They got out of the sewers and it led the wolves to a forest. "Hey, doesn't this forest seen a little weird? I don't see any animals." Toboe said while looking around.
"Don't you know what you are?" Hige asked.
"Eh?"
"They probably ran away because they saw us. We're wolves." Esmeralda explained.
"I see."
"This is why city kids are all..." Hige mumbled to himself.
"But ever since we got out of that sewer, I can't smell the flower at all." Toboe said.
"Yeah, come to think of it, I haven't smelled it in a while now." Esmeralda added.
"I wonder if this is the right place."
"Kiba, can I ask you something?" Tsume said.
"Yea."
"Where are we going?"
"Paradise."
"Of course." Esmeralda mumbled.
"And what's leading us there?" Tsume wondered.
"Instinct."
"Instinct?" Esmeralda stared at Kiba.
"I knew it. It'd be nice if it feels like we're getting closer..." Hige said.
Soon, they stopped walking. Esmeralda looked up at the sky and heard weird noises. "That's..." Tsume whispered.
"It might be those nobles." Hige suggested.
"I don't like the sound." Toboe added.
"It's an airship. I can hear it." Esmeralda growled. Soon there were lights everywhere and some small earthquakes. 'What's going on over there?' Esmeralda asked herself.
"What's this?" Toboe asked.
"They're being so flashy." Hige said.
"She's there." Kiba whispered.
"Who's there?" Esmeralda wondered. Kiba didn't say anything and took off. He's heading towards where the chaos was happening.
"Wait! We shouldn't interfere!" Tsume shouted.
"I can feel it." Kiba said.
"Feel what?" Hige wondered.
"I don't know...I can feel it...somehow...can't you guys feel anything at all?" Kiba ran off. "Kiba, wait!"
Everyone went after him, but he was running too fast. Suddenly, Esmeralda started to feel something and started to smell the flowers again. 'Could that be what Kiba felt?' She asked herself as she continued running, almost running past Kiba. He looked at her in a strange way, but he got the hint that she felt it too. Esmeralda looked up at the sky and saw a little spark. For some reason, she was thinking that the girl is Cheza.
'Have we finally found her?' She asked herself.
"The scent is coming from up there." Hige said.
They were in front of a mountain and the only way to get through is to climb. They started climbing and the closer they got up there, the closer the scent was. "Something doesn't smell right." Esmeralda pointed out.
"What's wrong?" Tsume asked.
"I can smell the flower but...something also smells like a noble...I'm not sure."
"Let's go." Kiba said.
Once they've got to the top of the mountain, there was a dead forest in front of them. Esmeralda's heart seems to be beating fast for some reason. The flower scent is making her crazy for some reason. "I'm very excited to be embraced by a lovely girl!" Hige exclaimed.
Esmeralda narrowed her eyes at him. "Perv."
"Don't be so reckless...although it is kind of exciting..." Tsume added. Her eyes widen at what she just hear. "And this is coming from Tsume..." "Shut up." Esmeralda laughed a bit.
They reached across a flower meadow and there was a small waterfall in the middle of the meadow. There was a lake next to the meadows too and there as there was a girl in the water. She is fairly skinny and has very pale complexion which makes her looks delicate and fragile like a flower. She has bright red eyes with unusual darker red sclera. Her hair is jaw length, slightly shorter at the back, and light mauve in color. She was wearing a light blue body-suit which covers her feet.
"She's there...she's really there." Hige said.
"I think I'm in love." Toboe added.
"Who is she?" Tsume wondered.
"Cheza..." Esmeralda replied.
"That's her?"
"Yes, she's got the lunar scent on her."
Kiba walked up to Cheza and when her hands were near Kiba, he turned into his wolf form. Cheza felt his fur before smiling and hugged him. 'Does Kiba really care about her? Is she that important to him?' Esmeralda wondered.
"Finally...I found you." Cheza said.
"That must feel really good." Toboe said.
"The flower maiden is here..." Esmeralda mumbled.
"Yup...that's the flower maiden alright." Hige said.
For some reason, Esmeralda's body made her walk up to her. 'I don't know but I feel really happy when I'm with her. Her scent is so strong, I fell happy. I've haven't had this feeling in a long time.' She thought to herself as she stood in front Cheza. Cheza pulled around from Kiba's embrace and stared at Esmeralda. "Cheza...why do I feel so happy?"
Cheza just smiled and hugged her, turning her into her wolf form in the process. At first, Esmeralda was surprised, but she hugged back. 'She made me feel warm and safe.' She thought as a tear rolled down her visible cheek. "I'm happy to see all of you." Cheza said with a soft voice.
"Esmeralda, you're crying?" Toboe asked.
"I'm sorry..." Esmeralda gently pulled away from Cheza's embrace, even though she didn't want to, and wiped the tear out of her eye. "I've just never had this warm feeling before."
"Wow, you're all happy today." Tsume said.
"Well, don't you feel the same way? A nice warm feeling in the pit of your stomach?"
"Well yea, but I'm not the one who's crying."
"At least she is finally happy." Hige said.
"Yea...Hey, is that supposed to be a compliment?" Esmeralda asked.
"Well, Esmeralda, during the past few days all you have been was angry." Toboe replied.
"Yea, you haven't smiled or anything at all." Hige added.
"Oh...well now since Cheza is here, I think my acting has change. I'm here to protect the flower maiden until we reach to paradise."
"That's very kind of you." Cheza said with a kind smile.
"Let's go. We should get moving. The nobles may come here and discover us." Kiba said.
"He's right. Let's go." Tsume agreed.
Kiba and Cheza are walking hand in hand, Esmeralda couldn't help but smile. 'I haven't been this happy in a long time. I can't believe Cheza can bring my happiness back.'
"This way...this way." Cheza said, breaking Esmeralda's train of thought.
"Well, that's Cheza alright." Hige said.
"It's weird to be human and a lunar flower at the same time." Toboe added.
"From what I've heard, a stupid human was bored and did an experiment and created her out of a lunar flower." Esmeralda explained.
"A human made from a flower? Do you really believe that?" Tsume wondered.
"Well...she is here in front of us right now, Tsume. Her scent is a flower's scent, so the story must be true."
"Even so, I still don't believe it."
"But you found her irresistible. I couldn't help but to cry when I saw her."
"That was the first time I ever saw you cry or showed happiness."
'Tsume actually complimented me for the first time. I'm starting to have weird feelings towards him now, but I don't know what it is.' Esmeralda's face started to get slightly warm, showing a little red on her cheeks. "Thanks, but I'm not going to show my happy side all the time. This maybe the only time I'm showing you guys my happiness."
"Aww, but Esmeralda, I like it when you're happy." Toboe complained.
"But then I might show my weakness and I will lose my guard."
"Oh."
"You know, I believe that since we're with the flower maiden now, we may be close to paradise." Hige said.
"Yeah!" Toboe exclaimed.
"Plus, she's not my type."
"Jeez, Hige, all you talk about is women." Esmeralda said after smacking him on the back of his head.
"Over here." Cheza said.
They arrived at an abandon building where they believe Cheza used to live. Tsume, Toboe, and Hige went to look at the other rooms. "I've been waiting all along. I was born here...for that reason." Cheza said.
"Wait, Cheza, you're the only one of her kind left? How will you survive?" Esmeralda wondered.
"It's true...no one's here anymore..."
"All the other flowers had withered away." The whole room was full of dead vines, leaves, and petals. "I'm...the only one left."
"Cheza..."Esmeralda stared at her with sadness in her eyes. Soon, gun-shots were heard and the scent of humans was around.
"Kiba, this isn't good! I smell humans everywhere!" Hige shouted.
"So do I." Esmeralda agreed.
"We're trapped." Toboe looked scared.
"I know why they're here?" Tsume wondered. Tsume was staring at Cheza, the nobles are here for her.
"No! That's not it!" Kiba shouted.
"Now's not the time for that! We have to hurry up and escape!" Toboe exclaimed.
"Escape? We're trapped you know!" Hige shouted.
"Where can we go?" Esmeralda wondered.
"This way." Cheza said before heading towards north, but that was where all the gun shots were.
"Hey, it's dangerous over there!" Hige shouted.
"Follow her." Kiba ordered.
"Maybe she knows the way out." Esmeralda said before everyone followed Cheza. As they were following her, Esmeralda caught up to Tsume to talk to him. "Tsume, do you even trust Cheza?" She asked.
"She doesn't seem trustworthy."
"But she didn't do anything wrong."
"Maybe she led those human here."
"Tsume...flower maidens are trustworthy and loyal. Cheza wouldn't do such a thing. I know she wouldn't. Her kindness brings me happiness and I know she wouldn't do that."
"Say whatever you want but I still don't trust her."
"Even though you don't trust her...I know you're excited to see her."
Soon enough, a group of humans came out of nowhere and tried to shoot up. One of the bullets almost hit Cheza, which got Esmeralda angry. She started to attack the humans with Tsume until someone shot a bullet and hit her in the arm. She screamed in pain until she got use to the pain and managed to injure the stupid human. "They're lucky that I'm in a good mood today or else I would've killed them." She said to herself before she notice there was too many people surrounding her until Tsume came and killed them all. "Tsume!"
He turned and noticed her wound. "Esmeralda, your arm!"
"I-it's nothing."
"How did you get that wound?" Hige wondered.
"I was being careless and lost my guard. It's nothing; doesn't hurt that much."
"Hey you guys, over here!" Toboe shouted.
They turned to see Toboe was in a small secret hallway and Cheza was at the other side of the hallway.
"This way!" Cheza said. Kiba ran towards her side and held hands.
"Esmeralda, what happen to your arm?" Toboe exclaimed.
"I got shot but it's not a deep wound. It'll heal in a few days or so." While she was talking, Cheza ran by her side and examined her arm. "Cheza, what are you doing?" Esmeralda stared at her.
"Hold out your arm."
"Okay?" Esmeralda held her arm out and Cheza started to heal her arm. After a few minutes, her arm was fully healed and the bullet was gone. Esmeralda was really amazed; she didn't know flower maidens could heal too. "Thank you."
"You're welcome" Cheza said with a smile.
"Let's go this way." Kiba said.
Since Esmeralda's arm is healed, she can run faster as a wolf. They passed through an opening and when Esmeralda looked out, she saw a woman with blonde hair tied up in a messy bun and noticed she was staring at Cheza.
Soon, they found themselves in an empty room that was a dead end. "What is this?" Hige asked.
"It's no use, this placed is blocked off." Toboe said.
"Maybe we should surrender."
"Are you crazy?" Tsume and Esmeralda shouted. She stared at Tsume for a second but quickly looked away.
"Ah...I was kidding."
"This way." Cheza placed her hand on the other side of the room and a hole opened up. "This is the way out." Cheza said.
"Alright, let's go." Esmeralda said.
They all went through the hole and soon the hole closed. They escaped from the humans and are now out of that abandon building. 'I wonder...could that woman be the one who created Cheza? And what is with my feelings towards Tsume?' Esmeralda asked herself.
