Espio Nyoka

[~ T r i s s c a r ~]

Prologue
‘Innocent Youth’

“Hey, Father!”

The black fox sat calmly, his brushy tail twitching as he cast a dark brown eye around the clearing. Rapid and loud pawsteps rang out from behind him, and he slowly stood up, then zipped to the side, allowing a mixed breed pup of about the same size to tumble by him. The dog fox took in a deep breath, and then walked over the young’un, who was sprawling on the ground with a high-pitched growl.

“Listen, Espio, you need to be silent,” he instructed calmly, lifting his chin a bit. He circled the German Shepherd / red fox hybrid, waiting for the black pup to get up again. Espio’s blissful indigo eyes glittered and he leapt up with a yip of agreement.

“Silent, got it,” he echoed, tail wagging quickly. He raced back into the foliage again, panting and grinning. The old fox sat down again, a slightly amused look clear on his face. He shook his head with a half-smile, then pricked his large ears. He’s actually doing decently well, he thought, unable to hear his son’s padfalls. After a moment there was a slight rustle of leaves, and he stood up, tensing. He can’t get me that easily, he told himself, ready to spring. However, no ebony shape came flying out of the brush. Bemused, he slightly turned his head, and from his unguarded side came Espio. “I got you!” he barked, knocking his sire over and scuffling with him on the ground. The fox hopped up and frowned, looking annoyed, though there was a bit of pride in his eyes and he gave a stiff nod.

A Shepherd padded into the hollow, her narrow muzzle high. She greeted the fox with a lick and then watched young Espio staring up at her happily. “He got you this time, didn’t he, Zorro?” she questioned the raven vulpine with a smirk. Zorro ducked his head and then collected himself, making an abrupt exit.

“You’ve done very well, Espio,” she praised her son, nuzzling him gently. Her sapphire eyes gleamed proudly, and she stepped back. The young one’s teeth flashed light against dark on his muzzle, and he closed his eyes contentedly. He had done well.

~~~~~

Espio, now a year or so old, sat calmly as he awaited his parents’ return. He hadn’t seen his fox father, Zorro, around lately . . . and although his mother had her suspicions, he was patient about his homecoming. At the moment, his claws scraped slightly against the dirt as a fly shot past his nose. He batted at it with his small ebon paw half-heartedly, then jerked his head up. Zorro had melted out of the underbrush, his expression unreadable but dark. His mother leapt to his side, growling urgently.

“Espio, go with your father into the city,” she ordered. “Two-leggeds are coming into the forest . . . I don’t know if it will be safe anymore.”

The indigo eyes widened incredulously, and he barked, “What? So we should go into the city, where there are hundreds of two-legs?” Zorro gave him a sharp growl, telling him to obey. The melanistic fox-dog hybrid nodded slowly and sadly, knowing that his mother would have to stay behind. She nuzzled him and licked the top of his head, and then raced off, her fur bristling wildly as she looked around.

Zorro nudged his side impatiently, instructing, “You must follow me, and be quiet. We will move in the darkness, and stay put in the daylight. Do you understand?” Espio nodded quickly, suddenly afraid. The wise fox shot into the surrounding woods like an ebonite arrow, the dark yearling following as quickly as his paws would let him.

[~ T r i s s c a r ~]

One
‘Midnight Dream’

The night consumed the city.

Bright lights gleamed above and headlights beamed on the road, making the alleyways the only sanctuary for a creature of the night. A shadow passed the trashcans and dumpsters, the sound of talons clicking on the concrete being the only sound that came from between the walls. The being halted at the entrance to the alley, eyes lifting up to look distractedly at the lamp. They were an unnatural violet hue. The silhouette of a tall, lean canine appeared in the shaft of man-made light, an annoyed growl bursting forth from his throat.

d**n Zorro, he cursed silently, turning his head to stare into the darkness. He left me . . . I could have died if I wasn’t strong. The once-carefree pup had transformed into an emotionless, dark adult under the neglect his father gave him. He was a deceitful, cheating creature indeed, leaving Espio for a Shetland Sheepdog female, a pet. He gave up completely on his previous mate, Espio’s sweet dam, who he believed was destroyed by the two-leggers as they rampaged through their forest glade.

The mutt turned sharply at a sound nearby, and drew himself up to full height. He caught the outline of a tall dog, about as high as he. His face no more than a black mask, Espio approached the figure in a quiet prowl, with the swift gracefulness of a vulpine creature. “Show yourself, stray,” he ordered in a low, dark tone. Espio caught the surprised brown eyes of the dog, which quickly skirted him and crossed the street. His short pelt was mostly white, with some black and tan patches: a Smooth Collie. Espio looked in both directions of the lit-up path, then pursued the collie with a sinister determination.

The herding dog led him through many alleyways and turns, a few times treading on the bright street and then fading into the gloom again. Finally the fox-cross noticed him slowing down, so he quickly sprang for the other canine’s shoulders, biting into his ear. He felt the dog shudder and tasted blood on his tongue, when two different sets of fangs sank into his side and threw him off.

His blood a blacker rivulet on his coat, Espio looked up to see two females standing in front of the collie he had attacked. One was a black-and-white Shiba Inu, and the other was a pure-white female that looked like a cross between a Rhodesian Ridgeback and a Greyhound. The collie stood up and swung around, adding to their rumbling growls.

“Who the hell are you?” the feisty Shiba demanded, taking a step forward. He felt tempted to bite into her white limb, but he resisted the urge, and snorted.

“Espio Nyoka.”

The ivory hound circled him slowly, sizing him up through icy blue eyes, which he could not tear away from. “Well, Espio, what was your reason for attacking our friend?” the she-dog asked, her voice close to his pointed black ear. He shook his head and answered with no readable expression.

“I have none.” He didn’t dare flinch under their glares—two pairs of cinnamon eyes and a pair of ice ones—and simply met them evenly. He felt satisfaction when the Shiba and Smooth Collie averted their eyes, though the snowy mutt kept her ground, only turning to look at the collie.

“Mfaraka, are you alright?” she asked gently, smiling. Mfaraka nodded, flinging the small drops of blood from his torn brown ear. “What should we do with him, Ari?” she questioned the brushwood dog with a slight frown.

Ari laughed humorlessly. “We kill him, what else, Sarita? He has no valid motive for hurting Mfar, so he deserves to pay, right?” Sarita shook her head and turned to the fallen Shepherd again, her expression mocking and scornful.

“Aww, he’s just a wimpy pup. He didn’t hurt Mfaraka that bad, did he?” She chuckled. “Anyway, we could use this one, right? None of us are good leaders, so perhaps he should be.” Espio’s eyes widened a touch, but were otherwise impassive.

Ari growled loudly. “Let this stranger attack our friend, and then make him the gang leader?” she asked in disbelief, her brown eyes as large as the car headlights. Mfaraka frowned, as if in thought, and the Shiba turned on him with a helpless whimper. “Oh, no! Not you too!”

Espio rose to his paws and spoke quietly and briefly. “I lead no gang without a name.”

Sarita offered kindly, “Midnight Dream.” She cocked her head and laughed, making the brute’s paws prickle uneasily. It was a nice laugh, he decided, but he left it at that and continued to stare at them. “I’m Sarita,” she continued, “and these are my friends: Ari and Mfaraka, although you probably already knew all that.” The splotched collie took a half-step forward and dipped his head low and in agreement. Sarita circled the half-breed again, brushing her side against his shoulder as she turned. She let her tail flick across his muzzle, to which he growled slightly, and then she eyed him with an amused look. “Alright, guys, meet Espio Nyoka, our new leader.” She added in an undertone to Ari—although Espio caught her words—“I’ll watch him. I’m still top female around here, new boss or no.”

[~ T r i s s c a r ~]

Two
‘Anei Arroweye’

Many a season had passed, and autumn leaves illuminated the forest in the distance, which brought overwhelming color to the otherwise gray city. Dumpsters were raided by rats and skinny strays, but a group of four dogs were told of excitedly by two-leg mouths. Friends would get together and swear that they saw the big black dog that was like a fox leap into their path, or that they saw the pretty white mixed breed that slipped through the crowds, more relaxed. They told of fierce battles that the canines would fight amongst other mongrels, and of a larger group that resided in the park instead of on the street. And in such a tale, there was an enormous scale of truth.

Espio lay in the shade, panting and looking up at the sun. The air was a cool touch, but when lying on the sidewalk the sun had cruelly baked his ebony pelt. And, yes, lying in the middle of the two-legged path wasn’t much of a challenge for him, for all he had to do was keep still and listen to the exclaims of those who recognized his lean but muscular form.

He felt another body settle beside him, and he opened one dark amethyst eye to look at the femme. Sarita—who was becoming a great friend to him—often accompanied him on dumpster-scavenging, and just slept with him when it was chilly out. Ari and Mfaraka offered him no such companionship, although Mfaraka would, every once in a while, join him and Sarita when searching for a bite to eat. He learned now, after witnessing the fierce Shiba Inu many times, that she secretly liked him deep down. However, she hid it behind an irate barrier.

To his surprise, Sarita turned her head and touched her nose to his cheek, then rested her head on her long forelegs and sighed. “Beautiful season, is it not?” she breathed. He grunted and looked to the horizon, where a few cars were appearing. An odd warmth stirred within him, and he turned to look at her.

“Beautiful.” Sarita glanced at him slightly and smirked, then continued to fix her eyes forward. A black-and-white husky was running by, five other mongrels on her tail, though it seemed to him that she was just leading the group. He followed their progress until they were out of sight, and he heard Ari’s grumble from his other side.

“That’s Anei Arroweye and her pack,” she spat angrily. “They’re wreaking havoc on the city, and were thinking about settling into the forest before that other gang moved in.” Espio nodded slowly, waiting for her to continue. She just sat down and began to wash her light-colored paw almost like a cat. Mfaraka sat a few feet away from them, his jaws parted in a pant.

“What are their intentions now?” he inquired, giving Mfaraka a stiff nod. The collie shrugged and gestured to Ari with his snout and paw. She nodded and spoke.

“Anei needs to feed her growing gang, so she’s fighting off anyone who gets in their way. Six dogs . . . Lady Arroweye and her friend, Deputy Yoshi, Yoshi’s two twins—Rok and Luja—Rok’s mate, Luna, and their son, Flim.” She took in a deep breath, and continued more softly. “Trust me; they gave me some trouble a year or so back, and I know them pretty well.” She read their confused looks and sighed in defeat. “Yoshi’s my brother, really. But I’m completely loyal to Midnight Dream, so don’t you worry.” Espio gave her a brief smile and then stretched out onto his side, starting to doze off. Anei and her gang were no threat to them, so he dismissed the thought of them and let the dark dreamlands consume him.

~~~~~

The brute woke up to a pleasantly cool night without the bustling noise that was characteristic to the gray burg. His indigo eyes still a bit weary, Espio padded along the sidewalk and sat with his shoulder against a lamp post, taking in a deep breath and sighing slowly. He heard pawsteps approaching, and felt the odd shudder pass through his body. Sarita sat next to him, turning her head to smile. Her ice eyes were very gentle, and concealed the same warmth he felt in his heart when he looked at her.

Coughing uneasily, he turned to look down the street. He was surprised when Sarita stepped forward to rest her head against his neck, but he let her do so as he listened for danger. Espio blinked and whispered, the darkness fading from his voice, “Um . . . Sarita, I . . .”

Mfaraka burst into view, ruining the moment. Espio sighed and licked her muzzle, then greeted his friend with a light sway of his tail, though his eyes were mostly guarded. He allowed a questioning expression to creep into them as he saw the collie wheezing, his flanks heaving for air. He had been racing to get there. The Smooth Collie moved his paw and let it hang in the air, his brown eyes flicking to the cross-bred femme.

“The gang chased him,” she barked. “Anei and her pack!” Ari came onto the scene, a bloody look in her eye. Her white maw was stained red, and the crimson liquid dripped from her bared fangs. Espio looked at her in wonder, then pricked his ears at a howling that broke out down the street. He saw a smallish dog and a female looking over a fallen black pup, and the other three began making their way toward Midnight Dream.

Espio ordered hoarsely, “Mfaraka, you circle around the corner—you know, that shortcut you found to get to the restaurants—and ambush them. Me and Ari will face them head-on, and Sarita, go with Mfar.” His members nodded and the collie and mixed breed began to run off, when Espio murmured, “Sarita.” She turned to gaze at him helplessly. “Be safe.” His dark navy-violet eyes trailed after her as she disappeared from view.

“You really care about her, don’t you?” Ari asked in a whisper. Espio blinked at her and nodded with a grim glance. Ari shrugged and began to race out onto the pavement, her pads darkening on the street. Espio followed with a sharp snarl, his hackles rising as he faced his foes.

The husky, Anei, sprang for him in a heartbeat, and although swift Espio could not dodge it completely. He fell over, her claws digging into his flank as he snapped at her forelimbs. Ari he lost sight of, but after he pushed Arroweye off he caught her black-and-white pelt. She was standing face-to-face with the ginger-and-white Yoshi, her eyes wide and sad. Her brother frowned but lunged for her neck, and she pushed him away with her white arms, growling and whimpering at the same time.

Teeth connected in his neck skin, and he twisted his head to get at the small golden dog, Rok. A rich black—almost blue—mutt joined his sibling, latching onto Espio’s leg. Anei had gone for the moment, but he could hear the yelps of surprise as Mfaraka and Sarita charged down the black path, howling war cries. Espio had managed to shake Luja off, but Rok was still a problem, slowly adjusting his grip to get to the Shepherd’s windpipe. Suddenly he found it very hard to breathe, and he saw his own blood rolling down his throat. Gasping for air, Espio collapsed, trying in vain to kick Rok away.

“Espio!”

Sarita grabbed Rok by the scruff and sent him lolling on the street, his sides gingery from the injuries he had given and received. Sarita’s own maw was stained red, though there were no visible injuries seen on her opulent pallid coat. “Wait—Mfaraka’s in trouble,” she panted, gesturing to where Anei pinned Ari to the wall as Yoshi tore into the collie. The two dogs of opposite peltage but of united souls nearly flew down through the buildings, growls droning out into the night. The female rammed into the dark husky’s side, knocking her nearly senseless against the hard street. This freed Ari, who bit into Yoshi’s tail. As he whirled around to bite her, Espio sank his bright fangs into his unprotected neck, shaking him as hard as he could.

With Flim and Yoshi dead, as well as Luja and Rok unconscious, only two more dogs posed a challenge. Luna, Rok’s mate, was a pretty silver whippet, but she proved as fierce as Sarita or Ari, perhaps fiercer. Sarita wrestled with Anei, and Ari kept fighting with Luna, lunging forward to press her against the wall, and then tearing mercilessly. However, many puncture wounds covered the Shiba’s form, and she was growing tired. Espio wanted to fight, but before he could he knew he had to see if Mfaraka was okay.

The Smooth Collie wagged his tail, though he was lying bleeding on his side. A few red tinges around his chest showed that he had broken his ribs, but other than a bloody bite wound in his left hind leg he was uninjured. Mfaraka limped onto the sidewalk, just glad that no two-legs had come out to stop the fighting yet. That whole section of the city, actually, was very deserted, so there was nothing to break up the fierce battle.

It was two against three as the remainder of Midnight Dream fought Luna and Anei. However, the two females were the most ferocious. Ari slumped, half-conscious, to the ground as Luna attempted to bite into her skull. Espio send her rolling with a shove and bit deep into Luna’s limb, twisting it so that she howled with pain and ran off. Satisfied, Espio licked Ari’s head to try to rouse her whilst Anei and Sarita fought. Sarita’s howl made him pull away from his awakening friend, and he turned to see her attempting to pin Anei. “Espio, take Ari and Mfaraka back to the base! I’ll be fine!” He nodded and the trio raced off.