RENEGADES - Horizon's Story

[MysteriouslyMaple]

Hey everyone! This isn't actually a roleplay, but rather a story I'm currently writing. It's called RENEGADES and tells the story of Horizon, a tasmanian devil who is Caesar's son. Some but not all things in this story are "canon" to BoB's universe, so please keep that in mind!

Feel free to track this thread and chat! I'll be updating this as much as I can and adding the chapters to this first post whenever they're up. For now, here's a synopsis of the book and the table of contents!

Please note that this story will contain some triggering things such as: death, physical/mental/emotional abuse, murder (any others will be added if need be)!

RENEGADES

The story about a young tasmanian devil named Horizon as he lives under the harsh rule of his father, Caesar. As Horizon grows older, he soon realizes what type of person his father is and finds himself wanting to escape. He soon finds out of a rebellion forming right under Caesar's nose, though he isn't too sure if he wants to be apart of it. Will Horizon bend to the will of his father, or will he aid in the rebellion?

TABLE OF CONTENTS

> Territories
> Prologue
> Chapter 1
> Chapter 2
> Chapter 3
> Chapter 4
> Chapter 5
> Chapter 6
> Chapter 7
> Chapter 8
> Chapter 9 (TBA)

[MysteriouslyMaple]

TERRITORIES

THE JUNGLE - A lush rain forest in which half belongs to Caesar. As you go deeper into The Jungle, mist and clouds start to cover the territory, adding onto the already creepy feel of it. However, if you go past the mist and clouds, you come across a clearing where the majority of Caesar's group make their home.

THE TOWN - This is Caesar's camp and makes up the majority of his territory. This part of The Jungle was mysteriously cleared out and left with many stone dens where Caesar's people make their home. Some have built shops using vines and fallen branches that come from The Jungle.

THE MARKETPLACE - A small fraction of the main camp has been saved for shops and this is where you can find the majority. Shopkeepers accept prey as currency, though some allow things to be bought with coins that the Emperor has created. Things bought with coins are much more rare and valuable and usually the only people with coins are those apart of Caesar's Court.

THE TEMPLE - A large, stone temple in which Caesar and his Court makes their home. The Temple has vines covering the inside and outside of it, but it is otherwise stable. It has many steps leading up to the entrance of it, though usually the only time people come to The Temple is when they need to talk to Caesar or go to The Arena.

THE ARENA - A clearing behind The Temple holds a large, stone arena in which Caesar holds his Trials and Arenas. The ground here is made of sand and is stained with dried blood. Caesar makes his announcements here.

THE DUNGEONS - Towards the end of The Arena is an area that goes underground, in which Caesar keeps his prisoners. The cages here have previously been built by something (as with most things in Caesar's camp) and are extremely secure. Not many have been able to escape The Dungeons and those that have most likely have been killed.

THE FOREST - The other side of The Jungle is Neutral territory. This part of The Jungle has a pond in which visitors can drink from and mingle without fear of being attacked by Caesar and his goons. However, as soon as you cross into Caesar's territory, you are expected to either join his group or be captured if you refuse.

THE BEACH - North of The Forest is a beach, where Bruce and his group has made their home. The beach stretches for miles, though Bruce doesn't own all of it and instead owns the part closest to The Forest. The Forest fades onto The Beach and many land-dwelling creatures make their home in the trees in man-made tree houses using branches from the forest.

THE COVE - The main area of Bruce's camp. Many hang out here as the water is not too deep and some parts of The Cove have dry land. There are many shops here as well, and usually accept seashells as currency. Bruce makes his announcements here.

THE ABANDONED SHIP - Under the water is where Bruce and ocean-dwelling members of his group live. The Abandoned Ship is large and able to host many members of the group, although Bruce has the largest room on the ship to himself.

THE DESERT - A harsh and hot desert south of The Jungle. Many do not make their home here and it is currently not owned by anybody, nor has it been explored.

[MysteriouslyMaple]

RENEGADES

PROLOGUE

    The sounds of the jungle briefly distracted the golden-furred tom that was walking through the night, his black gaze searching around frantically for signs of movement. His unnatural-colored pelt was perhaps a bad thing to have in the jungle, but he didn't care. What mattered tonight was getting answers, above everything else. Vigenere's pawsteps were careful as he navigated through the thick undergrowth, his ears pricked for the person he was looking for. You better be here tonight. The feline thought to himself, his ears flicking now as he neared a small pond in the middle of the jungle.
    "Bruce?" Vigenere called out, his tone rough as he spoke. He didn't have time to wait for the much larger feline; he had to keep his identity hidden away. It was risky even meeting Bruce here, but the panther insisted on doing so.

    "I'm here." A thick Australian accent made Vigenere turn around, briefly narrowing his eyes at the underwater panther that pushed through the ferns, revealing himself. Vigenere let out a breath he hadn't realize he had been holding and decided to let himself relax. Now that Bruce was here, the male could tell him what was so urgent. The savannah cat didn't appreciate being drawn out of hiding, but at least Bruce respected his wish of wanting to meet at night. At least with the moon high in the sky, Vigenere knew that the guards his brother had weren't going to stalk around. They needed to sleep, unlike their leader. But Vigenere knew his brother wasn't going to patrol the borders himself; he was too high-and-mighty for that.

    "I'm assuming you have news about Caesar?" Vigenere asked Bruce, slowly allowing himself to lay down and relax, looking up at the larger predator. Caesar was a tyrant, and he led the group that led in the jungle. Bruce and Vigenere were luckily outside his territory, but that didn't mean his lackeys could be lurking around - which was precisely why Vigenere wanted to meet Bruce at night, because he knew for a fact they would be sleeping, thanks to Bruce.
    "I do, actually." Bruce responded, though Vigenere could hear the amusement in his tone. "Why else would I call ya 'ere?" The panther went on, his whiskers twitching. Vigenere rolled his eyes, not making a comment on the matter. He enjoyed Bruce's company and appreciated the guy trying to make the situation less tense with a joke, but Vigenere wasn't too keen on being so near his brother's territory.

    Bruce cleared his throat, clearly getting the hint that Vigenere wanted to get this talk done and over with. The panther's ears flicked, and his fish-like tail moved to covered his paws as he sat down. "Caesar has a daughter." His words were flat and Vigenere hardly believed him at first. The feline blinked at Bruce for a couple of seconds, a look of pure confusion covering his face.
    "What?" Vigenere's tone revealed how shocked he was by Bruce's statement. A daughter? Vigenere echoed the words in his mind. That definitely wasn't a good sign. He knew how his brother was, and him having a child wasn't going to change him. He was aggressive, a tyrant, murdering and torturing those who disagreed with him. Who's to say he won't do the same to his own daughter? Caesar had already proven that he didn't care for family before, when he destroyed their Home Dimension. He left their parents to rot with the Dimension and disowned both Vigenere and his sister, Atbash. Vigenere didn't entirely mind though; he didn't want to be associated with Caesar anymore. Definitely not after that stunt.

    "Her name is Horizon." Bruce went on. The panther's tail tip was flicking in thought now, as if he was trying to recall or think of something. "I'm 'fraid I don't know 'er mother's name, though. But she's not a feline." Vigenere was once again surprised at this fact. The demon's tail swished about the ground, moving leaves and mush around.
    "What do you mean, 'not feline'?" He asked. Of course, he was aware that his brother had the ability to possess other bodies and shapeshift at will, if he wanted to. It was one of the perks of being a demon from another Dimension, though Vigenere hadn't expected Caesar to sleep around with some of the mortals here. Or was having the child a mistake? Had he even planned on having a child? No matter what the answer was, Vigenere feared for the poor child's life. But of course he couldn't just walk in and steal Horizon, nor could Bruce. Besides, Vigenere wouldn't ask his friend to risk his life like that. Especially not when he recently gotten scarred from that very place a few months prior to tonight. Vigenere was just grateful that Bruce was even going back to spy in the first place.

    "She's a tasmanian devil, if I'm recallin' the species correctly." Bruce responded. "A stocky, rodent-lookin' creature. Black fur with a couple white markings." The panther seemed sure of himself and Vigenere trusted him enough not to search through his memories. Besides, what was the point in lying about the kid's species? The species wasn't even important, other than the fact of knowing would help in case Horizon ever escaped or needed help. That was assuming she didn't listen to Caesar, anyway. Who knows, Vigenere thought to himself. She may even grow up to be just like her father.
    "How old is she?" Vigenere asked out loud, frowning in thought. They could potentially try to find her on patrols and try to lure her over to speak and convince her to leave Caesar, but of course that would depend on her age, among other things.
"Oh, she's only a couple days old." Bruce replied, seemingly sensing what Vigenere was getting at. "She won't be weaned for another five months. But his eyes should open in about three months or so." He shrugged. "Perhaps I could try and start talking to 'er then."

That was an awfully long time, wasn't it? Vigenere sighed, shaking his head. "Don't risk your life like that." The demon said, getting to his paws. Time was ticking and he was worried about the dawn patrol coming around soon. "I wouldn't ask you to. Just getting information is enough, stay away from his temple as much as you can." He knew that Bruce was only hearing rumors, so it was likely that this kid wasn't real or the information was a bit outdated. But then again, it wasn't a very large group, so perhaps not. "If she doesn't like Caesar then, well... you'd hear about it." The news of anybody who opposed Caesar definitely went around quick, he knew, though that was mostly because Caesar held public 'trials' for those who went against his so-called rules. "Do something about it then. We don't even know if she'll even like Caesar." Vigenere continued on. "Or, Hell, if she'll live longer than five months. I don't trust Caesar enough to say the kid will last long. But... thanks for the information anyway." Vigenere dipped his head, turning away from the pond and facing the direction he came from.

    Vigenere heard Bruce let out a sigh behind him, and the feline stopped as he heard the male's rumbling voice say his name. The demon turned his head, frowning at Bruce. "Yeah?" He asked, his ears flicking, searching for any sounds of somebody approaching.
    "Just be careful, a'ight?" Bruce was frowning back at him, concern in his brown eyes. "I think the kid will know what's best for her. But..." The panther let out another sigh before he tried giving Vigenere a reassuring smile. "I won't get involved. I'll keep ya updated when I can."

    Vigenere only gave another dip of his head to show he heard the larger creature's words before he focused on the sights ahead of him again as he started making his way back to his hidden den.
    I hope Horizon knows what's best for her. Vigenere thought to himself as he trudged along, trying to focus on the sounds around him to make sure nobody was nearby nor following him. Caesar will only destroy her life if she doesn't learn soon.

[pallid-i]

track fool

[MysteriouslyMaple]

RENEGADES

CHAPTER ONE

    Horizon was jerked awake from his nap as he felt a paw slam into his side. The tasmanian devil shook his head as he tried to get air back in his lungs before he glared up at the person who woke him. Oh. He cowered back at the sight of Dante, a large cat hybrid with orange fur. His pelt was dotted with white spots, almost giving him the appearance of a whale shark. Or at least that's what Dante told him that's what the pattern was, since that's what he was a hybrid of. Something like that; Horizon didn't remember the specifics.
    "Hey, Dante," Horizon said, trying to give the hybrid a smile. He tried to sit up as much as he possibly could with Dante looming over him, trying to remember how his father told him to respond if one of his higher ups came after him. Sit up straight. The devil told himself. Look them in the eyes. Show no fear. That was a little bit hard, considering how massive and intimidating Dante was, but Horizon forced himself to swallow back his worries as he stared up at the hybrid.
    "Emperor Caesar requests your presence." Dante's voice was rough and cold, just like the gaze he was giving the small tasmanian devil at his paws. Horizon couldn't help but feel a prickle of fear at the mention of that.
    "Did-did I do something?" The little devil asked, frowning at Dante. The strange creature only shook his head and turned around, clearly not in the mood for questions. Horizon bit his lip slightly, although he was careful due to the venomous fangs that were starting to grow in. They actually had been growing in for a while, ever since he got weaned. They weren't quite fully grown yet but he still had a feeling they held venom in them. Tasmanian devils didn't naturally have such things and Caesar had said that it was a mutation. Horizon didn't entirely mind them though, and in fact, he was glad he got a mutation. It meant he was special!

    Horizon followed after Dante, waddling as fast as he could to keep up with the much older male. Thoughts were swirling in his head as he tried to come up with reasons his father would want him, but he couldn't come up with something that would ease his beating heart. I'm pretty sure I haven't done anything wrong, Horizon thought to himself with a frown. Caesar usually didn't request his presence like this and usually visited at night whenever he didn't have meetings to attend to. But with it being around sun-high, Horizon didn't know why his father would want him. Horizon let out a huff as he ran into Dante's shark-shaped tail, shaking his head again as he recovered from that brief moment of air being forced out of his lungs.
    "Wait here." Dante spoke, his torn left ear flicking as he stared down at Horizon with one eye before he entered Caesar's Throne Room. Before Horizon could try and peek into the room, his father appeared before the door, his black eyes shining with happiness as he looked down at his son.
    "Ah, Horizon, my boy!" The purr Caesar let out was a little awkward-sounding, but Horizon didn't mind it too much. He knew his father didn't really feel this much joy a whole lot, not with dealing with the issues of being King. He hasn't been the same since Mother died, either. Horizon thought. His mother was a tasmanian devil like him, unlike Caesar, who was a feline. But Horizon knew his father was a demon and therefore had strange abilities like shapeshifting. Horizon didn't understand why Caesar just didn't stay as a tasmanian devil, but that was mostly because he was comfortable in his body. Besides, there were way too many cats in the Kingdom! Horizon wasn't sure if he would want to became a cat if he had the ability to.

    Horizon's thoughts were interrupted as Caesar nuzzled his cheek, and the little devil pulled away, sticking out his tongue at his father. "Dad!" Horizon whined. "I'm too old for that!"
    Caesar chuckled at this, the corners of his lips curling to form a small smile. "Oh? Is that so?" He said, his whiskers twitching. Horizon gave a stiff nod in return, glaring playfully at Caesar.
      "And how old are you, Horizon?" Caesar tilted his head, though Horizon knew that he was only joking around. What father wouldn't know how old their child was? Horizon rolled his eyes before he answered, "Six moons, Dad."
    Caesar's eyes widened and his ears pricked at his son's answer. "Six moons!" He let out a fake gasp, which only made Horizon shake his head in amusement. "Do you know what what means?"

Horizon blinked in surprise at the question, a wave of confusion flooding over him. Six moons... He didn't become six moons today; it wasn't his birthday. "No?" His answer was a question rather than a statement, since he truly had no idea what Caesar was getting at.
    "Why, that means you can attend my Trials!" Caesar responded, looking excited at this announcement. He had a wide grin on his face now, his tail waving back and forth on the ground, almost as if he was a dog. Horizon perked up at his father's reply, his red eyes shining. "Do you really mean it?" He asked, practically shaking in excitement now. He's heard of his father's trials before and how his father never lost one. "Can I attend the Arenas, too?"
    Caesar tilted his head at this question, almost as if he was considering it. "Do you think you're ready for one?" He asked, his grin slowly moving to form a concerned frown. Horizon was shocked by his response but he wasn't going to let his father's worry bring his happiness down. "Yes, I do!" He exclaimed, which earned that smile back on Caesar's face.
    "I think you should experience a trial first." Caesar responded with a chuckle. "So whaddya say, Horizon? I have a trial coming up in about ten minutes, do you want to attend?"

    Horizon nodded quickly to answer his father, who once again chuckled and shook his head in amusement.
    "Go get ready, then. Meet me back here as soon as you're ready. Make it quick, though." Caesar told him. Horizon didn't need to be told twice, and the devil quickly whipped around and raced back towards his room, barely dodging those who were passing by. Horizon's heart pounded in his chest as he ran back to his room, excitement filling his entire body. He couldn't wait to be apart of one of his father's Trials! Caesar had never lost one, according to rumors and Horizon was absolutely honored to be invited to one. Maybe he could eventually help out, like Dante does! I'll be the best prosecutor there ever was! The devil thought to himself as he made a sharp turn into his room. I'm sure of it.

[MysteriouslyMaple]

RENEGADES

CHAPTER TWO

    The stone walls of the Temple were unnaturally long as Horizon followed after his father, trying to keep pace with the feline as much as he could. Horizon's ears were pricked as he walked, his gaze focused on the sights ahead as he tried to contain his excitement over attending this trial. My first Trial! Horizon thought, nearly tripping over his own paws as he continued forward. However, the scent of blood made the devil halt in his steps and his heart skipped a beat. Somebody's hurt! Horizon glanced around, trying to see if he could find the source of where the smell was coming from.

    A harsh nudge made Horizon move forward and the devil briefly glanced back to see Caesar's War General, the orange-faced she-cat named Foxgaze. The slender female gave Horizon another harsh nudge with her paw, her orange ears flicking. "Get a move on, Horizon." Her words were like ice and Horizon frowned before turning his attention back to the front of him. He started walking again, although any excitement he felt was replaced with worry. She doesn't seem too concerned over it. Horizon noted, thinking to himself. Then maybe you shouldn't? Even so, this entire situation was making his stomach twist and Horizon almost wanted to vomit.

    "Dad?" Horizon whined to Caesar, whose only respond was to look back at him with what was supposed to be a reassuring smile. Despite that, Horizon couldn't help the feeling of worry that was rising steadily through his body. Shouldn't he be worried that somebody's injured? This person was apart of his Kingdom! Shouldn't he be helping them and tending to their wounds or at the very least making sure a Medic was around? Now that I think about it, Horizon realized. Do we even have somebody who can heal? Surely they did. Caesar was a good Emperor, he wanted his Kingdom safe and happy! So why did he act like he didn't smell anything?

    Horizon bit his lip as he continued forward, following Caesar until they reached a stone platform that overlooked a sandy arena. Horizon noted that Foxgaze hung back but the devil barely had any time to react before the entrance was sealed by a boulder. Horizon jumped at the noise the boulder made as it closed the entrance, closing off any sort of exit that he could have made. Horizon started at the former entrance, his eyes wide and heart pounding inside his chest. Something's not right. The scent of blood was much, much stronger here and Horizon could practically feel dread in the air. Still biting his lip gently, Horizon turned back to the arena in front of him and looked around. The ground was made of sand, which contrasted heavily against the foliage that covered the walls of The Temple. Horizon wasn't sure how the sand got here in the first place but it definitely struck him as odd. Huddling close to his father, Horizon peered down and surveyed the arena once more. There were two animals on the ground below them - one of them being Dante and another he didn't recognize. It was a smaller creature than the hybrid that was walking towards it, a smaller breed of dog by the looks of it. His muzzle appeared to be smashed in and Horizon wondered how he could breathe, or if it was difficult at all for him.

    Horizon watched as Dante got close to the canine, digging his claws into the smaller male's shoulder. Horizon realized that this was where the scent of blood came from; the poor guy was covered in scratches and bleeding heavily from the one on his side. Horizon felt a pang of pity for the canine, wondering why Caesar didn't stop Dante. The devil looked up at the bigger savannah cat, opening his mouth to call out to him. However, he never got any words out as Caesar had already started speaking.
    "How do you plead?" Caesar's voice was cold and Horizon flinched at the sound of it. Caesar had never once spoken to him like that; in fact, the devil couldn't recall a time Caesar ever spoke in that tone. It was frightening and unnerving to hear his father speak in such a monotonous, dark voice. Horizon looked back down at the dog after Caesar spoke, watching as Dante backed off and allowed him to stand up.

    "Not guilty." The dog growled back, glaring up at Caesar on the platform. He barely seemed to notice Horizon, although if the devil was truthful, he was glad. He didn't understand what was going on and he didn't want to see the canine outside of The Arena, just in case the guy decided to lash out just because he had been there with Caesar.
    "Dad, what's-" Horizon started speaking once more but again was interrupted by Caesar as he placed his tail over his son's mouth. Caesar still didn't look over at Horizon but he could still see the icy gaze he was giving the prisoner below.
    "Oh?" Caesar continued speaking, this time in a mocking tone. "Then explain this." The savannah tossed a silver ring towards the sandy-colored dog, a slight smirk forming across his face that made chills go down Horizon's spine.

    What's going on? Horizon whined to himself. Why's Caesar acting like this? Something about this entire situation made Horizon's skin crawl and the devil shifted uncomfortably beside his father. He didn't like how ominous the air seemed to be, nor the dark expressions Dante and Caesar held. The dog below them didn't hold that much of a horrible face but Horizon could see the fear in his eyes despite the furious look he had.
    "It's a ruse!" The dog's bark snapped Horizon back to reality, his voice teeming with alarm. He kept glancing down at his paw and then back to the ring, as if it should have been there and not on the ground in front of him. "Somebody stole that from me!" Horizon could hear the snicker that came from Dante, though Caesar didn't seem to notice it. The demon hopped from the platform, leaving Horizon alone on it. The devil instinctively crouched down, eyes wide as he watched his father prowl towards the canine.

    "I'll ask you one more time." Caesar snarled, tail lashing as he slowly neared the dog. As the canine backed up whenever Caesar drew closer, Dante sprang forward and pinned him down.
    "How do you plead." This time Caesar spoke slowly, his words a harsh statement rather than a genuine question. The yellow feline peered down at the prisoner who was trying to cower away from him and it was silent for a couple of heartbeats as the dog refused to answer Caesar. Eventually, the feline raked his claws across the canine's face, causing him to let out a howl of pain. Horizon flinched at the slight, lowering himself closer towards the ground so his belly touched the cold platform beneath him. Dad! The devil mentally cried out, knowing that Caesar could hear his thoughts. Stop it! Why are you doing this? If Caesar could hear him, the demon showed no signs of it and simply continued to ignore Horizon, which in turn only made the young devil more worried. What was going to happen? Why didn't Caesar respond to his mental cry? Why was he hurting this person who claimed he was innocent? What did this guy do that even warranted this punishment?

    "Did you or did you not break into my Temple and steal one of my possessions?" Caesar spat, holding a paw above the dog's face as he spoke.
    "I did not." Once again the canine spoke, though it was clear in his words that he was afraid. He was speaking the truth, or at least that's what it seemed to Horizon. But there was nobody here that could prove that and although Horizon desperately wanted to, he couldn't. But the sheer fear in the dog's voice made Horizon believe him. The tasmanian devil wanted to stop Caesar from whatever he was going to do but he was frozen to the platform out of fear and worry, just like the prisoner below him.

    Caesar let out a hiss of annoyance and immediately brought down his paw to grab the canine's throat. The prisoner let out a yelp of pain, trying to get out of Caesar and Dante's grasp. Dante dug his claws in deeper into the dog's shoulder, leaving him at Caesar's mercy. To which the Emperor did not offer; almost as soon as he grabbed a hold of the dog's neck, he ripped back and pulled skin along with him. The dog fell limp in Dante's paws and the hybrid looked down at Caesar and grinned. Caesar was looking down at the prisoner's body, his tail moving back and forth as he waited for the blood flow to slow down.

    Horizon only stared in shock at what happened. The tang of blood was strong in the air now, making the devil gag and back up, his ears pinned to the back of his head. He was so perplexed by the prisoner's body that he barely noticed Caesar and Dante making their way back to the platform. Horizon trembled from where he laid, earning a disgusted huff from Dante as he passed.
    "Horizon." Caesar had a more calm, caring tone to his voice now but Horizon barely recognized it. The voice almost sounded more surreal and fake and it took a couple of seconds for the devil to pull his gaze away from the now-dead prisoner to look at his father. "It's time to go." Caesar nudged Horizon to his paws, ushering him away from The Arena and back towards the dark temple halls.

[MysteriouslyMaple]

RENEGADES

CHAPTER THREE

    Horizon's body felt numb as he was ushered towards Caesar's Throne Room by the demon himself. The devil barely noticed where he was going and allowed his father to push him around, although that was mostly due to the fact that he didn't know how to react to what just happened. Terrifying thoughts swarmed in Horizon's mind as he mindlessly walked forward, his gaze blank as he stared ahead. Did that person really deserve that? Horizon found himself asking. No, he didn't believe he did. The poor canine looked almost fearful of what was going on and looked absolutely confused just before his death. Is that what Caesar's Trials are all about? He didn't like the sound of that. The devil swallowed a bit of saliva that was forming in his mouth, the thought sending chills through his body. Innocent people didn't deserve to die and yet... Caesar just killed somebody, seemingly for no reason. His father wanted what was best for the Kingdom, right? Surely there was more to the story than Horizon realized.
    "Horizon." Caesar's voice snapped Horizon out of his thoughts, realizing he was in his father's Throne Room. The area was dark and unnaturally cold, he noticed, which only made Horizon feel a bit of fear at what was going to happen now. Caesar stalked past Horizon, his pawsteps placed down carefully and quietly as he moved towards his Throne. The demon quickly sat down, wrapping his long, stripped tail over his paws. Horizon looked up at his father, inwardly wincing at the smile on the feline's face.
    "So, what did you think, my boy?" Caesar spoke. The way his words sounded, slow and drawn out, made Horizon shuffled uncomfortably on the floor. Horizon once again bit his lip carefully, blinking innocently up at his father.
    "I-I think that person should have lived," Horizon replied, though the dark gaze that quickly covered Caesar's face immediately made him regret his words. The bigger male's tail tip was flicking out and Horizon was faintly aware of his claws glinting from beneath his tail.

    "Why's that, Horizon?" Once again, Caesar's words were drawn out with his tone sounding the way it had been at The Arena. His words were almost in a hiss, almost as if he was daring Horizon to say something else. The devil pinned his ears back and moved his gaze to his paws. He could still feel his father's burning gaze on him and tried to ignore it as best as possible.
    "I-I mean..." Horizon started out, trying to figure out what he wanted to say. "Did-didn't you see the way he was reacting? He almost looked confused as to what you were accusing him over." Almost as confused as Horizon had been himself. The canine was innocent, he believed, and the fact that Caesar refused to let the guy speak was horrible. "Y-you never gave him the chance to explain," The devil voiced his thoughts out loud, though once again he immediately regretted doing so. "I-I think he should have lived. Th-there was no need to kill him."

    The air went chilly, causing Horizon to look up at his father in surprise. Caesar was glaring down at him, his claws digging into the leather of the throne he sat on. The feline's lips were curled in a snarl, revealing thorn-sharp, blood-stained teeth. The demon's black gaze was unnaturally cold to Horizon and the devil flinched, eyes wide as Caesar begun to descend from his throne. Horizon backed up as his father stalked forward, his heart pounding in his chest. Wh-what's going to happen? The child frantically thought to himself. Is he going to kill me? But why would he kill his own son? Horizon had always tried to make his father happy and listened to his words, yet why was the demon so angry all of the sudden?
Horizon's heart skipped a beat as he felt the stone walls of The Temple press against his back, forcing him to stop scooting backwards away from Caesar. The savannah let out a growl as he neared Horizon, raising his right paw, his claws unsheathed. The way the cat's claws seemingly shone in the dark room sent chills down Horizon's spine once more and the devil closed his eyes, awaiting something to happen.

    A knock at the door made Horizon jump and snap his eyes open. Caesar looked towards the door and lowered his paw, an annoyed snarl coming from him as he called out, "The Hell do you want?"
"There's something you might want to see, Emperor." It was Foxgaze speaking. The female's tone wasn't exactly urgent and Horizon could sense some sort of pride coming from the she-cat. "It's extremely important. Come to The Arena as soon as possible."
    Caesar stood in front of Horizon for a few heartbeats before he turned back to his son with a growl. "Alright, Horizon. Listen to me." Horizon flinched at his father's words, his wide-eyed red gaze returning to the feline. "I know what is best for the Kingdom. I say that the prisoner was guilty and so he was guilty. I know everything that goes on around here." The demon paused in his speaking. Horizon blinked at him for a few seconds before he went on, "Is that understood?"

    Horizon gave a curt nod in response to Caesar's question, though his entire body felt frozen and stiff as he moved to do the action. Caesar seemingly relaxed at his response, stalking off out of his Throne Room without another word. Horizon watched him leave, releasing a breath of air he hadn't realize he had been holding. The devil collapsed onto the ground, his body trembling as he finally came to his senses. There was something strange going on here and he didn't like it at all. The sudden change in his father's personality was horrifying and Horizon wondered if things had always been this way and he was only just noticing things. But he's always been so caring... The male thought to himself. What caused this shift in his attitude? Or maybe he had been too young to really see his father's true self. Regardless, Caesar's attitude towards things terrified him and he didn't know what to think of his father anymore.

[MysteriouslyMaple]

RENEGADES

CHAPTER FOUR

    Despite his heart still racing, Horizon forced himself to leave his father's Throne Room. The devil shakily got to his paws and starting exiting the door, his ears pricked for any noises. The one sounds he heard were the sounds of murmuring animals towards The Arena, almost as if the visitors were cheering for something. Even though his mind screamed at him to go to his room, the devil found himself slinking towards The Arena. This isn't one of Caesar's... Trials. Horizon noted to himself. Although he really hadn't noticed it at the time, he realized now that there had been nobody else at the Trial other than Caesar, him, and his two closest members of his Court. Is it one of the Arenas? Honestly, considering what happened, Horizon wasn't sure if he wanted to attend anything that Caesar hosted.

    The cheering got louder as Horizon neared The Arena and he noted that there was light still shining through the hallway, proving that Caesar only blocked off the area during his Trials. That makes sense. After all, nobody could enter The Arena from the outside; the one way was through The Temple. Since Caesar murdered the poor canine at his last Trial, Horizon suspected that was something he did often and honestly that made his heart sink. "I know what's best for the Kingdom." Caesar's words went through Horizon's mind and the devil bit his lip slightly at the memory of that statement. Was he truly doing what was best for the Kingdom? From the way it seemed to Horizon, his father had been killing an innocent - something Horizon would have never imagined his own father would have done. Before, Caesar seemed like a kind and just leader, always keeping an eye on what happened inside of his territory and ensuring that his Kingdom was safe. But how was he doing so, if he was killing somebody who had done nothing wrong?

    Horizon wasn't a stranger to death despite his young age. A couple days after he had been weaned, his mother had been killed. The devil vaguely recalled being with his father that day and Foxgaze running up to the both of them, saying that something was wrong with Mayla, Horizon's mother. Both he and Caesar followed the slender she-cat through The Temple, eventually finding themselves in The Forest. Horizon barely had any time to react before he caught sight of his mother, her body a mangled mess. The older tasmanian devil's throat was ripped open, her blood covering the ground beneath her, and her eyes glossed over. Her mouth was gaped in a silent scream, but the worst thing of all... was the wound on her stomach. Mayla's stomach was torn open, her intestines splayed out in front of her. Horizon recoiled back, bumping into Foxgaze as he stumbled backwards. The she-cat wrapped her tail around him protectively while Caesar examined the body of his mate. Foxgaze had licked the top of Horizon's head, as if she was trying to calm the shivering devil pup at her paws. Horizon remembered that her attempt didn't work, his body trembling as he watched this scene unfold before him. He was crying terribly and that was, honestly, the last thing he remembered.

    The sound of loud cheering snapped Horizon from his thought, causing the devil to jump in surprise. The crowd was louder than they previously had been and not just because he had ventured close to the opening of The Arena, but because they were excited over something. He could practically feel the crowd's energy from where he crouched, though he couldn't see anything from the current angle where he was at.
    "Well, well, well!" Horizon's head snapped to look back at the person who greeted him, his eyes wide with alarm and shock. Foxgaze stood behind him, her muzzle twisted into a smile and her orange tail flicking behind her. "Come to see what the hubbub was about, Horizon?"
    "I-" Horizon stammered out but was quickly interrupted as Foxgaze shoved him forward with one of her paws.
    "Aw, don't be such a pussy, Horizon!" Foxgaze laughed in response, causing chills to go down Horizon's spine. The way she spoke was almost condescending and he didn't enjoy the way her voice sounded at all. "You're welcome to watch! Your father will be pleased."

    No no no! Horizon pleaded mentally, though found himself unable to just turn around and run off from the she-cat. He was indeed curious as to what was happening but he didn't want Caesar to know he was watching. Unfortunately things were clearly not going the way he wanted, and he couldn't exactly run off now if he wanted to. If he did, he knew for a fact Foxgaze would say something and that was something Horizon didn't want to deal with. Especially considering Caesar's reaction to him being uncomfortable and upset with the way he did his Trials.
    "Caesar! Look who joined us." Honestly, this was the first time Horizon ever heard Foxgaze purr and it was quite alarming to hear at first. The male blinked up at her in surprise before letting his gaze slowly travel to his father. Caesar was looking back at the two of them, his tail tip flicking. Horizon couldn't tell if he was amused or annoyed by the fact that his son had decided to come here and he didn't want to ask.
    Soon enough though, Caesar smiled and beckoning Horizon to sit next to him with one of his paws. "Come along, Horizon. This person is somebody I've been trying to find for a long time." He said before turning his attention back to the sandy floor in front of him. Once again, Horizon was nudged forward by Foxgaze and practically forced to sit next to his father.

[MysteriouslyMaple]

RENEGADES

CHAPTER FIVE

    Horizon forced his gaze to tear away from his father to the sandy floor below, scanning for whatever was at the bottom of The Arena that Caesar was so proud of. At first, the devil noticed nothing until his gaze fell upon a large feline-like creature with horns and a grey, scaly tail. The creature was snarling and growling at Dante, whose pelt was covered with fresh wounds. Though the wounds the stranger bore was much worse, he was seemingly determined to stay conscious, lashing out at Dante whenever the hybrid came too close. Horizon noticed how the feline tended to favor one side of his face and tried to protect Dante from getting to that side of him.
    "This is Bruce Walker." Caesar spoke, forcing Horizon to look over at him once more. The Emperor's tail was flicking idly, almost as if he was pleased that this person was here. "He has been a thorn in my ass for a long time." His voice was in a hiss, his lips peeled back in a sickening snarl. "He is against my beliefs. He has disobeyed my orders more than once. He formed another group to oppose my own." Flicking an ear, Caesar laughed. The feline's claws gripped at the edge of the stone platform, creating a sound that made Horizon's ears hurt.
    "He has been in my dungeons once." Now there was anger in Caesar's voice. "How he escaped, I don't fuckin' know." He shrugged, though once again that wicked smile that appeared whenever Horizon was talking to him in his Throne Room started to form on the demon's face once more. "And now he is at my mercy again. At my command, Dante will finish this abbo once and for all." Cheering exploded through The Arena.

    A look of horror crossed over Horizon's features before he turned back to the fight below him. Dante now had the strange feline pinned to the ground, one of his back paws on Bruce's tail, seemingly to avoid the male from lashing it about. Bruce gritted his teeth below the hybrid that held him down, huffing angrily. Dante looked up at the platform, his long, shark-like tail flicking back and forth, clearly waiting for an order. The crowd in The Arena was silent, almost as if they were all holding their breath, casting Caesar sidelong glances as well.
    Horizon, however, could only focus on Bruce. The right side of the large feline's face had a long scar that went over his eye and from what Horizon could tell, he was seemingly blind on that side. That explains why he was being so protective of that side. Horizon said to himself, raising invisible eyebrows at the thought. The scar was horrifying, curving from his forehead, to across his eye, and Horizon presumed it ended at Bruce's neck.
    Horizon jerked a bit whenever he felt something nudge him and he blinked, catching himself from falling off the platform. Eyes wide, Horizon turned to look up at Caesar, realizing that the feline had been speaking to him.

    "Well, Horizon, what do you think?" Caesar looked irritated, not at all pleased that Horizon had been lost in thought. "How should Dante end this bastard's life, hm?"
    Horizon's heart lurched as the Emperor spoke to him, shocked that Caesar had asked him such a question. The devil blinked in surprise at Caesar before turning his head to look at Bruce again, trying his best to ignore the stares that were on him from the crowd. Dante was looking at him expectantly, while Bruce was seemingly off in thought about something. Horizon pinned his ears back, shuffling his paws nervously as he thought about what to say. I don't know this guy, He thought to himself. And Caesar said he has been causing trouble throughout the Kingdom... Why else would Bruce have been sent to the dungeons? But he doesn't look like a bad guy. If anything, Bruce looked like he was only fighting because he had to. He's fighting because Caesar made him defend his own life. Was everything his father did wrong? Did arenas always end this way, with the opponent losing their life? After all, Horizon couldn't recall a time he ever heard of Dante losing a fight. He was the Emperor's Champion, sent to fight prisoners whom defied Caesar and won other fights.
    But Bruce doesn't look like he's fought anybody else. If Bruce had fought anybody before Dante, wouldn't he have known? Besides, there wasn't enough time between the time it took for Caesar to get here and the time Horizon got here himself for Bruce to have fought more than one opponent. Something was off here and it was a feeling Horizon didn't like. It made him sick, wanting to curl up in a ball and wish things were like they were before: peaceful, silent, truthful. Or was everything he experienced a lie?

    "We haven't got all day, Prince." Dante hissed in a loud tone at Horizon, forcing the child out of his thoughts. The hybrid look incredibly irritated, his claws flexing in and out on Bruce's shoulders, almost as if he was kneading the slightly smaller male.
    "I-I-I think he should live." Horizon finally spoke, turning his head to glare at Caesar. There was a sickening silence that went through The Arena at his answer, as if the crowd was shocked at his response. Time seemed to slow down to Horizon and he winced a bit as Caesar turned harshly towards him. Horizon was vaguely aware of Dante's disapproving gaze but he was too focused on the feline in front of him to pay any attention to the hybrid.
    "What did we just talk about, Horizon?" Caesar growled, staring down coldly at Horizon. His black-colored eyes were in slits, narrowed down at his son as he spoke. Horizon held his breath, trying to focus on stilling his pounding heart. Horizon opened his mouth to speak back towards his father when the crowd started cheering again, causing both Horizon and Caesar to turn their attention back to the ground once more.

    Bruce had gotten Dante off of him somehow, with the winged hybrid being flung to the ground somehow. Bruce was stalking towards Dante and Horizon watched with widened eyes to see what could happen. Soon enough, the horned feline started charging at Dante whenever the hybrid stood up and pounced.
    Suddenly, as if a gust of wind had appeared, Bruce was flung back towards the edges of The Arena in the middle of his attack, with the male hitting his head against the stone wall. Bruce fell limp to the ground, causing Horizon to cry out, "No!" as he jumped off of the platform that separated him from the ground, stumbling for a few seconds as he ran.
    "Bruce!" Horizon tried calling out to the older male, hoping and praying that the scarred creature could somehow hear him. The devil ran, trying to reach Bruce's side, only to be stopped by Dante. The much larger hybrid had stopped Horizon with one of his giant paws, his claws dangerously close to Horizon's throat. Without any warning, Horizon felt teeth grip his tail and he let out a pained yelp, trying to struggle against Dante, whom was now carrying him. Dante carried him off back towards The Temple and Horizon could see Foxgaze and Caesar walking towards Bruce in the distance, though no matter how many times he called out to the two, they didn't answer or look back at him, nor show any signs that they heard.

    "Don't hurt him!" Horizon cried out one last time, though was interrupted whenever Dante shook his head a bit, causing the devil's body to be whipped around for a brief second.
    "Shut the hell up." Dante snarled at him as much as he was able to with Horizon's tail in his mouth, leading the devil towards his room. Horizon had barely any time to react before Dante harshly threw him into his room, quickly shutting and locking the door behind him. Horizon let out an angry bark at the shark-cat, scratching at the door for a few seconds before giving up. He sat back, huffing, and stared at the ground. What have I done? Horizon dreaded what was going to happen next and he lowered himself to the ground, trying to get rid of the overwhelming feeling of wanting to vomit. Caesar wasn't happy whenever he opposed him with the canine he had killed, so what was he going to do with his son opposing him in front of a crowd?

[MysteriouslyMaple]

RENEGADES

CHAPTER SIX

    That night, Horizon found himself unable to sleep. The young male was worried about what was going to happen to him, with his mind whirring about with thoughts. Just as he found himself closing his eyes, they would snap open suddenly at a thought he had, forcing him awake once more. Eventually Horizon decided to get out of his bed, his legs shaking as he walked towards his door. Strangely enough, whenever he pawed at it, the door creaked open, causing Horizon to dart back in shock at the sound. He stared at the tiny crack that formed whenever the door slowly open, his eyes wide and ears pricked as he listened for any signs of somebody moving about The Temple. Slowly, the tasmanian devil went forward and gently nudged the door open, trying to keep it as quiet as possible. Once again, he checked for any signs of Caesar and the other two members of his Court, before taking off towards The Arena. He knew that it held an area of camp called The Dungeons, likely where the fellow named Bruce was sent off. Assuming he hasn't been killed, Horizon told himself, his heart sinking at the thought. Still, he found himself still heading towards The Arena, making his way towards the sandy area.

    Horizon paused in his movements for a moment, staring at the building from this new perspective; from the ground of The Arena, rather than the platform he had been on previously. The platform loomed over him and Horizon shivered, imagining his father peering down at him from stone stage. No wonder everyone looks up in fear. He noted to himself. It seems as if Caesar is so much bigger than them. Caesar was taller than an average feline anyway, being a savannah, but still... the platform would make him look so much larger. Shaking his head to pull away from those thoughts, Horizon backed up and stared up, finding himself staring at the sky now. It was almost pitch black, with stars twinkling and dotting the surface of it. Horizon opened his mouth in awe at the sight, his eyes widening. They're so beautiful! If he wasn't pressed for time right now, Horizon probably would have stayed out here just to admire the white lights in the sky, but he reminded himself that he wanted to see Bruce and talk to him, if he was even still alive in the first place.

    Gaze darting around the sandy area he stood in, Horizon kept looking for some sort of entrance. Although it was hard to see at first, the devil eventually saw an opening from underneath the platform and made his way towards it. It was strangely open, though the smell of decay and blood almost made him want to turn back. There were pained groans and cries coming from inside the cave, making Horizon pity the creatures that were locked down here, clearly condemned to die from their wounds or suffer at the hands of Caesar and Dante. Swallowing down fear, Horizon forced himself to go into the cave, trying his best to ignore the sounds and smell coming from it.
    "Bruce?" Horizon called out, his voice somewhat quiet. The noises coming from the injured prisoners stopped for a moment, making Horizon stop in surprise. The scent of fear quickly filled the area as well and Horizon realized that the prisoner were afraid of him. Frowning, the devil made his way towards one of the cells, where a she-cat let out a terrified screech as he neared her cell.

    "St-stay back!" The she-cat hissed at him, and Horizon could see her pressing herself against the cold stone wall, her green eyes glaring at him. She was pregnant, pretty close to giving birth if Horizon had to guess. He stared at the female in surprise, wondering why she was in The Dungeons in the first place.
    "I'm not going to hurt you," Horizon spoke softly towards the feline, frowning at her. The she-cat, however, didn't relax and simply spat at him.
    "You think I believe that?" Her words were sharp and cold, just like the look she was giving the tasmanian devil before her. "You're his da-son. I wouldn't trust your ass if he sent you to free me." Horizon winced at her words, though it was more because of the she-cat's clear distrust rather than her correction. Although if she had called him Caesar's 'daughter', he would have been more hurt and uncomfortable with her words, he sort of understood; she was afraid and angry. Her thoughts and words were quick, and she probably wasn't thinking before she spoke. Luckily, the she-cat did correct herself, although shame rippled through Horizon's pelt as she brought up the gender he had been assigned with at birth.

    "I'd step away from th' cage, kid." A strange, gruff accent made Horizon whip around, clearly spooked by the prisoner that was speaking to him now. As Horizon peered into the darkness, he recognized the faint figure of the creature that had been at The Arena, with his scaly tail tapping the ground.
    "She doesn't need any more stress t'night." The prisoner went on, one of his ears flicking as he spoke. Horizon cast one last, sympathetic glance at the pregnant she-cat behind him before walking closer to Bruce's own cage. He sat in front of the bars, blinking at the feline in front of him. He was huge, a lot bigger than Caesar, almost nearing the height of Dante. There were fresh wounds on the older male, as evident by the smell, but Horizon noticed he didn't seem to be in pain.
    "Ya just gonna stare at me all night?" Bruce mused, moving forward a couple of paces to properly be able to lie down and stare back at Horizon. The devil noticed metal cuffs on Bruce's legs, chaining him to the wall behind him. Horizon tore his gaze away from the chains, forcing himself to look at Bruce's face once more. The scar indeed went from Bruce's forehead to his neck and Horizon inwardly winced at the sight of it. Does it still hurt? The prince briefly wondered, before he shook his head, finally answering Bruce's question.

    "N-no, actually. I wanted to talk to you." Horizon replied, shuffling his front paws a bit in embarrassment. Bruce tilted his head in response, clearly intrigued, but the large feline said nothing.
    "Are... Are you okay?" Horizon asked, deciding to get that question out of the way. "If-if not, I can try and find somebody who can heal you, or try to get you more comfortable or something -" He was rambling now, though he only realized that whenever Bruce interrupted him with an amused rumble.
    "Don't worry 'bout me, kid." Bruce chuckled. "I'll be fine. Dealt with worse shit before." He winked with the eye that bore the scar, trying to hint at what he was referring to with his words. "I 'ave a feelin' that's not what ya here for. Whaddya want?" His question wasn't rude, Horizon noticed. Bruce seem genuinely interested in why he was down here.
    "My-my name is Horizon. I'm Caesar's son." Horizon introduced himself quickly. "Um. I was wondering what sort of past you had with him, because he, um... looked extremely pleased at you being in The Arena."
    Bruce's ears flicked at the question, a serious frown forming on his face. He was silent for a few heartbeats before he finally answered, "Long story short: I don't agree with his ways." He said, raising his head and looking about the cages around him, prompting Horizon to do the same. "Listen, kid, I don't know if you do or don't, but this isn't right. These people down here? Done nothin' wrong. They're innocent, being condemned to death fer either sneaking away from Caesar's camp, trespassing by accident, or 'disobeying' him somehow." At the word 'disobeying', Bruce rolled his eyes, a snort escaping him. "None of us down 'ere deserve death and yet, we're all down here waitin' fer the call of Hades himself."

    Although Horizon had no idea who this 'Hades' was, he sort of understood what Bruce meant. Caesar was basically sending innocents to death, just as Horizon had thought. Once again, a sinking feeling filled his body, causing the devil to whine a bit. Horizon lowered his head, biting his lip slightly.
    "I... don't agree with his ways." Horizon finally spoke, looking at the ground now. He could feel Bruce's gaze on him, though he was unable to tell what the large feline was thinking. "I-He killed somebody yesterday, just because he supposedly stole something. I-I don't think he did, and when I said something to Caesar, he -"
"Horizon!" Bruce suddenly called out in a sharp voice, jumping to his paws. The chains made a clinging noise at the sudden movement. Horizon jumped in shock at the urgency in Bruce's voice, eyes wide, before he felt something slam him against the ground. Horizon let out a bark of pain, writhing beneath the being who had him pinned, with their claws on his head and digging into the skin. Pain went through the child's skull, forming tears at the devil's eyes, but Horizon found himself unable to say anything.

    There were black dots starting to form in his vision, though no matter how hard Horizon tried, he couldn't fight off the dizzying feeling that was overcoming his body and eventually succumbed to the black spots that was forcing its way to cover his sight. He closed his eyes, letting himself be taken over by the darkness.