Chapter 10: The Scent of Blood

The weekend came and went and the school, what was left of it, was finally starting to regain some semblance of normalcy. The news of Els recovery was spread throughout the remaining student body thanks to Legosi and the others, which helped put a lot of minds at ease.

Still, with the loss of thirty percent of the student body, the staff were unsure how to proceed. Principle Gon increased security and even created a stricter curfew, but for many, it was too little and too late.

Despite their concerns, everyone continued attending their classes and clubs as they had before. That said, some classes had a much more dramatic shift than those attending thought. These were the private classes that Jack was attending. The ones that were strictly made for the brightest and most elite students.

"So as you can see here, carnivores and herbivores didn't always live together. In fact, there was a time when they didn't know the other existed. It was thanks to a series of happy coincidences that ultimately brought the different animal races together," the swan professor explained.

"It was also at this time that both sides discovered that carnivores had an innate instinct to protect the herbivores, right professor?" Jack asked.

The female avian nodded. "That's right Jack, the carnivores protected the herbivores from a rockslide without hesitation, despite being complete strangers."

"Needless to say it left both sides baffled as to why the carnivores acted as they did, even to this day. Some scientists believe that it was due to genetics. Something similar to a maternal instinct if you will. After all, most herbivores at the time were smaller than they are today so it's possible that these prehistoric carnivores saw them as child-like figures."

"Others however, state that it had nothing to do with instincts and that it was most likely a 'spur of the moment' kind of thing. The carnivores weren't following any kind of instincts and were just reacting to the situation."

"But professor, if that were the case, wouldn't it have made more sense for the carnivores to run away instead?" a French poodle girl asked.

The swan nodded once again. "You're right, and that's precisely why the genetic argument arose. Whether or not it was due to instinct or just a reaction, the fact that those carnivores protected the herbivores remains just that, a fact. All we know is that when there was danger, the carnivores would protect both their kinsmen and the herbivores after that."

"You know, that reminds me a lot of Legosi..." Jack said as he looked down at his notes.

"What was that Jack?" the professor asked.

The labrador's ears jumped before he looked up. "Oh, uh… the thing is, lately, my friend Legosi, he-"

"Don't you mean your BOYfriend?" a male german shepherd teased.

"I still can't believe our little Jack is finally dating," a female border collie said gleefully. "Not to mention he's dating a male wolf!"

"ANYWAY!" Jack barked in an annoyed tone as his eyes moved upward. "Legosi has been really protective lately. He keeps insisting that I walk behind him instead of next to him so that if someone or something comes along, he can deal with it. We hold hands of course and I can't help but feel happy and protected knowing he cares so much about me, but it's also… really frustrating."

"I can understand why," a male doberman student said. "You want to walk beside him, to prove that you are worthy of him. Yet with all the recent incidents, you fear for your life."

Jack looked down at his desk as his ears folded back. He was about to respond when the teacher took control of the situation.

"Alright everyone, settle down," she said in a calm tone.

"Jack, while I realize I was the one who asked, I must insist that you keep this kind of topic outside of class. That being said, you are correct in your comparison. Your cough boyfriend is a wolf and they are known to be protective by nature. It actually makes perfect sense why he's acting the way he is. That being said, I recommend that you-"

At that moment, the bell rang, signaling the end of the class.

"Darn, and we were just getting to the best part of the lecture," the swan professor said with a sigh. "Alright everyone, we'll pick this up tomorrow. Study your notes and be sure to do your homework!"

As everyone left the classroom, Jack ended up hanging back to confront his teacher about what she was saying before the class ended. Once the other students were gone, Jack asked his professor what she was saying about what he should do about Legosi. She didn't have the time to explain however as she had to go to a meeting, but promised to talk to him about it another day. With nothing left for him, Jack let out a sigh before grabbing his things and leaving.

With school over for the day, Jack thought about going out somewhere new. It had been a while since he left the school grounds and he was feeling rather restless.

Just as he was deciding where to go, the labrador smelled something unusual. He followed the scent to where he saw a familiar fox leaning on the side of the school building and smoking a cigarette.

"Hey Manny," Jack barked, his tail wagging happily.

"Oh, hey Jack, fancy meeting you here," the fox said with a grin as he let out a puff.

"I didn't know you smoked," the yellow dog said in a slightly disapproving tone as he used his hand to clear the air.

"I usually don't," the red fox answered. "I'll have a drag here and there, but honestly it's rare to see me with one of these. Truth be told, this is actually my first one in two months."

Manny took another pull from his cigarette before dropping it on the ground and stomping it out. "Anyway, it's not tobacco and it doesn't have nicotine or anything like that. It's just some herb that smells good, though I don't remember what it's called. I think it's used for some medicine, but I could be wrong."

"Is it safe?" Jack asked. "Where did you get it?"

"While I wouldn't call it 100% safe since I don't know much about it. But I do know that it messes with your head if you eat it. It's a lot better than normal smokes though. It's not addictive and it helps me relax. Plus, like I said, I rarely use the stuff. Today was just a real bitch and I needed it," Manny explained.

"As for where I got it, I actually got the herb from the gardening club when that rabbit bitch wasn't looking. I needed an outlet for my stress and found some stuff about herbal remedies. I saw the herb, recognized it from the gardening club and well… here we are."

"At first I just lit it in my room, like one of those scented candles. It smelled really nice and it helped me feel a lot better. Later on I decided to look up more stuff about it and found out you could smoke it. So I gave it a shot and found out that the relaxation effects were even better for me."

"Still, I didn't want to be a crackhead or be known as one. So I decided that I would only smoke it once in a while like I did when I was still using it like an incense candle. Better to be safe than sorry after all."

"So before you ask… No, I am not making or giving you any. This is just a once in a blue moon kind of thing and I only ever make one."

Jack put his hands up and waved them defensively. "I wasn't asking for any, I was just curious as to what it was. Still, you should be careful. Everyone at school is already on edge. The last thing you want is for a teacher to kick you out at a time like this. Also, what did you mean when you said it messes with your head if you eat it and why would anyone eat it?"

"Well to be honest, I don't know the details since I don't know all that much about it. I mean, I read that it can cause temporary amnesia, kind of like when you hit the booze way too hard, but I don't know anymore than that," Manny explained.

At that moment, Jack's eyes widened, something Manny failed to notice.

"As for why someone would eat it? It goes back to the scent. It smells sweet, like a mixture of honey and vanilla so someone would probably think they could use it for cooking. The fumes that come from burning it are harmless though, at least as far as I can tell," the fox said as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Anyway, I'm not too worried about the teachers. With all the students leaving I doubt they could afford to expel anyone."

"Yea, I guess you have a point," Jack said with a somewhat serious look on his face. "Listen, do you have time to talk?"

Manny smiled. "Sure man, lead the way."

The two canines made their way to the school entrance where Jack was hoping to find a bus to the city. He originally wanted to go with Legosi, but decided to go with Manny instead since the wolf was busy. Plus, the labrador was happy to be able to get some time to develop his friendship with the fox, something he'd been unable to do after all of his boyfriend's smothering.

As they walked past one of the buildings, Manny asked Jack to hold up while he went to get something he'd left inside. Jack nodded to him and sat down on a nearby bench.

The labrador was usually patient, but after an hour of waiting he couldn't help feeling like something was wrong. Jack took a moment to calm down before heading inside to find his friend.

The yellow dog wandered around the building for a good ten minutes, but was unable to find Manny. Jack, who was now worried, started racing through the building in desperation.

As he ran through the corridors he started to smell something sweet. He briefly stopped and sniffed the air, believing that the scent could help him find his friend. He followed his nose up the stairs to the third floor where he started to smell something else. The labrador concentrated, but immediately stopped when he caught the scent of iron.

"N-No, that… can't be," Jack thought as his face went pale, before slapping his face to catch himself. "No! Don't be ridiculous. It's just the smell of iron. There's lots of iron things at this school. I could just be smelling the water pipes. Besides, there's that sweet smelling scent and there's no way that… THAT could ever smell sweet."

Succeeding in reassuring himself, the yellow dog took a deep breath. He continued following the scent trail until he found himself in front of the boys bathroom where both scents were strongest.

"H-Hello? Is someone in there… is everything ok?" Jack asked as he knocked on the door. "Manny… if you're in there, please say something."

No answer.

The only thing Jack could hear was the sound of his own voice as it echoed through the halls. Steeling himself, the labrador slowly opened the door. It made a metallic screech as it opened, making the yellow dog cringe with anxiety. He peered inside and his nose was hit by the intense smell of both scents mixing together.

cough cough "What is that?" Jack asked himself, his voice echoing through the washroom.

"Manny, are you in here?"

Receiving no response, the labrador went inside the bathroom and started searching the stalls. He knocked and opened the stalls one by one, all of them empty. Once he reached the last stall, the mixed scent got slightly stronger, making him uneasy.

After taking a moment to gather his courage, the labrador opened the door, only to find that it was empty too. When he looked down however, his face turned white.

On the floor were five drops of blood.

He started breathing heavily as he felt himself begin to panic. He desperately wanted to run away but his body wouldn't move.

Just as Jack felt like he was going to faint, that sweet fragrance he was smelling was overtaking the smell of the blood. The scent didn't stop him from panicking, but it brought Jack back from the edge where he could regain control.

After taking about three minutes to calm himself down, the yellow dog slapped his cheeks, regaining his composure. He then turned back to the blood and against his better judgment, he started examining it. Jack kneeled down and touched one of the drops, revealing that the blood has been dry for at least a full hour. He then sniffed the blood flakes and as a part of him expected, it smelled sweet

"This is so weird," Jack thought to himself. "Why does this blood smell sweet? sniff sniff "And why is it that the more I smell it, the more it smells like honey? I'm also getting the scent of a large animal, but the honey scent is overpowering."

Jack stood up and scratched his head in confusion. He turned to leave, but as he did, he felt the fur on the back of his neck stand up. He quickly turned around, but no one was there.

"H-Hello?" he whimpered as he looked around before he shook his head. "Get a hold of yourself already!"

"My, you really are a jumpy one, aren't you?"

Jack's tail shot up as the rest of his body froze. The labrador tried his best to move to see who said that, but his body refused to listen.

"Now, now, no need to worry, little doggy," the voice said with a hiss in a deep and intimidating tone.

"Though I am surprised that it was you who found your way in here. I honestly believed it would be that drama club wolf who would find the blood. He has a knack for finding things he shouldn't after all."

"Yea, Legosi does have a habit of finding trouble," Jack said in a terrified voice, trying his best to keep himself from panicking any more. "Though, I'm not really one to talk if I'm being honest."

"Hehe, you can say that again. Being attacked by your mate before you became his mate. Getting caught up in a gang. For a model student, you certainly get around," the voice mocked.

Jack began to shake. He had worked so hard in school all his life and was proud to be an honor student. Sure there were times he felt like he didn't really deserve it, but there was always a part of him that felt happy that he achieved something like that. However, his reputation recently was damaged because of all the trouble he'd gotten into.

He remembered how students kept saying things about him being clueless or easily duped thanks to his run in with Arthur. He remembered everyone calling him a coward because of how he needed to be rescued all the time. Some even thought of him as a delinquent, wondering how he even got on the honor roll in the first place.

As he felt himself slipping into the darkest pit of his mind, he remembered what happened after that. He remembered his teacher praising his achievements and telling him he worked hard for it. He remembered Legosi and the others helping him up when the other students messed with him.

It was here where he remembered the most important thing. Legosi, the wolf he loved and who he kissed in front of everyone. He let out all his feelings for the world to see, something he did on his own. That memory was exactly what he needed to get his courage back.

"Enough of this!" Jack barked. "Show yourself!"

CRASH

Jack's body jumped almost instinctively. He turned his head and saw the cover to a vent on the floor. The young carnivore went to investigate, but before he could even kneel down, he felt something touch his waist.

Before Jack could react, whatever touched him wrapped around his body, trapping him. He struggled with all his might, but to no avail.

"Now, now, no need to panic. I wish to speak to you and I can't very well do that if you run away," the voice said as it got closer.

Jack looked up to see the owner of the voice and to his horror, he was face to face with a giant python. The serpent saw the pup's terrified face and let out a chuckle.

"Heh, you truly are precious. I can see why that wolf adores you so much. Truth be told, I'm almost tempted to steal you away myself," the snake taunted as he rubbed Jack's chin with his tail.

"W-Who are you?" the labrador whimpered, tears beginning to form under his eyes.

The python let out another laugh before using his tail to reach for a large security hat in the duct before donning it. Jack's eyes widened upon realizing who this snake was.

"Well, now that you know who I am, let's talk," the serpent said with a smile.

"I-I didn't know the school had a giant snake handling security," Jack said in disbelief.

"It's a well kept secret, and for good reason of course. What isn't a secret however, is that you are easily the smartest student at this school. With that in mind, I felt it was best to ask you for a little help," the security guard explained.

"My help? For what?" Jack asked.

"Finding who it is that's been attacking our precious students of course you silly dog," the python said as he booped Jack's nose with his tail.

"What!" Jack barked in confusion. "Why would you ask me for help? Shouldn't I be asking you?"

The snake chuckled. "Ordinarily yes. However, due to circumstances, I am unable to do much at this time. That said, I'm not completely powerless and you will not be without my aid. I simply need you to do some minor investigating on my behalf."

"What do you need me to do?" Jack asked with a raised brow.

"It's simple really. I need you to investigate some of the members of your boyfriend's club is all," the snake said with a smile.

"What!" Jack barked.

"No need to worry little doggy, I have already narrowed down my list of suspects," the guard said confidently.

"Based on what I found, I suspect that the one who is connected to this case is in your boyfriend's drama club. To be more specific, it's one of the more… larger carnivores. I just need you to find the evidence."

"But… why me? Why not ask Legosi?" the labrador asked.

"I did, in fact, think about poaching him, but it's clear that he is very protective of the club and its members. As such, he would most likely get defensive if I told him this. You, on the other hand, are a much more reasonable sort and I know you will be able to help me," the giant reptile explained.

Jack looked to the side. "I don't know. It feels like I'll be going behind Legosi's back if I do this. I wanna help but-"

"Splendid!" the python said before suddenly letting Jack go. "I'll be going now, but don't worry, if you need me, simply knock. Oh, and before I forget, this stays between us..."

The large snake grabbed the vent cover with its tail and slithered back into the air duct, disappearing as suddenly as it appeared.

Jack, who was left dumbfounded, exited the bathroom, taking one last look before closing the door. He then leaned against the door taking some deep breaths while wondering about what he should do next.

"Hey Jack, where've you been?"

Jack let out a loud scream as he fell down from the surprise. He shook his head and looked up, meeting Manny's gaze who was staring at him in terror with his hands up.

"W-What the hell man!?" the fox said in a startled voice. "Why'd you yell like that?"

Jack stared at his friend for a moment before his confusion turned to rage. He started to growl very loudly, nearly exposing his fangs as he gave the fox the angriest look he'd ever made.

"Where was I? Where was I?! WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU?!" Jack yelled as he got up before grabbing the fox's shirt. "You disappeared to who knows where for over an hour and you have the nerve to ask me where I was! Do you have any idea how worried I've been!"

Manny defensively put his hands up. "Hey, listen and calm down for a sec. I know I took a while and I'm sorry. I couldn't find what I was looking for so I had to go searching."

"Oh, and what was it that you had to go find, huh?" Jack barked as he lifted Manny up and shook him.

"I had to find my wallet ok," the fox said as he grabbed the labrador's arm.

"YOU REALLY EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE THAT YOU ASSHOLE?!" the larger carnivore shouted as he shook Manny even harder. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT I WENT THROUGH BECAUSE OF YOU! I WENT LOOKING FOR YOU, LITERALLY RUNNING ALL OVER THE BUILDING ONLY TO FIND BLOOD IN THE BATHROOM AND NO SIGN OF YOU!"

"W-Wait a second, what do you mean you found blood in the bathroom? And please can you stop shaking me, I'm gonna throw up!" Manny pleaded.

After about five minutes of venting out his anger, Jack explained to Manny everything he experienced while looking for him. From the scent of blood in the air to the actual blood and it smelling like honey. He didn't, however, tell the smaller canine about the security guard and his request.

"Wow… I'm sorry man. I didn't think that me disappearing would lead to that," the fox said sadly.

Manny put his hand on Jack's shoulder. "Listen, let's just go. We can still go to the city like you wanted. Unless… you'd rather not."

Jack looked at his friend before letting out a sigh. "Honestly, I think I'm gonna go back to my room. I've uh… had enough excitement for one day."

Manny smiled at him before nodding in agreement. The labrador could use some rest and there was something they both needed to think about. For now, the fox told Jack to keep the blood a secret and headed off back to his dorm, leaving the labrador alone.

A few minutes later, Jack made it back home where he saw Legosi working on a set piece for the club.

"Hey Jack, how'd it go?" the wolf said with a smile, his tail wagging.

"It was alright," Jack replied with a forced smile, something the wolf noticed. "Um… Legosi, we need to talk.

Here is this chapter's secret.

Did you know that Manny learned how to scheme and scam at a young age? This is because his family wasn't very well off and he needed to find a way to keep himself afloat. It's here where he learned to look at things from a different perspective and learned how to fend for himself.