Stray

They say there's no such
place…
as Paradise.
Even if you search to the ends
of the earth…
…there's nothing there.
No matter how far you walk,
it's always the same road;
it just goes on, and on…but
in spite of that,
why am I so driven to find it..?
A voice calls to me…
It says…
"Search…for Paradise…"

…Voices. Whispered murmurs and confused exclamations; who is it that stirs me from my waking dreams..?

I remember finding an opening at the base of a tree that sit on the portcullis of a decaying building, just big enough for me to collapse in; there I had fallen into a comatose state…fully asleep, but still able to hear those around me. From far away I hear a growling voice break through the others; one that peaks my interest and sets my senses on overdrive.

"What is it?"

This voice…it sounds human, but yet…

"It's a dog, but I don't think it's gonna make it."

It takes all I have to stay completely still, to keep the humans unaware that I am fully conscious and able to hear every word they speak. The remark sets my blood boiling and I suppress the urge to snarl; how dare they mistake me for a dog! The descendants of our race…they shame what we are by allying themselves with the humans.

For the humans are the ones who nearly ended our existence.

Now at high alert, my ears easily catch the audible gasp from the one who voiced his curiosity before. He knows something is amiss, and I have a feeling he knows what I am. Suddenly the humans begin talking in earnest amongst themselves, speaking aloud their thoughts and voicing their opinions.

"Maybe it's worth something."

"…Maybe we can eat it!"

"I've never seen a dog this big, this sucker's huge!"

Hearing their gravely voices, like chalk squealing against a blackboard, only adds to my contempt for them. Their eyes are so dulled over by greed and selfishness, that they can no longer see anything clearly. To have to rest this close to them…it makes my fur stand on end. Suddenly…

"…That is NOT a dog."

As the humans turn to look at their leader, my ears twitch. Ah, so he DOES know. Which means…

"Pull it out."

If he knows what I am, then he must be..!

"Uhh…o-okay…"

My eyes flash open as I feel the human to my right reach out to grab me. Jumping up from where I lay I twist around with a menacing snarl; in one swift move I leave my paws, locking onto his neck with dead aim and finishing him quickly. The one at my left panics, squealing as I land back on the ground; with his attention scattered by fear he fires his weapon, missing as I dodge the headshot easily. Leaping into the air again I attack, this time locking onto his jugular and bringing him down with me. The others around us back away, fear coming off them in waves. This gives me a grim satisfaction; they should be afraid…for they have no idea what they are dealing with. As I look up from my second kill, my golden eyes meet those of a human child. Round eyes stay glued to mine; even when I snarl dangerously, he stays fixed where he is…like a deer stuck in headlights.
Then suddenly a fist connects to the side of his face, sending him flying. Tensing, I look at the one who stares blatantly back at me…his eyes almost as confident as my own.

It pisses me off.

"How interesting…"

He talks with an air of equality to me, which makes me snarl back in response. How dare he speak like this in front of me…his disgrace makes my blood boil! How could he dishonor who he is, by taking this form? Just thinking about it makes my anger burn even hotter than before.
Watching me closely he holds out a jagged knife, backing away swiftly while all the while holding a defensive position; then suddenly he turns to the side, taking off down a path to our right. Immediately I follow suit, ignoring the humans who stand frozen around us. Why waste my time on them? They're not even worth eating, so why waste my strength on killing them?

I continue to pursue him…though I can tell he's not interested in trying to lose me. As we reach the very top of the building, he turns to face me once more, and a stare down ensues. There he speaks again…the wolf in sheep's clothing.

"…That was quite a stunt."

"I was protecting myself; that's all!"

He watches me for another second, and then continues on.

"Don't be so quick to kill."

His remark makes my lip curl, and my snarls increase. Who is he to lecture me?

"What's wrong with killing?"

"I don't know what mountain you came down from, but you're in the city now. There are rules."

"Rules? Is running around this city with a pack of idiots one of the rules?"

His eyes widen slightly, then narrow once more as he lifts his head. Seeming to brush away my remark he lifts his nose to me, closing his eyes as he takes on an air of indifference.

"I'm only using' 'em."

My voice drips with malice and anger as I answer him, my snarls increasing in their volume. He dares act like this; what kind of a wolf is he? Even if he's only using them, his actions cannot hide what he truly is!

The lowest of the low.

"Your rules stink like this city! What's the point of living if it means throwing away your PRIDE?"

Finally my words rouse him. His voice takes on an inhuman growl as he shifts his weight towards me.

"…You've got a big mouth for someone half dead!"

Snarling back at his unspoken challenge, we begin; lunging at each other I snap at his side while he does the same, both making contact as blood splatters across the stone beneath us. Our snarls grow in volume as our battle continues, echoing around us as we claw and snap at one another, trying to find an opening to deal a solid blow. We circle one another continuously, our eyes never leaving the other. Suddenly he lunges in to snap at my neck; avoiding it I lunge back, catching him off guard as I do the same. Butting into the side of his head I take him down…when suddenly my jaws taste metal instead of fur.
Having clothed himself again in the disguise of a human, he had caught my teeth with his knife, staving off my attack. I push against him as he restrains me, snarling and growling in his face as I try to grab a hold of him with my paws.

Why?

Why did he change back? What wolf would rather fight as a human than what he was created to be? Where is his pride?

As my mind wanders he takes the opportunity. Lifting his leg he kicks hard into the wound on my back leg, making me release his knife from my jaws as I flinch from the sudden lancing pain. With a grunt of his own he raises his head up, dealing a solid blow under my jaw and making me fall backwards. Shaking it off I start to stalk back up to him…when a cry from my left makes me turn my head; the boy from before runs towards me, swinging a mallet in front of him as he cries out angrily in the other's defense. I jump backwards and still the boy advances, swinging the weapon wildly to and fro. Retreating several paces I trot to a standstill, lifting my injured leg as I stare back at the boy and the one he so desperately protected.

He stares back, the malice I feel towards him reflected right back at me.

Now that our fight has been interrupted, my anger cools…and only contempt and a certain disappointment are left in its wake. Staring back at the one I fought, my eyes show disdain…for he knows how low he has sunk, and yet still he fights against me. Still he will fight with the humans he claims he's only "using."

Disgraceful.

Finally I turn, flattening my ears against my head as I race down the other side of the building; though I am already a great distance from them, I hear the young child speak.

"Are you okay…Tsume?"

My ears twitch as I jump from this building to the next, running across it and then leaping down to the ground, landing in a darkened alleyway. Turning my head I look back towards the building, my eyes narrowing.

Tsume…

I snort through my nose as I pad out of the alleyway and begin my journey again, limping past humans who seem only to glimpse at me and then away; too busy with their own lives to take interest in something else. What am I to them?

Nothing but a legend.

Again…my mind wanders back to the blue wolf; the one with a cross on his chest.

Tsume…

Hmph. Even just thinking his name…pisses me off.

"My name is…Kiba."

If good feedback is given, there might be more chapters for this story in the future...who knows? :)