The warmth of the early morning sun gently crept in through the thin slats the tent, in response to the light Gadget began to stir ever slightly while he was in his sleeping bag. The wolf let out a low moan hearing a distinct thud followed by a snarl of disappointment prompting the wolf to awaken. He yawned tiredly rubbing his eyes. Upon awakening, he noticed Kaito was out of his sleeping bag.
The wolf turned his head his attention drawn to Zerinn's empty sleeping bag. Gadget paused looking at the several small black hairs on the sheets. The absence of zerinn felt odd, without the oldest jackal living in the tent neither he or Kaito even felt
Man, where is Kaito? I hope that he's not in any trouble again. Gadget thought to himself.
A clattering of dishes alarmed Gadget. The wolf wriggled out of his sleeping bag seeing a pair of white bundles containing food indicated Kaito went looting through the bins in the desert streets. It was something that the young jackal never did before on his own. Gadget made his way across to where Kaito stood outside pacing back and forth near a palm tree armed with a small sling throwing a small rock into the palm fronds aiming for the coconuts hanging off the tips of the branches.
If that happened, he would've broken his promise to Zerinn. Gadget shuddered. He didn't want to imagine the jackal coming home and finding his younger half-sibling injured.
"Kaito!"
Gadget was wide awake now hurried over to Kaito knocking him out of the way of the falling coconut hearing it making a soft thud in the ground. Gadget sighed in relief Kaito was injured until he felt the little jackal
"Leave it Gadget!" Kaito snarled folding his ears back. Gadget noticed the young jackal's eyes looked less bloodshot than before; there were still faint tear streaks on his muzzle.
"No. You're going to injure yourself," Gadget replied firmly. "I know it's hard that Zerinn's not here, but he doesn't want you to get hurt in his absence."
Kaito fell silent upon hearing Gadget's words. The tension on Kaito's face gave a clue to his current mental state. Kaito was more lively and cheerful, but after what happened to Zerinn Kaito was sullen, his lip curled up in a scowl. Focusing all of his attention on picking up the coconut choosing not to speak a word to Gadget. Kaito hurried over to his sleeping bag curling his tail around him. The jackal pup was the picture of despair his shoulders shaking slightly.
"Kaito, what's wrong?" Gadget asked softly. "I know I"m not Zerinn. Please let me help you."
Kaito inhaled raising a hand shakily wiping away the tears from his eyes. Yellow eyes met Gadget's amber eyes his tail twitched slightly. The young jackal didn't know how to deal with the aching pain in his heart. He should've known Dune would've pulled off something like this. His heart broke from the fact Zerinn, the only family member who cared about him almost died.
"It's my fault," Kaito whispered. "When we were walking back home, Dad took me aside and told me it was all my fault that Zerinn got hurt. He told me that I was too weak to stand on my own otherwise he would leave me out there in the desert."
The wolf's fingers tensed unintentionally on Kaito's shoulder. The jackal pup lifted his head seeing the wolf's bright crimson fur paling his mouth agape in horror. The wolf knew Cassius could be cruel, but to abandon his son in the harsh desert with no food or water?
"It wasn't your fault Kaito," Gadget spoke in a reassuring tone. "If anyone's to blame, it's your poopy head of a brother."
The small giggle coming from the direction of Kaito indicated he'd liked the insult aimed at Dune. The Jackal smiled his eyes slightly still bright with tears his tail wagging somewhat faster the scowl fading away to the usual small smile on the jackal's muzzle.
"Yeah Dune's a poopy head."
A warm body crashed into Gadget. The small gentle sobs were leaking out from underneath Kaito's eyes. Gadget leaned into Kaito drawing the young jackal close to him rubbing his back letting Kaito softly sob into his shoulder. The wolf told Kaito that by rubbing his back was something his mother used to do whenever Gadget was upset about something.
The wolf wondered if Kaito would ever be the same again. Their brief hug was interrupted by the sound of voices speaking in low tones outside the tent followed by another
"Yo!" Quartz's voice boomed. "Kaito we heard about what happened from Saber!"
Several more voices joined in with Quartz's statement. Gadget got off the sofa with Kaito hurrying over to the door. The door opened revealing Quartz and Nephthys standing there. Nephthys inhaled the faint damp odor of mold her nose a small frown lining her muzzle.
"Did you guys know that Dune's the new leader now guys?" Kaito asked dejectedly.
"Yeah, we do," Quartz had sneered. "Dune wouldn't stop bragging about it, so I smacked him. The little bastard ran inside to your dad's house and said that bad things were going to happen to me."
Nephthys held a hand over her nose unsubtly hiding her grimace at the musty smell in the tent where the two jackal half-siblings lived along with Gadget. The look of displeasure on her face said it all.
"Even without Zerinn here you guys have been living like pigs," Nephthys swept into the room. "Come on let's give this place a good clean."
Even Gadget knew arguing with Nephthys was out of the question. The four of them resumed the task of cleaning up the tent to make it more livable
"We bumped into Ace, Flint, Mikhail, and Saber on the way here," Nephthys said, "They'll be here soon bringing some food ."
The four of them set to work cleaning up the tent with Quartz removing any discarded pieces of rubbish picking them up of the floor placing them in an old worn sack before dragging it outside looking for a suitable location to dispose of the waste.
"Don't dust off with your tail this time Kaito!" Nephthys called out. That's what the towels are for."
"Man poor Zerinn," Mikhail said softly. "To have a scar on his face. I can only imagine how painful that must've been."
Gadget shuddered, having Zerinn's blood on his hands, the low whimpers of pain coming from Zerinn. The way that he lay in agony from his ruptured appendix. The gentle hand squeeze Zerinn gave to Kaito to reassure him that he was going to be okay. The sobs of Kaito who believed that his own older brother lay dying at his own feet.
"So Mikhail what happened to your parents?" Gadget queried. "I mean one of them was a wolf right?"
Mikhail paused in his cleaning. There was a tense frown on his face. There was something in the wolf jackal's hybrid eyes. Mikhail almost resembled his mother exactly. Mikhail had the same expression on his face whenever she was worried. He turned his attention fiddling with the tea towel in his hands.
"Well she was a wolf, and I know who my dad was a jackal," Mikhail replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "All Quartz's mother would say about him is that he's an alcoholic deadbeat."
"When Mikhail's mother became pregnant with Mikhail, she wanted to marry him so their child wouldn't be born out of wedlock," Quartz sneered. "The asshole dumped his mother, refusing to be a man and take responsibility for his actions," Quartz added in placing an arm around Mikhail's shoulder. "When Mikhail was born his father dumped him on my family."
Gadget saw the brief uncomfortable expression on Mikhail's face. He aimed his anger at Mikhail's irresponsible father, and a lingering suspicion took root in his mind. There was no way that Mikhail could be related to him could he?
The two of them worked in a slightly uncomfortable silence between them. Gadget noticed that Ace was flirting with Nephthys. To the wolf's surprise, he heard the low giggle come from her before she gave him a playful shove telling him to get back to work. An hour later Gadget wiped away the last of the dusty surface. Quartz stood to place both hands on his back hearing his spine crack. The tent no longer smelled musty a sweet spring breeze floated in airing out the tent.
"Well at least beehive's coming back to a nice clean tent," Quartz said smiling. "It wouldn't be the same without his presence here."
Gadget's ears twitched at the word beehive. It was an odd nickname to give someone, and the wolf couldn't keep his curiosity at bay for much longer.
"Why do you guys call Zerinn Beehive?" Gadget asked out of curiosity.
"No it's not beehive it's too much pudding!" Flint called out. "Come on Quartz tell the story!"
Quartz slowly sank down onto the dusty floor with Nephthys coming to sit on his left, and Ace sat on his right. Gadget and Mikhail sat down next to each other with Kaito and Saber sat next to each other. The older jackal savored the moment now that he'd an audience.
"Okay Gadget, what I'm about to tell you don't reach Zerinn's ears okay?" Quartz said. "He's still a little annoyed about it. Also, I'll be happy to let Saber and Kaito tell their parts of the story since they were there too."
"I won't." Gadget replied honestly. Mikhail sat next to him his hands folded in his lap.
"Alright then three years ago Kaito was about to turn five years old, and Zerinn wanted to get him some chocolate for his birthday," Quartz began. "However the only place to get the big bars of chocolate was kept in a cool box guarded by the cranky old vixen who runs the sweet shop, back in our home village."
A small bout of laughter filled the room.
"So then Zerinn took me, Kaito and Saber along with him. He makes us wait outside to keep an eye out for the vixen; then he jumps the fence. Zerinn made his way to the icebox and stole three big bars of chocolate," Quartz said. "However, Zerinn soon realized he couldn't jump the fence with a heavy bag of chocolate."
"So Zerinn threw the bag over the fence, and he sprinted towards the fence with the intention to jump over the fence," Saber took over the story. "What none of us knew at the time there was a nearly dead beehive that was right next to his foot."
"Zerinn accidentally stepped on the beehive getting stung several times in the process," Kaito joined in smiling slightly. "My half-brother got stung five times before he violated the fence making a mad dash for the nearest local river, due to being stung he couldn't sit for a week. That's why we call him beehive."
At the conclusion of the story, there were a few lighthearted sniggers. Mikhail let out a few loose giggles as Gadget chuckled slightly.
"Seriously Gadget don't tell Zerinn that I told you about it," Quartz said warily. "He'd have my head if you did."
"I won't." Gadget replied.
Gadget could feel Mikhail's fingers briefly brushing against his own pressing something into his hand shifting his gaze away.
Gadget wanted to ask Mikhail what he'd given him before Nephthys announced they'd done enough lazing about and it was time to get back to work.
The red wolf rose to his feet slowly his mind pondering over the strangeness of Mikhail's actions. Gadget didn't have the opportunity to ask more about Mikhail's past before Saber tapped him lightly on the shoulder.
"Come on Gadget I'll show you our lookout post."
Gadget remembered the first time he'd seen a couple of the guards keeping an eye out for danger on the first day he arrived in the mercenary's camping grounds.
"Being, a guard here is a lot of responsibility," Saber informed Gadget.
"Yeah, it is."
The wolf noticed the pair of jackal archers walking along the ground their fingers clenched around their bows ready to let loose with an arrow the second they spotted a potential threat. Gadget followed Saber briefly nodded gesturing to a small bronze bell sitting between the archers.
"That bell is our alarm system."
"That's quite the alarm system," Gadget said in wonder. "Have you guys ever had to ring it?"
"Yes they do, and we should move on soon," Saber replied. "The guards don't like having civilians up around here for too long; you don't want to get shot by any wayward arrows."
The wolf looked over seeing the distrustful expressions on the guard's faces before they walked away from the outpost, seeing the guard's shoulders relaxing, relieved they wouldn't accidentally be injuring anyone who would be foolish enough to step in front of them when they would let loose with an arrow.
Several hours passed since Gadget's tour of the guard outposts, by the time he and Saber Quartz, Ace, Flint, and Mikhail were about to head home as Saber helped Gadget move the tent flap back into place before Saber went back to his home as well.
Kaito and Gadget sat outside their tent feeling the warm breeze of the evening desert heat. After the long day both of them were eager to rest
"Are you feeling better Kaito?"
"Yeah, I am and thanks, Gadget., Kaito said tiredly. "You're a good adoptive brother." Kaito stifled the yawn leaning tiredly against Gadget. The duo sat on the stone steps listening to the evening chorus of the crickets in the distance. The silence felt nice, and the wolf looked down at the small torn photo in his hands.
Why did Mikhail give this to me?
The silence was interrupted by a familiar harsh voice cutting through the air. Kaito says up hearing a pair of footsteps echoing against the sandy ground. Cassius appeared first half was supporting Zerinn a small bag slung over Cassius' shoulder. The bandages were covering Zerinn's facial wound recently had been changed. Zerinn looked half awake, giving off the impression he wanted to lie down and rest.
"I don't care what that damn nurse says!" Cassius' sharp voice cut through the air. "How dare that those nurses think I'm super rich," Cassius snarled. "And I've paid the bill, and no one in my family stays in hospitals!"
Gadget and Kaito hastily scrambled to get out of Cassius' way allowing Cassius to pass them barely giving them a backward glance heading into the small tent space nearly dropping Zerinn on his sleeping bag. Zerinn lifted his head glaring defiantly at Cassius.
"Dune's going to be a shitty leader," Zerinn said in an aggressive tone. "You damn well know that."
The tension grew tenfold in the area. Cassius bent down gripping Zerinn by his dreadlocks shoving his face into his own son's face. Zerinn ignored the stinging pain coming from his scalp opting to stare right into his father's yellow eyes. The confrontation lasted for a few heart-stopping moments.
"You're nothing, but a weak waste of space," Cassius snarled. "You're going to learn to follow Dune whether you like it or not."
Cassius tightened his grip on Zerinn's hair. The jackal grunted with the pain still locking eyes with his father in a gesture of defiance before his father released his grip on Zerinn's hair leaving his son rubbing at the spot on his scalp where Cassius yanked hard at Zerinn's dreadlocks.
Cassius huffed walking the way he came heading back to the lavish family home seeing Dune and Oasis watching from the window smug smiles on their faces observing the whole scene. Gadget felt sick to his stomach. Cassius made sure Dune heard what his father was saying to the former leader of the Jackal Squad before leaving to spend some time with his family.
"Bro! You're back!" Kaito raced over burying his head in Zerinn's chest. Kaito drew his brother into a half hug mindful of the stitches on his half brother's face. Gadget saw the faint smile on Zerinn's face as he embraced Kaito.
"Yeah, my dad dragged me out," Zerinn chuckled. "The Nurses tried to stop him, but he got his way."
Gadget saw Zerinn approaching him. Gadget recalled the tense frown the jackal used to have on his face in the early days of both boys getting to know each other. Gadget held out his hand for a fist bump. Zerinn stopped right in front of him and much to the wolf's surprise, he drew him into a half-embrace keeping him away from the stitches on the right side of his face.
Gadget was shocked for a few moments. The wolf never imagined stoic Zerinn was showing him some form of affection. Gadget returned the gesture mindful of the jackal's injuries. The two of them broke away from each other aware of Kaito's broad smile on his face and his wagging tail.
"So, was Mr. Dusty Tail not too much trouble for you?"
"No, he wasn't," Gadget chuckled. "Your friends and I spent all, the day preparing the tent for your return."
Zerinn smiled. He knew that his friends would've come through for him. All three of them wanted the moment of peace to last. Kaito hummed a happy tune under his breath, allowing the two jackal brothers to enter their home. Not even the thought of Dune attempting to steal from their fridge where the stored food was could ruin the moment. Both of his adoptive brothers, for now, all three of them were safe and together again no matter how long it took for Zerinn to heal.
Author's note This chapter was fun to write since I wanted to set up Mikhail's role and these guys aren't going to be staying in Saharais for the remainder of the story. There's a mystery there with the photo, though if you've already read the Illusionary Resistance, you'll know who Mikhail is.
Kaito is starting to become a bit more independent since after up until the point Aster kidnapped him following Dune's orders. Kaito feels like he's relied on Zerinn for far too long in his short life and with his older half-brother in the hospital. At least Gadget was able to act like a brother to him and be Kaito's emotional support.
On a more humorous note, we get the reason why Zerinn was called beehive and too much pudding. Spider Dom 321 and I talked about this idea, and it's more of an inside joke between us, and I couldn't resist not putting it in.
Now I've recently decided to update this story once a week for a couple of reasons. The first reason is that I want to focus more on the Illusionary Resistance and the second reason is that there are some other story ideas that I've wanted to get out for a while now.
I have zero intentions of abandoning this story, and I will see it through to the end.
As per usual constructive criticisms /suggestions and reviews are welcomed and appreciated.