Ginga Densetsu Dai
Part One: Of Kennon, Mongō, Dai, Reisu, & Ohu
"Where did Kennon come from? You say he's a pedigree Indian Mastiff, but what is that? He's a dangerous beast! He's a fighter! He killed the burglar, he didn't just stop the man! He growls at policemen! He bullies all the bitches and dogs in the kennels! He's not neutered and he should be! He's a MONSTER!" Those had been the words of the humans around his master. They had taught Kennon about fear when he had first returned after he had been won in a bet over the only fight he had lost. Then he had been encouraged to fight every dog he knew, and all because his master had a few dogs he had bred for show and then for selling puppies, and strays were not allowed near these.
Kennon had not only been pleased when the master had come over to see him that night, he'd been ready. Kennon had been starved in preparation for a battle, but he had not minded this. Instead he had been upset when a pedigree dog had been put in with a very dear friend of his. This ill-treatment, in his opinion, was what made him patient. The last his drunken master had seen was the satisfied grin on the giant, but neatly built brindled mastiff's face. Kennon had killed his master and then he had begun his meal.
It is a rumour that dogs who eat one another get sick, but Kennon had a sense of pride that sat above cannibalism. But it was said that a dog who eats man will go mad and kill often, but when he had been young and listening to the foolish men at the docks where he had been raised to fight, there was more to it. A dog that ate man gained his mind and power, and the dog would become immortal. From doing just this, Kennon went to the pedigree kennels, managed to open the doors, and killed the male that had 'raped' Mayumi. Then those two dogs alone left their city home and headed south to a mountain range where they hoped to hide, and eventually build up an army. For the pedigree Ainu bitch was pregnant, and Kennon needed to flee the peoples of their home town, who were hunting him.
At the same time that Kennon had killed, another dog had escaped the island of Hokkaido. He was an unusual breed, being the offspring of a Weimaraner bitch that had travelled with her master and held a private court to a Cane Corso male in Sicily. He had been born a silver-blue dog, tall and big-eared, but built like a pit bull with a fat head and big jaws. He also was a heavy slab shouldered animal and he had been named Cane by his home, which he had escaped long-ago.
Cane had then got into a tough gang of strays on the island and taken over. He had been joined then by a Labrador Retriever called Blondie and a terrible wolf-like Russian Laika, who called himself Velos. They had caused trouble for the remnants of the pack of the brown-bear killer, Hakuro. But due to the pack's recent freedom from the terrors of a Russian dog called Victor, their group of stray vagabonds was destroyed, save the three dangerous beasts. The three dogs had been captured in the place where Jerome had once been held, and they were sentenced to be released into the custody of the human dog-killers. But this had left them able to attack and they had fled toward freedom and into the sea to get away from Hokkaido!
Their battle with the humans who had wanted to "help" them rather then killer them, had left one man dead from the mauling. Though the three killers were swimming for freedom, they were followed. A large Newfoundland dog, the faithful pet of that dead human was keeping pace. He wanted death to these mongrels and had vowed to follow then to the ends of the earth. His named was Mongō, but unlike his enemies, the great brown dog did not know if he could truly kill.
But despite the troubles of the world outside, the dog kingdom of paradise, Sacred Ohu, was finally at peace. A good six months had gone since the last battles of the land, and spring was finally present. This season the Leader, Weed, had turned into a two-year-old and was pleased to call himself a father for the first time. But he was anything but alone in this triumph. Though some old friends were having second litters, some of the newer friends were onto their first!
Those dogs that had fought Hougen beside him had returned with their wives, seeking the sacred place for the birth of a new generation of sons and daughters. But even some of the old warriors had come with pregnant wives, owing to their positions of strength amongst the allies of Ohu. Their mates had suddenly felt the urge to go to the sacred battle grounds as if they could welcome their offspring as new warriors into the most sacred land of the dogs. Some of the old dogs who had lost mates however, remained alone still.
There were twenty males sitting on a large grassy plain, staring up at a Sakura tree in the peak of its blossoming. Amongst the twenty, Gin and Weed stood together at the roots of the lonely, but beautiful tree. All around the land of Ohu smelt sweet and safe and young. The two tora-ge Akita leaders were looking toward beings they had not expected to see for a long time. These were dogs that had been begged by their mates to return to Ohu for the birth of their sons and daughters, but there a welcome sight.
"Mutsu is not a bad place for pups to be born, but I am unique amongst my brothers to be a father last and so late!It must seem stranger when I seem an old man already! But my mate, Chōkai was born near here and she wanted me to return her here for the birth. However, I do not think I could ever say no to her. She would probably rip my ears off first!" General Hazuki the husky whined softly toward his old comrades and those that had joined in the fight against Hougen. He had been unable to attend that battle, as he had his brother Uzuki had been on a mission of their own.
"I know what you mean! She reminds me of my mother, except that she doesn't have a sense of humour!" Jaguar snorted to himself. He could still remember how much his mother had bullied his father, Moss, when she had been alive, but Chōkai scared him too. She was a scarred husky female that had only accepted Hazuki after he had beaten her in combat. The fact that she was even missing an eye and a piece of ear had made her quite impressive, and Jaguar's words had triggered a chain of laughter.
"She sure knows what she wants, but you all aren't nervous? This is my first chance to be a father and I'm so afraid I could almost wet myself. Not only that, but I thought you were a bit old to be a father again, Kurotora" GB the setter whined nervously as he remained crouched into a dust patch he had made for himself. Beside him Sasuke the Shiba chuckled, but even he lowered himself as the great one-eyed Kai gave a sharp bark of laughter.
"Baka! I am head Kai, last of the demon brothers! My job is to father more pups to fill up the gaps. Besides, this is the dawn of a new generation of Kai! Not only will I be a grandfather to Kagetora and Nobutora's young, but a father once more myself, a great-uncle to Shigure's litter, and then a great-great-uncle to Shinja's. I'm adding longer titles to myself this year, and of my brother Chūtora's line, Shinja is most alike in colour to him! Who knows if that may mean a red pup is born!" Kurotora growled almost playfully toward his friends before cackling madly again. He had to stop for one moment so he could give a sneeze before peering at the four other Kai dogs that were present. These all grinned like puppies toward the old black-blue brindle that had raised them all.
The old dog's words drew attention to the named two-year-old, Shinja, who sat beside his uncle Shigure looking nervous. It was true what was said, Shinja was the only son of the dead Kai Shouji and he was a mirror image to Chūtora, even with the missing hunk of ear and soft brownish colouring in his coat. Shinja was nervous of his great-uncle's words though, for he was not the only grandchild of Chūtora to become a parent that spring. Indeed amongst the special places in Ohu where the bitches were settling, dead Dodo's daughter, Hanatora, was already suckling a litter of puppies. But beside these, the two males Nobutora and Kagetora wagged their tails. They knew what their father meant, even if Shinja did not.
"Perhaps, but you mustn't get you hopes up father! None of us have red wives so it might not happen. Still, we're all dying to see one, especially as it could almost be a reincarnation of Akatora. That's if it is a male, of course." Nobutora grinned and licked his teeth slyly, but Kurotora snapped at him in return.
"Of course it will be male! Just as Gin fathered a look-alike son in Weed, so Weed will also have a son with the tora-ge! Look at Ben and Ken, then look at Moss and Jaguar! All similar cases! I mean, look at me and you, my own sons!" Kurotora snorted and he looked at the darker mastiff son of Moss to his left and then to the surprised looking red Dan mix that sat beside Kagetora. But then he heard a laugh from Gin and was quick to turn toward his old friend.
"Maybe so, but with you old man, I could see fate being a bit cheeky! Anyway, I asked you all here for another reason whilst the females deal with the pups. It is a worrying reason that Jerome brought to the attention of our Leader." Gin snorted proudly and he looked toward the pale German shepherd with a nod and then to Weed with a proud sigh.
"Thank you father. It has been noted that we have gained more allies with each new disaster, but we have barely been left alone long enough to enjoy safety. But today I have learnt that trouble maybe come again. There was a sighting and a rumour of a harlequin Dane just like Hougen with low-set ears, but who claims the heritage of being Hougen's son! He is called Warrigal, but is in the hands of humans at the moment. Even so his presence in the Alps is a worry and there is a troublesome fighter dog called Tidal Wave roaming with him. So far they have made no challenge, but we must be cautious." Weed spoke softly and carefully. He knew that there would be gasps from his fellow dogs, and Hiro's snarl were something he had also expected. However, he was still surprised by Mushashi's input to the situation.
"I have not heard of a Japanese fighter by that name, yet I know of a terrier. He is called and 'American Pit Bull', a small dog with big shoulders but an amazing burst of speed and strength. He is a champion but only in fighting the lighter breeds, he has yet to face a Tosa. Therefore, I believe he would not be as big a problem as the 'Warrigal' dog might be." The great Tosa fighter had growled softly as he got up and stretched from sitting between Kyoshiro and Hook, which were nodding to one another.
"What about this female in the puppy nursery, Reisu? I know she is a daughter of Bat, but is she safe? I did not want to drag her to Ohu unless I knew you would look after her?" Tesshin murmured gently from beside Jerome. He was looking a little older now then he had ever done, but he had been through a lot already. The bitch mentioned was a kind female too and Tesshin had been luck enough to save her in the land of the Kogas when some humans had attacked her. They had been chasing her from a farm and had claimed she had killed all their birds, but Reisu was too nervous an animal to do something that bad. Her presence alone in Koga had worried Tesshin because no one had heard from the blind warrior since Hougen's defeat.
"My mother's owner will take her without fail! It has all been arranged and..." Mel the now adult Golden Retriever had begun, but he was interrupted by the sudden and speedy approach of the Borzoi, Rocket. The big dog was running at full speed and had not been careful enough in running to avoid stepping on anyone's tails in his urgency to reach the leader. He had not only stepped on Mel's tail and then tripped onto Jerome's and even Hazuki's, but he had also stepped hard onto someone else's. This was a grandson of the departed leader of Hokkaido, Hakuro, and this grandson was also a husky, but a bad tempered one when his tail was stepped on. Without a moment's thought the oddly marked black, tan, and white Husky tripped Rocket and pinned him on his back. It was only after a quick word from Weed that Kurokuna released the startled dog.
"So sorry, it wasn't meant! But Weed needs to get to Akame right now where he and Cross are with Kyoka! She's had her puppies and one is a silver tora-ge, she's called him Daisuke but wants your attention!" Rocket had whined, but already young Weed had galloped off without hearing the whole of the name.
"Dai? Then he will be Great!"