A Realm of Adventure Beneath the Canopy

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The young male waited… and waited… and waited. But the anticipation welling up in his chest and muscles began to ebb. He had been expecting his friend to come barreling over the ledge after him... but there was no burst of excitement. Only the silence became louder and louder as his pounding heart rate began to settle. Dante’s airtight stance loosened immediately upon realizing that Axel wasn’t behind him — in fact, he could no longer sense him at all. Had he rushed ahead too quickly? Had the other male tired out? …Was he hurt?! His expression hardened, eclipsed with concern as he turned his back to the wall of upturned soil and began slowly walking away, keeping his ears pricked forward and eyes alert. His ears were practically straining against the sudden plunge into silence. How peculiar. Dante looked up to the canopy. Glimpses of the sun still shone through the leaves, dappling the forest below. He exhaled, pursing his lips. “Search and rescue it is!” he proclaimed.

With a clear goal in mind, Dante was preparing to leave the area, but an abrupt sound made him brake hard before he was even really going. His name! Someone was calling his name! He looked over his shoulder towards the origin of the voice. No doubt it was Axel. It was difficult to tell from the distance but he didn’t sound distressed, just lost. Whoa… how far ahead did he get? He chuckled at the thought. But before he could stand there stupidly in either awe or bewilderment, he knew what he needed to do next: hide. Axel was getting closer, or at least that was what it sounded like, so Dante quietly scrambled closer to the upturned dirt cliff again so that he could better conceal himself out of sight. He was hoping his scent had still gone unnoticed by his friend… unless all of this was some clever ruse to weed Dante out. Either way, he couldn’t fault his friend. It just gave him more meaning.

Dante decided to, in order to make sure his scent was covered, rub his side against the face of the cliff, scratching against the layers of soft soil and scraggly pieces of root that poked out. Next, he gingerly grabbed one of the many, many mushrooms by the stem before whispering a quiet, “Thank you,” and gently plucking it from its spot, ensuring not to damage it any. He repeated the process with another mushroom and now had two in his teeth. Maybe he could confuse Axel with them to hide himself more. Now all that was left was to find him.

With a new objective, Dante exited the shallow hollow, keeping himself low as he moved, constantly searching between the trees for that flash of cream and brown. It didn’t take long, fortunately, and he felt a wave of relief wash over him upon seeing his friend again, as distant as his figure was. Adrenaline immediately flushed through his veins. He would stalk forward carefully towards Axel, getting as close as possible while using the underbrush and various thick tree trunks as cover. If successful, he would leap out with a playful (and loud), “Boo!” — mushrooms in his jaws and all. But if he got caught…

Zawki

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Both of the males landed in defensive stances, but the look of panic in Axel’s eyes contrasted the wild mischievousness in Dante’s. His fur was puffed up playfully as his tail swayed over his spine. There was a moment of silence before his friend burst out with laughter, admitting that he had gotten him. Victory! Dante laughed through the mushrooms still in his mouth before placing them down, able to let out his joy. He was honestly quite impressed with himself for having been so successful; stealth never was his forte considering his ineptitude for graceful maneuvers. As he was able to catch his breath, he straightened his posture and puffed his chest out dramatically to punctuate his triumph.

It was one to… Dante no longer bothered to keep track at this point. All he cared about was having fun with Axel. He plopped down onto his haunches again to get comfortable, taking a moment to look around the area. He was unable to get a good look earlier since he was more focused on running and hiding, but now he had a moment to soak in his environment. It was afternoon now, and though regularly the hottest time of the day, the heat was long behind him, forgotten. He was panting but his mind was too preoccupied with his friend in front of him, who, just as his russet eyes turned back to him, said something interesting.

His fur? He craned his neck over his shoulder to get a glimpse of his glorious fur that couldn’t possibly be dir— it was covered in dirt. “Oops—” it slipped out in a moment of surprise as Dante bounced to his paws again, spinning one or two times in a futile attempt to see his fur better. Damn! It must’ve been when he rubbed up against the dirt earlier. He should have foreseen this. It wasn’t that he disliked being dirty on its own, but being dirty coupled with being hot was a gross combination. Plus, he had an image to uphold. Before he could even think about it he broke out into another aggressive shake which was halfway effective. Taking another look over his shoulder he groaned. He would have to fix it later.

Dante’s focus went back to Axel finally. “Trip? Me? How preposterous!” he scoffed theatrically, bringing a paw to his chest in defense. It was all in good fun, something he had a feeling his perceptive friend could pick up on. “I’ll have you know, while I was running—no, gliding—” an obvious exaggeration but one he said with full confidence and amusement. “I kicked up so much dust you’d thought there had been a herd of elk.” He paused for dramatic effect. “But nay, it was just this one-man stampede.” How preposterous he was being and he knew it, but he reveled in it, unable to contain his laughter at just what he was saying.

In his retelling of what had ‘happened,’ Dante remembered Axel also asked where he had been. Perking up, he didn’t hesitate speaking, “Over there! The tree roots grew four-fold in size and were absolutely covered in mushrooms.” It was blatant how much the idea excited Dante as he reverted back to an excited pup telling his parents about something totally cool and awesome he had just discovered. “Wanna go look? The roots have pulled up from the soil that’ve left little hollows under them. You could practically feel the coolness radiating from them.”

Zawki

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Being preoccupied with cleaning his elbow on the side he used to rub against the dirt, a sudden unforeseen ticklish sensation on his other side made the fur along his spine prickle. He jolted on instinct, whipping his head around only to see Axel wiping away the remaining dirt on his russet fur. Dante paused, processing what he had done, then his words registered. Oh, Dante missed a spot. He stepped back, looking almost embarrassed, at which Dante could only grin. “Why thank you, I didn’t even notice there was dirt there.” he said goofily without missing a beat. He had been in that spot before and the last thing he wanted was for Axel to feel like he had done something wrong, or let that embarrassment linger or let him feel like he made things awkward. In all honesty, Dante didn’t feel that way at all.

Pride surged through him at the response he earned from his friend. He continued to play along. “Hilarious? Ridiculous?? My, it’s the truth! I’m convinced I even saw your angry squirrel race along the tree roots beside me.” he teased, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he began to horribly reenact what the scene might’ve looked like. From hunkering low to the ground and contorting his face to mimic an angry growling squirrel, to lightly running in place and pretending to coolly dodge and maneuver around fake obstacles in his path. Theatrics like these came naturally to Dante, and while he may have been considered a fool for being inclined to act this way or telling such fantasies, he did it because it was fun. Especially if allowed to do so in the company of another who could share in his humor.

“You saw them too?” His big ears perked up at Axel’s response. So he’d seen the mushrooms too? And wanted to show him?? He watched excitedly as his friend bounded around him a few times. The joy that radiated from him was contagious—as if the joy Dante felt wasn’t already palpable. “Excellent!” he exclaimed before running after him after he told him to lead the way, which Dante happily obliged.

Pushing forward, he could hear their paw steps beat the ground in tandem as the underbrush rustled in their wake. For once he was able to run with his new friend at his side.

It didn’t take them long to get to the place Dante mentioned, as the scenery became familiar once more. Tall trees, all sorts of massive upturned roots tangled together giving rise to the hollows underneath, vibrant mushrooms growing on the bark. It was truly a remarkable location. He turned to Axel as his face lit up as if silently saying how cool this place was.

He walked forward, moving over the chunks of roots and carefully around the clusters of fungi as he made his way towards the hollows. He was unsure if Axel would follow him or take a moment to explore the area, but he tossed him an inviting smile over his shoulder nonetheless. Picking a particularly large hollow, he shimmied into it, making sure to leave enough room for his friend if he chose to join him. He nestled onto his side, practically melting into the cool, soft, almost pillowy soil that was just so comfortable, cushioning his muscles and cooling his fur. The hollow was nicely shaded, shaped in a near-perfect dome, and the entrance wasn’t too obvious either. Dante could easily spend the rest of the day and night here, and that was most likely going to be the case because he knew he was going to be sore.

Zawki

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Dante leaned back onto his shoulder, his body pressed up against the side wall of the hollow. Even the bark felt cool, maybe even so slightly damp. He turned his nose towards the bark and gave it a gentle sniff, the calming smell of earthy must filling his head and heart. A calm washed over him, causing him to relax further into the soil, if that was even possible. He felt every part of his body loosen, like a great weight suddenly falling off of his muscles. Even his eyelids felt heavy so he allowed them to close. A shuffling noise came from the entrance but he never opened his eyes; he didn’t even flinch. Whether it was because he felt too tired to react, or because he knew it was Axel and he felt comfortable enough to not feel like reacting, he wasn’t entirely sure.

Suddenly he spoke, saying how they were both going to be covered in dirt. It brought an immediate smile to Dante’s muzzle and he opened his eyes, chuckling. He didn’t care at this point if he got dirty. He was comfortable, too heavy and too light at the same time. It took him a moment but he finally noticed the flash of bright yellow near his forepaws, and when he looked down his russet eyes widened. Flowers? He looked at Axel curiously, an inquisitive look strewed on his face. He was pretty certain those weren’t there when he crawled in so… Realization hit and a wide grin replaced his puzzled features. But he didn’t have to say anything for his friend to say that he wanted him to have the flowers, as a symbol of their friendship.

A shy giggle bubbled out of Dante’s throat involuntarily. How adorable, he thought while looking at the wildflowers for a moment to take in their beauty. There was so much appreciation to be had for the things of nature, and the people in it. He placed a protective paw over the stems, exerting utmost caution not to damage the delicate petals or buds. “I will cherish them,” he said with a goofy but sincere smile, his eyes soft. With gentle movements he scooted the flowers closer to himself and he placed his chin on the ground. He was aiming to pull the flowers onto his head, preferably around his ears but he wasn’t sure if he was successful. They were on his head at least, which was enough for him. He didn’t want to move his chin now in fear of the flowers falling off so instead he stayed put, all the sudden feeling oh so very, very comfortable. He felt practically one with the soil.

After a long, deep exhale, his eyes returned to Axel’s. “Your favorite season’s autumn?” he asked, Axel’s earlier words only now registering in his mind. He was so focused on his offering of flowers that he hardly acknowledged the other things his friend said. “So’s mine!” he said excitedly, although quietly. They were in a smaller space now, there was no need to speak loudly. “All the lovely colors and smells, and the cooler weather,” he stuck his tongue out childishly in disgust as if mocking the hot weather that currently settled over the valley. “But maybe... come this autumn we can get up to some adventures again? There are some really cool phenomena that happen during the harvest.” He spoke as though there was super top secret information on the tip of his tongue; like he was about to disclose some kind of deep secret, contrasted with the faux smug smile on his face, meant to indicate he knew some pretty neat stuff about the season.

Zawki

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Axel’s mhm didn’t go unnoticed by Dante, whose head remained rested on the ground in contentment. His tail thumped behind him rhythmically with his, he hadn’t even realized it until his friend suddenly shot up from his previous position in sheer excitement before whacking his head against the roof of the hollow. Dante’s own head shot up in shock, the wildflowers sitting precariously on his head slipping his mind, and it wasn’t until he perceived his smile that a cross between a snort and a chuckle escaped him. “I would love that.” he answered after he composed himself, which made the scene all the more amusing. Dante was going to ask if he was alright but Axel turned the subject around by telling him he had to tell him more!

The reddish male perked up at that, he had no reason to be surprised that he was asked for elaboration, but nobody outside of his birth pack was ever too curious. “Okay! Uh—” He fumbled for a moment as a big smile crossed his mouth, excitement and pride swelling in his chest. He leaned back on his elbow, pressing back into the wall of the hollow, in an attempt to act all cool and smug. “My tribe did something we called the Haerfest, which is basically a big celebration for the coming of autumn!” His ‘smug’ front collapsed completely as he began his explanation, his eyes bright with remembrance and fondness. “Have you ever heard of gourds? They’re these funny looking… plants? I think? Er—no, fruit! That’s it! But during the fall we would harvest them and hold these games where we would roll them down a hill to see whose was faster, then afterwards we would smash them! See who could smash their’s the hardest. It was a great stress reliever.” He cackled as he went on, lost in the memory of it.

Dante paused for a moment to think before his face lit up again. “Oh and! I’m sure this valley would be the same, but where I’m from, cloudless, moonless autumn night skies would light up. You’ve probably already seen it, but man—” he shook his head. He was sure that he would never tire of seeing it. “The sky is so dense with stars that the sky is hardly even perceptible. We called it the Celestial Season. I’ll have to show you sometime! The view of it atop a mountain summit is just… spectacular. It’s like the stars are just within reach.”

Zawki

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As Dante calmed down a little from his word spewing and excitement of remembering everything he could at once to tell his friend, he pressed himself back against the wall of cool soil. Axel said that it sounded amazing, his mentioning of the celestial seasons and the stars that shone so brightly. Dante nodded his head vigorously, a smile present on his mouth. Despite how heavy and tired his body felt, he still had so much energy; he felt like he could talk to his new friend for hours and hours on end.

Suddenly Axel asked what the stars would taste like, giving Dante pause. What an unusual question. His head tilted as his russet eyes cast down in contemplation, evident he was taking the question seriously. It was weird, admittedly but he liked weird. “Hmm,” he mused absentmindedly, trying to think of an answer. “Probably hot…” he chuckled. “I imagine they’re no different from the sun.” He lifted a paw at the thought but froze it in midair as a sharp pain struck his shoulder from where he had fallen earlier during their hunt. He hid the pain well, or so he believed, as his smile faltered only slightly along with a twitch of his eye. He set it back down carefully, his attention back on Axel as if it had never even left.

Dante was glad he did because as soon as he returned his attention to him he had a mountain of questions! He perked up a little as he couldn’t contain the energy that went straight to his tail as it began to wag in tandem with Axel’s. “Um! Well we probably weren’t the biggest in the valley but as far as the mountains went, we definitely won out.” he shot Axel a wink and a cheeky grin, all too proud to be talking (bragging?) about his tribe. “Friendly? All we ever knew was accommodation!” he laughed. “We were built on the purpose of peace and preservation.” It was a quote that had been ingrained in him since he could remember, and also a reminder of how the tribe had emerged from a time when that had once not been the case. Dante felt a solemn weight on his heart at the thought.

He didn’t want to suddenly be a downer though so he perked back up again, prepared to answer Axel’s third question with excitement. “Oh no, far from here! Maybe… maybe valleys away. I’m not sure how far I traveled but it was no mere day trip. The valley was so expansive each region had its own climate.” He had never ventured out of the territory a whole lot but there were a few times he was called upon by the council to embark on scouting expeditions with a select team. Only then did he see what lay beyond the familiar mountains he knew as home, and only then did he get to see just a fraction of how vast and beautiful the world was. He looked at Axel, eyes curious. “What about you? Are you far from home too?”

Zawki