Quality Part 5

A purple fox came into her own main office, having just been on a business trip. Being empress of Wysdom offered little chance for rest, and as she reclined back, she wasn't expecting a letter from the Ice Cream Pack.

Very well. She opened the letter, and frowned. "Hm, this is quite disturbing, and it seems I will have to talk with Jazmyn."

Her secretary said, "Exalted Owlis? Two wolves claim they need a meeting with you, and one of them is Ahmond."

Wasn't she under arrest by the hyenas? Owlis raised an eyebrow, suspicious. "Send them in."

The door opened, and the wolf coyote and her cousin walked in. "Empress Owlis?" Ahmond asked. "Since we saved the kingdom, can we ask you a favor?"

"I suppose you can," Owlis said, wondering if they were doppelgangers.

"Um." Baynana looked away.

Ahmond took over, and told Owlis, "We were under arrest by the hyenas for running away from home. Are you willing to help us, I don't know, run away?"

"So you want help running away from your parents?" Owlis asked.

"No," Ahmond said. "Our cousins."

Well that makes all the difference, Owlis thought sarcastically as she stared over the young kids, and said, "While I can, it's not my place to help. If you're having problems, it's about time you deal with them, on your own. Now, would you like to come with me as I settle the situation with Jazmyn?"

Baynana said, "She arrested us for no reason-"

"Just a second," Owlis said, "just a second. I ask you a yes or no question. Would you like to come with me as I settle the situation with Jazmyn, yes or no?"

"Yes," Ahmond and Baynana said, and Owlis nodded.

"Very well." The empress's smile went up to either corner of her mouth. "In which case, consider it done."

***

Mosor bit down on the ear of the guard. That in and of itself may not be too painful, but the fact she was on his back may have added to the potential pain factor. She clung on to him, wrapping her bicep around his neck for leverage, as he tried to throw her off.

Vanos and Kyofi fought guards head to head, with headbutts and mashing of teeth, and throwing them over in suplexes. They were probably the strongest two members of the Ice Cream Pack.

That left Mynt who went with a rogueish strategy of hitting and running away.

Overall, for four wolves going up against dozens of hyenas, they were doing well, just not getting in any overpowering hits. If Kyofi took down one guard, one more was sure to come, and they were swarming, not just hanging back. So Kyofi would have to charge after each guard, even before being settled with the first one.

Jazmyn herself stayed back. She paced as she observed her guards getting thrashed around, but she seemed to take no heed of the fact, just walked and watched.

Some guards sent elemental magic attacks at the four, and soon battered them, and bruised them. Until...

Lightning strikes reigned from the sky. The ground cracked in front of guards, forcing them to jump back, and even Jazmyn herself was almost struck by a fork.

"I DEMAND TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON!"

Over the eve of morning, in the horizon, everyone looked and saw a purple fox coming down, with two wolves in tow.

The Ice Cream pack paused, as they saw their cousins coming down. However, they'd rather not approach too soon, as they saw Owlis, crackling with fury, and with electricity!

Owlis made her way to the battlefield, everyone dispersing as she walked by, almost like oil from water.

"So," Owlis said, "I turn my back away from this kingdom for one week, and there's a civil war going on? I can't leave for more than one minute. And there's a civil war going on."

Jazmyn told the Empress, "Well you see, they were attacking my armies and-"

"Just a second," Owlis said, holding a paw up. "I did not ask you to try to explain, nor did I ask to hear a justification. In fact, there is none."

Jazmyn growled, and looked away, as Owlis began scolding.

"For some reason, I was told you had these young wolves trapped within your kingdom, within your palace walls because they ran away. Is this right?"

"They hadn't been dealt with properly-"

"-Excuse me, just a second. I did not ask why you did it, I only asked you a yes or no question: Is this correct?"

Jazmyn said, "Yes."

Owlis frowned. "And instead of doing literally anything else, you think you had the right to kidnap these poor children, and saddle them with charges?"

"It's standard procedure- er, yes."

Owlis said, "Now you may give me a good reason as to why you thought this was an intelligent move on your part."

Jazmyn cleared her throat. "Under the guidelines of the hyena kingdom, children who run away are, well, it's illegal to run away. So I had them arrested. Normally, I would have turned them over, but I realized they would just be forgiven and given what they want, a combination of givens I could not permit."

Owlis nodded. "And you're saying the best way to deal with the situation was to lock them up again? I happen to think that was a foolish decision, a very foolish decision considering we got up in arms about it, wouldn't you say?"

Jazmyn blushed a dark yellow, while Kyofi laughed.

Owlis turned to Kyofi. "Pardon, are you laughing right now, when you're in trouble too?"

Kyofi blinked, and said, "I, uh..."

"Yes or no."

"Yes," Kyofi said.

Owlis nodded. "Very well, I see that, and so we need to talk about what you did. Instead of waiting for me, since I was bound to return early, you figured you'd go and enact some sort of vigilante justice?"

Mosor wanted to justify for them, but she just said, "Yes."

Owlis asked, "Why?"

Mosor said, "We didn't want Ahmond and Baynana to get punished, therefore we went forward, and tried to take them back ourselves. During which, the hyenas all attacked us. We fought back."

Owlis walked amongst the battlefield, and scorched earth. "On one hand, I can at least understand that sentiment, on the other, it was borderline moronic to keep fighting when you clearly have a lot of places to run away to."

Kyofi muttered, "They instigated."

"Well I'm ending," Owlis said, her tone not unlike a parent who caught siblings bickering. "So let me tell you what I'm going to do."

She stood in a halfway point between the two groups, and pointed at Jazmyn first.

"You, it was not right for you to do what you did, and Ahmond and Baynana are members of the Ice Cream Pack, but also members of N:Era. You also had no right to try attacking individuals who were peacefully obtaining their cousins."

Jazmyn said, "But-"

Owlis raised a paw in dominating fashion. "I want that law altered. The goal of a no running away law is to make sure the child is okay, and isn't in danger, not to exert some kind of control."

Jazmyn nodded and said, "I understand."

"As for you," Owlis said, and pointed to Mosor, "your family is not allowed to fight kings and queens. Nor are they allowed to cause a ruckus, invade a palace, or what else was mentioned this night."

Mosor said, "We understand that too."

Owlis went over to the kids. "Also, as for you, Baynana and Ahmond-" The two girls stared at her. "No running away. Unless there is an abusive situation I need to know about, that was childish and moronic in so many ways, that I could make a whole list which would require a ten page document. Understand?"

Ahmond nodded.

Owlis said, "With that at hand, your family is not coming anywhere near Sandrun for the next thirty days. Sandrun is barred from any activities or festivals for the same amount of time-"

"Wait, you can't do that!" Jazmyn said, taking a heaving breath. "We demand competition, and the Fall Festival is coming up in less than 30 days!"

Owlis told her, "You should have thought of that before sending a whole army on someone!"

Ahmond and Baynana began to sneak away again, when Owlis said, "You two, stay where you are."

Both paused.

Owlis stared at Mosor. "First of all, I don't want to hear a word about them getting punished again. I'll handle that."

Vanos said, "We're the ones who are their family, you shouldn't be the one saying what their punishment is."

Owlis raised an eyebrow. " And yet you clearly messed up."

Vanos felt the anger making his heart almost burst, but in the end, he understood Owlis made a good point.

Owlis said, "Now, I can sympathize with your plights, all three parties. However, for you Baynana and Ahmond, since you used dark magics on someone, and nearly caused a riot, you are to return in the care of your family this instant. I don't want to hear no more running away. And I want you all to have an open and honest dialogue, where there are no shut downs, for if there are, Baynana and Ahmond will be telling me."

For a second, Ahmond smiled, but it turned back down to a frown as she realized Owlis had yet to name their consequences.

Owlis said, "Also, escaping from trial is, in and of itself a crime. While I doubt you need to spend time in a penitentiary, I do believe some consequences are necessary. To make sure you don't do this again, you are also banned from the hyena kingdom for thirty days, and if you need to play with Lilu, you'll have to head to some other kingdom for that."

Ahmond blinked, wondering how Owlis knew about her and Lilu. Was it mentioned by Jazmyn? Maybe she brought up how her high class daughter spent time with some of her little friends.

Owlis said, "So, about the dark magic..."

Baynana shuddered and stared away.

"That is completely, one hundred percent, unacceptable. The fact it was being hidden, the fact you used it, or the fact that by dark magic we really mean forbidden magic. Magic from an evil origin."

There was normal dark magic, the dark magics of protection and shade, but then there was evil magic. Forbidden magic.

Owlis said, "Your magic is forbidden in this kingdom, after what Lhyna did. Therefore, while it seems extreme to do to you what happened to Lhyna, I'll have no other choice."

"Am I getting executed?" Baynana asked, worried.

Owlis said, "Er, no. I haven't executed anyone in almost... ever."

Baynana asked, "Are you going to cut off my hand?"

"Well no. My hand collection is growing a little too large..."

Baynana asked, "Are you going to force me to listen to those rap albums you made and no one ever wants to listen to?"

Before, Owlis was simply going to have Baynana under observation for two days. Afterwards, once they understood her powers, she'd be released with little more than a warning.

However, in her now agitated state, the Empress had little other mood than to say, "You're getting a good, old fashioned, Wysdom classic spanking."

Almost everyone's eyes widened. It wasn't like there was a legal tradition of having a criminal be spanked. Then again, considering the age of the culprit, perhaps it wasn't that weird.

Owlis said, "And that applies to you too, Ahmond."

"Me, what did I do!?" she asked.

"The exact same things as her! You even amplified the magics!" Owlis said. "In fact, your entire family gets spanked! Now, if you don't mind, you are all excused, and I'm taking a relaxing bubble bath."

Jazmyn said, "Empress Owlis, we simply must discuss-"

"I have a family to whoop, and grapes to drink, so deal with it yourself." With that, Owlis turned and walked away.

***

All members of the Ice Cream Pack were situated in their home, recovering from a surprisingly traumatizing encounter with the empress. Vanos decided to talk, about their situation, openly.

"Understandably, we're all a little dismayed by the news we've just received, but aren't we glad our family is back together and we can all talk? Just live in peace."

"We are supposed to have an open dialogue," Ahmond said.

Vanos said, "...Okay, fine. If you want an open dialogue, Ahmond, Baynana, you two are kids still. I've always had to protect you, but it's more than that."

Ahmond said, "I don't think some of these rules are for our protection. Sometimes it seems like none of you are letting me speak, such as about whether Baynana can stay or not."

Mosor said, "That's... Yes that's not for your protection."

Vanos shook his head. "If we can't handle it, we can't handle it! In some small way, that must be a form of protection."

Mosor scanned Vanos and Ahmond. "We are not going to have to talk about giving Ahmond more rights. She was correct, in that she has rights, and we've been ignoring them, because we haven't been looking to her as equal." She stared at Ahmond. "And that was wrong."

Ahmond said, "In a few years, I'm not exactly a kid. I just want for all of you to listen to me, and give my opinions some measure. After all, not every kid has a job."

"Our country does have pretty lax child labor standards," Vanos admitted.

Mosor said, "Well, if we can trust you with boiling grease, or with subzero levels of heat, obviously you're capable of other things. Do you want Baynana to stay with us? Break the tie."

Ahmond was about to say yes, but in that moment, she understood she had to be right.

Saying yes, just because Baynana was her friend, would betray she didn't know what to do. She was just going with her heart. At the same time, simply saying no, just for shock value, would be equally wrong and unjust. While saying yes made her look emotional, saying no made her look heartless.

Baynana had evil magic, that fact was clear. A disaster waiting for its signal, unless Ahmond was there, for Ahmond either negated or enhanced her magic.

Baynana had to stay near Ahmond. Not to mention that Owlis may be keeping Baynana here, in either the short or the long term, to make sure she would not cause anymore problems.

Therefore, Ahmond realized, she had only one thing to say.

"Yes. Baynana should stay with us."

Mosor said, "The tie is broken, and Baynana will be staying with us."

Honay and Paynut rose. Paynut said, "That is of the most excellent news, and I assure you, we will be making good on our previous promises-"

Mosor said, "You two will be making a shop, a new ice cream shop."

Honay and Paynut paused, as Honay said, "Excuse us?"

Mosor explained. "Once we're more evenly spaced around the kingdom, we'll become more name recognized, and business will profit. Make a new ice cream shop somewhere. We'll even give you some supplies to help you start out again."

Paynut said, "I don't think you understand, Mosor, we are adults and we're the ones who make the decisions about what we do with our lives."

Mosor said, "No, you're not. Adults don't lie to cover their behinds because they're causing problems. Adults don't sneak around when it concerns their own family. Adults don't do half the stuff you do. Ahmond works for us, hard, every day. When she knows something is wrong, she speaks up, even if we didn't agree with her methods or what she was speaking up about. Ahmond is growing up, and yet you're shrinking down. I used to remember you two as the fun parents. Meanwhile here we are now, and I understand you're not fun, you're just immature."

Paynut and Honay stood down, for cowards could only do that.

Mosor stared at Vanos, and Kyofi, and Mynt, before her glance fell on Baynana. Baynana looked up. "Baynana," Mosor said, "Welcome to our ice cream pack. You start your first work shift tomorrow."

Baynana asked Ahmond, "Do I get to work with hot grease too?"

"I'll even tell you what to do when it splashes on you!" Ahmond said.

And that night, everyone retired, their lives all shuffled around. Once again, the Ice Cream Pack was messed with.

Mosor stared up at the moon, for wolves had a long connection to the celestial body. As the light silhouetted her, she said, "May what I have said be the right things. May we win a Fall Festival considering Sandrun is out of it. Actually..."

Mosor had never been part of the Fall Festival before, nor really cared if she was honest. She had only lived in Wysdom for a couple of years, but the idea of being part of one, maybe even winning in one, struck her as a nice thought.

"Maybe, maybe I'll make sure we win," Mosor said with a slight grin.