Chapter 10- Conflict

There was a loud banging coming from the last chamber of Dire's ship. A reddish-brown wolf repeatedly pounded against the poles of his jail cell. He was trapped, captured by the most unlikely person.Shives.Shives sat in a wooden chair, crossing her legs and sharpening her butcher knife. She was content. Proud of keeping little Toboe as her slave.

Toboe grabbed the poles and shouted. "You can't do this Shives!"

"Oh! But I can."

"Why are you acting like this? If Tsume was here-"

"Don't talk to me about that foolish wolf." Suddenly she had a strange British accent. "I don't care about that stupid Tsume! All I want is to see that stupid black she-wolf dead!"

In a blink of an eye, she threw her knife at Toboe nearly missing his head. "So shut up you foolish runt!"

She pulled another knife out and hurled it at him, this time; the knife didn't miss its target. The young wolf yelped in pain.

Hige and Kint stopped suddenly in the dark metallic hallway. They were extremely out of breath.

Hige leaned on the wall, panting. "Hey...did you hear that?"

"Sure...did. He sounds kind of close too." Kint was about to kick off running again when she and Hige spotted two shadows casting on the wall.

"Someone's coming down the hallway." whispered Kint.

Hige nodded. "Hey, wait a minute that's Tsume and Kiba."

"Are you sure?" Kint questioned.

Sure enough Tsume and Kiba appeared from around the corner. They looked tired and injured.Kint ran and threw her arms around both surprised boys.

"I'm so happy you two are okay." She giggled, letting out tears of happiness.

Tsume blushed and cleared his throat, pulling away. "Where's Toboe?"

"That witch Shives took him." answered Hige, narrowing his eyes.

Kint looked back at Kiba. "Turns out she's working for Dire. She wanted to see all of us separated from one another."

"I see." said Kiba.He appeared to be thinking.

"Well her scent is gets stronger down this hallway, so-" Tsume was interrupted by Toboe's howls.

The 4 wolves raced down the corridor, Shives scent was getting stronger with every step. The trail ended at a purple, rusting door.Tsume kicked it open, knocking it off its hinges. Scanning the room, they called out Toboe's name. No answer.

"Get more jail cells." complained Tsume.

"They're gone." said Kint heartbroken.

"No. They're scent is still strong. They're still in this room." Hige randomly sniffed the dusty air.

Kint searched the darkness. It wasn't hard for her considering the fact she was a wolf, but why wasn't Toboe answering. They all continued there hunt, the room was big enough.

"I don't know, Hige.This place looks pretty vacant." She sat down on a wooden chair covered in something goopy.

It got on her hands and back of her legs. "Ew! EW! EW! What the heck?" she whispered, looking at her hands.

"Blood?" she asked uncertainly.

She noticed it was on the floor too. She followed it while the others continued to search the shockingly enormous jail cells. The blood trail led her to a dark, soft figure that she knew far too well. She looked up at this mysterious figure and backed away slowly.

"Hello Shives." She said slyly with a hint of disgust.

"Hello.Kint." Shives spat back.

"Oh guys! I found Shives." Kint didn't take her eyes off of the sinister mistress.

"So you mind telling me where Toboe is?"

Shives twirled a dagger between her fingers and pointed it towards a mound of auburn fur.

"He was much of a fighter." She smiled to herself.

Kint twitched. "What's with the accent?"

"Oh! The accent? I've been having it. It's easy to cover it up.Oh! Look who's coming, my favorite people."

Kiba, Hige and Tsume appeared behind Kint.

"Hey Tsume."

"Shut it! Where's Toboe?"

"Relax...relax. He's over there."

Kint trotted over to Toboe lifting his head, shaking him a little. "Toboe? Toboe? Guys, he's not waking up at all." She looked back at the boys.

Tsume look fiercely at Shives.

"Aw, is Tsume angry? I'll deal with you later. I only attacked that little worm to get Miss Perfect over there, mad and ready to fight me. I'm not going to be second best in this pack. No way, no how?"

"Shives, I'm not that perfect. I've been through plenty of hardships."

"SO HAVE I! But do you see me crying? No! Plus, you've turned out wonderful for you! Like she always does!"

"Always does?" Kint repeated. She looked back at Toboe, who was lying in her lap.

He was breathing but still didn't move much. Come to think of it, her life was perfect. She had been blessed with 4 wolves that care about her, 1 wolf that loved her and she was going to life a happy life in paradise. Life was good. She continued to think about her life until Shives voice broke in.

"So Princess, are you going to fight me?"

Kint stood up. Her blonde hair covering her dark cobalt eyes. "If it will get you to leave me alone, fine, whatever."

At this point, Kint didn't care anymore. All she had been through, the hatred, the pain, the sorrow, the lies, they didn't matter. She just wanted to go to paradise with her pack, that's all.

Hige and Tsume helped the now able to speak and move, Toboe.

"Hige? Tsume? Shives she-"

"It's okay. We know." interrupted Hige.

"What's doing on?" He winced do to the massive cuts on his body.

"I don't know Toboe.I honestly don't know."

Kiba grabbed Kint's arm, sqeezing it tightly.

"Why are you going to fight her? This is stupid."

"Yeah I know." She looked at him smiling, childish. "But I'm tired of her rambling."

Kiba sighed. Sometimes he understood her and sometimes she made him completely perplexed. They gazed at each other, their love for each other returning again. Shives was getting annoyed.

"No more talking!"

Shives threw her poisonous dagger, surprisingly aiming for Kiba.Forunatly, it stabbed Kint's arm instead. She simply pulled it out and tossed it to the ground. She was ready to fight.Shives smiled at the ready look on Kint's face.

"Now that's more like it." She laughed wickedly.

The two she-wolfs dived for each other, growling and biting. They rolled around on the floor like a couple of territorial cats.Kint pinned Shives to the ground, holding her by the neck. She started to feel a little dizzy, as if the ship was diving. There was a thunderous boom coming from under the floor, it was the engine.

"The engine exploded!" said Shives surprised.

Unexpectedly, the ship jerked downward sending all of the wolves flying into the hard stone wall. Toboe looked out the window to see the sandy ground speeding towards him. The ship was falling out of the sky.Kint and Shives were still fighting on the other side of the room.Beds, and chairs came sliding down almost striking them.

"Man, they're persistent!" yelled Hige.

The sound of the second engine overheated filled the air. The force of gravity and wind smashed the windows sending glass everywhere.Toboe kept looking out the now glassless window. One slip and he would be gone. He could hear the furniture and other items clatter in the near by rooms. The dusty air inside the ship swirled and sucked. The electricity went out as well. So everything became really dark. It was like being caught in a dark, chaiotic nightmare and you couldn't wake up. There was only one way out, the top of the ship.

"Kiba!" yelled Tsume.

Kiba averted his attention away from the combating girls.

"The top of the ship, we can make it up that way."

Kiba nodded as they climbed their way up to the doorway.Toboe couldn't help but look down at the open window. They were a moist scent coming from it. It was raining. Hard. This was turning into a nightmare.

"What about the girls? We can't just leave them here." yelled Hige.

"I'll take care of it. Go on ahead!" he yelled back.

Another metallic crash was heard. Now the ship was breaking apart.Tsume, Hige and Toboe reached the doorway and carefully made there way through the debris filled passage.

Kiba called out to Kint but she didn't answer him. She continued her battle with Shives.And by the looks of it, she wasn't winning.

"Give it up Kint.Just admit I'm better than you and die!" Shives kicked her in the stomach, making her lose her balance and fall towards the window. Luckily, Kiba was there to catch her, holding onto the jail bars.Shives growled.

"I told you not to get involved Kiba!" she yelled.

Kiba ignored her and looked at Kint strictly. "Kint, we have to get out of here. You don't have to prove yourself to anyone, understand?"

She nodded. The two climbed through the doorway and down the complicated hall. They knew Shives was never by but they couldn't wait on her. Turning the corner, Kiba kept looking behind him to make sure his mate was there.

"Huh? Stop looking at me Kiba!" She hated it when he stared blankly at her. Who could blame her? It creped her out.

"Sorry." He whispered looking away from her.

"I'm sorry too."

"For what?" He kept looking ahead of him.

"You know...the thing with Dire and all."

"Oh..well. Let's just put that behind us.Alright?"

She was now next to him. "Right."

Kiba smiled at her, helping her into the trashed living room.

"Tsume and the others must be near the hatch." Kiba said.

"Must be.So, where's Dire?"

"Most likely dead."

"I'm glad. He caused us too much contradiction.Kiba? Can I ask you something?"

"Hm?"

"Do you remember when we slept in that wooded area?"

"That place where we slept and then some." He smirked.

Kint playfully punched his shoulder. "I think we should get going if we ever want to experience those feeling again."

After several minutes of climbing, they reached the hatch where the others waited impatiently.

"What took you so long!" shouted Hige. "I thought Shives killed you guys or something."

"Well she didn't. So quit the talking and let's get the heck out of here." Tsume retorted.

Tsume and Hige pulled the hatch door opened slowly for it was incredibly heavy. The ship's walls were starting to cave in. When the door finally opened; the rain filled air sucked everything outside.Kiba and the others held the wall as furniture flew away.

"Kiba? I think we should get going now!" yelled Tsume.

Hige wasted no time in jumping out first, he was then followed by Tsume.Toboe looked over to Kint and Kiba.

"Don't worry Toboe, we'll be okay!" yelled Kint.

Toboe nodded and leaped outside the ship.

"Ready to continued our journey?" asked Kiba.

"Kint nodded happily. "You bet!"

Kiba ran and leaped outside.Kint smiled and was about to jump when Shives appeared behind her and slammed her against the wall, holding her neck.

Kint was nearly choking holding Shives wrist. "S-Shives?"

"Surprised to see me?" Shives smiled and punched the ebony wolf clear across the hatch foyer.

Hige, Tsume, Toboe, and Kiba hit the ground hard rolling in the sand. They looked up at the ship as it sailed towards the ground, trailing smoke. The ship stuck the ground producing a fiery mass. Explosion after explosion lit the sky and the young wolves' eyes.

Hige crawled on the ground to get a closer look. "Wow, what an explosion?" He whispered.

"Yeah." agreed Tsume.

Toboe looked around frantically. "Hey! Where's Kint?" He asked worried.

Kiba's eyes widened in shock. He didn't check to see if she was behind him or not.

"If she's not down here with us then that means" Hige stopped himself.

(No need to speak)