Lupe Search
Sometimes the most unlikely people affect our lives; they appear out of nowhere and bring with them the lust of adventure and the storm of trouble. One of these people is Merg. This is our story.
I looked around at the raging snowstorm around me and lay down on a snow- covered rock. Snowstorms like these were frequent this high up in the mountains. They appeared within the blink of an eye and disappeared just as fast. A strong breeze ruffled my dark purple fur and whistled through my bone armor. I had come to call this mountain top my home. It was perfect for someone like me who enjoyed her solitude and privacy. The snow and cold didn't bother me, being mutant my fur was thicker than the average Lupe and the bone armor also proved to be a good way to keep warm. Not many pets traveled this far up into the mountains and if they did they normally gave me a wide berth. I peered into the snowstorm and was able to make out a form coming forward. I frowned and shook my head at it. No sane person would travel in a storm like this unless they knew the terrain well. The shape kept coming forward and I realized it was a blue Lupe. He was bigger then I was but looked to be a good deal younger then me. I stood up and waited for him to come closer so I could decide if he was here to cause trouble. He seemed fairly young and was just prancing about like a ninny without a care in the world. He soon spotted me and bounced over to me grinning like a fool. "Hi! I'm Merg." Who are you?" "My name is Starroar and this is my territory so I suggest you turn around and leave the way you came." I growled and bared my teeth in attempt to scare him. I didn't like people coming up to me and asking questions. I noticed that the storm was easing up and had turned into a delicate snowfall. I looked over him again and saw a scar leading from his back paw to his left ear. "Well jeesh don't go and have a tantrum on me now." His grin got even bigger seemingly unaware of the danger he was in. I jumped down from my rock and circled him, trying to see if he posed any threat. "Don't you get it? I don't want you around here. So beat it." His grin faltered but only momentarily and he sat down and started explaining why he was on the mountain. "I can't just go back Star, I'm on an adventure now and I want to go over the mountains." "Don't call me that. I said my name was Starroar. Not Star." I was fast losing patience with this kid. He really wasn't able to take a hint. I stopped circling him and faced him. "Can you fight?" "Nope." "Can you camouflage yourself with your surroundings?" "Nope." "Can you outsmart any opponent you come across?" "Nope." "You have any clue where you're going?" "Nope." I looked at the ground and couldn't help but laugh. "You got a death wish or something? "No ma'am." He shook his head furiously and made quite a comical sight. "Then turn around." I growled and made a slow swipe at him with a paw. "The pets on this mountain aren't very partial to strangers and won't exactly welcome you with open arms." He stared at me blankly and blinked a few times before responding. "Then you'll help me get across these mountains?" He asked with a lopsided grin. "No!" He looked a little disappointed but I wasn't a tour guide who helped lost pets. "Pleaseeeeee." He looked up at me with large brown eyes and was obviously trying to look cute and helpless. Failing miserably at it to. However I wasn't going to have his death on my mind for the rest on my life so I gave in. "Fine. I'll take you over the mountains to the other side and then your going to walk away from these mountains and your never going to come back. Got it?" He frowned obviously not liking the idea very much and finally nodded his head in agreement. Together we set off to get him over the mountains.
Several hours later.
"Sta-arrrr." Merg called from behind me. "I'm tired can't we take a rest?" I shook my head in despair. Had I made this walk alone I would be twice as far as we were now. He needed a rest every ten minutes and was constantly straying from the course and into the bushes. "Merg, come on. We still got several days of walking ahead of us and your not making this easy on either of us." He scowled in my direction and trudged on dejectedly for awhile. His sour mood didn't last long however and soon he was prancing up in front of me singing. "Ohhh I'm a Lupe. Yes I am. And my name sure ain't Sam." I paused and stared at him. I was beginning to think he'd escaped from the loony bin. "Merg, where the heck did you learn a song like that. It's ridiculous and there's no point to it." Merg bounced back over to me laughing and kicking up snow. "C'mon Star, lighten up a little. Would it kill you to smile now and again?" I attempted to humor him and smile showing all my white teeth." On second though maybe you should stick to frowning. It's a lot less scarier." He laughed and once again dashed ahead of me. "Ah go throw yerself off a cliff Merg." Despite myself I had begun to take a liking to Merg even though he was a huge pain. Merg however was not listening; he had spotted a snowbunny and was intent on catching it. He chased it willy-nilly all over the place until he came to a screeching halt by crashing into a large Lupe. "Mmph. Sorry 'bout that sir. Didn't see you there." The Lupe growled pushing Merg backward into the snow. He was a mutant Lupe like I and was a good deal larger then me. What bothered me though was the fact that I hadn't seen him there either and I prided myself on being very aware of my surroundings. "You should keep your brat of a brother on a leash." The Lupe shoved Merg once more again this time making him topple backwards into a tree. He then turned to face me as if I was responsible for Merg's actions. "For starters he's not my brother. Also he apologized for running into you. It was an accident so leave it be and I will thank you kindly not to go around calling people you don't know names." I growled in warning and placed myself between Merg and this unknown Lupe. He growled at me and for a moment looked like he was going to attack me and the noticed Merg who was now standing and had arched his back and made a fierce sight. He growled once more and disappeared into the surrounding forest of pines and other trees and bushes that could easily survive the cold conditions. "Merg do me a favor, don't run into any more big nasty looking lupes alright?" "Sure Star but who was he?" "I don't know and didn't I tell you to stop calling me that?" "How about Starreh? "No." "Starry?" "No." "SR?" "No" "Roara?" "Ok y'know what? You can stick with Star." "I am so good." Merg grinned to himself and walked along side with me his tiredness forgotten. I looked up at the sky and saw the night was fast in coming. Soon we would have to make a halt in our journey and rest for the night. Avalanches and other things of the sort constantly changed the shape of the mountains and it's paths. Walking around in the night would be a risk to great to take
The Next Morning.
"Star. Wake upppp." I lifted my head off my front paws and yawned only to be greeted with a snowball. "Gotcha Star." Merg bounded up to me and kicked snow all over me and laughed. He had told me last night that he had never seen snow. He had spent the entire time making snowchias and then breaking them. He had obviously just found the wonders of the 'snowball'. "Brat. Shoulda let the Lupe we met take care of you." I stood up and shook the snow off me and started walking once more. I wanted to get this done and over with as soon as possible so I could get back to my area of the mountain. I didn't like straying to far from it for my neighbors weren't the most pleasant of people. Merg looked confused and came after me. "Where ya going. We ain't 'ad breakfast yet." He frowned and tried to make me turn around. "We're not going to have breakfast Merg I want to reach the summit of the mountain by noon and it's going to be a fast paced walk as it is. So move ya useless lump of fur." I grinned and sprinted off up the mountain Merg's yells echoing in my ears. "Star. Star come back. Please. Wait. Come backkkkk." I glanced back at Merg and laughed. I looked forward once more and stopped listening intently. Sure enough I heard snarls and lots of growling and a few thudding sounds. Merg collided into me and protested through a mouthful of snow. "Hey what gives. Why'd ya stop?" I put a paw over his mouth and moved forward quietly until I was at the edge of a small clearing. I immediately saw what the commotion was about. The Lupe we had met the other day was fighting with another Lupe who was white. Merg skidded next to me and his eyes went wide when he saw them fighting. "We have to help. Come on." He dashed off towards the two lupes before I could stop him. "Merg come back here." My call fell upon deaf ears as Merg kept running. I sighed; there was nothing for it but to go after him. With a quick bound I was after Merg who had made his presence known to the two others. Upon sight of us both the mutant took off and Merg came to a stop next to the white one. She rounded on Merg and shook him roughly. "What do you think your doing?" Her brown eyes flared with anger. "I almost had him and you made him run." She growled once more before releasing her grip on Merg.
I ran up growling towards her." Judging by the wounds you have, you were not winning that fight. If Merg had not come to help you would most likely have been killed." I nodded my head firmly.
"Yes yes. Your right and I'm sorry. It's just Akuzah ha-
"Akuzah?" I asked lifting an eyebrow.
"The mutant Lupe I was fighting with. His name is Akuzah and he is my brother. Also he is the only one who knows where my son has has run off to." She offered as explanation and we nodded. "I think he has run off somewhere to the Lost Desert though I can't be certain." A tear trickled down her face. A strong breeze blew past us causing Merg to shiver and the lupe's long white fur to flutter around her making her seem like some sort of Snow Queen "Akuzah is the only one that knows exactly where he is." She sighed and sat down shaking her head and looking up at the clouded sky. "Oh I hope my son is alright."
I looked over at Merg and saw the look on his face and knew what was coming. "Well ma'am. Me and my friend Star, are headed that way. If you'll tell us what your son looks like then we'll try to help you." He grinned and was obviously trying to look heroic and dependable. He looked more like a blue rag with snow and ice stuck on it.
"My son's name is Fern and he's a white Lupe like me. If you could find him then I would be eternally grateful. Oh I'm terribly rude. My name is Cokary. I wish there was more time to talk but we all need to be on our way now." She looked so pleased that I couldn't say we wouldn't go find him. I shot Merg a glare and then began making my way in the direction of the Lost Desert mumbling and cursing under my breath.
Several Days Later
Merg and me had been travelling for days now and finally we had reached the edge of the mountains. As we had neared the bottom of them the slippery and smooth ice and snow had turned into clinging dirt and rough rocks. Slightly more painful but it had made the decent much easier. Now down at the bottom I pawed at the grass and flowers not having seen any for many years now. "Hmmm.must come down here more often. Awful pretty." I looked ahead and could see endless miles of sand. "C'mon Merg let's go." I stepped onto the sand and clawed slowly at it. I found it odd. I never had seen sand and it was interesting to feel it's heat and watch it glimmer like small jewels of the earth. "Wahoooo." Merg was off across than sands. "The city just a little bit ahead Star. We can make it by lunch time if we hurry." I looked up at the sun and estimated it to be ten. I shrugged and went after Merg.
We had been running top notch for quite some time now and we're rewarded by the sight of Sakemet City. Red and white tents made up what I guessed to be the main area of the city. I peeked inside several of them and was greeted by different aromas of food and odd looking petpets and interesting battle equipment. Upon entering the city I felt uncomfortable. It was crawling with unfamiliar pets all calling out to each other. I wasn't one who enjoyed being in big crowds. As if that wasn't enough I was burning up from the heat of the desert. Having lived on a huge popsicle all my life and the climate change was near unbearable. I looked in back of me to ask Merg something only to find that he was no longer there. I spun in circles a few times before running back from the way I came. I passed several tents before I saw Merg talking with a desert kacheek. The kacheek pointed in back of him and Merg nodded before bounding over to me.
"That kacheek say's he's seen Fern a couple times. Comes in for water every now and again because he lives outside the city. About a mile south of here." With that Merg took off with me hard on his heels.
"Who in the name of flying cheeses would want to live out here?" I exclaimed looking around. The heat was getting to me and now Merg and me had gotten lost in the desert.
"Chill Star." Merg said obviously trying to calm me down.
"Would love nothing better then to chill because I am boiling." I roared. I was fast losing my patience. What was I doing out in the desert looking for some kid who had run away from home and family except his crazy uncle. I slammed my paws down on the ground hard several times. I looked to my left and squinted. There were a couple of trees which I was unfamiliar with their names but that wasn't what caught my attention. It was the cabin that lay next to them that I concentrated on. "Merg! Look!" I grabbed Merg by the scruff of his neck and shoved him in the direction of the cabin. "Move boy. That's where Fern is." Merg took off at lightening speed and left me with a mouthful of sand. I coughed and spat several times before following suite.
Arriving at the cabin I could now see that it was no more then a makeshift thing that could hold one person at most. A white Lupe rounded the corner of the cabin and spotted us. He arched his back and growled loudly several times before lunging at me, only to be met by Merg's large paw, which sent him sprawling. "If ya don't mind Star I think I'll handle this one." Merg growled and rammed Fern head on. I was impressed, Merg had not seemed to be one for violence but I guessed that he had had enough of the desert and wasn't going to waste anytime with polite words. I watched Fern and Merg roll over and over in the sand, they seemed evenly matched except Merg had size advantage. Several growls and punches later Fern lay in a crumpled heap on the ground with Merg standing near by huffing and puffing. "Nice Merg. You showed him now didn't you?" I grinned from ear to ear and nodded my approval. My attention snapped back to Fern who was coming around. "Alright kid, listen up and listen good." I said with a hint of a growl. "Your mother is worried sick about you. We're here to take ya back home. Got it?" Without waiting for a reply I continued "Good!" "My mother is weak." Fern growled staggering up onto his feet. "'Tis my uncle who is the strong one in my family." "If you mean Akuzah then I'm afraid to tell you this but he belongs in the nuthouse." Merg nodded several times before a menace-laden voice rang out over the desert sands. "Oh do I now. You should learn to respect your elders and betters Merg." Akuzah stepped from behind a tree smirking. Merg almost jumped out of his skin and tore away from Akuzah who was quite near him. "Uncle!" Fern tried to look like he was fine but only managed to make the wounds he had received more evident. "These lupes are trying to make me return to the mountain." He gestured towards us. "And you could not even hold your own against the younger one." He snarled. "He is not even a fighter and you lost to him." Akuzah backhanded Fern across the face none too gently before turning to us. "Starroar and Merg, correct?" He lifted an eyebrow enquiringly. I growled slightly. "Correct Akuzah." I was now on full alert. Akuzah was even bigger then Merg. "Just how do you know our names?" Merg demanded. He placed himself into a fighting position as if he was going to fight Akuzah. "He's been following us Merg." I replied dryly. I wasn't sure if he had followed us the entire way but I knew that at least at two different times he had been pursuing us. "Oh very clever Starroar.' Akuzah replied rolling his eyes. He had been slowly moving towards us and I finally decided to do something about it. "Not another step closer, Akuzah." I said calmly. "As you wish." He smirked and turned as if to walk away before lunging at me. I was caught by surprise and found myself on the ground with Akuzah slashing at me. I slashed at his face and managed to get him off me. None too soon either, blood was mixing with my sweat and clouding my vision. I launched myself at him and managed several strong blows before he sent me flying through the air. I landed on my side and stood back up. His size and strength would be all he needed to win the fight if I wasn't careful. I rubbed a paw across my eyes to try and clear my sight. Akuzah bulled into me tearing at my side. Once again I wasn't ready for the attack and only managed to get him off after I had sustained several more injuries. I knew I was in trouble as I watched Akuzah run at me again. I braced myself for the attack but it never came. "Oh no ye don't ya great slimeball." I opened my eyes to see Merg with his paws around Akuzah's tail. That was it because the desert heat and Akuzah's attacks were taking their toll and blackness took over me.
I opened my eyes to find three lupes staring down at me. 'Ahhhhhh." I kicked out at one of them and heard him gasp. "Ah jeesh. What the 'eck did I do?" He sat down rubbing the spot I had kicked him. "Whooo. That 'urt." I sat up and looked at the three lupes. One was Cokary and the other was Merg. The third one, which I had kicked, was large and black with several yellow markings on his body. "That is my "other" brother. Tundra." Cokary gestured towards the black Lupe. He waved to me. "We were worried we didn't get here in time. We saw you lying there and thought the worse." She nodded solemnly. "Merg held off Akuzah until we got there. My son, Fern is resting right now. He has finally realized that no good can come from staying with Akuzah. As for Akuzah he fled and he is very quick we we're unable to catch him." Cokary shrugged and Merg bounced all around me. "Big sleepyhead huh?" He laughed and I looked around, we were at the foot of the mountains again. I slowly stood up. "Well I'm off now Cokary, Tundra. Let's go Merg." I looked back at him. "ME! Ya mean I can come with you? Ya mean it?" He bounded up to and I nodded. "We're partners in adventure Merg. So let's go find some other crazy pet to beat." With those words I turned and began climbing the mountain, Merg right behind me as we headed off looking for more adventures.
Sometimes the most unlikely people affect our lives; they appear out of nowhere and bring with them the lust of adventure and the storm of trouble. One of these people is Merg. This is our story.
I looked around at the raging snowstorm around me and lay down on a snow- covered rock. Snowstorms like these were frequent this high up in the mountains. They appeared within the blink of an eye and disappeared just as fast. A strong breeze ruffled my dark purple fur and whistled through my bone armor. I had come to call this mountain top my home. It was perfect for someone like me who enjoyed her solitude and privacy. The snow and cold didn't bother me, being mutant my fur was thicker than the average Lupe and the bone armor also proved to be a good way to keep warm. Not many pets traveled this far up into the mountains and if they did they normally gave me a wide berth. I peered into the snowstorm and was able to make out a form coming forward. I frowned and shook my head at it. No sane person would travel in a storm like this unless they knew the terrain well. The shape kept coming forward and I realized it was a blue Lupe. He was bigger then I was but looked to be a good deal younger then me. I stood up and waited for him to come closer so I could decide if he was here to cause trouble. He seemed fairly young and was just prancing about like a ninny without a care in the world. He soon spotted me and bounced over to me grinning like a fool. "Hi! I'm Merg." Who are you?" "My name is Starroar and this is my territory so I suggest you turn around and leave the way you came." I growled and bared my teeth in attempt to scare him. I didn't like people coming up to me and asking questions. I noticed that the storm was easing up and had turned into a delicate snowfall. I looked over him again and saw a scar leading from his back paw to his left ear. "Well jeesh don't go and have a tantrum on me now." His grin got even bigger seemingly unaware of the danger he was in. I jumped down from my rock and circled him, trying to see if he posed any threat. "Don't you get it? I don't want you around here. So beat it." His grin faltered but only momentarily and he sat down and started explaining why he was on the mountain. "I can't just go back Star, I'm on an adventure now and I want to go over the mountains." "Don't call me that. I said my name was Starroar. Not Star." I was fast losing patience with this kid. He really wasn't able to take a hint. I stopped circling him and faced him. "Can you fight?" "Nope." "Can you camouflage yourself with your surroundings?" "Nope." "Can you outsmart any opponent you come across?" "Nope." "You have any clue where you're going?" "Nope." I looked at the ground and couldn't help but laugh. "You got a death wish or something? "No ma'am." He shook his head furiously and made quite a comical sight. "Then turn around." I growled and made a slow swipe at him with a paw. "The pets on this mountain aren't very partial to strangers and won't exactly welcome you with open arms." He stared at me blankly and blinked a few times before responding. "Then you'll help me get across these mountains?" He asked with a lopsided grin. "No!" He looked a little disappointed but I wasn't a tour guide who helped lost pets. "Pleaseeeeee." He looked up at me with large brown eyes and was obviously trying to look cute and helpless. Failing miserably at it to. However I wasn't going to have his death on my mind for the rest on my life so I gave in. "Fine. I'll take you over the mountains to the other side and then your going to walk away from these mountains and your never going to come back. Got it?" He frowned obviously not liking the idea very much and finally nodded his head in agreement. Together we set off to get him over the mountains.
Several hours later.
"Sta-arrrr." Merg called from behind me. "I'm tired can't we take a rest?" I shook my head in despair. Had I made this walk alone I would be twice as far as we were now. He needed a rest every ten minutes and was constantly straying from the course and into the bushes. "Merg, come on. We still got several days of walking ahead of us and your not making this easy on either of us." He scowled in my direction and trudged on dejectedly for awhile. His sour mood didn't last long however and soon he was prancing up in front of me singing. "Ohhh I'm a Lupe. Yes I am. And my name sure ain't Sam." I paused and stared at him. I was beginning to think he'd escaped from the loony bin. "Merg, where the heck did you learn a song like that. It's ridiculous and there's no point to it." Merg bounced back over to me laughing and kicking up snow. "C'mon Star, lighten up a little. Would it kill you to smile now and again?" I attempted to humor him and smile showing all my white teeth." On second though maybe you should stick to frowning. It's a lot less scarier." He laughed and once again dashed ahead of me. "Ah go throw yerself off a cliff Merg." Despite myself I had begun to take a liking to Merg even though he was a huge pain. Merg however was not listening; he had spotted a snowbunny and was intent on catching it. He chased it willy-nilly all over the place until he came to a screeching halt by crashing into a large Lupe. "Mmph. Sorry 'bout that sir. Didn't see you there." The Lupe growled pushing Merg backward into the snow. He was a mutant Lupe like I and was a good deal larger then me. What bothered me though was the fact that I hadn't seen him there either and I prided myself on being very aware of my surroundings. "You should keep your brat of a brother on a leash." The Lupe shoved Merg once more again this time making him topple backwards into a tree. He then turned to face me as if I was responsible for Merg's actions. "For starters he's not my brother. Also he apologized for running into you. It was an accident so leave it be and I will thank you kindly not to go around calling people you don't know names." I growled in warning and placed myself between Merg and this unknown Lupe. He growled at me and for a moment looked like he was going to attack me and the noticed Merg who was now standing and had arched his back and made a fierce sight. He growled once more and disappeared into the surrounding forest of pines and other trees and bushes that could easily survive the cold conditions. "Merg do me a favor, don't run into any more big nasty looking lupes alright?" "Sure Star but who was he?" "I don't know and didn't I tell you to stop calling me that?" "How about Starreh? "No." "Starry?" "No." "SR?" "No" "Roara?" "Ok y'know what? You can stick with Star." "I am so good." Merg grinned to himself and walked along side with me his tiredness forgotten. I looked up at the sky and saw the night was fast in coming. Soon we would have to make a halt in our journey and rest for the night. Avalanches and other things of the sort constantly changed the shape of the mountains and it's paths. Walking around in the night would be a risk to great to take
The Next Morning.
"Star. Wake upppp." I lifted my head off my front paws and yawned only to be greeted with a snowball. "Gotcha Star." Merg bounded up to me and kicked snow all over me and laughed. He had told me last night that he had never seen snow. He had spent the entire time making snowchias and then breaking them. He had obviously just found the wonders of the 'snowball'. "Brat. Shoulda let the Lupe we met take care of you." I stood up and shook the snow off me and started walking once more. I wanted to get this done and over with as soon as possible so I could get back to my area of the mountain. I didn't like straying to far from it for my neighbors weren't the most pleasant of people. Merg looked confused and came after me. "Where ya going. We ain't 'ad breakfast yet." He frowned and tried to make me turn around. "We're not going to have breakfast Merg I want to reach the summit of the mountain by noon and it's going to be a fast paced walk as it is. So move ya useless lump of fur." I grinned and sprinted off up the mountain Merg's yells echoing in my ears. "Star. Star come back. Please. Wait. Come backkkkk." I glanced back at Merg and laughed. I looked forward once more and stopped listening intently. Sure enough I heard snarls and lots of growling and a few thudding sounds. Merg collided into me and protested through a mouthful of snow. "Hey what gives. Why'd ya stop?" I put a paw over his mouth and moved forward quietly until I was at the edge of a small clearing. I immediately saw what the commotion was about. The Lupe we had met the other day was fighting with another Lupe who was white. Merg skidded next to me and his eyes went wide when he saw them fighting. "We have to help. Come on." He dashed off towards the two lupes before I could stop him. "Merg come back here." My call fell upon deaf ears as Merg kept running. I sighed; there was nothing for it but to go after him. With a quick bound I was after Merg who had made his presence known to the two others. Upon sight of us both the mutant took off and Merg came to a stop next to the white one. She rounded on Merg and shook him roughly. "What do you think your doing?" Her brown eyes flared with anger. "I almost had him and you made him run." She growled once more before releasing her grip on Merg.
I ran up growling towards her." Judging by the wounds you have, you were not winning that fight. If Merg had not come to help you would most likely have been killed." I nodded my head firmly.
"Yes yes. Your right and I'm sorry. It's just Akuzah ha-
"Akuzah?" I asked lifting an eyebrow.
"The mutant Lupe I was fighting with. His name is Akuzah and he is my brother. Also he is the only one who knows where my son has has run off to." She offered as explanation and we nodded. "I think he has run off somewhere to the Lost Desert though I can't be certain." A tear trickled down her face. A strong breeze blew past us causing Merg to shiver and the lupe's long white fur to flutter around her making her seem like some sort of Snow Queen "Akuzah is the only one that knows exactly where he is." She sighed and sat down shaking her head and looking up at the clouded sky. "Oh I hope my son is alright."
I looked over at Merg and saw the look on his face and knew what was coming. "Well ma'am. Me and my friend Star, are headed that way. If you'll tell us what your son looks like then we'll try to help you." He grinned and was obviously trying to look heroic and dependable. He looked more like a blue rag with snow and ice stuck on it.
"My son's name is Fern and he's a white Lupe like me. If you could find him then I would be eternally grateful. Oh I'm terribly rude. My name is Cokary. I wish there was more time to talk but we all need to be on our way now." She looked so pleased that I couldn't say we wouldn't go find him. I shot Merg a glare and then began making my way in the direction of the Lost Desert mumbling and cursing under my breath.
Several Days Later
Merg and me had been travelling for days now and finally we had reached the edge of the mountains. As we had neared the bottom of them the slippery and smooth ice and snow had turned into clinging dirt and rough rocks. Slightly more painful but it had made the decent much easier. Now down at the bottom I pawed at the grass and flowers not having seen any for many years now. "Hmmm.must come down here more often. Awful pretty." I looked ahead and could see endless miles of sand. "C'mon Merg let's go." I stepped onto the sand and clawed slowly at it. I found it odd. I never had seen sand and it was interesting to feel it's heat and watch it glimmer like small jewels of the earth. "Wahoooo." Merg was off across than sands. "The city just a little bit ahead Star. We can make it by lunch time if we hurry." I looked up at the sun and estimated it to be ten. I shrugged and went after Merg.
We had been running top notch for quite some time now and we're rewarded by the sight of Sakemet City. Red and white tents made up what I guessed to be the main area of the city. I peeked inside several of them and was greeted by different aromas of food and odd looking petpets and interesting battle equipment. Upon entering the city I felt uncomfortable. It was crawling with unfamiliar pets all calling out to each other. I wasn't one who enjoyed being in big crowds. As if that wasn't enough I was burning up from the heat of the desert. Having lived on a huge popsicle all my life and the climate change was near unbearable. I looked in back of me to ask Merg something only to find that he was no longer there. I spun in circles a few times before running back from the way I came. I passed several tents before I saw Merg talking with a desert kacheek. The kacheek pointed in back of him and Merg nodded before bounding over to me.
"That kacheek say's he's seen Fern a couple times. Comes in for water every now and again because he lives outside the city. About a mile south of here." With that Merg took off with me hard on his heels.
"Who in the name of flying cheeses would want to live out here?" I exclaimed looking around. The heat was getting to me and now Merg and me had gotten lost in the desert.
"Chill Star." Merg said obviously trying to calm me down.
"Would love nothing better then to chill because I am boiling." I roared. I was fast losing my patience. What was I doing out in the desert looking for some kid who had run away from home and family except his crazy uncle. I slammed my paws down on the ground hard several times. I looked to my left and squinted. There were a couple of trees which I was unfamiliar with their names but that wasn't what caught my attention. It was the cabin that lay next to them that I concentrated on. "Merg! Look!" I grabbed Merg by the scruff of his neck and shoved him in the direction of the cabin. "Move boy. That's where Fern is." Merg took off at lightening speed and left me with a mouthful of sand. I coughed and spat several times before following suite.
Arriving at the cabin I could now see that it was no more then a makeshift thing that could hold one person at most. A white Lupe rounded the corner of the cabin and spotted us. He arched his back and growled loudly several times before lunging at me, only to be met by Merg's large paw, which sent him sprawling. "If ya don't mind Star I think I'll handle this one." Merg growled and rammed Fern head on. I was impressed, Merg had not seemed to be one for violence but I guessed that he had had enough of the desert and wasn't going to waste anytime with polite words. I watched Fern and Merg roll over and over in the sand, they seemed evenly matched except Merg had size advantage. Several growls and punches later Fern lay in a crumpled heap on the ground with Merg standing near by huffing and puffing. "Nice Merg. You showed him now didn't you?" I grinned from ear to ear and nodded my approval. My attention snapped back to Fern who was coming around. "Alright kid, listen up and listen good." I said with a hint of a growl. "Your mother is worried sick about you. We're here to take ya back home. Got it?" Without waiting for a reply I continued "Good!" "My mother is weak." Fern growled staggering up onto his feet. "'Tis my uncle who is the strong one in my family." "If you mean Akuzah then I'm afraid to tell you this but he belongs in the nuthouse." Merg nodded several times before a menace-laden voice rang out over the desert sands. "Oh do I now. You should learn to respect your elders and betters Merg." Akuzah stepped from behind a tree smirking. Merg almost jumped out of his skin and tore away from Akuzah who was quite near him. "Uncle!" Fern tried to look like he was fine but only managed to make the wounds he had received more evident. "These lupes are trying to make me return to the mountain." He gestured towards us. "And you could not even hold your own against the younger one." He snarled. "He is not even a fighter and you lost to him." Akuzah backhanded Fern across the face none too gently before turning to us. "Starroar and Merg, correct?" He lifted an eyebrow enquiringly. I growled slightly. "Correct Akuzah." I was now on full alert. Akuzah was even bigger then Merg. "Just how do you know our names?" Merg demanded. He placed himself into a fighting position as if he was going to fight Akuzah. "He's been following us Merg." I replied dryly. I wasn't sure if he had followed us the entire way but I knew that at least at two different times he had been pursuing us. "Oh very clever Starroar.' Akuzah replied rolling his eyes. He had been slowly moving towards us and I finally decided to do something about it. "Not another step closer, Akuzah." I said calmly. "As you wish." He smirked and turned as if to walk away before lunging at me. I was caught by surprise and found myself on the ground with Akuzah slashing at me. I slashed at his face and managed to get him off me. None too soon either, blood was mixing with my sweat and clouding my vision. I launched myself at him and managed several strong blows before he sent me flying through the air. I landed on my side and stood back up. His size and strength would be all he needed to win the fight if I wasn't careful. I rubbed a paw across my eyes to try and clear my sight. Akuzah bulled into me tearing at my side. Once again I wasn't ready for the attack and only managed to get him off after I had sustained several more injuries. I knew I was in trouble as I watched Akuzah run at me again. I braced myself for the attack but it never came. "Oh no ye don't ya great slimeball." I opened my eyes to see Merg with his paws around Akuzah's tail. That was it because the desert heat and Akuzah's attacks were taking their toll and blackness took over me.
I opened my eyes to find three lupes staring down at me. 'Ahhhhhh." I kicked out at one of them and heard him gasp. "Ah jeesh. What the 'eck did I do?" He sat down rubbing the spot I had kicked him. "Whooo. That 'urt." I sat up and looked at the three lupes. One was Cokary and the other was Merg. The third one, which I had kicked, was large and black with several yellow markings on his body. "That is my "other" brother. Tundra." Cokary gestured towards the black Lupe. He waved to me. "We were worried we didn't get here in time. We saw you lying there and thought the worse." She nodded solemnly. "Merg held off Akuzah until we got there. My son, Fern is resting right now. He has finally realized that no good can come from staying with Akuzah. As for Akuzah he fled and he is very quick we we're unable to catch him." Cokary shrugged and Merg bounced all around me. "Big sleepyhead huh?" He laughed and I looked around, we were at the foot of the mountains again. I slowly stood up. "Well I'm off now Cokary, Tundra. Let's go Merg." I looked back at him. "ME! Ya mean I can come with you? Ya mean it?" He bounded up to and I nodded. "We're partners in adventure Merg. So let's go find some other crazy pet to beat." With those words I turned and began climbing the mountain, Merg right behind me as we headed off looking for more adventures.