A/N- See? I'm still doing this! Lol FYI I still don't own the wolfs rain franchise, though I would love to add Akira into the REAL story. That would so rock, wouldn't it? I also don't own my inspiring song lyrics down below Reviewer responses! lol
Response to reviewers:
-(BTW, I was surprised more of you didn't review, has everyone else just given up? Awww! No bueno! All who reviewed you honestly were the drive that brought this chapter to life! I have many projects I'm doing now writing-wise, about to bring out another one, so I am always happy to hear from reviewers. It drives me to update faster for the more popular stories!)
You all get your favorite kind of cookies now! Lol-
:PussyCatLover- Yes, it is I, the Dessy! I am well and alive thank you! Lol great to be back! Yes, it has been a long hard two years, but well worth the sweat, pain and blood shed lol Derby lived a very fulfilling life as far as Horses go, and though I do mourn him, the thought that so many people had life changing moments with him makes me proud that he was called mine and I am proud of his life. It's getting easier though to accept his death now though with the help of my three kitties and my lovable boyfriend! So don't worry too much about me! We had a wonderful V-day! Hope you like this chappy btw!
:KillerHotFeline- We had a wonderful V-day! I finally got to watch WarHorse the movie and loved it! A bit corny at times but over all wonderfully done! Thank you and PussyCatLover for your support and concern! You two are my most avid readers and for that I am very greatful! It makes me happy that LFASN is one of your favorites and you guys read it every V-day! I plan on adding a LOT more fluff this go around now that I have some… hands ON experience! Lol I also wanted to highlight Diya's character this go around too, so I'm happy she's getting good feedback as well! Enjoy the next chapter!
:Dessy-san1fan- when I saw that you called me Dessy-sama I started blushing! Lol I'm happy to be back and sorry that I made you guys wait so long! Especially my number one fan! Lol love the name! I hope you like the new edits in your favorite chapter! Starting off with a bit of sexual tension this go around. Always fun eh? Lol! Also, yes, I am involving MUCH more Diya and this time she's not so complacent. When I reread my own story after a year of writing it I was like…. Diya is so not that kind of girl! Lol and Laura is going to show up a bit more as well. I think I wrote her character much too quickly for my taste. Enjoy!
:Canis simensis- Another of my most appreciated avid readers! I'm so happy you didn't give up! And ohhh yeah! There's so going to be more AkiraXKiba fun in these edits. I kinda sold you guys short the first time, so now I'm trying to make up for it. Tsume and Heart are being revamped as well, but not to such a degree. They may like one another, but lets face it… they are stubborn lol! Hope you enjoy this chapter!
THANK YOU TO ALL READERS AND ESPECIALLY THANK YOU TO ALL REVIEWERS!
Sometimes I lay under the moon
And thank God I'm breathin'
Then I pray don't take me soon
'Cause I am here for a reason
Sometimes in my tears I drown
But I never let it get me down
So when negativity surrounds
I know someday it'll all turn around because
All my life I been waitin' for
I been prayin' for, for the people to say
That we don't want to fight no more
There'll be no more wars and our children will play
One day, one day, one day…
One Day: Matisyahu
Chapter 11 Moon Song
Cher was really starting to feel claustrophobic now, the needles of the chair meant to discourage her from moving from its metallic embrace felt as if they were boring closer and closer to her taunt, nervous skin as the seconds passed. Darcia and that white wolf hadn't returned yet, leaving the poor woman to her own thoughts. A woman dressed in black robes and pinned up, dark pigtails had brought her food and water, even took her to use the restroom, but she was still placed in that damned chair once more to await the 'Lord's' wishes. Cher WISHED she could repay that goddamned man for all he was waiting he was putting her through! He hadn't really done anything to her but force her to sit tight and wait, but that's exactly what she hated him for at the moment.
'Where is he?' she thought once more as she tried to move her head as much as the restriction of the chair would allow her to.
She stilled as she heard paws gently pad down the hallway from where the door was cracked open just slightly. She held her breath, wandering if it was a good or bad sign. She could hear the flare of canine nostrils behind the door when the padding walk stopped just out side and the door started to nudge open slowly. Blue and green eyes looked up at her as a white furry head with a bloodstained ear poked through the opening curiously.
"You again!" Cher sighed with relief, "You're hurt? What are you doing here?"
The white wolf let its self in and then backed up against the door to close it, wagging his tail as if to ease Cher's fear. He then made his way toward her restricting chair. He morphed to his human from halfway to her so she could understand him better. Cher's eyes widened at the handsome young man that stood there where the impressive white wolf once was. His eyes were still different colors though.
"Don't worry the wound's healed up by now.?" he sounded mock hurt when all she gave him was a stunned look, "Truth be told, however, I'm a bit hurt you don't seem to actually remember me…. Though you knew my sister better than you ever knew me, I really thought you'd at least remember the name they called me."
"Akira…..?" she breathed while she started to catch on to who it was, "You were with Akira!"
The young man nodded, "You're getting warmer," he encouraged while he took a look at the chair that restrained her and started to calculate how to get the woman out of it, "Now that's an interesting recliner…"
"You're that young male with Sasuke- you're his son, aren't you? Jazz?" she asked wandering what was going on and why the white dog just became human in front of her eyes in a blink of an eye. No pretty morphing light, just one minute animal, next second man!
"Bingo!" he replied, snapping his fingers as she got his name and he found out how to get her free. His green-blue eyes returned to her blue eyes that were so restricted by that head rack, "You seem kinda tangled."
"Darcia put me here. He said I had wandered around too much for his liking." Cher told him, "Did he send you to watch over me?"
"No, he sent me after my sister and the flower maiden to keep track on them. But they're still with in his scanners range from here. So I came back. Lord Orchem was just over thrown by Lady Jagura's troops and I suspect that sooner or later, they'll come here. That'll be the right time for you to escape." He told her while he dabbled with joints of the chair. With a sharp CLANK! Cher felt the chair loosen its grip on her body and let her free, "Valla! Freedom for the pretty lady," Jasper grinned, holding out a hand to help her up.
"Why are you helping me? I thought you work for Darcia?" Cher asked confused as she stood, rubbing the numbness out of her wrists.
The young man's eyes darkened, "I would never work for such a thing as a noble." Jazz said softly, "I am just his enslaved tool. I can at least help you get away from this idiotic dreamer before he warps your mind as we-eh-!" Jasper's breath caught as if something struck him! A sharp pain surged through his skull, making him convulse away from her in pain, "GAAAH!" he hissed out as his hands fisted into his hair.
"What's wrong?" she cried out surprised.
"It's Darcia!" he gritted, "He's summoning me again! Grrah!" he snarled as he tried to stand again. The pain came again in a new wave impatiently as Darcia's voice boomed inside his head, telling him what his master required, "FUCKIN SHIT! I SAID I'M ON MY WAY YOU DAMNED BASTARAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" Jazz fell to the ground, "OKAAY!" he shouted. The pain eased up a bit, "I'm on my way!..."
"Jazz….?" He stopped and looked over his shoulder to the woman that called his name.
"Darcia is angry I let the flower escape. He is going after Cheza tonight in person, on the full moon. He wants her before Jagura is able to get to her. I'll be going as well, I'll try to keep at least Akira from him again. I'll be back for you with Cheza, don't worry" he sounded deeply wounded, but he had no outer injuries as he limped off down the hall to his master. He gritted his teeth through the pain as he morphed once again to his wolf form.
A far off voice stole him away from his pain. It was so familiar to him that it had Jazz stopping a moment and look out the window. Tomorrow was the full moon, but he heard a singing voice tonight. One he knew was probably a memory of the past since it was none other than his mother's song….
"How are ya doing?" Heart asked.
Akira looked down where the black wolf stood in the sand in her human form. The young red wolf had been sitting in her own human form with her legs dangling off the side of the over turned truck staring up at the pre-full moon while the others rested underneath the truck soundly. Heart was still a bit worried about the young girl. Akira still hadn't opened up about what Desmond had tried with her and Heart knew Kiba's words still stung.
Akira shrugged, "Thinking." She didn't bother looking down to acknowledge Heart was even there, which bothered the elder female.
"Oh?" Heart took an easy leap up and landed on one knee beside Akira, "Thinking of what?" she wasn't about to let the girl off so easily when she was starting to give everyone the cold shoulder.
"Just…. Thinking about things and how it's all changed" Akira sighed looking back up to the moon, "I don't even feel like me any more and it's only been a few weeks since we joined this pack."
"Yeah, we've come a long way haven't we?" agreed, joining Akira in her moon gazing for a moment before attempting to speak again, "I'm guessing by 'change' you also mean what Kiba said?" Heart hesitated.
Akira's eye twitched, "Just because I get a bit quieter and philosophically cold, doesn't mean I have to care what that BOY has said to me." she practically snapped while stubbornly turning her head away from the older female, biting her lip as her heart stung again at the thought of what Kiba said.
Heart heaved a hefty sigh in exasperation with the younger girls sudden cold shoulder, but she let Akira have her way and dropped it for now. The two sat in silence while one gazed at the moon passing time, and the other glared at the desolate, sand-dune landscape. Neither really willing to break the uncomfortable tension between them, less it explode in their faces and they end up hurting the each other in a bout of anger that wasn't really meant between them.
"You know," Heart started off after a while when she felt her frustration was cooled off again, "We all know that he crossed a line with you, but he was really worried, Akira."
"Spare me" Akira huffed.
"Really, REALLY, worried-,"
"I could tell in the way that he harped at me when all was safe again." She rolled her eyes, not buying it.
Heart squealed in frustration, "Alright- FINE! Don't believe me, but you don't have to be all bitchy about it!" Heart harrumphed, "It's not like you're the first girl to have to deal with a man that really cares about you but comes off the wrong way, you know? Oh it must be soooo bad for him to show that he cares!" She was standing now so she could talk down at Akira.
"What makes you say that he cares about me?" Akira defended, knowing she probably was being more naïve than normal, but she's had to put aside her emotions until now, and right now the one that wanted out the most was anger and frustration, "Is throwing your weight around after a girl almost gets raped a way to show your affection? Yeah, I can really feel the love!" now the two were about nose to nose in an argument that was rousing the others awake.
Heart smirked, "How should I know? I've mated before- That's how I know, thank you! You think Kiba's bad? Wait till ya mate some bastard that doesn't give two shits about you." She hissed, "Even till the day he died, I never knew if he every truly loved me as anything other than his alpha female, so don't go whining about not being able to understand how he feels about you!"
Akira stiffened, 'That's right…..' she thought guiltily as she glanced at Heart through the corner of her eye, 'Heart lost her mate….but he never loved her?'
"Did you…. uh, I mean, did you ever….do you ever?" she was fumbling again for the right word.
"Ever fulfilled our mating: Yes, Akira, it's called Mating" Heart grinned at Akira's instant blush.
"Heart! I-I-I-!" Akira stuttered.
"Ever have pups: No" she seemed a little sad admitting that, "I hadn't gotten pregnant before he died."
"Did you plan on having them?"
"What girl doesn't? Sure I want a family someday, but… this world doesn't seem like a place for pups. This world doesn't have that kind of future" Heart turned her gaze to the moon
"You're wrong" Akira whispered. Heart's eyes narrowed slightly as she turned to her companion once more, "Shura was going to give birth to three pups…. And I've seen a few pregnant women on the streets in the towns we visit. Life is still able to continue regardless of all this pain we're going through. so long as life is able to be born into this world, then there's a life here worth molding into the future, right?"
"What about paradise?" Heart asked in awe, "Aren't we supposed to go there to escape this place?"
"Paradise?" Akira thought then smiled, "Papa said that paradise is the heaven for wolves. It is our holy land, but we were placed here, and now this is our home. If paradise can create mother earth, then I believe that paradise is calling us to reopen it so that we may heal it. Life here will not simply end like every one's so afraid of, but…." Akira's eyes darted downward before they were drawn to the moon, "It will simply begin again anew. And next time, it will be able to start again with a fresh slate."
"You really think that's what paradise does?" Heart was still in awe at the wisdom coming from the young wolf. She was far wiser beyond her years at times. Akira nodded, "Your father must have been some wolf. He seems really…. Wise and kind."
"Yeah…. He was" Akira agreed.
"How do you know so much about paradise any ways?" Heart tilt her head, "You always have an answer for anything regarding it."
Akira shrugged, "Your guess is as good as mine. Papa just used to talk about it all the time, but I find myself feeling almost close to paradise, like I know it from how my dreams picture it at night."
"So….. we're following a dream?"
"Or Kiba's 'instinct'?" Akira grinned, holding back her laughter.
Heart sputtered into her own laughter and Akira couldn't hold it in any longer. The two women held each other up while they laughed as friends again about their 'leader's silly claim about following instincts to paradise until neither could breath well anymore and fell down on their backs, panting for breath and relaxing on the cool steel of the truck bathed in the moonbeams peaking out from the clouds.
The two let companionable silence pass between them peacefully. Their tension dissolved into nothingness as they smiled up into the moon. Akira's fingers laced together and rested on her abdomen as the tossed around the idea of Kiba again and finally sighed, pushing herself up to lean on her elbow and looked down at Heart closing her eyes and smiling up at the moon as if she were in bliss.
"Look, I understand why Kiba was worried, but I still haven't heard it from his own lips that he regrets saying any of it. Even Tsume has taken a crack at apologizing for him today," Akira smiled a bit at the memory of the usually hardened wolf trying to cheer her up in his gruff-like way earlier.
"Is that what he was doing earlier?" Heart's eyes opened widened in surprise before she let out a giggle, grabbing her sore stomach and quickly hid her snickers, not wanting Tsume to overhear them.
The giggles were contagious again, it seemed. Akira's smile grew wider before she was stifling her own giggles. The two of them let their laughter out a little louder together under the moon and started up laughing out loud once more, kicking their heels in the air as they now rolled back and forth on the truck, imagining Tsume trying to apologize! Akira didn't feel so down anymore since Heart had come to comfort her and for that, she was grateful to be able to laugh again with her best friend and sister at heart.
"Akira….?" The girls' giggles shut off quickly when they heard a new voice. They both bolted up quickly, guiltily thinking they'd waken the others, but looking down at the sandy ground, they saw it was just Kiba looking up at them. Though, he seemed a little apprehensive about something as he stood awkwardly, not looking at Akira directly while he scratched the back of his head in human form and shifted weight from one leg to the other. He was obviously squirming about something!
Akira's mood started to darken once more, at the actual sight of him again, "Hello, Kiba" she replied tightly and turned her eyes away from his, not wanting to look directly at him either.
He flinch at her tone, "Err…. Uh," he swallowed nervously, "Hello?"
And just like that, neither tried to look at the other or even say something more. Yet Kiba wasn't leaving and Akira wasn't likely to go out of her way any more to give the dominant male any more ground than she already had given him. The tension between the two was thick enough to poke at in the air!
Heart coughed anxiously, "Y-You know what? I think someone should go survey the perimeter around our little camp before we all bed down for the night, what do you think?" Heart piped in while she jumped down and patted Kiba's shoulder enthusiastically with a wide smile, "I'll go tell the others you and Akira are out patrolling"
"Patrolling?" Kiba blinked, but the black she wolf was already gone. Kiba looked back up at Akira confused, but Akira just shrugged.
"I guess we might as well do as she says. You know how demanding she can get," she sighed, sliding down near him and starting to walk off, leaving him to follow her this time. She still had yet to actually look him in the face.
Kiba knew he was in for it, but damn it, this needed to end some how! He gritted his teeth and jogged after her. He couldn't stand her ignoring him like this anymore and the frustration was getting to him that she wouldn't look at him any more.
"Akira,"
"Yes, that is my name." Akira huffed, still not turning around, "And it's all you can seem to say lately."
"I know you're hurt because of how I yelled at you," he continued, resolving in just plowing his way through this apology thing. There's a first time for everything!
"Really? I was hurt? How could you tell through spiting at me?" she glared back at him before whipping around to stomp off again, "I was under the impression that's how wolves "take what they want" isn't it?"
"Akira," he warned while his patience was thinning quicker by the second with her stubborn sarcasm.
"LA-la-la, I cant here you!" she sung out loudly in a very childish way in covering her eyes and closing her eyes tightly shut, "I don't wanna hear your macho-Alpha-He-man excuses!"
"Macho-wha-? DAMN IT THAT'S IT!" he snarled and snatching her arms and yanked her back to look at him finally.
"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!" she snapped, taking off guard that he was restraining her.
"WILL YOU JUST LISTEN TO WHAT I'M TRYING TO FUCK'N SAY TO YOU GODDAMN IT!" he barked, "I'M TRYING TO SAY SOMETHING TO YOU BUT YOU WON'T LET ME SAY IT!"
"Alight then!" she hissed back, trying to get him to let go of her arms, but Kiba wasn't letting her go anytime soon, "You have the floor, oh noble one." She mock bowed her head since she couldn't move her arms as she rolled her eyes immaturely.
"Hey, don't call me a noble," Kiba grimaced, "it's more of a harsh insult then sarcastic remark here."
"Good point" she momentarily broke her cold front and smiled apologetically, but quickly glared back at him when he started to smile back. She wasn't about to let him off so easily.
"Look, I know what I said to you was far out of line to you back there," he sighed.
"An understatement," she started, but with the blue glare he issued her she quickly smiled nervously, "But please continue,"
"You're not just some… bitch in heat or anything and I know that it wasn't your fault he was a horny bastard that couldn't keep his paws to himself," he was rambling now….,
"Matter of fact, even that horn dog, Hige can keep it in his fur better than that Desmond guy, and it's not like someone so small can keep fending off a lug like that guy and-,"
"Ah-hem," she cleared her throat to cut into his rant, "Speaking of paws…" Akira started and looked at the hand that gripped her arm tightly still pointedly, "This is just a wee bit too tight."
"Oh, Sorry" Kiba let up his hold, only to sit down on the soft sand and gently drag her down with him. He made sure she ended up in his lap so he could keep a hold of her if she tried to flee again, "and I want to apologize for making you hurt like that. I'm not mad at you," Akira gave him a doubtful look, "No, really I'm not!" His blue eyes intensed his determined look as he took her hands in his and held eye contact with her, "I am furious that I let someone take you from me. I'm, angry that I let someone hurt you before I could get you back. If he had… If I hadn't have gotten there, he would have…" Kiba couldn't bring himself to say it. His blue eyes downcast away from her understanding orange eyes guiltily.
Akira was blushing more than she ever felt she could before! She was in his lap and he was apologizing to her while he held her so tenderly and he was stumbling over the words to say to her, 'H-Heart was right…' she thought, 'He really does care about me…' with that thought, she swallowed nervously as her heart beat sped up even more than it already was. Her orange eyes darted away from him shyly as her crimson bangs fell across her face, "The thing is that he DIDN'T get that far" she reassured while looking away from him, "So you don't have to worry about that. You came just in time to save me, Kiba, thank you" she didn't realize that those simple words 'thank you' were all he needed to hear for the boulder of guilty shame to be rolled off his back a bit.
Kiba hooked a finger under her chin so she was facing him again. His deep, blue eyes shown with an emotion that she rarely saw anymore in anyone, but could tell it was akin to what she felt for him when she was by his side now, "The thing is that he almost did, and if I hadn't come when I did…. And if Jagura's damned airship hadn't shown up," he paused for a moment to snort haughtily, "hmph, though I could have done with out that," he rolled his eyes, "You would have been claimed and raped against your will. And the thought that I had let you get that close to something like that when I swore to Zali…. To you that I wouldn't let anything happen to you, it made my blood both boil and run cold and I was just…. Venting. Just venting" his voice trailed off as he waited for her to say something, but was almost afraid of what she would say.
For a moment, Akira just stared unseeingly as it all sunk in. she realized just how hard Kiba was taking this and felt guilty for dragging it out and making him squirm, 'he deserved a bit of that though' she rethought and shook her head. Coming to her decision, she returned Kiba's gaze with a warm, welcoming disposition as she twined her arms around his neck and brought him in for a hug.
"I forgive you then, if that is what you're asking of me" she finally nodded against his hair as she whispered her forgiveness in his ear.
He sighed with relief with a shudder from how her light breath felt on his ear and let out a breath he forgot he was holding, "Thank you." He wrapped his arms around her back and held her to him, revealing in the hug they shared. It felt good to hold her so close like this, that he found that he missed the warmth of it when she pulled back to be face to face again.
"So, do you feel better now?" He asked.
"Yeah, I'll be fine. Heart cheered me up before you came along" Akira smirked, "I don't have to rely on you for everything you know" she joked.
"That wouldn't be such a bad thing," he said softly while his blue eyes were suddenly transfixed to her lips.
Akira felt something stir in reaction, but what she didn't know just yet. Her orange eyes strayed to his pale lips as well while he started to draw closer and lean his head to a tilt. Her eyes closed instinctively when she felt his breath caress her suddenly dry lips. Her tongue darted out to wet them and he took the opportunity to snatch it with his lips. Pressing his lips against hers and gently rolling her tongue with them.
Akira's eyes shot open while she gasped in surprised and her tongue retreated immediately. Kiba's followed suit and ran along her now closed lips, asking her to come back again and join him again. She started relax slowly once again and she moaned into his mouth, then started to lean against him while opening her mouth to him once more caressing her tongue against him. Kiba growled in approval and he started to deepen the kiss again by pushing his tongue pass her lips and teeth to explore her inner crevices. He started to lean into her and slowly lowered her to lay down on her back into the sand, breaking the kiss only to gasp for air before he was on her again, loving the new taste he had found locked inside her. It was driving him mad that he hadn't tried such a sweet taste in all his life!
This was all new sensations for Akira, and she struggled to keep up with Kiba. Desmond hadn't even tried to kiss her, just humped her. Akira had a fleetingly thought of what she would have done if it were Kiba doing that to her instead of the alpha wolf back in the dark caves. At first she was uncomfortable with that thought, but if he chose to woe her like this…. She didn't think she'd mind too much. This felt too good to be afraid of it if it was Kiba caressing and massaging her with his large warm hands through her cloths while he pinned her down on the sand with his tongue practically making love to her mouth. How could this feel scary?
"AKIIIIIIRA!" Toboe called out into the night.
Akira stiffened under Kiba, but the man above her didn't seem to heed Toboe's call. Kiba was passionately licking and nibbling along her jaw line and made his way toward her neck. He didn't seem inclined to stop.
"Wasn't that Toboe?" she gasped out of breath, trying to get her hands free from under Kiba's weight so she could try to push him off. Yet to no avail.
"Hmn?" Didn't she know he was busy at the moment? She was moaning just a moment ago. Maybe he should nip harder.
"Hey, ow!" Akira yelped, and had to hold back another moan when Kiba licked the bruise to ease the pain, "Kiba, I think Toboe's coming!" she started to struggle underneath him again.
"So?" he mumbled against the skin of her neck, enjoying her smell.
"AKIIIIRA? HEY ARE YOU OUT HERE?" Toboe called again.
"Leav'em alone, Pup, Kiba's with her, wherever they are, so you know she's not gonna be hurt" This time it was Hige, and he sounded closer… a lot closer!
"And isn't that Hige too? What if they find us like this?" her voice went up a few octaves as she started to get nervous just thinking about the embarrassment of being caught in this predicament with Kiba pinned on top of her.
"Your point?" Kiba grumbled when she kept shrugging away from his lips. He let his elongated canine scrape her neck in retribution for trying to struggle against him.
"Ow, Kiba!" she warned with wild eyes that were desperate not to get caught.
"AKI-," Toboe's voice suddenly cut off when he spotted Kiba lying over Akira down below the sand dune he had peaked. Kiba was draped over the girl in a very compromising position and Akira's face was bright red with her arms feebly pushing at Kibas chest while the elder blue-eyed man mildly glared at Toboe, "Oh…. There you are."
"Did you find them Runt?" Hige asked coming up next to him. His eyes widened when he saw Kiba and Akira and he whistled sultrily, "You're really making it up to her aren't you, Kiba? And you guys call me a horny pervert!"
"You'll be a neutered dog if you keep it up," Kiba threatened calmly.
The fact that they had just caught him and Akira didn't seem to be that big a deal other than the fact that he refused to move off her to let them see her better. His blue eyes were slighly glaring but Hige and Toboe felt a chill down their spines telling them not to approach if they wished to remain male. Now that Kiba had her where he wanted her, his instincts were not about to let her go.
"I uh…. Take it that the coast is clear?" Hige sweat dropped while he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, darting his eyes away from the entwined couple in the sand.
"Ye- Yes" Akira gulped, suddenly shoving Kiba off her with a burst of strength, "We didn't see anything!"
"OOMPH!" Kiba yelped as he was shoved back to his haunches and Akira was up at her feet before he could even blink. She readjusted her clothing and cleared her throat, still blushing like mad.
"Didja now?" Hige grinned, but wiped his face clean soon as Kiba growled a warning.
"Yeah, I thought Heart told you Kiba and I were on patrol?" Akira didn't seem to catch on to what just happened, "Why are you guys out here?"
"Yeah, but the runt got antsy since you were pissed at Kiba and he was afraid you guys get into a fight so he came out here to find you and then Heart and Tsume got mad at me for not stopping him, even though they were closer to him then I was at the time…" he mumbled the last part.
"Apparently…." Toboe smiled bashfully, "You two weren't fighting and you made up?"
"Uh…." Akira's blush was back full force, "No, we fought, but…"
Kiba rested his hand on her crown, his thumb lightly brushing her hair that tangled around it, "That's true. We're no longer fighting. Quite opposite really." He smirked, kissing her cheek, "We've made up and now feel better than ever, right Akira?"
"KIBA!" Akira snapped, trying to slap him away, but Kiba just chuckled at her outburst while backing off. He was finding that teasing her was getting to be more fun than ever!
"So how long until we have little Kiba's howling at the moon?" Hige teased with a laugh.
He got three bonks on the head from each of the other three wolves around him.
"I WAS JUST JOKING!" he whined.
"Not cool man…" Toboe rolled his eyes, "Not cool."
Jazz sniffed the ground over the wastelands sandy dunes. His nostrils filled irritated with sand and he promptly snorted it out with a sneer on his wolf lips that curled back to flash his fangs in his agitation as he snorted the loose sand out of his nose.
"Follow them, the bastard says!" he quoted what his 'Human bond brother' ordered him to do, "He wants me to follow them and attack when I see him in danger? The hell is that supposed to mean?" he snarled. The spell bond was pushing him faster to find the prey Darcia had set him loose on. He had to find and follow them once more, before the full moon that night was high in the sky and the path to paradise would show it's self.
"He seems really insistent on all of this happening tonight." Jasper narrowed his eyes. He knew what that meant- Darcia knew how to open the Noble's paradise and was going to try and use Cheza to do it.
But where did that leave Akira? Darcia knew the legend as well as anybody else with the knowledge of it and as such knew that she was required in terms of the 'Red-Moon'. … … Unless the human DIDN'T in fact figure that little detail out truly and was just screwing with him so he'd behave.
Or did Darcia really not know the full legend?
"Some how I doubt that fairytale is the case" he sighed wistfully and took another whiff of his surroundings. The wind was ever changing, which usually would make animals nervous of hunters tailing them, bud Jasper was the biggest, baddest thing around and felt no fear of the windy sand dune wasteland. This time, he chose to scent the air instead of the ground. His nose twitched when the familiar scent of lunar flowers and wolf graced his sensitive nostrils. His two colored eyes opened again toward the western direction; away from the rising sun behind him. That was where they were- West.
"That didn't take long" Jazz rolled his eyes and paced off toward his assignment.
Little did he know that a fox-colored female canine was tailing him, keeping the young silver wolf with in her sight, "To the west it is."
The town wasn't deserted, but it was rather…. Rough around the edges. Actually, more like edges and everywhere in between this dust bucket of a town was rough. Shady characters were everywhere to be found, each giving the passing human disguised wolves their own signature glare. One could tell this was another of those towns where tourism is a thing meant for books and not reality. Trash littered the streets that weren't even paved, but a dusty dirt road. The epitome of cowboy slums shown in old movies was right in front of their eyes!
"I know this is a bad place to feel this way, but I feel so restless and excited, I can't help but smile!" Toboe exclaimed with a huge grin, seeming to piss off the locals that their glares didn't make the youngster cower in fear.
"You can say that again." Akira agreed with her own grin that faltered slightly when a roguish thug with slicked back hair winked at her. She started crowding closer to Heart while the elder female warranted her own heated warning glare at the man to back off as she took a step in his line of sight of Akira.
Yet, it was Kiba that confronted the man before Heart had a chance to. The young man approached Akira from behind and gently hooked an arm around her shoulders and tucked her body close to his.
"She's not interested" He smirked a challenge at the man.
Akira blushed and wished the ground would just swallow her up while the humans and the rest of the pack stared astonished at Kiba's boldness.
"Is that so?" the human man said doubtfully, "Well can you keep her with ya? A travelin lady likes to 'wander' if you know what I mean, boy." He taunted.
"I suggest you go on and head to where ever you're headed." Kiba's blue eyes pierced a deadly promise through the man. The human shivered and nodded gruffly, then kept walking on his way.
"Just passing by, Man, no need to bite my head off!" he grumbled as he shoved pass them.
"Someone's a bit cocky today." Hige remarked with raised brows at Kiba who still had an arm slung around Akira's shoulders.
Kiba shrugged and started to lead on with Akira protectively still tucked under his arm.
Hige sighed, "He's sure been smug since he got hot and heavy with Akira last night." He groused half jealous, "Wasn't it just yesterday that they were avoiding each other?"
"Just can-it already," Heart snorted while she passed him and Tsume with Toboe following her closely to follow Kiba, Akira, and a brightly grinning Cheza who seemed to beam at Kiba's attitude with Akira rather than question it like the others.
"Touchy…" Hige grinned. He couldn't help it! Tonight was the full moon! Even Heart and Tsume seemed to be a bit more energetic and happily excited today. Cheza was absolutely glowing with delight and energy as she skipped with her wolf escorts through the rough looking town.
"It makes me happy inside to see Cheza like this. Just look at her!" Akira smiled warmly, relaxing under Kiba's arm. With the full moon out, Akira was feeling more giddy and happy tonight and also more accepting to touch, like all wolves felt around this time. It was like a buzz high almost.
"I know we're all hyped up because we get our strength from the full moon, but why's Cheza acting like this?" Toboe cocked his head to the side.
"On the night of the full moon, the lunar flowers will bloom and direct the way for wolves to paradise" Kiba recalled.
"You mean that Paradise is coming tonight?" Tsume seemed to perk up.
"I heard it in a legend once." Kiba admitted.
"It makes sense with her being a lunar flower and all, plus a full moon as healthy as the one tonight's supposed to be" Heart agreed.
"Wait a second, you guys are telling me that Cheza's supposed to actually bloom tonight?" Hige asked doubtfully.
"She's supposed to do what?" Toboe had just popped back in the conversation and was confused.
"It's possible." Akira sighed as she watched Cheza dance ahead of them.
"Didn't you father ever tell you about when flowers bloom though, Akira?" Heart tilt her head.
"Papa never told us stories about blooming lunar flowers, at least not when the would. He only said when they do, paradise opens up." Akira replied shyly.
"Then it's settled." Kiba grinned, "Tonight, we find paradise!"
Jasper stood on the tall bluff looking over the rundown town below. His two colored eyes narrowed while the wind drifted to him bringing the scent of the flower and his sister. Then his tail twitched restlessly as he looked behind him for the hundredth time. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. But who would be out here? A lone wolf? Blue would have tackled him on the spot and yelled at him for leaving her.
He had left that young black wolf because he didn't want Darcia getting his hands on her either, but had yet to find the female again. He hoped she was at least doing a good job at fending for herself.
Jasper stared down at the group again, content that the spells urge with in him was quelled and he could rest from the constant need to track since they were with in his sight. Now…. It was only a matter of time before-
Have you found them, my brother?
Speak of the devil….
'I have located their current location, yes' he replied with an edge in his voice of distaste, 'But I keep getting this feeling-,'
It's just the moon probably. Stay with them until I have made my appearance. You'll know what to do from there when the time is right.
'Yes, oh mighty Bastard from hell' Jazz rolled his eyes and started trotting down the slope. A dark chuckle haunted his mind.
Your humor still amuses me, my dear wolf brethren. Darcia's voice chuckled.
Jasper had never wanted to shoot himself in the head as much as he did at that point in time, yet he knew that the spell wouldn't allow him to do such a thing.
"I really must be thanking you, young one." Jasper whirled around in surprise when a REAL voice spoke to him now, "With out your I would have had to track these mutts down all on my own." A sultry red, fox-like she wolf was sitting not ten feet away from the shocked silver wolf.
Jasper spun around and bent low, ready for attack, "I knew someone was tailing me! Who are you?" he demanded.
But the shewolf wasn't looking him in the eye any more, her orange eyes were focused on his neck in disbelief, "It can't be…. Jasper?" she looked back up into his eyes, as if searching, "But you're…. so big now! And your eyes- oh Jasper, what's happened to your eyes?"
"M-Mother?" Jasper gawked. He hadn't seen his mother since he was an adolescent pup just out of his weaning!
"It's me," Diya nodded, wagging her tail as she stood up and darted forward happily to greet her son she hadn't seen in years!
"Mother!" Jasper wagged his tail as the two wolves rubbed their faces in each others hair and hugged each others necks, scenting one another again, "Where have you been?"
"I- Jasper… that scent," Diya's face became sickly as her nostrils picked up a scent that scared her like no other, "Darcia… you have his blood in you?" she took a step back, "You've blood bonded to Darcia? A Noble?"
"I didn't go willingly into the ceremony, mother!" Jasper tucked his tail underneath him in shame, "I was caught after the attack on the City and I got split up with – ARGH!" a sharp pain tore through Jasper as Darcia linked minds with him again.
What's taking you brother wolf?
'Go away!'
"He's calling you isn't he?" Diya's face darkened.
"Mother…. Run…."
Mother?
"Get away from here now!" Jasper gritted out through the pain as he clenched his eyes shut.
"I won't leave you!" Diya shook her head, "Not now that I know a Noble is using you too!"
"What do you mean- ARIGH!" he roared in pain, "Go NOW!" he lunged himself at his own mother to get her to back away.
"Jasper let me-," Diya felt her throat tighten when she felt her own link to Jagura stir as the noble woman started to feel Diya's apprehension.
Diya… have you found the flower yet?
'I… I… yes, milady.'
Well is it coming to me then?
Diya stood and watched her son as he writhed in pain in front of her while Darcia tried to wrangle him under control again and get a look at who he was talking to. If she stayed much longer, they would both be in danger. Jagura would want to kill Jasper for being an agent of her rival and love, Darcia. The woman was twisted and will kill anything close to Darcia so she had that much less to compete with for the Nobleman's love.
'Yes, milady. I'm keeping it with in sight now. I'll rendezvous with the Elorrah in a moment and give you a full report soon as I gauge the flower's complete path.'
I await your report then.
And the chilling link was gone again. Diya turned tail and ran, to give her and Jasper some distance. While running away she could his roars of pain die down slowly till she could only hear his forlorn howl to the full moon.
After running for a while, Diya stopped to catch her breath atop a roof top and turned to look back in the direction her grown son had been, catching a glimpse of silver fur shining in the moonlight, 'I will see you again, my son.' She thought.
"Hey, can you feel that?" Heart exclaimed excitedly "The moon's finally comming up! I feel so ALIVE!"
Red eyes rolled back in a relieved pleasure as she felt the cool beams of the moon soak into her coppery skin while she let her dark, short, shaggy hair blow in the breeze of the warm night sky above them. The moon was about to come out and they were all gathered near a fountain just on the deserted side of town.
Akira's eyes flashed in excitement as she felt her blood heat up with anticipation, "I've never really been able to get out while it was a full moon outside, but I always felt a high on a full moon. This is such a…. a ridiculously ….. Good feeling!" she laughed breathlessly as the buzz of the moon caught up to her and sang in her blood.
"I mean sure, we've all seen a full moon before, but since Cheza's here it feels different, ya know?" Toboe chimed in happily from Akira's side with a happy grin plastered on his face. The young wolf danced around his elders, bumping into them every once in a while, yet the elders didn't seem to care.
Twilight began to fade in the horizon and the sky darkened to night with the silvery moon rising above them. The warmth of the night had a pleasant cooling breeze in the light wind that ruffled their hair every once in a while, as pleasurable as the perfect summers night. Tsume bunched up his muscles before stretching his arms up in the air to find some sort of release for his energy that suddenly surged through him when the moon finally came fully arisen.
"MAN! I JUST WANNA HOWL MY HEAD OFF!" He shouted with a toothy grin.
Kiba smiled at the pack he had come to be apart of while helped Cheza into the fountain water at her request. He noticed the secretive grin on the maidens face, "Something big's about to happen" he said in awe as his eyes became glued to the lily-white maiden as she gracefully walked into the cool water.
All the wolves turned to watch Cheza while she made her way to the middle of the pool of water. Her ruby eyes were closed in pleasure while she soaked up the water and the moonlight at the same time. She seemed to glow in happiness as a faint, pinkish, actual glow appeared about her mystically. They all waited excitedly for what they knew was about to happen.
Paradise….
Cheza straightened her back and tilt back her head so she was looking up to the sky and opened her ruby eyes to the moon. Her hands reached out as if she were praising it, or trying to hug it. She slowly started to twist around in a tight circle, giggling as she did. She was dancing.
Akira couldn't hold back any longer. She morphed wolf and started to lope around the maiden happily while the flower danced around and around in the water. The other wolves caught on and soon all five of them happily running around the dancing maiden while Cheza laughed into the night. The moon's power fused through their veins.
Kiba stopped suddenly and threw back his head to let lose a tenor howl to the moon. Heart followed in suit on the other side of Cheza with her own soprano howl. Tsume and Hige let loose a low bass and baritone howl while Toboe and Akira were complimenting Altos. Cheza stopped her spinning sang out her own cry to the moon joyfully. The melodic harmony was enough to rouse humans to peak out their windows sleepily when the heard the sound of a joyous singing voices serenading the moon above.
Silvery white ears perked when he caught the sound of the moonlight song the other wolves and the flower sang. His heart felt heavier at how beautiful it sounded and he lost himself in the passion of their voices.
The beautiful sound made Jasper forget that he was a prisoner in his own body for once and allowed him just to be him. A wolf.
The silver male sat down on his haunches and tipped back his head to join in the song and howl for all he was worth as he too cried out to the moon.
09709709709709709709709709
Do you hear them, Diya?
Diya stood on the tallest building in town looking down at the scene. She had already spotted the small pack of wolves and the flower far off and the shack roof her son had taken refuge on and her orange eyes started to tear up.
Her cubs were here. They were grown up, and their voices were beautiful under the moon. She never thought she would hear this ever again! The red she wolf ignored her mistress's attempts to make conversation. She didn't care that Jagura was listening to the ancient wolf song through her own ears. She didn't care that she knew the moment wouldn't last. She didn't care about her guilty burden she had carried on her back since she abandoned these beautiful cubs….
All she cared about was how comforting the flower's song felt. It embraced the she-wolfs cold heart that had turned her on her own kind and made her feel loved once more. Made her feel wolf, and not a hybrid.
Remember what the wolf did to your kind, Diya.
Jagura warned.
'I… I am wolf though…' Diya reminded herself and a painful stab of guilt tore through her as she thought of Laura and all the other wolves forced into those cold cells in the stockades, 'I am a wolf!'
You are neither wolf, nor dog…
Jagura's reverberating voice seemed to snicker in Diya's head.
A dog is loyal to her master; a wolf is loyal to her pack; a human is loyal to her kind, but a fox, dear Diya, is loyal to herself. Remember who you are…
'Who I am…' Diya turned away and gritted her teeth. As she felt something was going wrong. She always seemed to have a sixth sense about something bad about to happen.
Is it Darcia? Follow him my pet. Make sure you lure him here….
And the voice was gone again. Diya breathed in deeply as wild lunar flower petals appearing from nowhere rushed passed her in the wind and gathered around the lunar flower maiden and the wolves she was with. The path to paradise was showing itself to the flower, but Diya knew Darcia wouldn't allow the wolves paradise arise so easily. The noble was here somewhere and even her son, Jasper had confirmed that.
Diya turned calculating eyes toward Jasper, who seemed captivated by the lunar flowers that flowed around him. Wolves were inevitably addicted to the scent of real lunar flowers, but being part fox, Diya only felt a very high liking to them. Not an absolute needy addiction the wolves held for it. Her daughter, Akira still felt the pull, and Jasper wasn't of Diya's womb. None of those wolves saw what Diya saw behind the veil of flower petals that filled the sky.
A dark airship flew above high in the clouds, laying in wait for the right time to strike.
"I won't let you hurt my children again, Darcia!" Diya snarled as she bolted off the roof of the tall building, landing gracefully on her feet in the street in wolf form and startling the humans that were lounging around there, oblivious to the hundreds of lunar flower petals in the sky around them. The red she wolf took off, tailing the sky ship.
'Who I am, is no more than a hollowed out husk.' Diya admitted, 'But I will not back down when you threaten my cubs once more!'
Cheza and the wolves were silently gazing up at the moon now. Each wolf sat straight in a circle around the maiden to bask in the light of the moon, waiting with baited breath for what will happen next. They could all feel something was coming in the very pits of their red-hot blood. Cheza's closed ruby eyes suddenly opened, letting the moon reflect in her sightless pupils. A shock vibrated pleasantly through all of them and Cheza smiled.
"It's time to go home, that it is" she whispered.
The wolves opened their eyes when an overwhelming floral scent came over them with a burst of wind. One by one they took in their surroundings in amazement. Excitement and joy that was indescribable came over them when they grasped exactly what it was they were looking at: flowers.
Hundreds…. Thousands, MILLIONS of white petal lunar flowers were all around them with their petals swirling in the wind. The flowers formed a path at their paws that led a long stretch away from them, but at the end…
What lay at the end of the trail was unseen but every wolf's heart leapt in their throats in excitement. It could only mean one thing! They had found the way to paradise at last! After months of searching! They had found it!
The wolves stared in awe at the path of lunar flowers seemed to lead to the stairway to heaven. Truth be known, that was exactly what it was. In the horizon, a golden light that seemed to align itself just under the moon shown brightly against the night sky illuminated by the light of the silver moon. A beckon that lured hope to fill the wolves as they perked up their ears in wander and dropped their slacked jaws in shock.
They all stood rooted, dumbstruck at what they were seeing, but Cheza just smiled at them, "Come," she said to them while she started off at a joyful skip down the flower-made path, "Let us go home" she said.
"Oh …. My … God" Heart gasped breathlessly. Tears were streaking down her soft black fur and her autumn red eyes were watery with joy as she slowly lifted a paw to follow the others as they started to follow in shock that Paradise was ACTUALLY here!
"It's…" Tsume shook his head to try and clear it, but the scent of flowers clouded his brain and set him on a high he'd never felt before, "It's Paradise…. It's really real!"
Akira smiled in a canine-puppy way with her tongue hanging out happily, "AND IT'S HERE! FOR PARADISE!" she cried out, kicking up her paws in joy as she started to bolt for the horizon, "MAMA! PAPA! I'M COMING!" she called out.
Cheza was running on Akira's heels, laughing joyously at the red she wolf's excitement. Soon, the white furred Kiba was running between them. His golden gaze locked in overwhelmed happiness on the horizon. They were joined with Toboe and Hige soon with Heart and Tsume not far behind. All were elated with feelings they've never thought possible. Feelings that had long been abandoned by many of their kind that had trekked the same way before them a hundred times over and never came close to what the wolves were seeing now!
Angels seemed to smile down upon the small pack while they loped through the path of flowers toward their destiny. None of them heard the high-pitched noise of a familiar air ship until it was unfortunately too late to do anything about it.
A black airship hovered over the moon, blocking its lustrous beams. The illusion seemed to waver around the wolves. Cheza's happy grin melted away, leaving her in confusion when she felt the flowers around her wither and die before they simply disappeared. The group came to a slow stop in confusion as the flowers and the gate to paradise beyond the horizon faded from them. Their surroundings seemed to be a barren deserted wasteland once more. Far from the town they had started. Above them, the shadow of the airship still loomed. Cheza's eyes widened in fear and she cried out in fear, hiding behind Akira and Kiba who had taken on their human forms like the others had.
"It's Darcia!" Hige shouted over the wind to the others in alarm.
"He must be here for Cheza!" Heart replied in anger. Her human fangs bore up at the ship with a hissing snarl.
"We must leave here. This one no longer feels paradise here" Cheza's voice seemed to quiver in fear. Her knees gave out and she fell to the ground.
"CHEZA!" Akira gasped, reaching down to help the flower up.
Cheza clung tightly around Akira's neck in fear while the red head held her up by the waste. Her ruby eyes wide, "Please, Please take us away from here, Kiba" Cheza begged.
Kiba's glanced back at them uncertain, and then he glared up at the airship with vengeance, "We have to get her out of here. Let's go!" he turned to lead them away, but an angry snarl stopped them.
Akira's orange eyes stared in horror when she saw none other than her own brother snarling at them. He didn't look as if he planned to let them pass. His wolf and human blue and green eyes leered at them almost bloodthirsty. He looked half crazed with his fur bristled so wildly.
"Him again?" Toboe's brow knotted in confusion, "He was that wolf that helped us back at the den!"
Tsume tensed when he realized that their once companion wasn't backing down, and the silver wolf blocked their every move to escape with Cheza while the airship slowly lowered, as if the noble enjoyed taking his merry little time, "However, it looks like the truth on this guys allegiance is finally showing itself."
"What do you mean?" Hige asked, not keeping his frieghtened eyes off the airship or the snarling large silver wolf that easily out weighed his wolf form with the muscle he was packing.
"He's in league with Darcia."
"No!" Akira rejected the thought and shook her head, "No you're wrong!" she urged Cheza to go to Toboe and rushed past Kiba.
"Akira, wait-!" Kiba reached out for her.
"It's ok, Kiba," Akira waved him to back off, "This is Jasper. He knows his own sister, duh! This just has to be a misunderstanding." Akira tried to approach him while the others took defensive positions. She bent down to a squat and held out her hand to show she meant no harm, "Jasper?" she softly said. The wolf snarled louder as if he hated the name, "Jasper, please, tell me why you're doing this?" she begged, "We have to all get out of here now, Jazz! What are you even doing her-,"
"Leaving so soon, my flower?" a deep voice mocked behind them as the air ship finally landed.
The group shifted to turn slightly, trying to keep both Jasper and Darcia with in their peripheral visions and attempted to push Cheza between them all protectively.
"Cheza, you were trying to lead them toward the moon before the prophecy of the blooded moon could take full effect weren't you? That won't do my dear, come with me and we shall find the true paradise together." Darcia extended a hand, "We won't even need your pesky red moon for the paradise I intend to open."
Shifting in a blink of an eye, Kiba snapped his teeth angrily and snarled while he stood between the frightened flower maiden and the half masked noble, "Don't touch her!" his downy white fur bristled in his anger.
"I haven't yet" Darcia said innocently, "Come to me Cheza" he took a step again, as if he meant no harm.
Heart had had enough of this man, "LEAVE HER ALONE!" she roared, whipping out both of her revolvers, cocked and ready, "EAT SILVER LED DOUCHE BAG!" and fired off the six rounds in each of the guns, twelve bullets in all, aimed at Darcias head, but the bullets bounced off an invisible shield and ricocheted back at the wolves, "TAKE COVER!" bullets whizzed pass the wolves and Heart get even more aggravated, "Fine, plan B!" she sheathed her weapons and shifted to her wolf form in one fluid motion, bolting forward ready to take out the human the old fashion way; Teeth and claws!
"Heart don't!" Tsume called, shifting to wolf form as well, watching in horror as she ran head long and suicidal at the arrogant noble man.
Darcia didn't even spare her a glance as a beam of energy shot out from the air ship and zapped at Heart squarely in the chest with a painful, 'ZAAAAABOOOOM!' as it struck her back. The others watched in horror as Heart screamed in mind numbing pain and was deflected forcefully backwards. Her limp body tumbled to the ground at an awkward angle and they could tell she was either out cold or worse.
Tsume was at her side in a heart beat, "Heart! Come on Heart! Wake up!" he nudged her face with his muzzle and whirled on Darcia, "YOU COWARDLY BASTARD!"
"That fly needed swatting," Darcia snorted, "She should know not to charge blindly at beings beyond her power."
"HEART!" Akira and Toboe sobbed while Hige rushed over to check on her as well. Hige took one sniff at her limp body and snarled angrily when he noticed Darcia hadn't even lifted a finger!
"THAT DOES IT!" the larger wolf eyed Tsume, and both had the same idea. With a war cry, the two charged at Darcia. Side by side, the two split off, trying to go at the ship in two different directions.
"Leave the noble fucker to me!" Tsume demanded with a ferocious bark, "Nobody strikes Heart like that and gets away with it while I still breathe!"
"Still breathe, eh? How about if I remendy that?" Darcia sighed as if he were bored.
The twosome charged together on opposite sides of the air ship to try and break through the defense system. This time, two beams of energy bolted out and zapped them both to the ground much like it had with Heart.
"Aaaaaaaaargh!" Tsume cried out as he flew backwards and tumbled in the sand.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!" Hige rolled in the sand and slammed his head into the one rock that had to stick out in the sand with a painful yelp.
Each cry had Cheza hunching closer and closer to the ground as her panicked breathing increased to almost hyperventilation! She cried out, grasping her ears when she could hear the sound of Darcias footsteps in the sand come closer and closer, "No…No! make it go away! This one feels such pain! Make it go away!"
"It is foolishness that you wolves believe Cheza was sent here for you to go to paradise." Darcia chuckled nonchalantly as strolled forward, not the least bit put off that he may have killed three wolves and made the flower maiden cry in fear.
Akira bristled from her stupor of fear, "DON'T COME ANY CLOSER! A TAINTED CREATURE LIKE YOU HAS NO RIGHT TO EVEN STEP ON THE SAME EARTH AS CHEZA!" she snarled.
"You honestly believe she will bring you to paradise? Your paradise is all a lie you dull witted little fool."
"TAKE THAT BACK!" Akira demanded, standing taller, still in human form, "Paradise is real!"
"It may just be too real, indeed, my dear" Darcia said cryptically, "Now, hand me the flower maiden, and I shall leave what's left of your pack alive."