Furry Art Pile

Short Story: The End Of Martin The Fox

Time had been passed by. Many things had happened to Martin. He had made the fortune he dreamed about. He had found the women of his life and they had children. They were happy family some time. Idea of making a difference occurred time to time to Martin, but he was always too busy to really do something big and important.

Years passed by, Martins children grew up, Martin worked hard and couldn't be attend to his family. Eventually Martin was rich enough so he didn't have to look after his money himself, but it was too late. His children were adults and wife was quite bored to the old man who was never home.

Dream of making a difference was buried, Martin started to seek amusement from other things. He had nearly forgotten the strange lynx and the eyeless panther. They were just hallucinations to him, ghosts from the past. Martin was looking to future, world was open to him, he had no responsibilities, he was free to go where he wanted and do anything he could afford.

-----

Martin slept. He slept in a luxurious bed in a luxurious room. The room was a part of quite a big house, which was a part of Martins quite a big property. Once Martin had been poor soldier of fortune, he had been forced to fight even to earn his daily meal. Now he was wealthy, he didn't have to work anymore. There were stock brokers, who looked after his money and shares, and servants, who looked after his house and kept him fed.

Martin slept alone, which was rather unusual. He wasn't young anymore, but he had had no lack of company of women after his divorce. He didn't have so good relationship with his ex-wife. Their children were adults and were studying away from home. They weren't so keen to meet their father, except for asking for money. Martin wasn't sorry for that, he could afford their education and almost anything they would ask. Money had substituted love and care in his own world.

Martin slept late. He had partied after small hours last night. He enjoyd his life. He was rich and experienced, there was nothing to slow him, no wife or small children, no daily work. Fast cars, luxury, partying and women were his interests now.

Martin startled awake. There was someone in his room. He lifted himself to sitting position. There was a stranger sitting on a chair. He looked at the stranger.

”Who're you?”

The stranger just sat on the chair beside his bed. He was clad in white. The stranger looked at Martin peacefully, feeling of serenity radiated from him. A strange tickling started just there where Martin couldn't quite locate it. He closed his eyes.

”Oh, not this again. Marty, you have to learn to take it easy. Too much wine, too many women and too little sleep.” He looked at the stranger. ”You are supposed to be the white king, I presume.”

The White King answered affirmatively.

”I'm hallucinating again”, Martin said to himself.

The White King laughed and told he was not a hallucination.

”Oh, really.” Martin felt himself tired. He looked again at the stranger. ”Amuse me, why are you here?”

The White King told the day was the last day of Martins life. Martin laughed.

”I think you have made a mistake. I'm not that old yet, there are things that I haven't tried and places where I haven't been, I'm not ready to die.”

The White King smiled. He told that this was Martins last day, liked he that or not.

”Okay, this is the last day of my life. What are you going to do?” This hallucination thing was easy to take, Martin had experienced it twice before.

The White King asked the question.

”Hey, I haven't made any deal, I'm not going to serve any king.”

The White King made a remark on Martins luck after the incident in the big city.

”Yeah, I have been a lucky man after that, but it has nothing to do about anyone else except me. It was me, who lifted myself out of the sewers. My own work, sweat and blood. And now I am enjoing the fruits of my efforts.”

The White King became solemn. He looked hardly at Martin. He said that it was his last chance, the opportunity was not going to come again. Martin didn't know what he was rejecting.

“I serve nobody except me, so begone, hallucination, I don't believe in you!”

The White King sighed. He asked if Martin was sure he wasn't going to join.

”No, I am not going to.”

Martin had answered three times negatively. The White King looked sadly at Martin, stood up and walked slowly out. At the door The White King looked at Martin once more before stepping out.

”Yes, run away, hallucination. You are not real, there are no immortals or supernatural forces. I am going to sleep now and when I wake up, everything is going to be as usual.”

The White King had stepped out and different person entered the room. A familiar person to Martin. The newcomer was Smallnose the Panther. Suddenly Martin felt himself totally awake. There was no feeling of slumber, no hangover. Just overwhelming sensation of the reality. Smallnose sought Martin with his eyeless sight.

Suddenly Martin was full of activity. He stood up fast and leaped towards the door. He was agile for a fox of his age, considering the years of drinking and partying, but he was no match to the panther. Martins leap was interrupted by the panther and he crushed on the floor. The collision emptyed his lungs and he felt great pain in his chest. He was going to stand up again and run, but Smallnose took him to his grip. Martin couldn't do anything against the muscular feline. Almost gently Smallnose lifted him up, Martin was stuck in the panthers grasp.

Martin turned his gaze to the face of Smallnose. Eyeless face looked back, Smallnose was panting a little and Martin could see the stump of the tongue in his maw, between the great fangs. The sense of reality came to its highest point. The White King had been right, it was the last day of Martins life, he realised it now, but couldn't do anything about it. It was too late.

”Oh shit.”

-----

The White King stepped to the corridor.

”He said no, did he not?” asked the lynx.

The White King answered affirmatively. He noted to the panther, it was his job now. The panther entered the room.

”Shame. He had such a talent in him”, the lynx continued.

The White King nodded.

”Smallnose does a good job with him, not a smallest mark.” He fell silent for a moment. He took a broad knife out of his pocket. ”Maybe, you know, after he is dead, I could...”

The White King forbade the lynx.

”Well, old habits die hard”, the lynx said apologizingly and stuffed the knife back to the pocket.

After the panther had done his job, the three Immortals left the place.

-----

Martin was found dead, when one of the maids entered the room to clean it. The police was called. The police found nothing to suspect a murder and an old doctor concluded it had to have been a heart attack after partying all night long that killed Martin.

Many attended the funeral, but Martin was forgotten fast. His dream had once been to make a difference, but he fell to mediocrities. Martins fortune was split up between his children, every one of them got rather big share of it. If any remembered Martin, he was remembered for living fast and dying young.