Chapter 4

The alarm clock rang and startled Baxley. Joshua still held him and squeezed, mumbling something about steak. The fox giggled and wiggled, trying to get free from the wolf. “Stop moving; you’re ruining it for me, kit”, growled Joshua. Baxley smiled and turned to face the wolf, licking his nose affectionately.

“You need to stop dreaming about food sometimes, because it hurts my ear when you bite into a muffin.”

Joshua opened his eyes and looked at his fox, growling softly. “Well maybe if you had fed me I wouldn’t be hungry”, he smiled. Baxley rolled his eyes and got free from Joshua’s grasp.

“I told you there was a buffet downstairs next to the bar”, barked the fox.

Joshua sat up and pinned Baxley against the bed, looking down at the fox. He grinned malevolently, showing his sharp teeth. Baxley shook his head and lowered his ears. “No, not now; we have to meet people and I don’t want to be in pain when I do”, he whined. Joshua grabbed the extra pillow case under his pillow and wrapped it around Baxley’s muzzle. He then snatched the cuffs from under the mattress where he had hidden them earlier. They slipped easily onto Baxley’s wrists before they were tightened.

“Time for your spanking, foxy”, snarled the wolf as he bent the fox across his knee and raised his paw. Baxley knew his master usually liked to do this in the afternoon, mostly with a whip or paddle and to show his dominance. He also knew that he would possibly get a treat afterwards, whether it was some free time to himself or a fucking.

Joshua gave Baxley three slaps, petting the fox’s head between each one before pulling his pants down and giving him three more slaps but digging claws in.

“Now who is your master?”

Baxley whimpered softly before answering. “You are, sir”, he barked. “You are my master and I serve you in any way shape or form of your choosing.”

Joshua smirked and slapped Baxley hard on his ass before letting him free. “Get dressed, pup, Onyx and the rest of our little organization are waiting”, growled the wolf, playfully.

Baxley nodded, wincing as he slid out of his pajama pants and put on some black cargo pants with a chain hanging from two side belt loops. He switched his pajama shirt for a black shirt with a Linkin Park logo. Joshua smiled watching the fox change and began to look through his own suitcase for his outfit. Baxley fit his harness on his body and then grabbed his dagger, sheathing it at his right hip before covering it all with his dark green cloak. He put on a red collar with pawprints on it and wrapped some red cloth around his handpaws and wrists. Joshua dressed in dark blue loose jeans, a black t-shirt and a chain necklace. Baxley put his earrings in both of his ears and grabbed his backpack, walking towards the door.

“Time to go”, he barked. “Onyx should be downstairs.”

Joshua grabbed a room key and followed Baxley out the door. Baxley pushed the call button for the elevator and waited. They stepped inside the elevator when it arrived and went down. Onyx spotted them as they walked out. He came over, kissed Baxley, and punched him softly in the chest. “That’s for leaving me alone last night with no one to play with, foxy”, he smirked.

Baxley smiled and twitched his left ear, levitating a cup of warm milk from the kitchen. Onyx took it and drank it, savoring the sweet taste. Joshua tugged on Baxley’s collar asking for the keys to the truck. Baxley gave them to him and the wolf walked away, leaving the two brothers alone with each other. Onyx finished his milk and set on the table next to the lobby couch and looked at Baxley with a sparkle in his green eyes. Baxley looked up at his brother, only an inch or two taller than him, and drew the panthers own dagger, smiling. Onyx looked puzzled and checked his dagger sheathe.

“You sneaky fox”, meowed the winged panther. “Come on Josh is probably waiting for us.”

“Alright, but you won’t get your dagger back until we get to the pub”, barked the fox.

Onyx growled, but nodded and flicked Baxley with his tail. The fox grinned and walked beside his older brother to the truck and got in. Joshua drove to the pub they were going to with no problem with the directions.

“The Buddha-Bar”, barked Baxley getting out of the truck after Joshua parked it.

Baxley walked in the bar before them with Joshua and Onyx following. The fox walked through the crowd smelling the different scents of alcohol, people and furs. Baxley soon spotted the grey wolf and made his way through the crowd to get to him. “Ah, Baxley, just the fox I needed to see”, barked Machine.

“It’s good to see you to, Machine”, barked Baxley, shaking the wolf’s paw. “How’s everything going for you, besides this situation?”

“Great, everything is great. I have acquired a few good men for our cause in defeating this tyrant and I would like you to meet them.”

Baxley nodded and looked at the two men sitting at the table. A scrawny red fox and a grey shark. The red fox had unkempt hair and was the same height as Baxley. He had green eyes wore tattered clothes of which looked royal and seemed to hide a breastplate of some kind. The shark was the complete opposite of the fox. He wore a black hooded cloak and blue scarf that almost matched his light blue eyes. The shark had three scars on his cheek and one across his left eye. He looked mean and unpredictable and made Baxley like him even more.

“Hi, I’m Dax Crystal”, barked the red fox, getting up and extending his paw to Baxley.

“Baxley Salvador-Davidson”, he barked back, shaking the other fox’s paw. “Glad to have you with us.”

“Glad to be here, sir.”

Baxley chuckled. “No need for that. My mercenary and military career is over.”

The shark quickly drew his sword and was upon Baxley in a flash, pointing the sword at the fox’s throat. “You’re one of them…traitor”, he snarled.

Baxley smiled and looked at Onyx who had drawn his dagger. “Temper, temper. No, I’m not one of them undisciplined killjoys. I worked for a different organization in Spain and would never accept a job I considered wrong. Now if you would lower your weapon so we can talk like civilized men and discuss our current situation before we are discovered then I will be greatly appreciative, Mr.-“

“Alphard Nadal”, snarled the shark, sheathing his sword and leaning against the table.

“Okay Mr. Nadal”, barked Baxley, sitting down. “Tell me some skills that you have.”

Alphard gave a toothy grin and adjusted his sword belt. “I have many skills, fox, but what makes you think I’m gonna tell them to you.”

Baxley played in his hair a little bit and pulled out Onyx’s dagger and a sack of gold coins. “Onyx, catch your dagger when give you the signal; Alphard will try to get his sack of coins back and get past you and I.”

Alphard glared at the fox. “And what will you do if I get my money back?”

“Who says you are getting it back, but if you do you can have me for the rest of the night”, barked Baxley, throwing the dagger to Onyx and running away with sack. Alphard drew his knife and charged Onyx. He swung at him and went for a punch. Onyx blocked the knife and dodged the punch. He wanted this to long for the shark and make him tired. Alphard kicked Onyx through a side door of the bar into an alleyway. Baxley looked behind himself and saw his brother and the shark fight. He smirked a little and stopped.

Alphard spotted the fox and had a hungry look in his eyes now. He grabbed Onyx by his shirt and threw him against a wall. Onyx growled and attacked the shark from behind, cutting his leg slightly and kicked him in the back. The shark reached for the panther but Onyx was to quick and avoided his claws, punching him in the side.

Alphard swung to his right, missing Onyx but then used his tail and tripped the panther as he spun around. He made a run for Baxley and the fox met him halfway with nothing drawn. Machine, Joshua, Onyx, and Dax watched in amazement. Alphard swung at Baxley with his knife and missed receiving a kick to the knee from the fox, who was much smaller than his opponent. Baxley flipped over a bent over the shark to get behind him. “You should never let your opponent get behind you, sharky”, he barked.

Alphard turned and nearly cut Baxley in the throat but stopped in time, smiling. “I could’ve killed you there, pup; now, can I have my money, please.”

Baxley smiled. “I’ll give it to you this time but we will have to spar again sometime; I prefer when I’m armed.”

“Maybe tonight after I’ve had my fun with you”, smiled the shark, pulling Baxley into a deep kiss and taking his money.

Baxley giggled and they walked over to the rest of thieves. Joshua growled at Alphard but shook his claw anyway, gripping hard and glancing at his fox. “You hurt him and I’ll hurt you. That fox is my property and I intend to have him in one piece when gets back”, whispered the wolf.

Alphard nodded. “So what’s our first move, Baxley”, growled the shark.

“Well, I want to find one of their bases and get information on who we’re dealing”, barked Baxley.

“You still fighting the good fight I see”, roared a black and red dragon, flying towards them.

Baxley stepped away from the group of thieves and drew his dagger. “What do you want, Garja, I’m pretty sure a demon like yourself shouldn’t be out without Satan’s permission.”

“No demon to demon love, Bax”, growled the dragon. “You should know from working for the devil that those who disobey are branded and casted out to the depths of hell and left to die.”

“That never happened to me because I defeated him and I’m only half-demon”, growled Baxley. “How’d you get out and what did others think of your branded arm?”

Garja smiled, taking a step towards Baxley. He kneeled down to Baxley’s height and leaned towards him to whisper something. “Anndingtiang.” Which was the demon’s word for “fight to the death”. Baxley drew his dagger and threw his cloak to the side, eyes glowing red. Garja drew his sword and licked his lips as a magical circle formed around them.

“Baxley, what the hell is going on”, hissed Onyx, running towards the two, but got blown back because of the magical line that made the circle.

Baxley wasn’t paying attention to anything, but the dragon in front of him. “You will die by my blade and regret this day as you are falling into the empty blackness.”

“Such big words for one so small and weak”, chuckled Garja. “The devil will greet you at the gates of hell and beat until you beg for death and then he’ll beat you some more.”

Baxley charged Garja with fury unknown to him. He slashed at the dragon and the dragon blocked it with ease. The fox gave a monstrous growl and jumped up to kick Garja in the snout, but was caught in mid-air by an elbow from the dragon and then was sent flying by a kick. Baxley flipped and landed on his feet. He threw three throwing daggers and charged once more with his dagger in reverse-grip technique. Garja met him in the middle slashing with his sword, smiling. Baxley ducked most of them but got a few deep cuts on his arm and leg. He blocked an overhead strike from the dragon and slid through his legs. The dragon used his tail and tried to swipe Baxley with it. The fox jumped over it and onto Garja’s back, holding onto his wings.

Garja smiled and flew upward. Baxley held on tightly and stabbed Garja’s arm, making him roar in pain. Garja twisted in the air and took a nosedive towards the ground. Baxley levitated a stone and hit Garja in the face with it, driving him off course towards the invisible wall and jumped backwards off of the dragon. Garja hit the wall and bounced back as Baxley stood with his dagger outstretched and rammed it through the dragon at an angle. “Goodbye, old friend”, whispered Baxley.

“Me and you were never friends; partners, but never friends”, growled the dragon as he raised his sword and stabbed himself also stabbing Baxley in the side.

Baxley took the dagger out of Garja and staggered backwards as he watched the dragon die. He clutched the wound at his side, stopping the bleeding a little bit. The force field faded and broke. Onyx was the first to run to the fox and help him. Joshua started the trail blazer and brought it around to the now crowded fox. “Give him some space I got this”, announced the winged black panther, shooing everyone back and placing his paw over Baxley’s wound. “Heal’o Kashkista Motafa!”

Baxley gasped and wagged his tail. He sat up and looked around. “Th-thanks bro. I’m glad we went to that ancient magic museum”, smiled the fox, lifting a sack from the dead dragon’s body. “Well, I’ll see you tomorrow morning at the safe house.”

“What are you going to do with that sack”, asked Onyx.

“I’m gonna see if I can find anything about this mercenary group, kitty.”

“Alright foxy, but after you and Alphard have your fun.”

Baxley smiled and went over to the shark. They kissed and then went to Alphard’s car. Joshua asked Onyx as Dax, Machine and the panther got in the truck. “When did you and Baxley go to museum?”

“We stole some artifacts for an art dealer and kept a book of magic”, replied Onyx, smiling.