Chapter Three:

A Wretch Like You.

Something shifted close by, the noise was loud enough to rattle the sleeping fox from his dreamless slumber. There was chill in the air that assaulted his half-naked body. A stitch in his side sent a wave of pain through him when he tried to hug himself against the cold. Above him stretched a canopy of branches and leaves. Through them he could see the bright twinkling of stars. Such a majestic sight to remind him that he was still on Earth and not dead. Wait, he wondered, why would he need to be reminded that he wasn't dead?

It was that small notion that sent a flood of memories back to him. The insane situation where he was no longer in Zootopia. His once friends were replaced by these crazy doppelgangers, and how could anyone forget the small army of goblins that attacked for no reason. It was at that musing that Gideon moved his hand to touch his side, hesitating at what he'd find there. The pudgy fox took a deep breath and rested his hand against the spot where he'd been flayed not more than a few hours ago. Much to his surprise, there was nothing. Simply a naked line under his ribs where the fur was gone.

Gideon sat up and looked around, wincing at the stitch in his side. Everything was dark except for a low orange glow coming through the trees from a nearby fire. There was a faint ringing in his ears that went away once he sat up. There, piled around a small fire were the others. It wasn't until he saw them that he could hear the faint mumbling of their voices.

The baker-fox struggled to get to his feet, the wound in his side may have closed but the lingering ache of muscle damage was still very much there. It felt like he'd pulled a muscle and it was having a hard time working itself out. The voices stopped once he stepped out of the bushes. All eyes shifting to greet him.

Benjamin, whose smile was the largest in the group, sat stirring a pot with a wooden spoon as it rested on the open flame. How had Gideon missed the smell of vegetables cooking in a salted broth? The Nick doppelganger offered a smile and a relaxed nod as he continued to pluck away at a very small guitar, or a lute, at least that's what the stupid game called it. Next to the fox, sharpening his dagger, was Finnick, or not Finnick as the case seemed to be in this altered universe. The small fox tapped his blade against his eyebrow and flipped it outward in some form of salute. There was a smile on his tiny muzzle, so Gideon assumed it was meant to be taken as a friendly gesture. Aza, the one with the smallest smile, shifted closer to the Nick doppelganger and patted the ground next to her. There was no verbal invitation but Gideon wasn't about to wait until she asked again. When he sat down in the grass, a wave of warmth washed over him from the fire. It was a welcoming feeling. He didn't get cold often enough to know how to deal with it.

"I don't think we've all been properly introduced. You know me and Aza, but these two here are..." Benjamin pushed the introduction with a point of the spoon.

"I'm Nicholas, a bard and all around naughty fox and this is my companion, Finn," The small fox simply thrust his muzzle towards the pudgy fox in a silent greeting.

"Pleased to meet you, my name's Gideon Grey." It seemed weird to reintroduce himself to this group of strangers that reminded him so much of his friends.

There was a soft hush that fell over the group as they were all focused on their own individual thing. Upon closer inspection, Gideon could see flecks of meat floating in the brownish liquid. Chunks of carrots and potatoes too. The pudgy fox's stomach churned into a loud growl bringing everyone's gaze to him once again. He rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged. Everyone went back to what they were doing, the air went still again save for the clanking of the wooden spoon on the walls of the pot.

Gideon turned to look at the large female warrior sitting next to him. He was surprised to see she was still looking at him, almost as if she were studying him. It excited and made him nervous to have her powerful eyes on him.

"You live?" Aza spoke, her voice was deep and monotone.

"Don't sound so thrilled about it, he might think you like him." Nicholas sang his words in a matching monotone voice.

"And if I were to squeeze your head in the crook of my arm, I can make it pop." Aza spoke harshly but halted when she felt Brother Benjamin's hand on her knee.

"Easy sister, he was simply trying to get a rise out of you," Benjamin seemed to be the voice of reason between the two. "Seems to be his nature."

"Tis true." The fox plucked away at his strings, singing along to no melody except his own.

"And you, how do you feel, my friend?" Benjamin looked at Gideon.

Gideon felt self-conscious under the scrutiny of these strangers who were all looking at him once again. It took him a bit to work up the courage to speak. "I feel a little sore, but fantastic otherwise. Thank you." Gideon's voice was hoarse from his building nervousness.

"Not surprised, you got cut pretty deeply." Finn muttered.

He spit on the whetstone in his hand before going back to working his blade. Gideon watched his brutal technique of sharpening his blade. There was no way his dagger would hold a blade for long at the rate he was going. The baker-fox opened his mouth to offer some advise but jolted at the feeling of fingers caressing the bare patch of skin on his side. Benjamin was leaned close examining the wound.

"Healed up nicely, if I say so myself. Apologies on the missing fur. It'll grow back over time." The spotted cat when back to stirring the stew.

"That's fine, not the first time I lost some fur." Gideon fidgeted with his hands. "If you don't mind me asking, how did you manage to fix me up so well?"

"Magic." Aza stated, plainly.

"Magic?" Gideon cocked his head.

"Yes." Nicholas added in a high-pitched voice.

"It's not really magic, I'm afraid. It's a gift from the divine, many clerics across this world possess such gifts. They can draw power from their faith and focus it on healing a single mammal. It take so much effort to do, but faith can move mountains as they say." Benjamin chuckled lifting the wooden spoon to his lips for a sip.

"Is it ready?" Aza asked.

"Not yet, but soon." Benjamin looked across the fire at the two. "Thank you, gentlemammals, for the spices and the dried meat. Without you this bounty would simply not exist."

"Forget all-" The larger fox began singing but stopped when Finn grabbed the neck of the lute.

"Stop singing!" The small fox gripped his ears in both hands. "See these ears? They're sensitive to annoying noises and your singing is right up there."

"Alright, jeez, you could have just asked." The fox shrugged the criticism off like it was nothing and set his lute aside. "As for you, old round one. It's no problem at all. Finn and I are more than happy to share. Thanks to you, we were able to route those little green nasties before they could do some real damage. Made quite the profit off of them too."

"Looting corpses." Aza grunted.

"It's not like they're going to be using it anymore." Nicholas gave her a wide smile.

"You still defile the dead. There's nothing forgivable about that." Aza got up from the fire and strode off into the woods.

Gideon watched her go. "Is she going to be safe out there alone?"

Benjamin shrugged and nodded. "Physically, I believe so. Emotionally, that is a more in depth question for another day."

"Should you go talk to her?" There was concerned look on Gideon's face.

"Sister Aza has heard everything I have to say on any matter. Perhaps a fresh outlook might help." The chubby cleric used a flip of his head to motion for him to go to Aza.

The pudgy fox got up from the fire and followed the hyena through the bushes. Everything grew darker around him the further he walked into the woods. All around him the world grew quiet with the exception of the rustling bushes that rubbed up against his legs. Through the smell of the stew, the smoke, and the fire, the natural crisp smell of the air treated his nose to its freshness. There was something else though. Something that tingled in his nostrils. There was a hint of her on the breeze. For a warrior who seemed so skilled, she made no attempt to cover up her scent. The wild smell was still as intoxicated as when he first smelled her and it was growing stronger. When he stepped through the trees, he found her standing next a cliff looking out across the field.

"I can smell you," Aza grunted. "You smell of flowers. Do all monks smell like you?"

"Actually, I'm no monk at all." Gideon tucked his hands in his pocket, trying to keep from trembling against the cold. "I'm just a baker."

"A baker, you smell nothing of bread or cake."

"Not all bakers smell the same, I guess." Gideon huffed a laugh, it showed visible on the chilly air.

"I saw you fight, I saw your skill." Aza turned to look at him.

"I'm just good at punching stuff."

This time, it was Aza's turn to laugh. It took Gideon by surprise at first. Her gruff voice hadn't held much in the ways of emotion up until this point. The high-pitched yucking sound of her laugh was pleasant to hear. It was good to see her relaxing in his company.

"Indeed, baker." There was a distant look in her golden eyes. "You've been gifted by Mordith, haven't you?"

"Ah...who?"

"Surely you jest!" Aza gripped his arm tight enough to cause him to wince. "Mordith is the goddess of rage. She is the blood that flows through my people. I saw her take you on the battlefield. You pummeled that creature to pulp beneath your fists."

"Yeah," Gideon rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry, you had to see that."

"No, no sorry. It was beautiful!" Aza slipped down to sit in the grass near the edge of the cliff. "Mordith often visits my kind, hyenas of the Sunscorched Sands. Only females are worthy to wield the matron mother's gift."

When Gideon slipped down to sit next to her, she was already studying him again. Picking apart every aspect of who he was just with her eyes. It wasn't until that moment Gideon recognized a familiarity within them. He'd seen them hundreds of times before when he'd looked in the mirror.

"What?" Gideon cocked his head at her.

"Why would Mordith bless a male with such a gift, I wonder?"

"Beats me."

Aza grew quiet for a moment pondering whatever unanswered questions she had bouncing around in her head. Gideon stayed quiet too looking out over the expanse. There was a blanket of trees as far as the eye could see. In the distance lay a large mass of buildings. It looked like a castle surround by a thriving town. It reminded him of the things he saw in Game of Bones. It was real sword and sorcery stuff made real. If the slash in his side and the goblins weren't enough to convince him that he wasn't in a dream, seeing the lush landscape laid out before him surely did.

"You are strange!"

Aza's voice came as such a surprise that it startled him. When he looked at her in the moonlight he caught an angry look on her face. She didn't look back at him, no doubt still lost in her pondering.

"Sitting beside you makes me feel strange. Not one other creature beyond my tribe wields the power of the Matron Mother. Who do you think you are to possess such a gift and just shrug it off like it's nothing." Aza punched him hard in the shoulder before getting to her feet.

"What happened to you?" Gideon got up, clutching his arm tightly.

Aza halted but didn't look back. "Plenty, baker. Not that I would ever tell a wretch like you."

Gideon remained at the edge of the cliff watching as the hyena receded back into the woods in the direction of their camp. Gideon opted not to follow her. Maybe she truly did need to be left alone. Instead, he turned his attention back to the expanse. It may have been the most beautiful sight to behold under the cool moonlight but the nagging hot sting in his shoulder just kept reminding him how much he wished he were home.