Tin Man

Imaris

Chapter Seven-Live To Tell

It was amazing how sharp my vision was at this point. I continued to walk alongside Cain, letting my lower jaw drop and my red tongue lolling out, resting between my bottom two canines. DG's memories began flooding back to her as we neared this southern lake country. Deciding that we needed help, Cain took us to a log cabin. He apparently knew some kind of 'code' because the man and his wife led us into the house. My toenails clicked on the floor. Glitch collapsed into one of the chairs at a wooden table. Rawr sat down beside him; Cain however remained standing. Glitch suddenly remembered something about a 'sun seeder' which he had built, but he doesn't remember much about it.

"You must try," DG said urgently. "If this object is what the Sorceress wants to freeze the eclipse, we have to know how to destroy it."

"I can't remember," Glitch said remorsefully. Finally Raw grabbed Glitch's shoulder and did the same thing he did back at the frozen fortress. We watched as Glitch and DG and I's real mother came into view. Glitch's real name was Ambrose. We watched as Ambrose destroyed the blue prints, but Azkadelia wasn't thrilled so she locked away our mother and removed Glitch's brain entirely. I had slipped my hindquarters into a sitting position and let my tail wrap around my hind leg, bringing my forelegs against my chest, keeping my upper body erect. I watched and let out a whine seeing as Ambrose had sacrificed himself in a way to save the O.Z from total darkness. I blinked and raised one furry eyebrow as I looked at Ambrose. Raw had let go and DG came over to give him a hug.

"You sacrificed so much," she said softly. Glitch seemed rather touched as he hugged DG back. Cain's eyes were suddenly locked on a horse object sitting on a dresser type furniture piece. He looked at the man. Realization dawned on him.

"My family is alive then for real?" he asked the man. The man nodded and then began ushering us out.

"Your family used this same route," he explained leading up a rickety wooden stair well that leveled off into a landing. There was a bike handle bar type object that ran the length of a rope leading across the forest. We saw the Long Coats not too far off, which I found rather odd. The man had us go one by one. My heart gave a slight pang as I realized that I'd been foolish all along to think Cain liked me. I let my ears droop slightly and I briefly closed my eyes. Toto had changed into the little terrier. Glitch offered to take me. Cain glanced down at the little terrier.

"I swear if you change I'm dropping you," he said.

Deciding that I wouldn't change for a while, I just allowed Glitch to pick me up. I didn't know how he did it since I must've weighed around 150 pounds, much bigger than the dog Toto had changed into. But once we safely reached the other side, Glitch gently put me down. I stood and spread my legs, giving my body a rigorous shake, causing my ears to flap against my head. Cain arrived shortly and let down Toto, who changed back into a human. Once again, I fell in line beside Cain, all of unaware that Toto was still dropping the little discs.

Just then, we came upon another cabin. Clearly Cain recognized this as he began running through the underbrush, calling for his wife. I sulked behind Glitch, carefully placing my paws on the dirt. We stopped by the cabin when we saw Cain standing in front of a tin suit, much like he'd been encased in. But there was a faint glimmer of relief. His son obviously was nowhere to be seen. But what made everyone silent was a gravestone. Cain dropped to his knees in front of it. Tears began forming in his eyes. DG slowly stepped forward and put a hand on his shoulder. Cain gently leaned forward to give a kiss on the gravestone before he put his hat back on his head.

"Let's go," he said in a monotone. Being as I was in wolf form, I couldn't tell Cain that his son was alive still. We pressed onward.

We came to a fork in the road. Glitch began heading off down one path, but we were still undecided. Just then, one of Azkadelia's flying monkeys came. Cain pulled out his gun, clicked back the hammer and aimed it. Pulling the trigger, the monkey was hit and it dropped to the ground.

We stood over it.

"Well Emma, there's a meal for you for the next few days," Cain said lightly.

I didn't even acknowledge it. Instead I turned my head away and turned my back on them, sitting on my haunches again.

"What's wrong with her? Is it something to do with the transformation?" Cain asked Toto worriedly.

Toto shook his head.

"No. This is a human emotion showing through," he explained. "She's deeply upset over something."

DG came forward and crouched down in front of me. She extended her hand out to touch my head but I was angry. Not at her, at myself, so I slowly lifted the upper lip up of my snout, exposing the top two canines and giving her a low warning growl. She snapped her hand back in surprise and raised her eyes to Toto.

"You need to let her be," Toto said. "She needs to sort whatever is bothering her out."

DG returned her eyes onto mine, even though right now everyone was in shades of black, grey and white.

"Perhaps I can help," Cain offered as he came around to the front of me and crouched down beside DG. "Emma, please change back into a human. We want to know what's bothering you so we can help."

His eyes peered out from under his brim hat as he too, reached to touch my head but DG put a hand on his arm.

"Careful," she said upset too. "Whatever is bothering her she obviously doesn't want to be touched."

Cain ignored her and continued to slowly extend his hand out. His fingers were inches from my head when I snapped my jaws, deliberately missing his hand by inches. DG was right. I didn't want to be touched. I was angry at myself for even thinking Cain liked me. His son was alive and well and once our mission was over, he'd go back to his old life and forget all about us. I felt horrible that his wife had died, but once his son came back into the picture, I was sure he'd want to pick up where he'd left off. It was the same as it was as though I was back on the other side. Nothing ever changed and I'd never find someone. Never. Cain looked a bit hurt that I'd went to bite him.

"We need to keep moving," Glitch said slowly.

DG slowly rose from her crouch and we continued walking. I followed behind Cain now, head low but ears pinned back against my neck. If anyone got too close, I'd give them a warning growl.

Eventually DG led us to what was once a southern lake country, but the woods were all charred and burned.

"The Sorceress torched this place," Glitch explained. I sulked away from them but not too far off and laid down on the dirt, letting my hind legs tuck underneath me and my forelegs stretched out. I rested my snout between my forepaws and let out a woof, sending a bit of dirt flying away from my nostrils. I heard DG getting upset, saying something about how things that happened were her fault and how her sister and her used to go looking for apples and came upon a cave one day hearing a little girl. They'd gone inside and Azkadelia had translated an inscription that read "At the dawn of time, good battled evil, and the light conquered over the darkness," followed by "something about an evil witch". She continued to explain how they came upon this evil witch and how DG had grabbed her sisters hand, causing their magic to encase them in a protective shield. But scared, DG had released her sisters hand, feeing the cave and leaving Azkadelia to be 'taken over' by the evil witch. She also remembered how she was sitting on a swing in a gazebo and sobbing to our mother that 'Az' had fallen and was hurt but Azkadelia was walking toward them clearly unharmed, but neither of them saw the black tattoo on her back of the flying monkeys. Our mother asked Azkadelia if she was alright and she had responded that she was. DG felt so horrible that she had tears in her eyes. Cain reassured her before taking his eyes off DG and began scanning around for me. I wanted nothing to do with them. I felt so stupid. I suddenly scented Raw coming toward me. I lifted my furry eyebrows as he crouched down in front of me. He extended his hand out to touch me. I growled in warning, however I didn't go to bite him. Raw began 'reading' me.

"Emma angry with herself," Raw whispered. "Because Emma thinks Cain does not love her."

I gave another growl, louder this time hoping he got the hint. He did and removed his hand quickly before I had a change to snap my jaws at it. DG meanwhile had remembered a memory about the 'perfect' stone and found it still buried. She skipped it across the ground, but soon, the ground changed to water. The entire area transformed into what it once was. I was lying in a patch of grass. Reluctantly I pulled myself up onto all fours. I stretched my forelegs out lowering the front half of me into a 'bow' and yawning, letting my tongue curl back before I shook each hind leg. I walked back to them. They were standing around the gazebo now, with a recorded holographic image of our mother. Our mother began saying that we needed to head to the 'Realm of the Unwanted' to find the Grey Gale and the Emerald of the Eclipse, to seek out someone named Ahamo. Toto turned to DG.

"Ahamo is your real father," he explained to her.

So, our real father was alive as well? So much for family secrets, Dad, I thought angrily. We didn't know Azkadelia was hot on our heels. I hung back a bit and saw Toto drop a little disc on the floor. I had put two and two together. Toto was a spy. Snarling, I jumped on Toto, knocking him onto his backside. I stood over him, placing each foreleg on either side of his arms and pinned back my ears, snarling and exposing all four canines and incisors at him. My eyes were flashing angrily. If he knew our mother how could he do something like that?

"Emma!" DG cried. "What's gotten into her? She's acting like Risik!"

Cain came over and stood over us, using the tip of his boot to push aside some dust clearing the disc.

"No," Cain said. "She has good reason to. Toto is a turncoat. He's been sending images back to Azkadelia using these discs."

DG stepped forward and had hurt in her eyes.

"Let me explain," Toto said holding up a hand defensively. "I was locked up for 15 years. Azkadelia made me an offer. She promise me freedom if I tracked you. I agreed but I was biding my time to change back to your side."

"You were giving her bread crumbs," DG said sounding clearly hurt.

Cain pulled his gun out and aimed it at Toto. I snarled again, keeping my ears flat against my neck.

"No," DG said putting a hand on Cain's. "We're all looking for second chances here."

Reluctantly Cain slipped the gun back into its holster.

"Emma, let him up," Cain said.

I snarled once more but listened to Cain, backing off and sulking over to Glitch, but glaring at Toto.

Toto changed into the terrier and began leading us into a very dense field. This was supposed to be the portal into the other realm. Toto's body could be seen popping in and out of view but finally he stopped and barked for us to come. We ran across the field, my body rocked with the motion of a gallop. We all gathered around a wooden door that was in the ground and Cain opened it.

We carefully made our way down. I reluctantly allowed Glitch to carry me down again. So far, he was the only one I was letting touch me. Glitch walked over to a fortuneteller. He turned to Cain.

"Got a quarter?" he asked.

I sat on my haunches again and watched, clearly nonplussed by what was going on. I sensed Cain beside me. I didn't even bother to look up because I knew each of their scents. While DG and Glitch talked to the fortuneteller, Cain crouched down beside me and kept his voice low.

"Emma," he said quietly. "I don't know what's bothering you but please change back into a human. I need to talk to you."

I slowly turned my head to the side, nose quivering. I was giving him a defiant 'questioning' look that said "why should I change back?" I was finding life as a wolf much simpler than a human. I didn't have to tell others when I was feeling hurt, I just used body language. I gave a low growl at him as a signal that the answer was still a 'no'. Sighing, and looking a bit hurt, Cain stood up again as DG and Glitch turned to talk to us.

"Okay. We need to find someone called the Seeker. He will lead us to Ahamo," DG said.

But before anything could happen, Zero arrived and the fortuneteller ended up selling us out. Someone nabbed DG and escaped, leaving Glitch, Raw, Cain and I to be captured by the Long Coats.

Zero told his men to kill the fortuneteller and she was dragged off. I had a chain collar around my neck, which was attached to the long log where Cain, Raw and Glitch were chained to. I walked, feeling even worse because I was so upset I wasn't able to warn them that the Long Coats were here. I sulked even more, letting my head hang down low with my tail between my legs. As we were marching toward the Sorceress' castle, the Long Coats were attacked by resistance fighters. Once the Long Coats were taken care of, a young man with a dark hood that was pulled up over his head lowered it and realization dawned on Cain. This was his son.

Back at the resistance camp, I was separated from them. Of course I protested by going limp and snarling. I didn't know why I was separated but I was chained to a spike in the ground. Zero had been captured by the resistance fighters and was now being interrogated by Cain's son and Cain himself. After what seemed like hours, I heard Cain's concerned voice coming from one of the cabins.

"Where is Emma?"

"Who?" his son asked confused.

"The grey wolf. Where is she?" Cain demanded.

"Oh. She's chained up outside. She's set to be killed. She killed a few of our prize livestock a few years ago,"

My ears picked up a scraping of a chair behind pushed back and then a door slamming shut. I heard Cain coming toward me. I felt defeated. Why not let them kill me? Perhaps it would end this loneliness I'm feeling now. Death can't be any more painful than this right? I wondered as Cain reached me as well as his son.

"Release her," Cain demanded. "She didn't kill your livestock. She's not an ordinary wolf."

"Dad, there aren't too many wolves around here," his son protested. "She has to be the wolf."

"No," Cain argued. "Release her and you'll see. Trust me."

His son was holding a cross bow and arrow but reluctantly handed the weapon over to Cain and unlocked my collar. The chains clanked away and Cain's son looked at him.

"What's supposed to happen?" he asked.

Cain was looking at me pleadingly to change back. Deciding to at last, I closed my eyes and focused on my human form. Before long I opened my eyes and was standing on two legs again, back in my human body. I slowly looked at Cain's son. He had a shocked expression on his face. Cain handed the bow and arrow back to his son, who dropped it immediately and looked horrified.

"She's a shape shifter," Cain replied brightly to his son whom I already knew was named Jeb. Glitch and Raw came bursting from the house and came running to me.

"Emma!" Glitch cried as he hugged me tightly. "I'm glad to see you're not furry anymore!"

I had to chuckle as I hugged him back. Raw was next.

I sat at a wooden picnic table and just crossed my arms on top of it, resting my chin on my arm. A gentle breeze blew, tossing my chocolate brown hair all around. Glitch and Raw were helping themselves to some food, which I had to admit, sounded wonderful at this point. A hand holding a bowl of stew appeared over my shoulder and placed it down on the table in front of me. I looked up. Cain sat down next to me. He was sitting the opposite way I was, with his back to the edge. He took off his brim hat and placed it on the seat beside him. He leaned in close to me, but I kept my eyes on the stew, toying with it for a bit with my spoon.

"Emma," he said quietly. "What is bothering you? Please talk to me. I want to be able to help."

I let out a soft, scornful laugh.

"You can't help me," I said turning to face him now, so that we met each others' gaze. "This is something that no one could help me with. I'm almost sorry your son didn't kill me."

Cain's expression faltered and was now registered as pure pain.

"Emma, DG would be upset if you died," he said quietly. "Plus I know Glitch and Raw would be too…me included."

I gave another soft laugh and let my spoon fall into the bowl with a soft 'thock'. I leaned in close to him so that our faces were inches apart.

"Why would you be upset over an old maid who no one loves?" I asked, hoping that little clue helped him before I stood up and walked off toward Glitch and Raw, leaving Cain to contemplate what I'd said.