Beautiful art made by Kirena-Kaya

Date: July 22, 1500

Omar squinted from the morning sunlight before raising a hand against the bright glare. Grimacing, he adjusted his pack continuing up the hill with his eyes aimed at his feet. Muffled clangs rang out from simple cooking and camp supplies. It was a beautiful day out, a perfect day to take a trip to the nearest village… which was almost a two day walk away. Omar’s tail swished back and forth at the thought of meeting his friends, not intimidated in the slightest at the long walk or possible dangers ahead. He hummed and patted his hip with a smile- a sword swung steady alongside his hip as he walked -not intimidated at all.
Dragging himself up the last few feet of the hill, Omar admired the view for a moment, basking in the sun and the breeze tickling his fur. Taking a step forward he paused before laughing with joy and wagging his tail. Blueberries! Wild Blueberries! Licking his lips, he checked the stem, leaves, and berries to make sure they weren’t nightshade. Satisfied, he picked handful after handful filling his pockets. Happily munching on blueberries he continued down the other side of the hill towards the river and road far in the distance.
Omar trudged along the dusty road looking behind him at the quickly setting sun. The village was still a good few hours away…oh well, he knew he wasn’t gonna make it. He left way too late. Grumbling, he veered off into the woods, searching for a place to set up camp. After a good walk that left the sun completely beneath the horizon- a pink glow the only evidence that it existed in the first place -Omar found a simple cave. He set his pack on the ground stretching his tired muscles before going to gather the firewood with the minuscule amount of light left.
Omar’s eyes lazily drifted around the cave as his focus wavered in and out. He yawned, tired and full from his dinner. He was ready for bed. A dull glow at the entrance to the cave slowly got his attention. His focus wavered once more before it grew sharp and he noticed a blue crystal softly glowing. As he watched, the glow grew brighter and brighter. Until it looked as though a field of fireflies were condensed into the entrance of the cave. A steady hum filled the air as Omar carefully got up and drew his sword, squinting at the now blinding light. The sound of steel sliding across the leather scabbard was barely heard as the humming grew louder. Omar stood there sword at the ready and waited, eyes carefully averted to protect his vision. After an indiscernible amount of time he lowered his guard. Omar was patient but he was not going to stay there waiting forever. Steeling himself, he raised his sword once more and walked forward.

…
……
………………..Gasp!
Omar awoke in a panic jumping to his feet before his vision flickered and he fell against a nearby wall. His body sat in a puddle of filth. Omar felt weak, disoriented, and lethargic, barely able to open his eyes let alone stand. His initial burst of energy long gone. Wha?…What happened?…..He slowly glanced around for his sword and found it strangely back inside the scabbard. He felt heartened by that fact, feeling safer that it was at his side. He tried to grasp at the handle but could barely muster the energy to even move a finger. Omar finally took in his surroundings. Examining the opposite wall, it looked to be made of red bricks neatly stacked on top of each other. Looking down the alleyway Omar saw more red brick buildings along with piles of trash and a thin metal fence. He heard a multitude of strange and angry noises. Screeching, blaring trumpets, talking, humming, like an army of uncoordinated metal beasts hunting for a meal. Wary of danger Omar again tried to pull his sword out but failed. Omar’s thoughts faded as his energy depleted, flowing out of his body like a raging river. He prayed for safety with his last thoughts as he drifted into unconsciousness once more.
Omar sat up blinking away the crust in his eyes. The faint glow of a sunset lit the entrance, casting the rest of the alleyway in shadows. Feeling much more energized Omar rose to his feet. He glanced down at the alley at the loud noises that still permeated the air. Intent on finding out what had happened to him, Omar rested a hand on the pommel of his sword and crept out of the alley. Omar’s grip went slack around his sword and his eyes went wide in shock as he walked onto a bustling sidewalk along an equally busy road. Monstrous buildings towered over him built out of shiny metal and glass, bigger than any stone castle. His eyes darted around frantically at the colorful signs and moving pictures that covered most buildings. He backed up in fear of his surroundings, bumbling into a wolf earning a sharp growl and dangerous glare before he was shoved back. Frantically searching for a sense of normalcy he looked at the street in hope. It was quickly dashed as he found the source of the loud metal beasts he heard earlier. Crazy machines covered the street angrily spewing smoke into the air as they carried people to and fro. A loud series of honks coming from a nearby machine made him whine and flatten his ears in distress. Feeling more and more desperate he turned in circles looking for a way back to the quiet cave and forest that he knew so well. The loud noises, strange machines, the mass crowd surrounding him became too much. Suddenly, a huge glass screen above yelled out an advertisement for some drug. Omar yelped and jumped back into the street before his eyes widened in panic as he realized his mistake.
Claws dug into his shoulder as he was wrenched sideways, he cried out as a sharp pain exploded from his right leg. He fell to the ground on top of his savior. He slowly rolled groaning in pain as he sat up. An arm braced his back and a very worried male snow leopard came into his view. The leopard rested a hand on Omar’s head, “Are you alright?” Omar stared numbly at the road, machines still plowing ahead despite what had just occurred.“Are you alright?” The leopard repeated, growing more concerned. Omar slowly looked into the gentle eyes of the leopard and tried to answer but he was too scared and shaken. He just nodded his head.
The snow leopard breathed a sigh of relief, “thank god, are you hurt at all? Can you stand?”
Omar put pressure on his right leg and immediately cried out. He whined in distress, “I th-think I broke my leg. But I can stand if I lean against you.”
The leopard gnashed his teeth together looking down, “Dammit, If only I was here quicker…” He took a few deep breaths “Ok…ready? On three…one, two Three!” They groaned in unison as they heaved themselves up off the ground.
Omar whined in pain as he leaned heavily against the leopard, swaying back and forth. He looked over at his savior, gratitude filling him, “thank you for saving me, I would surely be dead otherwise. What is your name? Mine is Omar.”
The leopard steadied them, looking over at Omar with sadness, “My name is Emmett. I just wish I could’ve been here sooner, I could’ve saved you the pain.”
Omar looked at Emmett sternly, “You couldn’t have done anything more. You saved my life and that is more than enough.”
Emmett looked back at the road, “There is a hospital half a dozen blocks away, we can take a taxi there.”
Omar glanced at Emmett in confusion, a… taxi? He shook his head, deciding to keep his qualms to himself and instead focus on the person who saved him. Omar took a moment to take in the leopard. He was a femboy snow leopard, probably about 20, lean but strong. His fur was well taken care of and groomed, especially his tail. It flowed like silk between his luscious cheeks as he slowly flicked it side to side. Omar quickly tore his gaze away.
Emmett’s head perked up when he saw an empty taxi heading their way. He waved his free arm wildly drawing the driver’s attention. The cab quickly pulled up to the sidewalk and Emmett helped Omar hobble towards the vehicle.
Omar lifted his head as he felt Emmett leading him. He focused on keeping his weight off his leg until he realized Emmett was dragging him towards the road. One of the angry beasts that had almost ran him over waited there gleaming in the sunlight. Omar tugged against Emmett’s hold, almost dragging them both over.
Emmett grunted as Omar struggled away from the taxi, stopping after they almost fell against a light post. Emmett looked at Omar in confusion, “what are you doing? We have to get you to the hospital.”
Omar looked at Emmett in a slight panic, “I don’t want to get in that that… thing! It almost killed me!”
Emmett’s eyes widened as realization dawned on him, Omar was probably really scared of cars right now after almost getting run over. He leaned in close to the fox's muzzle staring straight in his eyes, “Hey, hey, listen to me, you need to get your leg checked at the hospital. If we walk there then it’s going to get a lot worse.” Emmett glanced back at the angry taxi driver, seeing him about to take off. He quickly turned back to Omar smiling, “Besides, I don’t want to see your beautiful muzzle scrunched up in pain the whole walk there. I’ll even stay with you at the hospital while you get your leg checked out. But you have to get in the car.”
Omar whined in distress at the thought of getting in the…car. He looked at him and saw the sincerity in Emmett’s eyes. His ears perked up at the thought of seeing the leopard a while longer, “o-ok.”
Emmett smiled as he helped Omar hobble towards the taxi, buckling the fox in safe and sound before hopping in himself.