The lead Crown Contribution: Changes and Memories

I was standing at the entrance of the University of Progressive Understanding, the incredibly elaborated doors in front of me were as regal and imposing as the building itself, guarding tirelessly a humongous amount of knowledge which only a few where able to posses, let alone understand. Their only purpose was setting the UPU apart from the outside world and those that wished to destroy it, creating a safe haven for all those willing to learn, to investigate and to research new fields of science, and soon I would be one of its students, something I had never thought would happen even in my wildest dreams.

I still had trouble believing everything that happened in only a few months, to me, it seemed like it had happened a decade ago, changing my whole life along the way: leaving Vallara, the only place I had really known, my childhood friends, and all that I had grown to love, just for a chance to frustrate my father's attempt to make me his successor, the heir of his trading company. iInstead, I hoped to learn everything I could to make life back home better.

I remembered how it all came to be clearly, and I doubted I would ever forget it. It all happened a couple of days after my nineteenth birthday, my father had come back to check on my mom and I, like he did every few months. He was a tall black wolf with gray spots here and there on his fur, showing he was getting old, a fact that he hated being reminded of, but his bright yellow eyes were still full of energy and ambition. He was an intelligent and passionate person, but he was also stubborn as hell and tended to be bossy. He was also my hero, when he came home I thought it would be just another one of his visits, that he would come and tell us stories of the city and his travels, spending sometime with us before going back to business, but this time things were different.

That day my father took me to buy my birthday gift to the nearby trading spot, or like he called it "The Bazaar ". It was actually just a clearing between the dense forest canopy where a lot of merchants and tribals gathered to buy and sell their wares, only a short walk from Vallara. The place was far from the real bazaars my father used to tell me of when I was a pup, but it was still an amazing sight to behold, there was a lot of people gathered here, not as much as in the cities, but still a lot by Vallarian standards, it was a combination of species, social statuses and languages, all gathered in the reduced space, trying to get the best prices and find the things that they were looking for.

As soon as were got there my father entered his ¨business mode¨ and began inspecting the makeshift stands, starting with the closest one to us, an old tribal that was selling some strange herbs and jewelry, the latter which I found fascinating, but my father made it a point that I should take a look at the whole place before buying something. That's how we started browsing the vast sea of vendors, his eyes scanning every piece he considered worthy or interesting enough for us, taking great care to memorized the prices and talk to the vendors in their native language, haggling with the vendors to get the best prices and commenting on some of the wares he found interesting; That was something that I'd always admired of him, he knew a lot about languages and trading, always doing his best with what he got, the very reason he became a successful merchant in a cut throat market like trading.

Soon we had looked through half of the stalls, I had already put my eyes on some interesting books and tribal jewelry. I approached one of the stalls manned by a tall and muscular bear that had a nice tiger's eye tribal necklace, it was beautifully made and you could see the careful effort the artisan had put in it. I lost any time and started to barter with the vendor, I even followed my father's example and talked to the tribal in his own language, getting a nice deal before we moved to the next vendor, leaving a stunned bear behind. But I quickly notice something was wrong with my father, he had been eerily quiet the whole time, something strange in him as he's known as the most talkative wolf you could find in Vallara, a fact that everyone knew(and some loathed) about him. I kept a watchful eye on him for the rest of the day, doing my best to understand the cause of my father's change in his demeanor, countless possibilities crossed my head, but none really gave me the answer I was looking for. In the end I got some books for my birthday and the tribal necklace that had a shining tiger's eye on it, getting a single approbatory look from my father after I got it, and then he got quiet again.

By the time we were back home, I had started to grow worried about his health, there had to be something wrong with it, and I had even considered asking my mom to check him for any sign of disease, but that was all discarded when I saw my mom at the door with a strange expression on her face, instead of the loving husky I had always known, she had something between excitement and sadness that made me think of the worst, and her sky blue eyes were filled with underlying worry. I tried to ask her what was wrong but my voice failed me, only something like a whimper leaving my throat, and I just stood there as both of my parents crossed the door without a single word leaving their mouths.

I don't know how long I stood there, my mind trying to figure out the reason both of them were acting like this, but nothing I thought of seemed likely, and the tension just kept growing with each passing second, the same as my curiosity, until the anxiety that had taken hold of my heart was too much for me to bear. This moment reminded me of the day of my grandmother died, it was the only other time I had seen them like this, when I had made the greatest mistake of my life.

Suddenly, I couldn't take it any longer and bursted right through the door, my parents were sitting at our small old dinning table, my father had tried to convince my mother to buy something bigger at the time, but she had been adamant about it, so the little wood table still adorned our living room, as soon as I entered they had both our eyes on me, my father's eye were so hard on me that I felt goosebumps coursing my body.

''Son, there's something we need to talk about'' my father said in a monotone yet authoritative

voice, and I knew something was wrong, I had read enough books to know that those words were an ill omen, bringing with them troubles and sadness.

''What are you talking about?'' I blurted, waiting for an answer that would never come as my father just keep looking at me ''Mom? What's happening?''

''You better take a seat honey'' she advised me in a condescending way, signaling the empty chair in front of her ''It's nothing bad, but it's better if you take a seat''

I took a seat in record time, my mom's words only deepening my worries as much as she tried to dissipate them, there was a tense silence lingering in the air as I waited for one of them to explain me why they were behaving like this, but they both seemed hesitant to start. My father cleared his throat rather loudly and let out a sigh, suddenly he seemed to have all the weight of the world on him, aging 10 years in a matter of seconds.

''Son, I believe it's high time you decide what you are going to do with your life'' he said seriously, giving my mom a contemplative look, like he was waiting for her approval, before he continued ''I'm getting old and I'd like to see you fend off for yourself.... before I pass away to the spirit world''

I stared in shock at my dad, he was not the kind of people who talked like...like that, so fatalistic, it was something I never thought I would hear from him, I opened my mouth to ask him if he was alright but a quick gesture of his hand shut me up, waiting for me to take in the information before he continued.

''So, I believe it's time for me to start teaching you the trade of our family'' he told me in that strange monotone voice he had used the whole day ''You're already old enough to understand the importance of a stable job and just in the age to be hired as an apprentice, we would be leaving the following week to New Port and then it would be about a year before we can come back here'' he made a small pause as he studied my reaction; I felt...strange, I didn't know why, but I just didn't like this feeling, I felt trapped, a feeling that I had never felt and that I had started to hate.

''During that time you would be under my tutelage and that of my most trusted friends'' he explained, his eyes had become serious, losing any happiness he had before, I couldn't believe a word I was hearing, I thought I was just hallucinating because I had eaten some strange herb ''And after you have become a fine merchant, you would take my place on the company, it would be yours to do as you see fit, though we can talk about that when the time comes, until them you have much to learn, so what do you think of it?''

I was frozen in place, my mind had stopped and refused to work, for a moment I could feel my dad's eye on me, uncountable seconds passed by before the words sank on me, and I understood the feeling that had been growing in my heart lately. It was rage, pure an unadulterated rage against my father, rage that had formed by the way he was trying to build my life for me, after he spent countless hours teaching me to make my own decisions, after he told me to follow my dreams and be myself, he had the audacity to deny everything he had taught me so far, breaking all the promises he had made to me and purposely trying to destroy my dream of learning sciences at the UPU to help those I loved; I couldn't take it just like that, and for the first time in ever I exploded.

''What do I think?'' I said barely about a whisper, barely suppressing the growl that was trying to make its way out of my throat ''I THINK YOU HAVE GONE CRAZY, WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?''

I practically screamed, turning over the chair as I stood up, openly growling and baring my fans at him, while I clutched the table so hard that I could feel my claws piercing it as if it was made of butter, my mother quickly got up and tried to calm me down, moving her hands across my fur to soothe me, but nothing would work on me as I exchanged a pissed off look with the person that had stolen my father and replaced him with this excuse of person.

''You told me I was free to choose what I wanted to study and now you come with some stupid plan about me taking over your business?'' I told him bitterly, not caring if my words hurt him or not ''You promised me I could do as I pleased with my life and that I could go to the UPU, once I was old enough, so why are you trying to make me follow up on your steps just like that?''

''Son, you may not know it, living here the news must have delayed, but lately the UPU has been related to some unbecoming business'' he explained matter-of-factly, hoping that would appease me, but his attempt fell on deaf ears ''The princess Noriene and her brother, prince Malcom, have been trying to take the throne from their brother, starting a political warfare all around the country, which has put great great burden on every trading company in the kingdom, straining relationships between the merchants and the customers greatly.''

''And what does that have to do with me? You know I have no way of changing that¨ I asked, having trouble believing that was the only reason behind this whole affair, my father was never that simple minded.

''I've always thought that your crazy idea of going to the UPU would pass with due time'' he started to raise his voice, taking on a menacing tone as he went on with his explanation ''But it seems I made a mistake and you have grown even more attached to that ridiculous idea, and as my only heir, it is only natural for me to teach you the trade so you can take my place when the right time comes''

''Why do you think it is ridiculous, the university has made great improvements since it was founded'' I said, I was letting all my frustration out at this moment, in what was quickly turning into a fight ''You know what is ridiculous? That you're breaking your promises so easily, and that you're trying to control my life when you have no right to do so, you're never here, you spent more time at you stupid company than with any of us, when was the last time you and more were truly together?''

The worst left my muzzle before I even knew I had said them, and as soon as I did time seemed to stop, we all looked at each other, waiting for one of us to move, but afraid to do so ourselves, at least until my father stood up and started screaming at the top of his lungs, his eyes were filled with the same primal rage I had, the one a feral wolf felt when his territory was invaded.

''YOU LITTLE BASTARD, AFTER ALL I HAD DONE FOR YOU, YOU DARE TO BLAME ME FOR YOUR FAULTS'' he said as he hit the table after each word, making it shake from the force ''YOU'RE GOING TO DO AS I SAY AND THAT'S THE END OF IT''

We keep looking at each other's eye for a long time, having a battle of wills and waiting to see who was going to give up first, but we were both stubborn as hell, and this time, neither one of us wanted to give in. My mom tried to calm us down, but her words didn't matter to me right now, and my father seemed to think the same, forcing her to just stay out of the way for the time being.

An eternity seemed to pass, before I decided that I wouldn't take this anymore, I wouldn't let him take a hold of my life, and so I went to my room ignoring my father shouts and threats, blocking the door as soon as I was inside and started to think what to do from now on, I felt suffocated in my room, like the walls were closing on me and I just needed to get out, and so it hit me, I needed to get away from this place, it didn't matter where, but I couldn't be here anymore. It took me about ten minutes to come up with a plan and five to gather everything I would need to survive in the woods for a while until I could get to Joshua's home, a tiger that lived on the other side of town and also my best friend. It was a long way there and I didn't know how long it would take me if I couldn't cross the town, for the fear one of the persons told my dad where I was.

That day I left my home through the window before either of my parents could stop me and convince me otherwise, running as fast as my legs could take me as soon as I hit the ground , only slowing down after I was sure I had lost my parents even if they had followed me. It was very dark outside and I realized I didn't know where I was, but I had to find my way to Joshua's somehow, so I started walking in the direction I felt was right.

By the time moon was high in the sky, I was completely lost, I had no idea where I was or where I had come from, and I was starting to prepare for the worst, every sound was intensified by my fear, as well as every sight was darker than it had ever been, I had wandered to a part of the woods I had never gone to and I was starting to worry I would die here, all alone.

A few days passed before I found another sign of hope. I had been wandering aimlessly for 2 days before I passed out, thirst and hunger had started to take their toll on me, and I was quickly growing losing whatever strength I had left. Fortunately I was found by a helping paw, it was the bear I had talked with at the bazaar, or at least I think he was the same bear, by the time he found me I could barely make sense of what was happening and I don't remember that much about it, just that it took me a while to explain him what had happened, and after a long chat he told he had found me as he was making his way back to his tribe and that the spirits had guided him to me. After that we spent one more day in the woods as he made sure I could make the trip back before we made our way back to Vallara.

By the time I got there the whole town had joined in my search and as soon as I entered I was assaulted by a bunch of angry but relieved furs that quickly brought me home to my mother, who after giving me the earful of my life and a 3 hours scolding, promised me to help me with my dad so I could go to make my dreams come true as long as I didn't scare her like that again.

After that, it was all a blur, time seemed to fly by the second and after 2 long months of pleading, arguing, shouting and a fist fight that I lost, I convinced my dad to give me a shot and let me join the UPU, I had to thank my mom for that, as she had been wearing my dad's defenses the whole time.

And now here I am, the memories of that challenge were had become just that memories, I longingly touched the tribal necklace I had around my neck, the only memento I had brought from home to remind me of what had happened and that now I had the chance to do what I wanted, but at the same time I was walking on thin ice, I knew my father was waiting for me to fail at anything to force me into his trading company, but I was going to give this my best shot and I didn't plan to go down without a fight. This was the beginning of my new life, I was taking a leap of faith into the unknown, hoping that I wouldn't fall down into despair, the only thing I did know was that this was going to be interesting.