Chapter Text
“Oh waitttt.... if I have to go to the palace.... then what am I gonna do with you two?” The tall cat hybrid asked loudly.
Flame and mane didn’t hate Wemmbu, even if they bit him and ruined his furniture and tried to run away all the time.
If they had to be honest they were actually relieved for the first time they could remember.
For the first time in their lives they would wake up in the morning and be safe... they didn’t want to leave.
But now something that threatened to destroy that image entirely came.
Wemmbu had received summons from the king.
...which meant he was leaving...
“Hmm... whatever, I'll just have to ask Eggchan what to do later,” Wemmbu said suddenly making up his mind and turned to walk towards the kitchen.
The two young boys were stuck in that position for several minutes before one of them spoke.
“Do you think he’s actually going to...?,” Mane asked the older boy with worry in his voice and probably in his eyes as well.
Flame was silent for a while, eyes unreadable under his red blindfold.
“I think... we should be ready for whatever happens,” he finally answered.
He didn’t want Mane to be worried, he loved seeing the youngers goofy smile and hearing his infectious laugh. Unfortunately they weren’t in a situation to avoid it, life didn’t take pity on the unfortunate such as them.
“okay...,” Mane responded sounding solemn. Then a moment later he lifted back up his head and grinned at Flame.
“Hey! You know that axe by the wood pile?!” He asked energetically.
The switch in conversation was so drastic it almost gave Flame whiplash. Flame grinned confused but decided to find out whatever it was Mane was thinking.
“uhm... i guess? The lumber pile? Yeah what about it?” Flame questioned practically hearing the gears in the lion hybrid’s head turning.
“do you think you could use it to practice...?” Mane smiled innocently while he requested Flame to potentially steal someone’s axe.
“you want to go steal someone’s wood cutting axe and show you how to fight with it?” Flame asked as giggles escaped him despite himself.
“SHH! Be quiet he wouldn’t let us if he were to find out. But yeah.”
Flame found it funny but complied nonetheless, quietly leaving the house and sneaking towards the forest.
They arrived at an old shack in the woods home to what they think is a lumberjack. The place had been abandoned for quite some time and relatively untouched at that.
Flame easily found the old wood cutting axe that had been left behind for quite awhile as the iron had started to rust.
“What do you want me to do again?” Flame asked the lion hybrid who looked very excited.
“PvP Fighting!” Mane enthusiastically squealed.
Flame grinned and did as instructed, striking a nearby tree as if striking an opponent.
Flame didn’t know why Mane was so excited by PvP and fighting stuff but even if he wanted to tease the littler for it he felt similarly. Fighting was incredibly fun, he had gotten into several fights while in the village.
Flame continued to fight the tree as if a real enemy, practicing maneuvers and tricks with the axe.
He’d occasionally get the axe stuck in the tree and have to pull really hard to get it out making Mane giggle uncontrollably.
While they were having fun they didn’t notice a few figures approaching them.
They were laughing one second and the next they heard shuffling feet and then everything went black.
“Flam-!!” Mane tried to call out but his voice was cut short.
“Mane!” Flame called back but their was no reply.
Flame slashed wildly around him trying to wound the attackers. He heard one yelp and another swore, they were surprised enough that he was able to get away from their grasp.
He tore off the black bag they had covered his head with.
There were thee bandits and one held an unconscious Mane while the other two he had injured.
“You little!” One of them that he had injured yelled.
None of them approached him while he held up the iron axe ready for an attack.
“Give him back!” Flame demanded holding the axe up. He felt his head become dizzy as rage and the overwhelming need to get Mane back flooded his mind.
Someone stepped forward from behind him and he heard a cold voice “Stupid kid” and everything went black as something made contact with the side of his head.