By Carmelspanial
Chapter 5
Disclaimer-The usual crap.
A/N/-PLEASE review the story when you're done reading it! I need to know weather or not to continue with this. Thanks in advance- Carmelspanial.
The school was, small to say the least, only three rooms. The main schoolroom, the principal's office, and a small library. The children of the village that one day would be called Neopia Central went to school in three shifts, morning, afternoon, and night. Adam was on the morning shift. After he was done for the day he went to the library, extra bag in tow. He browsed the books, every once in a while taking one from the shelf and putting it in the bag.
After he had taken all the books he wanted he took the bag to the circulation desk. The librarian raised her eyebrows when Adam dumped a total of sixteen books onto the desk.
"You're going to read all these, Adam?"
Adam nodded. "Yep. I'm going to read them to Midori so he can…" It was then Adam realized what he has said and he quickly shut his mouth.
"Midori? Who is that?"
"Umm… nobody really. Just my..Umm..Imaginary friend. Yeah, that's it! He's my imaginary friend! My imaginary friend who likes to read!"
The librarian shook her head. "You're a little old to have an imaginary friend, aren't you? "
"Well, I really like having an imaginary friend and I…"
"Alright then, Adam. Lets just get these books checked out, O.K.? Are you really sure you want this many?"
"I'm sure."
The librarian cheeked all sixteen books out to Adam, told him the books were all due back in one week, and sent Adam on his way. As he was walking home he thought that he saw, in the distance, a rather large group of Lupes on the move. They were to far off to see where they were going too, but Adam had never seen so many Lupes before in his life. "I wonder if those are some of Midori's relatives." He wondered. "I had better tell Mom and Dad!" Adam began to run home and he didn't stop until he got there.
Bouzen paced nervously outside the small cave that served As his den. One of his scouts had reported seeing a large pack of Lupes coming this way from the west. That could only mean one thing-the invasion was starting. The invasion was starting and there was nothing his pack could do to stop it. His pack was far to small to repel an attack of this size. If only the pack was as large as it had been when his son Yakuru had been a pup…
Bouzen watched as his young son, his only surviving child, sparred with another young Lupe of the pack. Yakuru was obviously the stronger of the two, and it didn't take the other pup long to give up. "Well done." Bouzen congratulated his son, who was now almost an adult. "A performance worthy of a future leader of the pack. " There were almost thirty Lupes in the pack, and Yakuru was to someday succeed his father as their leader.
"Thank you Father, but I don't want to be leader."
Bouzen shook his great head. "We've already been through this, Yakuru. You have no choice. I am the leader and you are my son. When I can no longer fulfill my duties as leader you will secede me. That is the law."
"I know the law. Still, I don't want to lead. I would much rather be a hunter."
Bouzen got angrily to his feet, staring his son in the eyes. "You, Yakuru, are no low level hunter. You are the future leader of this pack, and you will act the part. I will not have my only son descend to the level of a common hunter. You have a duty to your pack and to me, as well. Don't you realize the future of your pack depends on you?
"Yes but…"
"BUT MOTHING! You WILL take over the leadership of this pack when I am no longer able to lead my self and you WILL act accordingly! I will have no more fools talk of wanting to be a hunter! You have a much more important position on the pack waiting for you. Understood?"
Yakuru stood with his tail between his legs and his ears pinned to the back of his head. "Yes, Father, I understand. I apologize for offending you. It will never happen again, you have my word.
The next morning Yakuru had been gone.
Bouzen shuddered with the memory of that last conversation with his son. If only Yakuru had not run out on the pack he would be leader and the pack would still have all its land and the pack population would be bigger and…
Oh well. Yakuru wasn't here and he, Bouzen, was leader. Now his pack was facing crises from which there seemed no escape. This was no time to dwell on the past.
"Bouzen, sir?"
Bouzen turned to see Sekuru, his second in command, standing behind him. "Speak Sekuru."
"Sir, I'm afraid I have some rather disturbing news. Our rival to the west is on the march. There are approximately thirty of them on their way here right now and…"
"Yes I know!"
"That isn't all, sir. It is said that the leader, the one the messenger called his master, looks rather like your son, sir."
"Yakuru? Impossible! He refused the leadership of his own pack, why would he take up the leadership of our enemy?"
"I assure you I don't know, sir."
"Well I can assure YOU that the Lupe the scout saw is NOT my son!"
"Yes sir." Without another word Sekuru crept away, leaving Bouzen alone with his thoughts once more. The enemy leader couldn't possibly be Yakuru, could it? No, it couldn't be. His son wouldn't betray him a second time. Bouzen was suddenly exhausted. He lay down on the ground looking out to the west. He was definatly getting too old for this….
"Adam sat on his bed, looking at the books he had got for Midori from the school library. Most of them were nature books. One was a book of old Lupe myths, including the story of Cerberus, the infamous three headed Lupe from Hell. He looked over at Midori's shoebox. The Lupe pup was asleep, and obviously having a dream. He was kicking his back legs and making little wining noises in his sleep. Adam didn't have the heart to wake him. As he was leaving the room to go get a snack he swore he heard his Lupe say the word "Mother" in his sleep…
TOO BE CONTINUED…
A/N/-So what do you think so far? Love it? Hate it? Don't care? Leave a review or email any comments to carmelspanial@yahoo.com. PLEASE REVIEW-I want to know if I should continues with this!