Twenty-minute walk was all it took for me to finally be within Rocks' territory. And with its wooden fences surrounding the whole entire town, there is a big gap that leads me to a stone road. There are thirty small and slightly big buildings on each side of the road that are made of wood and stone, even some mixtures of course, and they all also have windows too, which is a nice addition.
With a begrudge look, I walk through the entrance and on the stone road that strangely feels nice to stand on than wood, and I look around with nostalgic hitting me. However, this place is rather quiet, which is odd since this place used to be loud and crowded. But I can still sense life of dogs living here, so that's good to know.
I stop myself in the middle of the road, and I start to hear music. Loud music in fact, a piano connected to more than one speaker for every dog in that building to see. And that building is the tavern, the only place that I know best in Rocks, plus this tavern in particular is open every twenty-four hours. And once again, it's a tavern, which means I could get some info on these "cat burglars" I hope, damn Forwa. I could be being tricked, but this place alone is my best bet.
I walk up to these small, creaking, wooden steps that lead me up to these three individual wooden doors that each has their own sizes base around a dog's height. Obviously, there's a medium size wooden door right in middle, so I push through the wooden door with my chest to get myself inside of the tavern. As soon as I got myself completely inside, the door shuts behind me, the whole entire tavern is bright, and they're a bunch of fuckin' dogs all over this big tavern left and right, even above me on a catwalk, and they're all drinking non-stop while the scent of red and brown liquid swim through my old nose, and the sound of the piano with three speakers attach to each side of the instrument is playing at an intense speed. But as I look around while standing, a lot of female dogs from the couches and tables start to notice that I'm in their bar, and I can hear and see them whispering to each other, even the male dogs are growling at me while they're sober too.
I ignore them and proceed to walk over to the bar station that has one free stool, except, there is a hairless tail laying on it. My eyes follow the tail, then I end up seeing a golden retriever with only golden-brown fur on its chest while the rest of the fur is gone, and that retriever is sitting on a different stool, looking down at me with a cringey grin while I stare up at it with a slight snarl. I could unwrap my curled up bushy tail to get my pistol and shoot it, but of course, I can't kill, plus it is sadly unnecessary to murder him even though it is giving me a dirty look.
"The Big Bad fucking Beagle..." the male golden retriever barked in a charming tone while putting down his half full wooden bowl of brown liquid on the bar station, spilling a bit of it from his action. The definition of a golden retriever around here, is, well, that they aren't golden around here anymore. They're furless like him, and I can see the scars, bumps, and rashes on his actual skin. He should be lucky that his appearance is the same as a regular looking retriever, ya know, with the floppy ears, average height, decent size muzzle, black and round nose, brown eyes, a slim build, so on. "Everyone here didn't ask for you to be around here, the bloodshed you've committed to this town and other towns to make dogs feel targeted. You made a lot of our population leave, even the broads too, you should be executed than ban for a whole year, 'cause guess what? In this very day, every town are against you, your town especially."
My eyes start to trail over at the yapping retriever's shoulder to look at the few dogs that sitting on the bar stools beside the golden retriever, and they're showing a bit of fear in their eyes. I then look around the room again and notice that some female dogs, some possibly mateless, are ogling my muscular build in their tables, quiet giggles erupt in the room as they sip their wooden bowls of red or brown liquid. I fully look back up at the golden retriever with an old grin. "Ya know, I could kill ya, but there are honorable mentions that need to be pointed out to what I do to the likes of you that gives me reasons to not give you death." I explained before putting my metal paw on the golden retriever's stool on one of the wooden legs. "One is being strength." I added, then easily, I quickly yank the stool, then he ends up falling on his back with a shaky thud.
"H- Hey!" The golden retriever barked in anger.
"Second is showing off my way of dominance." I then drop the stool and hop on the other stool that now doesn't have the golden retriever's tail, then I grab the retriever's bowl of brown liquid and dump it over its head.
"What the fuck!" He whined loudly as he tries to get up, but then I drop the bowl and it lands on his head like a hat.
"And thirdly there was humiliation." I barked before looking back at the other dogs, to which they were looking at me, but they immediately look back at their bowls. "NO one shouldn't be talking shit to me... and that's a final." I then look back down at the golden retriever, to which he looks livider than ever.
"Shut. The fuck. UP!" The golden retriever snapped up at me with his brown eyes watery and his claws out all the way.
"Cry us a river, we could really use one right about now." I snickered deeply as I watch the golden retriever just storm off instead of trying to fight back. "Hm... weak." I muttered. I then look over to notice that I don't see a bartender anywhere in my sight. "Hello? I need a drin- or... well, I can't really drink actually..." I said with a sigh, when suddenly, a young, border collie pops its head in front of me. "It's you!" The male, border collie yips with glee with a wide smile, his bright, gray eyes looking up at me. He isn't furless neither, plus he's nicely groomed sort of looks like a girl due to his slender body.
"...Right, it is me." I slightly grumbled. "Listen-"
"The Big Bad Beagle, right? I've always kind of wanted to meet you in person, you seem like an interesting person, even for your... age. You're really old is what I'm saying." The border collie barked some more, still smiling at me with his emerald eyes shining greatly. Dogs as precious as him shouldn't be smiling at me, the golden retriever was right about me being a monster after all.
"The one and only..." I sighed. "Now liste-"
"Looking for a drink hun?"
"For the love..." I snarled in frustration. "No. I don't want a drink; I just want to know if-"
"Maybe my special drink perha-"
"For FUCK SAK-" I immediately shut up and take a deep breath. "You know what...? Sure, a drink, I don't care which one." I sighed, and with his smile still wide, I watch him walk on over to a glass cabinet that contain all kinds of fancy bottles that possibly taste like shit. I close my eyes slowly, and I can feel them just burning, but also extinguishing the anger that was growing inside of me.
A few seconds later, I open my eyes up again, and I can see the border collie looking up at me with his shiny gray eyes from behind the bar station without a wide smile, but a worry look in his face. It's like he can see the pain I am... but can't exactly feel what kind of pain I have. But either way, I notice that he has a bowl full of... black, bubbling liquid?
I stare at the black liquid skeptically, then back at the cute, worry border collie. "So... does this have a name...?" I asked while he puts the bowl in front of me.
"M- My... name is uhm, Fee..." Fee barked nervously with a slight smile on his face, though he still gives me a worry look.
I raise an eyebrow. "I'm talking about the drink, Fee."
"Shit!" Fee squeaked aloud while covering his mouth with his white paw. "I- I mean..."
I couldn't help but crack a gentle smile. "Hm. A quiet life?"
"..." Fee remains quiet, removing his paw from his mouth and looks at the black liquid. Then, his emerald eyes start to focus on my metal paw picking up the brown liquid, then without hesitation, I start gulping it down with ease. And to my surprise, despite it looking irregular, it actually tastes a lot like brown liquid, maybe even better than brown liquid actually.
I put the bowl down after drinking the whole thing, and I deliciously lick my lips while looking up at the ceiling, visibly pleased. "Mm... that shit hits well..." I groaned before slowly looking back down at Fee, his emerald eyes still staring, though he doesn't seem worry anymore, he just seems... mesmerized. "So..." I whispered gently, leaning a bit closer to him, making his body shudder. "You uh, know anything about... cat burglars?"
"H- Huh?" Fee stuttered. "Erm... we don't have those. But..." he goes quiet again before he looks down. "There... there are these malicious marauders that would invade and harass Rocks... They rarely kill anyone though, but they kidnap and forcefully assimilate the ones they've kidnapped, then afterwards turn them into marauders or... use them in other various ways... and no matter how much we try to make a deal with them, they almost never want make a deal with us, they would just take whenever and whatever they want..." he explains solemnly before he looks back up at me, but Fee quickly shoots a toothy smile at me when he detected my grief. "It's been a month since we've seen those marauders, b- but I think it's because of you."
I tilt my head in sudden confusion. "Because of me?"
"Of course." Fee crooned. "You are a... uhm... how do I put this kindly? A reasonable threat to them, absolutely! They fear you, afraid that they'll bump into you, or perhaps a huge bounty will be put in their heads."
"Hmm..." I muttered. "How come y'all haven't put a bounty on them? Or perhaps gave me a call and a price if y'all are one of the richer towns in these lands?" I suddenly asked.
Fee froze. "U- Uhm... well... why are you asking ME that, when you can tell that to the mayor!" Fee countered.
"Mayor?" I scoffed. "Are you new around here? 'Cause the last time I've been around here; I asked a dog if they had a mayor. Guess what? No mayor, just hard-working dogs trying to make-do." I explained with a small smirk, and I watch Fee's ears go down slowly.
"W- Well, we may don't have a mayor, but we've never once called for your services because of how much we all hate you!" Fee suddenly growled.
"ALL?" I wheezed. "Please, everyone hates me, but NOT my services, as a few dogs howled for my services around 'ere before..." I then lean closer to Fee's face. "But I do have... 'other' services that can be a good fit."
Fee immediately cocks his head back as his face flusters in embarrassment. "S- Shut up... I have a mate..."
I pull my head back as well to let him relax with a small snicker. "Not like I was interested in ya anyways... good to know that you have a mate though." I snickered with a wink of my red eye. "But just to make sure that we're on the same chapter 'ere, chapter sixteen of my current state... no cat burglars, right?"
"M- M- Mmhmm..." Fee grumbled sheepishly.
"Good to know." I sighed. "Lying ass sphinx..." I snarled under my breath before looking down at my unfinished bowl of black liquid. "...I'ma go now. Thanks-"
"Wait!" Fee squeaked, and I quickly glance back at him, still seeing him all flushed up. "...Finish your drink first. It's my special. I want you to enjoy it, as I worked hard for it, a- and only one person liked it... so... please?"
I glance back at the bowl, then without hesitation, I dip my head down to finish it off by licking the rest of what's in it. But then, both of my pointy ears perk up high by the sound of microphone feedback coming from outside of the tavern, and I look over at the closed doors in alert.
"FIRE!"
Shit. I quickly look back at the border collie, who is completely unaware of what is happening as he is still giving me a cute, blushing look, but I leap from off of the stool and over the bar station.
"H- Hey!" Fee yelped at me. "You can't do that, that's off limits!"
CHA-KA-CA-KA-CA-KA-CA-KA-CA-KA-CA!
The sound of heavy bullets pierce through the front of the wooden tavern and the windows, I start to hear dogs screaming and howling in agony. But surprising enough, all I can hear now is silence. No more screaming, no more shooting, just me, Fee, and the gun that was tucked inside of my tail to now withdrawn and being held by my metal paw, and I can feel Fee's body pressed against mine in fear while we both sit down with our backs against the bar station, as we are most likely now the only two dogs alive right now.
"I- I- I- I could've be dead!" Fee sobbed on my shoulder.
"Shhh... you won't die..." I whispered in his ears with sudden care. "I'll make sure of it... that's a promise..." suddenly, my vigilant ears start to pick up a lot of paw-steps walking inside of the tavern, and gnarly growls begin to echo all around the now quiet tavern. But I kept staring down at Fee, very reluctant to stop eyeing him and instead protect him with my weapon and deadliness, but my soften overtakes me as I gently nuzzle between his ears. Then, I bark quietly near Fee's flappy ears. "Stay low. When I start firing, run over to another exit you know of."
"W- Wait..." Fee sniffled.
"I can't listen... I have to do this." With some hesitation, I look away from him and stand up fully to observe over the bar station. I now see three big dogs with the same metal helmets like the ones those dogs in the kitchens from Lusties were wearing, they even have the same armor, except even more of their bodies are covered with not just metal plates, but also their pulleys are exposed on each of their long, metaled legs.
Two big dogs are carrying pistols with one of their front paws, while the last big dog is carrying a pump-action shotgun with two front paws, and despite the seemingly amount of mass on all that metal the dog is carrying, its legs aren't wobbling by the slightest, and it is walking with ease while using its chest to keep balance. If anything, these guys are what I would consider REAL mercenaries. And, of course, a challenge I am willing to shed blood against.