Six months, two weeks, three days, ten hours, twenty eight minutes, and five seconds was the exact time Horatio, Triton, and Casen had been gone. During that time they covered nearly the entire countryside, with God's blessing upon them. Many were saved and even if one village rejected them (which was often) the story of Kleos was on the lips of ever wolf, which made the journey worth the traveling. The truth of Kleos eventually spread into Drake's gang. Drake himself did not see the harm at first; it was all a fairytale to him, but he soon began to see that this story was more what it seemed to be. So when Horatio, Triton, and Casen came into his territory. He quickly drove them away and frankly said that if he found them in his realm again, he would beat them to an inch of their lives. Not the best of greetings or farewells, but any creature who dares to live godly will suffer persecution. Nevertheless, the gospel grew under the guise of Drake, for it was the Holy One's will for it to do so.
With their travels neither Triton nor Casen, knew the boundaries between Drake and the Nape's territory. It was important to know where to go and what places to avoid, but Durro had not ventured deep into Nape's realm. The eldest brother was an elusive creature, never traveling unless necessary. Durro had told them that Nape was a bad apple out of the three of them, but of course, they were all bad apples in a sense. It to pass as they were walking, that Casen suddenly stopped sniffing the air. A chill went down his spin and then it became a rush of fear. Triton was feeling it too, but Horatio had no idea of what was wrong and continued to walk.
“Hold on, Horatio,“ said Triton, “Waving him back, we need to get out of here and I mean now.”
“Why, what for?”
From Horatio's back sprung a wolf from the bushes. Immediately eight more appeared surround the three, making sure they had no way of escape. Casen inspected their faces, each had some type of piercing, whether in the ear, nose, or the eyebrow. Some were very simple: one earring or a piercing in the tongue. But some of them elaborately decorated themselves with metal, mangling their faces to their shame.
Nothing was said between them, so Horatio did what naturally came to him. “Does any one want to hear a story?”
A hoarse laughter spread throughout the group.
“No, not interested,“ said one would with a elaborate piecing in his nose.
“Come one,“ said Horatio, “Its not long and it's a true. I begin----“
“Like he said,“ came a more commanding voice from the back of the pack, “ he's not interested.”
A group of four wolves were carrying a large metal chair on their shoulders and in the chair sat a Durro's eldest brother Nape. His very presence forced the wolves to lower their posture slightly as the chair came softly to the ground. He was slim, wearing a long faded red cloak with a series of silver buttons down the garment. He carried an silver axe in his right hand and from the red grime that was on the axe itself, it seemed that it was used for other things other than wood. He had display of a piercing as well: a series of silver rings that toppled over like a row of dominos as he dropped his head to inspect the creatures in the center of the circle. He recognized Triton and Casen (not by name, but by association with his brother Durro.).Nape wasted no time in sealing their fate.
“Kill both of them, but let the rooster live for now.” said wolf with the axe.
Immediately the surrounding wolves attacked Triton and Casen knocking Horatio to the side. The rooster could not see the violence, but heard the sounds of biting, snarling, and tearing. It was unmistakable where the yelps of pain and anguish were coming from.
Once the carnage was done, Triton and Casen laid inert never to walk on the hills of Gosha again. Horatio's heart seemed to melt inside him, the death was cruel and unintentional.
“ I apologize for my sudden actions.” said the wolf with the axe, rising from his chair up, “I not very fond of Durro or his pack.”
“They were my friends!” the rooster said angrily, “They came not to hurt you.”
“Oh,” said the wolf, surprised by the words, “Friends, are you apart of Durro's pack too?”
Nape walked around Horatio, tapping the axe on his shoulder as he did so as if debating whether or not to use it. The rooster was watching the axe and was ready to dodge it if necessary.
“Calm yourself, rooster, I see no need to harm you--at least not yet.” he said giving his axe to one wolf, “My name is Nape, I am the alpha wolf of this small pack here and nearly ninety wolves in Gosha.”
“We didn't mean to wonder into you territory,” said Horatio, still shaken from the brutal murder. “We were just spreading a story around that's all.”
“I know.” said Nape, “I've been hearing about it for the past six months.”
The rooster was astounded by this profession of the speed of the gospel. Horatio never dreamed that Casen, Triton, and his efforts were having such an effect on the land, but God will was being done even when it was unseen.
“That story of yours has infiltrated my pack without my permission,” Nape said becoming bothered by his own words, “Did my worthless adopted brother put you up to this to torment me?”
Horatio gave Nape of curious look.
“Answer my question, bird!” shouted Nape, “Is Durro up to this or not!?”
“No,” said Horatio calmly, “This his my doing--correction--God's doing. I am a believer in God and his Son Kleos, in fact, I trusted him with my life. The story, that you claim has infiltrated you pack, is called the gospel. It calls you to turn from your sins and trust God's son to save you from them.”
With this Nape unwontedly took his axe again, now more annoyed than ever.
“God has no place here, especially not in my pack” said Nape “Gosha told Him to leave ten generations ago.”
“He desires that all the wolves, even you, repent and give their lives to Him. I have lived here for nearly seven months. I've seen the pain and the sin that's in this land---I understand.
“You understand nothing!” returned the wolf, pointed the axe at Horatio's beak, “A wolf needs pain and his sin.”
“Sin will eat you and its doing it now and you know that.” said Horatio, “I can see it when you talk about Durro. I saw it in Durro's eyes and your other brother Drake when he threaten to kill me.”
Nape suddenly smiled, but it was not for joy.
“Drake did not kill you?” said Nape shaking his head, “ He's slacking. Our conversation is over, rooster, its time to join your friends.”
Being a fighting rooster, Horatio was ready to defend himself. Nape swung his axe quickly hoping to slice the bird's neck in half, but Horatio's nimble reflexes gave him the edge. He dropped his head; and spinning on one foot, cut Nape's leg with his talon. The pack immediate came to their leader aid, not daring to have a bird upstage the alpha male. They roughed the rooster up badly and held him firm so that he could not defend himself or move. I will not divulge what happened next, but when Nape said that Horatio would join Casen and Triton, he meant ever word of it.