Chapter Text
CHAPTER 2: Change in the Winds
(The Future is ever changing. So long as the winds blow, so to does entropy take it's claim to the world around it.)
::Zebuth City Town Hall::
“Principal Gon. Pleasure to have you here. Please, sit. May I offer you a drink? I just brewed some coffee.”
“No thank you, Mayor. I appreciate the offer though. I’ve had one before arriving. I won’t be able to focus today if I have a second cup before lunch.” The Siberian Tiger waved away the polite gesture.
The Mayor of Zebuth chuckled, their flattened teeth poking out from their jaw as they smiled. “Fair point. I would follow the same practice, but it has a firm grip on my ability to stay awake at times.” The Lion joked, pouring themselves a cup from a brewer on a side table.
Taking his fresh brew, the Major sat down in his suede chair, artificial upholstery pressing against his suit. Behind him, the city of Zebuth shimmered from behind a large glass window, offering vision to the landscape of tall buildings and open skies, the sun barely cresting over the horizon. Cars and people walking about, moving onto the early days of their shifts for work or personal responsibilities.
Principal Gon sat opposite to the other large feline, a polished desk separating the two. “I was surprised to see your call at such a late hour last night. I hope this meeting does not involve one of my students causing an incident in the city.”
The Mayor placed his mug down, hot wisps of steam settling over the brim. “No… technically speaking.” Seeing the growing confusion on the Principal’s face, he continued.
“I received a call from a Beastar yesterday. Yahya, more specifically.” The Major explained.
Principal Gon’s eyes widened, nails clenching onto the armrest of his chair. “The Sublime Beastar? Regarding what?”
“He explained that an individual was apprehended by the police last night. No one from the city, a foreigner.” The Principal relaxed at the Mayor’s words. Not one of his students then.
“Yahya was involved due to the strange nature of the individual. They appear to be a very unique species of lizard. Non-venomous, but large and unusual in both stature and appearance. And... young.” Principal Gon nodded, understanding where this was leading.
“And you invite me here to discuss how they will be attending Cherryton?” He asked, receiving a nod from the Mayor. Seeing the questions floating around in the Principal's head, the Mayor sighed.
“I am not fully briefed on the situation either. From what Yahya was willing to divulge, the lizard comes from a tribalistic culture focused on trade and religious paganism. They acted as a dignitary between other tribes by sea, and came from an uncharted location. More than likely an isolated island in the international waters.” (1)
Principal Gon narrowed his eyes. “You want to just drop a foreign carnivore into the school? One that has no understanding of our culture, laws, or customs. This seems more like an Embassy issue than a city one, let alone involving Cherryton.” He argued. To his surprise, the Mayor nodded.
“I am not a fan either.” The Mayor shook his head. “I was curious as to why they were in police custody, though the Sublime Beastar explained that it was not for committing the Devouring last night. Just a minor assault on an officer due to a confusion over customs.”
Principal Gon leaned forward, not liking what he was hearing. “So they are violent? A violent carnivore of large stature will not do well in the school, regardless of foreign or domestic. Do they even speak our language?”
The Mayor nodded. “Apparently they do, though only verbally. They were exposed to Japanese through audio rather than written word. And in regards to the level of violence, Yahya assured me that the foreigner will be on a tight leash when they attend Cherryton.” (2)
Not if. When.
“And before you say the obvious, he already pulled strings to have the School Board approve it.” The Mayor grimaced at their own words.
That was the nail in the coffin.
A dark look settled over Principal Gon’s features. He wasn’t here to give his opinion. He was being informed of a new tenant, and to prepare accordingly. As though his school was being turned into a prison cell for a wild, raging outsider. With herbivores open for hunting. And the Sublime Beastar is the one pushing it. The same Beastar that has a vendetta against all carnivores. It didn’t make sense to the Siberian Tiger. Not at all. What was his game here?
“Why?” The Principal couldn’t help but ask. “Why Cherryton? Why not have them integrate independently first? Why push this foreigner into an unknown environment? Do we even know if his people eat meat!?”
The Mayor downed the rest of his hot mug, hot steam escaping his lips passed false teeth. “My condolences. As much as I want to fight it, it will be better if we both agree and prepare. Yahya called it ‘an experiment on culture’. I suppose he wants to see how this non-native carnivore will be affected by his peers… or how he will affect them. If it makes you feel any better, the individual agreed to the carnivore diet whilst attending. And their cultural aspects will only be shown off with your approval. They will try to blend in as a member of our society as they learn, it seems.” The platitude did little to invigorate the Principal, whose expression still reflected the sourness of the situation.
The Lion reached into his desk, pulling out a set of files and offering them to the Siberian Tiger. “Here is all the information Yahya sent me about him. He will be arriving by the evening.”
The Principal grimaced at the short notice, taking the folder into his hand. He sighed deeply. “Is that offer of coffee still available?”
The Major smiled. “I was about to pour myself another, if you would like one.”
“That would be much appreciated.”
::Cherryton High School::
“Legosi? Legoooosi?” The grey wolf blinked, turning his head to the Labrador waving their hand in his face. “There you are, buddy. You were zoning out again. Lunch is ending soon, so you better finish up.”
“Y-Yeah, sorry.” Legosi picked up his bean burger, taking small, but quick bites of the food. His tray being the only one with food on it at the table.
“He’s been doing that for the past couple of days.” Collot barked out. The white sheepdog smiled at the grey wolf. “You should have seen him working on his notes for Chemistry the other day. I had to remind him he needed to use a pencil to take notes, not just his finger.”
“Yeah, I saw that.” Miguno chuckled, the spotted hyena sitting next to Durham. He slid his food tray onto the coyote’s, pushing both forward and out of the way of his arms.
“He looked like this.” Durham slumped forward, eyes glazing over and mouth somewhat ajar. His finger slowly traced over the table, acting like a pencil, much to the embarrassment of the wolf.
“Really?! Legosiiii.” Jack whined. “If you’re having trouble focusing, you could always talk to me. You know that. The school year only started three weeks ago. Don’t start off on a bad note, after all.”
The grey wolf sighed, looking at his best friend. “I know that. It’s just… Louis found out last week he’s the… Beastar candidate. Which he honestly deserves.” Legosi quickly injected the last sentence, taking the last bite of his bean burger before grabbing his juice and peeling the cap off of it.
“And let me guess.” Voss raised an eyebrow to the grey wolf. “The red deer is letting it get to him. And by proxy, everyone in his Drama Club.”
“It’s not like that.” Legosi defended. “He just wants this performance to be perfect. Last year’s winter show had some flaws, and he wants to start the new semester off with a good showing. That’s all. His drive for excellence is really something to admire.”
“Well, if you need to borrow some notes, we’re in the same class for Chem. Just let me know.” Miguno offered. Legosi nodded his head in appreciation. He finished up the rest of his food in haste, noticing the cafeteria was starting to clear out. The rest of the 701 Dogs began to collect their backpacks, grabbing up stacked trays and sliding their chairs in. Legosi was quick to follow, a half even bread bun in his mouth. He grabbed his own bag, chewing down bread as he caught up with his roommates.
“Hey, our afternoon classes all end around the same time today.” Voss pointed out. “And… Collot got his new GamePrism (3) delivered from home last night.”
“That’s right!” Durham beamed. “Collot, we gotta play that! What games did you get with it!?”
Collot chuckled, scratching the back of their head. “I don’t even know. We'll have to rip it open and see for ourselves. I told my mom what I wanted, so hopefully she bought the right ones.”
“If you have Super Smash Paws Ultimate, I will love you forever!” Durham hugged the sheepdog.
“But you sucked at Smash Paws Melee. What makes you think you’ll be any better at Ultimate?” Voss cackled, his ears twitching at the shocked look on the coyote’s face.
“Says you. All you know how to do is spam counters!” Durham retorted.
“Says the guy who always falls for it!” Voss countered with a smirk.
Very quickly, the conversation broke down into spatterings of lighthearted insults and shoves amongst the canines. Legosi and Jack walked alongside the other four, used to this kind of environment. They watched on with smiles, even as Durham was pulled backwards by Miguno and given a noogie. Collot picked up Voss and held him back from going after Durham’s ankles.
“I’m open to it for a short while.” Legosi stated. “Though I do have to leave after a little bit for Drama Club.” The grey wolf’s eyes glanced over to the golden labrador.
Jack hummed. “Maybe for a little bit, but not long. I have to go to Principal Gon’s office today.”
Legosi’s eyes widened for a moment. “Really? Do you know what it’s about?”
Jack shook his head. “Not really. I just received the request from my Physics 3 professor after class ended.”
“Maybe he’s giving you an award for your grades last year.” Legosi offered, smiling at the golden lab. “You were one of the only students to get Straight A’s, even with your upper classes.”
Jack laughed heal heartedly, waving away the compliment. “I doubt it’s for something like that. Besides, that kind of stuff is expected of me by this point. I just hope he’s not moving me into the 3rd year upper classes.”
“Yeah, count me out of that.” Legosi chuckled. “Though if anyone could pull through that, it would be you.” The grey wolf smirked, earning a shove from the golden lab.
“Legosi! Please don’t jinx it!” Jack whined.
Legosi laughed, pulling his childhood best friend along to keep up with their roommates.
Louis was less than pleased at his current predicament, to say the least.
His organized day was prepared and prepped like always. Suit jacket and vest pressed the night before. Antlers polished, teeth cleaned and pristine. Pants folded at the knee. Shoes unblemished and sprayed. His bag was arranged internally for the classes of the day, sorted and catalogued for the tasks delegated prior.
Louis would awaken, shower in his private room, complete a second check of all necessary items of the day, then head out for the day. He would attend breakfast, making sure to be seen and socialize with several others to keep his presence well involved in the psyche of the student body. Attend early day classes and outperform his peers. Attend lunch and repeat the same cafeteria practice of before. He would then attend his afternoon courses and organize the next day's assignments in his dorm. Homework would be completed, a second readthrough on all assignments before packing it away for the next day. He would eat dinner in his room, having it delivered to him by a school attendant/herbivore student aware of his busy schedule.
Louis would then attend Drama Club, focalizing the day’s efforts on starting the second half of the play. He would need to discuss with Dom what costume changes would need to be made for the actors who were not in last year’s performance. Go over the stage setup with Sanu. Temper Bill and the other carnivores should they act like wild animals. Make sure to correspond with Ellen on the dance routines. Finally, practice his own lines.
It would all end with a closing night, locking up with Sanu, and heading to his dorm. He would press his uniform and polish his shoes, then prepare for sleep.
A well ordered schedule. Maintained to Louis’ liking, with no room for error.
‘*Sigh*. And it was all interrupted by a surprise summons from the Principal. I hope he is aware I am now missing Drama Club for this. I can only imagine what they will get up to without me there to keep them in line. Hopefully Tem and Ellen will keep them in line until I arrive.’ (4)
The red deer opened the administration building, nodding politely to the River Otter sitting behind the secretary desk. The little carnivore woman gave a closed mouth smile, eyes crinkling up. She nodded her head, gesturing down the hall.
Louis walked into the main hall of the Cherryton Administration with poise, the end of the day making itself evident upon the rooms that were closed or vacant. Many teachers having already gone home; or perhaps completing work within the sanctity of their own offices.
Louis walked up to the opened door of the Principal’s office, shoulders squared and face relaxed. He mentally prepared for the conversation with the large feline carnivore.
Said carnivorous cat was sitting behind their desk, a deep look of contemplation evident. However, upon seeing Louis, his features tightened, shifting to a performance of confidence and geniality. “Ah, Louis! I’m glad you could make it. I apologize for the short notice. I understand you have personal matters to attend to at this hour. I already informed Sanu that your delay to the Drama Club is my doing.”
Louis smiled, not bothering to tell the Siberian Tiger he did the same the moment he found out about the meeting. “I appreciate it, Principal Gon. Truly. Though I am curious as to the reason behind why you requested me in such haste.”
Principal Gon nodded his head, a closed smile reaching his mouth. “I will get right to that. However, I am waiting for someone-”
Loud steps echoed from the hall, thudding down the path Louis had entered from. The figure bolted into the doorway of the office, hand grabbing onto it as they panted weakly.
“S-Sorry, Principal Gon!” The golden lab huffed out, trying to catch their bearings. “My roommates held me up. I didn’t see what time it was until-”
The Principal chuckled. “It’s fine, Jack. You’re just in time, so don’t fret. Louis only arrived a minute before you.”
Louis watched as Jack seemed to register his existence in the room. His face showed off all of his emotions. It would be amusing to the actor if it wasn’t so ridiculous looking on the dog’s features.
“O-Oh! Hello, Louis. Um… congratulations b-by the way! On the nomination, that is.” Jack offered weakly. Louis blinked.
“Thank you, Jack. A better thanks would be to show better diligence in your time management.” Louis tilted his head to the canine, who blushed at his own tardiness.
“Boy, please step inside. And close the door.”
The two did as they asked, Jack sitting down with an unquestionable mood of unease and trepidation ghosting over his entirety. Louis sat primly, glancing at the nervous bundle of energy beside him, though said nothing more.
“Now.” Principal Gon began, sliding a small stack of paperwork out of the center of his desk. “The reason I asked for both of you to attend is because I will need your assistance in an upcoming venture.”
The Principal looked to Louis. “Louis, you were recently nominated by the school’s board to be the candidate Beastar of this city. You have also shown exemplary leadership qualities, student conduct reflective of the desired outcome of Cherryton, and a strong message of unity with the combined carni/herba Drama Club.”
The Principal looked to Jack next. “Jack, you are one of the brightest students of your grade, and is evident by the glowing reviews you received from teachers last year. Your commitment to the upper level coursework has shown you have a high caliber mind, and great time management skills… at least when it comes to classes.” The Principal chuckled.
Jack scratched the back of his head at the praise, a bashful expression on his face.
The Principal shifted, his eyes taking a deeper look of determination from behind his glasses. “With that all said, I felt you two would be the most adequate for the task at hand. We have a transfer student, effective immediately.”
“A transfer?” Louis raised an eyebrow. “I haven’t heard anything about this.”
“Me neither.” Jack reaffirmed. “Usually there’s more of a heads up with this kinda stuff.”
“You would be right.” Principal Gon nodded at their assessment. “This one was… completed out of sorts, as it were. Considering the student we are taking in. They are transferring from… international waters. This will be their first formal education.”
Louis almost gave away his surprise, but withheld. They didn’t stop the golden lab beside him though.
“A foreign transfer? With no education?! Does he even know how to speak Japanese?” Jack rapidly fired off, eyes shifting around in skull at the information.
“What is the point of such a transfer? Surely someone without prior education would not be an asset to the standards of Cherryton.” Louis interjected.
Principal Gon seemed unfazed by the lines of questioning. “They will be ungraded, in a way. They are only here to learn as much as possible, not just in class, but of our culture and way of life.” Principal Gon explained to both students, trying to bring calm back to the room. “Our goal is to make them feel invited, provide them with a curriculum that challenges them, and show them how our society functions in comparison to their own.”
“And their species?” Louis pressed.
At this, the Principal grimaced. Louis knew what was coming next.
“They are a lizard variant.”
Jack perked up.
“A non-venomous one, though large in stature. They are carnivorous, and have been placed on a student carnivore diet. On top of that, they will be under 24 hour supervision and monitoring through remote means.” The Siberian Tiger detailed, hoping his words would quell some of the apprehension.
Louis huffed a short laugh. He couldn’t help himself, considering the baffling circumstances. “And we are to educate him? Show him some student camaraderie? What the culture of our country and city is like? It feels like a sizable time dedication, especially for just two students.”
Principal Gon nodded. “I am well aware of that. You are not alone in this, as several faculty have been informed of the individual and will be monitoring his development as well. In regards to your personal time commitments to this task, do not think this is done for nothing in return. Compensation for your efforts is on the table for both of you.”
He turned once more to Louis. “A Beastar was the one to place him at the school. They said it would provide a worthwhile challenge for the Beastar candidate attending Cherryton. Depending on the success level, they offered to push forward your position as the next Beastar. A letter of recommendation.”
Louis stared at the Principal in surprise. ‘To get recommended by another Beastar would all but secure my spot. Not only that, it would place a higher level of trust in me by the city population, especially considering which Beastar it may be.’ Louis felt his determination grow within him.
The Principal looked at Jack. “Their education is lacking, as are their written skills. Depending on your capacity to aid this student, several scholarships are opened to you. Including ones that can place you in prestigious programs both in Japan and abroad. Including the Pavlov Scholarship.”
Jack gawked. “R-Really!” He exclaimed. “I thought that canines weren’t eligible for that, due to our unfair advantage.” The golden lab smiled, eyes glazed over at the prospect.
“Some strings were pulled to get it done. It relies on you to complete the task at hand, though.” The Principal explained, a smile on his own face. His eyes glanced at both students.
“What do you boys say? Are you willing to partake in this venture, as well as the opportunities it can provide?”
Louis, after thinking it over for a moment, nodded.
Jack nodded, his ears flopping at the vigorous movement.
The Principal sighed in relief. “Wonderful. I’m happy you both agree. I have schedules for both of you regarding your time with him inside of my desk.” The Siberian Tiger stood up from behind his desk.
“I’ll go collect him right now.”
Louis’ eyes widened slightly.
Jack sputtered. “H-He’s already here?!”
“He arrived a bit early, about 20 minutes ago. Stay here for a moment.” The Principal stepped passed by the students. He made it to the doorway before pausing his steps.
“And before you react.” The Principal was not looking at them, though his words echoed still into the office. Words slow and stoic. “He is not like any lizard you have encountered before. Keep an open mind, and be aware of his broken Japanese.” The Principal stepped out, his steps trotting down the hall to the left, leaving the two boys in his office on their own.
Louis internally scoffed. ‘Great, some big muscle-headed carnivore from a washed out backwards island society. A feral beast in every facet. And I have to supervise it. Teach it to be civilized. I don’t know if it’s worse that it’s scaly rather than furry.’ He surmised. ‘Add all that together with the fact that it’s some kind of mutant abomination. This will not go over well once the student populace sees it. I’ll have to play my cards right with this one. I won’t let this beast affect my image. More than likely I’ll play to the fact that I do this out of desire to see the good in carnivores, extending an olive branch to even the most disgusting of creatures. I can appeal to both carnivores and herbivores, as the carnivores will see me interacting with a more monstrous version of themselves, and won’t be able to contest me on my beliefs. The herbivores will see me as fearless and powerful, quelling a monster of far away lands.’
Louis smirked to himself. He could do this. He knew he could.
Steps came from down the hall. A two sets of footsteps.
‘All to do now is stare down the beast.’
Louis stood up, pulling himself from his chair and turning to the doorway. In the chair adjacent, the golden lab did the same, copying the red deer’s actions.
The two waited with bated breath. The steps grew closer, heavy trots planting themselves on the carpeted hall. Sets of eyes stayed set on the doorway.
One of resolve.
One of anxiety.
“Jack, Louis, this is Tanu’han. Tanu’han, meet Jack the golden labrador and Louis the red deer.” Louis stared. His mouth fell open, unable to comprehend what was before him.
This…. thing, was horrendous.
Its legs were bent like that of an ancient beast, rather than by any animal of common decency. Toes with large, sharp talons flicked the ground, poking into the carpet, unfettered by footwear. The male student uniform was ill fitting for the creature, pants bulging out in odd areas of the knees and waist. Not suitable for the carnivore making mockery of them.
Its skin looked thick and rubbery, like a crocodile’s. The body was the color of pale blue ash, scales of dark blue and teal littering its arms and hands. Scales skimmed up the sides of its neck, a slight gloss glimmering in the overhead lights. The shirt it wore did it no favors, its arms looking longer due to the cutoff of the material at its wrists.
A tail swayed behind it, covered in the same layers of teal and cobalt scales. It was long, nearly its body’s own length, wide at its base and tapering down to a fine tip. It slithered behind the beast, making Louis’ stomach roll.
And its head.
A wide maw fit on its face, hiding likely rows of sharp, predatory teeth. Scales rolled over the back of the monster’s head before reaching a strange fin atop its cranium. The orange and red aquatic feature stood in stark contrast to the rest of its form, slinking down the back of its neck and hiding at the base of where his shirt’s neckhole opened.
Its eyes were large. A lack of whites to them, offering no conformity with the rest of society’s ocular lenses. A twin set of eyelids blinked open, revealing pits of false gold. In the center of its eyes were black slits, shifting with the lights, darting around from side to side.
Louis stared at the creature before him in near horror. Its eyes landed on him. Irises narrowed, pinpointed onto his form. Even with its slumped stature, it stared down upon him. Like a hunter to its prey.
‘This isn’t a student. Not even a carnivore… This is some kind of predator. Its eyes are like that of a feral beast!’ Louis clenched his teeth under the scrutiny of the animal before him. He calmed himself internally.
Louis the red deer smiled, gesturing a hand to the beast. He pushed down any shaking that would give him away. Even as it looked down at the offered appendage.
“My name is Louis. I will be working with you this year, Tanu’han.” It stared at his hand.
‘Does he know what this means. Is he civilized enough for such an action?’ Louis thought darkly. ‘Or do you think of biting it off. Do you? You rabid beast?’
A scaled hand gripped his own. Larger than his own. Swallowing it up. It took everything in him not to pull back in revulsion. “Well met, Lou’ee.” Its voice was high, a chirp within the back of its throat as it spoke. Voice high in projection, though still disturbing to the red deer. “I am Tanu’han. I will work with you, as you will with me.” Its words like sandpaper on his antlers.
Louis’ smile tightened.
‘This victory will be mine, monster.’
(1) Yahya would not give everything away about what he learned. The kind of information, if given to too many people, could cause issues. He gave enough information to them to work off of, but not to expose what Tanu’han really is.
(2) My Headcanon for Warhammer is that the Lizardmen learn from diction when it comes to cross language barriers. Many Meso American languages were passed down through verbal communication rather than text, so it feels appropriate that the Lizardmen (Aztec/Mayan Inspired) would do the same.
(3) Knockoff Game System. Be prepared for any game/media references to be knockoffs of a real world counterpart. I’m not a fan of real things (Google, Apple, Nintendo) being part of worlds where that wouldn’t be the case. I won’t knock people who write that way at all. I just prefer to change it up to make the world less ‘Meta’ as it were.
(4) Keep in mind the timeline. Tem is not dead, and as such his involvement in the club would be quite high.
END CHAPTER 2