Fritz

Expressionless, Fritz looked down at her littermate, Moun, as he scraped his head on the hard rock surface, tongue lolling out, with his butt high in the air, his tail even higher. He was lucky they were alone. Her packmates would have likely attacked Moun over the position of his tail. It was like he was claiming dominance. In a way, she supposed, he was dominant, at least over her. His eyes flicked upwards at his sister, and his mouth seemed to form a silly affectionate grin, long sliding out even more, laying against the stone. He let out a playful ruff, as if wanting to play. Fritz only stared back, the feather gag and metal rod in her mouth prevented her from responding. She thought back to when she first joined the Wolves of the Beyond. She and her littermates had been mauled and abandoned by their birth parents, left for dead in the Glacier zone, where their parents had assumed no wolf pack would venture to. After all, pup killing and abandonment was one of the highest crimes a wolf could commit, especially when the enclave was always open and willing to take pups. Any wolf who was discovered to have committed these heinous acts would suffer a fate worse than death, and any and all neighboring packs would be summoned to punish them. Only then would the criminals be ripped apart by each pack's own omega. But her parents had underestimated the Wolves of the Beyond. Their new Alpha, Asakiri, was a prodigy in her own right, breeding and raising her pack and herself to be skilled enough that they could explore all the zones. And upon hearing puppy cries in the freezing glacier, had descended upon the pups (and soon after, their parents who hadn't made it far enough away.) Asakiri's herbalist had done his best to save them. But only Fritz and Moun survived. Although in a way, Fritz's little brother Moun never truly made it out of the glacier. Their parent's had delivered several heavy blows to Moun's skull, and he had stopped breathing several times before their rescue. His brain was damaged beyond recovery. After hearing this, Asakiri had invoked "Pup's Mercy". A heavy ritual where the alpha of a pack requests permission of the pup's parents or herbalist to allow them to mercy kill a pup. This is the only time pup killing is lawful. The ritual itself doesn't have any requirements to be invoked, but it's generally an unspoken rule that it's only if the pup is too sick or injured to recover. Fleetfoot had given permission and presented her with Moun. What happened next was something Fritz would regret for the rest of her life. Fritz had attacked Asakiri upon seeing her jaws close around Moun's tiny neck, preparing to swiftly clench and snap it. She'd latched onto her back lower legs, biting with enough strength to draw blood and cause a temporary limp. Asakiri had been so startled she'd released Moun. That's when the packs initial welcoming and sympathetic attitude towards the pups changed dramatically. Everyone turned hostile and was furious at Fritz. Even though Fritz was a puppy, no pack member could attack an alpha and escape unpunished. When a pup did it, normally, depending on the severity of the attack, the punishment was either light and scolding, given the role of omega (they could earn their way out of the role eventually), or in special cases, put on hold until the pup was an adult. Initially, Asakiri seemed willing enough to make it light, but she had been surprised at her packs utter fury at her injury (Fritz later realized this was Fleetfoot's doing.) and felt pressured to make Fritz the omega and have someone pin her so she could finish the Pup's Mercy. But Fleetfoot refused to let that be the end. He stopped the ritual, telling Asakiri he'd changed his mind and she could no longer mercy kill Moun. This shocked everyone, but had filled Fritz with joy at the time. Until Fleetfoot turned his icy gaze to her and Moun. It was full of hate and malice. He declared that her punishment should be that she would become the omega, her muzzle and head would be bound in a headpiece like all omega's and whenever she was not eating, drinking or helping the pack, her mouth would be gagged by feathers to prevent her from biting anyone again. "Besides. Her brother will make enough racket for the both of them." He had jeered. He then went on to say that Fritz would be the one to care for Moun, "Or should I say, Moon Moon." He'd sneered, giving a cruel nickname to the disabled pup. Asakiri had tried to overrule this, declare that was not right and she would decide as the alpha, only for the pack to howl and cheer in support for Fleetfoot. Fritz remembered how Asakiri had looked bewildered, shocked, and then fearful at how easily her pack ignored her. Their life of hell began shortly after Fritz and Moun entered adolescence. Moun became basically the pack punching bag, and Fritz was muzzled and gagged by Fleetfoot. Secretly Fleetfoot would also take her away from camp and attack her, venting some built up frustration about something. Asakiri tried to help them whenever possible but found her authority ripped away every time she did. Fritz realized something was very wrong very quickly. She spied on Fleetfoot whenever possible, and quickly learned of his obsession and plans, and how he was practically already the alpha over the pack. But he caught her one day, right as he was obsessing over Asakiri. But instead of killing her and protecting his secret like she expected, he spoke softly. Kindly. In a way Fritz had yearned for her entire life. Treated her gently and lovingly. Fritz was shocked at how quickly she fell in love and forgave him for everything. Perhaps she too had died on the glacier long ago. Maybe she also had a bit of brain damage. She found herself pregnant within the same moon. Fleetfoot needed soldiers. He also needed a mate to avoid suspicion about his lust for Asakiri. And Fritz, as much as he hated her, was beautiful and broken. He could mold her however he wanted. Their pups had been adorable. Even Fleetfoot thought so. But pups, he said, are not enough to prove your love to me. Fritz had wailed and begged him to let her prove it. And here she and Moun stood, on the edge of the territory, the bottom of her muzzle missing, secretly letting her sharp jaws be free to bite. Her expression finally changed, twisting into a disgusting and hateful snarl. Moun's tail dropped in surprise. She dropped the muzzle with ease and growled. "Everything is all your fault. I hate you, you stupid waste of a wolf." Moun's eyes filled with tears and he whined, scraping closer to her, as if trying to apologize. Her gaze filled with disdain. "Goodbye Moon Moon." She lunged and Moun's whine was cut short. Fleetfoot watched from a distance and grinned. One down. One to go. Fritz would join her brother that same night, poisoned by the "snack" Fleetfoot had given her upon her return. Fleetfoot had finally eliminated the wolves who hurt Asakiri so long ago.