Al hurried through the woods into town to the embassy. He passed the school where the human girl Hana taught the young. The little dogs and cats ran happily after her and sang a song. Al almost ignored the black wolf, who watched the whole thing casually leaning against a tree. As the lion passed the wolf, the wolf said, "You smell like a human."
"Poke your nose in your own business!" Al growled.
"Why so aggressive? I'm the last one to judge you." Said the wolf, looking at the young singing with Hana, "Let me know if you should need any help."
Al growled and moved on: I'm not such a fool as he is and getting involved with a human! He thought. As Al entered the embassy, he sighed in frustration at the long line at the reception desk. Sloths must have worked there... It would probably take until the evening before he could submit the application. But nothing else was usual for him. Wendy had to get back, as soon as possible. Preferably before tomorrow night.
It was already dark when Al came back.
When he entered the house, he was surprised to find that the oil lamp was lit but Wendy was nowhere to be seen.
"Human? Hey where are you?" Al called, but he didn't get an answer. He growled angrily: "You should stay in the house!"
He turned and went to the front door. When he opened it, Wendy was standing in front of him. She was panting and looking pretty pale.
"What are you doing outside?! Didn't I tell you to stay inside?" Al curses.
"What else could I do?! You don't have a toilet here!" She complained and angrily pushed past him into the house.
Al made a puzzled face, he knew he had forgotten something... But he hadn't figured out what... Now he knew and was annoyed that he had forgotten something so important. Wendy sank back onto the sofa, exhausted. She would never have thought that she would have to crouch in a bush and fear being mauled by a wild animal-man. Luckily no one was around, apparently they avoided this lonely house in the woods. Did it have something to do with Al? Al grabbed a chair and sat across from her with a sigh.
"Sorry. I totally forgot about that. There is a toilet behind the house and a little further in the forest there is a lake if you want to wash yourself."
Wendy looked up at the white lion and his regret was obvious.
"However... For your safety, don't go to the lake alone." He continued.
Wendy nodded.
"As far as the application is concerned, it's a matter of waiting. As long as the line was there today, I reckon it will take a few days for it to be processed." Al continued, "That means I have to take precautions."
"What precautions?" asked Wendy.
"None of your business." Al growled.
"Why are you doing this?" Wendy asked.
"What?"
"First you help me, then you're so dismissive to me... At first you're nice and then you're not... Did I do something to you?"
"I hate humans."
Those words hit Wendy like a slap in the face.
"I'm sorry, what?"
"I hate humans, and I'm not alone here."
"But why?" Wendy asked blankly.
Al laughed angrily: "Are you serious?! People created our ancestors with their cruel experiments, they lock us out with this wall and use us when we can be of service to them with our strength. Work where people own theirs Cock-feeding is only good enough for us, even if we get killed doing it!"
Wendy saw Al clench his fists and growl. She instinctively tried to pull away from him. She hung her head and said, "I'm sorry."
Al took a deep breath to relax a bit and stood up. "Why am I even telling you this?"
"Maybe because you haven't had anyone to talk to for a long time," suggested Wendy.
Al sighed deeply.
"Perhaps."
There was silence between them for a short while, until Wendy broke the silence.
"Tell me, who's that in the photo?" Wendy asked, pointing to the lion family.
"That? That's me with my parents." Al said.
"You look a lot like your father if you smiled I think." Wendy said.
"What do you know?" Al growled, "My father didn't put up with the treatment of humans and started a rebellion. A human shot him. I was 10. I was there."
Al glared at Wendy, who looked at him in complete shock. Now she understood where his hatred of humans came from. Al was surprised to see tears running down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry." She sobbed.
Al had expected everything, but not this. She shed tears because of his story? He was almost overwhelmed with this situation, he didn't know what to do.
"Hey, calm down..." he started.
"But... This is so tragic..."
"Don't do that... your tears won't change anything."
But Wendy kept on sobbing. Al rolled his eyes in annoyance and searched his bedroom closet for a handkerchief and brought it to her. She wiped away her tears and Al began to see her in a different light. Maybe not all people were so bad after all...