Chapter Ten: The Flower Maiden
Disclaimer: I do not own 'Wolf's Rain', only Kegawa.
We stopped to rest on the top of a plateau rising up in the middle of a grassy plain.
Hige was already asleep, snoring softly. Tsume and Kiba were nodding off, but they didn't give in to sleep; why, I have no idea. I was sitting away from them, near the edge of the plateau, my arms wrapped around my knees.
I turned my head slightly when Toboe sat down next to me. I smiled at him, and then turned my attention to staring out over the moonlight-bathed plain. After a silent moment, Toboe began to speak, hesitantly.
"So…Is it true? What Hige said? Back in the city?"
I glanced at him, noticing he was looking at me with a sort of puppy-dog look on his face, his head tilted to the side in that really adorable way of his.
"About what?" I asked, but I had a gut feeling I knew what Toboe was going to say.
"You know…when he said that it was obvious you liked me."
"You heard that?" I asked.
Toboe nodded earnestly, then abruptly sobered. "Is it true?"
"Yep," I said, leaning back on my arms and extending my legs. I tilted my head slightly and looked at him. "It's really cute when you do that."
He blinked, confused, and tilted his head. "Do what?"
"Tilt your head to the side, like now."
He laughed. "You think so?"
I nodded. "And what about you?"
Toboe's cheeks turned a delicate pink, and he looked down, avoiding my gaze.
"Come on," I said, bumping him playfully. "You can tell me. I won't be mad or anything, if you don't."
"I—I really—You—Uh…"
"Come on," I urged again.
"Ireallyreallyreallylikeyou!" he said in one breath.
"What?"
His blush deepened, and he took a steadying breath. He glanced at me, then looked away. "I really, really, really like you, Kegawa. I think you're really nice, and brave, and funny…I've never met anyone like you before."
Heat crept up into my cheeks; it was my turn to blush. "Thanks," I murmured.
Toboe scooted closer to me and gave me a hug; he was really warm. I closed my eyes with a sigh, leaning my head on his shoulder. The realization suddenly hit me; I had a pack once again. But this time was better, because I also had a mate. I had finally been able to move on, after all this time…
"You're cold," Toboe stated. He stood up and held out a hand.
I grasped hold of it, and he led me over to where the others were. I lay down, and after a moment, Toboe curled up next to me. I smiled.
"Come on, you two! You're gonna get left behind!" Hige called.
Toboe and I jumped, and hurried after the others, trying to avoid face-planting on the forest floor.
When we caught up to the other, Toboe asked, "Doesn't this forest seem kinda strange to you? I mean, there aren't any animals here."
"Tell me something—you do know that you're a wolf, right?" Hige asked.
"Huh?"
"Think about it, genius—they probably ran off when they saw us coming."
I glared at him. Someone had certainly been in a foul mood recently, especially with Toboe. Couldn't he just accept the fact that I had chosen Toboe instead of him?
"Oh…r-right," Toboe said.
"This is the problem when you take city kids to the forest," Hige muttered.
"You know, I haven't smelled the flower since we left that cave," Toboe said. "I wonder if we're really going the right way…"
Now that he had mentioned it, I hadn't smelled Lunar Flowers since then, too…
"You wanna give us a clue, here?" Tsume asked Kiba.
"Sure," Kiba replied with a nonchalant tone.
"Where exactly are we headed?"
"To Paradise."
"And what the hell is guiding you there?"
"Instinct."
We stopped. The others seemed to be incredulous and exasperated with his answer, but I liked that he was straight-forward. Besides, I felt that instinct was the best way to find Paradise.
"Here we go again," Hige said, smacking his forehead. "I just wish that it'd feel like we're getting closer…Not that I'm complaining, or anything."
Kiba stopped short with a slight gasp, and looked up at the sky through a gap in the canopy. There was the faint buzzing of a Noble's airship.
"That noise…" Tsume growled.
"It's an airship," Hige stated. "It must be one of the Nobles."
Toboe put his hands over his ears. "Ugh, I hate that sound."
After a while, red lights filled the air, and the sound of shots being fired at something could be heard. Another type of ship came into view, firing at the Noble's ship. There must've been a successful hit, because the ground started to shake from the shock waves of the impact.
Toboe screamed slightly, clinging to me. "What's going on?"
"Man, they're really going at it," Hige said.
"She's there…" Kiba murmured, and took a few steps forward.
"Hold it! It's nothing to do with us! Stay out of it!" Tsume commanded.
Kiba ignored him, still moving forward. "I can feel it."
"Feel what?" Hige asked.
"I'm not sure…But it's so familiar…" Kiba paused and turned to us. "Come on, don't you guys feel anything at all?" He turned again and ran off.
"Kiba!" Tsume called, taking off after him.
"Can you feel anything?" Toboe asked Hige before he ran after Tsume and Kiba.
"That guy is hopeless," Hige muttered, before running off after the others, and I followed.
The explosions in the sky continued, and I looked up. The Noble's ship was spiraling out of control, falling to the ground. But what looked like a…falling star also fell down to earth.
"Kiba!" Tsume called from ahead.
"Wait for us!" Toboe added.
"That sound…" Hige said, looking up.
The 'star' continued to fall, headed towards a small mountain in the middle of the forest. Kiba ran towards the same place. Once we reached its base, we began to climb. After a while, Hige sniffed the air.
"The scent is faint, but it's up there," he said.
"Why the hell are you so worked up?" Tsume asked Kiba, who was farther up than the rest of us.
"Aw, man…There's the stink of a Noble mixed in there, too," Hige said disgustedly.
"A Noble?" Tsume asked.
While those two were busy chit-chatting, Toboe and I climbed higher, trying to keep up with Kiba.
"Hey, Kiba!" Toboe called.
He paused and turned.
"I've got this fluttery feeling in my chest…Is that what you meant?"
Kiba nodded once. "Let's go."
Once we reached the top, we had to trek through some more trees. Kiba led the way.
"I don't why, but my heart's pounding…And I feel all warm and tingly inside," Toboe said breathlessly.
"Mmm…This is that cold feeling you get before pouncing on a pretty girl…" Hige murmured dreamily.
My eyes narrowed, and I smacked his head with as much power as I could get. But the others were right—there was this weird feeling inside me, like a pleasant magnetic pull towards something…
"Don't let your guard down," Tsume growled. "But there's a shiver down my spine, too…"
The trees began to thin, and I could smell water and plant life. Once we got out of the trees, I could see a lake and a waterfall.
"Wow…" Toboe said in awe.
And there, sitting on a rock and dipping her feet into the water, was the Flower Maiden. She turned to look at us, and we all gasped.
"It's her…It's really her!" Hige exclaimed.
"My heart just skipped a beat!" Toboe said, putting a hand over his heart.
"Who is that?" Tsume asked.
She stood up, and continued to stare at us. Kiba slowly started walking towards her.
"Hold on," Tsume warned.
Kiba continued towards the Flower Maiden, and we stood where we were in awed silence. Kiba stopped in front of her. She smiled, and began to pet Kiba, who had let his glamour fall. She knelt down and hugged him.
"I wanna be held like that…" Toboe murmured.
"Can that really be…?" Tsume asked.
"Yeah…" Hige said. "That's her. That's the Flower Maiden."
After a while, Kiba returned to human form, and Cheza took his hand. They began to walk off, and we followed after them. The Flower Maiden came to the top of a hill, and she turned back.
"This way! This way!" she called, waving a hand.
"That's Cheza, all right. The Flower Maiden," Hige stated.
"She's a flower and a maiden? That's pretty weird," Toboe said.
"Well, the way I heard it, some Nobles with too much time on their hands made her from a Lunar Flower in a lab somewhere."
"Made from a flower? Gimme a break. You really believe all that?" Tsume asked.
We were walking over a bridge, and for the first time, I noticed we were in a garden. It was quiet, peaceful…beautiful.
"She's standing right there, isn't she?"Hige asked, gesturing towards Kiba and Cheza.
"She smells nice, too," Toboe said. "Like a flower."
"Smell or no smell, I don't trust any of this," Tsume said pessimistically.
"Even though your heart skips a beat, too?" Toboe asked him.
"Well, I believe it," Hige said. When Tsume looked at him in surprise, he continued. "I mean, just think about it. As crazy as it seemed at the time, Kiba led us here on instinct, or whatever you wanna call it. Even if this all a big coincidence or something, at least it feels like we're one step closer."
"It sure does," Toboe agreed.
"And when you look at it, she's not my type at all," Hige continued. "It's such a bummer."
I rolled my eyes, and ran slightly ahead, so that I was in the middle of the gap that had grown between the rest of the pack, and Kiba and Cheza. Cheza led the way to some ruins, and then she let go of Kiba's hand and ran into a room. Kiba followed.
I stopped, and wrinkled my nose. Humans were here…And then I heard gunfire. I ran towards the room Kiba and Cheza disappeared into, and I could sense that the others were right behind me.
"Kiba, we're in serious trouble! I smell humans all over the place!" Hige exclaimed.
"I think we're surrounded!" Toboe added.
Tsume glared at Cheza, but when her gaze met his, his expression softened.
Kiba stepped in front of Cheza protectively. "No, it wasn't her."
"Come on, guys! We don't have time for this!" I said, stepping in between them. "We have to get out of here!"
"What d'you mean, get out of here? We're surrounded!" Hige said. "Where the hell are we supposed to go?"
Cheza stood up and walked away. Kiba followed her.
"Where the hell are you going?" Tsume called after him.
"Didn't you hear what I said?" Hige asked.
The two disappeared.
"What do we do?" Toboe asked.
"We don't have much of a choice!" Tsume growled, and turned to go in the opposite direction.
"Kiba's lost it this time," Hige said, and followed Tsume.
Toboe looked both ways, clearly indecisive. "Kiba, wait for me!" he called, and ran in the direction Cheza and Kiba had gone.
"Toboe, wait up!" I called, following my mate.
Once we had caught up with them, Cheza led the way calmly. Suddenly, a soldier turned the corner and noticed us. He aimed his gun at us. Kiba pushed Cheza out of the way and leapt at him, snarling. His jaws clamped around the soldier's throat, blood spurting from the wound.
I sensed another soldier, and jumped into the air, pulling out the knife I had kept from my old days. He fired his gun at me, but I avoided getting hit, and sliced downwards. More gunfire sounded out, and I looked to see Cheza and Toboe hiding behind a rock.
Kiba and I ran forward, and found cover behind some rocks. We waited for an opportune moment to jump out and attack, but then the gunfire abruptly stopped. We exchanged a surprised glance and looked to see Tsume standing above the dead soldiers with his knife out, and Hige busy brushing his hands off.
Kiba and I ran forward to meet them.
"We're totally screwed! They've got that end completely blocked off!" Hige said.
"What do we do?" Tsume asked. "I we left her here, we could get away."
Kiba's eyes narrowed, and he stuck his face in Tsume's. "Forget it!"
There was gunfire in the distance.
"Guys!" Toboe called.
We looked over, and saw him standing by some sort of entrance. He waved his arm a bit, and slipped inside. We ran over, and saw that Cheza was a little farther down the tunnel.
"This way!" she called.
We exchanged a few looks, and followed her. Another soldier started firing at us. Kiba ran forward and punched him. The soldier fell off the ledge, since the wall had crumbled away there, and we kept running.
The end of the tunnel opened up into a cavernous chamber, the walls covered by tree roots and vines.
"What the hell?" Hige exclaimed.
"It's no use! There's no way to get outta here!" Toboe cried.
"We could try and surrender," Hige said.
Tsume glared at him, a growl rumbling in his chest.
Hige stiffened and laughed once nervously. "I'm kidding! I'm kidding!"
We looked around, but there was no way out. I glanced at Cheza, and saw that she rested her hand on one of the roots. Suddenly, there was a hole big enough for us to slip through in the middle of the roots.
"This way," she called to the others, who looked over in surprise.
"Where did that giant hole come from?" Toboe asked.
Cheza went through, followed by Kiba. Toboe jumped beside me.
"The wall just moved!" he said.
"Well, I'm not complaining," Hige said. "Let's get outta here!"
We chased after Kiba and Cheza. Toboe paused at the hole and turned to Tsume.
"Come on!" he called.
After a brief hesitation, he followed. Now, we are one step closer…to Paradise.