Chapter 45 Sacrifices

Edited by Gabriel (The Night Manager)

Judy blinked her eyes, groaning at the sudden pain in her head. The dust settled around her as she shook her head. To her side Nick muttered a curse as the fox pushed a plank off his head.

"Was that an explosion?" Judy asked, barely hearing her own voice while staring at a now gaping hole in the side of the house. Her ears were ringing madly, a constant chattering that wouldn't end. Noises to her right caught her attention, even if they were vague and muffled. She saw Nick saying something to her, but she could barely hear what he was saying.

"I can't hear you, Nick."

Again his mouth moved, yet she caught nothing but the barest murmuring. Judy pounded on her ears several times, the sensation of the constant thrumming lowering slightly to her great relief.

"Can you hear me now, Carrots?"

"Yes, now I can."

"Oh good!" Nick sighed in relief, leaning against the wall behind them as he focused on her. "What was that?"

Another thunderous blast sounded from some distance away, the yelps and terrified screams of those caught in its blast scarring the sky with their cries of pain. Both didn't want to imagine how close they had come to death as they saw the smoldering, blackened remains of a paw sticking out from underneath the rubble outside.

A groaning caught their attention, as well as a slight sagging of the roof over top of them.

"We gotta go," Nick said, pulling Judy to her feet. The two raced to the hole as the groaning increased, several beams and planks snapping and breaking above them as they leapt through the divide, tumbling to the dusty ground below as the ceiling gave way entirely.

"What is going on here!"

Their respite was short lived, a few seconds of calm before the thundering of hooves alongside the rattling of sabers reached them. From around the corner of the remains of the building, the moose from earlier, as well as Skye, appeared, skidding to a halt as they eyed the dirt stained mammals before them.

"How did you even survive that?" Skye breathed, her words turning to a growl as she clenched her paw around the hilt of her blade.

"Doesn't matter," the moose replied with a grin, arms folded across his chest as he paced parallel to the fox and bunny. The malicious intent gleaming in his eyes sending a slight shiver down their spines as he spoke. "At least I finally get to meet our esteemed guests for once before they're slain, their blood finally wetting my sword's appetite. It has been far, far too long since we've last met, Nicholas de la Wilde."

Nick scoffed. "I don't believe I've held the pleasure of your, bloviating nature."

The moose's grin widened further, his hoof coming to his face in faux surprise. "Of course, of course...how silly of me to forget. The name's Peter Moosebridge," he said with a wicked gleam in his eyes. "You were quite young when we first met, yes you were. So very young..."

Judy drew her sword. "Less talk, more fighting. You will be a scourge to Zootopia no longer."

Her step forward was halted by Nick's outstretched paw. Her glance towards him was filled with confusion, though he didn't return her stare. It was completely focused upon the large antlered mammal before him.

"How do you know me..." All feelings of warmth and Nick's gaiety were gone from his tone, replaced with a coldness that sapped the warmth from Judy's body despite the burning summer sun above them.

Another explosion...closer, larger...one that made the ground quake as a dust cloud surrounded the building meters behind the moose in a wave of flames and dust. "Why...it's simple," the moose calmly stated, oblivious to his form being framed by the wall of death behind him. His smile gleamed in the noonday sun, a slight chuckle revealed in his words. "I am the one who lit the first fire at Foxton. I am the one who helped Skye here find her true place in the world. I am the one who brings death to those who oppose my master, and glory to those who accept his will upon Zootopia."

Nick's paws were clenched into fists, a rumbling growl formed deep within his soul and mind.

"Oh, I don't believe that shows how we know each other though, does it," the moose continued, ignoring the hardened stare sent his way. He waved his hoof in the air, as if what he had to say was the most unremarkable event ever. "For you, the day I graced your home with my presence and killed your pathetic, useless mother was probably the most horrific day of your father's life. But to me? It was Tuesday."

The speed at which the snarl erupted from Nick's throat was only surpassed by the quickness of his blade being drawn and his steps towards the moose. The larger mammal's own sword was drawn and in a flash steel met steel in a spark of metal and emotions. Flicking his blade, the moose tossed the fox aside, the tod's body skidding in the dirt to a stop in front of Judy. The rabbit bent down to check on him, before her cold and hardened gaze fell upon the moose.

The large mammal barely registered the harsh look. "Skye, dear?"

The arctic vixen stepped forward. "Yes, master?"

"Go get our reinforcements from upriver. I want to quash this rebellion once and for all. I can handle the mutt and his whore."

"As you wish, master."

She disappeared in a flash of white fur as the moose refocused on the two smaller mammals. "Now, where were we?"

"Go..."

Judy's head whipped to the side, seeing Nick glaring at the creature before them.

"I'm not leaving you, we're doing this together."

"No," Nick snarled, standing. "I need you to halt Skye. Whoever is helping us..." another explosion obliterated a group of nearby mammals firing up at the top of the cliff as warcries sounded from above. "...we can't let them lose any advantage. Now stop Skye..."

His gaze leveled on the moose as Judy nodded, speeding away, leaving a wide berth around the moose. He let her pass, though kept his blade towards her as she disappeared down the path Skye had fled down.

Nick stepped forward, his sword gleaming in the brilliance of the fiery orb above. "The Spirit of my beloved mother, Esmeralda de la Wilde, will be avenged today."

Before Judy's fluffy tail had even disappeared behind the building, Nick was on the attack. Slinking under the moose's thrust, Nick sliced at the larger mammal's leg as he slid between them, drawing a lengthy, bloody line across his shin. The moose grunted, yet responded with a heavy hooved kick, catching Nick right in the gut and sending him flying across the open space. The fox gasped in pain, clutching his stomach as the moose walked towards him, a slight limp in his left leg.

"Ah, I could kick you around all day, pelt," the larger mammal laughed as Nick gained his feet, a look of murderous intent in the fox's gaze.

"Why don't you try instead of talking so much, eh?" Nick mocked.

The moose grinned.

"Because shooting you first would feel so much better."

Nick's eyes widened in alarm as the moose retrieved a pistol from his belt, and the tod was already running frantically as the first shots rang out. A bit of board exploded next to his head as he ran around the corner of a nearby shed, then another, sending slivers slicing into his ears. He quickly bolted farther as two more shots rang out among the cacophony of noise from the fighting surrounding him. Nick ran past the bodies of two desperados, arrows pin cushioning the oryx and kudu as evenly as cacti. He barely made it past a wolf as another pistol shot rang out, hitting the larger canine in his gut and blowing him off his feet.

"Why are you running?" The moose bellowed his challenge as the fox barely avoided the taller canine's body from falling on him. Warcries sounded from above, and a quick glance showed several warriors racings along the edge of the cliffside towards a large landslide nearby, where several soldiers were attempting to climb.

Planting himself behind a shed, Nick fought to catch his breath. Okay...he's wasted five shots of a six shooter. He's frustrated and hopefully that wound will...Nick peeked around the shed, spotting his quarry instantly. The moose was stumbling towards him, a grimace on his face while his leg continued to bleed profusely. Not only that, but two arrows protruded from his right shoulder, leaving his arm limp by his side with its hold on the pistol barely there.

"Well, that's sure helpful," Nick quipped as he removed himself from his hiding place. Glancing above, he spotted a sight for sore eyes, nodding and saluting Ake'cheta. The coyote nodded once before continuing his race for the landslide. Nick couldn't help but marvel as the coyote reached the slide at the same time as the soldiers. The coyote jumped and in mid-air, threw one of his tomahawks into the arm of a bear, nearly severing it before taking his other tomahawk and cleaving it into the chest of a bighorn sheep.

An explosion rang out near the bottom of the slide, blasting several mammals heavenward and showering the rest with clumps of dirt, rock and dust. His attention to the explosion was fleeting as heavy hoof-falls sent had him tucking and rolling. The breeze from a broadsword above had him praising God as he barely avoided the strike at the loss of some tail fur.

Nick was already to attack as he rolled to his feet, ducking forward and slicing at the moose's other leg. Another bellow of pain had the moose nearly collapsing atop the tod, though he carefully avoided the mammal's fall. The Don again rolled to avoid a backwards swing which could have easily severed his head from his shoulders had he not ducked out of the way.

Stumbling more heavily to his feet, the moose slowly turned, wincing from the pain. Nick took several steps back, letting the moose follow him across a line of rail line tracks. As Nick cautiously took a glance around, a plan forming within his mind left him with a satisfied smirk.

"What are you smiling about, fox. Excited to see your madre again?"

"Oh, I am very much excited to see her," Nick cajoled. "Though that will still be a few years hence. I have much time I need to spend with my coneja first."

Bellowing in rage, the moose stomped forward and Nick ran backwards and up a slight rise. It wasn't much, barely coming up to the tips of his ears, but it left him nearly level with his opponent's shoulder.

The moose led with a thrust and for once Nick didn't try to roll beneath it. Instead, the fox leapt, allowing the blade to slide barely beneath him...

...and straight into a thick beam of oak.

Nick landed atop the width of the sword, tail swishing back and forth for balance while tsking the moose as the larger mammal tried to yank his blade free.

"And now, let the fun begin."

Nick ran across the large blade, and by the time the moose's eyes had widened in shock, had leveled a two pawed kick right to the larger mammal's muzzle. Nick felt a satisfying crack beneath his feet as his opponent stumbled back, right into the side of a minecart, toppling over and into it with a heavy thud. The force sent the minecart back down the hill with the struggling mammal inside it. Nick jogged after it, watching in satisfaction as it hit the end of the line and crashed over the small barrier. Moose and minecart both flipped, with the former landing in a large hanging fixture of ropes.

As Nick approached, sheathing his sword, he watched in satisfaction as the moose struggled within his new bindings. His antlers, which were the pride and joy of any horned species, were now his worst enemy as the more he struggled, the tighter his constraints became. Nick halted a few paces away from the struggling mammal, bending slightly to pick up the dropped pistol near the moose's feet.

Nick stared at the pistol for several moments, studying it carefully while the sound of battle etched around them.

"Was this the gun that killed my mother?"

The question was barely audible, yet both could easily hear it.

"What's it to you?" The moose spat.

"Is this the gun that killed my mother," Nick repeated.

The moose was writhing in the air, grabbing at the ropes entangling his antlers. "Yes."

Nick gave a slight nod, then raised the pistol.

A single shot.

The moose stilled.

The gun dropped.

The smoking hole between the moose's legs left by the bullet had the larger mammal blinking in surprise.

"I do not kill." The words were spoken as solemn as an oath as he stared into his mother's murderer's eyes. "I do not want to become like you."

Silence gripped the two mammals for several moments before the moose started laughing.

"Then that will certainly be your death, pelt!"

With a flourish, the moose reached for his vest and retrieved a bowie knife. Raising his hoof to throw, Nick braced to dodge when several whistling sounds passed above him. Just as quickly as he raised the knife, the weapon was dropped along with his arm as one arrow pierced through his knee and another through his chest.

Nick spun, utterly surprised by the turn of events as he spotted those who shot the arrows. Ake'cheta, and a dark toned painted dog stood several yards behind him, bows raised, expressions stern.

"Why did you do that!" Nick snarled. "We needed to interrogate him, not kill him!"

"You may not kill those who take lives without thought nor care, but I am not held to the same beliefs." Ake'cheta's eyes were cold as the two canines stared each other down.

Several more mammals approached the group, another tan painted while more warriors began appearing nearby.

"I believe you are missing your bunny?" Ake'cheta said.

Nick nodded. "He better still be alive. I'm not through with him yet." With a last parting glance at the one who tried to destroy his family, Nick sped off towards the river's edge, hoping to pick up his mate's scent.

She must be setting these mammals in my way.

Judy was annoyed at the frequency of interruptions in her chase of the snowy furred vixen. Just when she would round a corner or hop over an obstacle, one, or several, desperados would be in her way. She dispatched them with ease, leaving a trail of whimpering, defeated foes in wake, yet she knew she was losing precious time.

Gotta keep moving forward...

"Is that all you got in you, bunny?"

The taunt echoed in the air around her as Judy skid to a stop, sending up a cloud of dust which quickly was lost to the wind. A purring laughter sounded from above, and Judy looked up to see Skye leaning over the edge of a building, resting her head upon her paws.

"I think I could have walked here faster than you could run with how long you've kept me waiting. Didn't want to get those reinforcements until I could savor my time slicing you open from ear to tail."

Judy didn't take time to reply, but instead jumped at the vixen, spinning in the air before landing a double kick to Skye's muzzle overhanging the roof. The vixen snapped back, Judy hearing a thud on the shingles as she landed roughly on her feet.

"You little piece of filth!"

A shadow briefly blocked the sun above as Skye launched off the roof, landing a few feet behind Judy, her sword already in paw and slicing towards the rabbit doe. Judy jumped back, quickly drawing her own blade before lunging forward.

The two began the dance of death, blades flashing sunlight and the sounds of metal striking metal splitting the air. Judy's smaller stature made for a tougher target, Skye unable to land a single blow while Judy was kept at a distance, the vixen's superior reach keeping her just out of reach of her blade's tip. The two riposted and lunged in a twirl of steel and souls, equal in skill if not size.

Several minutes flew past in a flurry of blocked assaults before an advantage appeared. A lone wolf, one of the renegades under Skye's command, darted out from past a building after another explosion sounded nearby. The wolf's blade, wet with blood, darted quickly for Judy. The bunny caught the flash of steel barely in time, darting behind the swoosh of the blade and rolling away to safety.

Skye grinned. "Oh, I like the odds better now."

A frown creased Judy's features as she eyed the new combatant and only a moment passed before both attacked. The wolf's attacks were jilted and rough, showing few months of experience if that. A jarring difference between Skye's fluid and graceful thrusts and parries. The two made for a deadly duo though, as Judy switched from a mix of stabs to mainly guards and blocks.

It worsened when a third mammal, a jackrabbit wearing sticks as horns on his head, appeared.

"Gah!"

Judy barely leaped out of the way as the jackrabbit charged, head first, at her. Rolling in the dirt, she stood only to be slapped back down to the earth by the flat edge of the wolf's sword.

Glad it wasn't the blade...she grumbled as she continued to roll, putting distance between her and her two opponents...

"Wait...two?" she murmured aloud, seeing only the wolf and jackrabbit.

Flicking her ears around her, she couldn't hear any steps behind her, nor did she see any white fur flicking around the edge of her vision. Only a slight Ting ting ting...

A small red stick plopped onto the ground in front of her. It took only a moment, but Judy's eyes widened in horror as the lit fuse was nearly inside the dynamite. The wolf and jackrabbit both yelped in fright before booking it into a nearby shack, the wolf smashing through the window, shards of glass shattering inward while the rabbit ducked underneath the crude shelter.

Judy did the only thing she could.

Arching her leg back, she kicked for all it was worth.

The kick connected, sending the explosive flying against the wall of the building and jamming itself into a knot in one of the boards. Judy dove to the dirt, covering her ears just as the explosion ripped the area apart. Shards of wood and tongues of flames billowed outwards, the heat licking up the moisture in the air like a parched mammal quenching its thirst. The building, already what would be called rickety, blew backwards, a pain-filled howl ripping through the air before all went deathly still.

A minute earlier on the cliff tops...

Eliot stared down in growing worry at the scene below.

"Oh, Pumpkin! How will we help Nick's fiance? They haven't had kits yet and I haven't gotten a painting of them kissing yet!"

"Calm yourself!" the thylacine yelled, grabbing his shaking paws and looking him in the eyes. "We can't do anything from up here. You've already tossed all the dynamite we had and even if we had one, she's too far away."

The wolf's tail fled to wallowing in the dirt and dust as a horrified expression filled his face. "But...she can't die..."

"And she won't!"

The growl came from the rabbit doe nearby, where in her paw was one final stick of dynamite. Behind her stood both the fox, Zieg, and the warrior named Atom, both canine's busily tying a knot in a rope around the doe's waist. She nodded when she felt the rope was taut.

"Light me!"

Nodding, the fox took a torch from nearby and lit the fuse.

"Now, toss me!"

"Are you sure?" the fox asked nervously.

"TheStickIsAlreadyLitSoTossMeALREADY!" the bunny screamed.

The fox acted quickly. Gathering the bunny in his arms, he ran towards the cliff edge, and, in a move surprising everyone, gave her a quick peck on her cheek before tossing her into the open air.

"Atom!" the fox yelled. "Grab the rope!"

The painted dog grabbed the rope, digging his feet into the ground as everyone watched with baited breath, the rabbit doe flying through the air. Taking careful aim, Oce tossed the dynamite as she began to descend, the rope pulling her back towards the cliff.

"Oh carp, I didn't plan this out!" she shrieked as the cliff wall drew closer and closer. She flinched and closed her eyes as the rope went taut, preparing for her body to be racked with pain as the wall neared...

...yet it never came.

She felt a soft thud, a husky groan, and a furry arm wrap around her waist.

"I got you, bonita..." The voice was barely a whimper, filled with pain but the barest hints of hope as well.

Oce blinked her eyes once...then twice as she stared up into the face of her savior. Zieg, seeing Oce hurtling towards the cliff and knowing death could claim her, acted on instinct. He grabbed the rope and jumped down, pulling the rope taut against the cliff wall and barely reaching the end as Oce slammed into his furry chest.

An explosion sounded far below as the two began to be pulled up, yet the only sound the doe enjoyed as she snuggled against the fox, was the frantic beating of his heart.

After the explosion...

Panting from the exertion, Judy stumbled to her feet, dusting herself off of slivers and shards, while grumbling about the scorch marks in her clothing. A faltering step forward was all she got, before another shadow blocked out the sun.

AN: Five more chapters to go until Masked Fox is completed.