Part 2. The King of Fighters
I felt a push at the back of my head as they tried to force me to the ground. The jackal hadn’t washed in days, I could tell from the way his scent filled the air when he dropped his trousers. I struggled to fight back, but my body refused to respond, the shock of the taser was more than I could handle. I wanted to scream out, but what was the point? Who would hear me?  I caught a look at the guard through the thick glass wall as he and another watched us. His breathing and pupil dilation told me he was aroused, he was getting off on it. I remember wondering if everyone outside of my home was a pervert.

Roughly, they jerked back on my hair. I let out a loud cry as they pulled me forward. It was looking like they would have their way with me and I wondered if I would have to go along with it to survive. Suddenly something hit the jackal from behind and he hit the ground, hard! After that, everyone’s attention turned from me. I felt a hand push me back and I crumpled to the wall. It took every ounce of my strength to rise up and see what was going on. What I saw was nothing short of amazing.

The large wolf with the scars was swinging violently at a medium-sized, blonde, muscular mustelidae. I hadn’t seen his like before, similar to a weasel or an ermine, but much thicker in his build. He moved gracefully as if he was dancing, but his fighting prowess was anything but. It was vicious and direct. He had the focus and killer instinct of one my peoples Neierid Warriors.

Time slowed down for me as I watched the spectacle intently. Like I’d done before, he was putting down multiple inmates who dared to challenge him, but when he put them down, they weren’t getting back up. I moved quickly as the big wolf slammed into the concrete wall next to me. Like a golden blur, my unknown savior grabbed an advancing dingo and spun him around. After an elbow to the neck, he maneuvered the upper half of the dingo’s body down by the arm, slamming his face into his knee. With the twist of his hand he buckled the canine’s elbow, breaking it, before reaching up and back-handing him to the ground.

The wolf growled and he and the pretty boy with the green hair attacked. Their assault wasn’t met with much success though. The hob was too fast. He caught the pretty boy’s arms and contorted them, and I heard a snap even from the few yards away. He then flipped his body around, slamming him into the big wolf, who seemed unfazed as he began to charge, snarling, but the blonde stranger stood there, looking into his eyes.  His posture, I realized; was like that of a stoat. I’d read about them, they’re supposed to be small but fierce. But this guy was tall, stout and muscular.

“That’s enough!” a loud commanding voice shouted into the air.  The stoat didn’t blink; he just looked at the vicious wolf, growling threateningly in his face.
“Save that shit for the ring!” the voice commanded. The wolf sneered, spitting at the blonde hob, whose hand moved like lightning, catching it in his palm. The wolf laughed and turned to walk away.
“Hey, you forgot this,” the jack said calmly. As the wolf turned around he slapped him heartily smearing the spittle back on the wolf face and fur, knocking him down to the ground.

The feral beast snarled, “You think you’re invincible huh? Think no one can challenge the champ. I got news for you, you’re going to leave that ring in a body bag, Sigurd!” The wolf stood up menacingly. I walked slowly, keeping my eye on everything as I tried to make my way to my savior. My motion didn’t go unnoticed. “And I’ll catch up with this hot piece of ass later.” His smile sent discomfort through my body, but the handsome stoat wasn’t having that.
“Decency, my title, this boy and a smell that doesn’t peel paint off the walls are all things that are just outside your brutish reach, Genesis.” He mocked, standing in front of me. Sigurd gave me a look, weakened and beaten I couldn’t make out what the expression was meant to convey. Either way I was happy he was standing in front of me, because the guards were now approaching; flanking a genet whose step was graceful and prominent. I assumed his was the voice I had heard and I could not help but realize how pretty he was for his position.
“My dear Sigurd, I see you have met our new arrival. He is, how you say, spirited. I suspect this spirit led to the altercation you managed to break up. My guards tell me he picked a fight with some inmates. Not wise.” He grinned at me, letting me know he knew what he said was a lie. I wanted to shout out, refute him, but Sigurd raised an arm and I held my tongue.

“This is an Ahes Otter, a male Ahes otter. You know the trouble you can get in from having him here warden,” he said, looking stern. The warden laughed in response, waving his hands dismissively. So this was the cunning Warden Jean Lesage I’d thought to myself. He seemed vile and immoral I wondered to myself if he’d keep the book from me out of pure spite.

“I do, however, know no one is above the law and until I hear back from the representative from the consulate he will serve his three-month sentence for aggravated assault, assault of an officer and obstruction of justice.” The genet laughed.
I was shocked... I mean, I expected a heavy handed approach but three months?
“You know he’ll be out the second the consulate hears about this.” Sigurd warned.

“Why the concern,” Warden Lesage asked curiously.
“It’s a rare treat that something like this falls my way,” Sigurd said, grabbing me possessively. I was too weak to fight him and incredibly surprised by his words. Had he only saved me for himself?
“I see... well, champ, if you want this wet little cur, then I will oblige you. But do not wear yourself out on this tramp, I paid good money for you. You better be in top form for your match.” Lesage sneered, rolling his eyes at me much the way a jealous female does when competing for a male. There was more to their relationship, I was sure, but now wasn’t the time for that.
I struggled to remove myself from the stoat’s grasp and he let me go without a fight. I wanted to speak but he shushed me, making sure that the guards and the warden were not in sight anymore.
“Why did you save me...” I asked softly, regaining a bit of my composure. The jack looked at me and then around at the inmates that were now giving him a wide birth.

“Not here,” he replied softly. I could tell he wanted to say something but I realized we weren’t really safe amongst all the people he’d beaten up. “Come with me!” He took me by the hand. I almost fought, but compared to a room of horny psychopaths, one man of undetermined alignment was a strategically better option. I followed him as he pulled me out of the room and down a corridor. On the walls there were turrets and cameras, the floor was squared and they looked like the eyes on an electric stove.
“I know where we are, but I’m not gonna sit back and watch somebody get raped,” he said looking off to the side. His answer was simple and sweet. I think I was hoping for more. Maybe I was a little disappointed he didn’t want me for himself. “Look, you can do whatever you want, but try to keep your nose down until your people spring you.” He said, turning to walk away.

I don’t know why, but at that moment I reached out for him, grabbing onto his shirt. I wasn’t ready to tell anyone why I was really here, but I knew for a fact that survival wasn’t going to be as easy as I thought.
“I can’t trust anyone here,” I said softly.
“You think you can trust me?” he asked, laughing. I felt a little uneasy, thinking about what that dirty marmot said earlier about my assets. I leaned forward, placing my chest to his back, hoping he wouldn’t recoil.
“I don’t think I can manage here on my own. I would like to purchase your services as a bodyguard,” I said, trembling a bit. I felt him move slightly, his buddy relaxing as his attention turned back to me.
“And what have you to trade, little boy?” His voice was almost a dagger in my side.
I lowered my head, one criminal was better than a room of them, but I had my dignity. I couldn’t just spell it out for him.  “Please do not shame me further by making me say it. We both know I’ve only one thing to barter here,” I said, unable to meet his gaze. He turned towards me, a scowl on his face. I thought at first it was fevered, that he’d take his prize right there and now. He pushed me back into the wall hard, his hand on my shoulder. I tried not to whimper as he neared close enough to kiss me. His nose, slightly wet and soft, tickled my ear and I felt his breath on my neck.

“I’ll do it,” he said softly. “But for my payment I’m going to ask that you never disgrace yourself like that in front of me again.” His words were stern and his eyes intense. In an instant I could do nothing more but blush under my fur and turn my gaze to the floor. Without a word, he moved off of me and place a finger to my chin, forcing me to meet his eyes.
“I am Sigurd Gunnarsson II, and as long as you do not break your agreement with me you are under my protection,” he said, placing his hands back in his pockets. With that, he began to walk away and I was left stunned.
To meet one such as him in a place like that, was it fortune or not? Sure, I’d met someone who would make my mission much easier, but in receiving it I’d exposed how inadequate and weak of heart I truly was. I began to doubt whether or not I could truly do what needed to be done. I began to question just what I really was willing to do to get it.