Recently, the threat of Dr. Robotnik wielding a weapon of mass destruction have been reported throughout all of Mobius. While frightened mobians would usually turn to their little blue hero in their time of need, a recent string of crimes has landed the hedgehog in a high security lockdown on Prison Island. G.U.N Had been working frantically to identify the threat and neutralize it before the doctor's scheme is put into action.
"My name is Shadow. Since you were so kind to release me, my master...I will grant you one wish."
═━┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈━/ Ǒ̶̢̨̞̻̀̆̆̂ṉ̵̙̻͝l̵̛̲̳͂̇y̵̨̹̏ ̶̧̯̭͎͎̇̐̾S̴͈͉̀c̴̢̩̯̹̩̈́̄̑a̵͚̓͐̿̀̒r̴̡̖̜̺͋̇̕s̷̡͕̟̎ ̶̳̠̓̓̚R̵̫͒͗́ȩ̵̞̮͕̼̔m̴̫̤̓̐͐͛̓å̵̢̼̭̹͠i̴͚̐̈́̆n̶̳̫̏̄ /┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈━═
"What have you found?" the elder jackal asked in a low, calm tone. His hooded eyes staring down at the pups at his feet, bowing in respect him and averting their eyes from his piercing gaze. He towered over the two silver-furs, his shadow covering both of their cowering forms as he rose to his full height and crossed his arms, waiting for their reply. "Y-your nephew is nearly recovered s-sir...He was able to-" "He put up a good fight." The other silver jackal interrupted, they didn't need to tell him that they'd been thoroughly humiliated, best to leave out that little detail. "His other siblings, and his father have been keeping close tabs on him. We were unable to get close to him alone."
The larger male considers them for a moment, turning to his two companions standing a few feet behind him. The two jackals were also smaller than him, but only by a few inches, being only a few years his juniors. The taller of the two had snow-white fur and greyish markings, his long mane hung loosely from a messy ponytail, and his eyes were a bright crimson. The other's fur was jet black, with stripes only a few shades lighter than her base coat. Her mane was cut short and it curled around to frame her face, wavy bangs partially obscuring one of her golden eyes. The taller albino jackal made a few hand gestures towards the female beside him, and she nodded in agreement. "You should send us sir, we are much more...reliable." The she-jackal said with a sneer, curling her lips in disgust at the two weak pups cowering in their shadows.
Cane snorts, nodding in agreement before turning back to the two young jackals, and giving them a dismissing gesture. "Go and rest young ones - worry not - my brother will pay for his transgressions." The tall jackal knelt down, gently brushing the bloodied mane out of the face of one of the young silver-furs, and tilting his head to make eye contact. "The injuries you've suffered will be returned tenfold." He released the terrified pup, making him stumble away from the elder in fear. "Now go." He barked, and with frightened yips the two pups scrambled to their feet, quick to get away before they angered their leader, or god forbid his female companion.
═━┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈━/ Ǒ̶̢̨̞̻̀̆̆̂ṉ̵̙̻͝l̵̛̲̳͂̇y̵̨̹̏ ̶̧̯̭͎͎̇̐̾S̴͈͉̀c̴̢̩̯̹̩̈́̄̑a̵͚̓͐̿̀̒r̴̡̖̜̺͋̇̕s̷̡͕̟̎ ̶̳̠̓̓̚R̵̫͒͗́ȩ̵̞̮͕̼̔m̴̫̤̓̐͐͛̓å̵̢̼̭̹͠i̴͚̐̈́̆n̶̳̫̏̄ /┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈━═
Noir was known for having a quick temper, lashing out at anyone foolish enough to get on her bad side, leaving permanent wounds on many of her packmates. Though nobody really knows when or how, she'd even caused her mate to become mute. One day the male had returned with her, covered in blood pouring from a wound slashed across his throat. Noir simply stormed off without him; leaving him to helplessly limp the rest of the way to the den and seek out help before he bled out. From that day on he hadn't spoken, instead he'd struggled to learn sign language from an unexpected friend, the sand wurm trainer Neme. He'd helped Blank to recover from this critical injury, not only teaching him a different way to communicate, but also ferrying him to the Oasis to get regular checkups by the medics there.
The white furred male made a few more gestures, this time towards his alpha, who had turned to face them again. "Would you like us to head out sir?" He signed, Noir translated for him, having reluctantly learned the language to be able to communicate with her mate. "Yes, but don't make any moves. I can't risk losing any men before we are prepared, simply observe for now." The dark jackal closed her eyes, crossing her arms and huffing in annoyance. If she had it her way that little snot and the rest of his siblings would be dead already. She may not be strong enough to face off against their father, but one day she longed to sink her teeth into his brats. She still had a score to settle with his pretty little daughter.
Tempest was the primary reason for the dark female's nasty temperament, having mercilessly harassed her after Noir had a little falling out with her elder brother. The dark jackal had been a bit promiscuous when she'd been a part of the jackal squad, attracting many suitors, including Phelix's son. Noir had in fact pursued a relationship with him, given that he was quite a promising mate who might very well be the next leader of their pack. However, she gave in to her darker nature and ended up being unfaithful, angering his sister in the process. As punishment for toying with the heart of her elder brother she'd given Noir a nasty scar that spanned from the top of her shoulder down to her hip in an attempt on her life.
After the incident tension grew amongst the squad, petty squabbles broke out and the packs began to separate into factions once again. The squad was made up of four separate packs at the time, the grey and red furred jackals had been joined by the union of the current alphas, Phelix and Dahlia. The leaders had then sought to unite the remaining two packs of the desert with their own, to solidify their iron grip on the territory. They were outraged by the ungrateful and aggressive advances the silver and ebony packs had started, having taken them into their home, sharing their food and resources. Noir's entire family, along with the silver furs had been alienated from the group, being constantly harassed by the relatives of the main families, until they were finally banished from the squad entirely. Only a few select members of the banished parties who showed true loyalty to their alphas were allowed to remain in the pack, the rest were forced out of the territory entirely to find a new home.
Lance and Tempest's roles in the separation of their squad were not overlooked, and once Phelix's next pup was born and announced to be a male, the pack decided it would be best that the succession overlook the two in favor of his newest son. The two took their punishment gracefully, giving no complaint when their father announced that their new brother Finnian would eventually succeed him in leading the squad. Noir had watched all of these happenings hidden in the shadows, one of the specialties of her family, before finally deciding it was time to move on and go with the remainder of her pack to eke out a new living on the outskirts of their old home. They'd taken up residence in this piteous little mound of dirt and attempted to make a life for themselves, but resources were scarce and they had to struggle to survive. Eventually, once she'd become of age her father, who was the new alpha of the pack of ebony jackals, had forced her to join with the sad little son of the silver fur's leaders, Blank. She loathed him and fought the union with every ounce of her being, but to no avail. The hardships of her life had turned her into a cold and bitter mobian, and she directed her fury at those around her, mainly her pathetic mate whom she despised unconditionally.
However, recent events saw the alphas of their pack dead, and a new leader on the scene. After his banishment, Phelix's bitter brother had come and enforced a very hostile takeover, brutally murdering all four leaders and commanding his authority over the rag-tag group of jackals. He preached vengeance on those who had forced them into such a hard and unforgiving life and rallied all that would follow him to one day reclaim the desert for their own. Those who refused were quickly eliminated. Noir, and a very reluctant Blank were at the spearhead of this extermination, and were the second in command of Cane, Noir reveling in her opportunity at revenge for her misery. After a few hours of preparation, the duo began their journey to the heart of the desert - to the den of the jackal squad - preparing themselves for a long mission in the name of their vengeance.
═━┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈━/ Ǒ̶̢̨̞̻̀̆̆̂ṉ̵̙̻͝l̵̛̲̳͂̇y̵̨̹̏ ̶̧̯̭͎͎̇̐̾S̴͈͉̀c̴̢̩̯̹̩̈́̄̑a̵͚̓͐̿̀̒r̴̡̖̜̺͋̇̕s̷̡͕̟̎ ̶̳̠̓̓̚R̵̫͒͗́ȩ̵̞̮͕̼̔m̴̫̤̓̐͐͛̓å̵̢̼̭̹͠i̴͚̐̈́̆n̶̳̫̏̄ /┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈━═
He hadn't said more than a few words since he'd woken up from his nightmare a few days ago. After waking up, he'd scared his siblings and father so thoroughly with his reaction that they hadn't really known what to do. Lance and Phelix had avoided the topic entirely, comforting others was not their forte, so they just left the others to handle it. Jay tried to downplay it, telling him it was just a stupid nightmare and there was no way some dream was going to get the best of his big brother. Finn's only response was silence, and so Jay looked to his other brother for assistance. Pierce had given him a knowing look, having suffered from many sleepless nights himself, he simply given his big brother a pat on the shoulder and taken Jay with him so their elder brother could have some peace and quiet to sort out his thoughts. Tempest had done her best to console him, they'd spent a few hours rocking in the hammock while Finn desperately clutched his elder sister as he tried to stop the trembling racking his body. Once he'd finally calmed down she'd demanded on multiple occasions that he tell her why he was so upset, but when he tried the words caught in his throat. After a few hours of her pestering him he'd simply muttered "I'm fine." before taking off with no resistance from the others, going in the opposite direction of the Oasis so they didn't try to stop him from seeing Gadget.
He wasn't sure he could handle talking to the wolf right now, even if he wanted to. Finn swung his leg from the branch he was currently perched on, resting in the sparse shade of the dilapidated tree he'd claimed as his hiding spot. He rubbed his tired eyes, he wanted to rest but he was terrified his mind would conjure up something worse as soon as he closed his eyes. He turned over a smooth stone in the palm of his ungloved paw, its dark matte surface dimly reflecting the afternoon sun as he blankly stared at it, lost in his thoughts. That dream had shaken him to his core, he could still feel the chill of the inky black depths, and the phantom pains of the shattered bones in his legs despite it never actually happening. Though the pain was awful, what shook him more than anything else was the idea of Gadget not existing in his dreamscape, he could only imagine where he would be if not for him and the ginger meeting. An image of his uncle flashed in his mind, reminding him that Gadget's involvement with him had put him in danger, that there was a very dangerous mobian that wanted them both dead. Perhaps it would have been best if they'd never met after all, maybe that's what his subconscious was trying to tell him.
What was more, he couldn't get the image of that THING out of his head, and the words it spoke echoed through his mind every time he thought about it. "Beware crimson tides..." he muttered to himself, like his repetition of the phrase would help him understand it's meaning. "What the HELL is that supposed to mean?!" He shouted, hurling the stone into the grimy surface of the stream running below the tree. It made a pitiful splash as it hit the surface of the muddy water, quickly sinking to the bottom of the shallow stream and disappearing from view. He squeezed his eyes shut, claws digging into his own skin as he clenched his fists, grinding his teeth in frustration. Sitting around moping was getting him nowhere. He looked down at his paws, releasing his tight grip to stare down at his fur, he was filthy. Perhaps a quick rinse in the stream would help take his mind off of things. He hopped down, landing gracefully on both feet as he dropped down from the low hanging branch. He groaned as his muscles protested, his leg may be mostly healed, but it was still sore.
He unwound the bandages covering the wound on the limb, noting that his fur had even started to grow back around the damaged area. Next, he removed the wrappings from his eye, a twinge of pain made his face heat up as he brushed against the sensitive scar tissue from the previous injury there. He assumed since it was in almost exactly the same place as his last scar, it would take extra time to completely heal. He removed his boots and calmly walked towards the small stream, staring into the water to see a distorted image of his face. He frowned, even though the water warped the image, he could still see the rather large laceration across his face. It overlapped his old scar, spanning from his cheek bone, over his eyelid, and up over his brow near the middle of his forehead. It was a nasty sight, and it felt just as bad as it looked. He sighed in defeat, he supposed nothing could make it any worse than it already was. He waded into the shallow water, it barely made it up to his waist, but it was enough to bathe in. He avoided brushing the wound on his face again as he dipped his hair backwards into the stream. He quickly rinsed off the grime and dirt from his fur, spending extra time on his hair to untangle all the debris that had gotten caught in it from spending several nights in the desert brush.
Something brushed against his leg, making him jump and quickly snap his vision to the water below to see a Killifish innocently circling around his paws. Suddenly he felt ice cold shivers shoot up his spine, the black liquid of his dream flashed before his eyes, followed by the silver visage of the monster, and the sound of its voice echoing in his ears all over again. "BEWARE..." He panicked, splashing violently as he rushed to remove himself from the stream, his heart racing as he waded to the bank and out of the water. His legs refused to support him, and he was forced to climb out on all fours, tremors racking his body once again. He clutched his head; his ears began to ring as the echoes got louder. "BEWARE. BEWARE. BEWARE THE CRIMSON TIDES." He curled in on himself, his forehead resting against his knees at he tightened the grip on his head in an attempt to get the voice out of his head. "SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, his voice shaking from the terror gripping his mind. "Please...just be quiet." He pleaded with the voice, tears welling up in his eyes as he snarled in frustration. Silence. Like nothing had ever happened. He opened his eyes, uncurling from his position on the ground and looking around.
Everything was normal. A chuckle escaped his throat, his lips twisting into a wicked smile as he began to laugh. "I must be going crazy...from one little nightmare - how pathetic." Still smiling, he wiped the tears from his face and closed his eyes. Come to think of it, all of this had started when Gadget had a similar dream. He vaguely remembered the wolf describing the same slimy black water in his dream, and the same bone chilling cold that emitted from it. His eyes furrowed, trying to concentrate on any other details the wolf had told him before their trip. He remembered Gadget describing the nightmare version of him, long mane glowing red, with long claws, crimson eyes, a gaping hole in his chest. He shuttered at the thought, glad that in his dream he hadn't seen some twisted version of the ginger. After resting for a few more moments of resting, his legs finally allowed him to stand. He'd decided that he needed to see the wolf, to tell him about the dream he'd had, perhaps talking about it with someone who'd had a similar experience would help put his mind at ease. He quickly dressed himself, realizing that he didn't have any new bandages to cover his face and sighing in irritation. Instead, he put his mane up in a messy ponytail, leaving enough free to cover most of that side of his face.
═━┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈━/ Ǒ̶̢̨̞̻̀̆̆̂ṉ̵̙̻͝l̵̛̲̳͂̇y̵̨̹̏ ̶̧̯̭͎͎̇̐̾S̴͈͉̀c̴̢̩̯̹̩̈́̄̑a̵͚̓͐̿̀̒r̴̡̖̜̺͋̇̕s̷̡͕̟̎ ̶̳̠̓̓̚R̵̫͒͗́ȩ̵̞̮͕̼̔m̴̫̤̓̐͐͛̓å̵̢̼̭̹͠i̴͚̐̈́̆n̶̳̫̏̄ /┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈━═
Finn strode confidently back into the den of the Jackal Squad, his head held high as he made his way across their home. Whispers from the other jackals, who hadn't seen him at all since his run in with Cane made his ears twitch. From what he was hearing rumors had spread quickly about what might have happened to him, most of them were far from the truth. He ignored the curious glances from his cousins as he continued onwards, finally making it back to his quarters. He gathered his blade and his hoverboard, also changing into a clean pair of clothes before preparing to head out before anyone could stop him. As he turned to leave he ran face first into his elder brother, who had snuck up without a sound right behind him. The impact barely affected the larger jackal at all but running into a hardhead like his brother was enough to daze Finn. "Where do you think you're going runt?" Lance asked, crossing his arms as the disoriented Finn backed up and shook his head. Once the dizziness subsided, the smaller jackal glared at his elder sibling. "I'm going to see Gadget, you can't stop me." Lance laughed, smiling down at Finn and reaching out to ruffle his mane, which was still damp from his bath. "Heh, I know that. I wasn't planning on it, you're too fast for me to chase you anyways." Surprised, Finn continued to glare at his brother, expecting this to be some sort of joke. "What's the catch?" He asked in a clipped tone, mirroring his brother and crossing his arms over his chest. "Dad wants to talk to you first." His ears drooped, noticing that at some point his other siblings had arrived as well, standing behind Lance and crushing any hopes of him escaping before getting a lecture from their father. He sighed, uncrossing his arms and walking past Lance with slumped shoulders and a frown on his face. "Fine, let's get this over with..." The young jackal grumbled, as he walked beside Jay and Tempest, who had both wrapped their arms around his shoulders in a mock gesture of comfort.
It was a short walk to the center of their den, and the meeting area was oddly vacant considering it was midday, most likely his father's doing. The elder jackal sat atop the stones resting in the center, facing away from them as he stared off in the distance in the direction of the Oasis. Finn could feel dread in the pit of his stomach, and it only worsened as Lance and Pierce headed off in a different direction; Jay and Tempest almost pushing him the rest of the way to the slope leading up to where their father waited. "Son." Phelix greeted, turning his head and nodding at his other children, who finally released their brother from their grip. Finn clenched his fists, taking a step forward in an attempt to defend himself. "Father, I can explain. I just needed-" Phelix held up his hand to silence the young jackal, whose face reflected the worry evident in his tone, fearing his father's anger and disapproval. "No need Finn...I understand." Worry still evident on his face, it took the pup a moment to register what his father had said. "I- wait...what?" He stuttered, trying to process what was going on. "I understand. I was your age once, Finn. I know what it's like to hold someone dear to you, and to be separated from them." Tempest's gaze fell downwards, her ears folding back and her arms crossing as she realized just what her father was hinting at. Finn was still in a state of shock, hanging onto his father's words as he continued to speak. "From what the others have told me you and this outsider are...close. While I don't agree with relations outside of the pack, I can't stop you from feeling the way you do. It's clearly affected you, and for that, I am sorry."
During his speech, the elder had gotten up from where he sat, making his way over to his children and kneeling down to eye level with Finn. He placed his large paw on his son's shoulder, giving him an understanding look as he continued. "You have a responsibility to this family son, we must leave to train so you can take my place as leader." His father gave him a compassionate smile, squeezing his shoulder slightly to try and comfort his son, who looked utterly terrified of this stranger that had taken the place of his usually apathetic father. "However, in light of recent events, I will allow you to go to the Oasis for closure before our departure." Jay grinned behind them, happy they were going to get to see the wolf before they left, he'd taken a liking to the awkward little runt. Tempest smiled too, glad to see her father trying his best to do what was right for her brother. He'd struggled on this decision the entire time Finn had been away and had even come to his daughter for advice on the matter; which had led to all of Finn's siblings filling the elder jackal in on Finn and Gadget's relationship. "I want you to be happy son. You may not see him for a very long time, but when we return you may peruse whatever relationship you two have. I will not stop you." A genuine smile crept onto the young jackal's face, truly happy his father was slowly starting to accept him and Gadget being together.
"We will be leaving in a few hours, all of you pack whatever you deem necessary to take with you, this trip will be a long one." Finn's brows furrowed in confusion once more, all of us? "Wait, they are coming too?" He asked in a hushed tone, not wanting to offend his siblings. "Yes, a good alpha needs strong lieutenants, these two will be your second in command. As such, they will be joining us to train together with you, to strengthen your bonds to one another. Something my father never gave me and my brother." Tempest and Jay joined the two, placing their paws on Finn's shoulders once again. "You're stuck with us!" Jay laughed, Tempest simply grinning down at her little brothers. Finn returned the smile, happy he wouldn't be facing what was to come alone. He looked back to his father, one more question still bothering him. "What about Pierce and Lance?" Phelix frowned, giving his children a troubled look. "If I could take them as well I would, but right now I cannot leave the pack unguarded. They will be staying behind to lead the squad in our absence, under the guidance of Umber." The fact that his father was entrusting the squad to his aunt was unsettling, though she'd proven her loyalty by staying after her mate's banishment, Finn still did not trust her. Once a jackal found a mate, they were together for life, he found it hard to believe that she'd abandon hers so easily. Still he trusted his leader's judgement and decided not to question his decision. "Now hurry and prepare to leave, Neme is waiting for us." The trio of siblings left to gather their things in silence, and together them and their father made their way to the rendezvous location with the sand wurm tamer to begin their journey.
═━┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈━/ Ǒ̶̢̨̞̻̀̆̆̂ṉ̵̙̻͝l̵̛̲̳͂̇y̵̨̹̏ ̶̧̯̭͎͎̇̐̾S̴͈͉̀c̴̢̩̯̹̩̈́̄̑a̵͚̓͐̿̀̒r̴̡̖̜̺͋̇̕s̷̡͕̟̎ ̶̳̠̓̓̚R̵̫͒͗́ȩ̵̞̮͕̼̔m̴̫̤̓̐͐͛̓å̵̢̼̭̹͠i̴͚̐̈́̆n̶̳̫̏̄ /┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈━═
Kodiak and his companions sat on the beach, summer was once again upon them and they enjoyed their time goofing off like they usually did. Despite being older, they still liked skipping stones at the edge of the lake, occasionally wrestling with one another or swimming as well. Canon, the bear's tiger companion currently had Nikon, his hawk companion pinned in a headlock. The two rolled around in the dirt, shouting obscenities at one another as they both tried to gain the upper hand. Kodiac continued to skip stones, ignoring his friend's hollers for him to join them in their tussle. He reeled his arm back, preparing to throw another stone, but before he could the ground began to shake violently, causing him to lose his balance and fall to his knees. A giant shadow obscured the sun from view, and as the trio looked up in terror they saw the giant maw of a sand wurm looming overhead. These creatures usually never ventured this close to civilization, while aggressive in nature they preferred their sandy home to the lush greenery of the oasis. Yet, despite this, the creature showed no reservations about entering the area, and its giant head lowered to ground level. As it lay its massive body down, a saddle seating a hooded mobian came into view. When the full length of its body rested on the ground another saddle was revealed, seating several other cloaked figures who quietly made their way down off the beast's back. The larger of the four separated himself from the rest, making his way away from the border back towards the rocky cliffs connecting to their town to the desert. The other three were headed straight towards the trio, and behind them the sand wurm rose to its full height before turning and heading off back into the desert from whence it came.
As the three figures removed the hoods of their cloaks Kodiac recognized one immediately, it was that freak that Gadget liked to hang around. He didn't recognize the other two from such a great distance, but they weren't the right size to be any of the jackal's usual companions. As they approached the bear was up in arms, ready to pick a fight with that little jerk for knocking his teeth in the last time they'd met at the yogurt shop. Finn finally seemed to notice the bear when they were a few feet away and sneered in contempt at the larger mobian. "Kodiac..." He greeted, his clipped tone clearly indicating that he DID NOT want to deal with him right now. "Ya' got a lot of nerve showin' yer' ugly face around me again ya' little brat." The bear growled, raising his fists in anticipation of a fight. "A friend of yours?" A feminine voice came from behind the jackal, as the other two cloaked figures approached. "Hardly. This is the asshole that threw that rock at me." The bear sneered Kodiac was stunned into silence, a beautiful jackal stood beside the little runt, her long hair tied in a messy ponytail, mussed bangs fanning over the left side of her face. Her cape was unbuttoned, left open to billow around her tall, thin frame. She wore a high collar sleeveless crop top, torn pants, and black boots with silver accents similar to what the other two jackals wore. The bear's heart skipped a beat as the female jackal made eye contact with him, his mouth hung agape, words caught on the tip of his tongue as he stuttered incoherently. "W-who's this...she's too pretty to be hanging around YOU." A laugh, the female jackal glared but didn't bother to respond to the statement, her tail twitched in irritation. "He doesn't look so tough." Jay barked, sizing up the large mobian in front of them, smirking as the bear took notice of him. "Ya' want a piece of me punk?" Kodiac grumbled, raising his large paws towards the small jackal. Jay mimicked his position, raising his fists in a mocking gesture. "Bring it on, you big lug!" He laughed, hopping around from foot to foot, before he could charge at the bear Tempest grabbed him by the scruff, halting his movement. "Don't pick fights with the local rabble Jay, he isn't worth our time." She spat, giving the large mobian a dirty look for trying to pick a fight with her little brothers.
Her words stung, the bear looked defeated only for a moment before he'd decided he'd had enough. He roared, charging at the trio, intending on ramming into Finn and pummeling the small jackal to take out his frustrations. All three jackals easily sidestepped the oncoming mobian, Jay pulling his signature trick and placing his foot directly in the bear's path, tripping him. To his credit, he didn't tumble to the ground, instead stumbling forward to catch himself. Jay cackled maliciously as he prepared to face the giant that was preparing to charge again. Tempest again halted his progress, gently pushing her brother to the side as she stepped in the way and making Kodiac hesitate in his assault. The she-jackal gracefully swiveled out of the way, rapidly turning and landing a blow to his shin with the metal tip of her boot. Hollering in pain, his legs buckled underneath him, sending him face first into the dirt. Her long tail swung behind her, irritation getting the better of her as crossed her arms across her chest. "I suggest you quit while your ahead." She huffed, turning away from the downed bear, intending to walk away to tend to their business. She stood next to Finn, placing her hands on both her brothers backs in an attempt to push them away in a hurry. "ARRRRRRGH!" A shout sounded from behind them, the bear charging once again with a bit of a limp from his injured leg. Tempest had had quite enough of this fool. In one swift motion the jackal used one hand to grab the bear's wrist, using her other to grab onto the underside of his muzzle. Placing one of her feet firmly behind him, while the other one kicked up beside her, she swung it forward as her arm pushed his upper body backwards. With crushing force her knee collided with the back of his own, sending him rocketing backwards. His head collided with the ground, legs suspended above him and arms uselessly sprawled out on either side of him.
Finally, having seemed to incapacitated the angry giant, Tempest turned to leave once again. A thought crossed her mind, usually she didn't bother adding insult to injury but he'd ticked her off. "Oh, and by the way." She started, her tone sweet as she turned and batted her eyes at the dazed bear. "Even if did enjoy the company of the opposite gender..." She knelt down, whispering in a menacing tone as she spoke. "Little cubs like you aren't worth my time." She rose up to her full height, flicking her tail and smacking the bear with it in the process as she turned to join her brothers. Jay was trying his best to contain his laughter, both hands covering his mouth and cheeks puffed in an attempt to hold his voice back. Finn smirked, enjoying watching his sister thoroughly crush Kodiak's hopes and dreams.
═━┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈━/ Ǒ̶̢̨̞̻̀̆̆̂ṉ̵̙̻͝l̵̛̲̳͂̇y̵̨̹̏ ̶̧̯̭͎͎̇̐̾S̴͈͉̀c̴̢̩̯̹̩̈́̄̑a̵͚̓͐̿̀̒r̴̡̖̜̺͋̇̕s̷̡͕̟̎ ̶̳̠̓̓̚R̵̫͒͗́ȩ̵̞̮͕̼̔m̴̫̤̓̐͐͛̓å̵̢̼̭̹͠i̴͚̐̈́̆n̶̳̫̏̄ /┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈━═
Phelix had made his way silently through the small town, avoiding being seen by any villagers that were wondering around the open marketplace; slinking through shadows and ducking through alleyways he made his way to the destination him and his contact had agreed upon. He felt horrible deceiving his children - using the wolf child as an excuse to visit this horrid place - but this was the only way to keep them safe. As he rounded the final corner he steeled himself, he was about to see the face of a child whom he and pack had betrayed. While it was true this child's progenitors before him had sealed their own fate, he had done nothing to deserve the life he'd been given. Bright silver fur came into view, barely concealed by the tattered dark cloak he wore, or the shadows he hid within. Red eyes pierced the darkness, staring directly at the elder jackal. "You came alone...?" Phelix started, wary of the pup standing before him, though he towered over the small albino he knew better than to underestimate him. He'd heard about what had happened in their tiny little pack after his brother took leadership over them, this child had been the spearhead of a mass genocide of his closest friends and family members. His small stature and soft face did not hide his cold and calculating demeanor as he studied the elder jackal, he was a trained killer.
He blinked for only a moment, releasing a soft sigh before looking back up to Phelix, raising his hands in a series of motions to reply in sign language. "Of course, I did...Noir went off to look for your kids, I trust you've left them in a well populated area while we speak?" His motions were quick, he was clearly irritated, but despite this he kept his unblinking eyes trained on the older jackal; clearly on gaurd himself. "Yes. They should be nearing the center of the Oasis..." The elder male nodded, hoping that this child knew his mate as well as he said he did. "Good - she won't dare attack them out in the open where people will see. She will wait to get them...and you...alone." As he finished his sentence, he lowered his arms, glancing around to make sure neither of them had been spotted. Once he was certain he moved closer to the elder, being forced to look even higher to make eye contact with him. "I will do ask you ask, Alpha. I am still loyal to you, though you cast our family out...all I ask in return is that you help those of us who managed to survive. Killing your brother is the only way for all of us to be truly safe...are you sure you can handle that?" The question was simple enough, could Phelix steel his heart and kill his younger brother? He certainly hoped so, if he couldn't, he might very well lose his entire family for his weakness. "Yes. When the time comes I will take care of him, assuming you keep your end of the deal. It won't be hard for her to get the jump on us once we depart from this place, I doubt she will have any reservations once there are no bystanders nearby to witness her assault. My children's lives are in your hands, I expect you to keep her and the rest of your packmates at bay while I train them."
He held out his large paw to shake the smaller jackal's own. Reluctantly, Blank reached out and shook on their deal, nodding silently before letting go of the large clawed paw and turning to leave. "One more thing Blank...your mate. She won't be a problem, will she?" The small silver jackal stopped dead in his tracks, standing still and facing away from the elder jackal for a few moments. He turned, a solemn look on his face, replying with his hands once again. "It is as you said...when the time comes, I will take care of her as well." Phelix could see the pain etched on his face, for some reason this boy cared deeply for the ebony female, though Phelix doubted she'd done anything to deserve his affection. He knew the pain of losing your mate, he could only imagine how much more painful it must be for the child to be prepared to take her life for the sake of the pack. He truly admired his strength of will and gave him a firm nod of his head as a sign of this admiration. "Oh, and one more thing sir, I wouldn't trust Umber if I were you..." The smaller jackal took his leave, darting off in the blink of the eye around a corner, most likely off to find his wayward ebony mate. Phelix followed suit, heading in the general direction of the center of town, careful to avoid drawing attention to himself as he made his way to his children. He was well aware of Umber's treachery, he only hoped that Lance and Pierce would be able to keep her in check while they were away.
═━┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈━/ Ǒ̶̢̨̞̻̀̆̆̂ṉ̵̙̻͝l̵̛̲̳͂̇y̵̨̹̏ ̶̧̯̭͎͎̇̐̾S̴͈͉̀c̴̢̩̯̹̩̈́̄̑a̵͚̓͐̿̀̒r̴̡̖̜̺͋̇̕s̷̡͕̟̎ ̶̳̠̓̓̚R̵̫͒͗́ȩ̵̞̮͕̼̔m̴̫̤̓̐͐͛̓å̵̢̼̭̹͠i̴͚̐̈́̆n̶̳̫̏̄ /┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈━═
It had been a long walk to the schoolhouse from where they'd arrived at the edge of the Oasis, which was lucky considering Tempest's terrible mood at the moment. Though she tried her best to hide it, she had definitely gone overboard and hurt her leg while stomping Kodiak into the ground. It was barely there, but Finn saw a faint limp as she walked beside him, and a deep scowl on her face kept him from opening his mouth to say anything. During their stroll through town he was greeted by several villagers, people Gadget had introduced him to at one point or another, though he hardly remembered any of them enough to distinguish them from the other townsfolk. He politely waved back, not making a sound, before continuing on with his siblings in search for Gadget. Once the schoolyard came into view it wasn't hard to spot the wolf and his companions lounging in the shade of a rather large tree, they appeared to be having a rather heated discussion.
Finn couldn't help the spring in his step as he sped up at the sight of the wolf, leaving his two siblings behind as he walked as fast as he could towards the trio of mobians. The crunching of grass alerted them to the presence of another, and as Gadget turned to see who could possibly be lingering around the schoolyard on summer break aside from them his eyes widened in surprise. He immediately leaped up, sprinting towards the jackal who mirrored his elated expression, outstretching his arms to welcome the ginger in a long-awaited embrace. The canines held each other close, for how long neither of them could truly tell, but the contact was much needed on both sides. The separation had been torture for them both, and having one another here, holding each other close, hearing the other's heartbeat next to theirs. It was a moment of pure bliss for the young pups. A scratchy voice coughed in an awkward attempt to get his brother's attention, Jay and Tempest both looking at their brother as if he'd grown a second head. They'd only ever met the wolf a few other times, and Finn had certainly never been this affectionate before. Tempest sighed, 'Distance only makes the heart grow fonder.' She thought to herself, staring down at her brother, who reluctantly released the ginger from his grip, resting his paws on his shoulders and staring into golden eyes. "Finn! Its so good to see you, what are you doing here!?" That trademarked grin shined brightly as the wolf smiled at his partner, placing his paws atop the jackal's, which were still resting on his shoulders.
The jackals smile quickly turned to a frown, he wished he didn't have to say this, whished he didn't have to leave this wonderful person whom he cared for so deeply...but still, it was necessary. He had a bright future ahead of him, but he had to be strong, and make sacrifices for the sake of the Jackal Squad. "Gadget...I-" "GADGET!" Came the high-pitched yell of Camellia, her and Ave both finally having caught up to the wolf, who had startled the both of them when he'd gotten up and sprinted away so suddenly. "SAY SOMETHING next time! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" She scolded, punching him playfully on the shoulder and looking to her avian friend for support. "Yeah man, what Lia said." He pointed in the feline's general direction, being more irritated that he'd been forced to run the whole way over to the group of strangers, rather than Gadget actually surprising him. "More...friends, Finn?" Tempest growled in a clipped tone, having hoped they would only have to see the wolf - without the interference of not only those goons from earlier - but now whoever these two were. "Yep! Were Finn's best friends, and you are?" Camellia greeted cheerfully, wrapping her elbow around the jackal's neck in a playful gesture to emphasize their friendship. He still hated his personal space being invaded and growled in irritation to let her know that the contact was NOT appreciated. "We are Finnian's siblings." She replied, being as vague as the could in an attempt to derail and attempts at conversation from the feline, but she would not be deterred. "It's very nice to meet you!" The feline was quick as lightning, making it past Finn and Gadget, and directly towards the female jackal. Before Tempest could blink her paw was scooped up and shook between the two enthusiastically. "My name is Camellia, and his is Ave! It's a pleasure to finally meet Finn's family, Gadget has told us so much about you! You must be Tempest." The sly wink the cat gave, and the way her tongue poked out from between small canine teeth for a short moment was not lost to the female jackal. She was dumbstruck as the feline gave her a playful expression, before releasing her hand and making her way over to Jay to shake his hand as well. The smaller male was much more accepting of the cat's behavior, returning the handshake with as much vigor as Camellia herself, and mirroring her playful expression. "Hey I kinda like this one, she's funny." Jay chuckled, baring his teeth in a wide grin as he did so. "You must be Jay. Though, I thought you were the younger brother, you definitely look older than Finn...strange." Finnian did not miss the blunt jab at his height, and his pride, and glared daggers at the cat, who simply giggled in response. "Sorry Finn! I didn't mean it like that." She apologized, turning to the jackal with a joyful expression.
She noticed how uncomfortable the pair seemed to be, having been interrupted in the middle of their reunion, and so she glanced in Ave's direction, giving him a knowing look. He got the hint and followed Camellia, who ushered him and the other two jackals - both of which were irritated that such a small, overly-joyful creature was able to convince them to leave their brother alone so easily -a good distance away, giving Gadget and Finn some much needed time together.
═━┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈━/ Ǒ̶̢̨̞̻̀̆̆̂ṉ̵̙̻͝l̵̛̲̳͂̇y̵̨̹̏ ̶̧̯̭͎͎̇̐̾S̴͈͉̀c̴̢̩̯̹̩̈́̄̑a̵͚̓͐̿̀̒r̴̡̖̜̺͋̇̕s̷̡͕̟̎ ̶̳̠̓̓̚R̵̫͒͗́ȩ̵̞̮͕̼̔m̴̫̤̓̐͐͛̓å̵̢̼̭̹͠i̴͚̐̈́̆n̶̳̫̏̄ /┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈━═
Gadget and Finn rested under the shade of the tree that the wolf and his companions had been occupying prior to the jackal's arrival. It was just like their conversation by the lake so many months ago. Finn refused to make eye contact with the ginger, and Gadget had a sinking feeling he knew exactly why. He placed his paw gently on the jackals, curling his finger's around the dark furred mobians in a reassuring gesture. "Gadget...I have to...I" He stuttered, words catching on his tongue as his gaze drifted ever further from curious golden eyes. "I know." It wasn't the answer he was dreading at all, the complete opposite in fact. Even though he had warned the wolf long ago that one day he would have to leave, he still expected yelling, denial, anger, SOMETHING. Yet he was completely understanding, supportive even of this decision to leave him behind.
Finn turned to face him, finally, blue and golden eyes meeting Gadget's own. "It's ok Finn, we both knew this was coming." Gadget said, expression solemn as he gazed into his partner's eyes. "I meant what I said, I will wait. For as long as it takes. The wolf extended his pinkie in a familiar gesture, offering a small smile to the jackal. Their fingers crossed, paws shook, the promise was made, and their fates accepted. The jackal noticed the tremors in the wolf's paws, though he may put on a strong facade he could tell how difficult this was for the ginger. He pulled Gadget into a light embrace, letting the wolf rest his head on his shoulder. He felt the moisture from his partner's tears soaking into the fur on his shoulder, the ginger reached his arm up to scrub away at the pesky liquid, not wanting to appear weak in front of the jackal. "It's ok Gadg, it's going to be ok..." The jackal cooed, reminded of the night Gadget had first woken up from that terrible nightmare. He comforted his companion, rubbing soothing circles across his back a the ginger sobbed silently into his shoulder. "I-I know...I just. It's going to be so hard...not having you here. Just a few weeks was hard enough but..." A laugh interrupted the wolf's muttering, the ginger looked up to see a somewhat distressed expression on Finn's face. He let out another chuckle, clutching his sides with his free hand, while keeping the other on Gadget's back. "Aha- I-I'm sorry it's just...look at us. We're a mess, we can't even be apart for more than a few weeks without..." More laughter followed his broken sentence, and the sound of the jackal's laugh seemed to be infectious. The wolf couldn't help but join in, finally seeing the situation for what it was. They were hopeless. The two laughed for a few moments, enjoying each other's company as they clung to each other, both secretly terrified that the other would vanish in a moment. That all of this was just another cruel dream.
He wanted to tell Gadget about the dream he'd had, after all that was the main reason he'd resolved to come back to the Oasis so soon in the first place. However, seeing that peaceful expression on his friend's face, the smile on his lips, and the glimmer of light in his eyes...he just couldn't. He decided it would be best if he kept silent about what he'd seen in his resting hours, after all it was just a dream, it couldn't do any real harm. As the sun started to set, Gadget finally lifted himself from his comfortable spot laying on Finn's chest, both of them resting against the tree in the dimming light of the sunset. "It's getting late...I should probably find my father. I'm sure he is ready to leave..." Finn said, defeat in his tone. Though he knew he had to leave, he'd give anything for just a few more moments of peace with the wolf. From the expression on Gadget's face, he could tell the Ginger felt the same way.
He felt a paw brush away the bangs covering his injured eye, only just realizing that he'd forgotten to re-treat the wound after removing the bandages earlier. "That looks pretty painful...why don't you come back to my house so I can patch it up for you? I'm sure your dad won't mind waiting a few more minutes..." Finn's expression changed to that of worry, Gadget was obviously trying to stall for more time...it would just make it harder for both of them if he stayed any longer. "Actually..." A deep voice came from a few feet away, both ups jumped in surprise, turning to see Phelix himself calmly making his way towards them from dimly lit street leading up to the schoolhouse. "That is a wonderful idea, we can't have that eye getting infected." The two dumbfounded pups simply nodded in agreement, quickly scrambling to get up and follow the elder jackal towards Finn's siblings who were across the field chatting with Gadget's friends.
═━┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈━/ Ǒ̶̢̨̞̻̀̆̆̂ṉ̵̙̻͝l̵̛̲̳͂̇y̵̨̹̏ ̶̧̯̭͎͎̇̐̾S̴͈͉̀c̴̢̩̯̹̩̈́̄̑a̵͚̓͐̿̀̒r̴̡̖̜̺͋̇̕s̷̡͕̟̎ ̶̳̠̓̓̚R̵̫͒͗́ȩ̵̞̮͕̼̔m̴̫̤̓̐͐͛̓å̵̢̼̭̹͠i̴͚̐̈́̆n̶̳̫̏̄ /┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈━═
At some point Gadget's brother Gears had joined their little gathering, having come to get his brother for supper only to realize that his little boyfriend - and apparently two siblings - had paid him a visit. His brother had been griping about Finn for weeks now, so Gears was happy to finally give him some time to talk to his friend; if only so he would shut up for a few days about how much he MISSED the guy. Gears and Finn's brother, Jay, were having an interesting conversation about different methods of incapacitating foes. Tempest had resigned herself to the probing claws of Camellia, who had insisted upon brushing out her mane and putting it up in something that wouldn't get in her way during their trip. Ave had gone home for the night, spouting some excuse about how he had homework to catch up on, despite the obviously lie seeing as how it was spring break. He'd asked Camellia to say his goodbyes to their jackal friend for him and hurried off towards his home. The cat had just finished her work making a tight braid out of Tempest's ponytail when Phelix, Finn, and Gadget finally made their way back to the group. The two jackal siblings sat up straight, worry clear on their faces, not wanting to upset their father by interacting with outsiders. His face was calm, not even acknowledging the other wolf and feline present. "Come you two, we're going to make one last stop before we leave." The two looked at each other, confused at where they could possibly be going so late into the evening. "I'm gonna patch up Finn's eye for him before you go..." Gadget commented, realizing that his brother had joined the group at some point and giving him a questioning glance. The aquamarine wolf simply shrugged, and the jackal standing next to him - completely oblivious to the silent conversation the two were having - playfully slung his arm around the green wolf's shoulder, saying something about how he'd do good in a fist fight.
Camellia stood in awe at the jackal leader's powerful presence, preparing herself to introduce herself the way she had to the others. She felt a paw rest on her shoulders, Tempest gave her a dissuading look, her eyes telling her it was best not to speak to their father. Camellia took the hint, nodding in disappointment. "Thank you...I like the braid..." Tempest said, a light blush dusting her pale cheek fur, and her eyes turning away from the cat in embarrassment. The small gesture from the she-jackal was enough to brighten up the feline's smile once again. "You're welcome! Have a nice trip, Tempest. Maybe we will bump into each other again someday." The female jackal nodded silently, exchanging a small smile with the feline. Camellia said her goodbyes to the wolf and jackal siblings, heading off towards her own home. The group of canines walked silently to the wolf's house, Jay and Gears whispering to one another behind Finn and Gadget's back, while Tempest stayed by her father's side. Compared to the distance from the lake they'd arrived at to the schoolhouse, the house was just a quick walk away. It took them minutes to reach the residence at their quick pace, and they arrived just in time to meet their mother getting home from the clinic. Steth noticed the large group approaching, and a familiar young face with her two boys made her expression light up. "Oh, Finn dear! It's so good to finally see you again." She greeted, eyes scrunching up behind her thinly framed glasses in a joyful smile. Gadget and Gears greeted their mother, and Finn waved to her as well. "Hello Mrs. Wolf, good to see you again." He replied softly, though the she-wolf had gotten used to the quiet tone he used to address her and her husband, she thought it was quite charming, a sign of respect towards his elders. She took notice of the adult jackal in their company, and the other two who all bore a striking resemblance to Gadget's little friend. "OH dear! You must be Finn's father, and siblings. What a pleasure it is to meet all of you!" She bowed her head in their direction, flashing them a smile as well.
Before Phelix had gotten a chance to reply a deep voice came from the half open door of the entryway. "Honey is that you? Are the boys back yet?" Gadget's father called from inside the house. The door creaked open to reveal the large male wolf, who quickly leaned over to peck his wife on the cheek before acknowledging their guests. "Oh, hello lads...!" He looked over to Tempest as well, before correcting his statement. "And lass!" He chuckled heartily, offering his large paw out to Phelix to shake in a friendly gesture. "You must be Finny boy's father! Pleasure to meet ya'! My name is Gizmo, and this lovely lady is my wife Steth." The she-wolf gave another curt bow, before ushering the children inside so that the adults could speak privately for a moment. Phelix hesitantly extended his paw, immediately regretting his decision as the crushing grip of the joyful wolf grasped his paw and shook it enthusiastically. "Phelix- The pleasure is mine." He was actually quite surprised he was able to keep a low even tone with the larger canine still shaking his hand so violently, but he'd somehow managed.
Finally, he was released, and the male wolf grinned warmly at him. "We really must thank you, Phelix. Your boy Finn has been a blessing for our son, and you taking him on that trip a few months ago was very kind of you. Cleared his head right up!" A confused look crossed the jackal's mind for a moment, not knowing what on earth the brunette was talking about. Then it dawned on him, the trip a few months ago...the one that Finn and the wolf boy had gone on, alone. His son most have convinced them that they were going on that trip with family. He contemplated for a moment, he'd have to give that boy a talking to later, but for now he'd play it off. "Of course, your boy is very important to Finn. I would do anything to ensure my children's happiness and wellbeing." As he expressed this, he placed his hand on his scarred chest, bowing his head and closing his eyes for a moment.
When he opened them, he too was ushered inside; the adults made their way into the kitchen -where Gadget was examining Finn's injured eye - picking out debris from the wound with a pair of tweezers, must to the jackal's discomfort. "Stop flinching, this is what you get for not taking proper care of your injuries!" The ginger chided, pulling out another small piece of dirt from the wound. Steth knelt down next to the pups, watching as her son worked on his partner in relative silence. "I heard you had a pretty nasty accident, you should really be more careful Finn, if you take any more blows to your eye you may cause permanent damage to your sight." The she-wolf handed her son the gauze as he prepared to wrap the wound in clean bandages. "Of -course mam', I will be more careful." He replied, closing his eye as Gadget went to work wrapping it tightly. "There!" The ginger said, stepping back to examine his work from afar, as Finn brushed his messy mane back into place. Phelix watched the scene play out, thinking back his late wife, wondering if this is what it would have been like to have her around to watch their children grow up. He felt a large paw fall onto his shoulder, he noticed that Gizmo had stayed with him in his spot lingering in the doorway to the kitchen, watching from afar. "I can tell you and your kids have got good heads on your shoulders. Do take care of Finn while you folks are on your trip, he means the world to my boy, and we consider him family too. We'd be devastated if anything happened to the lad!" Phelix was surprised, these outsiders were so...kind. So willing to help complete strangers, let them into their homes, into their lives. Finn had clearly spent a lot of time here, making friends, and memories, becoming a part of these people's lives. His expression turned solemn, while he regretted not being able to be there for his children as much as he probably should have, it was necessary, made them strong. Still, sometimes he wished for the easy, carefree life these people lived. Away from the pack, away from his responsibilities, just him and his children enjoying life. "You look down chap! Cheer up, the wound might scar, but it will only make your boy look tougher in the end!" The jackal let out a low chuckle, nodding in agreement, and glancing down to the large 'X' shaped scar on his chest. While that may be so, sometimes there was more to scars than just the surface of the wound.
═━┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈━/ Ǒ̶̢̨̞̻̀̆̆̂ṉ̵̙̻͝l̵̛̲̳͂̇y̵̨̹̏ ̶̧̯̭͎͎̇̐̾S̴͈͉̀c̴̢̩̯̹̩̈́̄̑a̵͚̓͐̿̀̒r̴̡̖̜̺͋̇̕s̷̡͕̟̎ ̶̳̠̓̓̚R̵̫͒͗́ȩ̵̞̮͕̼̔m̴̫̤̓̐͐͛̓å̵̢̼̭̹͠i̴͚̐̈́̆n̶̳̫̏̄ /┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈━═
Once Finn was all patched up, Steth retrieved some medical supplies for their trip, having plenty of spare materials laying around the house from the clinic. She gifted them to the elder jackal, as thanks for all that him and his son did for Gadget after he'd had that terrible nightmare. He gladly accepted, having a feeling they'd end up needing the parcel more than any of them realized. Gadget and Gears walked the jackal family back to the edge of the oasis, where they were supposed to meet up with their chauffer to ferry them across the desert to the rocky cliffs that would lead them into the valleys beyond. Gadget opened his arms to embrace the jackal, Finn accepting without any hesitation. The two stayed like that for a few moments while Tempest, and Jay said farewells to their new acquaintance, Gears. Neme arrived only moments later, dismounting from the sand wurm to greet Gadget, and help the jackals get situated on the back saddle. It was only a few moments later that Finn and Gadget finally let go, exchanging one last peck before the jackal climbed onto the saddle behind his siblings, ready for whatever lie ahead for them. Gadget and his family watched the silhouette of the giant beat disappear into the bright oranges and inky purples of the sunset bleeding into the starry night sky.
═━┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈━/ Ǒ̶̢̨̞̻̀̆̆̂ṉ̵̙̻͝l̵̛̲̳͂̇y̵̨̹̏ ̶̧̯̭͎͎̇̐̾S̴͈͉̀c̴̢̩̯̹̩̈́̄̑a̵͚̓͐̿̀̒r̴̡̖̜̺͋̇̕s̷̡͕̟̎ ̶̳̠̓̓̚R̵̫͒͗́ȩ̵̞̮͕̼̔m̴̫̤̓̐͐͛̓å̵̢̼̭̹͠i̴͚̐̈́̆n̶̳̫̏̄ /┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈━═
A/N: Sorry this chapter is kind of long, I really struggled with this since it is the transition for Finn leaving. It's kind of a filler chapter with lots of info on the Jackal squad before forces so sorry if it isn't super eventful! I will try to update more frequently, but I have lots of artwork I'm also working on so please be patient. ; v ;
