[TIMESKIP/The next day...]

Azure's POV

I was lying on the floor, sleeping. How long have I been sleeping? It doesn't matter how- I was waking up.

I opened my eyes and felt like someone was close to me. I looked around my surroundings, noticing that no one was there. I sighed slightly in relief, but I felt something snuggling my chest. I looked down, only to see Swordclaw sleeping peacefully while close to me. I smile slightly at him.

It's only been one day, and Swordclaw has already got used to being with me. I don't know why, so I will assume that he trusts me easily. But then, I realized. Ever since I met this dragon yesterday, I defended him from those hunters. I guess he accepts me already.

I was about to move when I felt the red dragon move first.

I guess he's waking up.

Swordclaw's POV

"What time is it?" I mumbled as I woke up from my slumber. I felt the fox's fur stroking my head, making me purr slightly.

I had been flying, crying, and running from those humans before I met Azure; I guess a good night's warm rest helps me out. I felt refreshed, but I couldn't get rid of the memory of my Mom's death. I wish I could forget, but I can't.

Oh well. At least I could relax while I still had the chance.

I opened my eyes to realize that I was close to the fox boy I encountered yesterday. I looked up at him, and he looked down at me. After a while, I looked away and whimpered slightly, moving away from him. "Sorry. I shouldn't have done that, I should just-"

"Hey, don't go," Azure said to me, getting up from the ground. I stopped when he said that, and I looked at him, nervous. "Hey, buddy. You can stare at me if you want. I don't mind." He said before he smiled at me, and his tail wags slightly. I think he would allow me to stare at him. But then again, I know that it is rude to stare at people who are not your blood, or the same species, for that matter.

I would look around my surroundings, and I noticed that we were still in the cave we found yesterday. Now that I think about it, maybe I should mark this as my territory. Wait, I can't do that. Marking any territory is a Lion's job. There has to be some way we should just make this our home.

As I sat there, thinking and pondering, Azure sat next to me on the floor. "Hey, what are you thinking?" He asked; one of his ears was down to the side while the other ear was up. I was going to speak, but I stopped, realizing that he couldn't understand me. I would sigh sadly and lay my head on his shoulder.

Azure's POV

I huffed when the red dragon lay his head on my shoulder, and I just let him do what he needed to do. I think he was sad, but I don't know what. Oh geez, if only I could understand what he was saying. But then again, I can try to adapt to this and don't understand him.

I felt something warm on my tail, so I looked at it and noticed some sunlight on the ground. I then got to realize that the time now was sunrise. "Hey, we should get moving," I say, and the red dragon would move his head off my shoulder, looking at me with a worried look. "Don't look at me like that, Red. I will defend you, do not worry." I got up from the floor and left the cavern room I was in with Swordclaw following me.

No-One's POV

When the two males exited the cave, the sunlight shone upon them, blinding them for a few seconds. After they regained their vision, they noticed no hunters in their area. That is because they are at their home base, relaxing.

Speaking of the hunters, let us see what they are doing.

At a city called Repaza Town, the sounds of random furs laughing, the different birds and scalies flying around, and the joys of children can be heard. The buildings are high (not skyscraper tall), and freshly made food smells are addicting. However, hidden underneath a particular spot of the town was a bookcase. Very odd for someone to put an 8-feet tall, weigh 100 pounds, and have many new books and magazines there at a dark alleyway. That is because, underneath the bookcase, it was a hidden entrance. The entrance leads to an underground area, the area where the DragoDeath Clan lives in.

The DragoDeath Clan is a group of many people who were hunters, serial killers, poachers, and murderers that love to kill rare, majestic, and mythical creatures. Every time they kill a target, which would range from the smallest of rare breeds to the hugest of big, extraordinary animals, they get to bring the corpses of their target's body and bring them to the black market, where their bodies can be made in weapons, armor, accessories, and maybe just clothes by some anonymous group. Once they- the DragoDeath Clan- bring the bodies to the black market, the people will buy them, and the money would get shipped to the Clan's leader, who would use that money to either arm their squadrons with better gear, try to use that money to buy lots of instant-healed potions just in case one member of the hunters were injured, or they just keep it to themselves until they reach the next milestone. Besides the killing, the Drago-Death Clan also has some rules.

1) Never betray the Clan (The punishment was death)
2) Never let your target get out of your sight.
3) Those who were not a target (Let's say a cute anthro bunny boi) were with the target (let's say a hybrid between a Cheetah and a Lightning Dragon), they- both the non-targeted person and the targeted person- must be executed.
4) Under no circumstances would you try to kill the leader of the group (The punishment was that the rule-breaker gets sent to a room where they get painfully tortured until they either die or apologize loud enough that the leader can hear)

Those were the rules this group has to offer. Now, enough information crap, let's get back to the story.

The leader of the Drago-Death Clan was in a room called the Training Room, punching the living crap out of the wooden testing dummy. It has only been a day since his target has escaped, and he can't stop thinking about it. Just thinking about Swordclaw being free got him to growl loudly. When he was about to do another punch, one of Glas's hunters- a female 17-year-old Grey Cat furry huntress named Fyrea- walked in the room. "Hello, Leader Glas, sir," Fyrea said as she stood up straight and put a hand over her head as if it was greeting. Glas stopped when he heard her voice, and he growled lowly, looking at Fyrea with a glare. "What brings you here?" He asked as he calmed himself down and put the testing dummy away. "Well, I am here to let you know that the corpse of our target's mother is currently being sliced, skinned, and slowly being made into stuff for our squadrons," Fyrea explained before she took out what appears to be a wavy sword. "One of them made a sword out of the dragon's horn, then fusing it with some molten metal to create this sharp sword. Isn't this great?"

Glas sighed. "Don't mention that dragon in my presence. Please." He said, covering his head with his hand. "I wanted to take my mind off of hi-"

A random hunter- which was surprisingly the same one who Azure and Swordclaw encountered- barged in the room before Glas could finish his sentence. "GLAS, MY GROUP AND I WERE FORCED TO RETREAT!!" The hunter exclaimed. Glas stiffened at their voice and growled lowly, looking away. "Do not yell at the leader in our presence, Jake," Fyrea growled. "Shut it, pussycat! Leader Glas, I should have explained more- my group and I found our target," Glas's rage starts rising when the hunter mentions Swordclaw. "But, we were stopped by an anthro fennec fox." Glas was about to attack him, but the words of anthro fennec fox got him to stop.

Fyrea starts laughing hysterically. "Dang, Jake, you have lost your mind." She said, secretly glaring at him. "Yeah, but here is the thing. When my group and I found him and the target, the fox spoke some nonsense. Something about him being the guardian-" Fyrea stops laughing and grabs the hunter by the shoulder. "Dude. What did that fox say? Explain me the details."

"Well, If I can recreate what he said... 'I, Azure AquaFlare, guardian of the forest, will be the guardian of this helpless creature.' I think that is what he said." The hunter explained. Fyrea was surprised. Did she know this fox? Why is she shocked?

Besides that, Glas was standing there, now enraged. "That fox... That fucking fox..." He growled. Fyrea snapped out of her surprised gaze and looked at him. When she realized that he was about to say something, she ran out of the room, leaving Jake in the room with him. "Hey, Glassy Boy, are you ok-" He stopped speaking when he felt something pierce through his chest. He looked down and saw the blade handle, which made his eyes widen with fear. Glas went close to him as Jake stared at the handle in fear.

"Those who were with the target will be executed. You failed to kill the fox, and the punishment is this." Glas whispered into his ear.

"I-I-I am sorry.." Jake spoke, blood slowly dripping out from his mouth.

"...This.. is not accepted in our ranks. I hope you have a good life, Jake before the price is paid." It was the last thing Jake heard before his eyes turned lifeless and his body went limp. Blood oose out as Glas pulls the sword out from the dead hunter's body. Jake is now deceased.

Fyrea, who watched the scene from a slightly opened door, was horrified as she saw the lifeless hunter fall on the floor. It was not her first time seeing the death of another hunter, but it scares her to this day. She knows that she CAN'T fail him, and she will try to stay alive, no matter the cost.

[3/24/22]
(A/N: Wow, this is been a lot of months since I last updated this story. I wish I could get rid of this stupid writers block... Oh well, I hope you liked the chapter.)
{Word Count: 1790}