The Lion and the Pup

Axel flattened his ears back at the other pups playing. They wouldn't let him play the games they fought, nor even let him sleep next to him. If only... Axel shook his head. It will never happen. He sighed and wandered around, bored. A few times, he looked behind himself to see if anybody was following him, mainly his father. Axel sighs, and bumps into a sign that read, 'Do Not Enter'. Axel looks deeper into the forbidden hallway and spots the long row of cages. Axel shivered, knowing fully well this was his birthplace.

A very light growl started to form in the old dogs Vocal cords as he sensed the presence of someone within a moderately near range in the vicinity he was held at. He opened his heavy eyes as his nose, the last strong sense he had, twitched to pick up the smells around him while he laid still from sleep.
It was a habit he had developed for quite awhile, because whenever he felt that someone was about 5 meters away from him it usually meant that someone was approaching his bed room sized kennel, of which he had not left for a long time.
The scents were heavily mixed with the smell of blood and dog slobber from the inmate near by who too was resting after yet another rough night and through those stronger smells came a familiar one.

Einar lifted his head to sit up right with much reluctance as he let out a huff of air and lifted his dropped ears, a decision he regretted as he was met with the sounds of annoying little runts yapping outside. But the one his senses notified him about was away from the pack of annoying demons spawned from the putrid bafoons who ran this place, and he was the different one.

"that pungent smell of fear reeking of you is killing my nose you little rat" Einar issued a deep growl to the pup as he spoke into the air.

Axel was surprised to hear someone, nonetheless snarl at him. But remembering Ranger's beatings, Axel straightened up, showing no fear. "I am not afraid." He declared at the mysterious voice. "Who are you? Show yourself!" His voice definitely quivering with fear, but Axel just gritted his teeth and stood straighter. No. He was strong, Ranger was wrong. He took a step closer, inching toward the cages closer, toward the voice.

Einar let out a horse laughter at the pups attitude "your tone betrays your words boy!" he sniggered, hearing the pups cautious steps closer and closer to his cage "fear is not something you can hide by looks alone, work hard enough and you can smell it seeping out of adversaries no matter how tough they try to act" he spat out a cough, licking his muzzle clean before giving a large yawn, showing rows of deteriorated teeth which were one of the signs of his old age "you have yet to master your control of fear" Einar then mocked as the smell of the pup got closer, not moving a single inch from where he laid as his blinked his eyes with tiredness "that father of your is obvious tutoring you the wrong way, like every other dog they trained here" he added, uttering the worlds "father" in a sarcastic tone

Axel ignored him . "Then you're afraid, too. You were when I first came, thought I was someone else." When the old dog didn't answer, the pup knew he was right. Axel was taken aback at the mention of his father. Axel wondered how this dog knew almost everything about him. Unfazed, Axel moved closer, until he started to see other dogs. Most of them must have been here for awhile, their shown bones and ribs proved it. Most of the dogs never looked up, too dull to care who was looking at them. Axel started to feel sorry for them, but, why were they here? How did they get here? Who were they? But as Axel looked at the starved dogs, none seemed to be the voice. "Where are you?" He growled under his breath, wanting to know why and how this dog knows him so well.

Einar snorted and shifted about uncomfortably as his stiff hind legs began to grow sore on the side he was laying on "use your damn eyes boy, its not that dark around here this time of day" he growled in annoyance "your a dog for peat sake!" Einar added with in disbelief, groaning as he slowly got up, it was not everyday he was this unusually social especially to a pup. Most everyone else in the cages were surprised the old grump anti social dog actually got up for anyone.

with heavy footsteps Einar hobbled toward the front of his kennel where Axel's smell was the strongest then suddenly opened his maw and and snapped his jaw shut in the general direction which Axel seem to be on the other side of the cage walls of his kennel before coming to a screeching halt.
"am i clear enough for you to see now?" he growled horsely before leaning against the wire in discomfort.

Axel jumped back. He growled, "Your scent... It's different. Smells like rotting meat." Averting his eyes to the old dog and Axel's escape route, the heeler stepped closer and his red fur started to settle down. But the old dog was right. Why didn't he smell this dog long ago?

But instead, Axel didn't move any further. "How long have you been here? How did you know I had a father?" Axel had millions of other questions, but decided to just start off with those two. Wait-one more. "Who are you?" The pup demanded.

Einar missed the comment Axel made about him in his bid to ease the stress on his aching joints his attention was grabbed when the kid started asking questions

"longer then you can imagine kid" Einar chuckled "think of it as being one of the first few ever to step into these specimen kennels, i once belonged to the world outside these concrete walls" he explained, he could feel the pup was a little edgy which made him feel good even though there was a barrier between him and the pup to know the kid didn't underestimate him.
"the name of this area describes whoever kept in here, the rest doesn't matter anymore" he said nonchalantly.
though his eyes were useless to him they sometimes moved as if they still worked and his clouded pupils seemed to scan the up from head to toe.
"you still smell the same as when you were a mere little worm" he remarked

Axel flinched, for the first time not caring how afraid he looked. "You're blind... how?" Axel could never imagine seeing. Especially in a fight. Axel decided to challenge this dog if he even remembered that he smelled like a worm.

"If you know me, then you must know my mother." Axel barely remembered his mother, died as soon as he started eating meat. "And you didn't answer my question. Who are you?

"my eyes decided to go on holiday as i got older.." Einar replied in the most monotonous tone it was clear sarcasm as he gave his most unamused face that made it feel like it could melt off, metaphorically speaking, at any moment the longer he talked to the pup.
"the truth behind me is all part of myth now boy..a very old tale told by those on the outside, who I am doesn't matter any more and you shouldn't care about it if you know what's good for you, so quit picking" Einar growled in warning, his intentions were unclear when he said what he did. Those who meddled too much with the specimens would get it hard from the Trova Amicitia, but Einar was never a dog known to care for anyone, let alone the well being of a pup.

But the old Tibetan mastiffs mood showed slight hints of perking up when the closer then ventured to the topic of axels mother
"Of course of I did, you spent the first parts of you squirmy little life in these kennels with her, not that i would expect a little rat like you to remember anything" he taunted, giving the actual rodents living in his kennel a prompt apology before returning his attention to Axel
"she was one of us-... them...,and made the same mistakes all of them did in the end.." speaking with much petulance with growls as he uttered his words.
his claws automatically clenched and his lips instinctively curled back in a snarl when memories of characters of a distant past began to come back to him

Axel's brow furrowed when this mastiff talked about his mother, like as if she wasn't meant to be. "What mistake... did my mother make?" He got a better glimpse of the old dog. "And stop calling me 'kid' or 'pup. I got a name you know." Axel sometimes wish his mother was still alive... But he guessed she'll just suffer like this one...

But Axel couldn't stop thinking. This dog came from outside the wall... Axel looked up into those blind eyes. "And... Is there a better place... Across the wall?" Axel could never imagine a better world than the one he lived in now, where there were fights, mocking dogs, and even tortured ones like this one.

Then, it clicked. That voice...could it be? "You- you know me." He had to choke those words. "You really know me.

Einar grumbled and shifted around once more "of course, you were born in these very kennels kid. I heard your damn yelping from day one" he said, keeping his remarks about what he was thinking to himself about Axel up to this point, though it was clear in the way he talked and moved that he found the kid irritating.

"The outside is better then you could ever imagine" he scoffed with a grin as he spoke "nothing these damned institutionalized freaks that stomp all over this base know about" Einar added, going on about how on the outside, you were truly free to run, where the platoon on the outside supported each other, fought together and when one was in trouble, no one was left behind, tasting real food and not the freeze dried cornflakes they fed you here, tales long lost in time begun to spring to life as the old dog continued to speak, stories of dogs banding together to ward off great enemies and how they were not ruled by the hands of men.
"Unless they choose to leave on their own, they they wont give two shits.." Einar said, his mood suddenly plunging down to his usual self. "the outside is a great place should you choose to accept it, but all of them out there are fools!" he spat
"fools who don't know their place" he growled, staggering to his feet to move to another part of his kennel.

"the law of the pack, they know none of it, theye is no order among their ranks, but the ones who prance around in here seem to understand it well, except they call it the breeding law and let the humans decide for them" he scorned

"which is why your mother ended the way she did, she was from the outside once, then like them she let her feelings triumph her soul like how they all do on the outside which lead to the doom of both your parents, thats what you get for not listening" Einar said, fangs bared the entire speech "woman didn't know her place, none of them do, your father died because her had an illegal litter inside these walls, thats not allowed

Axel couldn't believe the stories from the outside. They were much grander and more brilliant than the ones Trova Amichitia told. When the mastiff talked about Scarlet and Anatoli, Axel perked up. "You were in the first battle... Are Scarlet and Anatoli as bad as the platoon say they are? And you were the one who left." Axel declared, hearing plenty of stories about Einar, similar to all the rule-breakers of... The Renowned, was it? "If this ... magical place really exists then why did you leave?" It didn't make any sense. So what if they don't know their place? He was sure Renowned pups were having a better life than he was in these stinking kennels.

When Einar started talking-no- snarling about Axel's mother, he retorted, "Well, I would too! Who would be lowly enough to be a... a Specimen!" He glared at the insulting dog. "And my mother wasn't a Renowned! She was a stray, unlike you."

Axel wanted to leave, not just the Specimen cages, but this whole place! Everyone here was just insulting, calling him a 'bastard' and 'mutt'. Now here was another dog, instead insulting his own mother! But there was one more question. "And what do you mean my father is dead and had an illegal litter? He's alive and well, and he told me the humans wanted a cross of two smart dogs." He said with pride. "Which made it legal."

"you mean the dog called Ranger? the one who beats the crap out of you every time he catches you a coward when the rest of the puppy pack pick on you??" Einar sneered and begun to laugh. "Is that what that contemptuous prick told you?? I wouldn't blame you for being so daft then" he said, it had been a long time since he was this amused. He said no more concerning the pups parents, after all it was forbidden for anyone to say anything, though Einar considered himself an exception.

Having no comment about Axel's theories about him and the renowned he tried to shrug off the pups rude comment. but to no avail "I have my own reason for choosing path, reasons that a little rat like you need not concern yourself with nor will you understand" he growled, getting tired to spit back comments, he was too old for that. "not that anybody will ever understand.." he added solemnly

"now tell me" he suddenly changed the subject
"what other interesting facts has Ranger told you about you in general?" Einar challenged the pup. Having spoken the most he was now curious to hear more about his little guest
"have a treat, i'll give you a bit more information first wet your interest, your mother was a Renowned dog through and through kid take it from me, the Trova humans don't just breed strays they find anywhere with their dogs, there would only be one reason why they would breed a stray with one of their own here, you should know that well by now. and every breeding in here..is planned, connect the dots, love is not part of the equation within these walls.." he said in almost a whispering tone as his ears stayed alert for any dogs that might walk into the specimen kennels

Axel couldn't object to that. It was true, no matter how hard he wants it not to be true, it is. Fate can't be changed. Axel forced himself not to answer Einar. Axel turned his head away, getting the answers he needed. He didn't care how and why the humans chose who to breed, or about The Renowned. All he could think about was his father- apparently ex-father, now...

Axel looked at the bracelet his mother got him. Axel didn't realize until now the snarling dog engraved in it. It wasn't a dog's skull, it was alive! He still has a chance. He still has the chance to be alive. Now he knew his destiny.

Axel then takes off the bracelet. "Here." He threw the chewed bracelet at Einar. "I'm going to escape. Obviously I'll come back for you one day, but I'm going after those 'fools'." He looked back at the exit. "Anything else you want to tell me?"

The mastiff chuckled malevolently, almost crazy like, then smiling as if he was highly amused as he ran his tongue over what little teeth he had left. as the bracelet hit the ground. "don't bother" he replied in a proud manner but his eyes squinted despondently.
he heard the pups foot steps getting further and further away and he scoffed at the pups choice, in a way that felt as if he had to always be doubtful of everything everyone does.

a long silence came after, as if he was finding the right words to say.
"The lake is the heart of all that lives on this island, let see how fast you can run" he grinned

Axel knew what Einar was talking about. "Th-Thank you, Einar." The Border Collie mix mumbled, and knew that he had to hurry if he didn't want to rot.

Axel ran for his life. He left everything he ever known. His home. His family. Everything. Even his... father? Axel didn't want to think about that now. All he could think about was the new life that awaited him.