RENEGADES - Horizon's Story

[MysteriouslyMaple]

RENEGADES

CHAPTER SEVEN

    The world slowly came back into focus as Horizon blinked open his eyes, groaning in pain. He felt dizzy, as if the world around him was spinning, which in turn made him just want to vomit. The tasmanian devil laid on the floor, trying to make the world stop spinning as much as he possibly could. However, his relaxation was shortly lived as yellow suddenly flashed in his vision, causing him to scramble back a few paces. Horizon blinked rapidly, looking up to see his father glaring down at him. Caesar's lips were peeled back in a snarl, his sharp teeth glinting, his ears pinned to the back of his skull. The look of pure rage on Caesar's face was horrifying and Horizon let out a terrified squeak, trying to scramble back, only to be stopped by a cold, stone wall.
    "What in the Hell do you think you were doing?" Caesar's words were laced with poison, his voice deep in a growl as he spoke. He stalked towards his son, claws scraping across the floor. Horizon's heart pounded as the savannah neared him and he flinched as Caesar moved suddenly, placing one of his paws on his throat. Horizon could feel his father's claws on his neck, although they weren't quite digging into his skin just yet. Still, the action itself was a sharp movement and scared Horizon.

    "Answer me!" Caesar snarled, spitting in Horizon's face. He pressed harder against Horizon's neck. The tasmanian devil was tense and he knew Caesar could tell, but Horizon couldn't help it. He was utterly terrified as to what was going on; his heart felt like it would burst out of his chest if he was quite honest.
    "I-I just wanted to s-see him," Horizon croaked out in response, his eyes closed as he refused to look at his father. "H-he doesn't seem like that much of a b-bad guy and I-"
    "Shut the fuck up." Sharp words made Horizon flinch, along with Caesar's claws faintly dragging down his neck. They didn't cut skin or draw blood, but the way the feline's claws felt against his neck made Horizon think he had been cut somehow. His eyes snapped open, staring in horror at Caesar.
    "What did I tell you earlier, Horizon?" Caesar went on, though his tone revealed that he was still angry at his son. The savannah's fur was bristling, his tail lashing about behind him as he glared down at Horizon. "I told you that I know what's best for my Kingdom. This is my Realm, not yours. You listened to me for months, what changed you all of the sudden? Were you conspiring with him?" His last words came out in a hiss, making Horizon bite his lip slightly.

    "N-no!" Horizon stammered out. "I-I didn't know Bruce until you-I-I saw him in The Arena," He tried explaining quickly, his words slurring together as he spoke. Was it because of the fear coursing through his body, or the numbing pain he felt on the back of his head? He didn't know. Either way, Horizon found himself just wanting to sleep despite the adrenaline he should be feeling.
    "So why are you suddenly against my words?" Caesar demanded once more, repeating the question he had originally asked.
    "It-It's not right!" Horizon replied back, absolutely bewildered at how his father didn't seem to understand. "You're hurting innocents, people who d-don't deserve to be hurt. Th-they've done nothing wrong and-and you're condemning them t-to die! I-It's wr-"

    Horizon was suddenly cut off as Caesar lashed out at him, his claws raking across the devil's face. Horizon was knocked to the floor and he stared at the ground in shock at what just happened. Bright, red blood trickled out of the small wound his father caused. At first, Horizon didn't feel any pain but soon, he could feel a slight burning sensation on the side of his face from where Caesar attacked him. The devil's mouth was agape as he laid on the ground, trying to comprehend what just happened.
    Unfortunately, Caesar did not allow him to have much time. Once again, the demon was snarling at Horizon, forcing the devil to look at him. "I don't give a damn what you think. There is only one person in this Kingdom who knows what is right and what is wrong and that is me. Do. I. Make. Myself. Clear." His last words were slow, sharp, and demanding; clearly not a question as it should be. His paw hovered just above Horizon's face, his claws unsheathed. The sight made Horizon wince before he finally responded with a whine, "Y-yes, Father,"

    Caesar relaxed, moving backwards and sheathing his claws. "Good." His tone was still dark, not at all the loving sound Horizon had been used to. His tail flicked and soon Dante revealed himself from the shadows. Horizon sharply looked over at the shark-cat in surprise, eyes wide with fear as the creature started to near him.
    "Keep him locked up in his room." Horizon heard Caesar growl, not even bothering to hide his words. Dante gave a grunt of response before he picked Horizon up by the tail. Horizon hung limply from the large feline's jaws, too exhausted and in shock to really fight back. Dante carried him off towards his room without saying a word, soon throwing Horizon into it before slamming the door behind him.

    Horizon decided to stay on the ground after being thrown, breathing heavily as he tried to calm himself down. There was pain in his chest, a pressure that was made worse by the way he was breathing. The devil was trembling, slowly lowering his head to lay on his paws. He was vaguely aware of the sun rising, though he didn't feel hopeful as he usually did in the mornings. Things weren't like they used to be, when he was younger and still had his mother with him. He wasn't going to be greeted cheerfully by his father, his mother wasn't going to hold him in a strange, protective way like she used to whenever Caesar visited. If Horizon had clear thoughts right now, perhaps he would have read more into the memory of his mother practically guarding him during Caesar's visits, but instead the devil just laid on the ground, trying to calm his pounding heart and ringing ears. Tears streamed from his eyes and he blinked them away, soon finding himself falling asleep. Horizon welcomed the darkness once more, wanting to get away from the pain and fear he was currently feeling.