions weighed lightly against the bitter reality of immanent destruction by inhuman invaders. So they made a choice.

And it worked.

Reviving the long lost magic, the mages of Brigervan fused the few remaining warriors with animals captured from the forest. The abilities of each bonded man and woman grew immensely, and together they drove back the vile monsters.

Bryce remembered the red fox he bonded with. The raw fear in its eyes as the mages made their chants... And then their bodies melded together, and he could feel the creature screaming in terror as its tiny mind was eradicated, pushed out of existence by his own. He often felt sorry for the beast, and gave his thanks to it every night in silent prayer. He hoped Terra would forgive him. And he hoped that when this was all over and he returned to human form, the fox would separate intact as well, and the creature would be able to go back to its life in the forest.

His new body was strange and remarkable, the fur, tail, ears, claws... He had felt so alive and invincible, his strength and speed immeasurable. Indeed, he had torn through the goblin hordes with his comrades and won many battles. Years had passed, and the evil minions of Xaivos had been pushed back to the baleful Mountains of Woe themselves. And now, as part of only a tiny band of heroes, he was to help plunge the mighty Dagger of Gold into the vile wizard's black heart itself!

It cannot end here!

His whole life was ahead of him! A happy life, free of tyrannical wizards and fearsome creatures... A normal happy life...

Catin frantically tried to dress the wound in his stomach, leaning over him as she cried, her robes stained crimson. Everyone stood around, shock and fear in their eyes. Anselm was shouting something in his ear, though he couldn't quite make it out. James' jagged teeth were clenched, betraying a look of revulsion and panic. Even the cold hearted mage Kendo gazed down upon him with saddened eyes before shaking his head and turning away, his tail peeking out from under his cloak.

But he was okay!

Bryce didn't feel any pain at all, though he seemed to be having trouble telling them. Why weren't they listening? He felt quite nice, actually. Like he was floating amongst the clouds. Soon he would be able to sit up and explain that it was just a flesh wound. Then they would continue their journey. It was so wonderful, journeying with his friends. When this was all over, he wondered if they would ever journey together again. They simply must, for old times' sake! Yes, he would tell them as soon as Catin finished patching him up.

He was getting a little cold, though. He had heard rumors of harsh winters in the Mountains of Woe, and wondered if the group's clothing was adequate. Their pelts would only protect them so far, after all. The colorful faces above him melted together in a sea of swirls. His ears rung with echoing voices. He thought heard his name amongst the din. Who was calling? Catin? Anslem? He was right here! The edges of the swirls grew dark, and the colors meshed together into a single point of white light. He was flying high now, but he was so tired. The light faded gradually, and comforting darkness overtook him...

The void was so comfortable. There was nothing at all. He did not think, move, or feel.

Except for the thump.

Th-thump... th-thump... th-thump...

It was such a wonderful sensation. It was always there. Every time it happened, he knew it would happen again. That's the way it was, and the way it always will be.

He stayed there for a very long time.

Then he was cast out into the coldness. How awful! He wailed loudly, but his mother comforted him with a warm tongue. Then he found his way to his mother's milk. It was warm and sweet.

So he drank milk and slept. When he slept he listened to his mother's heart. Th-thump... th-thump... th-thump... It was so wonderful.

He did that for a long time as well.

Then he opened his eyes. It was hard to see in the dark den, but see he could. It was a new thing, and it made him curious. He nipped at his siblings' ears and tails, and they nipped back. He drank and slept along with his brother and sisters. Life was so wonderful.

And he did that for a long while as well.

Then he woke up.

Bryce sat on his haunches as he stared out of the mouth of the den. His tiny heart pounded in his chest as images flooded his mind. Where was he? _What_ was he? Catin, Anslem, the others... how long had it been? His sister gnawed on his ear, but he ignored her for a moment. The quest, the journey... he had to find them!

A dull pang of hunger rumbled in his tiny stomach. He turned around to see his mother, then his siblings feeding. Just a quick drink, that was all he needed. Unable to resist, he joined his brothers and sisters and gulped the warm, nurturing liquid, his complicated human worries giving way to the ignorant bliss of a young kit.

The next time Bryce became conscious his size had doubled. He was romping with his siblings just outside the den when it hit him all at once, just as his brother tackled him to the dirt. His mind was a whirl of confusion, and panic overtook him before he was able to collect the shattered pieces of his thoughts. Did he really die? He was a human, not an animal! Did his Terra punish him for stealing the fox's body?

He lied there for several moments, stricken with grief as his siblings nipped at him, urging him to get up and resume the fun. His friends... was their quest successful? Did they meet similar fates? Do they need his help? He had to find them! He had to!

He glanced around his surroundings, noting the mammoth trees looming high above, taking in the poignant smells of his littermates and the forest, and the sharp tones of birds calling in the canopy. By now his siblings had given up, taking to playing amongst themselves. His heart ached as he watched them romp, yearning to take part, but he shook the urge off as he reminded himself that his one only true brother had been killed at the first battle of Brigervan.

No, this was all wrong. He must find his companions! Springing up on all fours, he darted through the weeds at a full sprint. Suddenly, he was plucked off the ground by the back of his neck and tenderly carried to the den by his mother. By the time the helpless kit had entered the darkness, he had forgotten why he wanted to run. He was hungry, though.

Bryce woke up more and more often as the weeks went on, and each time he was able to keep his mind for a few moments longer. After the first few awakenings he understood that he did not have a chance of surviving alone at such a young age, so he took to concentrating on his past friends and family, reliving his memories over and over. The other kits seemed to notice when his mood shifted, and usually left the quiet kit by himself. His mother stopped giving milk after a while. His siblings became ferocious when their parents brought meals, so he was often the last to eat.

Once he stayed himself for a full day he knew it was time to leave. His legs had grown long and lanky, and his jaws strong. He ran through the forest at night, hoping against hope that he would find his friends.

Food was difficult to catch, and he was always hungry. He wished he knew where he was going, but night after night he aimlessly pushed through the darkness. He remembered what his traveling companions smelled like, and desperately sought their scents. The winds grew cold, reminding him of the bitter autumn he merged with the fox what seemed like so many years ago.

One night he smelled the most delicious scent in his entire life. He knew it was an animal already dead and that fresh meat was better, but he was so hungry he could not resist. He tracked it to a small alcove, and found the treasure simply lying there amongst a pile of leaves. Succulent meat... He dove to gobble it down, but something grabbed his hind leg and threw him into the air. He yowled in panic, hanging from a tree. A trap! How could he have been so stupid? He was smarter than an animal!

Humans appeared soon after, making their strange noises. Had he forgotten speech? He thrashed in the air, trying to claw and nip at them, but they threw him into a heavy bag. Was he to be sold for his fur? By the gods, he was a man! "Terra, save me!" he tried to scream in broken yips.

He was thrown into a tiny cage at the back of a horse drawn cart, and began a bumpy ride through the black forest. Clawing and biting at the bars was useless, as he only managed to injure himself. The sun rose slowly, and familiar scents began to fill the air. He turned to watch the front of the cart, and his ears perked as he recognized the magnificent walls coming into view.

Brigervan.

Home. His heart fluttered. It was safe. But no... the gates were in as bad condition as before the forbidden magic had been unearthed... Had the goblin hordes made a comeback? His friends! Were they okay? Had their quest failed?! He began clawing at the lock again, and the cart driver threw a heavy cloth over his cage in an attempt to calm him down.

The darkness was horrible. Muffled noises sounded from all sides. He felt the cage picked up and clumsily carried. Men wearing heavy gloves ripped him out and chained him to a post, wrapping a tight collar around his neck. Animalistic fear took over for several moments as he thrashed about.

Then he recognized the chant and calmed just enough to understand what was happening. The mages surrounded him in a circle. His body burned as if on fire...

Who?! Who was he being merged with?! He struggled to look up, to see the man standing next to him. His eyes widened in pure terror...

... as he looked into his own face.

<comments />
[[Category:Story|Spells of Brigervan]]
[[Category:Virmir|Spells of Brigervan]]

Help talk:Posting stories

2007-07-21T21:01:43Z

Virmir: Thanks!

== User Subpages ==

A note on the User Subpages... posting stories under User:username/storyname categorizes the story title under "U" instead of the first letter of the story, and the "User:username" shows up on the Category:Story page. Kinda ugly. :) Did I do something wrong? (Other than that, everything looks great!) Thanks. -[[User:Virmir|Virmir]] 00:43, 19 July 2007 (EDT)

:You didn't do anything wrong, I just hadn't got around to creating a page describing some of the little gotchas of MediaWiki's categorization scheme yet. :) I've just banged one together as a result, you can find it at [[Help:Categorization]]. Basically, if you want to change how your page is sorted in the category listing you can provide an alternate sort key either for that one specific category (<nowiki>[[Category:Story|Slips of Paper]]</nowiki>) or as a new default for all categories on that page (<nowiki>{{DEFAULTSORT:Slips of Paper}}</nowiki>). [[User:Bryan|Bryan]] 00:47, 19 July 2007 (EDT)

::Excellent. Thanks for the help! -[[User:Virmir|Virmir]] 17:01, 21 July 2007 (EDT)

BD, I think we need a very basic primer on how to create pages in a wiki format. It's not really intuitive for new users. It's not really intuitive for myself, for that matter, and I've used it more often. It needs to be laid out in plain language. --[[User:JonBuck|Buck]] 15:32, 21 July 2007 (EDT)

Spells of Brigervan

2007-07-21T20:56:00Z

Virmir: Spells of Brigervan moved to User:Virmir/Spells of Brigervan

#REDIRECT [[User:Virmir/Spells of Brigervan]]

User:Virmir/Spells of Brigervan

2007-07-21T20:56:00Z

Virmir: Spells of Brigervan moved to User:Virmir/Spells of Brigervan

User:Virmir/Spells of Brigervan

2007-07-21T20:53:07Z

Virmir: defaultsort

User:Virmir/Slips of Paper

2007-07-21T20:51:09Z

Virmir:

'''''"Slips of Paper"''''' 
'''by [[User:Virmir | Virmir]]'''

Arg! That blasted alarm! It's time to get up already? Ugh.

Let's see, what do we have for breakfast? Waffles. Again. That's okay, I like waffles. Well, usually. These don't seem to be sitting well with me today.

Doesn't matter. Need to get to work. Next, I'll brush my teeth.

Well, shoot. It's usually not this hard. I mean, my teeth seem a lot more pointy than normal. And my face in the mirror? Huh. I don't remember being ''THAT'' ugly. I've got patches of sliver fur growing all over my skin. And my nose is sticking out. Any my ears are getting bigger.

Well too bad. I can't call off work for ugliness! Forget it! I need to get dressed.

Except these socks aren't fitting right. In fact, NONE of these clothes are fitting like they used to. Maybe I lost weight. I mean, that's a good thing, right? Well geez, even my pajamas are falling off.

Forget it! What do I need clothes for when I have this fur? Running late, so I better hurry up.

Whoa! I almost landed flat on my nose there! Hmm, it does seem a lot more comfortable on all fours like this, though. Makes more sense when you think about it. I'll just mosey on out…

Huh. That door latch is a whole lot higher than I thought. Maybe if I jump... Ergh. And it's really tough to turn. Blast it, I'm gonna be late! Just have to-- there we go!

Well, it's certainly a lot nicer out here than that musty old house. Shoot. How do I get in the car again? Aw, forget it! I'll just walk. I'm pretty fast on four legs, you know.

Now let's see... which way to Chicago? Just have to pick up some scents. Wait a minute... I don't even remember what Chicago smells like! How could I forget? I go there every day! Blast it! I need to get to work!

HEY! Watch it!! Freaking humans in their tin cans. Almost hit me! Yeah, that's right buddy. I just flipped you off with my tail. ''Bite me.''

I really need to find my way to work. Now wait a second... why do I need to work again? Let's see, there's some important reason, I know.

Oh! That's right! I need to work to get... slips of paper...? What do I need THOSE for? Hmmm...

Oh! Food! I need the slips of paper to get food... Is that it? No, I need them for the place I live in too, I think...

Well, shoot.

I can get all that stuff for free in the forest. Geez, how stupid could I be? I mean, wasting all my time like I did! Forget work! Screw that!

I'll just waltz into this conveniently placed woodland area here.

Whoa, hmmm, who's this I smell? Hey, there's a gray vixen around here somewhere. Wonder if she'd want to hang out with me. Let's see if we can find her...

Ah, there she is!

"Hello my lady. Pleasant weather we're having, isn't it? I say, you smell positively lovely."

"Tee hee hee, I'll bet you say that to all the girls when they're in season." She waves a paw at me playfully.

"HEY!!! Get away from my girl!!" The angry voice comes up from behind me fast.

"Woah, relax! I was only sniffing!"

"Get out of here before I rip your face off!!" He's snarling now, rather rudely.

"Geez! Sorry!"

What's the deal with monogamy, anyway? Ah, forget it. I'll just hang out over here.

"Dude, get out of here! You're still on our territory!" He's yelling at me from a distance now.

"Well excuuuuuse me!"

Freaking neighbors. Ugh.

Well I've been moving along for a while now. Wonder where all the food is. Hey, I'll bet I can catch a squirrel. Don't they, like, sleep in holes in trees and stuff? I'll just climb up there and ambush them. Gray foxes can climb trees, you know. 'Cause we're awesome.

This is a pretty nice tree. Well compared to the average tree. I guess. Wait, who's that walking down there?

Oh, great. It's a ''red''.

Freaking reds. Think they're better than everyone else. Why does everyone like reds anyway? I'll show him.

"Hey! Get away from my tree or I'll rip your face off!!"

His ears shoot up. His eyes finally find me up here. "Dude! That's my tree! I marked it yesterday!"

"Well I marked over it! Get lost! Loser!"

Ha! He's grumbling and walking away. Showed him.

Well, I'm kinda tired. That beeping thing woke me up early after all. Won't have to worry about that out here through. Besides, it's pretty bright out. I mean, who can get anything done in the middle the day, anyway? Think I'll curl up in between these branches right here and take a nap. Look for some food later on when it's dark. Some real food, not that nasty sticky stuff.

It's colder out here, but my tail's nice and warm. Much better pillow than that thing I slept on before.

Ha. Slips of paper. I swear...

<comments />
[[Category:Story|Slips of Paper]]
[[Category:Virmir|Slips of Paper]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Slips of Paper}}

Slips of Paper

2007-07-21T20:47:59Z

Virmir: Slips of Paper moved to User:Virmir/Slips of Paper over redirect: Moving back to my subpage now that I have defaultsort figured out.

#REDIRECT [[User:Virmir/Slips of Paper]]

User:Virmir/Slips of Paper

2007-07-21T20:47:59Z

Virmir: Slips of Paper moved to User:Virmir/Slips of Paper over redirect: Moving back to my subpage now that I have defaultsort figured out.

'''''"Slips of Paper"''''' 
'''by [[User:Virmir | Virmir]]'''

Arg! That blasted alarm! It's time to get up already? Ugh.

Let's see, what do we have for breakfast? Waffles. Again. That's okay, I like waffles. Well, usually. These don't seem to be sitting well with me today.

Doesn't matter. Need to get to work. Next, I'll brush my teeth.

Well, shoot. It's usually not this hard. I mean, my teeth seem a lot more pointy than normal. And my face in the mirror? Huh. I don't remember being ''THAT'' ugly. I've got patches of sliver fur growing all over my skin. And my nose is sticking out. Any my ears are getting bigger.

Well too bad. I can't call off work for ugliness! Forget it! I need to get dressed.

Except these socks aren't fitting right. In fact, NONE of these clothes are fitting like they used to. Maybe I lost weight. I mean, that's a good thing, right? Well geez, even my pajamas are falling off.

Forget it! What do I need clothes for when I have this fur? Running late, so I better hurry up.

Whoa! I almost landed flat on my nose there! Hmm, it does seem a lot more comfortable on all fours like this, though. Makes more sense when you think about it. I'll just mosey on out…

Huh. That door latch is a whole lot higher than I thought. Maybe if I jump... Ergh. And it's really tough to turn. Blast it, I'm gonna be late! Just have to-- there we go!

Well, it's certainly a lot nicer out here than that musty old house. Shoot. How do I get in the car again? Aw, forget it! I'll just walk. I'm pretty fast on four legs, you know.

Now let's see... which way to Chicago? Just have to pick up some scents. Wait a minute... I don't even remember what Chicago smells like! How could I forget? I go there every day! Blast it! I need to get to work!

HEY! Watch it!! Freaking humans in their tin cans. Almost hit me! Yeah, that's right buddy. I just flipped you off with my tail. ''Bite me.''

I really need to find my way to work. Now wait a second... why do I need to work again? Let's see, there's some important reason, I know.

Oh! That's right! I need to work to get... slips of paper...? What do I need THOSE for? Hmmm...

Oh! Food! I need the slips of paper to get food... Is that it? No, I need them for the place I live in too, I think...

Well, shoot.

I can get all that stuff for free in the forest. Geez, how stupid could I be? I mean, wasting all my time like I did! Forget work! Screw that!

I'll just waltz into this conveniently placed woodland area here.

Whoa, hmmm, who's this I smell? Hey, there's a gray vixen around here somewhere. Wonder if she'd want to hang out with me. Let's see if we can find her...

Ah, there she is!

"Hello my lady. Pleasant weather we're having, isn't it? I say, you smell positively lovely."

"Tee hee hee, I'll bet you say that to all the girls when they're in season." She waves a paw at me playfully.

"HEY!!! Get away from my girl!!" The angry voice comes up from behind me fast.

"Woah, relax! I was only sniffing!"

"Get out of here before I rip your face off!!" He's snarling now, rather rudely.

"Geez! Sorry!"

What's the deal with monogamy, anyway? Ah, forget it. I'll just hang out over here.

"Dude, get out of here! You're still on our territory!" He's yelling at me from a distance now.

"Well excuuuuuse me!"

Freaking neighbors. Ugh.

Well I've been moving along for a while now. Wonder where all the food is. Hey, I'll bet I can catch a squirrel. Don't they, like, sleep in holes in trees and stuff? I'll just climb up there and ambush them. Gray foxes can climb trees, you know. 'Cause we're awesome.

This is a pretty nice tree. Well compared to the average tree. I guess. Wait, who's that walking down there?

Oh, great. It's a ''red''.

Freaking reds. Think they're better than everyone else. Why does everyone like reds anyway? I'll show him.

"Hey! Get away from my tree or I'll rip your face off!!"

His ears shoot up. His eyes finally find me up here. "Dude! That's my tree! I marked it yesterday!"

"Well I marked over it! Get lost! Loser!"

Ha! He's grumbling and walking away. Showed him.

Well, I'm kinda tired. That beeping thing woke me up early after all. Won't have to worry about that out here through. Besides, it's pretty bright out. I mean, who can get anything done in the middle the day, anyway? Think I'll curl up in between these branches right here and take a nap. Look for some food later on when it's dark. Some real food, not that nasty sticky stuff.

It's colder out here, but my tail's nice and warm. Much better pillow than that thing I slept on before.

Ha. Slips of paper. I swear...

<comments />
[[Category:Story]]
[[Category:Virmir]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Slips of Paper}}

User:Virmir/Slips of Paper

2007-07-21T20:46:23Z

Virmir: Playing with defaultsort

'''''"Slips of Paper"''''' 
'''by [[User:Virmir | Virmir]]'''

Arg! That blasted alarm! It's time to get up already? Ugh.

Let's see, what do we have for breakfast? Waffles. Again. That's okay, I like waffles. Well, usually. These don't seem to be sitting well with me today.

Doesn't matter. Need to get to work. Next, I'll brush my teeth.

Well, shoot. It's usually not this hard. I mean, my teeth seem a lot more pointy than normal. And my face in the mirror? Huh. I don't remember being ''THAT'' ugly. I've got patches of sliver fur growing all over my skin. And my nose is sticking out. Any my ears are getting bigger.

Well too bad. I can't call off work for ugliness! Forget it! I need to get dressed.

Except these socks aren't fitting right. In fact, NONE of these clothes are fitting like they used to. Maybe I lost weight. I mean, that's a good thing, right? Well geez, even my pajamas are falling off.

Forget it! What do I need clothes for when I have this fur? Running late, so I better hurry up.

Whoa! I almost landed flat on my nose there! Hmm, it does seem a lot more comfortable on all fours like this, though. Makes more sense when you think about it. I'll just mosey on out…

Huh. That door latch is a whole lot higher than I thought. Maybe if I jump... Ergh. And it's really tough to turn. Blast it, I'm gonna be late! Just have to-- there we go!

Well, it's certainly a lot nicer out here than that musty old house. Shoot. How do I get in the car again? Aw, forget it! I'll just walk. I'm pretty fast on four legs, you know.

Now let's see... which way to Chicago? Just have to pick up some scents. Wait a minute... I don't even remember what Chicago smells like! How could I forget? I go there every day! Blast it! I need to get to work!

HEY! Watch it!! Freaking humans in their tin cans. Almost hit me! Yeah, that's right buddy. I just flipped you off with my tail. ''Bite me.''

I really need to find my way to work. Now wait a second... why do I need to work again? Let's see, there's some important reason, I know.

Oh! That's right! I need to work to get... slips of paper...? What do I need THOSE for? Hmmm...

Oh! Food! I need the slips of paper to get food... Is that it? No, I need them for the place I live in too, I think...

Well, shoot.

I can get all that stuff for free in the forest. Geez, how stupid could I be? I mean, wasting all my time like I did! Forget work! Screw that!

I'll just waltz into this conveniently placed woodland area here.

Whoa, hmmm, who's this I smell? Hey, there's a gray vixen around here somewhere. Wonder if she'd want to hang out with me. Let's see if we can find her...

Ah, there she is!

"Hello my lady. Pleasant weather we're having, isn't it? I say, you smell positively lovely."

"Tee hee hee, I'll bet you say that to all the girls when they're in season." She waves a paw at me playfully.

"HEY!!! Get away from my girl!!" The angry voice comes up from behind me fast.

"Woah, relax! I was only sniffing!"

"Get out of here before I rip your face off!!" He's snarling now, rather rudely.

"Geez! Sorry!"

What's the deal with monogamy, anyway? Ah, forget it. I'll just hang out over here.

"Dude, get out of here! You're still on our territory!" He's yelling at me from a distance now.

"Well excuuuuuse me!"

Freaking neighbors. Ugh.

Well I've been moving along for a while now. Wonder where all the food is. Hey, I'll bet I can catch a squirrel. Don't they, like, sleep in holes in trees and stuff? I'll just climb up there and ambush them. Gray foxes can climb trees, you know. 'Cause we're awesome.

This is a pretty nice tree. Well compared to the average tree. I guess. Wait, who's that walking down there?

Oh, great. It's a ''red''.

Freaking reds. Think they're better than everyone else. Why does everyone like reds anyway? I'll show him.

"Hey! Get away from my tree or I'll rip your face off!!"

His ears shoot up. His eyes finally find me up here. "Dude! That's my tree! I marked it yesterday!"

"Well I marked over it! Get lost! Loser!"

Ha! He's grumbling and walking away. Showed him.

Well, I'm kinda tired. That beeping thing woke me up early after all. Won't have to worry about that out here through. Besides, it's pretty bright out. I mean, who can get anything done in the middle the day, anyway? Think I'll curl up in between these branches right here and take a nap. Look for some food later on when it's dark. Some real food, not that nasty sticky stuff.

It's colder out here, but my tail's nice and warm. Much better pillow than that thing I slept on before.

Ha. Slips of paper. I swear...

<comments />
[[Category:Story]]
[[Category:Virmir]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Slips of Paper}}

Help:Categorization

2007-07-21T20:44:28Z

Virmir: /* Subcategories */ Typo fix

Shifti allows pages to be automatically listed in groups called "categories". Category listings are very bare-bones, but their automated nature makes them very useful as a means of keeping track of comprehensive groups.

To add a page to a category, simply include a link to the category name somewhere on the page. For example, to put a page into the "Story" category, one would include the text "<nowiki>[[Category:Story]]</nowiki>" somewhere in the page. By custom this link is placed at the bottom, though since it doesn't show up in the resulting page text its exact location is not important.

If one wants to create a link to the category listing, put a colon at the front of the link. For example, to link to the "story" category listing one would use the following text: "<nowiki>[[:Category:Story]]</nowiki>". It produces the following link: [[:Category:Story]]. To beautify the link you can use a pipe to give it different text. For example, "<nowiki>[[:Category:Story|all stories]]</nowiki>" produces the link "[[:Category:Story|all stories]]"

==Sorting within categories==

By default, pages in a category listing are sorted alphabetically. This may not be ideal, however. For example, the page "[[The Once And Future King]]" would be sorted under "T", and "[[User:Joe Bloggs/Magic Cheese]]" would sort under "U".

To change the default sorting on a category-by-category basis, one can use the pipe to give a custom sort key to an article. For example, instead of putting "The Once And Future King" into Category:Story with "<nowiki>[[Category:Story]]</nowiki>", one could use "<nowiki>[[Category:Story|Once And Future King, The]]</nowiki>". The page's name would still be listed in the category as "The Once And Future King", but it would be sorted under "O" rather than "T". Similarly, one could use <nowiki>[[Category:Story|Magic Cheese]]</nowiki> to sort Joe's story under "M" instead of "U".

If a story belongs to many categories, or if some of the categories were added by templates and you can't easily change the sort keys for them, one can also use the DEFAULTSORT magic word to change the default sort key for a page. All one needs to do to do this is to insert the text "<nowiki>{{DEFAULTSORT:Once And Future King, The}}</nowiki>" somewhere in the text (by custom down at the bottom with the categories) and all categories on the page that don't have their own custom sort key will sort the page under "O". Note that the DEFAULTSORT magic word is surrounded by curly brackets rather than square brackets, and uses a colon rather than a pipe character before the sort key.

Also note that unlike article titles, the first character of a category sort key can be lower case. So if one inserts <nowiki>[[Category:Story|magic cheese]]</nowiki> into a page the page will be sorted under "m" rather than "M", which could make it hard to find. Due to the way ASCII characters are encoded lower case letters are alphabetized after the upper-case letters (ie, an alphabetized list goes A-Z, then a-z).

== Subcategories ==

In addition to putting pages into categories, one can also put categories themselves into other categories. This results in a grouping of subcategories that can be useful for organizing large numbers of related pages. For example Joe Bloggs could put his stories into Category:Joe Bloggs, which is itself placed in Category:Author, and so someone browsing Category:Author would see just the Joe Bloggs subcategory listed there instead of having Joe Bloggs' stories mixed together with all the other authors' stories.

Help talk:Posting stories

2007-07-19T04:43:29Z

Virmir: Lil' problem with user subpages

A note on the User Subpages... posting stories under User:username/storyname categorizes the story title under "U" instead of the first letter of the story, and the "User:username" shows up on the Category:Story page. Kinda ugly. :) Did I do something wrong? (Other than that, everything looks great!) Thanks. -[[User:Virmir|Virmir]] 00:43, 19 July 2007 (EDT)

User:Virmir/Slips of Paper

2007-07-19T04:28:59Z

Virmir:

User:Virmir/Spells of Brigervan

2007-07-19T04:28:14Z

Virmir: New page: '''''"Spells of Brigervan"''''' '''by Virmir''' "Bryce! Look out!!" Too late. The creature's rusty spear tore right through his stomach before he could even tu...

User:Virmir

2007-07-19T04:22:15Z

Virmir:

== Some of Virmir's Stories ==

* [[Slips of Paper]]
* [[Spells of Brigervan]]

== Contact ==

You can reach me at ''kendo.virmir at gmail dot com''. Feel free to send feedback my way. Short, long, gentle, or harsh, I appreciate every little bit I get!

== Website ==

I have more stories and other junk on my website, [http://virmir.com virmir.com].

User:Virmir/Slips of Paper

2007-07-19T04:21:17Z

Virmir: User:Virmir/Slips of Paper moved to Slips of Paper: Hmmm, posting stories under User:username/storyname categorizes the story title under "U" instead of the first letter of the story. Admins might want to take a look at that. :)

User:Virmir/Slips of Paper

2007-07-19T04:16:23Z

Virmir: Yay! MediaWiki!

User:Virmir

2007-07-19T04:07:30Z

Virmir: New page: == Some of Virmir's Stories == * Slips of Paper * Spells of Brigervan == Contact == You can reach me at ''kendo.vi...

== Some of Virmir's Stories ==

* [[User:Virmir/Slips of Paper | Slips of Paper]]
* [[User:Virmir/Spells of Brigervan | Spells of Brigervan]]

== Contact ==

You can reach me at ''kendo.virmir at gmail dot com''. Feel free to send feedback my way. Short, long, gentle, or harsh, I appreciate every little bit I get!

== Website ==

I have more stories and other junk on my website, [http://virmir.com virmir.com].