~Chapter 2~
~A few days earlier~
To the west of the Platt Mountains was a farm with a modest home where an older woman named Veena lived. Her back porch led out to acres of fenced in land acting as a backyard. Small holes dotted the area, dug up by the large creature that lived there with her. It rested in a barn that was built specifically for it.
Late one night Veena was awoken by knocking at the door of her humble abode. She had barely gotten to sleep, but forced herself out of bed anyways. When she opened the door, she saw a familiar couple from the nearby town, holding their pet bear in their arms. The small animal nestled into its owner’s arms, clearly in distress.
"What happened to her?" The woman asked as she caressed the bear's head, her eyes still heavy from lack of sleep.
"We think she broke her leg; can you help us Veena?"
Veena nodded and brought the couple to the workstation in her home. There was an adjustable table at its center, with tools, herbs, and several bottles of brightly colored potions lining the walls. There was an open window to the acres of land she owned. Peculiarly, the windowsill had a cushion laid along it, and the area beneath it was cracked.
She placed the bear on the table and looked her over gently. The little creature would tense up whenever she placed a hand around its leg.
"I think she just sprained her leg. I'll make a brace for her and you'll just have to make sure she doesn't move around too much for the next few days. Come back to see me if it doesn't improve by next week." She explained, "I can give you a potion to help her with any pain as well."
"Oh thank you, thank you so much Veena!"
Veena went through her drawers and drew out a block of wood that would serve as a brace, and a few strips of cloth to tie it with. She began to carefully tie it around the bear's leg.
As she worked, the snout of a large beast popped through the window. The couple jumped at the sight of the massive creature but Veena smiled softly, "Hello Digger."
Outside her window was an aged black and white-colored Chihuahua, Veena's pet for quite some time, long before she began helping others with their animals. Unlike other Chihuahua's, Digger's ears flopped down around his head. Digger calmly rested its head on the cushioned windowsill to watch its owner.
Veena tightened the bracer around the bear's little leg, and fetched a potion for the couple.
"Thank you again Veena! We'll let you know how she's doing." The grateful husband said as he took his bear into his arms. He glanced at the Chihuahua staring at them from outside, "How has Digger been?"
Veena circled to Digger and rubbed under his chin and on his bulbous head, "The old guy is doing fine. He's lost his hearing though. Isn't that right buddy?"
Digger looked at Veena with a soft expression, one full of endearment towards his owner. As if the old dog couldn't be happier than he was in her presence.
"I remember he barked at us pretty viciously before." The wife commented.
"He's starting to become more relaxed around other people in his old age." Veena said, "He can still be a stinker sometimes though."
Veena bid the couple farewell, and promptly returned to bed. She managed to drift to sleep but was awoken by a nudge at her side. She looked and saw Digger had poked his head through the window and was prodding her with his nose. Veena groaned, pulled the blanket from her bed, and headed outside.
She walked out the back yard where Digger would roam, though he tended to linger near the house in recent years.There were a series of holes on her land, all ones that Digger had dug up at some point, his penchant for digging is what named him. Though, he hasn't dug as much in recent years.
There was a pile of hay next to the house, which Digger scratched at before sitting down in it and staring at Veena. The older woman sat in the hay with Digger, laid beside him and threw the blanket over herself. She knew he loved to lay with her like this. When he was a little pup, small enough for her to carry, they would sleep together like this as well. And even now that he was several times larger than her, he still enjoyed it.
Digger used to wake Veena in the middle of the night because he wanted to take a ride on his back. But in his old age he's started to struggle to carry her weight.
The two old souls slept together before being awoken around dawn by a knocking at Veena's front door. She stood, placed her forehead against Digger's, and said, "I have to head inside, my boy."
Veena knew Digger couldn't technically hear her, but she felt that he understood regardless. The Chihuahua left her and headed into a barn that she had built specifically for him years ago.
Veena helped a new set of customers at the door, a group of kids who had found a dragon, a tiny flying creature that could shoot small spurts of fire. They were more irksome than they were dangerous. They had the creature trapped around their gloved hands and asked what they liked to eat.
Veena told them they liked to eat the meat of living animals, taking quick bites off of them. She continued by giving a spiel about how dragons are not pets. Nonetheless, the kids ran off with the dragon.
Later in the day, Veena brought a carriage of food out to Digger, filled with healthy meats and vegetables. It had cost her quite a bit to procure all of this for him. But Digger took one sniff of the food before walking off.
"Come on buddy! I bought this for you!" Veena proclaimed.
Digger yawned, revealing some of his missing teeth, curled up in his barn, and promptly drifted off to sleep.
Veena groaned, "Fine. Eat when you're hungry."
Veena was cutting up herbs in her workstation to create another potion when she heard Digger barking. It was a weak bark, rather pitiful actually, but a bark nonetheless. It had been a while since the Chihuahua had been prompted to bark at all.
Veena stepped outside and saw what had troubled him. A group of hyena riders was coming towards their home. Everyone knew hyenas were commonly ridden by ne’er-do-wells and bandits. Hyenas could be cruel beasts, and it usually took a cruel heart to tame one. What could they want from an old woman and her Chihuahua? Hopefully they would just pass them by.
The hyenas jumped over the fence and approached Veena and Digger, stopping just short of them. Behind them, they were pulling along a wheeled cage. Their leader, a burly man, stepped forward and looked at Digger.
"Hello ma'am, that's a fine dog you have there."
Veena nervously replied, "Thank you," Digger crouched behind her, snarling at the men.
"How much will you sell him for?"
"Trust me, you wouldn't want him. He's a one-family dog. And he's not for sale." Veena said as she placed a hand on the dog.
The man smirked, "Well, we're going to be taking that dog off your hands anyway."
The group of men began to circle around them. One of them threw a rope around Digger's neck. Others threw bolas at his legs, pulling them tout and bringing his legs together. Digger fell to the ground as his legs were pulled.
"No!" Veena shouted. She ran at their leader and beat her fist against his chest. She had to do something to stop them. He struck her across the face and she fell to the ground with a thud.
The next moments became a blur. Veena could make out the shapes of the men circling around Digger and subduing him before dragging him along to the ground into the cage. When she finally fully regained consciousness, the Hyena riders were gone, Digger with them.
She wept terribly. It was all so sudden, and there was nothing she could've done to stop them.
Customers came to her home later that day but she turned them away, telling them that she isn't able to see anyone presently. Dried tears were visible on her face. She went about her day, but there was an emptiness without her buddy there to keep her company.
She couldn't sleep that night. There was this nagging feeling that Digger would pop his head into the house to wake her up like he would every night. But she knew he wouldn't.
Veena wandered outside at dawn. But when she looked to the east, she saw an approaching figure. A giant canine beast trotting through the plains towards her. For the briefest moment, she thought it was Digger. But its ears stood tall, and once it drew closer she noticed grey and white hair on the beast. Oddly enough, it did look like it was another Chihuahua.
Veena had never seen another Chihuahua. They were typically such large and temperamental beasts that most of them were hunted and killed. She thought that Digger was the last of his kind.
Until now.
A young black-haired boy was riding on top of the Chihuahua bareback, and they circled to the front of her home.
"Hellooooo?" The boy exuberantly hollered from just outside her front door, "Is anyone home?"
Veena tried to rub the tears away from her eyes before meeting with them. She opened the door and saw the boy, with his great Chihuahua standing behind him. He looked magnificent, like Digger in his prime.
"Hi," The boy greeted, "I heard that you work with animals. Would you be able to help me and my dog out?"
Veena nodded, "Yes! Yes of course. What is the matter?"
"My dog Hopper got hit by an arrow, and I want to make sure it doesn't get infected."
"An arrow?"
"It was an accident. We ran into some jerks," The boy pointed to the side of the Chihuahua where there was a small bloody wound.
"I see. Let me take a look. What's your name?" Veena asked as she drew the boy and his dog to the backyard. The Chihuahuah, Hopper, was far too large to come into the house.
"Aero."
"Very nice to meet you Aero. I'm Veena."
Veena inspected Hopper's wound closely. The dog was surprisingly accommodating for her, allowing her to touch him when she needed to.
"Weird, I've never met anyone who he's this comfortable with. Besides me," Aero said as Veena worked.
"Do your parents know what about the accident with Hopper?" Veena asked as she treated Hopper's wound with alcohol. For a youthful and strong dog like this, he should be fine.
"No."
"Where are they?"
Aero paused before answering, "Well, I never knew my mom. So I don't know where she is. I haven't seen my dad since last year, so I'm not sure where he is either."
"Are-Are you going to be okay?" A concerned Veena asked as she placed a patch over the dog's wound.
Aero smiled, "Oh yeah, I can take care of myself."
Veena nodded, she felt as if she understood what the boy was going through. She never knew her own father after all, "You ought to be careful around these parts though. There are bandits who might try to steal Hopper away from you."
"Yeah, I know. They're the ones that shot at Hopper. I took care of them though."
Veena turned to the young man, "What do you mean took care of them?"
"I beat them up," Aero said as if it were completely ordinary.
"You beat them up?" Veena asked skeptically.
"I'm really strong," Aero said with a shrug, "After this I'm going to go after their boss."
Veena's eyes widened, "You know who their boss is?"
"I think so. They called him the 'Collector'. Some rich Phantine to the north of here. If I can stop him, then no one should have to worry about their animals being stolen."
Veena's heartbeat quickened, "Those bandits took my dog Digger away from me. If you find their boss, I might be able to get him back. Can I come with you?"
"Yeah, sure! Hopper seems to like you, so he won't mind you coming." Aero answered with a smile. "It might be a little dangerous though."
"I don't care. I'll do anything to get my boy back." Vena responded, fiery determination in her eyes.
With haste they headed north atop Hopper's back. 364Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYiNAduQJTn
