Beastars: A Symphony of Life

Chapter 87: Back on the Scent

"How's your shoulder?" he asked.

"Healing nicely," Legoshi answered.

Legoshi looked up and pulled up the sleeve of his t-shirt. He peeled back the gauze bandage to reveal the square of furless skin growing back in. The doctors gave credit to his small amount of reptile genes. His ability to take as much damage as he had and still stay standing was remarkable. No serious internal damage either, which also relieved Gosha.

"Can't wait for them to catch the bastard," he hissed. "He deserves whatever punishment he gets. In this world and the next."

"That's something else that's been bothering me," Legoshi said, rolling down his sleeve and shifting uncomfortably. "When we fought, he smelled familiar."

"What?" Gosha asked, turning his full attention to what his grandson had just said.

"I couldn't put my finger on it," he explained. "But he smelled, a bit like me, I guess."

"You were fighting him and your blood was on him," Gosha reasoned. "Of course he would've smelled a bit like you."

"No," Legoshi said, shaking his head. "It was before. I smelled it before any of the chaos started. And it kept me from attacking him. He always had the upper hand. He had a control over me that I couldn't explain. When he told me to stop, I couldn't help but stop. When he told me to fight. I fought."

Something clicked in Gosha's brain and he felt the muscles in his head twitch as the realization set in, similar to the way Legoshi's ear would twitch. Luckily the wolf didn't seem to catch on.

"Could you find it again?" Gosha asked.

"I didn't archive it," Legoshi added. "I know, I thought the same thing. Helping the police. But I couldn't pinpoint it. It's been nagging at me for weeks now. I do my best to not let it show, but it's just there."

He pointed to the back of his head before scratching the spot.

"Listen to me Legoshi," Gosha said.

The wolf and the lizard looked each other in the eyes. Gosha's were very serious, and Legoshi paid attention.

"I don't want you to worry about that," the reptile continued. "Stop getting wrapped up in things you shouldn't be getting wrapped up in. The police and the guard will deal with Razor. You keep your family safe."

"I know," Legoshi said with a nod. "I made that decision a while ago. I wanted to, I really did. But I couldn't do that to anyone again. Jack, Haru, even you. I didn't want anyone worrying for me and stressing."

Gosha smiled. They were on the same ground.

"Well," he said. "I best be getting to my game."

"I should head back too," Legoshi said, turning back to the door. "Just wanted to stop in and say hi."

"Well I thank you for the visit," he smiled. "Always happy to see you. Tell Haru I said hello."

Legoshi nodded and gave a small wave to his grandfather before closing the door after him. He took the stairs down and made his way back home.

~~~

Gosha flicked his tongue, catching the last scents of his grandson. He knew who he was looking for now. It had been years, but his skills at scent detection were still honed. He took Legoshi's scent and analyzed it, isolating the different scents he got. He removed his own and Toki's, clearing those familial scents from the main one. He then detected Leano's half of his grandson. He lingered on this one for a while, glancing at the photo he kept on the table. He removed this one as well. Now he was down to what he was looking for. The other half. The father's. He analyzed it and isolated it, zeroing in on the wolf's pure DNA. He pulled out his phone and texted the other guys.

Won't be able to make it tonight, he said. Something came up. Definitely tomorrow.

He looked at the clock on his wall. He still had three hours until curfew. He opened his window and flicked his tongue. There were so many scents from the other animals. He was struggling to find the one he wanted. Closing his eyes to concentrate, he almost saw the world in nothing but scents.

It struck him like an electrical shock. The scent was incredibly faint, but when it hit his tongue and he brought it into his vomeronasal organ, it matched fifty percent to the other scent he had isolated. He focused on it again and it was drifting on the breeze, coming from a building outside The Drusk. He wouldn't do anything against the animal, but he could call the police when he found the exact location. And if the encounter were to come to blows, he felt he still had a bit of juice left to fight the creature off him. He opened his eyes and closed the window, locking it shut. He pulled on a jacket and left his apartment.

Yahya, he thought. I'm doing this for you. And for Legoshi's sake as well.