The Lands of Ralosia & Ranuulo (Books 1-3)

Saran Plains Memories Chapter 2- Hopper

                                                ~Chapter 2- Hopper~

Aero and Corri mounted Rojo and took to the skies. It wasn't long until they entered the Chihuahua's 'territory'. A particularly treacherous valley where few treaded. There was a small, dilapidated home of stone that appeared to have been abandoned for years. Aero couldn't help but think the house looked familiar.

Near it was the beast.

A beast of grey and white hair. The tailless canine was splayed out on the ground with its thin legs outstretched. It was sleeping, its body lying against the home. The Chihuahua was nearly as large as the house and could've easily destroyed it if it wanted to. But it seemed to be guarding it.

Temp and Jirro rode atop Kelvin through the dry plains, stopping at an outcropping of rock, out of sight of the beast. Aero and Corri descended to them. Kelvin was growling lowly; it could sense the Chihuahua over yonder.

As Aero looked around the valley, he had an overwhelming sense of nostalgia. It seemed recognizable to him.

"Doesn't this place look familiar?" Aero asked Corri and Jirro.

"Not really," Corri answered.

Jirro looked around for a moment. Aero could tell it was clicking with him as well, "Yeah... It actually does. Sort of like that place we used to live before Platt Mountain."

Corri chirped, "I don't remember that place..."

Temp questioned, "Why did you move?"

Aero paused before answering, "Our dads said we had to for some reason. I don't remember why."

"That's not really important now, is it?" Jirro asserted, "The good thing is that it's asleep already. We might be able to take it out without it noticing us."

Corri couldn't help but interject, "Do we really need to kill it? Maybe we could try and scare it off instead?"

Jirro peered over at the sleeping beast. It was snoring loudly, "I don't think so. If we scare it off, it could come back. That's no good for the people in the town."

Corri frowned, "I'm not helping then."

Temp said, "Don't worry! They can probably kill it in one blow. It won't feel a thing."

Corri scowled at the thought.

While the three were talking, Aero had been staring at the Chihuahua and the decrepit home it slept by. The dog was waiting for something. His heartbeat quickened when he made the connection. It was waiting for someone.

While the others were coming up with a plan to sneak up on it, Aero began to make his way towards the Chihuahua alone.

He walked through dry grass towards the home, and the Chihuahua's nose began to twitch. Its eyes barely opened, and at the sight of Aero, it stood and growled. Its pointed ears shot up. Its legs were so long and lanky that Aero could walk in between them. Despite its aggressive stance, he drew closer.

"What're you doing!?" Jirro hollered from a distance.

The Chihuahua emitted a high-pitch bark and charged. In any other situation, Aero would've braced himself, maybe used a Focus Burst on the beast. But he knew the dog wouldn't hurt him.

The Chihuahua hopped into the air in front of the black-haired boy, knocked him onto his back, and bared its sharp white fangs for him to see clearly. Even as it growled at him, Aero was unafraid. He was even smiling.

The others rushed to Aero's rescue, but there was no need. The beast's face lunged forward at him, not with fangs but a large tongue. The Chihuahua licked him affectionately and nuzzled its nose against him. Aero giggled like a child.

Aero reached around the dog's face and scratched it just behind the ear, and the beast fell to its side comically.

Aero smiled big, "I knew it was you!" He circled around to the Chihuahua's white-haired belly and scratched it, and its hind legs began to kick involuntarily in reaction to it. The Chihuahua nuzzled against Aero excitedly.

The others slowly approached. As soon as the Chihuahua noticed them, it circled behind Aero and snarled. It looked as if it was hiding behind him.

"It's okay bud," Aero said while reaching up to scratch it under its chin, "They're friends!"

Jirro gave a perplexed look, "How did you do that?"

Aero gave a great big smile, "Don't you remember? It's Hopper!"

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In age 983, a small litter of Chihuahuas were born in the Saran Plains. At birth they were small and defenseless, but if they reached adulthood, they'd become a force to be reckoned with. They were unruly and fickle beasts; even hyenas weren't so temperamental. People didn't take kindly to them.

Hunters knew if they grew to full size, they'd be a threat. So they found the Chihuahuas and eliminated them. All but one, the runt of the litter. The small dog wandered through the Saran Plains on its own, struggling to survive, until an 8-year-old boy with rough black hair found it and begged his father to keep it.

One day, when the small dog managed to hop from the ground to their roof, the boy decided to name it Hopper. Over the months, it grew immensely, until the father demanded that it stay outside. The boy decided that he'd sleep outside with the dog, despite his father's protests.

At the end of age 983, the father decided it was time for them to move. When the boy asked why, he refused to answer. The boy fetched Hopper to come with him, but the father insisted that the dog stay.

"He'll draw too much attention to us," he said.

The boy begged and cried to keep Hopper, but the father didn't waver. One day, Hopper awoke to check on its boy, but they were gone! The boy's entire family had left. Hopper was certain it would be back. So, it waited. The Chihuahua sat near the home and waited for its boy to return.

Days passed. Months. Then years. The house began to weather away. The dog continued to wait by what remained of it. Many others came along, but Hopper wouldn't allow them to trespass on that land. The nearby townsfolk didn't take kindly to its temper and set a bounty for anyone who could kill Hopper.

In age 988, another group came to its domain. Hopper was prepared to defend its land. But one of them approached Hopper alone; this one had a familiar scent to it, and unlike the others, he didn't seem to harbor any ill intent against him. Once the canine got a closer look and saw that rough black hair, it knew that its boy had finally returned.

Aero was back.