Unwelcome

The forest waved to me, welcoming me with calm, open arms. I never understood why they thought I was worth anything, but here I stood. I sniffed the wind. It smelled fresh and earthy. My ears perked up and my eyes focused on the scenery around me. I heard the squirrel before I saw it. I clenched my jaw as I realized what was happening. 

How dare they?

I growled, my easy warning sign to stay away. 

I heard muffled growls and whimpers and other animal noises along with the shuffling of paws.

I turned in a slow semicircle. There they were, hundreds of them. 

“Why do you do this to me?” I said with a snappy tone. 

The noises died down and the shuffling stopped.

“Max...you know exactly why,” came a small but bold voice. I faced the creature. It was the squirrel I heard earlier, Murphey, I believe.

I growled deeper.

“Murphey, you know I don’t like to be messed with. Andrew better be here with a reasonable explanation or else.” I showed my fangs and continued to growl. The surrounding animals knew to fear me, and they had a pretty good reason too. 

Just then, the animals parted their sea to let King Andrew through.

“Make way everyone, your king has arrived,” the bear said with a smug smile on his face. “Well well well, look what the cat drug in. So we meet again, Maximus.”

I snarled. “Don’t make me remind you how you got that scar, Andrew.” The bear lifted his paw to his eye patch. “I can make you blind for all you care.”

His smile faded and was replaced with an angry one. 

“MAX!” he said in a harsh rising tone, like a dad mad at their son. “I told you we shall not go there again. Either you listen to me or you don’t, got it?”

I laughed slightly. 

“You’re very intimidating, I’ll give you that. Andrew, I’m a rebel, you should know this by now. No rule or law shall be followed by me, no matter how harsh the punishment.” I eyed the other animals, as if saying ‘challenge me, I dare you.’ 

Now it was the king’s turn to growl. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you, Max.” And with that, King Andrew walked away in a hurry. 

The animals remained undecided; they didn’t know if they should follow their leader or flog him.

I walked away, the trees approving. Maybe they didn’t like a traitor in their midst?

“Max!” a feminine voice called out.

I knew it was Alicia before she made herself known. Her silver fur was glorious as ever, shining extra bright in the midday sun. 

“Alicia! Nice to see you’re on my side.” I paused a moment. “You are on my side, right?”

She smiled a wolfish grin.

“Of course I’m on your side, silly! King Andrew’s laws and rules are stupid.” 

I felt relieved to know that my girlfriend was on my side. Her golden-amber eyes lit up as if she was reading an epic story. 

“Well, do you have a plan?”

I looked at her like she asked if writers plot deaths too often.

“Yes, of course I have a plan, Alicia.”

“Don’t give me that look, Max. I feel like this involves a battle to the death?”

“You bet. Hopefully not mine, but the Fates will see how that goes.” I sent her another smile. I heard a little critter scurry in the underbrush. A little lizard popped out of the leaves. 

“Hiya Max. And hello Alicia,” replied the little guy.

“Ah, Jax, welcome back my little friend. Any news from ‘the king’s court’?” I asked sarcastically. He wriggled around and scampered up my leg. He came to rest on my shoulder.

“Well, you see, Andrew is really beefing up on security around it. I was lucky not to be spotted by The Rivals...I feel like they’re everywhere nowadays.”

I looked at my little lizard pal. He has never been caught by The Rivals, never. I don’t know what I would be without Jax by my side. 

“Ah, speaking of The Rivals, I should probably get going. If my dad finds out that I’m dating you, I could be in so much trouble. Cya boys around,” Alicia said. 

“Bye Alicia!” I called out as she ran through the forest. I sighed.

“Aw, why so down Max?” asked Jax. 

“I dunno, I just feel down.”

“I know what will cheer you up pal. Let’s go plan a heist to get what is rightfully ours.”

I smiled and walked with Jax on my shoulder. 

****

The next day, Jax and I walked toward King Andrew’s Tropical Empire, or K.A.T.E., as we liked to say. K.A.T.E. was basically a wayyyy too formal way to decorate a cave. Even though his kingdom was mainly underground, King Andrew’s Tropical Empire was a sight to behold. It was swarming with The Rivals, a complete secret service to the king. How were they recognized, you ask? Well, they are all wolves that agreed to protect Andrew along with K.A.T.E. If you ask me, I think it’s rather silly that he named it tropical because we’re in a forest, not a jungle. 

Anyways, Andrew’s main cave was a tiny entrance on a hillside, barely big enough for two wolves to squeeze into. The Rivals formed a ring around it, forbidding us entry.

“Aw come on guys, it’s just me. Let me in. I command you from King Andrew himself.”

They sniffed me and growled, but moved grudgingly. An advantage of being a wolf is that you get unlimited access as long as you say the right stuff. 

I walked in confidently, Jax wiggling around nervously on my shoulder. He can get a little unfocused sometimes. I strode as we passed more Rivals members. I knew my way around fairly well, but I mostly focused on the hallways that led to it. 

“So, what’s the plan again?” Jax hissed in my ear.

“There is no plan, remember?” I hissed back. 

Jax squirmed around, letting loose his overly-nervous energy.

I kept walking, more and more anxious to get out of this place, before I came across them. It was inevitable, but for all I cared they were invisible. They wouldn’t want to see my face again..not after what I’ve put them through.

As I turned the corner, there they were, as if expecting me. I tried to turn away quickly, but they spoke before I could.

“Max, what a surprise. What are you doing here?” came the voice of my father.

“Ah, dad, mom, good to see you too. Can we talk about this later? I’m kinda busy right now…”

“Oh, but Maxy, we’ve missed you so very much! How are you eating? Is Alicia still falling for you? Is your den nice and tidy? Did you eat today? How are your paws treating you? Did you-”

“MOM! That’s irrelevant. Now, as I was saying, I’m kind of busy right now. So, if you’ll excuse me…”

“Son, are you trying to avoid us? What did we ever do to you? C’mon, give me an honest answer, why are you here?”

I sighed. There was no way around it. 

“Well, you see, I was just gonna get back what was rightfully mine. That’s all, settle some old scores, see some old faces…”

“Is that all? You’re still after it after all this time?”

“Er...yes, mainly…”

My father growled deep in his throat. My mother showed a face of concern.

“Son, I know that King Andrew hasn’t been the brightest star in the sky, but he’s just trying to restore order. What he’s doing is right, Max, and what you are doing is wrong. Just give it up. Come back to us on The Rivals. Please, son, this is your chance to right your wrongs.”

I sniffled back tears.

“Father, mother, I bid you well. I’ll be on my way now, thanks.” I knew it wasn’t right to betray my parents a second time, but they were living the lie, not me.

I walked faster, knowing my time had been cut short.

“Dude, are you sure this is the right thing to do?”

“Yes, Jax, it is the right thing to do. No one is living right under Andrew’s rule, we both know that.” Hot tears were streaming down my long snout. I brushed them off with my paw. 

With a few more zigs and zags, we finally made it to our destination, The Archives room. I pushed the huge wooden double doors open to find myself in a room similar to a library. The walls were covered in floor to ceiling shelves covered in various artifacts. I walked straight past them all to a small room that held nothing but a poor looking scroll. It seemed to make the room glow, showing its power and magic. 

“Well, here it is, Jax. The Scroll. Let’s take a peek, shall we? Let’s see what no other Rival citizen has seen.”

Jax climbed up on the table and opened the scroll. Inside, there was a picture that looked like a tree, a family tree to be exact. 

“This is it. The truth will be told. I feel like no one will believe me, but here goes nothing.” I gently rolled it back up and grabbed it in my jaws. I turned tail and ran back out, but going the opposite way. I could already hear the guard stirring. I urged my legs to run faster. Jax could barely hold on, but I only had one focus: get out of here alive.

Unfortunately, that didn’t work out so well. 

The head of The Rivals stopped us. I hated facing this wolf, for he was Alicia’s father. I lowered my tail as a sign of respect.

“Max. You have done something very wrong. You have stolen from King Andrew. The punishment you deserve is death,” he said in a deep tone. “Give me The Scroll.”

Reluctantly, I opened my jaw. The Scroll came out into his paw.

“Sir Jedom, I was only trying to correct a wrong, sir. You see-”

“Save your breath, traitor. Tell it to the judge.”

I scowled under my breath. 

“Guards, escort him to the dungeons please.”

****

The floor was cold. It was a miserable place to place anyone. 

Jax needed sunlight, for he was a reptile after all. 

“So...tell me the story again Max?” he said slowly.

“Well, long ago, my family were the rightful rulers over Hiccum. They started to write down our family tree, and after a few years, war broke out among the animals. My great great great great great grandparents did their best to end the fighting, but they ended up dying. An enemy took the family tree scroll and messed it up. Or so the legend said. My great great great great great grandparents were too young to rule at the time, so without a rightful ruler, a bear family stood and took the crown. Our history has been changed ever since, and Hiccum remains ruled by bears. I was only trying to find evidence that wolves are the rightful rulers, but alas, no avail. I was hoping the new family scroll could also be changed, but apparently not.”

I sighed.

“I guess Hiccum will be ruled by bears forever.”

“At least you tried...pal.” Jax’s breath was raspy, like he couldn’t get enough. 

“Don’t die on me now Jax, please.”

The little lizard lay himself on the cold floor. A tear streamed down my face as Jax took his last. His little body stopped heaving. I hung my head low and prepared to be stuck here in this cold dirty dungeon for a while. I gave a small howl of despair. 

A little skittering sound echoed in the halls.

A squirrel, I thought.

Sure enough, the little Murphey came running towards me.

“Murphey, good to see you again.”

“I’ve come to get ya out, now let’s move!” He picked the lock with his large teeth and pulled the cell door open. 

I grabbed Jax’s limp body gently in my mouth. Murphey was already out the door, scouting out escape routes. I trotted behind him.

“Over here! No one’s there except someone you want to see.” I turned the corner and Alicia was standing next to Murphey.

“Well, what has it been, 3 or 4 hours since I last saw you? Can’t get enough of me, can you, Max?” We all broke out laughing. 

“We should really get going,” I attempted to say with Jax in my mouth so it came out more like “me sokjhvghjld jhgfghj kjn lkjnhug.”

They got the message. 

We turned down the hall and came to a gate leading out into a courtyard. Alicia opened it and we walked through. The forest was just on the other side of it, but The Rivals were crawling all over the place. 

“Oh no.”

This isn’t going to end well, I thought. 

Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse, they did. Jedom was prowling about. He looked over and saw me with his daughter, he nearly lost it. 

“GET THEM!” he yelled to his mates.

This is so wrong, wolves should not be turning against wolves, I thought. 

The wolves started to surround us, but we reacted faster. We ran around the pack and into the woods, but we couldn’t stop, for even they were not safe. We zigged and zagged and eventually lost them. Murphey was in the trees and Jax still hung from my mouth. I started to pant.

“Alicia, we should rest,” I tried to say.

She seemed to understand, for she slowed and stopped by a little creek. I gently laid Jax on the ground and gulped down some refreshing water. I laid my head on my paws and rested for a while. 

“I wonder if there’s anything we can do,” I said, nodding my head towards Jax. 

“I-I don’t think there’s anything we can do besides let him rest in peace,” Alicia suggested.

I sighed deeply. 

“Yeah, you’re right.” I stood and raised my paws to dig a small hole in the ground. I nudged his little body into it. 

“Jax, you were one of my best friends, and thanks for bearing with me in my crazy plans.” I remained silent for a count of 10 and pushed the dirt back over him. 

I nuzzled Alicia, and we both choked up in tears.

We walked along slowly. Too bad for us.

A gunshot sounded off in the distance and instantly we started to panic. Even Murphey was scared.

“Over here,” I said in a hushed whisper. 

Footsteps echoed and came closer, crunching dead leaves and foliage underfoot. My wolf senses kicked in, there were at least 4 of them, or maybe more. Crunch, crunch went their boots. I could sense Alicia trembling beside me. I placed my head on hers in a comforting fashion. Muffled shouts and yelps came to my ears. Another gun sounded, but this time, we weren’t so lucky. It grazed my shoulder. The red blood made me dizzy, but I tried to swallow the feeling. A gun sounded again, and this time, it hit Alicia.

“NOOO! Don’t die, please don’t die,” I whimpered. She fell to the ground and her breaths were quick and dry. The red stained her fur, making it impossible to tell where she had been shot. I howled a song of despair. Unfortunately, that made the hunters turn their attention to me. They shot out, and I felt the bullet slice through my skin and bones like a slice of cake. It felt like a slow motion movie, where everything slowed down to the speed of a slug. I knew I was doomed. My breaths became like Alicia’s, and the world started to blur. A few more yelps met my ears before oblivion struck me. The sounds became faint, and life was no more. 

Ooh, my longest story yet! Sorry, I've been liking sad story endings lately :)