First fic, so don't take it seriously, and normal disclaimer follows:
I do NOT claim ownership or influence of any kind of Wolf's Rain or their characters, Bones and Bandai does. And yes I am updating as quickly as I can
Chapter 4
Zari and his pack lay their old packmate in the hole respectfully; they look at him in silence as if listening for something. Kiba is leaning against one of the grave stones, holding his injured shoulder. He had just woken up when we reached our shelter, stubbornly protesting that he was fine.
Yeah, sure you are I think, looking over his scars from last night.
"I thought I told you to not get in the way," Zari scolds all of us. Kiba just glares back at him unwilling to let the matter rest.
"We have our own way of life," he explains, defending the unspoken accusation that Kiba gives.
"You mean a life lower than worn-out dogs?" the injured white wolf spits. "is sitting around and leading a poverty-stricken life, your 'way of life'?"
"What the hell do you guys know?" Zari snaps, his eyes narrowing at the insult.
Kiba's eyes narrow to the point his blue eyes look like broken shards of glass. "You are so low." he answers with a dangerously even tone.
"You are all still young," Zari replies sadly, looking back at the dead wolf.
The local pack buries the wolf quickly and walks back to the town. Tsume and Hige help Kiba back inside the house where he finally passes out. I just sit down looking at the fresh grave.
"What did you see, Gramps?" I ask the upturned soil. "What did you see that made you give up on everything?" I sift my fingers through the soft dirt. I almost didn't want to go back to the group. Not knowing how they felt about the entire situation, but I stand up and head back to our shelter.
Toboe had just gotten back with an armful of leaves and skillfully began pressing them down on Kiba's wounds, forming a bandage of sorts.
"Where did you learn that?" I ask, looking over at him, while Tsume stood at the door watching both the inside and outside untrustingly, Hige ust sat a ways off, looking rather bored.
"Granny taught me," was the pup's simple remark, as he continued to bandage up the white wolf, "I think this may help him get a little better," he says when he finishes.
"Jeez, that Kiba just doesn't think," Hige answers absently.
"I wouldn't have been able to just stand and watch if I'd just seen that either." Toboe protests, looking at Kiba worriedly.
"It was completely unnecessary," Tsume retorts from his post.
"Tsume," The pup asks, glancing at the tough gray wolf.
"Let's get out of this stinking town," he says looking into the distance.
"Are you nuts?" I comment wildly, "Kiba's hurt, and we have no idea where to go right now."
"That's why we should've left yesterday," Hige remarks stretching his legs out.
"Weren't you the one who said you wouldn't mind living here?" Tsume returns coldly.
"And if I remember right, you weren't far behind, Tsume," I growl challenging him.
Kiba suddenly opens his eyes, trying to get up. "Let's leave," he says in a half snarl, but Toboe pushes him back down.
"That's unreasonable," the pup reprimands him gently, for once having more sense than the rest of us. "Considering your scars and empty stomach."
Tsume shifts his eyes to Hige "Though one of here is actually full," he remarks sarcastically.
"You guys were the ones who didn't want to eat," Hige protests glaring at Tsume "Even after Corr-san was nice enough to bring them over, you'd feel sort of guilty letting it go to waste right? That's why I had to eat it all by myself" he says, trying to weasel his way out.
"When I was on the streets, Hige, if you ever got as much food as we got last night, you ate a little bit, and squirreled the rest for later." I scold coming over to him, "That way I didn't have to worry when my next meal was going to be for a while." I then turn back to the town staring at it in disgust.
"You should've saved some for us," Toboe mutters to the brown wolf.
"And who was the one who went off by himself?" Hige returns snidely.
"So that's why you were acting all nice to her?" Tsume asks icily
"Well, she did seem kind of lonely," Hige says longingly
"What I'd like to know is how she found us, so easily."
"Probably looked around," Tsume shrugs, staring at the floor.
"No," I shake my head in frustration, "it was like she knew where we were exactly."
Hige is just oblivious to the entire situation.
"Hey, what do we do now?" Toboe asks, looking to each of us.
"Shall we go impose on Corr-san again for a while?" Hige asks cheerfully, I glower in distaste at his attitude and the mention of the woman.
"Just get us something to eat," Tsume snarls at him, stepping towards him. "by yourself,"
"Me?!" Hige exclaims at the notion of finding food for the group.
"Yeah," both me and Tsume confirm at once. Tsume stands up a little straighter, claiming his old leadership.
Hige cringes back at his towering appearance, "I'm on my way," he complies, getting up.
"I'll go gather some herbs or something too," Toboe adds quickly.
"Good idea, I'll join you," I reply, starting to trail after the pup.
"Kali," Tsume growls stopping me instantly. "Stay here."
I slump down slightly, closing my eyes in frustration, perfect, just great, I chew myself out, before turning around to face him, Toboe looks between us for a moment, then heads out looking for something to help Kiba.
"What happened?" Tsume demands his gold eyes are blazing.
"To Kiba or what happened at the station?" I ask for clarification.
"Both," is the terse reply.
I sigh, looking at where Kiba lay, back to Tsume, "The locals were teasing Kiba, and he gave them a few choice words of his own, the locals didn't appreciate it, they got in a fight with him, I just stepped in when they were just beating him when he was down." I explain quickly, biting my lip.
"Let Kiba fight his own battles," the gray wolf growls, looking back out to the grave yard.
"And if he doesn't?" I challenge quietly, "What was I supposed to do, let them kill him?"
"He can hold his own," Tsume answers,
"He can, but he didn't," I protest, glancing back at Kiba, "Kiba barely raised a paw when they jumped him, they had him on the ground, bleeding and they wouldn't let up until he was dead, what was I supposed to do?"
"What?" Tsume asks, looking at me skeptically. "you're saying that he started this, and he did nothing to defend himself?" he gives Kiba a disappointed look.
"I think he was trying to insult them," I clarify, "like he was saying that they weren't even worth fighting with." I'd seen that stunt pulled a few times back in Freeze City and surprisingly it worked sometimes.
"The idiot," Tsume grumbles, shaking his head in disbelief. "What about in the station?"
"What about it?" I ask, unsure what he wanted to know.
"When everyone was trying to separate those two," Tsume reminds me, his yellow eyes gleaming dangerously. "one of the humans was talking to you and you said something to him that made everyone on that level stop, including Kiba, what did you say?"
I clench my jaw shut, looking away from him. There was no way in hell I was telling Tsume that one.
"What did you say?" He demands coming over to me, his hands curling into fists,
"If you want to know, ask Kiba," I retort bitingly before turning and walking out
Tsume doesn't let up on the subject and jumps in front of me, blocking my path. "What did you say," He growls out every syllable.
"Ask Kiba," I remark quietly, glancing down at my bare feet and walk past him
I walk back to the docks where we were the night before, the storm gray waves and the ominous clouds fog and meld together near the horizon. I watch them for a while trying to find where the meeting point is. I sigh and look down seeing my muddled reflection from the pier. The scratch marks are healing nicely, but they'll probably end up being a set of narrow scars when they completely heal. The waves lapping at the wall are a soothing melody as further out they roar in, calling to me, I look out for a moment, contemplating the action of challenging the waves. I smirk, pausing long enough to take off my vest and jump in. I feel like I've been immersed in ice and fire, my wounds burn as the salt water soaks them completely, while I shiver at the chill of the cold water surrounding me. I dive deeper, feeling the current pull at me, trying to hold me back. I return to the surface and a chill blast of wind greets my face. I shake my head free of the water and rub some of the cuts to get rid of the dirt and any infection that might be in them. My palms look like raw hamburger when I finally get a good look at them. They burn worse than any part of my body right now.
I keep near the docks but swim a bit further out. I feel it a moment later, a tingle in the back of my mind scratching at the surface of something, I look around, and see nothing, I turn back, thinking nothing of it. Then I hear the loud clang of metal, like a prison door slamming shut. My heart stops and I head back to the pier, kicking and hauling myself as quick as I can. I grab the wall tiredly and pull myself up onto the concrete, my clothes are like lead weights attached to me, the water draining off them as I crawl out, and I run to where the sound came from, my wet feet slapping against cold concrete. I see Toboe running back to the shelter.
"Toboe," I yell out to him, he stops, the worry in his eyes is clouded over in confusion as he stares at my limp wet clothes, still dripping from my swim. "Toboe, what happened?" I ask, panting and shivering all at once.
"Hige, they came and took him away,"
"Who took him?" I demand, grabbing both his shoulders.
"Some of the local wolves," The pup answers shakily. "They had him in a cage and took him."
My grip tightens and I know my face twists into a snarl. "Who, what did they look like?" I inquire angrily.
"One of them was from when we came into this town," he answers.
"Zari?" I ask, unsure if he meant the leader of the rag-tag group.
"No," Toboe says, shaking his head, trying to better describe the wolf. "He had the hat."
My eyes go wide with fury and I let go of Toboe, "Toboe, get the others," I'm almost surprised at how even my voice is, like cold glass, delicate, but dangerously sharp.
"Uh," he says surprised, looking back in the direction the shelter is.
"Now," I shout, "Tell them that they can join my hunt if they want." I then sprint off in the direction of where Toboe came, following his tracks in the shallow, soft snow. The cold doesn't bite at me anymore, the fury in my blood warms me like whiskey, and I'm drunk on the rage. The city streets are cold as well, but my feet are rushing over the asphalt and concrete too fast for me to notice. I know my hunt, and I want it.
The town's streets are a maze from below as I dodge around the people and around the building, but from above, it's a map. I nearly fly up to the roofs, running along the ledges looking for my quarry, my hunt.
I see Corr, from a distance. I put on an extra burst of speed and land in front of her.
"Corr-san," I greet coldly leaving no room for formalities. "I need to find someone, he wears baggy clothes, and an orange hat, where is he?"
"Moss?" she asks skeptically.
"If that's his name, then yes," I nod, "Where is he?"
Corr points to a point up ahead and I see Moss in a small group. My muscles are trembling now from the exertion and from the cold mingled together as well as my rage. I draw my knives and rush towards him.
My knife is at his neck as I slam him against the wall. My temper flared up like hackles rise on a wolf.
"I warned you," I hiss to him. "I told you if you ever hurt any in my pack I would hunt you."
"What can you really do about it?" he asks snidely, "You kill me, and every wolf in this town will be after your pack with a death warrant."
"Tell me what I want to know and I'll let you live," I say frigidly, just as several sets of arms pry me off of him, tossing me away like a rag doll. I get up again, earning a sharp kick in the ribs and face. I spit out the blood and bits of gravel, and the group turns to the opening.
"What's up?" Moss asks looking at the person "I guess you weren't satisfied with the beating we gave you last night,"
Kiba, I look up in surprise, barely able to see the rest of the pack from my place on the ground.
They stop laughing when another set of footsteps come towards them.
"Zari," Corr says worriedly.
"Are you the one behind this?" Tsume demands the alpha.
"What?" Zari asks confused by what he meant.
"Don't give me that," The gray wolf retorts, stepping towards the leader menacingly.
"What are you talking about?" Zari asks again, unfazed by Tsume's advance.
"Is it true that you sold off one of my friends?" Kiba asks evenly, but the keen edge is heard.
"You guys make me sick," Tsume comments, eyeing everyone in distaste.
"What's the meaning of this?" the town's leader asks, turning to his pack mates.
"How should I know?" Moss replies almost growling.
"He told them to kill him," Toboe speaks up angrily, pointing an accusing finger at Moss. "You're the one who told them!"
The pup's statement gives me enough energy to get me on my feet, I didn't care now. This guy was mine.
"Moss!" Zari yells at his packmate.
Kiba tries to tackle Moss down, but Zari knocks him back, appearing to be defending his pack from this stranger. Appearances are deceiving, because as soon as Kiba was out of his path, Zari punches the traitor down.
"This is my territory," he bellows to Kiba and the others before he turns back to deal with Moss. "Why did you sell out a friend?" he demands as Moss picks himself up rubbing his sore jaw.
"He was a stranger to me," he replies stiffly.
"You're one to talk, Zari," another one of the local pack retorts.
"What?" Zari asks, wide eyed, not understanding the accusation.
"That's right," they other guy confirms. "You're not even doing the jobs that a dog would do."
"Do you seriously mean that?" Zari asks, looking at his pack bewildered. For a moment no one speaks. "I thought I was only serving my duties as leader." he continues when no one answers. "I can't do this as I had thought out anymore, I've only been doing so in hopes of protecting the pack."
"No one sees you as leader anymore!" Moss shouts at him, punching him to the ground. The rest of the pack takes the opportunity and begins beating their leader as well.
I watch in shock, rage, and confusion. Kiba starts to come to help when one of them stops him
"Don't get in our way!" he tells us warningly as they kick and punch at their Alpha, who isn't even fighting back.
These aren't wolves, I say to myself, they aren't even dogs or humans, I see Moss, standing over, watching the others pummel Zari, gloating over their fallen leader. The coward!
"Stop it!" Corr yells out, almost as if she's in pain. "just stop it!"
They all stop at her desperation, but one keeps using Zari as a punching bag, before Moss calls the fight to a halt.
"Wait," Zari says as they turn to leave. "where did they take these guys' friend?" the request is somewhat pained his face is bruised and swelled from the cuts and fist prints.
"I don't know," Moss shrugs turning away from him. "I don't know!"
"I'm not interested in that answer," I remark bitingly, standing up kicking him in the shins, my knife slowly gouging into his skin. And I see the sense of fear enter his eyes.
"I don't know!" he yells, the fear brings the honesty out in his voice.
"Then guess!" I scream back, my blade digging deeper to where I feel his blood pulsing around the metal.
I see Corr rush over to Zari concerned, and the others glancing to both me and the wounded wolf.
"With the garbage maybe," Moss struggles, but I hold him firm. "the incinirator,"
I let go of him, slowly, letting him breathe in relief. "I don't care what deity you believe in, but you'd better pray that he's alive," I threaten, my voice so even and deliberate that even I'm shocked.
"Or else what?" Moss demands, trying to be tough, even when he's scared.
Then my voice changes, to a point where I know it's not mine, and I don't remember speaking. "Without wolf's heart, without wolf's eyes, give back the one you now deny." I don't know what happened, but I felt something go through me like a jolt of electricity that shakes me to the ground, almost depleted of energy, and my vision clouds over to darkness for a few seconds before refocusing, Moss and his pack are gone but the rest of us are still standing.
"Any clues where they might have taken him?" Tsume asks, both Zari and me, I pant on the alley's floor, too exhausted to answer.
"It was an orange truck," Toboe offers, trying give us some hints on what Zari knew.
"You guys, it's not too late to give up on Paradise," Zari tells us, and I take a gulp of air before standing up.
Kiba stares at him, stubbornly. "I don't have any place to go back to, so I have no choice but to go."
"Even if hell is what awaits us." Tsume puts in defending Kiba. "I don't know if you people could find it," the hard resolution shone in his gold eyes and there was no mistake that there was even a hint of doubt in his voice. "but we'll find Paradise, for sure." I look up at him, smiling. He'd finally won my respect.
Kiba and Toboe turn to him in an interesting mixture of shock and gratitude
"Tsume?" Toboe says looking at the gray scarred wolf in awe.
"I don't know how far I can go with you," I add in, "but I'm coming with you as far as you or she'll allow me." I emphasized the word 'she' to refer to Cheza, Kiba nodded understanding the need and urge to come.
Zari looks down and stands up shakily. "Follow me, "he says when he has his feet under him.
"Zari," Corra starts to protest. He just smiles back at her, with one of his eyes swollen shut.
"I can still run," he says, limping down the alley as quickly as he can, the rest of us follow. The rush of my fury is gone, but the thrill of the hunt is still there, the hunt for revenge is over, the hunt to save Hige has begun.
I shake my head, trying to reclaim some endurance that I had lost earlier, and follow after Kiba and the others with Zari leading the way.
"You know any short cuts?" I ask wearily when we climb onto the main roads.
Zari nods from his place in the front, and I grin, pushing myself further to take a few leaps to the buildings beside us, most of the roofs are nearly level with the outside roads. The way seems easier and more familiar to me then I see an orange truck in the distance.
"I think I see our truck, guys" I yell over to the others on the streets and leap across to the next building, barely grabbing the ledge to swing myself up. The rush comes back, giving me the endurance and speed I desperately need. The wolves jump onto the same road, catching up with the truck quickly Toboe and I are more or less even in the back. Zari, Kiba and Tsume dash in front of the truck, scaring the drivers senseless, causing them to swerve and turn on the roads madly until the truck topples over, Hige and his cage crash onto the roadside. All except Zari gather around the cage, looking at Hige. The brown wolf sighs, almost aggravated, then sits up.
"You guys are too rough," he complains instantly.
"You're welcome," I retort, crossing my arms.
Toboe puts his hands on his hips. "Just be grateful you got out safely," he scolds.
"He ain't out yet," I inform the pup, looking back to Hige I give him a sly yet playful smirk. "And I might be half-tempted to strangle him when he gets out of there."
"Hurry up and get out," Tsume says, stopping the joking around. "you can break out by yourself right?" he asks Hige skeptically.
"I don't do such barbaric things," Hige replies leaning back indignantly.
"Translation, no," I mutter, rolling my eyes.
Kiba latches his teeth onto one of the bars, twisting and jerking it to bend out of shape enough for Hige to slide out.
I notice the truck's door open and one of the drivers sits up, staring at us angrily, then pulls out a small handgun.
"You mutts!" he yells at us, and I instantly jump in front of him, knowing he won't risk shooting with a human in the way. Zari also takes the opportunity to leap at him biting down on the guy's wrist, the gunshot explodes wildly in some obscure direction, hitting nothing and Hige slips out of the cage. The six of us run back to the town, resolute and rejoined
When we are among the safety of the overshadowed buildings I take my opportunity to celebrate.
"Ha-HA!" I crow excitedly, twisting in the air. "that was amazing!" I say, I feeling completely pumped, Tsume ignores me unless I end up being right in front of him. Kiba just gives me a calm glance, before returning to following Zari down the winding streets again. Hige looks annoyed at being rescued and just continues grumbling about leaving a leg of fresh mutton in the snow. Toboe is the only one who takes a liking to my celebration, he wags his tail and laughs the way wolves do with his tongue hanging out of their mouth, panting.
"You sound as if you've never been outside your own house," Tsume comments when I continue dancing and darting among the pack.
"I've always been the one stealing," I remark, coming up beside him, still jittery. "this is the first time I've ever been the one to get something back."
"We've got him back now, so can you quit bouncing around?" Tsume retorts bitingly, his patience finally wearing thin.
"Fine," I reply, falling into step with the rest of the pack, but I keep the smile plastered to my face.
Zari takes us back to the cemetery, leading us to the doorway that leads to Paradise. I look at the forbidding entrance and immediately both Kiba and Zari are trying to tear down the warped boards of wood. I come up beside them and rip several weakly nailed boards off, widening the door's entrance.
Zari nods in thanks then heads inside, the rest of the wolves follow in suit into the shadowy, death filled tunnel.
I slide in after them, our footsteps echo off the walls making up for the lack of conversation. Hige's footsteps are a bit clumsy, and heavy, Kiba's was the second set I could recognize, confident at where his destination was, but a little unsure of where he was going. Toboe was as light footed and jittery at times, as if he were barely able to keep his feet on the ground. Tsume, was different. Not the slow, unwilling pace he usually set, but it was grounded and secure step. Zari was the only one who was impossible to place until he stopped; it was quite noticeable that he had walked these paths before.
"This is the only way, right?" Toboe asks after we've been walking a while. The smell of death is starting to churn my stomach, but I'm sure the wolves having much worse. I swallow the bile rising in my throat and just breathe through the mouth.
"Is this really safe?" Hige mutters, looking at the grime caked walls of the tunnel.
"It's better than burning along with the trash, you know," Tsume retorts from behind him, and I stifle a laugh, just as a strong wave of nausea lands in my stomach.
We climb out of the cramped shaft and look down the the subways of a much larger tunnel. Zari stops, looking at the dark end, where everything is hidden.
"This is as far as I go," He says not looking at us. "You guys go the rest of the way by yourselves."
"So you're not coming?" Kiba asks, not quite understanding why he's choosing to stay. "To this place from now on?"
"We can't tell if the place that we've been searching for actually exists." the lean wolf answers, still looking down the tunnel, then straightens himself. "but there are those who can enter Paradise, and those who can't, that's what I think."
"You never know, but I'm trying anyway," I say stepping forward.
"You guys go find out if Paradise really lies at the end of this road." Zari answers, stepping aside to let us pass.
"That's not very wolf-like of you," Tsume comments, looking at him skeptically.
"Tsume," Kiba warns, but the gray wolf ignores it.
"A wolf is only supposed to protect his own pack." Tsume notes expertly.
"Yeah," Zari nods a wry grin on his face. "I've fallen."
Kiba just bows his head and races into the tunnel, Tsume and Toboe start off nearly simultaneously, Hige rushes after them, and I come behind, last, I turn back to Zari and nod my thanks, "just remember, Zari, even the fallen can still stand up again." I then rush into the shadows following Hige's bright, bulky yellow hoodie.
"The flower is strong," I hear Zari say from behind us. "So even though it may not be visible, doesn't necessarily mean it's extinct. Just like wolves." His words send a shiver through me, almost as if he's repeating an old proverb. "As long as the moon is there, flowers will not cease to exist, nor will wolves." I stop dead as the walls echo the words a while longer, wondering at how grandfather knew a wolf's proverbs. I force myself again to focus on keeping up with the others.
