They were at a small town in a small worn out building to heal their wounds. Esmeralda was still mad that Cheza is now with Darcia. She felt like she just wants to leave this place and look for her.

"We should leave now..." She mumbled.

"We're leaving?" Hige asked.

"Duh, we need to look for Cheza and to get her back."

"Come on guys, I know we're all sad and annoyed but it looks like everyone is not in this world. And Kiba, you haven't said a word since 'it' happened" Hige said.

"Drop that subject..." She said after hitting Hige on the back of his head.

"But Kiba was the one who was hurt the most." Hige argued while holding his head in pain.

"That's not it...it just ticks me off that's all." Kiba said.

"It ticks me off too...why did she leave with him? Did she allegedly gave herself to him or he kidnapped her?" Esmeralda wondered.

"She...wanted to protect us and she left with him so he wouldn't kill us." Kiba explained.

"Tch..."

Suddenly, Esmeralda heard voices saying something like 'she went that way' and 'get her!'. Then a woman came in and Esmeralda was shocked to see who it was. That woman was that same wolf-dog that she met with Tsume the first time and again with Cheza.

"It's..."

Soon a group of three human men came in and she could tell that they were after the wolf-dog. "Friends eh?"

"And what if we are?" Esmeralda asked.

"Hand over the woman."

"Why should we?"

"She's already been sold."

"Sold?" That made Esmeralda knew that they were going to do something dirty to her. "You sick bastards!" Esmeralda glared at the human men.

"You guys aren't from around here are you?"

"And what if we are?"

"There are a lot of nice young bodies we can use around here!"

"Nice and healthy ones!"

"What about you? You're cute, young, and have a nice body" the man was grabbing Esmeralda and dragging her.

"Let...me…GO!" She kicked the guy where the sun doesn't shine and that just made him mad.

"Why you!" He was about to punch her but the punch was blocked by Tsume. Tsume punched the guy and he flew six feet away from her.

"Don't touch her!" Tsume shouted.

Esmeralda blushed before she said, "Thanks..."

The other two guys tried to attack everyone else but they were easily beaten up. Esmeralda grabbed the guy who tried to punch her and she turned into a wolf. She was about to bite the guy but she ended up not doing it. Her face was an inch away from the guys face and the guy freaked out. "It's the curse...its Darcia's curse!"

'Darcia's curse?' Esmeralda thought before all of a sudden he was grabbed by Tsume and they ran out of the building and stopped at a junkyard. 'That guy said something like Darcia's curse? I need to know about this.' She thought.


"Did you see their faces?" Tsume asked while laughing.

"It was funny!" Esmeralda laughed along with him.

"I felt refreshed from that." Toboe added.

"Yeah." Kiba agreed.

"Are you alright?" Hige asked the wolf-dog.

She was appeared as a tall, slender, fairly young looking woman who appears as if she is in her late teens or early twenties, has light blue eyes, has a coffee colored complexion; her hairstyle is short, messy and has a tom-boy-ish air to it. She was wearing a long-sleeved, navy blue buttoned coat which has a matching belt with the collar of her coat sticks up, matching thigh-length, navy blue heeled and a short, red-ish pink scarf.

"Yeah. Thanks." The woman said.

"So, you're here." Esmeralda said.

"Yea. It's been a while."

"Well you finally spoke."

"It's been a while for you too." Blue was talking to Kiba.

"Yea"

"So, what your name?" Esmeralda asked.

"It's Blue. Thank you"

"We didn't save you. We just felt like teaching them a lesson." Tsume said.

"Tsume!" Esmeralda yelled at him.

"You sure are a fine woman." Hige said while looking at Blue.

"Hige, you are such a pig." Esmeralda mumbled.

"Besides, Esmeralda, how do you know Blue?" Hige asked.

"Tsume and I met her once. She was outside, waiting for someone...by the way Blue where is Oyaji?"

"We split up. We had a lot between us." Blue said.

"You left him?"

"Not really. We just went our own ways."

"Oh..."

"That old man followed us to the last city as well." Kiba stated.

"Yea...that old man will chase wolves no matter where he goes." Blue said.

"But Blue you're also a wolf." Esmeralda said.

"By the way, where is that girl?" She asked.

"You mean Cheza?" Esmeralda asked.
"Cheza?"

"Yea...well she..."

"How should I say this...now is not the best time to talk about her. How about we search for food?" Hige suggested.

"Well...Blue? Want to tag along?" Esmeralda asked.

"I refuse." Tsume said.

"What? It's dangerous for a woman like her to go on alone." Hige said.

"Why should I tag along with her? Did you forget that she used to be with that old man?" Tsume said.

"Yeah, I know but-" Esmeralda said.

"Sorry Esmeralda, but I have to agree." Toboe said.

"So you're going to ditch her?" Hige asked.

"It's okay Esmeralda, Hige, I don't want to play around with kids either. See ya." Blue left and Hige went after her.

"You guys, that was cold of you."

"Hige, wait!" Esmeralda called out.

"Leave him be. Cheza told her that she was half wolf." Kiba said.

"Eh?" Toboe was confused.

"She must have awoken after meeting Cheza." Kiba said.

"Cheza..." Esmeralda mumbled. She just remembered about the dream she had when Darcia knocked her out and she wanted to tell Blue about her dream. But...she left and she doesn't know where she is.

"Esmeralda, what's wrong?" Tsume asked.

"Huh...oh nothing."


A few hours later and they were still waiting for Hige to come back.

"I wonder where Hige went?" Toboe asked.

"He'll be back once the girl dumps him." Tsume said.

"Actually I don't think Blue would dump Hige." Esmeralda said.

"And how would you know that?" Tsume asked.

"I don't know instincts I guess?"

"Instincts...psh."

"Well I'm going to look for him a little while. I'll be back." Toboe left to look for them and now it's just Kiba, Tsume, and Esmeralda.

"Darcia's curse..." Esmeralda mumbled.

"What was that?" Tsume asked.

"Huh...oh I was just thinking of what that guy said before."

"Darcia's curse." Kiba said.

"That's just what we wolves are to the humans." Tsume said.

"I think the humans are confused about our life." Esmeralda said.

"You are growing a bit soft about the humans." Tsume said.

"How's that?"

"You keep mentioning the old man with care and not disgust. Also to that women in that forest the other day"

"Oyaji and Cher?"

"I don't know their names."

"Well...there are certain types of humans that I don't hate..."

"Seems to me that you don't hate humans anymore."

"That's not the reason..."

"Then what is the true reason of you softening up on the humans?"

Out of nowhere a gun shot was fired and it almost hit Esmeralda. She quickly got up to see who shot it and it was the same goons from earlier.

"I found you...you guys are wolves! Jagara pays a good price for the likes of you!" One of the men shouted. "

Jagara?" Esmeralda wondered.

The guy loaded his gun and pointed it at her and he fired. As the gun was fired, Tsume pushed Esmeralda and he was shot on the arm.

"Tsume!"

"Run!" Kida shouted.

They start running as more gun shots were fired and Esmeralda sees that Tsume is in huge pain on his arm. She quickly ran to his side to help him run. "Tsume, are you alright?"

"Don't worry, it just grazed me."


Soon they came upon a small camper truck and there were two old people living there.

"Are you guys okay? Are you hurt?" The old woman said before an old man came out and pointed his gun towards them.

'Great, another person to shoot us?' Esmeralda said in her head.

"Elmaida, stand back."

"We have no intention to hurt you" Kiba said.

"Honey, it's alright. There just kids."

"Don't be ridiculous, there stray dogs!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Elmaida, I'm not joking just look at them!"

Suddenly Hige, Toboe and Blue came to them and the old man shot them but he missed.

'I guess it's time to put on my puppy face.' Esmeralda just showed him her wolf side and made a little puppy pout to him. 'Humans always fall for something like this.'

"We won't do anything to you. Just leave us alone." Kiba said.

Esmeralda just continues her pout as Kiba kept convincing the old man to let them go. There were voices of the goons and they were saying 'there over there!' and 'I hear something over here!'

"They're trying to capture us… do you really need to see some killing?" Tsume said.

It seems that the old man is still not listening so Esmeralda walked up to him and she begged him to pet her. "Fine! I'll protect you guys...I have a plan."

The old man's plan was to pretend that he had shot Hige and Toboe and the rest of them were to hide. The goons came and fell for the plan. Esmeralda heard the guy say something like 'tch she don't want them dead. It's no use lets go back' and they left.

"It's clear now" The old woman said.


They came out from hiding and the old man came to pet Esmeralda. She felt comfortable so she just sat there. The old woman cooked them some food and they all ate. She said that they are traveling and that this car is there house. She also mentioned that they would travel until they die and that the car is also there coffin. Esmeralda felt bad after hearing that but she knew that humans are meant to die when there time is up.

"The worst coffin we've seen is Darcia's castle." The old woman said.

"Darcia's castle?" Kiba asked.

"Yes, it's down in the south."

"Well...old timer is right...we are wolves." Kiba said.

"We better get going." Hige said.

"Yea." Toboe agreed.

Esmeralda changed back and said bye to the old couple. "Later, old man. Thank you for the food old woman." She said.

"Where are you going?" The old man asked.

"The castle in the south." Kiba announced.


They all started running and Esmeralda asked Tsume if his arm was alright. "Are you still hurt?"

"I'm okay. You defiantly have changed with the humans. You wouldn't have let the old man pet you if you still hated humans."

"I told you there is a reason to why I've soften."

"Esmeralda, what's wrong?" Blue asked.

"Nothing..."

The fact that she knows what really happened to her friends...plus since they're heading to Darcia's castle...she going to have a long talk with him. 'He is the reason to why I hated humans before...I hope we can also get Cheza back from Darcia...and I'll make sure that I'll finish Darcia once and for all the pain he caused me...'