Fallen Wolves
Chapter One
The sound of gunfire echoed in his mind, hearing Tsume's orders to retreat from the keep. He bit his lip; he wouldn't back out again with the standbys. He would prove himself this night. Reloading the gun in hand he watched the black capsules roll silently on the ground…
"You can do this…" Another surge of worry came through him, "You can't back out now…not until-" The firing stopped…which made him even more cautious. Did the whole team really back out? And for what, to look like frightened pups with their tails between their legs like the nobles wanted them to?
Black armored men marched out in a perfect line to the west wing at his right side. Darn, they knew it was the only exit in this side of the keep. The sound of their heavy boots pounding on the floors made his heart race.
"One…" His amber eyes were fixated on the army of soldiers as he pushed himself farther against the wall. "Two…" The red strip of glass was clearly the eye of the monstrous creatures they seemed almost inhuman… "Three!"
He stepped out before the troupe, the marching stopped, and all their shields came forth to reflect any attack. Why didn't he press the trigger? His mind raced as the soldiers parted, making way for a woman in pale armor making her way towards him.
She unsheathed slowly a long, silver blade; it hadn't been cleaned for what he could tell. The sword was stained in crimson, which was blood…human blood. Their blood…
He looked at his hands. They shook and shone in the dim light with nervous sweat. His fingers were slipping from the trigger, trying to keep his watch on the woman's every move. Just one bullet above her breast and it would be over…
Before his mind could conjure what had happened, a gray blur whipped out from behind him. Blood splattered on the floors along with his clothes, he cried out in fear. Falling to the ground, he crawled helplessly like a child.
"Come on!" A gruff voice ordered him, he looked up to see Tsume with those piercing gold eyes. They weren't smiling down at him, but they were aflame with anger. He could feel tears wanting to fall freely from his eyes…but he couldn't cry.
"I'm sorry…" he whispered, getting to his feet, the blood making his boot slip. His mind drew a blank and he grabbed on to Tsume, seeing the man look at him with shock. He clearly saw his hands on his boss's shoulders. It didn't seem right to touch someone as high as he was…
"Hurry up!" With those words said, he moved quickly enough for his hands to recoil. In an instant a trooper swung his blade at Tsume from the back, with a swift movement he saw him clamp his teeth down on the enemy's neck.
He watched in horror, his mind trying to adjust to what he just saw. Then noticing that he was slung over Tsume's shoulder like a prize he won in one of their lootings. They seemed to be rushing by these people with such speed…
Tsume leaped, it seemed gravity couldn't hold him down…the two soared over them, crashing through a stained glass window to the cold night air. Seeing how they fell so many feet to the ground…
"T-Tsume…" He whispered, his auburn hair whipping at his face as the two seemed to reach closer to ground. The ground seemed to fly up at them for he only remembered feeling the cold snow on his face and the taste of blood on his lips.
"Get up," The voice once again instructed him, "And don't do something that idiotic again. Alright?" Those gold eyes stared at him. "What's your name kid?"
"T-Toboe…" The air in his lungs seemed to be gone, trying to regain himself and stand up. "What did you…do back there?" Toboe looked up to see his boss already walking away.
Feeling foolish enough already he caught up with him, "Where are the others, Tsume?"
"We lost half of them." There was not a hint of remorse in his voice, "the others are waiting out in the city." Toboe felt his heart sink, so much of them had died. He wiped the remaining blood from his nose.
"There is a domed city to the north, we'll most likely make it their in a week's time." There was a silence between them, one not even the strongest man of their group could break. "We'll stop at Kyrios to stock up. Alright?"
Toboe didn't understand why he asked him. After all, he was just one of 'them'. If he died, would Tsume talk to someone like this as he did now? And why…why did he save him?
"Sure… Tsume?" He raised a brow, that at least caught his attention, "Why did you save me back their?" He threw back his head to the skies and laughed, Toboe stopped and stood amazed at the sight.
"Save you? You were just in my way," He carried on walking, "I might as well have saved you. After all, a runt couldn't take on a whole hundred of troops."
"A hundred?" Toboe felt proud of himself, as if he had a kindling of bravery in himself after all. "Well, I wanted to be like you…" Tsume stopped in his tracks, his gold eyes glaring at the snow.
"You don't…want to be like me," His words came out sorrowfully, never had he seen him loosen up. "I've done things in my past one could barely even imagine."
Toboe shook away all the thoughts of doubting for one moment that he wanted to be like him. "Really, I mean it! I do want to be like you!"
"Shut it kid…don't rub off on me like that, it really pisses me off." Their was the old Tsume, talking again as he had always done, in a harsh manner. Toboe took down his pace by a few steps, walking behind Tsume.
-
A howl pierced the night, awaking Toboe from his sleep he couldn't see Tsume at all. The back of the carrier car was filled with the rest of the group, but none fit Tsume's appearance. The musty leather drape was their only protection from the cold. The flaps of leather fluttered in the wind, the opening to the outside…
The young boy stepped out into the snow, looking around for where he heard the sound. For a strange reason he hadn't taken his gun, he was barely clothed except the pants on his legs, his bare feet seemed to like the bitter cold.
Toboe walked out farther from the car seeing a dog a few feet before him, its gray fur moved in the winds. Its gold unwavering eyes watched his every movement.
"Hello," he found himself speaking to the canine. The dog got up on its legs and snarled, fangs bared and past them the growl of warning. He had encountered dogs before, but never outside a city, hundreds of miles outside its usual boundaries... Strange, a dog never left its home.
It was a stray…it was alone…
Tears burned in his eyes and he found himself crying, the wolf seemed shocked by this. It stopped growling and baring its teeth then, with a swift movement, it was gone.
"What are you doing out here?" Toboe turned seeing the familiar face of his friend.
"I…" Toboe stopped, seeing that she was out here herself, "Well, what are you doing then?"
"I..." She turned flustered and kicked snow at his face, "Just get back to sleep runt!"
He laughed and kicked teasingly back at her, "Aren't you going to bed as well?"
"No, it's my duty to keep watch for awhile, besides, I see our leader's gone missing."
'You noticed too,' Toboe thought. It seemed awkward that only the two of them had awokento that howl. One belonging to a stray, all alone in the miles of white, it saddened him for an unknown reason."Blue…"
"Yeah? What is it?" He saw her look at him differently, the scarlet scarf at her neck fluttering in the wind.
"Nothing…goodnight."
Blue turned, seeing him return back to the others, she closed her eyes for a moment. Opening them to see a light auburn wolf heading to the carrier…her eyes were playing tricks on her…
-
Blue headed after Toboe not long after, she lied about being on duty. She couldn't even believe that he had actually thought what she said was true. She knew she heard that howl, and it wasn't the first time she heard it…
She looked at the white grounds in thought, something caught her eye…a paw print in the snow. Her blue eyes widened at the strange marking on the snow, the only person who had entered the carrier car was Toboe…
"Keep out on the look for them Blue, you can never be too sure," The mayor of Kyrios, Quent, sat across from her at the desk in his home office. She nodded, remembering the name clearly in her mind to who she would look after. 'Tsume' that was the name…wherever he went, some proof of supposed wolves were found…
She fell back, leaning against the car, staring at the prints marked in the white. He couldn't be…there was no way he could be…a wolf.
(End of Chapter One. RR so I know if you wish for the story to continue.)