Chapter Text
“Once you land, you follow our orders exactly.”
“...And if I do, and after I complete this mission… my sister and I… we’ll be free?”
…
“You and Mei will earn honorary citizenship.”
“So we WILL be free?”
“...Yes.”
***
The storm cracked through the sky, flashing a beacon of light across the murky sea as the waves threatened to tilt the canoe Malt rowed.
His clothes were drenched, the rainwater digging past his warm fur and his paws practically stuck to the paddles as he rowed. Malt felt like his muscles were on fire, but he pushed on.
Distant light made him pause and look over his shoulder. He could see a vessel coming toward him among the crashing waves, but Malt wasn’t sure if it had seen him. It was medium sized, so it was probably an industrial fishing boat rather than something military.
Malt clenched the paddles and rowed toward it, desperation making him forget his weariness for a second. Fortunate must’ve smiled upon him as the vessel steered his way, closing in just enough for him to call to it.
He stood, legs shaky from the canoe waving about as he attempted to keep his balance and waved his paws in the air.
“HEEYY!” Malt roared, his voice almost nonexistent in the winds of the storm.
Multiple dark shapes passed over the deck, but there was no response. Just as he was about to call again, a rope was tossed overboard and landed on the water’s surface. A figure peered over the deck, his call a whisper among the winds.
“Tie… ...your…!”
That was all Malt heard, but he took an assumption on what they meant. Malt leaned over the side of his boat, careful not to tip it over as his paw reached out for the drifting rope. He caught it and hung on as he dragged himself in.
Malt hurried to the front of the canoe, securing the rope around the front to anchor himself to the bigger vessel. Something tight pushed him forward and he realized he was being reeled in.
As his canoe rubbed against the side of the fishing vessel a figure peered down at him from the top deck, cloaked in a bright yellow rain jacket. Through the rain pelting his eyes, Malt could see the face of a Felineko wrapped in the hooded raincoat.
“Are you okay?” The fisherman asked.
Malt nodded, too tired to speak. The Felineko reached down to gave Malt a paw, wanting to help him out of his boat and onto theirs. Before he took it, Malt grabbed a large blocky briefcase at the edge of the canoe that had made the journey with him then clasped the Felineko’s paw.
The Felineko helped him up, Malt throwing his briefcase onto the deck before pulling himself up the rest of the way. He collapsed as he felt the solid deck below him, not entirely free from the power of the waves but still more solid than his tiny canoe.
“Get him to the lower deck.” Another fisherman urged, “Let’s help him out of this rain.”
Malt grabbed his briefcase and stood, the Felineko wrapping a paw around his shoulder as he was led to the front of the ship. He was ushered through a door then down a flight of stairs, several other fisherman rushing to his aid down the steel corridors of the lower deck.
The fishermen were mostly Felinekos and Caninus, but Malt could smell other scents, so there was definitely at least more than two species on this boat. One of the fishermen wrapped a towel around him, Malt uttering a thanks as he wiped his wet face.
“He’s just a kid.” One of the fishermen gasped, “Do… do you think he’s a defector?”
“Don’t surround him!” The Felineko keeping him close snapped, “He’s freezing, we need to get him warm. Where’s the medic?”
“I’ll get her.” The other Fisherman replied.
The Felineko hissed for the curious crowd to step aside and moved Malt forward once more. He was led further into the corridor until they arrived at a door, the Felineko opening it and helping Malt through.
He entered into a sort of sleeping quarters with a carpeted floor and two bunk beds on either side of the room. Malt limped to one of the bottom beds and sat down, his relief giving him a headache and causing his world to spin.
“I’ll get something warm for you to eat.” The Felineko comforted, “Get as dry as you can. There’s extra towels in the drawers if you need them.”
“Thank you.” Malt managed to choke out.
The Felineko nodded and left, closing the door to give him privacy. Malt set his briefcase down and dried himself the best he could until the towel itself was soaked, then rummaged through the nearby drawers to pull out several more towels and wrapped himself in more than what he probably needed.
The good news is he wasn’t shivering anymore, but his body was still achy and frail. Malt sat back down at the edge of the bed, wrapped in so many layers of towels he looked like a low-budget mummy. There was an open porthole a few feet away from him, giving Malt a view of the storm, waves tossing and thrashing so hard he was honestly surprised he had survived this far.
There was a sudden gentle knock on the door. Malt’s ear twitched as he glanced over, hopeful the medic had arrived.
“Come in.” Malt called.
The door creaked open and a yellow mare entered. She was a Pegasus with lovely fur and a cute face, topped off with a pink mane and tail. She padded up to Malt, setting down the first-aid kit in her mouth so she could speak.
“You poor thing.” She whispered, almost hurt to see him like this, “Are you hurt anywhere? I know you must be freezing…”
Malt shook his head.
“I don’t think so, just… just cold.” He confirmed, “And a little sore.”
The mare nodded and unzipped the med kit, digging through it with her muzzle until she pulled out a bottle of pills.
“Here, this will help the pain.” She informed, “But let me check you anyway, okay?”
Malt nodded in understanding. He took the bottle from her, opening the cap and taking two pills into his paw, throwing them at the back of his throat and swallowing them down. The mare waited for him to slide out of all his towels, then made him lift his shirt as she checked around for any serious cuts or damage the storm may have caused him.
“Oh gosh, you’re so thin…” She gasped as she could feel his ribs.
“A-Am I hurt anywhere, though?” Malt asked.
“Uhm…” Her hooves pressed against his frail body, feeling along his chest, back and stomach, “Your fur is so fluffy so it’s a little hard to tell, but I don’t feel anything!”
The mare took a part of the towel and rubbed it along his chilly stomach fur, drying any excess water. A moment later, the ajar door moved and the Felineko from earlier entered, a cup and bowl in his paws. The mare moved aside as he extended them to Malt, which he graciously took.
“Hot tea and soup.” The Felineko informed, glancing to the medic, “Does he need anything else?”
“That’s perfect.” The mare assured, “He’s not physically hurt, so he just needs to warm up now.”
The Felineko seemed to relax a bit at the medic’s words. He patted Malt on the shoulder and turned, closing the door behind him as he left the two of them in the room.
“I, uhm, I’ll leave now so you can warm up and enjoy your food.” The mare muttered.
“No, uh…” Malt stopped her, “Please… stay.”
“Oh…!” The mare blinked, sitting down in front of him, “Of course.”
Malt set the cup of warm tea down, focusing on the soup first. He took the spoon and put it to his muzzle, the warm liquid taste of tomato sliding down his throat easily and pleasing his empty stomach. He put the entire bowl to his muzzle, taking huge gulps as he engulfed the rest of it.
After he nearly licked the bowl clean, Malt set it down and took the warm tea, drinking about half of it in one sip before taking a chance to breathe. The mare smirked as she watched him, happy to see him enjoy such basic food so thoroughly.
“Uh… what’s your name?” Malt asked once his head started to clear.
“Fluttershy.” The mare responded, taking a bow, “And yours?”
“Malt, Malt Marzipan.” He answered, “Thank you for the help, and the crew here too… I didn’t expect the storm at all. You saved my life…”
“Oh, it’s our pleasure to help a fellow animal.” Fluttershy smiled warmly, then glanced away as one hoof rubbed her other.
There was an awkward silence for a second, broken only by the booming storm outside and Malt gently sipping the rest of his tea.
“I… uhm… I hope you don’t mind me asking, Malt…” Fluttershy stammered, “Everyone’s been asking the same thing, but… are you a defector from one of the human countries?”
Malt blinked slowly, his paw rubbing against the porcelain of his warm cup.
“Yes… I am.” Malt sighed, “I escaped from Britain early this morning.”
“Britain?” Fluttershy narrowed her eyes like she didn’t believe him.
Malt gazed at her, puzzled.
“O-Oh, it’s just… your accent… it’s very French.” Fluttershy awkwardly giggled, “I would’ve never guessed you defected from Britain.”
“Ah.” Malt realized that made sense, “I think my family was French, but we ended up in Britain before I was born. I’m not sure how, and I never got to ask my parents…”
“Oh… I’m sorry.” Fluttershy glanced to her hooves.
There was another stretch of silence before Fluttershy felt confident to speak again.
“So… you were trying to get to Pawvaria, yes?” Fluttershy wondered.
“Mhm.” Malt hummed, “Though… I don’t know much about it. The only information I knew for the longest time is that it was a safe haven for all animals alike, but the British always made us believe it was a myth.”
“It’s no myth.” Fluttershy shook her head, “It’s the city-state that was formed in the early eighteen hundreds when humans were beginning to completely dominate the world. It’s the only animal controlled country left…”
“...And the only country where we aren’t slaves.” Malt muttered.
Fluttershy’s ears pressed against her head, uncomfortable with Malt’s dark words.
“It… it must’ve been scary when you escaped.” Fluttershy sympathized, “Were you shot at?”
“Uhm, uh…” Malt shifted slightly, groping for what he should say, “Yeah, but I was already a little ways off.”
“That was incredibly brave of you.” Fluttershy admired.
Malt whispered a thanks, guilt weighing on his chest as she believed him so easily. Fluttershy’s eyes gazed over his figure before finally pausing on the briefcase that was lying next to him on the bed.
“What’s that?” Fluttershy pointed her hoof.
“Oh… a portable box radio.” Malt stated, “I used it to speak to someone that helped me escape. I… didn’t know if I still needed it.”
He prayed that was believable enough of an answer.
“I see…” Fluttershy huffed, not pressing her questions any further to Malt’s relief, “We’ll be landing at Pawvaria tomorrow, so you should rest. I promise, our country will be worth everything you’ve been through… you’ll be welcomed with open paws.”
“Thank you, it means a lot to me…” Malt uttered.
His words might’ve held more weight if he meant them.
***
The fishing vessel arrived to the Pawvaria port in the late morning, Malt setting foot for the first time on land where he was truly free.
He clutched the briefcase containing the radio as he paced along the port, his sore feet remembering how to walk after being at sea for the last few hours. Malt paused as he noticed a flag waving on one of the ships, the gold color catching the sunlight at just the right angle. The middle of the flag was a large white circle that contained a black paw print, the symbol that defined animals for generations.
It was strange seeing a flag be flown that wasn’t the Union Jack.
“The gold is really pretty, isn’t it?”
Malt snapped out of his thoughts as Fluttershy’s voice echoed next to him. He looked down at the mare below him, who had followed his gaze at Pawvaria’s national flag flying off the ship.
“I’ve never seen it before.” Malt admitted, “In all the world maps I’ve seen, Pawvaria is listed as an empty island.”
“Humans are horrible.” Fluttershy murmured, “They’ll remove anything that might give you hope of a better life, one where we aren’t enslaved or killed in any human country we find ourselves in… How can humans be so cruel? What have we done to them?”
“I don’t know…” Malt shrugged, “But humans and animals can never be friends.”
“I’d like to think we can be.” Fluttershy hoped, “There’s nothing good in continuing hate. I would help anyone, animal or human… I want to prove to humans that we can work together. Maybe then there will be peace?”
“Maybe.” Malt didn’t argue against Fluttershy’s nonviolence.
Fluttershy gave a flap of her wings and looked up to Malt, her blue eyes shining against the warm sun.
“I hope you’ll excuse me, but I do need to get back to my mentor.” Fluttershy politely informed, “If you need a place to sleep, my mentor would gladly let you stay a night or two. You won’t have to worry about money either, many stores hire very easily. You just have to ask for work.”
“That would be great, I’m not sure if I can earn enough money in one day to get a place to sleep.” Malt thought, “Where do you stay?”
“At the medicine shop on the main road.” Fluttershy noted, “I-It’s the only one, you really can’t miss it!”
“Got it, thanks again.” Malt bowed, giving a fake wag of his tail, “You’ve been incredibly helpful.”
“It’s nothing.” Fluttershy beamed.
Fluttershy passed him, looking over her shoulder as she called out.
“Good luck, I hope to see you soon!”
Malt waved goodbye as he watched her leave, then stood for a minute longer as he gathered himself. His grip tightened on the briefcase as he thought about the next step he needed to take.
He wondered off the port and further into the main city itself, the overwhelming amount of different species he passed making Malt feel like he was drowning. There was Caninus and Felinekos as the majority of the population, but there was also ponies and other mammals, both quadrupedal and able to walk upright like a human.
The architecture was very European, reminding him of the photos he had seen of the outside world, far beyond the reaches of the confined caged towns the British dumped them in. Malt never had this much space to walk in before, both crowded but still plenty of area to move…
He walked until he had escaped most of the crowds and moved away from the center area of the city, looking for somewhere quiet and secluded. Malt took a turn off the main road and entered a tight alleyway, the distance sound of the crowds being drowned out as he moved deeper into it.
Malt crouched behind a dumpster and set the briefcase on the cold concrete. He clicked the locks and opened it, the compact radio dry as can be despite what it had been through. Malt pressed the power switch and grabbed the mouthpiece, putting it against his muzzle as he dialed the radio to the frequency he needed.
Once he was ready, he swallowed and pressed down on the mouthpiece’s button.
“This is Malt to British Intelligence, I repeat, this is Malt to British Intelligence, over.” Malt spoke.
The radio crackled as a voice on the other end spoke back.
“Marzipan? This is British Intelligence. What’s your status? Over.”
“I’ve infiltrated Pawvaria without issue, awaiting orders, sir. Over.” Malt responded.
“You are to find a secure place to set up and gather information on Pawvaria’s military and leadership.” The directive voice on the radio demanded, “Be prepared for any further instructions, over.”
“Understood…” Malt hesitated, “How… how is my sister? Over.”
“Mei is not apart of your mission, Marzipan, over.”
“I know that, but I want to know she’s alright!” Malt growled.
“...Mei is in our care.” The voice answered after a moment, “Focus on the mission, and we’ll hold up our end of the deal, over.”
“Fine.” Malt submitted, “I will contact you when I find out anything new, over and out.”
“God save the queen, over and out.”
With the conversation ended, Malt turned the radio off and closed the briefcase. He took a deep breath, the human voice still managing to terrify him.
The last country free from human control, and Malt was here to leak information to the British government to make their coming invasion easier. But the lives here didn’t matter to him when the humans had his sister held at gunpoint, swearing they would take her from him if he didn’t go through with this.
He was doing this for Mei. Pawvaria didn’t matter to him.