A/N: Rose... you just had to get me started didn't you? The whole 'when wolves are injured they're abonded' thing. Well, I guess you get partial credit for my idea for this chapter. Enjoy!
Steel Fang
Chapter Four
*
Six Years Later
*
It was the same dream. Kouga's head flipped from side to side slowly. He constantly muttered, occasionally yelled. Finally, his nightmare had ended. He didn't bother opening his eyes when he awakened. He yawned and stretched. Just as he started to roll over, he slipped off the branch he was lying on. He let out a yell of surprise as his mouth suddenly filled with dirt and dead leaves. He picked his head up spitting the leave out.
"You wake up to... roll out of your tree and hit the floor. Good for you."
His head snapped over to a laughing figure. Deep scares covered his body as though he'd been in a great battle. A long but thin scar crossed his face. The rest of his body had seemingly healed.
"Ha. Ha. Ha," he said slowly before sitting up on his hunches. He yawned and leaned against the tree truck. He looked back at the man, memories filling his mind. They were blurry, faint, but definately there.
"Father, can you tell me again how you got those scars?"
Hakutou looked down at his son. He was so young and innocent looking. His face curious. His hair was pulled up in a high top knot. His flat chest bare and a fur wrap securely tied around his waist.
"It was when the Gokurakuchou first came and I went to greet them, unfortunately, they were a little... hostile. I was half dead when they were done with me but..." he threw his son a smirk, "you dragged me all the way to your mother. I see where you get your stubborn attitude. I kept telling you to go before they came back, but you wouldn't listen."
Kouga chuckled. "Funny thing is, I don't remember a thing!"
"Well, you were only three. You may remember one day. Now then, are you ready to go see your Hahaue?"
"Hai!"
*
Saikoubi hummed softly, her hands working swiftly. A plate of silver and grey armor was in her lap. Ever since about a month after Kouga's birth, the tribe had moved to a new spot on the mountain. Every now and then they changed. She wasn't able to follow, so Hakutou had given her a safe place to stay.
"Hahaue!!!"
Her head shot up, eyes scanning the forest. She recognized the voice, but she couldn't decipher if the cry was out of fear or joy. Her answer came when Kouga sprang from the underbrush, his arms instantly wrapping around her neck. She laughed gingerly eagerly returning the embrace.
"Kouga, what a nice surprise!"
Kouga smiled lifting his bright blue eyes. "Father said I could come visit today. I missed you."
"Oh, I missed you too!" she replied hugging him again. She looked up as Hakutou stepped out from the forest, his head ducked low. She frowned.
"Hakutou..." she reached a hand out for him. Hakutou lifted his head staring at her, lying on a fur on the forest floor. A small but sturdy hut was built nearby. He looked to the side of the tree she was leaning against seeing two walking sticks. So she'd snuck out again. Stubborn fool.
"Hakutou," she called out again getting his attention. Hakutou sighed as he finally knelt down pulling them both into a strong embrace. He set his nose against her dark hair, taking in her forgotton scent.
"I missed you, love."
Saikoubi chuckled softly as she kissed his cheek.
"EWW!!! Get a room!" Kouga shouted squeezing himself from the two lovers. Saikoubi laughed as Hakutou pulled away, blushing furiously. Saikoubi looked over to Kouga as he giggled.
"My, Kouga, what a handsome boy you're growing up to be!" It was Kouga's turn to blush. He locked his hands behind his back and stared at the ground, his face a bright pink. Saikoubi laughed again.
"So, where have you two been in the past month?" she asked, trying to get over her laughing fit.
"Training," Hakutou said in a dead-pan voice, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. He sighed heavily and dramatically set a hand on Kouga's shoulder.
"You were right... he's strong. I couldn't find him this morning. You know where he was? Up in a tree. Know how I found him? He fell."
Saikoubi burst out laughing in another fit. Kouga growled softly turning away, his face still pink.
"You don't have to rub it in," he muttered staring angrilly at the ground. His fists were clenched and shaking slightly. Something in him, a strange, wild emotion made him want to turn around and rip his father to shreds, while another part of him wanted to play along with the joke. But... it didn't take away that feeling of failure in him.
He realized how heavy his breathing was. He heard his parents talking, but it was a faint whisper compared to the pounding of his heart. His blood was coursing, screaming at him to kill. He slowly knelt to the ground, his eyes wide and bewhildered.
"Father," he choked out.
Saikoubi heard Kouga's call and looked. She gasped almost screaming. Hakutou instantly turned full attention to his son. He knelt in front of him. He pulled Kouga up shaking him gently.
"Kouga, calm down," he commanded in a deep, threatening tone. Kouga closed his eyes, tensing. Slowly, he seemed to recover from the strange attack. His eyes started to open but he collapsed closing them back. His breathing was still heavy and his body was weak.
"What was that?" he asked quietly. Hakutou lifted his son onto his back, letting his arms dangle over his shoulders. He carefully walked into the hut setting him onto the futon.
"That was your demonic blood. You're full power is starting to arise."
Demonic blood? As his father left, Kouga lifted his hand staring at the sweaty palm. He clenched it tightly. He remembered the intense power that had flowed through him moments ago. He wanted to feel that power again.
Steel Fang
Chapter Four
*
Six Years Later
*
It was the same dream. Kouga's head flipped from side to side slowly. He constantly muttered, occasionally yelled. Finally, his nightmare had ended. He didn't bother opening his eyes when he awakened. He yawned and stretched. Just as he started to roll over, he slipped off the branch he was lying on. He let out a yell of surprise as his mouth suddenly filled with dirt and dead leaves. He picked his head up spitting the leave out.
"You wake up to... roll out of your tree and hit the floor. Good for you."
His head snapped over to a laughing figure. Deep scares covered his body as though he'd been in a great battle. A long but thin scar crossed his face. The rest of his body had seemingly healed.
"Ha. Ha. Ha," he said slowly before sitting up on his hunches. He yawned and leaned against the tree truck. He looked back at the man, memories filling his mind. They were blurry, faint, but definately there.
"Father, can you tell me again how you got those scars?"
Hakutou looked down at his son. He was so young and innocent looking. His face curious. His hair was pulled up in a high top knot. His flat chest bare and a fur wrap securely tied around his waist.
"It was when the Gokurakuchou first came and I went to greet them, unfortunately, they were a little... hostile. I was half dead when they were done with me but..." he threw his son a smirk, "you dragged me all the way to your mother. I see where you get your stubborn attitude. I kept telling you to go before they came back, but you wouldn't listen."
Kouga chuckled. "Funny thing is, I don't remember a thing!"
"Well, you were only three. You may remember one day. Now then, are you ready to go see your Hahaue?"
"Hai!"
*
Saikoubi hummed softly, her hands working swiftly. A plate of silver and grey armor was in her lap. Ever since about a month after Kouga's birth, the tribe had moved to a new spot on the mountain. Every now and then they changed. She wasn't able to follow, so Hakutou had given her a safe place to stay.
"Hahaue!!!"
Her head shot up, eyes scanning the forest. She recognized the voice, but she couldn't decipher if the cry was out of fear or joy. Her answer came when Kouga sprang from the underbrush, his arms instantly wrapping around her neck. She laughed gingerly eagerly returning the embrace.
"Kouga, what a nice surprise!"
Kouga smiled lifting his bright blue eyes. "Father said I could come visit today. I missed you."
"Oh, I missed you too!" she replied hugging him again. She looked up as Hakutou stepped out from the forest, his head ducked low. She frowned.
"Hakutou..." she reached a hand out for him. Hakutou lifted his head staring at her, lying on a fur on the forest floor. A small but sturdy hut was built nearby. He looked to the side of the tree she was leaning against seeing two walking sticks. So she'd snuck out again. Stubborn fool.
"Hakutou," she called out again getting his attention. Hakutou sighed as he finally knelt down pulling them both into a strong embrace. He set his nose against her dark hair, taking in her forgotton scent.
"I missed you, love."
Saikoubi chuckled softly as she kissed his cheek.
"EWW!!! Get a room!" Kouga shouted squeezing himself from the two lovers. Saikoubi laughed as Hakutou pulled away, blushing furiously. Saikoubi looked over to Kouga as he giggled.
"My, Kouga, what a handsome boy you're growing up to be!" It was Kouga's turn to blush. He locked his hands behind his back and stared at the ground, his face a bright pink. Saikoubi laughed again.
"So, where have you two been in the past month?" she asked, trying to get over her laughing fit.
"Training," Hakutou said in a dead-pan voice, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. He sighed heavily and dramatically set a hand on Kouga's shoulder.
"You were right... he's strong. I couldn't find him this morning. You know where he was? Up in a tree. Know how I found him? He fell."
Saikoubi burst out laughing in another fit. Kouga growled softly turning away, his face still pink.
"You don't have to rub it in," he muttered staring angrilly at the ground. His fists were clenched and shaking slightly. Something in him, a strange, wild emotion made him want to turn around and rip his father to shreds, while another part of him wanted to play along with the joke. But... it didn't take away that feeling of failure in him.
He realized how heavy his breathing was. He heard his parents talking, but it was a faint whisper compared to the pounding of his heart. His blood was coursing, screaming at him to kill. He slowly knelt to the ground, his eyes wide and bewhildered.
"Father," he choked out.
Saikoubi heard Kouga's call and looked. She gasped almost screaming. Hakutou instantly turned full attention to his son. He knelt in front of him. He pulled Kouga up shaking him gently.
"Kouga, calm down," he commanded in a deep, threatening tone. Kouga closed his eyes, tensing. Slowly, he seemed to recover from the strange attack. His eyes started to open but he collapsed closing them back. His breathing was still heavy and his body was weak.
"What was that?" he asked quietly. Hakutou lifted his son onto his back, letting his arms dangle over his shoulders. He carefully walked into the hut setting him onto the futon.
"That was your demonic blood. You're full power is starting to arise."
Demonic blood? As his father left, Kouga lifted his hand staring at the sweaty palm. He clenched it tightly. He remembered the intense power that had flowed through him moments ago. He wanted to feel that power again.