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CC:R3 Little Wonders P.6

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Chernobyl-Curs
Little Wonders


Round 3: Part 6




It took the dog a moment to comprehend my question. He looked at me in shock: his eyes wide and lips formed into a frown. He had not expected me to ask such a thing. He had made an error and had not been expecting it.

He fell back onto his feet, ignoring the window that had just previously occupied much of his attention. Instead he looked at me with an expression consumed with guilt. With posture lowered and tail drooped, he confessed: "I'm sorry. I guess I should have told you earlier. It slipped my mind after awhile; we were having such a good time."

"You're my opponent for this round, aren't you?" I questioned, feeling my anxiety level suddenly beginning to rise. I should have known Beyra wouldn't forget about me. This tournament was too important to linger around with and make mistakes on. She had a plan set in motion and would not be swayed.

"Yes," he replied with a sigh, "But I only did it so we could, perhaps, work out a peaceful solution."

He… doesn't want to fight?

I stood in silence, watching him intently. He raised his tail a bit but continued to keep his head lowered. He went on to explain, "Beyra told Balloon that I was against you, then Balloon told me. She was going to go tell you as well, but I told her I'd tell you instead. I ended up forgetting when we started talking, but then I thought that maybe if we got the chance to know each other, we could figure out some other way to deal with the round."

Despite that his words were registering quite clearly in my head, I couldn't get my heartbeat to stop escalating. My opponent for this round was with me the entire time and I didn't even know it. It was too good to be true that a dog in the competition could be so friendly. He was plotting against me the entire time.

Finding my quiet behavior unnerving, the dog straightened up and once again tried to reassure me. "I didn't even want to be in this tournament. I'm just a drifter. Sorta happened by accident, really."

"So you… didn't join on purpose?" the question left my lips before I had time to reconsider it. I desperately hoped the dog was telling me the truth.

He nodded. "I mean, it has been pretty interesting. I have met some cool people and seen some awesome stuff. I can't really say I know what I'm in for, though. It has been more of an adventure than anything."

"I wouldn't call any of this adventurous," I told him, tone firm and serious.

His ears perked up. "I can see there's definitely a lot more to it than what I first thought. I've come to find out that some dogs are entering for a lot more important things than anything I could have imagined."

My nerves slowly began to calm. I couldn't tell if the dog was incredibly smart or just incredibly stupid. I couldn't say he was entirely in the wrong, though. I had gone through two rounds of the tournament without having a single clue what I was doing and why I was doing it. He was in a similar predicament. We were both lost in this blood-soaked world, trying to get by the best way we could.

"What are we going to do then?" I asked, curious how to get the mess over with as quick as possible. I didn't like the idea of lingering about as we were. I was sure half the dogs had likely already fought and won their battles, but there we were, just trying to figure out what to do.

"Hmm…" the dog thought, his smooth face tilting up, "I guess we can always play a game?"

Bewildered, I squinted my eyes at him, uncertain. "A game? Isn't that what pups do?"

The dog chuckled, his previously jovial mood returning. "No harm in having a bit of fun from younger times, right?"

"I guess there's no harm in it," I said aloud. Inside I sighed with relief. A peaceful opponent… Maybe I can do this after all.

I scanned my mind for possible ideas of puphood games. There wasn't much to remember. I hadn't grown up with my siblings; I was taken away in my youth to a new owner. I rarely got to play or personally interact with many dogs aside from the snooty and prideful ones at the strange dog gatherings my human took me to.

However, a couple ideas did manage to spring to my thoughts. "Maybe a game of chase or tugging?"

"Tugging? What's that?" the dog asked, intrigued.

"When you get a piece of rope or somethin' and we each take an end and tug it."

"Oh yeah, I used to play that sometimes. How do we decide who wins, though?"

"Whoever pulls the other the farthest, usually. But sometimes we used to play it with food or sticks. Shorter things. When we pulled back and it snapped in half; whoever got the longer piece won."

"That sounds simple enough," the dog said happily, though his smile had dwindled. He seemed to be concentrating and pondering on his own. "Not sure what sort of items we could use for tugging, though, unless we caught some fresh prey and used that. Everything else is likely frozen stiff."

He did have a point. Yet, a plot was beginning to form in my head and I couldn't let the idea slip. "There may be some useful things around here that didn't get wet. We can explore the area a bit more while we look, maybe inside a couple buildings for some scraps."

Just as I suspected, a smile almost instantly appeared on the dog's face. "That would be wonderful. Could find some more trinkets, perhaps. Along with a tugging tool, of course."

"Guess it's settled then," I turned myself toward the long sidewalk and rows of human dens, "Find a place you like and I'll find another. Try to find somethin' decent to use."

"I can do that. Let's be off then." Eager to go on his search, the splotchy dog began to trot down the walkway to find his hunting ground. Before he got too far, his paws suddenly skidded to a halt. He turned his fluffy neck around to face me and cheerily said, "Since I sorta already figured your name out, you can call me Spoon."

Spoon. A quirky name for a quirky dog.

I sighed and watched him go, his snout peering up at the buildings as he went. Following with the plan, I went in search as well. My plan, if it could even be called that. More like a spontaneous suggestion that popped into my head. We'd been gone for awhile, and surely by the time noon rolled around all the other dogs would be done. Alpha Beyra would not be happy with either of us if we decided to not show up. I didn't know what the consequences would have been, but she surely would want at least one dog from each pair to be accounted for. If I could get this Spoon dog to get distracted or interested in something else, which he seemed quite fond of doing, I could simply sneak back to the gathering den and claim my win. I could always lie, tell the alpha he tripped on the ice and hurt a leg and couldn't make it back. Maybe say he abandoned the place in hopes of finding some other form of adventure. If all else failed, I could tell her a tree fell on top of him.

It would have worked out well for us both. I would not have to endure the stress of a fight and Spoon would not have to be hurt in the process. He said himself that he didn't have a true motivation for entering the tournament. I didn't have much of one either, but I did have Stan's. He wanted me to win, and I didn't want to disappoint him. That was my goal: trick the dog, win the round. It wasn't much, but it was something.

I sniffed around some thick foliage that lined the corner of a weathered building. The little icicles that hung from each leaf melted away and left my snout dripping. Much of the previous greenery had been swept away in the storm or was hidden beyond view. I doubted Spoon could find any prey animals here to use. When it came to the items in the buildings themselves however…

I ventured into the nearest den, its door blown wide open. The floor was surprisingly empty, with only caved in ceiling pieces left in my way. I did spot a few pieces of human-made lounging items in the corners, but they were not of the right shape or size to be useful.

Stepping back out, I glanced down the road. Spoon was nowhere to be seen. Hoping that he had found a building to go into, I momentarily thought about retreating then. I could have gotten a head start and made it back just in time. I didn't want to risk it, though. The sun needed to rise just a little higher. We needed to go a bit further into the city and find more places where contraptions could be found to entertain the dog. If I went back too soon, he easily could figure the plan out and make his return as well. Beyra would not be happy then. Spoon was into the little wonders of life, but he was still smart enough to not be a fool. At least, that was my assumption.

I padded along the sidewalk, pretending to sniff around and gander at the buildings beside me. Likely it wasn't too convincing. Just a bit longer, I told myself, You can put up with it for a little while more. Don't rush this. You have a plan. Don't give up. Let the dog simply--

A long, dark item flew across my face. I leapt backward, every hair on my body standing straight. Snake! I nearly slipped on the slick floor when I saw the curled items laying on the cement. Its long body coiled around and a shiny head stared straight at me. Resisting the temptation to flee, I took several quick steps back and tried desperately to focus my blurry vision.

"Would this work?" came the voice of Spoon from the innards of the den to my right. He jumped out from the massive, broken opening in the front of it. He walked right up to the dark creature and picked it up in his jaws.

This dog is mad!
Then realization struck me. Spoon stepped into the light and the dangling creature was revealed to me no snake at all. It was a man-made thing. A waist collar, as I called them. Strange bands humans wore around their middles similarly to a dog's neck accessory.

I felt waves of embarrassment slide off me. Such a fool, I was. The dog didn't seem to notice at all, thankfully. He kneeled down on his front legs and spit the item out. He wrangled it around in his paws and nipped at it with his front teeth, tasting the texture on his tongue.

That definitely would work for a game of tugging… I let the thought stay inside my mind. My plan was already unraveling. I had to lie.

"No, that won't work," I told him sternly, trying to make myself sound as if I knew what I was talking about, "I've used those before. Can never get a good grip."

"Oh," Spoon said. He didn't sound entirely disappointed, however. His attention remained on the strange item in his paws. He fiddled with the shiny end for a moment, watching as the sun's rays reflected off of it.

When he was done with his observation, he left the item still and stood up. "Guess we'll have to keep looking. Did you find anything?"

"No," I told him. That wasn't a lie. "You might be able to find something over there, though."

I flicked my head to the cluttered alleyway between the current den and the neighboring one. The splotchy dog stared down it, his eyes wide with curiosity. Suspiciously, he turned and asked, "Have you been down it yet?"

Trying to sound as innocent as I could, I replied, "No. I was going to check the alley on the other side. Both look like they may have some stuff to use."

A flash of uncertainty flickered in the dog's eyes, but he did not try to dispute it. Perhaps the possible treasures inside fascinated him more than my curious behavior. "Okay. See you in a sec."

With that, he walked down the alleyway and began to shuffle through the mounds of frozen material resting within it. Just as before, I acted along and made my way across the street to copy his actions.

This isn't working… my mind raced with negative thoughts, He's catching onto me. He'll figure it out in no time… I have to rethink this. There has to be another plan. It's so simple… damnit, think! Don't be stupid, now! Don't let that dog outwit you. You've been in this city longer. You can figure this out.

I didn't even make it to the other side of the street when I heard a sound: a loud squeal. It wasn't a dog's yelp; it was too high pitched, like something coming from a smaller animal. A prey, perhaps?

Looking over my shoulder, I saw Spoon had disappeared. I didn't think much of it at first until the loud squeal repeated again. It sounded much more frightened and desperate that time.

My curiosity got the best of me and I turned around and proceeded to make my way back to the alleyway. I quickened my pace and pushed aside the various frozen items stacked around the narrow chamber. When I passed through I found an open space before me. Cement flooring, coated in a thick layer of ice. Along the edges were various debris, mostly chunks of building and the occasional metal remnants left by humans. Two tall, but thin trees stood near the center. They were also bathed in ice. Instantly I became wary of them.

The squeal sounded a third time, just a short ways ahead. I stepped closer and found the familiar pelt of Spoon, his rear-end up in the air and his front half hidden in a large circular tub. The item swayed back and forth as he fought around inside. A repeated, loud thumping noise kept coming out of it.

At last, he seemed to have caught whatever it was he was after. Slowly, his hind legs scraped along the ground and he dragged himself out. A mound of fur was huddled in his smiling jaws. His eyes were wide and gleaming with pride. He had caught a piece of prey after all.
   
A sick sensation lurched in my stomach.

Spoon lifted his head, bringing the limp form up with it. Its coat was a bright white and covered in familiar brown speckles.



Stan.
:iconchernobyl-curs:

:bulletpurple: Caesar and Stan Reference :bulletpurple:
:bulletpurple: Audition :bulletpurple:
:bulletpurple: Round 1 :bulletpurple:
:bulletpurple: Round 2 :bulletpurple:

Round 3: vs. Spoon


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First: [link]

Oops.
Spoon what have you doooooooooone? :ohnoes:

Silly Caesar, you are both a terrible liar and a terrible planner. But you get an A for effort.

Oh splotchy dog Spoon, how I love writing for you but fear every second that I get you wrong. I keep wanting to give him fancy eloquent language but have to delete it. Why does that keep happening?!

:iconcanis-ferox:
:bulletblack: Spoon Reference :bulletblack:

Constructive Critique on grammar/spelling and story elements is welcomed.
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Songdogx's avatar
This is what happens when you have carnivore confusion.