Chapter Seven: A Corgi's Chance

“I can’t believe she would do that!” Hojan yelled.

 “She is protecting her own, wouldn’t you do the same?” I asked. 

He shook his head, “She’s not even considering what’s best for the group! Bailey is all she cares about.” 

I nodded slowly, carefully considering my words, “Everyone needs someone who cares for them like that.” 

He stopped pacing around the entrance and shot me the same glare he gave to her. “Everyone needs to learn how to fend for themselves. You can’t rely on others to help you when you need it most.” 

“I’d like to believe you can. That’s why we’re doing all this for Atrix, and then we’re going to go and save all those dogs from the Scorching Desert. Right?” 

Hojan huffed, “We’ll save Thomas.”

The other dogs from the group began to approach, we formed into our teams and set out into the forest. It seemed like we were there in no time at all. 

“Is everyone ready?” I asked the team as they nodded their heads. Some more confident than others but all in agreement. “Alright, we can’t have any mistakes here. Ok?” They all nodded their heads again and we began to position ourselves. Each dog was within eyesight of the dog nearest to them. We stood in a single line and waited for the other group.

The waiting was the worst. It seemed like days must have gone by until we saw them. The Thunder Brothers were sitting atop the elephants riding them toward the stacks. There were so many flocks of birds the dimly lit purple sky was jet black. The elephants began ramming into the towers of junk piled high into the sky as we began to run toward the towers. Weaving in and out of falling towers, we made our way to the meeting place where we last saw Atrix.

 We were close when a dozen birds picked up on us, screeching as they trailed closely behind our group. I looked to Frodo who nodded and turned to face them. Buddy turned with him. The birds swooped down toward them, and I saw both Buddy and Frodo leap into the air swiping their paws and chomping their jaws. I forced myself to turn my head back around as Dagney and myself continued to run to the last place we saw Atrix. As we turned the corner leading into the meeting place, we saw another flock of large birds—larger than any I had seen before—flying around in a circle and crowing almost as if they were trying to sing. Dust and small rocks began to pick up making it even more difficult to see what was going on, but in the center I saw a small coat of fire. Atrix! 

I looked back for Dagney. She was sitting perfectly still, breathing as if she was sleeping, and her eyes were completely black. 

“Dagney!” I yelled as the crowing grew louder, “Dagney we have to hurry!” She did not move, but I saw several dogs moving from behind her as Frodo and Buddy came walking up. “Hurry! Something is wrong with Dagney!” I yelled for them, but even at the top of my lungs I could barely hear myself over the crowing of the birds behind me. As Frodo and Buddy got closer I saw their eyes were also blackened, and their breathing was just like Dagney’s. They completely ignored me and sat right next to Dagney all three seemingly looking past me even though I stood right ahead of them. My hackles raised and I frantically looked around but saw nothing but us, the birds, and Atrix still laying at the center of the circle the birds were forming. 

I went and tried to pull on Dagney’s collar, but she remained completely still. I begged her, “Dagney please get up! Move! Do something!” The only response I received was the rhythmic crowing of the birds. 

I gave up on them and turned my attention to the birds and to Atrix. By now I could see only flashes of the fox pup’s coat in between the waves of dirt and rocks swirling around them as the birds grew higher and higher. I wasn’t sure if I could get through it without Dagney to help bull her way in and out of there, but I had to try. 

I dug my feet into the ground and began to run as fast and as hard as I could. The ground beneath my feet didn’t budge as I pounded against it, and when I got  close to the barrier separating me from Atrix I dove. My head and front two legs got through the dust and rocks as they went around me like water moving around a rock. I saw Atrix and yelled out to him. He did not respond, and before I was able to completely pass through the barrier, I was knocked back and slid against the hard ground. 

“I told you to come alone, dog.” 

A small black bird fluttered around from behind me, placing itself between me and the barrier. It’s voice was shrill and easily cut through the crowing. I glared at the bird. “Now all those you’ve brought will die with you, including your fox pup.” The bird fluttered back toward Dagney and the others. As I turned, I saw Hojan, Santana, and the Thunder Brothers, Cash and Murphy all sitting in a single line. Each of their eyes were blackened. The bird perched itself on Hojan’s head, and it dug its talons into his nose. Blood began to trickle down his mouth and chin, but he did not move. “You see? They’re completely hypnotised. Whatever I ask they will do. Just like the good dogs they are.” 

I felt my hackles raise as I lowered myself, preparing to run at the bird, but before I got the chance to take a step I heard the bird let out an awful screech, and the dogs ran toward me. Though these were all dogs, I knew they did not run like it. They were slower and more lethargic than before. They were also far more clumsy as Dagney tripped and bowled into Frodo who then knocked over Santana. Buddy tried to lunge at me but misplaced his paws and tripped over himself. Cash and Murphy ran right past me, seemingly without knowing what was going on. They ended up running head first into the barrier and collapsing. 

Hojan, however, ran straight at me. He lunged and bore his teeth at me. I rolled underneath him kicking him with my hind paws and tossed him onto the pile of dogs Dagney had created. Even though all the other dogs had simply given up he did not. He locked eyes with me, and I realized his were not blackened. They were his normal eyes. He gave me a wink before running at me again. Lunging, he  grabbed onto my scruff and threw me down. He growled and began to wrestle as one would with a pup. He attempted to whisper as he did so, “Stall until Bonnie can get Atrix.” I kicked him off once more and leaped onto him repeating what he did. It was as if we were dancing underneath the stars back at Sanctuary during the Festival of Leaves. Every motion was carefully placed to look like we were actually fighting while doing our best to not actually hurt the other. 

“What happened to them?” I asked with a mouth full of Hojans coat. 

He rolled me over and nipped at one of my legs, “Some kind of trance. Bonnie is working on it, just a little longer.” 

The birds at this point were no longer circling around Atrix as they had re-positioned themselves around us. Their crowing had grown softer as they continued to circle. I could see their small shiny eyes staring at us in sheer joy. It was as if we were there simply to entertain them—we were nothing more than large toys for them to use for their sick games. 

I bucked Hojan off of me and jumped up. I was preparing myself to lunge at him when I heard a rumbling that almost resembled a thunderstorm traveling straight toward us, quickly. 

“She’s here,” Hojan said with a smile as he spun around to face the small black bird. 

It began quickly fluttering around and angrily yelled, “You think you’ve won? You think you can leave this place alive? Not a chance!” 

The bird began to fly straight up, and we saw a flash of blonde fur jump from high up and catch the bird. They fought as they quickly plummeted down. The elephants trampleded through the clearing and began knocking down the towers outwards, a strategic choice to not harm any of us. The other birds began to fly in disarray, some flying into the towers of trash attempting to knock them over onto us. Others tried to fly away but were caught by massive grey trunks which shot out from the darkness even before we could see the elephants themselves. The largest birds launched themselves at the elephants. They flew up high into the sky and then dove straight toward the giant grey creatures. The birds let out the most awful of screeches as they dove. Such a terrible sound it was. Then we saw some blood begin to run from some of the elephants’ ears, but the birds could not penetrate the thick skin of any of the elephants. They simply bounced off with their beaks bent or broken altogether. 

Amidst the chaos I noticed the wind around Atrix was gone since the birds were no longer circling around him. I raced to him to make sure he was alright. He was breathing, but had been knocked out. I grabbed him by the scruff and tossed him over my back. The noise had died down and the elephants were standing in a circle around the dogs; everyone’s head was bowed. I made my way to Hojan’s side to see what they were looking at. I saw now that the flash of blonde fur was Bonnie. She laid motionless next to the small black bird. 

Hojan raised his head and began to howl the song of a fallen hero. I put Atrix down between my front two paws and joined in the song, as did the rest of the dogs. The elephants raised their trunks and began to sing with us. We finished our song, and for a moment the Plains of Rot rang as our sorrow traveled to the edge of the Oak’s light. 

Hojan turned to me, “She did not survive the fall. She risked her life to save all of ours.” 

I nodded, “She is a true Dog of the Oak if I had ever seen one.” 

Hojan lowered his head more, and I saw a tear roll from his snout to the ground. “It’s a shame she will never see it.” 

I saw a bright light as Dagney exclaimed, “What’s that?” 

Bonnie’s body was enveloped by the light. We saw her body raise up higher than even the elephants could reach! Then, like dust in the wind, she vanished. 

Where the body used to be was now a bright and colorful light which flew toward the Oak. The massive tree seemed to glow and grow rising far above the treeline. We even saw one of the great wolves at the top, his eyes glowing almost as if to guide the light home.  

“I think she’ll see it sooner than any of the rest of us old friend.” I whispered to Hojan as I nudged him. 

His eyes were dry now, and he calmly nodded whispering back, “She has been accepted.”