Rurote was not an ordinary dog. While he did seem like an average-looking, if not rather intelligent, mutt, he was special. He was a king. Or at least a regent. The actual leader was human, a man named Shigure. It was not a great kingdom either, its extent patchily covering various packs of feral dogs in the rather small forest they called home. Another particular feature of his was a limited ability to teleport, though Rurote did not see this as much of a strange thing. Many dogs had strange powers like his, many far more powerful. Currently, Rurote was dining on a freshly-killed deer with his family, deep in the night. It was then that he heard a familiar stepping sound. A sound halfway between a hoof-beat and a footstep. Rurote ignored the liminal steps, until he heard the voice he knew he would.
"Rurote" the voice said.
"I am Rurote" he replied, turning from his meal, "And you are Wereoder". Wereoder was also not an ordinary dog, and was a genuine king. However, his appearance was less deceptive. His feet, though mostly like paws, had much of the radial surface occupied by a pointed nail like a horse's hoof. His legs also continued the equine theme, being long, thin, and fingery. His tail was long, dark, and hairy, as was his maned neck. His face was his most doggish trait, though this perception was marred by his furred nose and wide-spaced eyes. Wereoder kingdom was far greater and older than Rurote's, being an ancient establishment covering the land owned by the Somas.
"I have been forced to come here because you have neglected your duties" Wereoder explained, his horsely voice full of contempt.
"How so?" Rurote inquired.
"There is an intruder in your forest!" Wereoder barked.
"And how would you know?" Rurote replied.
"My influence is great" Wereoder said cryptically.
"Where is this so-called intruder?" Rurote asked.
"Follow me" came Wereoder's reply. They walked through the forest, and soon came upon a small area with a blue tent set up.
"Here is the intruder" Wereoder said.
"Really?" Rurote laughed, "She's the intruder that so worried you?".
"You knew about them?" Wereoder asked.
"Of course" Rurote replied, "She means no harm".
"She is trespassing!" Wereoder barked, "It wouldn't look good if we let her stay".
"You have a point" Rurote said, "It'd almost be as bad as if the evictions were decided and carried out by feral hounds". Wereoder had no response. They heard a stir from the tent.
"It seems that your wild barking has woken the girl" Wereoder hissed.
"No" Rurote refuted, "Unlike you, I have learned to control my voice".
"Is that a pony?" said a sudden human voice. The two beasts looked to the tent, and saw that the girl had left her tent and was looking at the dogs.
"I'm not a horse!" Wereoder whinnied indignantly.
"I didn't say it" Rurote protested, in a tone that suggested his agreement.
"I'd have thought you of all dogs would accept my doghood" Wereoder growled.
"Why?" Rurote said in mock confusion. Before Wereoder could answer, they heard the rustling sound of the girl's approach. Rurote portalled himself into a tree, but Wereoder had no such avenue of escape. The girl was soon upon him.
"Do you want an apple?" she said, holding out a red fruit to Wereoder. The equine king responded with a harsh bray, and bared his teeth in a threatening smile. The girl screamed out, and fell back in fear.
"Wereoder!" Rurote barked, "Don't be so cruel!".
"Why should I listen to a wild coward like you?" Wereoder objected.
"A dog!" the girl shouted, looking towards Rurote,
"Are you stuck?". Rurote teleported back down, frightening the girl again. The two dogs then heard a rustling, and a third dog joined them. This dog was a large, wolfy creature named Ora. Ora was a tall brown bitch who resembled a wolf-cat mixture in both soul and flesh. But she was distinguished mostly by the stripes of black adorning her pelt.
"Ah, wonderful" Wereoder said, "the wolf has arrived".
"Her name is Ora" Rurote declared, "And what do you want with her?".
"She shall drag this vagabond out of our land" Wereoder declared.
"Right here?" Rurote exclaimed, "Even if we are to remove this girl, we should at least give her time to pack up".
"And why should we do that?" Wereoder snarled.
"And you call me wild!" Rurote replied, "Don't you know how much humans rely on their homes and tools?".
"Ora!" Wereoder barked, ignoring Rurote's argument, "Get the girl!".
"She won't listen to you" Rurote said.
"None of you are going to help me are you?" Wereoder said, "Fine. I guess I'll go to Shigure". He then turned around and clopped away.
"Do you really think you'll have better luck with him?" Rurote called. Rurote considered what to do, and decided to follow the horsen thing. Soon, they arrived at Shigure's house. Wereoder pounded on the door. The door was opened by Yuki. He shut the door, and soon Shigure came and opened the panel-door.
"Wereoder!" Shigure said, "What brings you here?".
"There is an intruder in this forest" Wereoder said.
"Is that it?" Shigure asked.
"There is a homeless girl living in a tent in this forest!" Wereoder barked, "You can't just let her stay!".
"Really" Shigure said, "Where is she?". Wereoder gave her location, and was sent away. Before he retreated inside, he gave a quick scan of the forest, and saw Rurote.
"Bone" Shigure said, beckoning him. 'Bone' was Shigure's nickname for Rurote. Rurote walked over.
"What do you know about this girl?" Shigure asked.
"She arrived not that long ago. She wasn't doing much to the forest, so I decided to let her be and not bother you about it" Rurote explained.
"That was the right decision" Shigure said, "But this time, I think I should check it out"